Spirit of Enzo 1988 lives on at Monza?
Twenty years ago Gerhard Berger shocked the F1 world by breaking the McLaren streak of victories at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
It was the only race McLaren failed to win that year and it came just weeks after the death of the the legendary Ferrai founder, Enzo Ferrari. The late Michele Alboreto finished second to Berger making it a memorable 1-2 finish for Ferrari. It was the Scuderias first victory at Monza since Jody Scheckterwon in 1979.
If ever there was a display of divine intervention it happened in this race. Ayrton Senna held a supreme lead and was on the way to McLaren’s twelfth straight victory of the season when he tripped over Jean-Louis Schlesser. in the Williams . Undoubtedly it was Sennas error as he clumsily cut across the front of the hapless driver who was standing in for the chicken pox affected Nigel Mansell . Senna was out on the spot and handed the win to the ecstatic Berger to record one of F1′s most memorable wins.
Fast forward twenty years and it seems that the spirit of Enzo and Berger have come together to work their magic again at Monza. Berger’s Ferrari powered Toro Rosso team made history with the sensational Sebastian Vettel scoring pole and powering to the teams first ever win in the rain soaked event.
The hugely popular win will go down in the historybooks as Vettel claimed the record as the youngest man to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix at just 21 years and 77 days. It was also the first victory for an Italian team other than Ferrari since 1957.
