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Tom Walkinshaw

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One of F1's Old Guard of team principals died last week.

Tom Walkinshaw was a tough character, who wasn't afraid of fronting-up to stroppy drivers and butting heads with other team principals. He was also the man who brought Ross Brawn into Formula 1, setting the big lad in the specs off on a course that involved Benetton, Ferrari and ultimately his own team.

Walkinshaw ran Benetton before a falling-out saw him shunted to the other team owned by his guv'nor, the ever-charmning Flavio Briatore. And yes, I was being sarcastic.

His final fling in F1 was as team owner at the under-funded Arrows team, where his biggest coup was netting reigning World Champion Damon Hill after Williams had a spot of brain-fade, and replaced him with Frentzen. Hill paid Walkinshaw back by very nearly winning a race against all the odds, before gremlins caused him to falter in the last couple of laps.

With all the corporate speak and unwillingness to say what you really mean that prevails in F1 nowadays, we need a few more people like Tom around.

RIP Mr Walkinshaw.

(Oddly, playing tonight is still that same Jeff Wayne remix album from last night. Funky.)
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