Certain things (unfortunately) never change ...
Lewis Hamilton became world champion for the seventh time two weeks ago after an absolutely magnificent drive in extreme conditions in Turkey, equaling Michael Schumacher's seven titles. He has now won more races and taken more pole positions than the driver from Kerpen, who was involved in a serious skiing accident seven years ago. Despite this record achievement, not a single front page of the daily press, except in England, has paid tribute to him.
But when a really serious accident happens, like the one involving Romain Grosjean last Sunday in Bahrain, there is suddenly space on the front page - despite coronavirus and voting Sunday (in Switzerland) - to show the man getting out of the fire in a big way. And not just in the tabloid press!
Romain Grosjean is not even one of the current top five drivers and yet he graced the front pages of many press publications on Monday, November 30, 2020.
But that has always been the case and will probably never change. People want to see tragedies. As Rainhard Fendrich sings so aptly in his song "Es lebe der Sport"?
"When the cars explode, the audience is happy.
Because a flaming inferno is always a pleasure to watch.
Hilarity in the stands, that's the beauty of sport!"
That's how "Stern" put Jochen Rindt's body on the front page in 1970. If he had "only" become world champion in Monza with another victory, he would probably only have had a few lines dedicated to him in the magazine. The exceptional Brazilian talent Ayrton Senna also only made it onto the front pages in this country when dead.
Death and tragedy are more important than joy and success. This has been no different in international photo competitions for years. The main prize at the "World Press Photo Award" is almost always won by pictures of humanitarian tragedies.
