Philippe Vandel: F1 “is both NASA and a bullfight”

Difficult to talk about an interview when spending time with Philippe Vandel! The man is passionate and like all passionate people, the discussion comes alive when talking about Formula 1, regulations, the French Grand Prix, or the Netflix series…

His speech flow is almost as impressive as his journalism experience. One of his teachers when he was in school in Paris to become a sound engineer wasn’t wrong in telling him: « You’re made to speak into microphones, not just look at them! » and he put this advice into practice, delving into many of his passions, including motorsport and Formula 1.

As a child, Philippe Vandel collected Sport Auto magazines and had his bedroom walls covered with race car posters. A passion for automobiles that naturally finds its expression through Formula 1: « When I was little, I already bought Sport Auto. I read Sport Auto and Pif! My entire room was covered with cars. Since then, I haven’t missed a single Grand Prix on television to the point that at the beginning of the year, I note the Grand Prix weekends in my calendar to be sure that, no matter where I am, there’s a television. »

This passion notably allowed him to cover an entire Formula 1 season in 1998 for Canal + Numérique, thus enabling him to see the grand circus of motorsport from the inside. He was able to observe the heightened competitive spirit that reigns supreme in the premier discipline: « What fascinated me is that it’s both NASA and a bullfighting arena. For example, if NASA sends a vehicle to the moon, the vehicle returns, they’re happy; in F1 they are not happy because there’s a team that could have done the same with two seconds less. So they are always developing everything, which is completely crazy. »

The notion of danger, always present in Formula 1, and the human dimension of these gladiatorial battles on four wheels also fascinates him: « I have memories of a time when every year people would disappear. You would collect photos of drivers as a child and by the end of the year, they were dead. René Arnoux once told me: “driving an F1 is not like hitting a ball with a racket!” The drivers put their lives on the line. »

But this unconditional love for the discipline doesn’t prevent him from having a critical view on the current state of Formula 1 and the absurdity of certain rules: « Today, Formula 1 has become too sanitized. The drivers aren’t close enough to the people; there’s a lack of human touch. The mystery and the Mylène Farmer syndrome aren’t good at all. People need to be close to people. For example, in terms of regulations, I find it foolish that there’s now only one tire manufacturer. Before, even if you had a slightly lesser car, you could make up for it because you had Michelin or others. What I find brilliant in Formula 1 is that everything not prohibited is allowed. Another example, when they invented the six-wheel Tyrrell, no one thought to say there should only be four wheels, and one day an engineer decides to create a six-wheel car. »

The recent debates around Sebastian Vettel’s penalty in Canada didn’t leave him indifferent either: « Sebastian Vettel is penalized for a slightly questionable maneuver which, in other racing circumstances, was not penalized. He loses the race, and it makes Mercedes win seven times in a row… if you wanted to penalize this sport, you wouldn’t do it any other way. The rules are unfair, but it’s crucial that the regulations are understood by the public. The rules can be strict, but they need to be visible. For example, in ice hockey, when a player is penalized, they go to the penalty box. You see the player in the box, you see the team playing with one less, you respect the referee, it’s clear! »

Television man, Philippe Vandel, of course, didn’t miss watching Drive To Survive, the Netflix series dedicated to Formula 1: « It’s an entry point I recommend to everyone. I loved it! » he confides to us with enthusiasm.

He also doesn’t hesitate to defend the discipline against the repetitive criticisms it can face, particularly regarding its negative environmental impact: « The excuse of pollution is obviously nonsense since an entire Formula 1 season pollutes less than a single Paris/Guadeloupe flight. So, I think about all the enlightened minds who have taken a long-haul flight and criticize Formula 1 for this aspect. Facts count more than words. What’s remarkable about Formula 1 is that since you need to go as fast as possible, the car must be as light as possible and consume as little as possible, hence many of today’s technological advancements in car consumption come from Formula 1. »

As a result, his presence as the official speaker was an obvious choice for the organizers of the French Grand Prix: « They asked me! It was through Carole Capitaine, with whom I had worked at L’Équipe and who now works for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, she suggested my name by saying that I was up to the task. I didn’t even hesitate. »

For the race, Philippe Vandel would like to see Renault back at the front, especially at home: « I would really like Renault to reclaim its rightful place. But in Montreal, seeing Bottas unable to catch up to Ricciardo, that made me happy. I do feel a bit sorry for their situation though, because I remember Renault being ahead every time they returned to Formula 1. »

The discussion will continue to liven up around themes as diverse as music, television, or journalism, but the common thread connecting all of Philippe Vandel’s interests is summed up in one word: passion!

From our special correspondent in Le Castellet