Formula One Features — October 1999

Many of the Formula One Technical Regulations depend upon dimensions, which in engineering terms can never be absolute. They require tolerances to enable parts to be manufactured, assembled and for inspection measurements to be made.

You may think that Prince Malik ado Ibrahim was an unusual character but in Formula 1 terms he was really rather quiet.

On October 28 Bernie Ecclestone celebrates his 69th birthday and while the boss of Formula 1 racing says that he is going to keep running the sport, despite the fact that he had major heart surgery during the summer, there are signs that he is slowing down.

Murray Walker is the most popular television commentator in Grand Prix racing, his fame having spread from Britain to outposts all over the world thanks to other nations which receive the Formula 1 television coverage produced by ITV.

There are many unusual and interesting people in Formula 1 but probably the most interesting group are the Press Officers.

Design teams led by Adrian Newey have created six of the Formula1 cars that have won the Constructors' World Championship in the last seven years. Whoever wins in 1999, few would dispute that Newey's McLaren MP4-14 is the best car of this year and it is undoubtedly the favourite to raise his tally to seven out of eight. His influence has dominated the last decade of the first century of motor racing and, whatever he achieves in the future, his name will go down in history among that elite group of engineers who, in their time, could almost be guaranteed to create a successful Formula1 car: Colin Chapman, Mauro Forgheiri and Patrick Head.