Racecar - a pallindrome for Monza 2006

Racecar is a topical word on Formula One race day over in Monza. Grammar nazis out there will know that a word that is the same written backwards, forwards and sideways is called a pallindrome. Pallindromes are cool, a lot cooler than most top racecar drivers!

We have all been amazed by the rise and rise of Schumacher and then admired the meteoric improvements by one Alonso, but who is still bored rigid by multi-millionaire playboys screeching around an overly safe circuit at 200mph? Sure, the pilots are skilled and brave. Sure, I doubt most of us could even pull away in a Maclaren, but once underway in an indestructible cockpit, I am certain even my mum could hit 200mph in a straight line. And any white van man boy racers could take those chicanes at a good speed, if they felt so inclined to risk an occasional roll.

21st Century F1 drivers don't roll

Racecar safety requirements have taken the thrill out of a sport that is supposed to be dangerous. Modern day fans' hearts are in their mouths when racers spin off and come to a safe stop in the sand. One wheel off the ground and the spectators clutch for a valium. A rear end shunt and the trauma counselling teams are flown in. The racers are, of course, as cool as cucumbers throughout, knowing they are as safe as cucumbers in bullet-proof perspex greenhouses. Of course bones get broken and egos dented in smash-ups, but by and large, fans aren't seeing any blood spilt these days. Sound a bit cruel? Well, human do have this deep fascination with tragedy and , let's just say, the fans would be far more attentive to a pile up than a procession.

Old world F1 drivers were tough

Those real racecar drivers from the black and white 60's and before, in their Coopers, Lotus and deTomaso's had it tough, with the oil splattering their faces and their cars going up in smoke at regular intervals. And it wasn't all press conferences and hearty back slapping in line with ultra-slick multi-national marketing requirements. (Wake me up when your dynamic chat is all over, Michael.) Dozens of drivers died, pushing their vehicles to the limit of the technology at the time. This is the anniversary of the death of one Frederick von Trips, for instance, a German racer who suffered a fatal accident at Monza in 1961.

The current F1 motorcyclists are the man,

The young bloods like Pedrosa and ageing stars like Rossi are proof that pilot and machine can push limits without spoiling the idea of naked adrenalin-filled racing! Same speeds as their cocooned road racer contemporaries, but the thickness of their leathers protecting them in a wipe out.

Tour de France & Vuelta cyclists are the man too!

Almost as crazy as Evil Kneivel, they bomb down windy mountain roads at up to 70mph with a skimpy lycra suit and an ill-fitting cap for protection. Jan Ullrich was found to be a bit of a pussy the year he won his Tour, only hitting 55 downhill - that's mph not kilos, an impossible target for him.

The fastest racer of them all has no engine at all!

At least it used to be true that the fastest human off the mark was a horse jockey! At one time the noble thoroughbreds' 0-40mph capabilities left all mechanical vehicles in the dust.

Does that race horse 0-40 mph record still hold true against F1 cars?

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