Roger Benoit, a life for Formula 1

(Motorsport-Total.com) – On Monday evening there will be a very special evening with a real paddock legend on the Formula1.de YouTube channel. Roger Benoit, Formula 1 reporter for Schweizer Blick, will first talk to Christian Nimmervoll at the virtual regulars’ table about his best stories from more than 50 years of Grand Prix racing and his incredibly eventful life, and then also answer questions from channel members.

Benoit, born on January 13, 1949 in Neuchâtel, is a veteran of the Formula 1 paddock. He has been reporting for Blick since 1967 and has been reporting continuously on the premier class of motorsport since 1970. No other writer has attended more Grands Prix than him, and in addition to his racing weekends there are an estimated 1,000 test days, which he reported on on site.

A period of time in which many relationships were formed with drivers and team bosses, and countless entertaining and tragic stories that he will chat about at our Formula 1 regulars’ table.

It is an eventful life that Benoit can look back on so far. He wrote his first reports about FC Nordstern, where his father was an official, at the age of eleven. At the age of 15, he was the youngest football referee in Switzerland. He graduated from high school with 16 students and instead completed an apprenticeship as a typesetter. The path in the media business also seemed to be mapped out.

He was just 18 when he traveled to the GDR during his summer vacation to fight at a “work and recreation camp” run by the Free German Youth. Not for fun and foolishness, but to write a report for the Volksstimme Magdeburg. He donated his fee to the Vietnamese people for their fight for freedom, at a time when the Vietnam War was still a reality and not a subject for Hollywood blockbusters.

In 1970 he reported on Formula 1 for the first time at Brands Hatch. Despite all the tragedies he had to witness, it was love at first sight. Even if most of the drivers who were at the start back then are all there today. “I was confronted with death very quickly in Formula 1,” Benoit once said in an interview.

In 1989 he actually wanted to quit Formula 1, but a failed marriage later, with an impostor, meant he was canceled. In 2002, at the Canadian Grand Prix, he wanted to end his life for the first time – and he speaks about it quite openly: “If you live as extremely as I do, there are certain situations in which it just becomes too much.”

There are incredible stories that Benoit can tell from more than 50 years as a Formula 1 reporter. A guest we are particularly looking forward to!

Formula 1 get-together: what is it?

On Monday evening, our channel members have the unique opportunity to chat with Roger Benoit in person in a Zoom meeting about his eventful life in Formula 1 and to ask him questions. Our users determine the topics.

Carrie Schreiner, the only German driver in the F1 Academy, was most recently a guest at the regulars’ table in August. Before that, prominent players such as former Haas team boss Günther Steiner, Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer or the former Grand Prix drivers Ralf Schumacher, Alexander Wurz and Nick Heidfeld were at our regular table, as was racetrack builder Hermann Tilke.

The previous get-togethers (since December 2021) have always lasted between three and seven hours. When the prominent guest leaves the live stream, there is still the opportunity to discuss Formula 1 among like-minded people or to ask our team questions and talk shop about what is currently being discussed in the premier class.

Participate or just watch: both possible!

Our channel members can take part in the September get-together (start: Monday, 7:00 p.m.) themselves. Either passively as a viewer of the live stream, or actively with text messages via the live chat. Or even directly face to face with a webcam or smart device.

As many users as possible will have the opportunity to ask our guest questions in person. It’s best to relax, in an informal setting, with a glass of beer or wine in your hand – just like you would at a regular’s table in the pub.

Info: How to dial into the meeting

Information about dialing in can be found shortly before the start of the event in the “Membership” tab on the Formula1.de YouTube channel. If you are not yet a member but would like to become one now, you can do so using this link.

Channel members who don’t feel like actively participating in the discussion, but are interested in what is being discussed there and how, can watch the live stream from 7:00 p.m. on the Formula1.de YouTube channel, or of course also End of the regulars’ table as a video on request (also in full length only for members).

Archive: The previous regulars’ tables as a video

Of course, new members also have the opportunity to watch all previous members’ regular meetings in re-live. Click here for the videos:

12/2021: Ernst Hausleitner, Bernd Mayländer, Sascha Roos, Alexander Wurz

01/2022: Marc Surer (former Formula 1 driver, TV expert)

02/2022: Edi Nikolic (motorsport manager)

03/2022: Alexander Bodo (CEO PACETEQ)

04/2022: Bernd Mayländer (safety car driver)

05/2022: Bradley Lord (Mercedes Head of Communications)

06/2022: Ralf Schumacher (former Formula 1 driver, Sky expert)

07/2022: Norbert Haug (former Mercedes Motorsport Director)

08/2022: Christian Nimmervoll, Stefan Ehlen, Norman Fischer (editors)

09/2022: Günther Steiner (team boss Haas)

10/2022: Timo Glock (Sky expert)

11/2022: Christian Klien (ServusTV expert)

01/2023: Marc Surer (former Formula 1 driver, TV expert)

02/2023: Alexander Bodo (CEO PACETEQ)

03/2023: Paddy Lowe (former Mercedes technical director)

04/2023: Ralf Schumacher (former Formula 1 driver, Sky expert)

05/2023: Beat Zehnder (Team Manager Alfa Romeo)

06/2023: Peter Sauber (former Formula 1 team owner)

07/2023: Jost Capito (former Formula 1 team boss)

08/2023: Philipp Brändle (former Mercedes aerodynamicist)

09/2023: Jost Capito (former Formula 1 team boss)

10/2023: Corinna Kamper (former racing driver)

11/2023: Nick Heidfeld (former Formula 1 driver and founder of Formula G)

12/2023: Alexander Wurz (former Formula 1 driver and chairman of the GPDA)

01/2024: Hermann Tilke (racetrack builder)

02/2024: Alexander Bodo (CEO PACETEQ)

03/2024: Peter Bayer (Managing Director Racing Bulls)

04/2024: Rudolf Ratzenberger (father of Roland Ratzenberger)

05/2024: Günther Steiner (former Formula 1 team boss)

06/2024: Marc Surer (former Formula 1 driver, TV expert)

07/2024: Peter Bürger (Managing Director Point Racing)

08/2024: Carrie Schreiner (racing driver in the F1 Academy)

09/2024: Roger Benoit (reporter legend)

The members’ table is exclusively reserved for members of the Formula1.de YouTube channel. A membership (can be canceled at any time!) costs 3.99 euros per month – roughly the price of a large beer. For this (among other benefits) there is a regulars’ table once a month and the opportunity to ask questions in the live chat in our live streams on race weekends.

For information about Formula1.de channel membership click here!