MH: Going back to our breakfast at Suzuka in 1991, you were replacing Jean-Marie Balestre. Have you seen Senna yet? The clips with Balestre talking to the drivers?MM: Yes, it all came back to me!MH: The thing is, we've never seen behind-the-scenes stuff like that before. We weren't aware of just how barking mad he appeared to be.MM: I went to see it as the guest of a firm of lawyers in a private cinema. When it got towards the end, I left. I really couldn't face talking to people about it. You see, I didn't go to Senna's funeral; I went to Ratzenberger's funeral instead. All the beautiful people went to Senna's and I thought that somebody needed to go to Ratzenberger's because, to his family, it mattered just as much. It was awful for them; for everybody. Terribly sad.But, as you say, when I saw Balestre in the film, I was thinking: “I can't believe what it was like then!” One forgets. Extraordinary behaviour. I should have arranged for Balestre to come back for a month each year, just to remind people how bad it could be!
In 1990, Balestre was furious with poor old John Corsmit [the then FIA race director], saying that he should have penalised Senna for having Prost off instead of letting Senna win the championship. Arguably, that was right. But it wasn't Balestre's role. Balestre was the legislature, not the judiciary. He didn't understand about the separation of powers.
MH: The 1981 South African GP FOCA organised in the face of FlSA's opposition — you had no money but pretended you did. What a story!MM: That was a classic. The next time we went to South Africa officially, Balestre came along. I told a security chief: “Balestre will try to get on the podium and you really should stop him.” He was a big man and he said: “Yes, Mr Mosley, we will stop him.“ l said: “But you won’t succeed. He always gets on the podium.” He assured me that it wouldn't happen.I left before the race had finished, sat myself down at the Kyalami Ranch Hotel, ordered tea and waited. I was on the second cup when this furious figure with a purple face stormed in and said in French: “You cannot believe what happened. I tried to get on the podium and they stopped me!“ I said “No! How dreadful...” Things like that made it great fun.
MH: They make that point in the film. It also reminds us how mad Jean-Marie Balestre was.JA: Ha! You probably only know the half of it! But, you know'. Balestre was influenced a lot by Alain Prost. He was doing more or less everything Alain wanted. There is a funny story and it shows what I mean. We were at Monaco in 1991 and Balestre came up to speak to him. Alain was carrying an open-face helmet for a scooter.He said to Jean-Marie: “I have a problem. Can you help?" Balestre says: “Yes, yes. What’s happened? Tell me!" Alain says: “ Look, I want to race with this helmet because in the streets, in the town, it’s difficult to breathe but the FIA says ‘No.’” And immediately Balestre says: “No, no. You can do it - I say it's okay!” Alain starts laughing and Balestre says: “What’s wrong? You don't like?” Alain says, “The helmet is for the scooter!" Balestre laughed a little and then left. But he was going to agree - just like that!
