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Vatican influence on 2013 championship?
A mention during Sky's Aussie GP coverage of results following Papal Conclaves got me thinking ....
19-21 June 1963, Pope Paul VI elected. 23 June 1963 Jim Clark wins Dutch Grand Prix in a Lotus-Climax and goes on to win the championship.
25-26 August 1978, Pope John Paul I elected. 27 August 1978 Mario Andretti wins Dutch Grand Prix in a Lotus-Ford and goes on to win the championship.
14-16 October 1978, Pope John Paul II elected. This was after the last GP of the year, the first GP in 1979 in Argentina was won by Jacques Laffite in a Ligier. He did not go on to win the championship (this was Jody Scheckter's honour), but can this Papal election be excluded as it was after the end of the F1 season?
18-19 April 2005 Pope Benedict XVI elected. 24 April 2005 Fernando Alonso wins the San Marino GP in a Renault, he went on to win the championship.
12-13 March 2013 Pope Francis I elected. 17 March 2013 Kimi Raikkonen wins Australian GP in a Lotus-Renault. Following the trend of the previous 3 in-season Papal conclaves, will he also go on to win the championship?
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