Well, in Kyalami on November 13, it did happen. Nigel Mansell (52) took pole the previous day and led from the start to beat 58-year-old Emerson Fittipaldi into second and his old sparring partner, Ricardo Patrese, who finished third.

South Africa was the perfect venue to launch the concept - 90,000 F1 fans denied such powerful open-wheeled action for over a decade filled the stands. Like a good portion of the media, they probably came expecting to witness rotund ex-racers firing costly racing cars into the scenery, but they would have been disappointed. By the time Mansell took pole on Saturday afternoon not one car had spun or broached the white lines and everyone had been reminded that speed and car control don't diminish with age. Stamina would be the issue. Even after five-lap stints in qualifying there were red faces and heavy breathing in the garages. Alan Jones, 1980 F1 World Champion with Williams, was the only driver not to make the start. Asked if he was struggling with the physical side of the car, he replied, 'I've been doing a lot of gym work - Jim Beam!'

The weekend was punctuated with hilarious press conferences. Asked if he was a grandfather, ex-Renault star Patrick Tambay shrugged, 'How would I know?' Behind the festivities, winning was what mattered to most. Jacques Lafitte (62), Patrick Tambay (56) and Ren