Austria, Formula 1 Legends Series - 2

The second issue in the Austria post "Formula One Legends series" was released in 2007. Yet again it featured another 8 finest drivers from the Formula 1 history.

Philip Hill was the only American born Formula 1 world Champion who won the prestigious event in 1961. Even though he raced with many teams during his 8 year Formula 1 career, his 1961 Championship was with the team Ferrari. He holds the record for winning the Formula 1 Championship with fewest career points (98). He and another 6 drivers share the record for fewest World Championship seasons (4) before their first title. He and Mike Hawthorn won their respective Championships with fewest career wins (3). He was also the first American to win the Le Mans 24 Hours. He along with Olivier Gendebien won the race thrice 1958, 1961 and 1962. He also participated in other motor sports including the Tasman Series, 12 Hours of Sebring and Targa Florio.

Clay Regazzoni was a Swiss racing driver who started the racing career with Formula 3 then gradually moving to Formula 2 and then in 1970 finally debuted in Formula 1 racing. He had a very tight season in 1974 almost winning the Championship, but finally settled for second place in the Championship title. He is fondly remembered as the mustached charmer from Switzerland who had two 3 years stints at Ferrari (1970 – 1972 and 1974 – 1976), and scoring Williams's maiden GP victory which are the highlights of his 10-year Formula 1 career. After a driving accident in 1977, his Formula 1 career came to an end but still participated in other motor sports events such as Dakar Rally, 12 Hours of Sebring. On 15 December 2006, Regazzoni was killed when the Chrysler Voyager he was driving hit the rear of a lorry on the Italian A1 motorway, near Parma. Regazzoni will be remembered ever for his unique and charismatic character.

An Austrian by birth Gerhard Berger was a Formula 1 racing driver and also Austria's record holder with his 210 starts in Formula 1. In his 14 years of Formula 1 career he had 48 podiums, including 10 victories but never won a world championship tile. His best finish in Formula history was 3rd twice in the 1988 and 1994 seasons with team Scuderia Ferrari. Post his racing career, he took up administration roles, the latest being chairman of ITR, the promoter of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters ( DTM ) from 2017. Due to his Senna connection, he played an advisory role to Bruno Senna, Ayrton's nephew, who made his Formula 1 debut in 2010 world Championship. In 2019 marking the 25th death anniversary of Senna, he said "Had he been alive, I don’t think anyone other than Ayrton would have won the championship for the next five years."

Juan Manuel Fangio is regarded as one of the Greatest race drivers in the history of Formula 1. He was the first racing driver to win 5 Championship titles the record which was not broken for 43 years. The German Michael Schumacher was the first to beat his five Formula 1 world championship titles. In 51 Grand Prix starts, Fangio won 24 times, with a success rate of 46.15% that has never been achieved before. He holds the record for the highest percentage (55.77%) of pole positions, 29 pole positions from 52 races. His record of 4 drivers' Championships with most constructors - Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes, Ferrari stands unbeaten for 70 years. Fangio's 1957 Championship victory is a record for the oldest driver to win a Championship title. He was also the oldest driver to set a fastest lap at the age of 46 in his last 1958 season. His 8 years of Formula 1 career is a testimony for his Greatness in the history of Formula 1.

John Surtees was a British racing driver who was the only racing driver to win seven motorcycle world Championships and one Formula 1 world Championship (1964). He started his Formula 1 career in 1960 with Team Lotus straightaway coming from his illustrious Motorcycle racing career. He also worked as a designer and racing team owner. He started his own race team, the Surtees Racing Organisation, and spent nine seasons competing in Formula 5000, Formula 2 and Formula 1 as a constructor. He was honored with titles such as the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to motorsport. In 1996, Surtees was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Mika Häkkinen, nicknamed "The Flying Finn" was a Finnish Formula 1 racing driver. He won 2 Championship titles during the seasons 1998 and 1999 with McLaren racing team. He will be remembered for his fiercely fought rivalry in many races with Michael Schumacher. His rivalry with Schumacher actually dates back to the Formula 3 days, where they had an infamous last-lap collision which made Schumacher as the Champion. Häkkinen started his career with Lotus Racing Team and after 2 seasons he moved to McLaren where in the first season he finished 4th in the 1993 Championship. He also participated in DTM events for 3 seasons from 2005 with the best finish of 5th. His favorite rival Michael Schumacher once complemented that he gained most satisfaction in racing against him. Häkkinen was awarded the Autosport International Racing Driver Award for 2 consecutive years 1998 and 1999. 

Graham Hill was a British racing driver who won the Formula 1 World Championship title twice in his 18 years of Formula 1 racing career. He was the only racing driver to win the Triple Crown of motorsport, such as the "500 miles from Indianapolis" (1966), the "24 Hours of Le Mans" (1972) and world championship in Formula 1 (1962 and 1968). Hill and his son Damon Hill were the first father and son pair to win Formula 1 World Championships. He also tried his hand in Tasman Series and USAC Championship Car events. Hill died on 29 November 1975 in an air-crash after returning from a car testing session. Silverstone village which hosts the British Grand Prix races named a road to honor this legend for the accomplishment in his racing career.

Emerson Fittipaldi was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula 1 World Championship twice in 1972 and 1974 with the Ford Cosworth racing team. Being inspired by the 1949 Italian Mille Miglia, he had a passion for motorsports which paved the way for his career in Formula 1. He was the youngest champion winning the 1972 title at the age of 25, the record which was never beaten for 33 years. He also participated in the Indy 500 winning twice with the Penske racing team. He helped his team colleague Jochen Rindt win posthumously the world championship in 1970. Post Formula 1, he went to CART and associated with the event for 13 seasons and winning the 1989 title.

Austria, Formula 1 Legends Series - 1

It's already May and still no visibility of a Formula 1 race yet. Speculations of a shortened season running around in media and not being concrete, Formula 1's 71st season is still a doubtful starter. 2020 is a year to remember as Corona-virus has brought mass destruction's to the world economy impacting almost everyone's lives including the sports fraternity. Fortunately lock down has made everyone confined to their homes to spend more valuable time with their family. With ample time available, I have been organizing my stamps collection to albums which are otherwise scattered across everywhere. I have been particularly searching for 3 sets of Austrian stamps related to Formula 1 which I haven't seen for a while. Being able to find it finally, these 3 sets of Formula 1 Legend Series gave some motivation to continue this blog after a longtime.

Austrian post started Formula 1 Legends series in 2006, a special issue of commemorative stamps on the legends of Formula 1. First issue labeled as "Formula 1 Legends" has a set of 8 stamps featuring some of the finest drivers across continents.

Jim Clark : A Scottish by birth and a loyal Lotus driver, Clark have won 2 World Championship seasons 1963 & 1965. He also participated in other motorsports events such as sports cars series including touring cars and Indianapolis. He is also the first European to win the Indianapolis 500. Clark holds a distinct record ( called as grand slam ) of being in pole, winning the race along with fastest lap and also leading every lap in 8 Grand Prix races. Only Lewis Hamilton comes next with 6 races of this unique record. Clark was active in Formula 1 for 9 years from 1960 to 1968. He died in a tragic race accident while participating in Formula Two event in  Hockenheim, West Germany. At the time of his death he had won more Grand Prix races (25) and achieved more Grand Prix pole positions (33) than any other driver. 

Bruce McLaren : Mclaren is the founder of one of the greatest Formula 1 team McLaren, which has won a record 12 constructor championships which is only second to Ferrari. Born in Auckland, New Zealand McLaren moved to Europe in 1958 and started his Formula 1 career with the Cooper racing team. He was also involved in other motorsports events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring, Can-AM, Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans. He along with Eddie Ervine shares a unique record of most wins (4) without a pole position. At the first victory he was only 22 years old and for a long time he was the youngest winner in Formula 1 history. He was killed in 1970 while testing his McLaren M8D racing car at Goodwood Circuit in England. 

Sir Stirling Moss : Being described as "the greatest driver never to win the World Championship", Moss has won 16 races in his career of 67 races spanning across 1951 to 1961. He holds a unique record of wins with most different constructors (5) Mercedes, Maserati, Vanwall, Cooper, Lotus. He shares the record of most World Championship seasons as runner-up (4) along with French driver Alain Prost. He was also involved in Mille Miglia road race, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring, 12 Hours of Reims and Rallye de Monte Carlo. In 1963, he retired from racing after a serious accident. In 2000, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to motor racing. 

Sir Jack Brabham : Brabham was an Australian driver who has won 3 Formula 1 Championship titles during the seasons 1959, 1960, and 1966. Sir Jack Brabham is the first driver in history to be ennobled by Queen Elizabeth II for his motorsport achievements. He has participated in 128 races, winning 14 races with 31 podium finishes. He also competed in Tasman Series, World Sportscar Championship, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indy 500 and Bathurst 1000 sporting events. He is the only Formula 1 driver to have won a world championship title (1966) in a car he has designed. 

 

Jacky Ickx : A Belgian by birth, he moved from motorcycle racing to Formula 1 racing in 1967 starting his career with Cooper racing team. He was one of the youngest drivers in Grand Prix history to make his first victory at the age of 23. Jacky Ickx contested in 112 Grand Prix races, wining eight times and twice he was runner-up. He was the first youngest pole-sitter achieving the first pole position in 1968 German Grand Prix. He was also involved in 24 hours of Le Mans with 6 victories. He won Paris-Dakar rally in 1983 for Mercedes and finishing second twice for the teams Porchse (1986) and Peugeot (1989). 

Sir Jackie Stewart : Fondly called as "Flying Scot", he had a illustrious career in Formula 1 competing 100 races. He could be probably the first driver in Formula 1 history to contest in 100 races and achieved this feat in 1973 season. In the eight years of his Formula 1 career, he celebrated 27 victories in 99 races and became world champion three times. In 2001 Jackie Stewart was elevated to the nobility by the Queen of England. He also participated in Tasman, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Indianapolis 500 series. 

Mario Andretti : Andretti owns the rare feat of winning all the major racing championships such as Formula 1 World Championship (1978) , Indianapolis 500 (1969), Daytona 500 (1967). In his career of 131 races he has won 12 races with 19 podium positions. His first Formula 1 World Championship came almost after 10 years of his entry (1968) in Formula 1. He is also the last American to win a Formula 1 race, 1978 Dutch Grand Prix. He was almost involved in all types of motorsports such as 12 hours of Sebring, 1000 km of Brands Hatch, 1000 km of Monza, 6 Hours of Daytona, Watkins Glenn etc. After retiring from Formula 1, he worked as a professional racer in various racing classes until 1994. 

Alain Prost : He was one of the successful race drivers in the history of Formula 1. He was world champion four times with 199 starts from 202 races and won 51 races during his 13 seasons of Formula 1 career. He was the owner the of the Formula 1 racing team Prost until 2002. He holds the record for most number of pit stops (7) in a race, 1993 European Grand Prix. In 1984 season he lost the Championship to Niki Lauda with a margin of 0.5 points which is the fewest points between first and second in the history of World Championship.

50 years of Formula One in Canada ( 1967 - 2017 )

2017 is a great year for Canada. It marks their 150th anniversary of Confederation. Canada post has been busy with some exciting releases, in which 2 of them are very special; one of them being the 150th anniversary and the other to mark the occasion of 50 years ( 1967 - 2017 ) of Formula One in Canada. 

A set of 5 stamps and a souvenir were released to mark 5 decades of Formula One in Canada. These five stamps feature some of the greatest drivers such as Sir Jackie Stewart( Britain), Gilles Villeneuve (Canada), Ayrton Senna (Brazil), Michael Schumacher (Germany) and Lewis Hamilton (Britain). Each stamp along with the driver's portrait has their national flag, a chequered flag and the mandatory F1 trademark in five different styles. With tall fonts, the design of these five stamps resemble posters of old times.  

All the 5 drivers had the privilege of winning Canada Grand Prix with Michael Schumacher a record of 7 races, Lewis Hamilton with 6, Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna 2 races each. Gilles Villeneuve won the 1978 Canada Grand Prix. These drivers uniquely represent a different decade in the history of Canada Grand Prix. The set of 5 bright FDCs is one of the irresistible collectibles that I have come across in recent years.

If you are an avid collector don't miss this historic edition because I haven't. :) 

Baku City Circuit, Baku - Grand Prix of Europe, 2016 Formula 1

Baku, City of Azerbaijan hosted the European Grand Prix, the round 8 of 2016 Formula One season. The newly built Baku City Circuit became the 71st circuit to host a Formula One Grand Prix race. Nico Rosberg of Team Mercedes won this inaugural Grand Prix. Thanks again to Formula One President and CEO Bernie Ecclestone who is taking Formula One to new territories. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, the famous German engineer who designed most of the recent circuits such as Sepang International Circuit, Bahrain International Circuit, Shanghai International Circuit, Istanbul Park Racing Circuit, Valencia Street Circuit, Marina Bay Street Circuit, Yas Marina Circuit, Korea International Circuit and the Buddh International Circuit in India.

As per the current provisional plan Baku will host the round 8 of 2017 Formula One season. To commemorate the inaugural Grand Prix race,  Azerbaijan post released 3 different products - a  set of 4 stamps featuring racing cars, a souvenir sheet and a set of 4 maxi cards.  Surprisingly these releases are not featured in their official postal website. The souvenir sheet features the Baku racing circuit and a graphical representation of a racing car on top of the sheet. It also features the trade mark texts of Formula One company therefore making this as an official product. :)

125 Years of the Automobile Club of Monaco

No sight or even a mirage of any Formula one stamp being released in 2016. As usual keeping my hopes high and honing my google skills for a prized catch sometime soon. Ok, the blame part is over for no blog post in the last 4 months.

Being the first post of 2016, this edition focuses on a motoring club that has thrived 125 years which is something remarkable and certainly an occasion for celebration. Started in 1890 as an association for cyclists, 2015 marked the 125th anniversary of Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) which hosts the prestigious races such as Monaco Grand Prix and Monte Carlo Rally. Till 2015 ACM has conducted 62 Formula One races as Monaco Grand Prix in Circuit de Monaco. The other motor sporting events conducted are the Historique Grand Prix of Monaco, the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique classic rally, the Monaco ePrix and the Junior Monaco Kart Cup.

To commemorate the 125th anniversary Monaco post issued a mini-sheet with a set of 4 stamps featuring the below prestigious races:

• Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco
• Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo
• Grand Prix de Monaco Historique
• Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique

There is also a special mention on Monaco ePrix, the Zenn Rally and the Rally of new energy in the mini-sheet.

Besides the mini-sheet a first day cover and a cancelled min-sheets marks the occasion.

Happy Collecting !!!!!

Bahrain International Circuit Celebrating 10 Years

"What a shame", that's how I felt. How could I have missed these stamps released in 2014 ? May be due to my waning googling skills. I don't know but indeed it was an interesting find nevertheless. A big thanks to Bahrain post for these wonderful commemorative stamps. A Formula One circuit holding races for 10 years is a miracle now-a-days. In fact these commemorative could have come earlier if the 2011 race was not cancelled due to political reasons.

A set of five stamps were issued by Bahrain post to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Bahrain International circuit. But, why 5 stamps ? Yes, Only 5 drivers have won the Bahrain Grand Prix during these 10 years. Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Jenson Button & Sebastian Vettel were those who belong to this prestigious list.

Michael Schumacher won the inauguration race in 2004 and Fernando Alonso has won the most number of races ( 3 - 2005, 2006 & 2010 ) here. Felipe Massa won in 2007 & 2008, Sebastian Vettel won in 2012 & 2013 with Jenson Button in 2009.

It's time to keep an eye on Bahrain post. :) 

Stamps on Michele Alboreto, Graham Hill from Monaco Post 2015

Monaco post is something that I can count on every year for a new release of Formula One related stamps. It is not a disappointment though, in fact it is a double delight this year.

Two stamps, one on Michele Alboreto and another on Graham Hill were the surprise release.

Michele Alboreto - An Italian racing driver whose career in Motorsport is very diverse. He participated in championships such as Formula One, Le Mans, Sebring, IndyCar,  European Sportscar, Formula Two, Formula Three. He started his career in Formula Monza, without much success he then moved to Formula Three and finally to Formula One in 1981. His best finish in Formula One was 2nd in 1985 F1 drivers’ championship. He retired from Formula One in 1992 after racing with teams Tyrrell, Ferrari, Larrousse, Footwork, Scuderia Italia, Arrows and Minardi.  He also had a good time in Le Mans racing winning the championship in 1997 for Joest Racing. He died in a crash in 2001 while performing a test drive for Audi. The only other country to release a stamp on Michele was Italy in 2009. 

Graham Hill - He was a British racing driver who holds the record of winning Triple Crown of Motorsport - 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship. He won the Formula One Championship twice - 1962 and 1968. His son Damon Hill won the Formula One Championship in 1996 and they were the only "father and son" to win the Formula One championship. He was popularly called as "King of Monaco" as he has won 5 Monaco Grand Prix races ( 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969 ). He is part of elite list of 10 Brits who won the Formula One Drivers Championship. He was the second Brit to win the Formula One Championship after Mike Hawthorn. He also won Indy 500 in 1966 and Le Mans in 1972. Graham Hill died in 1975 in a plane crash while piloting his private plane. 

25th Anniversary of SPORTEL, Monaco 2014

Rarely a stamp featuring anything related to formula one goes unnoticed from my attention. This one has a picture of formula racing cars with few other sports featured in the side. This stamp is no way related to commemoration of any racing track or a driver but it is associated to the media which brings all the action to our homes. 

Sportel is a global media event for sports rights owners and buyers, broadcasters, marketing agencies, new media, telcos to trade sport content and programs for television, mobiles and internet. The 2014 event marks its 25th anniversary and since Monaco being the host country, its postal administration released a commemorative stamp to mark this key international event. The release features individual stamp, a sheet of 10 stamps and a FDC.

BTW, the blog has redesigned for a sportier look.

Russian F1 Grand Prix 2014

Being in limelight featuring many sports events this year, I would say Sochi, the black sea resort town is easily my choice of sports city in 2014. It also become the first city from the Russian Federation to host the Winter Olympics. And it didn't stop there as Russia hosted its first ever Formula One Grand Prix in Sochi, the 16th round of the 2014 Formula One calender. Lewis Hamilton of Team Mercedes won this inaugural grand prix and inches closer to championship unless there are no surprises.

Sochi became the 70th race circuit and Russia the 31st nation to host a Formula One championship race. Back in October 2010 Russia signed a contract to host the race until 2020 with the possibility of further extension. Having secured a place in the 2015 calender it doesn't seems to be one off race atleast for now. And then was the surprise. Yes, Russia post issued a commemorative stamp to mark the inaugural Formula One race at the Olympic park in Sochi. The stamp features 2 Formula One cars and winter sports palace "Iceberg" in the background. A sheetlet of 8 stamps is another variant of this commemorative release. If everything goes on well we would see a race on the streets of Baku, Azerbaijan in 2016. New place, new stamp what else I want ?

20th Anniversary of the death of Ayrton Senna - San Marino

Years pass-by but his legacy continue. Following the several tributes that took place this May, San Marino postal administration made a fitting tribute for Ayrton Senna to mark the 20th Anniversary of his last race in 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Imola. The stamp features a portrait of Senna, his Williams FW 16 and the Imola circuit of Enzo and Dino Ferrari where he drove his final race. He certainly had a liking for San Marino Grand Prix as he holds the record for most consecutive pole positions ( 7 ) at the same Grand Prix.

During the practice session of that fateful weekend of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Austrian Roland Ratzenberger had a heavy collision with the concrete wall and was confirmed dead. Senna was shattered. "He was very shocked. He had never faced the reality of his profession before so starkly because no one had been killed during his time in Formula One" said Professor Sid Watkins. But the unfortunate accident occurred during the race and left the world shocked. On the track in the shattered remains of the car they found out a furled Austrian flag which Senna had kept to dedicate his victory to the Austrian Roland Ratzenberger. Such was his legacy it continues to inspire the world in many constructive ways.

In an another tribute to mark the 20th Anniversary the Williams F1 team placed the Senna logo on the nose of the FW36 this season. 

Click here for the list of tributes

Hungaroring is 20 years old

Somehow this was missing in my collection and I will take the blame for getting fancied on the new releases then and there.  A racing circuit holding races for 20 years continuously is extraordinary and still it continues to be the mainstay in the Formula One calendar. Yes, its Hungaroring and 2006 marked the 20th Anniversary.

Needless to mention as this is one of the favorite racing track of the celebrated driving legends as it won the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso. To celebrate the 20th anniversary Hungary Post issued a special stamp portraying a chequered flag, outline of the circuit, the F1 logo and a racing car centrally placed in the stamp. "Hungaroring is 20 years old” written on the stamp gives a fitting finish. In 2013 Hungaroring completed its 28th season without a break from 1986 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2010. For now its looking bright and I will wait for next commemoration stamp release which is not very far.

Legendary Formula One Drivers - Ayrton Senna & Gilles Villeneuve - Monaco

Initially surprised at the timing of these stamp releases but digging in more seems to incline towards an occasion. Both these Formula One racing legends belong to the Americas - Gilles Villeneuve - Canada and Ayrton Senna - Brazil. Monaco with their racing tradition and the association with Formula One racing has always have something on their postal calendar related to Formula One. Being the first set of stamps on Formula One for 2014, I quickly grabbed it and added to my ever growing collection. These racing legends are so popular for their racing careers which makes me to cut short on their background.

Ayrton Senna :  With reference to the famous maxim that years fly by, come May 1st it will be the 20th anniversary of one of the most successful and entertaining Formula One driver the world has ever seen. His career came to a tragic end when he died in a fatal accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand prix. Senna has won 3 world championships with McLaren and during his career he has set many records which are still unbeaten. He holds a special record of 5 consecutive wins at the Monaco Grand Prix from 1989 to 1983. Monaco released a set of 2 stamps one bearing the portrait of Senna and the other featuring a racing car. The stamp was so fitting that even his name on the stamps were colored in Brazilian, yet another fitting tribute to this great legend.

Gilles Villeneuve : May 8th marks the 32nd anniversary of this great Canadian racing driver. He was very popular for his competitive driving and the way he scaled up to the Formula One racing. He is one of the 2 Canadian drivers of the 13 to score points in Formula One racing, the other being his son Jacques Villeneuve who won the Driver's Championship in 1997. His life came to an end during an qualifying crash at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix. Monaco released a set of 2 stamps as part of their Legendary F1 drivers series, one of them featuring the portrait of Villeneuve sitting in his racing car with his helmet on and the other featuring him in a racing car.

Michele Alboreto, Formula One Italian Racing Driver

Pasta, Pizza, Espresso, Fashion, Beaches, Fancy cars ( named after Spanish bulls )... the list is endless what Italy is famous for. Add Motor sports and it brings glitter to it. Italy is only behind UK and USA in the list of countries that produced most number (101) of Formula One drivers. Michele Alboreto is one of the famous driver in that long list.

Widely known for finishing second to Alain Prost in the 1985 Formula One World Championship and spanning his racing career beyond Formula one, he had his hand in 24 Hours of Le Mans , 12 Hours of Sebring sport and IndyCar series too. He is also famous for his duel with Ayrton Senna in the 1987 San Marino Grand Prix, Imola.

Alboreto raced 80 grands prix for Ferrari from 1994 to 1998. He won 5 races in his Formula one career in addition to winning 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2001 12 Hours of Sebring. He was killed in a tragic accident in 2001 while test driving for Audi.

Italy Post in 2009 issued a commemorative stamp on Michele Alboreto. The stamp shows the racing driver Michele Alboreto beside a Ferrari F1 156/85, with a Formula 1 race track behind him featuring and a number of cars whizzing round it. The logo of the “ITALIA 2009” event appears at the top on the left of each stamp.

The stamp features the words “GIORNATA DELLO SPORT” (Sports Day), “FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DELLA FILATELIA” (International Philately Festival), “ITALIA”, the names of the sportsmen featured “MICHELE ALBORETO” and the denomination “€ 1,40” complete each stamp.

Nigel Mansell, Formula One British Racing Driver

Finally it was worth the wait. It came at a time when I was starving for a new Formula One themed stamp. I still remember I had the poster of this F1 celebrity when I was a kid and Formula one in India at that time was just in sports magazines - Thanks to Sportstar.

Couple of days back on a morning when I read the email that Jersey Post has released a stamp on Nigel Mansell, I was the happiest person on earth. I felt as if I have received some kind of award. So fresh, new and comes in many variations. 

Nigel Mansell is no-new-name in Formula One. Born as Nigel Ernest James Mansell, he was the most successful British driver and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2012 New Year for Honours services to children and young people.

He holds the distinct record of being the only driver in history to hold both the Formula One ( 1992 ) and CART championships ( 1993 ) at the same time. Jersey post issued six stamps and a collectible souvenir sheet to commemorate the 20th anniversary of this distinct record.

He still holds records for the highest percentage of pole positions in a season (88%), most wins from pole position in a season (9). 

All the six stamps carry the caption "Legacy of a Formula One champion - Nigel Mansell".

• The 45p stamp commemorates his First Pole Position at the 1984 US Grand Prix. 
• The 55p stamp commemorates his First Formula One Win at the 1985 European Grand Prix.
• The 60p stamp commemorates his First Formula One win at the Brazilian Grand Prix for the Team Ferrari at the start of the 1989 season. He was known as "il leone" ("the lion") by the tifosi (Ferrari fans) because of his fearless driving style.
• The 68p stamp commemorates his First Formula One Driver's Championship when he clinched the title finishing second at the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix, 11th race of the season.
• The 80p stamp commemorates his First Indy Car Championship when he secured the 1993 title completing first at the 1993 Nazareth Speedway, 15th race of the 16 race season.
• The 88p stamp potrays the famous spectacle when Mansell on the victory lap at the 1991 British Grand Prix gives Artyon Senna a lift to the paddock when the latter ran out of fuel.

Jersey post issued some 35 variations of these stamps such as stamp sets, souvenir sheet, presentation pack, first day cover, blocks of 2 & 4. Every one of these is a stamp collectors delight ;)

Formula One - Monaco - Maserati 250F & Tyrrell P34

2013 season has just started and 3 of the 19 races have already completed. As usual my bet is on the Ferrari's ( always ). I was still searching for a stamp released to honor Sebastian Vettel or his team Red bull Racing for their 3 consecutive championships ( 2010-2012 ). With nothing out there yet on these, I came across 2 stamps for the year 2013 from Monaco and these are very special. Let's see why.

Maserati 250F : Being considered as one of the finest single-seater cars, it is also the successful racing car ever made by Maserati in their history of  Formula 1 racing. Introduced in 1954 and used untill 1960, it competed in 46 Formula One championship races with 277 entries with 8 wins. Juan Manuel Fangio, one of the greatest driver ever has won 6 races out of this front-engined F1 car, the other driver being Stirling Moss with 2 wins.

Tyrrell P34 : Formula one is all about innovative design, dynamics, speed and performance. Lots have been tried, some of them were successful but some of were not. This one belongs to the latter but something very interesting in the design. Tyrrell P34 is a six wheeled formula one racing car, 4 smaller tyres at the front and 2 normal sized tyres at the back. The design was successful when introduced in 1976 and survived another season but due to technical problems around tyres and suspension, Tyrrell discontinued the model and pulled out the design from Formula one, 1977 being the last season.

Austria , Formula One Legends Series - 3

When it comes to collecting Formula One themed stamps , Austria would be my first choice. Austria post in the recent years from 2007 to 2009 have issued a series of stamps on "Formula One Legends". 2009 series had a set of 4 stamps which features the portraits of Wolfgang von Trips, Gilles Villeneuve, James Hunt &  Bernie Ecclestone.

Wolfgang von Trips was a German racing driver.  He started his Formula One career in 1956 and his career spanned till 1961. In 1961 he died in a fatal accident during the Italian Grand Prix race.

Gilles Villeneuve was a Canadian racing driver. He also had a tragic end to his life during the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.

James Hunt was an English racing driver from 1973 to 1979. He won the Formula One Championship in 1976.

In the racing world , Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One are synonymous. Often controversial he is the man behind the Formula One. He is commonly called as "F1 Supremo" and he literally controls the Formula One through his authority as well as through his companies.

South African Grand Prix

Not many countries in the African continent has hosted the Formula One Grand prix races when compared to other continents. There could be many reasons such as popularity , facilities , economic conditions and more importantly Bernie Ecclestone's blessings. Morocco and South Africa are the only two countries that has hosted Formula One Grand prix races. The last Formula One Grand prix held in the African continent was in South Africa in 1993 at the Kyalami Circuit. South Africa has hosted 22 Formula One Grand prix races starting from 1962 till 1993. Between this period around 8 years there were no races due to war , apartheid.

In 1992 South African post issued stamps on Motor Sports and one of the stamp luckily is on Formula One. The stamp features the image of Formula One cars racing around the track.

As Formula One goes to new places every year especially to Asia , Europe the possibility of having another race in the African continent might be a distant reality.

70th Monaco Grand Prix Race

Yet again another blog post on a Monaco stamp , remember the previous blog post is also on a Monaco stamp,  but the difference is ,  this one is new and it smells fresh. Yes , my search for a new stamp for the year 2012 related to Formula One yielded a result finally. Monaco post issued a commemorative stamp to celebrate the 70th Monaco Grand prix race. 

It is officially not the 70th Formula One Monaco Grand prix but Monaco Grand prix has been on the Formula One calender regularly from 1950 except few years due to world wars. The first Monaco Grand prix started in the year 1929 and it was inaugurated by Prince Pierre. All the credit goes to Anthony Noghes who was the founder of the Monaco Grand Prix. The 2012 Formula One Monaco Grand prix race marks the 70th race which is definitely a huge milestone considering the current economic conditions prevailing in Europe where country in the Europe is struggling with the economic crisis.

Anthony Noghès - Founder of the Monaco Grand Prix

Organisers play a huge role in the success of any sport , ironically they don't get much fame and popularity as the sports person. Monaco grand prix is one of the oldest and famous grand prix races in the history of Formula one racing. All the credit goes to Anthony Noghès who was the founder of the Monaco grand prix. It was his idea to conduct a grand prix race around the streets of Monaco and the first race held during the year 1929. From then ( i.e from 1950 ) Monaco grand prix appeared on almost every year in the Formula one racing calendar except for few years due to the world wars. 

 

Monaco post issued a stamp to commemorate the birth centenary of Anthony Noghès in the year 1990. The stamp carries a portrait of Anthony Noghès and a racing car in the background. Virage Antony Noghes is the name of a corner in the racing track which is named after him. Thanks Ebay , I bagged this one...

Ferrari Champions 1999 - 2004

I wanted my 25th blog post to be really very very special , to blog on something which I adore the most. Browsing through my collection I picked this one without even having a second thought. Yes , it's none other than Ferrari. What else it can be ?

Needless to say , Ferrari is one of the most successful competitors in the history of Formula One racing , they had won 16 constructor championship titles till last season. The other teams that comes close to this record are Williams ( 9 ) , Mclaren ( 8 ) & Lotus ( 7 ). From 1999 to 2004 , it's one way and all the way for Ferrari , they  won a straight 6 constructor championship titles,  a first in the history of Formula One racing , thanks to Ross Brawn - Jean Todt - Michael Schumacher for their excellent team work and their very effective racing strategies.

Bridgestone , Ferrari's official tyre supplier and their reliability during these years was also one of the main factors behind Ferrari's championship titles. During these 6 years Michael Schumacher broke as well as set many new records which made him one of the best drivers in the history of Formula One racing. ( that's where I made cricket my ex game )

In 2004 Gibraltar post released "a collectable issue - a Ferrari official licensed product" ( that sounds amazing right )  called as "Ferrari Champions" to celebrate Ferrari's 6 straight constructor championship titles. A miniature sheet comprising 6 stamps,  each stamp depicting the respective years Ferrari F1 car design.

The designs ( years ) are  - F399  ( 1999  ), F1-2000 ( 2000 ), F2001 ( 2001 ),  F2002 ( 2002 ), F2003 GA ( 2003 ) &  F2004 ( 2004 ).

Other than the miniature sheet the other items that were part of this special commemorative collection are presentation pack, individual sheetlets , first day covers and stamp sets.

Which one do you have ?