On course for top actionat Magny Cours:
with Murray Walker.
F1 Racing July 1999.

So with, hopefully, all the misplaced hysteria about Formula 1 being boring behind us after a typical, incident-packed Canadian GP, which saw the lead in the drivers' championship change and McLaren draw closer to Ferrari, we now go to Magny-Cours. Now, to be honest, the French GP is not always the most exciting of races but I reckon this year's will turn out to be different. All the ingredients are certainly there for lots of drama.

Eddie Irvine reckons the Ferrari is going to be just as competitive on Magny-Cours' billiard-table-smooth Tarmac as it was at Montreal and, if it is, that'll do nicely for me and, I'm sure, all of us. Last year there was almost as much talk of football, but we won't have that distraction this time. Schumacher, on his own admission, makes only one mistake per year - so the Michael-versus-Mika battle for the title is back on.

With Johnny Herbert having reminded us how good he really is, and Irvine having further strengthened his solid image, perhaps now we'll see Damon recover his lost form and David Coulthard's luck turn to provide an eventful preamble to the grand prix at Silverstone. I'm still a bit breathless after Canada! Fingers crossed then for something as good in France, where I've a hunch that Alain Prost's team could be up at the sharp end with their much-changed car.

But whatever else happens, the fight between McLaren and Ferrari is going to be intense and absorbing.

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