Young sports fans don’t know how good they have it these days. When I was growing up in England, there was none of the wall-to-wall HD TV coverage that exists of almost every sport now.

There was no Internet, no cable or satellite, no ESPN or Sky Sports and certainly no CNN World Sport. We didn’t know what we were missing; in hindsight, the bad news was that there wasn’t much sport on TV, the good news was that you were avidly drawn to whatever there was. Saturation wasn’t anyone’s concern.

And, be it football, golf, boxing, cricket or tennis, the top performers quickly became household names.

In Britain, it was hard to avoid Wimbledon every summer and it was impossible to miss the brash, angry young New Yorker John McEnroe.

I’ve been fascinated by him ever since he stood there shouting in the corner of our family’s living room; a scrawny punk rocker in shorts, challenging authority, battling his opponent almost to the death. McEnroe played in a time before professional sport had become overly commercialized, an era when personalities could be themselves; more recently, corporate obligations have blunted some of the more charismatic stars.

Ever since I became a sports journalist I’d wanted to interview McEnroe and when he developed into an engaging and insightful commentator, respect was added to my curiosity.

John McEnroe: 'Attila the Hun' of tennis

I got my chance when I learned that the "legends" PowerShares series tour was coming to Atlanta. An interview was arranged through the tour’s PR department but I was warned that it would only be for a limited period of time and it was unlikely to be an extensive conversation.

I was prepared to take my chances, but things didn’t look good when I arrived at the venue; the players had arrived from the previous tour stop at 2 a.m. earlier that morning, apparently everyone was grumpy, there was ‘no way’ Johnny Mac would be sitting down for 20 minutes.

Well, it never hurts to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best and McEnroe was as charming and engaging as I’d hoped he would be. Even though he’s in his early 50s, you only have to watch him play a couple of points or listen to a snatch of his commentary to know how passionate he remains about his sport.

Once he began reminiscing about his roots and the game that has defined his life, he was in no hurry to leave. He’s razor sharp, witty and he communicates the intricacies of tennis with ease – he’d have made a great teacher.

Follow @CNNOpenCourt on Twitter

His eyes are alive with enthusiasm and, as he talks, one detects more than a cheeky glint. I got the sense that he’s still boy at heart, a boy that doesn’t always take himself too seriously; at times he can be self-deprecating, it’s one of his most charming traits.

The topics we covered leaped from the greatest female tennis player of all time to America's long wait for a men's grand slam champion, the current "big four," why umpires needed to be questioned, being rediscovered by the YouTube generation and who would play Johnny Mac in a movie.

I was lucky to be able to spend around 20 minutes with one of the greatest legends of sport. And by the time we shook hands at the end, he had -– in my eyes -– only enhanced that reputation.

Click here for the latest Open Court show times

The name Senna was already on many people’s lips on Tuesday, when the eponymous documentary picked up three richly-deserved BAFTA nominations. That Williams, the Formula One team so tragically and inextricably linked to Ayrton’s death, should choose the same day to announce the signing of his 28-year-old nephew, Bruno, was remarkably poetic.

So much has been written about Ayrton Senna that his story scarcely needs retelling, even if it remains utterly fascinating. But outside of his family connections, Bruno Senna is less well-known. Ayrton himself once said, “If you think I’m fast, wait until you see my nephew!”

But the 10-year-old’s racing career almost died too on that tragic day at Imola in 1994 when his family, quite understandably, forbade him to continue. However, following a decade’s hiatus from the sport, its lure finally proved too seductive, and Bruno took to the track once more.

Eight years on, perhaps that time away from the wheel has cost him in terms of his development. On a grid that features no fewer than six world champions, Senna faces almost unprecedentedly fierce competition.

Compare him to 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton - a year younger than Bruno, but thanks to his many years in the bosom of McLaren, vastly more experienced – and his performance is actually more notable than it first appears.

Senna follows legendary uncle in joining Williams

I spent an afternoon with Bruno at his home in Monaco last year, shortly after he joined Renault as a test driver. I remember trying to clear my head of thoughts of his uncle before I met him, certain that he must be tired of the comparisons. But enter Bruno’s apartment and Ayrton is an unavoidable presence. Pictures and mementos of the great man’s incredible life adorn the walls and, as many have remarked, Bruno’s likeness to him is quite startling.

Bruno is, however, quite a different character. Open and immensely likeable, he is also relaxed about the inevitable comparisons, and understandably fond of the memories he has of his uncle. He spoke warmly of Ayrton’s affection for his family and the time he gave its youngest members. “He loved kids, so me and my sister, we always had a great time with him,” he told me.

So what exactly does he bring to Williams, a 16-time world champion team that languished equal ninth in the constructors’ standings last season? The younger Senna has apparently impressed his new employers with his technical prowess.

I had a glimpse of his passion for technology when, somewhat hilariously, he accidentally dropped his phone down the toilet. Opening up a briefcase he revealed a galaxy of tools that would grace any engineer’s workbench, and proceeded to tinker patiently with the handset in an attempt to revive it.

He also brings a significant sponsor from his home country, which may attract cynicism from some commentators, but will certainly be welcome at a team that has struggled to match its rivals of late - making its last world title in 1997 seem a very long time ago indeed.

But it is the intangible quality that he brings to Williams, and in this new partnership, to Formula One that is undoubtedly the most compelling element to the story. Ayrton only competed in three races for Williams before disaster struck, and the subsequent trial and acrimony that surrounded the team following his death might lead many to assume the relationship was scarred forever.

But the name “Senna” has adorned every single Williams car that has raced since the accident, and there is a real sense that Bruno is already part of the family. Not only that, he has looked a more accomplished driver by the year and there are signs that, given the right car, he may well be a force on the grid.

Anyone who has seen the film “Senna” will have been struck by the glamor and romance that exuded from the sport in what was an extraordinary period in its history. There is no question that in the intervening years this has waned.

The pre-eminence of the somewhat divisive figure of Michael Schumacher and a lack of competitive racing lost the sport many casual fans for a while. The emergence of technology as the dominant feature of the cars has also made it somewhat opaque and a little cold at times.

But while the technology is clearly here to stay, over recent seasons the grid has given us some of the most competitive racing in years, and the youthful vigor of Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button has injected it with new life.

Perhaps the only ingredient missing was some of the romance evoked so powerfully by Asif Kapadia’s documentary. The combination of Bruno Senna and Williams brings that to the grid in spades. Many will want it to succeed.

I have always been intrigued by athletes who can perform under pressure. While many would crumble when the heat is on, they not only perform, they excel.

Being a racing driver is about as pressured as it can get. At speeds sometimes in excess of 200 miles per hour, these guys have to make split-second decisions with courage and skill in order to win a race and stay out of trouble. The sort of trouble that can be very bad for your health!

I was lucky enough to experience first-hand what these drivers go through when former DTM champion and F1 test driver Gary Paffett agreed to teach me how to drive a Mercedes C63 at Brands Hatch near London.

All drivers like to inspect the track at close quarters, so we walked the circuit first to give me a simplified idea of what to expect. Gary then took me for a spin before handing me the keys.

My first thoughts were of how claustrophobic and hot it felt in a race suit and helmet – and putting my foot down just made the temperature rise. Brands Hatch is a small circuit with no real straights to speak of, meaning there is never any time to relax because every corner is a challenge that could end in disaster. Your foot is permanently tap-dancing between pedals, braking as late as you dare into terrifyingly tight corners.

The car is capable of traveling at 180 miles per hour (290 km/hr) and I have been asked since how fast I was going, but the truth is that I don't know. I never once took my eyes off the road to check the speedo!

It didn't take me long to realize that driving a high-performance car on a challenging circuit is incredibly demanding. It is mentally exhausting, and fighting against the laws of physics to keep the car on the racing line is physically draining.

When I mentioned to Gary that I was tiring, he rather curtly suggested that we return to the pits! Fair enough, no point in causing any unnecessary damage. I had been given a very priveleged glimpse into the world of a racing driver.

Gary was a great sport, and part of our deal was that he would experience my world for a day, so that was how he found himself next to me again but this time in front of a live camera presenting World Sport.

It felt very similar to our experience in the car, except the roles were reversed. There can be plenty of distractions in a live studio, but I suggested that Gary keep his eyes on the "road" - the teleprompter.

I also told him how important it was to be committed. One trick to being a TV anchor is to do it with conviction, be yourself, go for it, and never allow stray thoughts to enter your mind. All disciplines that I'm sure have helped him succeed on the track.

Just as I was nervous in the car, Gary had a few butterflies in the studio. But once he'd worked out that the teleprompter will keep up with your pace of delivery, meaning things can spiral out of control as you are forced to deliver lines at breakneck pace, he rose to the challenge and spoke almost perfectly.

For a beginner on live TV, a few minor stumbles were permitted .... After all, there were plenty of moments when I went way off-line on the track.

In many ways, our jobs are similar. They are both "live," forcing you to think quickly on your feet in real time under real pressure.

But the difference between us is that if you make a mistake at the wheel, there will be an expensive repair bill and you better like hospital food. If I make a mistake, live on air, usually the only thing that is wounded is your pride.

I think we were both only too happy to return to our day jobs, but we both had a lot of fun and I think have a newfound appreciation and respect for the other's profession.

It's a little-known fact that Michael Schumacher got his big break in Formula One because another driver had been jailed for 2 months.

In 1991, Jordan driver Bertrand Gachot was locked up for assaulting a London taxi-driver, forcing him to miss four races including his home one at Spa. Schumie stepped in to the cock-pit and the rest, as they say, is history.

With the sponsor 7-Up displayed prominently and prophetically on his nose-cone, Schumacher qualified for his first F1 race in 7th position. Clutch problems meant he retired on his first lap, but he impressed so much that he was immediately snapped up by Flavio Briatore and the Benetton Ford team, who coincidentally were sponsored by Mild Seven, where he won the first of his record seven drivers' championships.

Perhaps the sport's most successful driver was destined to be so, but his legacy isn't so clear.

20 years after it all began, Schumacher will no doubt be reflecting on his career when he returns to Spa this weekend. While no-one can doubt his unparalleled success and his numerous record-breaking feats, it is by no means clear that he is the sport's best-ever driver.

Motor-racing is as much about the machine as the man and Juan Manuel Fangio, who won five titles, is viewed by many as a better pilot. Ask many of today's drivers who they regard as the best and they'll tell you it was the late Ayrton Senna.

Complicating Schumacher's legacy is the fact that there are several question marks against his achievements. His first two titles were controversial, he was disqualified from a whole championship in 1997 for cheating and he bent the rules on numerous occasions to ensure that he got the result he wanted.

And then there's his much-vaunted comeback; returning to a fanfare with Mercedes, two years after his retirement. So far he's done nothing to enhance his reputation and is frequently out-performed by his teammate Nico Rosberg.

F1 fans are passionate about their sport and their favourite drivers aren’t just the ones with the biggest numbers after their name.

While Ferrari followers globally rejoiced in the era of dominance that Schumacher delivered in the first half of the last decade, Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve or Fernando Alonso might even be more popular.

Would it be fair to say that Schumacher won everything bar the hearts of the legion of F1 fans around the world?

It would be a tidy book-end to Schumacher’s career if he was able to win another world championship, but
that seems very unlikely. Given the way his comeback has gone, he’d surely be delighted with a 92nd race win. And to do that for a seventh time around the classic twists and turns of Spa-Francorchamps would warm the hearts of F1 romantics everywhere.

At 42 years of age, Michael Schumacher remains one of his sport's most intriguing characters, but perhaps his biggest victory will come on the day when he wins over his critics.

Not everyone is a fan of Formula One. Its loudest critics say that there isn’t enough overtaking. The sport has tried to address that this season, but the driver that’s trying to do the most overtaking is himself now being criticized for being too dangerous.

In the last few races, Lewis Hamilton has been in and out of the stewards office more times than a hyperchondriac pops into the doctors. He’s had to explain how he tangled with Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado in Monaco and then three more drivers, including teammate Jenson Button, in Montreal.

The 2008 champion has tried to make light of it, joking that the stewards have given him a loyalty card and his own chair, but not everyone is amused. Some, like the three-time champion Niki Lauda, think his aggressive style could ultimately prove fatal.

Hamilton is following in the tracks of his idol, Ayrton Senna. The Brazillian driver was uncompromising in his pursuit of three world titles to the point that many of his contemporaries maintain he would force rival drivers to make a stark choice when racing against him: move over or crash.

Senna was famously challenged on his driving style by Jackie Stewart, his response illustrates how Hamilton must now feel. “Being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, then you are no longer a racing driver. We are competing to win and the main motivation to all of us is to compete for a victory. It’s not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th. I race to win,” was Senna's retort.

Hamilton’s early F1 years were a dream. He almost won the title at the first attempt, and he clinched the championship in only his second season. But since then, his McLaren has struggled and he’s been totally outpaced by Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull this year. At times, he has cut a frustrated and angry figure.

Vettel’s lead is so big that he could take the next three weeks off and still top the standings. But it’s too early to hand him the title and Hamilton may yet find that things turn in his favor.

And for all that Senna was criticised in some quarters, he is remembered by many drivers now as the best there ever was. Hamilton should perhaps pick his moments better, but it’s not in his make-up to change, and nor should he. His priority remains to win, and that is surely the DNA of any F1 champion.

The decision to take Formula One back to Bahrain this season has prompted a heated online debate, as more than 300,000 people signed an online petition calling for the race to be scrapped.

But you’d never have known that the F1 community itself had a view on it. Twitter, normally abuzz with comments from drivers and teams, was silent on this issue all day. Red Bull’s Australian driver Mark Webber was the only one to speak out, saying before the announcement: “When people in a country are being hurt, the issues are bigger than sport. Let's hope the right decision is made.”

My sources within F1 tell me that many of the drivers are ambivalent, but those with a strong opinion on such a controversial issue will only speak off the record. Webber has been the exception, and he could be risking his future in F1 by saying much more.

At last week’s Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) meeting in Monaco, the teams made it clear that they were against a race in Bahrain. It’s now crunch time for FOTA and word from the sport’s top team, Red Bull, suggests that the teams could well oppose the decision.

“We will go through the correct channels and discuss this decision within the appropriate forum with the other F1 teams and our fellow FOTA members,” read a statement. It doesn’t sound like champagne corks were being popped in Milton Keynes at the decision to race in Bahrain.

Quite apart from the moral implications of traveling there and being seen to endorse a country with a questionable human rights record, the season will likely be extended until at least a week into December and there may very well be insurance concerns.

One of the reasons the race was scrapped in March was because it could have been a magnet for violent protests. Bahrainis have been contacting the teams directly and asking them not to come. So is the situation much different now?

Given that there may be legitimate concerns about the possibility of kidnap, injury, or worse, who will underwrite the teams to travel with their hundreds of employees and superstar drivers?

Today’s decision has been long awaited. But it could just be the beginning and not the end of the story.

Ever since they started racing cars around the city streets in 1929, the Monaco Grand Prix has been one of the most glamorous sporting events of the year.

Within just a few days in May, roughly 70 million euros are poured into the economy of the tiny principality as movie stars and models, the rich and the famous, flock to the trackside.

For the drivers it’s the race to win. For everyone else, it’s the race to be seen at.

But it’s not all fun and games. It’s a serious business for the teams and their drivers as the meandering miles of Monte Carlo are more challenging than most.

Last year’s winner Mark Webber told me that it’s a “nightmare” for the pit-crews, another former Monaco winner Jarno Trulli said simply: “It is horrible.”

I saw for myself how cluttered the facilities were as burly truck-drivers and weary mechanics tried to unload their equipment into their tiny garages.

It didn’t help that one of the Mercedes trucks had been badly parked – a serious misdemeanor in a community proud of its meticulous maneuverings, and one that frayed tempers in neighboring garages – but there clearly was never going to be enough room for everyone to unload without stepping on each other’s toes. And this was only Monday.

Laden with high-performance race cars, spare parts and space-age tool kits, the Force India team take five trucks (others have more) to every race in Europe. But there’s only room for one truck at the Monaco track, so there will inevitably come a point when they’ll need something in a hurry and it’ll be located on the other side of town.

And getting across town isn’t easy either.

On a “tour of the track” with 2004 winner Jarno Trulli, the idea was for us to drive to the iconic tunnel, hairpin and chicanes and hear forensic analysis on how to drive it. Jarno was enlightening, but enraged in equal measure as we became tangled in rush-hour traffic and struggled to park. It wasn’t long before he was honking his horn and leaning out of the window and gesticulating wildly.

That I was even able to experience any of the track with a current driver is a part of Monaco’s charm though. Everything is so accessible and I guess that’s one of the reasons it’s so popular with the fans. At one point this week I found myself waiting for a taxi by the start/finish line. I was sitting on the winners’ podium.

It’s astonishing how close you can get to the action, both before the event and during the race. If you don’t mind the mix of exhaust fumes and foie gras, you can dine just meters from the track at the Hotel de Paris. It’ll only cost you 1,350 euros for the privilege.

In a microcosm, that is the energy and eccentricity that makes Monaco so captivating and memorable. Let’s just hope the race of 2011 lives up to the billing!

We all have our heroes, men or women who have inspired or entertained us. Very few of us are able to meet these people, even fewer can say they have experienced first hand their genius and charisma.

So I consider myself incredibly fortunate not just to have met Seve Ballesteros, but to have played golf with him; to have walked a fairway beside him, bantered with and taken tips from a man that transcended his sport and made an indelible mark upon it.

Towards the end of 2005, Seve was planning a comeback. He was designing golf courses, but that wasn’t enough to scratch the itch. He was missing the thrill of the chase and the roar of the crowds on a Sunday afternoon and it was for that reason that I got the chance to meet him in Tenerife in December.

Unfortunately, Seve was running late and he said he was too tired to record an interview that afternoon. All he wanted to do was relax on the golf course. Would we mind if we did an interview as we played? Would we mind?! Of course not!

And so I found myself standing on the tee, next to a living legend, dithering over a choice of clubs and praying that I wasn’t going to embarrass myself. Seve couldn’t have handled it better. He gave me some tips, even gave me his driver and was very complimentary when I knocked onto the fairway.

Seve won 87 titles in a glittering career, lifting the Claret Jug at the Open Championship three times and donning the green jacket at the Masters twice. He was the driving force in European golf, leading a revival in the Ryder Cup and helping to establish the European Tour as a global force.

Seve was a pioneer and he loved breaking down barriers. He wasn’t the most popular man in America when he started winning their tournaments but he loved hearing the jibes in the locker-room, “here comes the Spaniard to take all our money!”

But it wasn’t just the cheques that he banked or the titles that he won; it was how he won them. Seve often took the scenic route to the hole, making shots that others couldn’t even have imagined with skill that nobody else possessed.

As we approached the green in Tenerife, I discovered that my ball had come to rest just a couple of inches from a stone wall. A shot to the green was impossible, and I prepared to knock it back sideways onto the fairway. Seve was having none of it; he grabbed the wedge from my hand, turned his back to the hole and chipped it against the wall – onto the green. With a shrug of the shoulders, he returned my club. That was pure Seve. Creative, daring, brilliant.

Tragically, Seve’s comeback never came to much and within a couple of years he was involved in what he described as the toughest fight of his career. Four operations and a bout of chemotherapy was no match for the cancerous tumour on his brain and he succumbed at the age of just 54.

He told me that he’d like to be remembered as man that “fought for justice and for liberty”. Now that he’s gone, he’ll be remembered for so much more. Seve Ballesteros inspired, entertained and achieved true greatness. There will never be another and he will be sorely missed.

Rupert Murdoch is part of a consortium looking to buy F1, but would change be good for the sport?

Last year, the Formula One Administration reported that its annual sales had risen to over $1 billion and its popularity only seems to be increasing.

The action so far this season has been gripping, there are five world champions now competing for the title and new tracks are being built in India, Russia and the U.S.

It’s not hard to see why it would be an attractive investment but, if it’s not for sale, it’s a moot point.

That’s the position of CVC Capital Partners, one of the world’s largest private equity firms and the current owners of Formula One.

They have acknowledged an approach from the Exor News Corporation Consortium that is “friendly and at a preliminary stage”, but note that F1 is not currently on the market.

“Any investment in Formula 1 will require CVC's agreement and will need to demonstrate that it is in the interest of the sport and its stakeholders.”

Of course, anyone in business knows that everyone has a price and the friendly approach and cordial rebuff leaves room for negotiation in the future.

But it may well transpire that this is a strategic maneuver and the names behind the approach have an ulterior motive. While F1 is a cash cow, not everyone thinks they’re getting a fair slice of the pie. Many feel that team sponsors are under-exposed and therefore short-changed.

Additionally, it is argued, CVC takes revenue without re-investing in the sport. This particularly needles the F1’s longest-standing patron - Ferrari, who are also concerned they are going to be forced to develop technology they cannot ultimately use in their road cars.

It just so happens that one of the names behind the consortium is Agnelli, a powerful industrial dynastic family that backs Ferrari.

It also just so happens that the deal which ties Ferrari and the other eleven F1 teams to CVC - the Concorde agreement - is up for renegotiation at the end of next year.

Should a solid bid ever materialize, there are reasons to think it wouldn’t get very far. Remember, the European Commission blocked NewsCorp’s purchase of Manchester United and this purchase would be for 12 teams, not just one.

Additionally, why would the other eleven teams want to race in a series controlled by one of their rivals, Ferrari?

But they might be interested in going along with it if it gives them all a bit more leverage at the negotiating table next year.

Abraham Lincoln said that you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but who’s to say that there isn’t a better way of doing business than the current F1 model?

It’s a debate that could well have a few more laps to run.

The 2011 season will see Formula One drivers attempt to master the softer Pirelli tires.

For some teams this year though, it could be the rubber that turns out to be the most expensive.

After four years of incredibly hard-wearing and reliable Bridgestone tires, the elite division of motorsport is turning to the Italian manufacturer Pirelli as its sole supplier.

The brief given to the company executives in Milan was simple, don’t build them to last.

Bridgestone tires were uber-dependable, as were the Michelins before them. But gone are the days when Sebastian Vettel could drive for almost an entire race on one set of soft tires, only pitting in for a spruce-up on the last lap as he did in September 2010 at Monza.

This season, the world champion is going to be seeing a lot more of his pit-crew.

Of all the changes teams have been getting their heads around in testing - KERS and moveable rear wings being the other significant adjustments for 2011– the tires are causing the biggest headache.

Cars that are not set up correctly will chew through the rubber quicker than others, slowing them down and costing precious seconds in the pit-lane. Drivers who are too aggressive will face the same problem, giving smoother drivers like Jenson Button and Felipe Massa an advantage before the lights turn green in Melbourne.

Pit-lane stats from testing in Barcelona showed that soft tires were lasting a maximum of 14 laps, the harder compound only 8 laps more. And when they go, they go. As the rubber rapidly degrades, lap-times slow dramatically.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton reported he was almost down to the canvas at one stage in testing, with the result being that he might as well have been driving on an ice-rink.

As the season develops, teams and their drivers will undoubtedly get better at eking more life out of the Pirelli product, but expect to see three pit-stops becoming much more common and in longer races – such as the Canadian Grand Prix – four stops won’t be out of the question.

Teams with two cars still in the race will have to be on top of their game, strategically and operationally. More pit-stops means a smaller margin for error and more surprises.

Last season was arguably the most exciting Formula One has ever seen, with four drivers taking the title battle down to the very last race in Abu Dhabi.

This year should be just as competitive, if not more; five world champions on the grid and plenty of others who think they are good enough to have the ‘1’ painted on their car.

The fastest drivers in the world will not only be burning rubber this season, failure to manage their tires correctly will see their championship prospects go up in smoke as well.