The fast show - Johnny on the 'net
The following article appeared
in issue No1 of "thenet",
which hit the shops in June 1999, and is reproduced here by kind permission of the Deputy
Editor, Susan Weekes.
QUITE A MAN, JOHNNY HERBERT. On 11 July, the top-flight driver with the Stewart-Ford
team will take to the Silverstone track for the start of the 1999 British Grand Prix. And
as he sits on the grid, he might just think back to the horrific crash at Brands 11 years ago that so nearly took his life. Yet like
so many people who've faced their own mortality, 36-year-old [DC: actually, he's not
36 until 25 June 2000!] Herbert is now decidedly chipper in outlook, and a well-liked
character on the circuit. He's also, as luck would have it, the biggest advocate of the
Net among the F1 driving community. A self-confessed gadget freak, Herbert goes online
when and wherever he can - even at the track. In fact, when we caught up with him back in
April at the Jerez testing circuit (in preparation who uses the for the Spanish GP), he
was still surfing between drives.
So you're an Internet and gadget freak?
I confess to being a gadget man, yes. Because I'm constantly on the move, I use a
Hewlett Packard Omnibook 4150. But after seeing the new Palm Pilot, I was just smitten. I
had to get my hands on one. They're ideal for sending email, and at the moment I seem to
spend most of my time online visiting the Palm Pilot Web site, downloading new software
for it.
What else do you use the Internet for?
I'm currently signed up with AOL. Most of the time, I'm either emailing or surfing the Web
to get news and and F1 info. Having a mobile Internet connection means I can download the
engineers' information on my car and the day's running, and then look over the details
back in my hotel room.
You ought to have your own site
I have! It's [here!]. It carries news, photos, interviews and fan club details.
Also, there's regularly updated race results. The site's looked after by my mate, David [DC:
that's me!], who was helping my mum and dad with the fan club. He's the sort of
computer whizz-kid who really enjoys putting the site together. I guess I'm lucky that
way. |
Any clever stuff on the site?
We ran a video message from the Web site of me speaking from a Brazilian race, which
people could download. Then at a training session, we took pictures with a digital camera
which were also put online. I also try to make sure that users get the very latest
information from testing sessions and stuff like that. Formula 1 is big news on
the Net. Do the other drivers share your enthusiasm?
Jacques Villeneuve's the only other driver I know who uses the Internet a lot. But he uses
it for interactive games, which he plays all the time. He's a games junkie; every time I
see him, he's wrapped up in a new one. When I saw him last, he told me about a game where
you go into the middle of a jungle with just a phone line to aid your survival. He's a
strange boy.
Which Formula I sites do you recommend, then?
I like to look at rallying and F3 news sometimes. I probably use Autosport's site most, but I also look
at Atlas and F1 Live. Sporting Life is
really good as well. AOL has its own F1 news in the Autosport section, and I can link
straight through to the big CNN and BBC sites from there to get more general
sports information.
What about the Stewart
Ford site, which launches this summer?
It'll be packed with team and race information, so that people can keep up to date with
the drivers, cars and the championship. In the meantime, Stewart fans can keep up to date
via my site. We'll be putting a live link in place to the Stewart GP site once it
launches.
Does your family share your Net passion?
My daughters, Chloe and Amelia, both have computers. Chloe's got a Hewlett Packard PC that
I bought about a year ago, and Amelia has one of my old laptops. But they're not that
keen, to be honest, unless it has a picture of a horse or a dog on it! But I like the idea
of them using the Internet for help with their homework: my eldest is currently studying
the Romans at school, so I'd like to try to find some sites with her that could help out
with her studies.
Any drawbacks to using the Net?
It can be addictive, sure. You can surf away to your heart's content, unaware of how long
you've been online. It's so easy to say, "I'll just be five minutes," and before
you know it, an hour or two has passed. But I don't think that you're automatically weird
or geeky if you use the Net. It depends totally on what you're using it for. The fact that
you can access information about any subject is just so helpful.
With the British GP just around the corner, what are your thoughts on this
year's race?
Obviously, there's no better place to race in F1 than on your home circuit,
roared on by your home crowd. As it was the scene of my first victory back in 1995,
Silverstone holds special memories for me. It was my most memorable racing moment - the
sense of achievement was tremendous. It finally banished the memory of my Formula 3000
accident in 1988.
What was going through your mind as you saw the chequered flag?
I endured a lot of pain and mental anguish during the rehabilitation period since the
crash and to win my own Grand Prix in front of my home supporters was something I'll never
forget. My first thoughts as I approached the finishing line were not of victory, but of
all the pain and frustration I'd gone through in the past, and the wonderful support I'd
received from my wife to make a day like that possible. |
Johnny's internet
favourites Johnny Herbert online
So good, it probably contains things that even he doesn't know about
F1 Racing & ITV F1
As enthralling as the televisual version, but without the commercial
breaks
MCI Racing - Formula 1
Get the latest buzz from the F1 world in this comprehensive section of the
MCI site
Stuart's Stewart GP
Page
It's the fans that count - and this is dedicated to Johnny's team
Stewart GP Online
The essential bookmark for the official line on all that's happening with
Herbert's car
Sandman's Motorsports Page
A comprehensive site offering a mountain of information
Formula 1 Cartoon Archive
It may be a deadly serious sport but you need to have a laugh sometimes
Autosport Online
Recently revamped: news, facts, figures, photo galleries and links from
the motorsport bible. First for bang up-to-date race results.
Atlas F1 News Page
The equivalent of your weekly F1 newspaper, and you don't even have to
order it from your local newsagent. |
