(no subject)
In the hype of ‘the fourth Ferrari driver this year' (the most driver Ferrari had in 1 full season since ’82) let’s force ourselves to want to get to know Fisico better. All the while i was ready to compose farewell eulogy for his retirement. I mean, driving for Force India. -despite Spa- That’s no less than a dead end right? like a last supper kind of thingy? oh, well.
And what better way to do that than to dig up my not so well preserved copy of an old, mad and daft GP magazine, GPX ( an F1 yellow journalism media blip so frivolous and very amusingly non McLaren-boring, it only lasted for, uh, six editions? Or such) from July 1998.
Hell I'll just google him, you might say. Well, it’s up to you then, no?
It’s just that out of nowhere -quite literally- this copy which bears Fisico on its front cover, suddenly reappeared in my desk.
And i really missed GPX and googling Fisico isn't my kind of thing today, so.. let's just get along, shall we?
*Trivia : what year was it when Ferrari had the most number of drivers in a year? 1952.
How many drivers?
(Answer at the end of the post. If you’re still reading this, you’ll want to know. :p)
--one more thing, sorry to annoy you my valued reader. But i cant help but comment. Hence the italic bit-
Interview, GPX Magazine, (July '98 edition) with Giancarlo Fisichella.
and here's the funky Cover. haha :
GPX : How Ddid you get the nickname “shag”? (An understated start is the key to good interview - ed)
Fizzy : Er, that was from the mechanics at Jordan. My real nickname is ‘Fisico’
GPX: Oh yeah, right. Have you, seen the website where your Japanese female fans send you love poems?
Fizzy: Yes. I’m delighted to have fans all over the world - every nation has its own special way of showing it.
GPX: Oh yeah, right. Seriously, just how difficult is it to avoid temptation?
Fizzy: formula one is a world wherer you are surrounded by girls all the time, after the attentions of the drivers. But i don’t like it because, before i got into the business, no-one would give me a second look. I’ve been with my girlfriend, Luna, for five years, so i know that she doesn’t just love me for being a Formula One driver. We’re also very busy when we’re at the track, so there’s not enough time in any case.
(*yawns*)
GPX:So what’s your dark secret?
Fizzy:If it’s a secret, I can’t say.
(he’s been boring for long then, eh?)
GPX: You’ve done motor racing. You’ve done modelling. Any other jealousy-inducing projects in the pipeline?
Fizzy: I had a meal with Sylvester Stallone at Planet hollywood in Rome and he told me that a character in his new F1 film might be based in me
(eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww!!!
I mean, eeeeewwwwwwww...
good thing we all knew that movie didn't happen. *PHEW* The world’s saved from unnecessary flawed depiction of F1 bravado)
GPX : And I suppose you’ll be flying off to play for Italy in tghe World Cup Final agter the British GP?
Fizzy: I wasn’t a bad footballer and i wouldn’t mind playing for the ‘azzuri’, but only if i can fit it in a around my work. Life is very good at the moment.
(haha. but the croats beat the crap out of you so you're not missin out anything, mate)
GPX: Formula One drivers get younger every year. How come?
Fizzy: It’s partly by chance and partly because the latest youngsters have shown the team managers they really can drive. And they’re cheap.
GPX: Are you still cheap?
Fizzy: I’m getting more expensive
GPX:Benetton is the youngest and hippest team of them all.
Fizzy: Yeah - last year it was Jordan, butnow it’s Benetton. There’s a really friendly atmosphere in both teams, but Benetton have a bigger budget and have won the championship. Me and Alex
( Alex? Who the f-OH ALEX.as in the gigantic Wurz?? Oops.. That sounds, erm..nevermind. )are good buddies and we work well together.
GPX: Is that why he’s the only teammate you haven’t bashed into..yet.
Fizzy: No, that’s because we are intelligent and we have worked.dlgfkfdsl;kgd%^^ good buddies yadda yadda (enter here : the same as ever PR bullshit these drivers are paid millions to shit to journalists) the only time I had problems was with Ralf Schumacher last season - and i don’t think that was my fault.
GPX: What you were saying to Eddie Irvine after your clash in Spain?
Fizzy: I said t hat I’d been racing by the book, and then, the moment I tried to get past him, he booted me off. That didn’t seem right.
(*sigh* dont we miss Eddie now...)
GPZ: You ended up US$7500 worse off after that - sounds a lot, but how much is it to you?
Fizzy: Money doesn’t matter to me. What’s important is being a decent team in Formula One. That shows I’ve come a long way. But i do have a place in Monaco and I’m looking for a new house in Rome. Oh, I’ve bought myself a Porsche too.
GPX: Didn’t you have a little ‘moment’ in that as well?
Fizzy: Yes it was a stupid accident. Someone drove out of a side street in Pesaro and hit me. He was really sorry, but at the time he didn’t realise who I was. (And you are....who exactly?)
GPX : He would have it you’d been racing for Ferrari. Does it annoy you that italians still cheer when Ferarri beat you, no matter who’s driving?
Fizzy: It’s a bit annnoying in Italy that all they talk about is Ferrari. But I think It’s now almost all Ferrari, with a hint of Fisichella (for real??) One day I’d love to drive for Ferrari, but I have a long contract with Benetton and I’m very happy here. I know I’ve got my own public and fo them there is nothing else - not even Ferrari.
(awwww..how touching it is to see firsthand how an italian boy -boy, did I say boy? i meant- an italian F1 driver (near) burnout's livelong dream come trueeee.... sheesh, that second spot at spa seriously made writing this article much trickier than it should)
Answer to the Trivia : 17. Seriously.