Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
1982
inside store of the sensational Grand Prix
season
Christopher Hilton
contents
1982
I t always makes me smile when people say You got the World Championship in 1982 in a
Williams with one win. I say Oh yes, I did, but look at the record books: all the blokes who
had the most wins - Alain Prost, John Watson, Didier Pironi, Niki Lauda and Rene Arnoux -
didnt get any more than two.
I really thank Bernie Ecclestone that I was able to retire from the sport having gained a
good, solid financial background for life. I dont think without Bernie it would have been pos-
sible, so I raise a glass to him every second day.
These days, I find 1982 looking me straight in the face every fortnight at the races because
Frank Williams, Patrick Head and Frank Dernie are all still at the team and of course my son
Nico is there driving for them.
It was an amazing season, something happening all the time. We had ten more cars than
now and some were forced to pre-qualify. That made a difference. There were twenty-six on
the grid and a lot more depth in the whole thing. In 2006, if you looked at it, you had two cars
that could really win, Renault or Ferrari. Back then - because of the unreliability of the turbos
- almost anyone could win and eleven did in the sixteen races.
Thats why I smile when people talk about my one.
It was enough.
keke rosberg
World Champion 1982
introduction
1982
the next day because their cars could not be yes, and they changed the timetable so the
scrutineered without the proper licence. session would be run with less sun. It was a
Overnight the resolve of the drivers hard- world where things were very different.
ened. Keke Rosberg arrived at the circuit and
Pironi and Lauda pressed for mutual con- there was a bus on the gate. I dont remem-
tracts: the driver couldnt leave a team while ber who was outside - was it Pironi or was it
his contract lasted, the team couldnt fire Lauda? Anyway, Heres a bus, lets get in the
him. bus, we need to have a meeting. Rosberg
At 7.00 on the Thursday morning a bus, clambered aboard.
arranged by GPDA secretary Trevor Rowe, Derek Warwick reached the circuit and
drew up not far from the paddock entrance I was still completely star-struck to be among
with Pironi and Lauda in it. Most of the drivers all these great drivers. We got on the bus and I
stayed at the nearby Kyalami Ranch Hotel and thought Now where are we going?
theyd be arriving early for a GPDA meeting The trouble is as a driver you were un-
before the hour-long practice session at 10.20. der peer pressure: when youve people like Pi-
As each arrived they were invited to park their quet, Reutemann, Lauda, Villeneuve, Pironi,
cars and get onto the bus. Mass didnt show Arnoux, the pressure to strike with them and
up (Hes always late, someone said) and Ickx create a united front was massive. Not that
refused. In fact, Mass had been staying with they put me under any pressure. I just felt that
friends of his South African-born wife and so my allegiance should be with the drivers be-
had been out of touch. He knew nothing about cause it was a case of numbers: 95 per cent of
the bus but it wouldnt have made any differ- the drivers were striking. Jochen Mass didnt
ence. because hes always been his own man and
Jean-Pierre Jarier got on. Everything I think Jacky Ickx was going to stand in for
was explained to me and I knew exactly what Marc Surer, who was injured.
was going on. You have two subjects: a bad Everybody else clambered aboard in their
atmosphere because Bernie Ecclestone tried turn.
to introduce the system of transfers like in The drivers were, as Lauda recounts it,
football to Formula 1 and therefore the driv- going for a drive. With Lauda hanging out of
ers were against it. Second there had been a the back waving, the bus set off, but as it left
drama at one of the races in 1981 because the the bottom gate of the circuit John McDon-
track broke up into small pieces in a corner ald of the March team tried to block it. Laf-
and people went off. The drivers asked for the fite and some other drivers got out and pushed
track to be re-made but this was refused. McDonalds car clear. Then the bus proceeded
Jarier sensed that whatever power the on the scenic route to Johannesburg some 15
drivers held was being taken from them. He miles away pursued by a whole convoy of
was old enough to have driven in 1973. I re- TV cameras, journalists and photographers.
member Jackie Stewart and Peter Revson go- The bus went to the Sunnyside Park Hotel in
ing to see the organisers at Buenos Aires on the suburbs. It offered full amenities including
the Wednesday of the Argentinean Grand Prix a swimming pool.
and saying The morning practice is impos- The drivers were boycotting Thursday
sible, its too hot - you do the practice at 4.00 practice and, unless a settlement was reached,
in the afternoon. The organisers said Yes, first qualifying in the afternoon. Grand Prix
racing had never seen industrial action before, I didnt have a choice any more. It was too late
nor imagined it. and he wasnt going to fire both of us. How-
We never had the meeting: the bus drove ever, given the choice I would not have been
straight to the hotel and that was it, Rosberg there. The whole thing was ridiculous.
says. I did not feel that we were doing the Pironi remained at the circuit to negotiate
right thing as highly paid sportsmen going on with Balestre and Bobby Hartslief, Managing
strike. No. I thought it could be more intel- Director of Kyalami Entertainment Enterpris-
ligent than that and, honestly, we could find es and the circuit owner.
other ways to reach our goal. So I didnt agree At 10.19 the track opened for practice.
with it. It was an awful beginning of the year The race organisers threatened to im-
for me because obviously I was getting excited pound the cars if the race didnt happen and
about the prospect with Williams. Ecclestone threatened the drivers that they
Once we were at the hotel it was too late. would be sued for recompense if the cars were
You wouldnt walk out but if I had wanted to impounded.
go I would have said Listen, guys, Im go- Throughout, Ecclestone adopted a hard
ing, and just walked out of the door. I stayed. line and at one point, in a remarkable interview,6
At those moments there has to be also loyalty questioned the value of drivers. Nobody came
towards the other drivers so the Pironi-Lauda up to me at Kyalami and asked where Jones
speculation was absolutely correct: once we or Andretti were. Already theyre not missed.
get them together they will hold together. First Why should any of the rest of them be missed?
of all I never was a GPDA member, never at- If it had suited Carlos not to come back, he
tended the meetings because it was a waste of wouldnt have given a stuff about F1 now, or
time - 25 racing drivers discussing issues, you whether the crowds came now or didnt. He
know. And I always felt motives behind the couldnt give a damn if it suited him not to
South African strike were not as they were be- turn up. In the same way it suited Scheckter
ing told to us. Maybe unconsciously. I dont to stop when he did and suited Niki to walk
think Niki would have been conscious of it, out in the middle of a race. I think he said at
but I strongly believe that the whole energy the time Im leaving because of the politics, I
that Niki had for this matter came from the just want to be a racing driver. If you analyse
fact that he had just returned after retirement, it, the drivers just dont make sense.
and who was he? He was just one of the guys, Henton had no drive but decided to hold
you know, and he needed to get his head above out and all the others went on strike. I didnt
the rest again. So this gave him a good oppor- go on the bus to Johannesburg.
tunity, Pironi was grateful because he had the Toleman, Osella and March were in-
support of somebody and thats how it went. formed that, because they had not taken part
I had the personal pressure of not having in pre-qualifying, theyd broken their agree-
raced for Williams yet. The sack? I didnt re- ment to the Grand Prix organisers, were re-
ally consider it at that moment because Carlos moved from the event and might have their en-
was with me. To be completely truthful, I felt tire assets seized.
that as long as Carlos was there as well then Negotiations went on at the track through
wed be OK. That Frank wouldnt like it was 1.20, when the first qualifying session should
clear, that it wouldnt improve my relation- have begun and the cars silently lined the pit
ship with the team was clear, but by that time lane.7 Pironi kept in touch with Lauda by tele-
SOUTH AFRICA round 1
phone and the drivers settled into a day en- he would have recovered the money from the
joying what the hotel had to offer. They were drivers.
beginning to show industrial-strength soli- At 4.14 a spokesman for Hartslief said at
darity, itself an amazing thing although not the circuit none of the drivers whose licences
that amazing. It functioned at two levels, one have been withdrawn will ever be eligible for
replacing the other: the loners natural reluc- the World Championship again. He added
tance to act collectively melting into strong- that there are 150 super licences in the world
willed (and frequently bloody-minded) men so a very wide selection is available to choose
refusing to be pushed around. from for the Grand Prix, Fifteen minutes af-
Pironi arrived from the circuit and ex- ter that the team managers held a meeting.
plained that if they didnt return and drive im- Pironi met the F1 Commission and Bal-
mediately they faced life bans. There seems estre offered to write a letter to the drivers to
to have been a distinctive mood at the ho- clarify the position on licences and, equally,
tel with very real concerns about what they on the moral harm clause, reassuring drivers
were doing camouflaged by high jinks and it did not mean theyd face penalties if they
laughter. Lauda knew that the older drivers arrived unshaven or passed wind in public.
understood what the consequences might be Pironi telephoned Lauda and they discussed
1 Ecclestone had already fired Piquet and Pa- it, rejected It.
trese. Lauda realised how difficult it was for At 5.45 the Stewards said the team man-
the younger drivers, facing a nightmare of agers had unanimously requested the driv-
broken contracts, being sued, missing the first ers be allowed to compete to save the Grand
race and facing the reaction of their sponsors. Prix and they now could: the Stewards have
Lauda concluded that maintaining solidarity decided to allow the drivers wishing to par-
was crucial. Each driver had a great deal 1 to ticipate in the Grand Prix on 23rd January to
lose. Rosberg faced his own nightmare. He come and present their appeal on 22nd Janu-
had toiled in no-hope teams for years and now ary between 8am and 9am exactly.
here he was in a plum drive for a leading team What appeal?
and he might lose it before hed driven the car This Thursday evening Balestre refused
in anger if Frank did fire both his drivers. to speak to Pironi and Lauda, who said: He
Lauda understood that if drivers began represents FISA, the official body, so I can un-
wavering, or external forces made them wa- derstand in a way why he didnt want to talk
ver, theyd be picked off one by one. to us. When he said he wasnt prepared to ne-
At 3.40 the Stewards issued a long state- gotiate with the drivers who refused to take
ment saying the Grand Prix had been post- part in practice, that was because he wanted
poned for a week and the drivers were im- to support his own organisation. But you can
mediately suspended. Hartslief said FOCA always find a way to talk to someone...8
lodged 4m Rand [2.2m] in trust to cover our At the Kyalami Ranch, during dinner,
losses. We had a Supreme Court application drivers wives and girlfriends threw bread
drawn up for lodging on Friday to impound rolls and plates at Balestre.
all the cars at the circuit if the drivers did not The Super Licence form represented the
compromise their complaints. Bernie Eccle- feudal mentality of Grand Prix racing with its
stone was happy about this arrangement and strict hierarchy and its take-it-or-leave-it at-
titude to both insiders and outsiders. Part of
the subsequent rage by Balestre, simmering Definitely, definitely that was a gift, a talent,
anger from Ecclestone, and vocal displea- of his.
sure from other team managers centred on Jarier points out that it was a big room
the fact that, suddenly and completely, their and Elio de Angelis played classical music and
hierarchy was under direct, public challenge Gilles played. Very sympa. In that era virtu-
and the only weapon they had - threats - was ally all the drivers stayed in the same hotels
counterproductive. - Kyalami Ranch in South Africa, the Glen
The drivers in Johannesburg inhabited Motorhome in Watkins Glen and so on. A
the conference room. We ended up barri- Formula One team was 15, 20 people. There
caded in it, Warwick says. You know what were far fewer journalists, far fewer televi-
was fantastic? I got to know my colleagues for sion people and everybody knew each other.
the first time because, being a non-qualifier at In other words, many of the drivers in the big
the back of the grid, you dont get a chance to room were not strangers to each other, how-
speak to the guys at the front. That was good. ever much those at the back of the grid had to
The other things that were massive when we be.
were in that compound - we were there for 24 Alex Hawkridge arrived to try to reach
hours - was Bruno Giacomelli standing up Fabi and Warwick. Fabi was easy to reach
with a chart and dissecting an AK47 machine because, as it seems, he was already staying
gun. He drew these magnificent drawings of in the hotel and had his own room. Teo we
how to take the gun to bits and so on. It was didnt threaten as such, we told him he was
very, very funny because in the normal Bruno contracted to drive. He came out and I was
Giacomelli way he was very, very funny any- able to speak to him. We reminded him he had
way. I think it was a big shock for everybody signed a contract to drive, and the idea of soli-
in authority because they thought they could darity wouldnt help him if he was without a
control the drivers but, to be quite honest, I drive and to think where his best interests lay.
dont know that half of them in the room knew Elio was playing the piano - astonishing - and
what we were striking for. I could hear him. He was a proper concert pia-
Lauda kept their spirits up by telling nist.
jokes and, a piano brought, Villeneuve played Publicity man Witty went with
light music and de Angelis classical pieces. Hawkridge. The drivers strike? I remember
What really blew me away, Warwick thinking How stupid. I remember going
says, was that we had a piano in the room down there and hanging around outside. Alex
and Elio de Angelis started playing it. Appar- had obviously talked to Fabi to get him to es-
ently he could have been a concert pianist and cape. Fabi was very quiet.
it astonished me - the other talents that some Food was sent in and drink was sent out
of these guys had. Then Gilles played Scott to the reporters hovering outside.
Joplin. Jackie Oliver arrived. You go down
Many remember the performance by de there to see if you can reason with people
Angelis. Believe it or not, Derek Daly says, and try and prevent a disaster commercially
the most vivid memory I have of being stuck for the team and the drivers that I had hired.
in the hotel room was Elio de Angelis playing You say Look, this is not going to lead any-
the piano like a concert pianist. Remarkable. where. I was thinking to try and explain to
Patrick and to Mauro that they were joining
SOUTH AFRICA round 1
a campaign that was going to damage them toilet across the hallway. It was conducted on
and bring no advantage - especially Patrick - the honour system with a key on a plate in the
and also damage the team, because there were middle of the room.
Italian sponsors involved. They were going to Lauda would remember: I was sharing
deduct money so I went down there to try and a bed with Patrese, someone next to Rosberg
persuade them. was snoring until Villeneuve put a blanket
The room was barricaded. An associate over him in the middle of the night, but all the
of mine pushed the door open and shouted out time we stood together.
their names: Come and talk to us and well Warwick would remember: The drivers
resolve this. Of course, as happens when spent time with me and we spent a lot of time
you do that, someone pushed the other way together -I was sleeping with them, exactly,
and there was a bit of a pushing and shoving yes! I havent slept on the same mattress as
session - by a friend of mine called Douglas Carlos Reutemann ever since, mind you..
Norden, who is known to be a little aggressive To which Derek Daly says: The funny
when challenged. He was nothing to do with thing is think I was on the other side because
the team, just a friend along trying to help and I have a picture of me beside Reutemann. I
it turned into a bit of a scuffle, Then the door dont know if he snored. I do think he was still
shut. dressed in his drivers suit
Niki and others saw it as a further re- Pironi said at the time: We will see it
striction on through, FISA has too much to lose to let the
the drivers power and they wanted to Grand Prix be called off. Im confident they
stop it, and that is always the difficulty with will relent.
change, isnt it? We were to have another ex- Wed had a lot of pressure because
ample at Imola when the FOCA went on strike you had people like Jackie Oliver and Alex
against the FIA. Through the history of hu- Hawkridge coming to the hotel, Warwick
man struggle there have been the instances says. We were threatened with our jobs if you
involving union. dont get back there and that, of course, is why
Lauda made sure the piano blocked the Fabi crawled out of the toilet window. He was
door so there would be no further scuffles, the only one who broke ranks. He did the dirty
giving the police reason to enter. on me. Everybody said to me they understood
Mo Nunn at Ensign tried to get Guerrero if I had to go back -I was explaining to people
to come out by taking his girlfriend. When like Lauda Its OK for you guys, youre going
they saw each other they dissolved into tears to have a job, youre some of the best drivers
and Lauda allowed him out to see her provid- around but Im the new kid on the block, my
ing he-Lauda-came, too. team-mates just jumped ship and I am very
Jean Sage of Renault tried to get to Prost vulnerable. And every one of them said We
and Arnoux but was beaten off. guarantee you that you will not be fired. In
The drivers ordered a room big enough other words, if one is fired everybody goes.
to put 30 mattresses onto the carpet - that pro- That gave me a little bit more confidence to
voked prolonged ribaldry. At 11.00 pm they stay there.
moved from the conference room to this dor-
mitory and settled down for the night, having
worked out an elaborate way of getting to the
FANS EYE VIEW least one year or even longer but it was the
I have had an interest in motor racing since only decision I could take.
watching a sprint meeting with MG TCs, When Alex said Teo, decide what you
Nortons and so on in 1948. In 1948 was 41 want to do, I said Well, Im going to drive.
and working as an inventory controller for a Sorry for you if it spoils a good story that I
forklift company. didnt get out of the window! I never got into
Through the 1970s the Sports Car Club of SA the toilet! Previously I had had an offer from
ran the Press Room at Kyalami and I helped Alex Hawkridge to race in Formula 2 and I
out there. I saw few races but had the privi- turned the offer down because I decided to
lege of free run of the pits and circuit during stay with March. When he took me on board in
practice. By the 1980s, with the rise of the ever Formula One it was against his will. He didnt
more omnipotent Bernie Ecclestone, amateurs want me because Id turned down that Formu-
were no longer required. So for 1982, after la 2 drive. I was only able to get the Toleman
checking the radio for updates on the drivers Formula One drive because of Candy, an Ital-
strike, I bought a ticket and went as a paying ian company and the Toleman sponsor. So my
spectator, hoping for a race. The Barbeque position really was very difficult even before
and jukskei section of Kyalami is a daunting the strike.
place. The cars were very close, very fast and Daly feels the strike was completely
very much on the limit. I felt exposed and un- driven by Lauda, Villeneuve and Pironi. I was
comfortable on the outside of the corner - the caught in the middle. I did not want to strike,
accidents to Villeneuve, Pironi and Paletti I wanted to race. I was almost forced to get
later in that season brought home how unfor- involved in the strike.
giving this business can be. Remember I was so new to the whole
Some of the pictures taken that day show the thing. I didnt have the horsepower to stand up
flimsy nature of the catch fencing. to those in authority, I was afraid it was going
to lose me the drive that I had. Pironi was up
David Pearson,
early on the Friday, journeying to the Kyalami
Edenglen, South Africa Ranch to put the drivers views to Balestre.
That was by 6.00. Pironi spoke to Lauda on
No, Fabi says, I did not get out of a toi- the telephone. Lauda, unshaven, called a press
let window! That was my first race in Formula conference to say that the situation remained
One - or 1 my first attempt to race in Formula unchanged.
One - and it was my first contract in Formula Balestre and Pironi returned to the circuit
One. Alex Hawkridge was very clear with me. and the F1 Commission met. The personnel:
He told me Teo, if you want to keep racing Pironi, Balestre, Colin Chapman, Hartslief,
with Toleman you must not strike. So I never David Waldron (FISA), Sage, Marco Picci-
got with the other drivers. I always stayed in nini of Ferrari, Gerard Larrousse of Renault,
my room the drivers were meeting at my Nunn, Ecclestone and Max Mosley.
hotel. I remember Laffite coming into my The FISA was not prepared to back down
room and maybe another driver. It was a very over this, but I think the drivers were as long
difficult position to be in at the first race be- as they received assurances that no sanctions
cause I might have lost my career before it had would be taken against them. We were just go-
begun. My decision caused a lot of problems ing on and on and on. Talk, talk, talk. Getting
in my relations with the other drivers for at
SOUTH AFRICA round 1
nowhere, Chapman said. Balestre, however, Formula One had not lost its sense of hu-
gave Pironi to understand there would be ne- mour, or what passes for it. At 10.07 as Mass
gotiations. took his March out he was applauded all down
Hartslief said that if the drivers refused the pit lane and as he completed his first flying
to sign their forms by 10.30 the Grand Prix lap all the teams held out pit boards. Next time
was off; if they agreed, practice would start round they held out a wide variety of times
at 11.00. for the flying lap. After three laps he was
Pironi rang Lauda with that news just af- : black-flagged because, evidently, the track
ter 10.00. The content of what was happening wasnt clear when, circulating alone, it could
remains disputed: Lauda was sure the drivers hardly have been more clear. Black humour, in
had won and Pironi was too, but Ecclestone fact. He said that the whole disagreement has
said nothing had changed and Colin Chapman been an embarrassment to motor sport.
insisted it was only a truce: Nobody has won Reflecting today, he adds this: I did not
anything. Were in a state of suspended ani- take part in the strike as a matter of principle
mation. The fight starts again after the race, as although I knew something was in the pipe-
far as I can see. Villeneuve, on the other hand, line. I thought it was a lot of rubbish to strike,
felt that Pironi had achieved guarantees that bullshit, never work. You have to find a better
things will be modified. He says its fine. solution than that. So they went to the hotel
At 9.30 Fabi arrived at the circuit, ready and slept on camp beds and God knows what
to practice. I agree with the aims of the strik- to be away from their teams and the pressure.
ers but I feel the South African Grand Prix Right? Next morning I got to the circuit and
should go on, he said. heard they were on strike. I thought This is
Hawkridge had no idea how Teo got crap, Im going to go out anyway. I knew
back to the track, no idea. Maybe he got a cab. they would not be able to maintain this strike
He was quite determined, he definitely didnt in any case. That was clear to me: they would
want to sit out the race. I think he just thought achieve nothing. I did a few laps on my own
it through and felt that this drivers solidar- and suddenly they all chickened out. Yes, peo-
ity thing hadnt helped him get into Formula ple were applauding me going down the pit
One and it wasnt going to help him stay there. lane. Not that I felt heroic or smart about it,
Derek? It didnt affect our relationship in the but my conviction was this strike doesnt work
long term at all but we did have some words so I may as well drive. I thought that if I drove
with him. We told him exactly what we had they would all drive - because basically they
told Teo, that in our view he was aligning him- all wanted to drive. They did come back and
self with people who wouldnt help him when race, of course, yes.
the chips were down. At 11.00 the drivers arrived at the circuit
Fabi slipped back, slipped behind en- and prepared for two sessions, one of 90 min-
emy lines, Witty says. No great fanfare or utes practice in the morning and an hour in
anything. Lauda & Co were very anti him for the afternoon for the grid. Lauda was quoted
breaking ranks but I dont think it had any as saying: We have got what we wanted and
long-term ramifications. You just get back in we are now going to practice. That did noth-
a race car and race, dont you? I do remember ing to improve the strained atmosphere down
Laudas assurance to Warwick. the pit lane. Mo Nunn, clearly still incensed,
withdrew the Ensign car, leaving Guerrero
marooned. Guerrero claimed Nunn said he- on an economy ticket and he said he would
Guerrero - was in no state physically or men- pay the difference. And of course because he
tally to drive the car, Guerrero persuaded him joined the strike and then didnt race he didnt
he was but it was too late to reinstate the car. get his fee. It cost him dearly and we joke
Tambay, repelled by the politics and cars about that now. I see him at the Goodwood
which had no suspensions (virtually undrive- revival meeting and every time he reminds me
able), spoke quietly to Jackie Oliver and said how much that race cost him.
he was retiring from Formula 1. Tambay remembers the episode in detail.
It wasnt the strike which made me say Not only the air fare from Hawaii but I got
I dont want Formula One, Tambay says. I fined $5,000 like everybody else for strik-
enjoyed the strike! It was the best time I ever ing by the FIA and on top of it I didnt get
had with all my friends although it was a very, paid what Jackie Oliver was going to pay me
very costly reunion with them. [Well come to because I didnt want to drive. I was fed up
the cost in a moment.] What I didnt like was with Formula One and its politics. So I made
Teo Fabi sneaking out behind our backs to try a big loss on the airfare, the fine and the re-
and get back into the car, and what I didnt like tainer. The whole thing was a shame. I think I
was that I knew we had been screwed-they stood straight in my boots and if he had been a
[Balestre & Co] had said Come back out to gentleman he would have paid my expenses! I
the circuit and everythings going to be sorted was in Hawaii and it was a flight from Hawaii
and everythings going to be all right, and I to London and London to Johannesburg - be-
knew we were screwed. cause there was nothing direct - and I was not
Tambay had seen what Chapman had about to fly for 30-something hours in coach
seen: nothing had really changed (and the class.
drivers were subsequently fined). Tambay And there, grinning broadly (he usually
expressed it as a done deal between our rep- did), stood the strong, square figure of Brian
resentatives and the other side so I thought Henton -available for selection as of this sec-
OK, I am going away. I still have the clip- ond, Jackie. Oliver gave Henton the Tambay
ping from LEquipe of what I said: Maybe drive but, that morning, Henton became em-
Ill come back to Formula One one day if its broiled in a tug-of-war between the Arrows
to drive for Ferrari or Renault. management and Herr Lauda.
Oliver says Patrick didnt want to do the Arrows were bollocking me saying Get
race because he hadnt had a chance to prac- in the car and all the rest of it, Henton re-
tice and he got fed up with it. That storys quite members. The other drivers all came back
funny Yes, and weve touched on the airfare and I am just about to go out for practice and
negotiations already. Heres the whole story, they needed my signature on their petition. Id
beginning when Oliver originally approached got the team shouting in one ear Get in that
him to drive in South Africa: Id called Tam- car and get out there and, just as Im sitting,
bay and said Would you do it for me? and Niki Lauda - whod been massaging me all
there was an argument over his fee. We agreed the time and Id been saying No, no, no -
his fee for that race as a leader into maybe do- rushes up with this petition. He hit me at
ing other races for us, and he said Well, I want the right time. Just sign this, sign it, sign it.
a first class air ticket. I said I am not paying I thought I only want to get out onto the track,
first class airfare from the States. We agreed
SOUTH AFRICA round 1
so I signed it and never saw him again - but war going on between FISA and FOCA, so I
hed got all the signatures. think Niki was a much more suitable interme-
Was I unpopular? No, no, at the end of diary than Pironi.
the day everybody is looking after themselves, In the practice session Prost had a punc-
simple as that. It was quite funny. Everybody ture and spun into a safety wall.
talked about camaraderie and all that in motor Heavy, dark cloud threatened qualifying
racing but it boiled down to this: you were in and rain brought it to an end 25 minutes early.
that seat and you wanted a better seat if you By then Arnoux had pole from Piquet, Ville-
could get it, and, even if you got a better seat neuve third and Patrese fourth, Prost fifth and
and were leading the Championship, you were Pironi sixth. That seemed to be shaping the
trying to keep your arse in the seat because season already: all had turbo-powered cars.
everybody was after it. The turbos had the advantage every-
Ecclestone had all three Brabham cars where, Watson says. What they didnt have
liveried with the number 2 and, claiming Pi- was the reliability. They were in the process of
quet had had hardly any sleep and might not learning how to make a turbocharged engine
be fit to drive, refused to let him take part in run - and reliably - but essentially they had
the first session. Nor would Piquet be allowed the advantage everywhere, even street circuits
into the qualifying until he had had a medi- like Detroit and Monaco.
cal. The extra power of the turbos forced
Reflecting, John Watson says the strike the normally-aspirated teams to install water
happened essentially because Formula One tanks in their wings, fill them before the race
teams were trying to introduce football-style (to make the minimum weight), drain them
contracts, which led to the drivers saying No, for the race and fill them up again afterwards.
we dont want this, which in turn led to the Prost found this blatant cheating and dis-
stand-off and the drivers went off. I didnt feel tasteful9 but, as Rosberg pointed out, it was
a driver should lose control - or relinquish - his the only way they could get near parity.
own rights to negotiate. In other words, while Arnoux averaged 138.3mph [222.67kmh],
the football contract is applicable to footballers Rosberg - fastest of the non-turbo runners -
it didnt have to be applicable to us, and that 133.3mph [2l4.45kmh]. If you multiply that dif-
It should be introduced without any conversa- ference by the race distance, 196 miles across
tion or discussion was unfortunate. 77 laps, you have a chasm. Emphasising that,
The drivers unity held except for a cou- the turbos were doing more than 200mph at
ple of drivers. Roberto Guerrero was bullied the end of the long, main straight and the non-
by Mo Nunn but there was a lot of bullying turbos 20mph less.
and pressure, and some of the things that were Professor Watkins sat in the passenger
done were very unpleasant by teams on driv- seat of the medical car directly behind the grid
ers. and it would set off when the racing cars set
I always felt Pironi was the principle of off so that it could reach any accident - the
the whole thing, not Niki. Niki was, if you like, moments after the grid is launched are fraught
more a pokesman and negotiator. He had more - quickly As with so much else, Watkins
acceptance, more gravitas as a negotiator than brought professionalism and improvement to
Pironi. Remember also that Pironi was driving all that he did, and in this case it concerned
in a grandee team and we also had this bloody who should drive the medical car. In the old
days, after Id had some frightening experi- the Jukskei sweep and the car suddenly went
ences with the local hero, Bernie said Well, sideways. I was only Just able to catch it and
what well do is one of the chaps who hasnt maintain control. Another few metres into the
qualified for the race will drive you on the corner I would have run out of road and had a
first lap. So when wed finished qualification big accident. The left rear tyre had punctured.
on the Saturday hed pick the guy to be my The next hardest thing was to drive back to
personal conductor for the first lap. One time the pits at a sensible speed so that it wouldnt
I got Derek Daly -I got most of them! There damage the car too much. The pits were three-
was a bang. I said Whats that? He said Re- quarters of a lap away but he made it and sat
verse! Another was Rupert Keegan. He actu- motionless as four news tyres were fitted.
ally put it in reverse on the grid, so when the He emerged eighth and a lap down, which
racing cars set off we set off the other way. seems normal enough.
Just as well they werent doing anything else Without knowing it, he was about to
with their lives - like brain surgery... prove something so simple that it changed
Who sat poised in the driving seat next Grand Prix racing.
to The Prof as the racers waited for the green Arnoux led from Reutemann, who had
light on this particular occasion has vanished been making steady progress since the start,
into the mists of time - but Baldi, Paletti, Hen- Rosberg third, Watson fourth. Before the punc-
ton and Fabi hadnt qualified... ture Prost had been lapping in the 1m 10s, 1m
On a hot afternoon Arnoux made a l1s, but now he moved urgently towards the
swift getaway. Piquet, who hadnt started in 1m 08s - Arnoux in the 1m 12s. Prost caught
a Grand Prix with a turbo engine before, hesi- and overtook Alboreto in four laps, unlapped
tated and cars went past him, including Prost himself a lap later, caught and overtook Lauda
who was behind Arnoux when they reached on lap 51, swept past Watson on lap 54 and
Crowthorne Corner. The order completing lap Rosberg on lap 55. Pironi had taken second
1: Arnoux, Prost, Villeneuve, Pironi, Rosberg, place from Reutemann, and Prost needed only
Patrese. six laps to catch and despatch him, one more
In fact Arnoux led to lap 13 and by then lap to despatch Pironi. That left only Arnoux,
five drivers were out, including Piquet (acci- struggling with tyres. Prost has described his
dent) and Villeneuve (broken turbo). Rosberg own driving as aggressive.
was struggling with the Williams because,
from lap 5, as I went into a corner and changed
down the gear knob came off in my hand and I Arnoux Prost
missed a gear, over-revving the engine. I also Lap 62 1:12.9 1:10.3
dropped the knob and it rolled around getting Lap 63 1:12.7 1:087
in the way of my feet and the pedals for the Lap 64 1:13.1 1:09.8
rest of the race. Lap 65 1:12.5 1:11.1
On lap 14 Arnoux was baulked by a Lap 66 1:14.1 1:10.0
slower car and Prost went by into the lead. By Lap 67 1:14.0 1:09.5
then I was driving under no pressure at all.
1 knew that if 1 did not have any mechani- Now Prost swept past Arnoux, whose
cal problems the race would be an easy one tyres were causing so much vibration that he
for me. It was, until lap 41 when he went into could barely hold the car. Before the end Reu-
SOUTH AFRICA round 1
temann got past Arnoux, too, Lauda fourth tor sport. It was the last time that the drivers
and proving he could still drive a Grand Prix, resisted Ecclestones power. After that it was
Rosberg fifth and delighted. The two points finished. That weekend at Kyalami was the
were twice as many as he scored in the whole end of the weight of the drivers.
of 1981. A cynic (and you dont have to look far
Lauda records how, throughout the week- to find one of those) summed up the drivers
end, there had been rumours that once the plight perfectly when he said this: You should
drivers reached the airport to fly home they never take yes for an answer in Grand Prix
would be arrested,10 although on what grounds racing.11
it is difficult to say What happened was quite Championship; Prost 9 points, Reute-
different: during mann 6, Arnoux 4, Lauda 3, Rosberg 2, Wat-
the race the Stewards issued a statement, son 1.
given to each team, saying that the drivers
Footnote: 1. To Hell And Back; 2. The F1 Commission comprised
Super Licences were being suspended. Three three member of FOCA, three manufacturers, two European or-
drivers - Fabi, Mass and Henton - were spared: ganisers two non-European organisers, two sponsors representa-
tives, one member of FISA and the reigning World Champion (non-
Fabi because hed gone to the track prepared voting); 3. Chasing The Title, Nigel Roebuck, Haynes, Sparkford
to drive, Mass because he had driven, and 1999; 4. In fact, and perhaps not surprisingly, when Grand Prix
racing reached Detroit for the first time in June of this 1982 there
Henton because he got the Arrows drive after were strong feelings. Something called the African Liberation Week
Tambay withdrew following the strike. Support Committee said it would use the week before the race to
protest against the involvement of South Africans. A spokesman
Francis Tucker, Steward of the South for the Grand Prix countered that we have nothing to do with South
African Grand Prix, said: For the purpose of Africa and pointed out that there were no South African drivers or
sponsors. No nothing. The Liberation Committee were undaunted
running a race, a temporary truce was called by this, pointing out that the South African Grand Prix was part
in the disagreement between the drivers and of the Championship and consequently got propaganda publicity
value from the Detroit race. A spokesman was quoted as saying:
officials. The truce lasted until the end of the How many blacks can afford $75 to go watch the rich mans slot
race. At the end of the race, the truce agree- cars? [toy models!] Well all need a ticket and a pass just to walk
around our own citys downtown area.; 5. Grand Prix Interna-
ment was terminated. This means that the tional magazine; 6. Autosport; 7 The Star, Johannesburg; 8. Grand
position which existed prior to the agreement Prix International; 9. Life In The Fast Lane, Prost; 10. To Hell And
Back, Lauda; 11. Grand Prix International.
is effectively reinstated. The drivers were
suspended immediately and each paid 300
Rand to appeal the decision. FISA said they
supported the suspensions and an Executive
Committee would meet in Paris on the follow-
ing Thursday, January 27.
Jean-Pierre Jarier sums it up. In 1982
it really was Ecclestone who had the power
and he tried to impose the contracts and the
struggle for the control of Formula One began.
The GPDA was conquered [battu], we went on
strike and we obtained something all the same
- not much, but a little. In the end Ecclestone
won completely - well, he lost in South Africa
because the contracts were not implemented,
but we had proof that he wanted to control mo-
21 march---------------------- DRIVERS VIEW
The two Brazilian circuits - Rio and Interla-
boiling
gos at Sao Paulo - were completely different.
The old, big Interlagos was a fantastic race-
track with big, big corners. Rio was flat as a
waters
kipper, not totally featureless but like a pre-
cursor to the modern layout: largely constant
radius corners. There was no feel. Ironically
it wasnt a bad circuit. The corners were good
and it had no chicane although I think latterly
--------brazil, rio de janeiro they have put one in. You had a lot of third and
fourth gear corners and a reasonable length
straight with a slow corner on to it which was
T he politics festered. FISA fined the driv- good for overtaking - but the corner at the
ers between $10,000 and $5,000, the driv- other end was very fast, so if you were going to
ers appealed and the FIA Court of Appeal met do any overtaking there you had to be along-
in Paris to pass judgement on all of it. The side the other car. Otherwise you couldnt: no
Court criticised FISA, Balestre and the driv- slipping down the inside of somebody who is
ers, and reduced the fines to $5,000. It calmed committed. That corner was tough because it
everything. The drivers paid and, as Lauda had a difficult entry and then it kept going and
said cryptically,1 the drivers appealed that, but going and going.
many years later he still had no idea if hed got John Watson
his money back. Pironi praised the Court of
Appeal, and the Super Licence in its provoca- Mist seeped round the majestic moun-
tive form died into that most final of sounds: tains which formed a backdrop to the circuit.
silence. Several factors converged to suggest a
There ought to have been an Argentinean very, very physical race. The weather - searing
Grand Prix but financial problems ruled it out, hot, overcast and humid - threatened to boil
so Brazil followed South Africa and many, the drivers, and the rack surface, notoriously
many thousands headed to Jacarepagua, the bumpy, threatened to batter them (no suspen-
circuit reclaimed from marshland some 20 sions to absorb the bumping, of course).
miles south of Rio de Janeiro, to crown Nelson Arnoux, who qualified fourth, said its
Piquet their World Champion. just crazy. In places your vision goes blurred,
On the Friday, however, some barriers with the vibration and you can hardly see the
were declared unsafe before the morning ses- road. After a few laps it seems impossible to
sion, something regarded with amazement by carry on.
the Formula One fraternity because the track Warwick remarked that the Toleman was
had been used for testing and there had been terrible over the bumps.
plenty of time to rectify problems. The session Pironi, whod had a crash testing at Paul
was delayed three times and Lauda said: We Ricard, said at qualifying speeds you are ex-
are expected to pay a $5,000 fine when we are hausted after eight or ten laps. No one could
late or dont practice. Who pays the bill for do more. It is really not at all pleasant.
this?
BRAZIL round 2
Noticeably the drivers were doing as grammes. On lap 9 he moved past team-mate
few laps as possible, governed by the condi- Patrese.
tions but also the realisation that tyres were Order at lap 10: Villeneuve, Arnoux, Pi-
only good for one flying lap, and with two sets quet, Patrese, Prost - who had a misfire - and
for each session qualifying compressed itself Rosberg.
into four laps. The Renaults did some serious Arnoux was suffering tyre problems and
running - Prost 11 laps, Arnoux 13, though in fell back into Piquets grasp. Rosberg retook
batches rather than constant running. Lauda Patrese and the order tilted to: Villeneuve
was at the other extreme, out after 35 minutes moving away, Piquet, Rosberg, Patrese, Ar-
for a 1:39 working down to 1:31, into the pits, noux, Lauda. That lasted only a moment be-
out nine minutes later for a 1:30, his best. cause Reutemann banged wheels with Lauda,
Rosberg, second fastest to Prost on this forcing him to retire, and further round the lap
opening day, threatened to boil some of the Reutemann hit Arnoux, who was spinning.
turbo cars. Both retired.
Prost consolidated on the second day, On lap 27 the crowd was silenced when
Villeneuve joining him on the front row. Ville- Rosberg took Piquet, erupted when Piquet
neuve made a mighty charge that left his Fer- took him back, fell silent again when Rosberg
raris rear tyres in shreds as he pushed himself, retook him - and both of them were catching
car and tyres to the limit, smoke pouring off Villeneuve, who was clearly struggling. Then
the rear tyres under acceleration and lumps of on lap 30 Villeneuve went wide into the hair-
rubber, too.2 Rosberg lined up on the second pin onto the back straight and the Ferrari was
row beside Arnoux. on the marbles - some say it had two wheels
The heat remained but the humidity went on the grass. The car wouldnt put its power
as the clouds departed and the sun shone. Pi- down, which let Nelson get alongside - on the
quet on the fourth row did not deter the locals, outside - into the hairpin. I had a choice, hit
who poured into the circuit preparing to make him or go off. And I chose to go off, the car
a lot of noise. Villeneuve, meanwhile, fully in- snapped round and that was that. Some people
tended to lead the race in its early stages for thought that Nelson had hit me but that wasnt
reasons of personal morale and did so from true.3
the green light, Rosberg tracking him and the With Piquet in the lead the crowd aban-
two Renaults tracking him. They rounded the doned any restraint they might have had and
Norte horseshoe feeding on to the straight and made Jacarepagua rock.
immediately the turbo power came into play, On lap 34 Patrese retired, officially un-
Villeneuve stretching away from Rosberg and able to continue. Hed later explain that hed
the Renaults flooding past him. Rosberg set- blacked out, the Brabham spinning before he
tled, Patrese behind him. He knew it was go- recovered enough to limp to the pits, utterly
ing to be a long race. exhausted. He had to be lifted from the car
On lap 3 Patrese swept past Rosberg, and and laid down in the pit, where he received
so, two laps later, to an explosion of celebra- medical attention. He needed an hour to re-
tion, did Piquet. A lap after that Piquet took cover.
Prost, and the crowd created its own ticker- Piquet was not to be caught, Rosberg fol-
tape of thousands of torn newspapers and pro- lowing him home, then Prost, Watson, Man-
sell, and young Alboreto. On the podium Pi-
quet all but passed out but Rosberg, himself sense. There was the matter of how much Re-
exhausted, found the strength to hold him up. nault, Ferrari, BMW and others had spent on
Prost 13, Piquet 9, Rosberg 8, Reutemann developing turbo engines and how they would
6, Arnoux and Watson 4. react to a reduction of power, hauling them
After the race Reutemann told Frank back towards the dear old Cosworth DFV, still
Williams that he was thinking of retiring. Wil- available off the shelf in Northampton.
liams asked him to make a final decision by the Whatever Balestre wanted, or stipulated
Friday, which would give the team just over a was necessary, would be subject to the Con-
week to find a replacement for Long Beach. corde Agreement signed the previous March
Williams returned home and, as a precaution, and designed I to achieve harmony. No major
on the Tuesday reached for his telephone and rule changes were to be implemented without
dialled a number in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. unanimous agreement. Ferrari and Renault
A soft-spoken American answered. He was had been two of the main architects of this.4
called Mario Andretti and although contract- Balestre said he intended to present his
ed to drive in the CART series there was no idea to the FIA Congress in Casablanca the
clash of fixtures with Long Beach. Sure hed following month.
like to drive there.
Footnote: 1. To Hell And Back; 2. Grand Prix International; 3. Au-
Frank Williams settled down to wait un- tosport; 4. Ibid
til Friday and the deadline he had given Reu-
temann.
Ferrari and Renault launched protests
about the water tanks on the Brabham and
Williams but the Stewards rejected them.
They appealed to the Brazilian ASN and that
went to FISA in Paris, which gave Rosberg a
queasy feeling. It was entirely justified but he
wouldnt know that until after Long Beach.
By way of explanation, he says the water
tank at the beginning of the season was the
one that gave us at least a theoretical chance
to compete with the turbos. Without the water
tank we were finished.
Nor was Balestre idle. At Rio he made
an enigmatic announcement - personal but on
FISA headed notepaper - about what he saw
as immediately necessary to resolve the prob-
lems of the Grand Prix car. He spelled them
out: putting suspensions back ... reducing cor-
nering speeds ... hold engine power before re-
ducing it... reduce tyre sizes ... study the wings
... give drivers greater protection.
This was all common sense but vested
interests govern Formula One, not common
BRAZIL round 2
4 april------------------------ DRIVERS VIEW
All street circuits are very demanding. Long
back in
Beach was a very, very good one - it had a dan-
gerous zone but a lot of spectacular corners.
It was quite fast and a couple of corners were
control
very fast. And walls everywhere! You couldnt
compare it to Monaco because it was dif-
ferent, it was not even the same as Detroit -
Detroit was all sharp bends. Long Beach was
more similar to a normal circuit, more open.
usa west, long beach--------- Monaco and Detroit were very closed. I liked
street circuits because of the demands on the
cars before - but nationwide in the continental the Grand Prix people gathered on Shoreline
US of A? Drive with its fringing of palm trees and con-
Rosberg was big here and Reynolds big crete blocks, and the l-o-n-g legs travelled lan-
there - but Rosberg was there. guidly by.
The Los Angeles Times provided a pro- Reutemann would be absent. On the
found journalistic lesson in how to give an in- deadline Friday, as Williams had stipulated,
ternational story a local angle, too. A piece on Reutemann rang him and said Frank, Im out
Piquet began: of it, Im retiring. And that, concluded Wil-
The trophy case, at Acalanea High liams, was that.
School in Lafayette, Calif, near Berkeley, dis- There was a lively and provocative ques-
plays trophies won by footballs Norm Van tion within the Formula One fraternity and it
Brooklin, Olympic swimming gold medallist centred on Laudas motivation for his return.
Donna de Varona and world figure skating A rumour claimed that his airline was in trou-
champion Charlie Tucker. ble and the comeback was helping to finance
There should also be a place in the same it. Like trying to prove a negative, if Lauda
for Nelson Souto Maior, the No 3 man on denied this (Well, he would, wouldnt he?)
Acalane boys tennis team in 1968. the rumour persisted. A question flowed from
Today, that tennis player is known as this: how serious was Lauda about the come-
Nelson Piquet - the World Formula 1 driving back? Anyone who had even the most passing
champion from Brazil who Sunday will com- acquaintance with the man knew the question
pete in the Long Beach Grand Prix. to be absurd. Lauda was serious about ev-
Ah, but California could be a good place erything he did, particularly getting back to
to be. Witty remembers when we were at something which had nearly killed him. If he
Long Beach, Teo said Lets go to Disney- wanted to know what he had put at risk again
world, and I said OK. He and I went on our he received the most direct, graphic evidence
own like two kids and all he wanted to do was every time he looked in a mirror.
go on Space Mountain and I went with him on Thered been Kyalami, the strike and that
it. Its like a rollercoaster ride but in the dark. Lauda back to foment trouble. Hed qualified
It has high G-forces and all those things. Im halfway down the grid and finished a distant
thinking Heres a guy who wouldnt say boo fourth. He judged his performance reason-
to a goose, but he had this desire inside. He able but he had had to take the incredible
said That kind of G is sort of what you get physical demands of a car with wings. Hed
in a car. Teo was not outwardly flamboyant taken it.1 Thered been Rio, qualifying higher
in any shape or form but he was very polite up the grid and running sixth when Reutemann
and came from a family business - big talcum hit him. This was not million-dollar stuff.
powder manufacturer, as they were. By the Saturday in Long Beach, Lauda
You could argue that a race is a self-con- had banished all doubts regarding his pres-
tained entity, entire unto itself, and it doesnt ence.
matter where its run. The most efficient and Reutemann of course was gone, tem-
cost-effective way to implement that philoso- porarily replaced by Mario Andretti. At that
phy would be to build a track as near Heath- point I had decided to be out of Formula One
row Airport as possible and run them all there, and Id already come back to the States, An-
only altering the title of each race. Instead, dretti says. If the odd drive came up, however,
even in circumstances you dont want to see, expending minimum effort on his lap and re-
I could take it. It was always the love of driv- turning from it perfectly composed, no drop
ing with me and that was generally known, so of sweat; de Cesaris returning in a very emo-
sometimes, if there was an opportunity to fill tional state, weeping and shaking in the enor-
a gap, they could call me and I was going to be mity of the moment.2
likely to accept.
I didnt like the Williams at Long Beach
at all and then I found out later that Keke FANS EYE VIEW
Rosberg had a totally different set-up, much, I was born in Wyoming but I grew up and
much softer. I tried to tell them but I wasnt went to school in Los Angeles. My interest in
a permanent member of the team. I talked to motor sport began with listening to the Indy
Frank Dernie. When we tested at Willow [one 500 on the radio, starting in 1956. It continues
day at the Willow Springs Raceway, Califor- today in my retirement on the central coast of
nia], which is high speed, I said Look, this California.
very stiff setup may be OK for here but Long In 1982 I was a 39-year-old film editor
Beach is a totally different animal. You dont working in the television and film industry. At
have the downforce. My car was like being Long Beach I went on the Friday practice day.
on a pogo stick. It was jumping around as if The shots of people and static cars were taken
I had no feel of it. I found out later that Keke in the pits - on Ocean Boulevard at that time
had exactly 50 per cent of the stiffness that I - and just a chainlink fence separated us from
did. I dont know why they stuck me with a cars and drivers. Derek Warwick signed my
really heavy go-kart-like set-up. program as he sat outside the garage area. I
At Williams, Rosberg became the Num- remember him not being a very happy camper.
ber 1 driver, something which gave him plea- Frank Williams walked by in a hurry with no
sure and reassurance. He translated that to time for autographs.
provisional pole on the Friday - from Lauda. The sights and sounds were very spectacu-
Andretti came 14th and spoke in something lar because the spectators were so close to the
approaching awe of the G-forces. track. I can remember Villeneuve throwing
The Saturday produced genuine drama. his car off of Ocean Boulevard down Linden
Lauda waited 24 minutes before making a run Avenue. It was something to behold!
on race tyres. He did six laps, climaxing at STEVE POTTER,
1:27.4, a time seemingly ample for pole. He LOS OSOS, CALIFORNIA
brought the car to the pits, got out and spec-
tated. As the flag signalled the end of the ses- By then his brother Emilio in the Alfa
sion, Lauda grinned and set off for the debrief. Romeo pit was weeping, too, while mechan-
Under the rules, cars which had begun their ics embraced each other and a crowd gathered.
final lap before the flag were entitled to fin- De Cesaris sat in the car, hauled his helmet
ish them and one estimate says at least 20 cars and balaclava off. He had been sweating pro-
were doing this. Among them was de Cesa- fusely and yes, there were the tears...
ris and he seized pole from Lauda by an eye- De Cesaris had his reasons and, as he
blink, 1:27.316 against Laudas 1:27.436. The says, Yes, pole was good. Hed spent 1981
two men could not have been more different at McLaren and felt betrayed by what had
and their reactions demonstrated it: Lauda happened there. The McLaren people were
USA WEST round 3
saying all kinds of things and you English lap, on the fourth lap dealt with Piquet, on the
journalists wrote a lot of bullshit about those fifth dealt with Pironi.
things -de Crasheris and stuff like that. In For- Next lap Giacomelli opened the whole
mula One today it would be unacceptable for a thing up by making a suicide run3 into the
driver to be treated like I was with McLaren. Le Gasomet hairpin, out-braking Lauda - who
Niki Lauda signed up and I was put in a very was entirely content to let Giacomelli skitter
bad light. I had many failures with the car and by - and out-braking himself. Smoke burned
still they said it was my fault. I was looking from the locked wheels as Giacomelli skit-
over my shoulder all the time. tered on, punting Arnouxs Ferrari. In all the
So Long Beach was really good. You excitement Watson quickly dealt with Rosberg
know why? Because Lauda was in pole po- so that the order on lap 7 had become: de Ce-
sition and they were already partying beside saris, Lauda, Villeneuve, Watson, Rosberg,
the pits - just minutes to go before the end of Piquet. The Rat bared his teeth.
the session - and they didnt even see me go-
ing round. They heard on the loudspeaker de de Cesaris Lauda
Cesaris on pole! and they already had cham- Lap 8 1:33.3 1:32.3
pagne in their hands, so I destroyed their par- Lap 9 1:32.3 1:31.7
ty. It was like a kind of revenge. Lap 10 1:31.4 1:31.5
Rosberg qualified on the fourth row. Lap 11 1:31.2 1:31.1
De Cesaris made a rasping, unemotion-
al start at the green light, swift away down By then Pironi had hit a wall, Prost had
Shoreline Drive, but Arnoux out-dragged hit a wall, Watson had dealt with Villeneuve,
Lauda and they threaded through Toyota Cor- the tow truck was provoking consternation by
ner (actually the first of two Toyota Corners, appearing on the track to hoist wreckage to
the other on Ocean Boulevard) in that order: the knackers yard (Lauda narrowly missed
de Cesaris, Arnoux, Lauda, Giacomelli, then it) and The Rat stalked de Cesaris moment
the pack. by moment until, on lap 15, de Cesaris came
Lauda counselled patience. You put 26 upon Boesel into the chicane before Shoreline
Formula One cars into the confined space Drive. Boesel did not move aside, holding de
which is, by definition, any street circuit, you Cesaris up, and The Rat watched that, think-
line that space with concrete blocks, you run ing interesting, De Cesaris tried the outside
the cars on surfaces not normally used for this and The Rat thought again interesting. Then
purpose - so they lack that adhesive film of he instructed himself: take it easy, dont get
rubber laid down by previous racing - and you embroiled and spin.
have a menu of many courses. Coming out of the chicane de Cesaris was
Borgudds Tyrrell provided the first by anything but unemotional and began shaking
becoming entangled with both ATS cars, his fist at Boesel as he sailed by - his right
Winkelhocks race run already. Salazar in the fist, the hand you changed gear with. The Rat
other ATS got as far as lap 3. Next lap Ros- saw the fist come up and thought: he should
berg overtook Pironi - the only movement in be changing gear with that NOW4. The Rat
the top eight - but by now Watson was deep heard the Alfa Romeos engine howling on the
into one of his fabled charges. From 11th on rev limit and, staying wide of him -watch out
the grid he dealt with Alboreto on the opening for anybody who forgets to change gear -went
smoothly, logically, to the inside. They ran an oil leak. I was coming into the pits and the
along Shoreline Drive in tandem but Lauda oil was coming out from the rear of the engine
had the line for the right-hander at the end and onto the tyres. All the oil went on the tyres
de Cesaris had nowhere to go. and I had a fire. I had an accident because I
The Rat had everywhere to go and went couldnt see the fire and because of that - and
there, shedding de Cesaris immediately: because of the previous year - people said Ah,
de Cesaris shunted again. That was unfair.
Lauda de Cesaris You British journalists were so unfair with
Lap 16 1:31.3 1:32.7 me. I could not believe the way news could
Lap 17 1:31.2 1:32.0 be manipulated. My team knew I didnt shunt
Lap 18 1:31.4 1:31.7 the car because they saw the oil pipe was off.
And also de Angelis, who was following me,
The order at lap 18: Lauda working the confirmed to the team that I was coming in to
traffic with all the guile in the world,5 de Ce- the pits and he had seen the fire on the car.
saris keeping away from the walls, Watson That gave a top three of Lauda, Rosberg
scenting second place, and Villeneuve and and Villeneuve and it endured to the end. Ros-
Rosberg in a two-dimensional battle - Ville- bergs tyres were worn but he found the drive
neuve feeding in turbo power on the straights, home easy. Lauda described it as unevent-
Rosberg nippy through the corners. Rosberg ful and into the final stage was satisfied with
noticed how wide Villeneuves rear wing was the standard of his driving. The comeback was
- in fact Ferrari were running two rear wings, no careless thing.
one in front of the other in staggered forma- Into the final lap he felt sure the car
tion and as wide as the car. wouldnt let him down and, even if it had, hed
On lap 21 Rosberg got past Villeneuve have carried it to the line. On that lap, allow-
and they ran along Shoreline Drive like that ing his delight to translate itself to shouting
to the right-hander, where according to Ros- and whistling, he suddenly reprimanded him-
berg the Canadian tried to out-brake him on self: dont be silly and drive into a wall.
the outside, which was not possible, and ac- He beat Rosberg by 14 seconds.
cording to Roebuck in Autosport Villeneuve Villeneuve was stripped of third place - it
appeared not to brake at all! Villeneuve spun really was that kind of season - when the wing
into the escape road and came out like a de- was protested.
mon, smoke from the tyres, everything, just Prost 18, Lauda 12, Rosberg and Watson
in front of Piquet. 8, Reutemann and Alboreto 6.
Rosberg wondered if Lauda could stand When Rosberg got home he learnt that the
the pace. Lauda didnt wonder. He knew per- Renault and Ferrari protest over Rio had been
fectly well he could. upheld, so Piquet lost the win and Rosberg lost
Andretti, Daly and Piquet went out in dif- the six points for second place. With that went
ferent accidents. I think I wound up brushing the lead in the World Championship.
a wall, Andretti says. I threw it into a corner Yes, it really was that kind of season and
and I had no grip at all, zero grip. it was still only the beginning of April.
On lap 34 de Cesaris had fire and smoke Watson eyed it with a guarded optimism
coming from the back of his Alfa Romeo, and because Long Beach was the first time I got
crashed hard into Turn 5. I had a problem with
USA WEST round 3
A MAN
Piquet and him? Rosberg added that applying
new rules retrospectively was against natural
justice.
FOCA asked FISA to postpone Imola so with Bernie and Balestre so we were aware
that they could ingest the Tribunals ruling of what was going on on both sides. We were
and FISA refused. On the Wednesday before trying to do what little we could to get people
the Grand Prix, FOCA met in London and together.
decided to boycott it. Tyrrell, sympathetic to Witty provides the background. Alex had
the FOCA stance, felt obliged to break ranks always said we would go with the manufactur-
because he had an Italian sponsor and bills ers - the grandees as they were called - be-
to pay. The rest, whatever their misgivings cause I think he felt he could achieve more by
and internal divisions, held solid. John Wat- siding with Ferrari and Renault. He felt the
son sums it up neatly enough: There was a manufacturers were where he wanted to be.
real tussle for the control of Formula One. He The majority of the teams were Bernie boys.
sums up with equal neatness what most of the These included Arrows, who did not go
drivers must have thought: My concern was to Imola, as Jackie Oliver says. All the For-
do I get paid for not taking part in a race when mula One Constructors got together. The only
it wasnt my fault? Rosberg, ruminating on team that broke ranks was Tyrrell. He had
his Brazilian disqualification, says: You have Italian sponsors but I did, too, an Italian tile
to remember we got caught in the middle of a company, and they said Well, OK, but there
political issue and after that we had Imola so it will be sanctions against you if you break the
was that kind of a season. 1 was very sad we union. They dropped them in the end. Ken
didnt go to Imola because we had a quick car wiggled his way back in again and said Very
and we should have been racing. I watched the sorry.. had to do it, you know.
race on TV Ken Tyrrell was the only English Villeneuve would have no difficulty mak-
team who went [apart from Toleman]. He gave ing sure he was on the grid on time because
Ron [Dennis] and the others the impression he hed just bought a new Augusta helicopter, a
was part of the gang but at the end of the day very advanced I machine capable of 160 knots
Ken was looking after his own interests. He and 16,000 feet. He intended to fly it to all the
said Ive Candy as a sponsor, and of course European races.
he had Candy as a sponsor, but everyone who Team-mate Pironi had married girlfriend
didnt show up had problems like that. Catherine Bleynie two weeks before Imola,
Brian Henton would make his debut for Piccinini the best man. Villeneuve wasnt in-
Tyrrell because Slim Borgudd, a rent-a-driver, vited. Ferrari politics extended to the altar as
hadnt paid the rent for the first three races. well as, sometimes, the grave.
The field for Imola was reduced to 14 Balestre issued a public statement which
cars: the grandee teams - two Renaults, two began: Blackmail, threats and lies from some
Ferraris - plus two Alfa Romeos, two Tyrrells, car manufacturers will not prevent me from
two Tolemans, two Osellas and two ATSs. having reforms to save drivers lives.
We had been aligned with the FISA The masks have finally fallen. The pub-
teams all the way through, Alex Hawkridge lic at large can now see the true reasons and
says. Right back to the Concorde Agreement the instigators of the campaigns conducted for
we were part of the grand constructors group the past three months to destroy and eliminate
or whatever you like to call it. Our role had the President of the International Federation
been to act as a kind of middle-man because so that he may be replaced by a more accom-
we were an English team. We kept in touch modating man.
Consensus lay in a shallow grave and the five seconds faster. The turbos had become
grave-diggers were quite prepared to dig it power machines poised to swallow circuits.
much deeper. Warwick survived a moment in sec-
The mess, riven by contradictions, en- ond qualifying when the left front suspension
snared many. Ligier, for example, issued a broke at high speed.
press release claiming they were not going to A bizarre tyre situation ensnared the
the race for technical reasons even though ATS team. They were running on Avon tyres
their transporter was seen returning to France and Avon withdrew. On the Friday they used
the day before practice began.1 Cheever ar- tyres from Long Beach, which were too soft to
rived at the Novotel, Bologna, unaware Ligier be effective. The team boss, Gunther Schmid,
had withdrawn, and the teams motorhome cast round and on Saturday his two cars
people were at the circuit setting everything emerged with Avons (cross-plies) on the front
up for the weekend. They departed at midday and Pirellis (radials) on the back. Manfred
on the Thursday. Winkelhock - like Henton, built for Wakefield
The drivers might reasonably have com- Trinity rather than Imola - qualified his ATS
plained that the team owners berated them for on the second last row (with Henton), leav-
withdrawing their labour in South Africa (The ing the final row to young Palettis Osella and
one thing we never do is cancel the show!) and Salazar in the other ATS.
now they had withdrawn their own. Lauda did Schmid considered flying in wheels to
go to Imola to express his take Pirellis all round but eventually a search
opinions. The whole thing, he said, is... at the factory found Avons from Kyalami and
followed by a naughty word. Above all, this Rio. They were flown in by light plane.
is supposed to be a sport. A warm Sunday but cloudy. Warwicks
He quantified the position. There have Toleman expired on the warm-up lap and
been mistakes on both sides. First of all, FOCA Hentons transmission failed before hed com-
went much too far on this water bottle busi- pleted a lap: the 14 were 12 already.
ness. Second, the FIA Tribunal made a bad Everybody knew Imola was a thirsty
move in disqualifying Piquet and Rosberg, be- track, a guzzler. Forgheri told Villeneuve
cause disqualification always stirs things up. and Pironi to save whatever fuel they could
Third, I think FOCA made a very big mistake and both Ferraris were now topped up on the
in not coming here. And fourth, I fear that the grid.
biggest mistakes of all will be made at Casa- At the green light Arnoux led from Prost
blanca next week - where FISA were due to and they maintained that to Acque Minerale,
meet to decide the future. when Villeneuve went by and Pironi soon
The Italians didnt appear to care about after. They crossed the line to complete the
the politics provided the Ferraris raced and, opening lap in that order, Alboreto fifth, but
as a consequence, the attendance was greater Arnoux had constructed a significant lead.
than the year before despite the fact that Ar- The Ferraris ate into that while de Ce-
noux and Prost in the Renaults filled the front saris (fuel pump) and Prost (engine problem)
row. Arnouxs pole time (1m 29.7s) was stun- dropped out. That was on lap 7. Giacomelli
ningly faster than Villeneuves of the year be- went on lap 24 (engine) so that only eight cars
fore (1m 34.5s). Starkly put, Villeneuves 1m circulated.
30.7s now for third fastest was itself almost
SAN MARINO round 4
What might have been a procession Pironi did not respond to the pit board
across an empty afternoon transformed into and did a 1m 36.4s. Villeneuve made a mis-
a duel between Pironi and Villeneuve, and take and put two wheels off, dug a dust storm.
lively, combative fare it was: wheel-to-wheel. Pironi led.
They could not match Arnouxs straight-line Villeneuve thought: no problem, hell
pace in the Renault, although eventually Vil- lead for a couple of laps, hand it back to me.
leneuve pulled away and latched on to the rear Pironi forced the pace and made Ville-
of the Renault preparing to attack. On lap 27 neuve respond.
he dived past and now Pironi prepared to at- Villeneuve thought: its worrying hes
tack, but three laps later, approaching Tosa, going so fast, but I have to run at that pace,
Arnoux used the Renaults pace to regain the you cant obey a SLOW sign if your team-
lead while Pironi attacked Villeneuve. The mate hasnt.
three I cars duelled until Arnoux pulled clear, What was this pace doing to the fuel con-
leaving the Ferraris to fight amongst them- sumption?
selves. They caught Arnoux again because
Salazar, a lap down, slowed him, Villeneuve Pironi
Villeneuve, third, overtook Pironi and Lap 47 1:35.5 1:35.8
moved on Arnoux. Wisps of smoke came Lap 48 1:35.3 1:35.4
from the Renault and Villeneuve went by. Into
the sweeping Tamburello left Arnouxs turbo In his innocence Villeneuve imagined
caught fire. Pironi ducked across the track and that, with only seven cars circulating - and
went by. some in lonely splendour - Pironi had decided
And then there were two... to put on a show for the crowd. Theyd duel,
Ferrari did what they had traditionally the crowd would love it but Pironi would pull
done for generations and signalled from the over and let Villeneuve into the lead, obey-
pits SLOW because the race now belonged to ing the tradition. It never crossed Villeneuves
them. It was a question of getting both cars thinking that Pironi would do anything else.
safely home, and that would be done in their On lap 49 Villeneuve retook him - in-
race order at the moment Arnoux dropped out, side - and that seemed to be the moment tradi-
another Ferrari tradition. Villeneuve would tion reasserted itself. Villeneuve thought: OK,
have the win: If it had been the other way slow the pace again, whats it going to look
round, tough luck for me.2 like if we both run out of fuel on the last lap?
Villeneuve would cite several examples He eased back in this sequence:
of this, notably when, with the Championship
at stake, he dutifully followed Jody Scheck- Lap 50 1:37.3
ter in the other Ferrari during the 1979 Italian Lap 51 1:37.3
Grand Prix and Scheckter became Champion. Lap 52 1:38.1
Arnoux went out on lap 44. Villeneuve On lap 53 Pironi went past into Tam-
covered that lap in 1m 36.8s, the next in 1m burello and immediately forced the pace UP
36.5s, and after the pit board 1m 38.1. again, spawning (among the curious and the
Villeneuve thought: relax, slow, make cynical a question: can this really be play-act-
sure the fuel lasts. ing or is something else going on? Villeneuve
thought: bloody stupid. Pironi increased the Running hard towards Tosa, Pironi jinked
pace in this sequence: inside and cut past, wheels almost locked.
He had been lifting his foot on the lap
Lap 53 1:35.4 before, Pironi said, and I stayed behind him,
Lap 54 1:35.5 but if you lift your foot going fast like that it
Lap 56 1:35.3 causes a high backpressure in the engine and
Lap 57 1:35.2 you can damage a piston. I was afraid of that
Lap 58 1:35.9 and Gilles was going so slow I thought that
might have happened to him so I overtook.
Two laps remained and they almost col- Villeneuve thought: he let me take him
lided in a left-hander. They crossed the line on lap 59 there so he could do the same to me
in tandem and into Tosa. Villeneuve, getting this lap later. It was the last place before the
a tow, thought: hes lifted a little. Villeneuve finishing line where you could overtake and
went through on the inside and slowed the Pironi must have calculated that well in ad-
pace again, into the 1m 37s, and thought: OK, vance. Villeneuve, enraged (he came at me
Pironis left it late to obey the pit signal but that like a bullet... after that I had no chance to get
doesnt really matter because hes done it. by) followed Pironi, who won by 0.3 seconds.
John Watson, watching on television at It might as well have been three minutes or
home, saw a great race, a very amusing race, eternity.
but how much of it was racing and how much Pironi removed his helmet on the slowing
an act we couldnt tell. We simply didnt know down lap and played the crowd by gestures.
whether it was done as a show as opposed to Villeneuve wouldnt go near the truck for
motor racing and it was only towards the end the celebration lap with Pironi and Alboreto,
it became obvious that it wasnt. third. He went to the rostrum and while Pironi
They completed the 59th lap, one remain- sprayed champagne on the adoring mass be-
ing. By the posture of the Ferrari Number low looked sombre, withdrawn, isolated. Per-
28, by its positioning, discerning eyes could haps he was trying to keep control of himself.
read another scenario. Pironi was preparing He strode to the Augusta immediately after-
to strike again. Villeneuve still thought: save wards and flew home to Monte Carlo.
fuel, save fuel, and changed gear a thousand He never spoke to Didier Pironi again.
revs early to do just that. He had no concep- All unnoticed, Jarier came fourth a lap
tion that Pironi would strike at him. On the down. By my last lap nuts and bolts had come
drag to Tamburello, Pironi drew up and out loose on the Osella. The car was just like a ...
of Tamburello he tracked Villeneuve tightly. snake.
Villeneuve suddenly saw this but at no stage Prost 18, Lauda 12, Alboreto and Pironi
did he mount a defence by blocking because, 10, Watson and Rosberg 8.
as it seems, even now he could not bring him- Villeneuve was further enraged when
self to accept that a team-mate he had worked Pironi claimed there had been no team orders,
with for a year and a half would do something and Piccinini said the same. Enzo Ferrari took
so dishonourable - and blocking would have the highly unusual step of making a public an-
been Villeneuve indicating Didier, I dont trust nouncement that the pit signals were shown
you. to Pironi for the last 15 laps, Pironi did not
interpret them correctly and he felt sympathy
SAN MARINO round 4
DARKEST
speed quickly dropping to almost nothing
before he kicked the nose over into a perfect
chandelle [candle] announcing his arrival to
all below.1
conversation. It came down to the two Der- intend talking about the situation, hed do his
eks, myself and Warwick. I was not directly talking on the track.
involved in the negotiations because Guy han- Zolder brooded again, the weather dull
dled that but I got a phone call from Frank. and overcast. In first qualifying Arnoux went
Iwas at home, just up the road from Silver- fastest from Prost, Piquet third and Alboreto
stone. I remember his words: I think I am go- in the Tyrrell fourth, then Villeneuve - Pironi
ing to give you this drive. Can you come down 15th. Villeneuve said the car was undriveable
for a seat fitting? That was it. It came out of on Goodyear A compound tyres but better
the blue. on the softer Bs. He added that at one point
Frank wanted to deal with the money - in left-right curves over the hill the steer-
himself and Theodore had me under contract. ing seemed to lock solid for an instant and he
They insisted that Frank bought out the con- couldnt go through the section flat out.
tract and it was 75,000. Of course I didnt Towards the end of the afternoon he gave
care what it took. Frank agreed to pay them an interview to some Belgian journalists. The
and the first 75,000 Id make at Williams actual cars, he said, are now absolutely in-
was going to go straight there. I want to say sane. The slightest unevenness in the track
my deal was a hundred grand, so I was go- surface to the point where it affects the sus-
ing to make 25,000 net-which I didnt care pensions clearance causes terrible vibrations
about. The money meant nothing to me at all. for the driver - so bad that vision is affected
If you are being offered a drive with Williams and it causes terrible pain in the head and
the only decision is to go for it and forget the neck. Because of a tracks unevenness the car
money. bounds from left to right without you touch-
I never got close to Keke although we ing the steering wheel. In these conditions you
are very friendly to this day. I never con- cant take the kerb coming out of the corner.
nected with Keke. His lifestyle was different The cars are too fast for the drivers. The
to mine. There was a lot about his lifestyle ideal formula for me would be cars with very
that I admired but couldnt do. He was out at large tyres, like they were a few years ago,
night, drinkin, smokin -I didnt do stuff like and a very powerful engine because, now, the
that. [Actually Rosberg wasnt doing much Formula 1 cars are underpowered. Contrary
stuff like that either, as he says in this book, to what a lot of people think, the actual per-
although he may have been giving the impres- formance has nothing to do with the power of
sion he was.] There was no doubt he had bril- the engine.
liant raw speed, didnt understand what the Above all, the chassis must be flat under
car was doing but had that speed. And balls. the driver and the ground effect will be com-
Oh, yes. One of the bravest guys Id ever seen. pletely removed and the speeds in the corners
Id known that from Formula 2. considerably diminished. I am thinking of
On the Friday the tension within the Fer- the public when I say that. Now the cars turn
rari pit was so pronounced that bystanders no- like they are on rails and if I was a spectator
ticed it, a strange, silent waltz with Villeneuve I wouldnt come to see the Grands Prix. They
staying away from Pironi and Pironi staying have nothing truly spectacular.
away from Villeneuve. They would not even He spoke of the Augusta.
look at each other. Villeneuve said he didnt Of course, I often move around piloting
myself but what I prefer above all is to pilot
with a visibility virtually zero, at 150 me- - Saturday already -pleasure was really to be
tres for example - thats a kind of sport! To found somewhere else, at the seaside.
be World Formula 1 Champion once doesnt Families did come to Zolder, however,
represent anything special to me, I want to be wearing hats or T-shirts or anoraks with a
Champion three times or not at all. That said thousand and one logos on them. They were
I am quite keen on other branches of motor a bit like the Formula 1 cars. Little folding
sport, like rallying, Formula Indy, the stock chairs under their arms and freezer bags heav-
cars or even Formula Atlantic again to be able ily loaded, people melted in the undergrowth
to win in my own country. If someone made beneath the pines and the silver birches or onto
me an offer Id drive at Le Mans but in any the brownish yellow sand covered in flowers.
case I cant do anything without the agreement The shriek of the engines has something inhu-
of the Commendatore [Enzo Ferrari] and I am man and tragic in them, in contrast to the com-
almost certain he would refuse. mercial area of stalls from which the smell of
He discussed Zolder. French fries and hot sausages constantly floats.
The corners in the woods are very fast. People have come a long way to see the racing
In the second right in the woods, which we and what inevitably accompanies it.
take in fifth, if I have a problem and at that Italian, British, French, German, Amer-
instant I have to swerve or I have to lift off ican and Japanese photographers gather, talk-
its a guaranteed spin [he made the sign of the ing loudly as if they were in a conquered
cross] - and then mother would come looking country, sure of themselves as if the national
for her little lad... colours on their backs gave them more right
That said, I do the maximum to take the to look at their drivers than other people had.
minimum risks. However, in a season I know Telephoto lenses on their shoulder straps, they
I can go off two or three times. Thats part shoot carefully at anything that moves down
of what I do. I like Zolder because it retains the straight but ignore what is happening in
corners of 90 degrees when the driver can still the grandstands in front of them.
do something. In the long curves there is noth- The sound of a whistle rends the air. Ar-
ing to do, it happens by itself, the car does ev- noux is coming back to his pit. At 12.18 the
erything. Its for that reason that I like circuits session ends, like a blanket of silence rede-
such as Monaco, Las Vegas or Long Beach, scending on the circuit which trembled a mo-
circuits which bring feelings to a driver. ment ago with the announcement that Eddie
That evening Villeneuve dined in his Cheever had gone off.
hotel near Zolder with a Belgian friend. Pre- When the second qualifying began, at
occupied with the whole Ferrari business, he 1.00, many front-runners made early runs -
seemed to be in the wrong mental mood for a Pironi out at 1.01, Arnoux and Villeneuve a
Grand Prix weekend. minute later, Prost at 1.04 and Lauda at 1.06,
Zolder brooded on the Saturday, the Villeneuve at 2.37. Rosberg and Alboreto re-
weather dull and overcast again for the morning mained in the pits. The front-runners felt their
untimed session. The newspaper La Libre Bel- way: Prost four laps and a 1:20.7, Arnoux
gique wrote: Spring had been announced, the (three circumspect laps and a 1:41.3, Lauda
transformation from winter welcomed, a close five laps and a 1:16.4, Pironi three laps and a
Championship promised, a race of passion at 1:17.1. Only Villeneuve made a concerted at-
the circuit among the pine trees anticipated but tempt at this stage, essentially alternating fast
BELGIUM round 5
bursts and slow laps. He was on his first set of rest of the drivers -Arnoux and Prost into the
new tyres. 1:15s, Rosberg joining them there, Alboreto
joining Lauda in the 1:16s - were irrelevant.
1:31.1. Pironi returned to the pits.
1:32.2. Villeneuve knew his second set of qual-
1:17.7. ifying tyre might have one lap left in them,
1:17.9. which increased the pressure because on it he
1:46.6. would be able to afford neither mistake nor
1:19.2. lifting off if, or rather when, slower cars got
1:18.9. in the way.
1:48.8. Forghieri and Villeneuve spoke. The
team were of course fully aware that after a
During this run, Rosberg emerged for fast lap the tyre degradation was, as Forghieri
five laps and a 1:16.0. Villeneuve returned to says, about 20 per cent. If you consider the
the pits at 16 minutes past one and Pironi went tiny margins by which everyone in Formula
out, did a 1:16.8. One prospers or fails, 20 per cent represents a
With a potential 30 cars or any permu- chasm. In spite of this, and behaving typically
tation of 30 cars circulating at any moment - or compelled by the taunt and torment, Vil-
some on installation laps, some on flying laps, leneuve asked to try the third time. Forghieri
some getting their breath back, some touring said he should do the warm-up lap, the flying
for the pits - a clear lap became, as Villeneuve lap and then back off and come round to the
said, something you had to create. The pres- pits to avoid unnecessary effort. Not even
sure within Ferrari, and the pressure within Villeneuve could wring yet another competi-
Villeneuve himself, shifted the instant Pironis tive flying lap out of the tyres. No, Forghieri
time came up. would signal him in after the single flying lap.
Lauda did a 1:16.0. Villeneuve agreed.
Villeneuve put on his second set of tyres Nigel Roebuck spent the qualifying ses-
and made a run at 26 minutes past one. It sion in the Ferrari pit as you could do in those
would have to be brief if he wanted to try and days. He remembers Villeneuve sitting per-
conserve these tyres for a third run before the fectly calmly in the Ferrari waiting. The me-
session ended. Immediately he did a 1:16.6, chanics poured water over the tyres from a
backed off, and Pironi responded by coming watering can to keep them cool. If the situa-
out while Villeneuve headed for the pits. Pironi tion was getting to him it didnt show. He was
worked through a 1:22.5 to 1:16.5. That tenth usually calm at those moments when he sat. I
shifted the pressure back onto Villeneuve and crouched, as you have to do with someone in
it may be the tenth grew into something ap- the cockpit, and wished him good luck. I re-
proaching a taunt and a torment in his mind. member someone saying Expletive traffic.
As a proud man, as a betrayed man, as a man Villeneuve had sat for 21 minutes. Now
with a great truth to proclaim, as a man who he brought the Ferrari out a last time. He
spent his youth and adulthood living entirely flowed down the pit lane, the modern pit com-
by the currency of speed, he had to be quicker plex sheer as a cliff-face to his right. The Fer-
than Pironi. Many powerful currents must rari ran smoothly over the pit lane surface
have flowed through Villeneuve now, and the even though, here and there, it looked worn
into small patches. He went out and lined up ing his mirrors for anyone on their flying lap.
the big attack. It is what drivers did and what he now did not.
1:29.3. Instead he seems to have mounted a final as-
He launched the attack, did the lap - pre- sault on Zolder. Was that propelled by an an-
sumably the fastest lap of which he was capa- ger which wouldnt go away, an anger fuelled
ble - and as he approached the line the Ferrari by the suspicion that he hadnt beaten Pironi?
held up their board: IN. He crossed the line Was it that Villeneuve, perfectly calm, simply
and the timing devices froze at drove the Ferrari round at great speed because
1:17.0. that is how he drove racing cars, and that is
Without an on-board radio Villeneuve how he felt they were made to be driven, re-
could have guessed hed not beaten Pironi - gardless of circumstances?
drivers feel fractions of a second - but could Rene Arnoux gives what might be a
not know definitively until he was back in the clue. Gilles was a little bit the madman of the
pits and they showed him the timing sheets. steering wheel. That is to say, I believe that
John Watson explains that youd go out, he was trying to do a qualifying lap in spite
come around and start your first flying lap. of his worn tyres, in spite of a car which per-
Any information on the board at that time haps was not capable of doing the time, but
isnt relevant other than, say, giving you how that was Gilles - he exploited the car to the
many minutes to go to the end of the session. maximum in the present. It was always like
You complete your first flying lap and start the that. He didnt think of the future.
second flying lap, and it is only at the end of Mauro Forghieri says: He was coming in
that lap you find out what you did on the first but not so slow. For him, slow did not exist.
one. Watson says: That was Villeneuve. But
The question of whether Villeneuve was Imola had poisoned him to the point where his
able to gauge the exact time of his lap, and rationale, his judgement, his emotions were
therefore whether he had beaten Pironi or not, dictated by what had happened there.
is problematical. If youd had a good lap and a Villeneuve thrust the Ferrari into an op-
clear lap youd have been elated, Watson says. posite-lock power slide round the right-hand-
Youd have sensed that youd done a good ed loop called Sterrewacht Bocht, travelled
job but you wouldnt have known. In those urgently through the right called Bianchi,
days you didnt know other than the feeling ran down the mini-straight behind the pits
you get from driving the car - you know you and flicked the Ferrari through the little chi-
have picked up rpm on the exit of corners, cane - the Kleine Chicane. He was catching
youve been quicker in a corner, youve picked the March of Mass who proceeded much more
up speed in the straight. On the other hand, slowly, in fifth gear and trying to keep his tyres
if hed made a mistake or out-braked himself cool: simultaneously Mass was watching for a
or got caught up with another car hed have gap in the traffic - so he could move into it and
known that that had compromised his lap. create a fast lap - and looking in his mirrors to
Those things the driver would know instantly: see who might be coming up at speed.
youd lost the chance. The circuit ahead: a left-right kink and a
There is a measure of mystery about what lunge into the braking area for the hard right
happened next because Villeneuve, tyres done called Terlaemen Bocht.
and signalled in, ought to have toured watch-
BELGIUM round 5
Mass saw Villeneuve and thought: he It thrashed itself back onto the track, al-
will pass me on the left, on the outside. That most wiping away Masss March. He swerved
would enable Villeneuve to position the Fer- and missed it. Arnoux, on an in lap, says that
rari to take the racing line through Terlaemen unfortunately [was looking far ahead and I
Bocht. saw the car of Gilles land. I saw him come
Villeneuve must have assumed Mass, a down on the track and break his neck. Arnoux
careful and intelligent man, would have seen stopped and was the first to get to Villeneuve.
him. He guessed I Mass would go left to get I saw immediately that he was no longer with
out of his way, leaving him the inside line. us. Gilles was truly a friend - I liked him a lot.
Mass went through the kink placing his My reaction was to start crying. De Cesaris
March to the right, opening the outside to Vil- was on an in lap too: I saw a big accident.
leneuve who was coming through at between I didnt realise what really happened and al-
140 and 150 miles an hour. though I saw the engine in the middle of the
In an instant of sheer disbelief, Mass rea- track I didnt realise how bad it was. Of course
lised Villeneuve was on him. I thought it must have been big because of the
The Ferraris left front wheel struck engine. I didnt see Gilles. He continued to
Masss right I rear and the March became the pits because normally you cant stop on
a launching pad. The Ferrari flew, literally the track.
flew, through the air for more than a hundred But this was in no sense normal. Mass
yards. stopped and ran back to try and help.
Brian Henton arrived and the car was Watson was on the circuit - an in lap, I
flying through the air - the car was in half. It think. I came over the top of the hill and there
was just on a hill at the back. I was coming up were flags I going everywhere. As I came
behind it and all of a sudden this Ferrari took down the hill and the road goes to the left I
off almost like a plane and seemed to have could see there had been a pretty substantial
been snapped in half in the air. I can still see shunt. Im not sure where Jochens car was, Im
this red car going through the air and sort of not even sure if Jochen drove back to the pits.
breaking up. I realised that one of the cars involved was a
If it had landed on tarmac its impetus Ferrari because you could see bits of Ferrari
would have I flung it forward, dissipating its everywhere. Youd see bits of a car wrapped
frantic energy. It did not. It speared into sand. up in the catch fence and there was a body
That tore it apart, giving Villeneuve a deadly lying. I stopped my car, got out of it, walked
hammerblow. In strictest medical terms he over and there was no helmet on. I recognised
was clinically alive, in the real world he was it was Villeneuve, looked at his eyes and to me
dead. the eyes were dead. Thats what I did, looked
The impact was so savage that it wrenched down, no more than that. Theres nothing you
his helmet off his head, his socks and driving can do. Clinically he may have been alive but
shoes off his feet, and Villeneuve himself - in my view he was dead. He was brain dead.
still in his seat -was flung almost 50 yards in One report says Arnoux was vomiting
the air and then through two layers of catch and turned away.
fencing before his body came to rest. The car Arnoux physically sick? I had no such re-
made a series of wild convulsions, shedding actions, Watson says. As a driver you have to
bits. have a mechanism, a shield, to protect yourself
from allowing something which is very shock- Watkins was there in about two minutes,
ing - and obviously very tragic - to affect you the Mercedes first reaching the wreckage and
so I put the shield up. I got back in the car, then what remained of the Ferrari. Watkins
got it push-started, went back to the pits and knew immediately it had to be Villeneuve be-
said Villeneuves had an accident, hes dead. cause, of course, Pironi had ceded right of way
Then the word came back that technically he as Watkins emerged in the Mercedes. Watkins
wasnt, he was on a respirator - but you can remembered the first thing Villeneuve had
look into somebodys eyes and tell when the said to him years before: I hope I never need
lights are out. you.3
Villeneuves speed was probably undi- The medics arrived, the Prof got there
minished when he hit Jochens car. It wasnt and I saw the Prof work on him and he beat
the impact, it was the consequence of doing the hell out of him trying to revive him. He
the barrel roll and nose-to-tail rather than could see it was a desperate situation, War-
side-to-side which killed him. wick says.
Warwick stopped the car on the right- Pironi halted his Ferrari, clambered out
hand side, I ran back to the Ferrari because and came to the scene. Watkins looked up and
obviously I thought he was still in it. I remem- saw him, watched him turn and walk away.
ber pulling a bit of fibreglass away and there Warwick says that when I walked away
was nothing there. I looked around and I saw I started to get really upset. I got back into my
him huddled into the catch fencing. I ran over car, got the car going, I went back round and
there. Wattle had got there just before me and into my garage, ran into the back of the lorry
we pulled him out of the catch fencing. He and cried my eyes out. I sobbed and sobbed
didnt have his helmet on - it had come off. It and sobbed.
was one of those that clicked at the front and Witty remembers Derek came back, got
back. It wasnt broken but it had pulled off his out, came into the back of the truck - we didnt
head. I looked at him and I knew he was dead. have a motorhome - and was visibly moved.
He was blue. I thought: this guy aint going to It had really hit home. It was the first time he
make it. had seen something like that. I never talked to
Arnoux has no idea who else came, him about what he did at the scene.
Warwick, Watson or anybody else. Arnoux Daly was in the pits waiting to go out.
stayed. Patrick Head was plugged into my radio and
Roland Bruynseraede, Clerk of the Frank could obviously hear at the same time.
Course, stood at the exit of the pit lane with I heard Patrick say to Frank Hes out of the
a red flag to stop the session. He signalled to car. Patrick didnt know at the time how Vil-
Professor Watkins, sitting in a Mercedes sta- leneuve had got out of the car. I dont know
tion wagon with a young Belgian driver, to go how Patrick heard that - somehow the word
out. As the Mercedes moved it pulled in front came back. We were thinking: thats a good
of Pironi, preparing to make a final, late run. sign.
A surgeon on the medical staff was there Patrese was in the pits while changes
in 35 seconds. Someone attempted mouth-to- were being made to his Brabham so I didnt
mouth and heart massage. go past the place of the accident. He is still
Henton kept on going to the pits, came relieved about that.
in and said I think Villeneuves a goner.
BELGIUM round 5
Watkins judged Villeneuves condition order: grief, then the physical aspects of the
very, very bad. The marshals, holding blankets, crash, then the overall context. Theres a fourth
shielded him from the public gaze as he was which fits somewhere into this, depending on
lifted onto a stretcher and into an ambulance how fast the other three happen.
to be taken to the medical centre for stabilisa- The grief began immediately, even as
tion. Eleven minutes after the accident a mili- Ferrari hauled the metal shutter down on their
tary helicopter on standby at the circuit took pit and loaded the transporters for Maranello.
him, accompanied by Watkins, to a clinic at Gilles Villeneuve was the last of the innocents
Louvain, but there was nothing anybody could in that he was a man without guile or malice
do and in essence there hadnt been since 1.52, for whom only driving at the limit represented
the moment the Ferrari launched. In the crash the life process itself. In that sense an age of
his neck fractured fatally. innocence died at 1.52 pm on 8 May 1982.
It was an ambulance which took me back Perhaps he retained the wonderful, unsullied
to the pits, Arnoux says. When I got there I enthusiasms of a schoolboy into an age when
went to the Renault motorhome and I kept on nobody else could, and everybody left behind
crying. felt suddenly old: something of them had died
The crash involved one of my drivers, at 1.52, too. Many strong men cried, not only
Jochen Mass, Jackie Oliver says. Villeneuve Derek Warwick and Rene Arnoux, and are not
was a high risk taker and I think thats what ashamed of that.
made him a very appealing driver but some- Others, reflecting later, were more cir-
times the risks catch you out. As you can cumspect because there are degrees in push-
imagine Jochen felt responsible - he wasnt - ing your luck and Villeneuve had constructed
because he is the type of man he is. We didnt a career on habitually pushing it to the abso-
know the extent of the accident and when the lute limit. It meant that by the law of averages,
full impact of it came he felt even worse. We somewhere, sometime, he risked finding him-
did not discuss it. Nothing could be gained by self in a situation where, at this limit, he had
bringing the subject up. It was something he nowhere to go. Rosberg condensed his feelings
had to deal with himself Jarier was in the pits. into a single word: numb. He had no wish to
I saw Jochen Mass and he told me what had speak to anybody Forgheri said I have known
happened. He was very shocked, and it was many drivers but never anyone like Gilles. He
not his fault because he was in front. The one was truly something else. An enormous char-
behind has the responsibility for safety. If the acter, a professional 24 hours out of 24. We
person in front does a zigzag thats different often had collisions but his obstinacy made
but Jochen stayed on the side of the track. me respect him.
Someone rang Jody Scheckter in Mona- Quite what Enzo Ferrari felt is not at
co. He went immediately to the Villeneuves all clear, despite his protestations of paternal
home and Joann. She flew to Louvain. At the love. Brock Yates4 has suggested that Enzo
hospital she was told her husband was on a life had seen too many eager young men die at
support machine and had to make the decision the wheel of racing cars to let himself be se-
to switch it off. That wasnt necessary. He was duced by their charm. Yates further suggests
pronounced officially dead at 9.12 pm. that to his intimates Enzo showed a mini-
After any motor racing fatality three fac- mum of remorse and expressed concern, in-
tors come into play and always in the same stead, about whether Pironi was good enough
to win the Championship. Roebuck, one of had his accident youre doing 250-260kmh
those who had been to the scene of the acci- [155-l60mph]. A few years ago, when skirts
dent and sensed immediately that he was in didnt exist, we were doing only 180 [110].
the presence of death, made his way I back Balestre, who was on the Tour of Corsica,
to the paddock. Inevitably, he wrote, a few telephoned and promised the FISA executive
zombies munched on their chips and talked committee would meet.
glibly I of his replacement in the Ferrari team. The fourth factor is in some ways the
It may have been genuine callousness or a most difficult of all: the world, altered to a
bluff macho act but whatever the explanation greater or lesser extent, goes on. In the whole
it was abhorrent to most human beings.5 An- history of Grand Prix racing there is no in-
other journalist, Jeff Hutchinson,6 wrote: No stance of a race being cancelled in the wake
sooner had the news of Gilles Villeneuves ac- of a fatality.8
cident spread round the Zolder paddock than As Alex Hawkridge says, the only point
the political factions started to make capital at issue there is do we go on or dont we? Ob-
of the tragedy. It was a distasteful method of viously if you are in racing you have sponsors
advancing ones arguments, albeit not unex- so the business has to go on. You dont have
pected given the struggles which continue to too much latitude, really. Derek was a pretty
rack the sport. resilient guy. That day really brought things
Lauda dissected the situation, insisting close to home: we are not immortal and he had
the physical aspects were the consequence of just seen that. He was affected by that but it
the overall context. The qualifying tyres with didnt affect him driving the car. In a sense my
their soft rubber made the drivers drive at the job was to let him work it out for himself. You
extreme limit cant put pressure on him.
for two or three laps only to get a good Warwick got back to the hotel with
time and, compounding that, there was a very Rhonda [his wife] and we didnt go out that
real difference in speeds between some of the night, we ate in the room because I was so up-
slower cars and the rest. set. Later on it was announced that hed died.
Pironi, speaking calmly - and as head of Warwick remembers the one thing that really
the Drivers Association - said we have been shocked Rhonda was the next morning I got
protesting since the start of the season. The up, had a shower, got ready for the track, and
cars have become too dangerous. The con- Rhonda said to me What are you doing? I
flicts of interest in Formula 1 are stronger than said Im going to the track. She said Youre
all the feelings about safety. We proclaim that not racing? I said Of course Im racing. She
it is necessary to get rid of the lateral skirts. could not understand how somebody whod
Gilless death is a dramatic consequence of seen what Id seen, tried to help and then had
ground effects. The cars are at the limit of that reaction afterwards could go racing as
their adherence and flat to the ground. And just another day. You have to have that because
they go faster and faster. At the least shock otherwise you cant do it.
they take off, transformed into an uncontrol- All the drivers had to cope with it, of
lable missile.7 course.
Since the introduction of ground effects A question to Rosberg: How do you get
and wings, the cars have made incredible prog- back in a car after something like Gilless ac-
ress in the corners. At the place where Gilles cident had happened?
BELGIUM round 5
off into the catch fencing and walked back to he was about to be beaten. I was pulling him
the pits. Watson had been getting pit signals in at two, three seconds a lap at that stage.
telling him how fast he was catching Rosberg Initially Rosberg vented his frustration
and into lap 62, as he passed the abandoned on Surer but, reflecting later, realised that
Williams, he assumed it must be Rosbergs. Surer had in fact done nothing wrong. He just
That, mused Watson, gives me the race. He happened to be there. The frustration was easy
backed off. Hed been rapping out 1m 20s and to understand, of course. Since 1978 Rosberg
now slowed to a 1:22.9, but the pit board said had driven 40 Grands Prix for five teams and
P2 - youre in second place. Next lap he did not won one. At Zolder hed been within some
a 1:21.5 and got the P2 again. He accelerated four miles of it.
and the statistics reveal Rosbergs plight. Frank Williams was not pleased with
Rosberg, a sentiment shared by others. They
Rosberg Watson felt hed made a mistake and he knew perfect-
Lap 64 1:22.8 1:20.9 ly well that he had -overdriving the car - but
Lap 65 1:23.5 1:20.8 could find consolation in a great truth: to win
Lap 66 1:22.5 1:21.8 the race he could have done nothing else. Wat-
Lap 67 1:21.0 1:20.2 son beat him by 7.2 seconds.
-Watsons fastest of the race At post-race scrutineering Laudas
Lap 68 1:22.0 1:20.7 McLaren, which finished third, was found to
be 31b underweight and disqualification fol-
Into the second-last lap they reached lowed. It didnt seem much then, but it would.
the hairpin. Marc Surer (Fittipaldi), three Jarier flew home on the Sunday night in
laps down, was going through and Rosberg the Jet Ranger. I saw Gilless helicopter be-
thought: I have to get him and have him be- cause mine was next to his. When I left it was
tween Watson and me up to the chicane. That still there where he had left it.
would buy Rosberg a precious moment or Prost 18, Watson 17, Rosberg 14, Lauda
two and if he could hold the lead into the fi- 12, Alboreto and Pironi 10.
nal lap hed back himself to keep Watson at So Watson was now within the one point
bay. Rosberg tried to late-break Surer but he of Prost but you dont think of Champion-
locked the rear wheels: the tyres were too far ships at that stage, youre trying to accumulate
gone to respond. The Williams slid wide and points, Watson says. When you get a lot of
Watson thrust the McLaren through, the race different teams and drivers winning races it
decided. dissipates the points so much. In the last ten
Keke had pretty much worn his rear tyre years we have become accustomed to having
down virtually to nothing, he had no grip and a driver win the Championship with 100-plus
I sailed past him, Watson says. Gangbusters! points. That wasnt the case in 1982, and due to
The thing about Keke was, he was very, very the unreliability of the turbos there were two
honest and fair as a racing driver, no dirty teams -McLaren and Williams - who could
tricks, no nasty moving or anything like that. I compete, and latterly the Tyrrell. Dissipation?
always found Keke very correct in a car - good Dont forget the BMW was a bloody quick en-
racer, but he also had this sense of knowing gine, plus you had Alfa Romeo, plus the two
when something was about to happen or when Tolemans - ten turbo-engined cars.
Like Jarier, many people remember leav- 6. Grand Prix International, 13 May 1982; 7. Pironi actually used
the word obus, meaning a military shell; 8. Specifically, Riccardo
ing the circuit and seeing Villeneuves helicop- Paletti would die at Montreal a month after Villeneuve. The
ter where hed left it. Rosberg hadnt been on Canadian Grand Prix was restarted. Elio de Angelis died in testing
at the Paul Ricard circuit in 1986 but the Belgian Grand Prix went
the track when Villeneuve crashed. My rec- a wad quite normally a few days later, although many drivers were
ollection of that is entirely overshadowed by still visibly upset. The death of Roland Ratzenberger during quali-
fying for the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994 did not affect the race,
Monday morning when I left the hotel in my and the race itself was restarted after the death of Ayrton Senna.
car and passed the track, where rubbish was
flying around. It was a dead place and Gilless
helicopter was still there.
A young Brazilian had been taking part
in a Formula 2000 race, supporting the Grand
Prix, and he and his team manager, Dennis
Rushen, passed the helicopter. The young
mans name was Ayrton Senna, and when,
years later, people said he took risks because
he had no personal experience of a fatality at a
race meeting they were quite wrong.
Here it was.
Footnote: 1. Grand Prix International,
May 1982; 2. Guy Edwards, former racing
driver, later known as an expert on motor rac-
ing sponsorship; 3. Life At The Limit, Profes-
sor Sid Watkins, Macmillan, London, 1996;
4. Enzo Ferrari: The Man and the Machine,
Brock Yates, Bantam, London, 1992; 5. Au-
tosport, 13 May 1982; 6. Grand Prix Interna-
tional, 13 May 1982; 7. Pironi actually used the
word obus, meaning a military shell; 8. Spe-
cifically, Riccardo Paletti would die at Mon-
treal a month after Villeneuve. The Canadian
Grand Prix was restarted. Elio de Angelis died
in testing at the Paul Ricard circuit in 1986 but
the Belgian Grand Prix went ahead quite nor-
mally a few days later, although many drivers
were still visibly upset. The death of Roland
Ratzenberger during qualifying for the San
Marino Grand Prix in 1994 did not affect the
race, and the race itself was restarted after the
death of Ayrton Senna.
LEADING
sure why but maybe it was because I came from
karting and technically that is similar to street
circuits. Of course there was always a great
QUESTION
atmosphere at the Grand Prix, born of tradi-
tion, and the night after I won was fantastic. A
really big party with the Prince and Princess
- not all the Grands Prix have this kind of at-
mosphere! Normally its just the airport and
MONACO, MONTE CARLO home. You can call it a kart track with houses
but it had some real corners, not only stop-
1982 would be set at an average of 143kph In first qualifying Arnoux went out af-
(89mph). Ponder that. Grids comprised 26 ter 13 minutes and worked down, 1:51 then
cars except here (20) because the track wasnt 1:40 then two laps in the 1:25s. He backed
big enough. The Press Room was in a musty off, gathered himself-1:37 - and launched the
theatre, complete with scenery, until its later Renault at the circuit. It had a turbo tailored
move to a floor of a multi-storey car park. to this track, more flexible and with reduced
Some of the marshals had been taught in the lag. Physically it demanded strength as well as
Third Reich. Even the waiters in the Hotel de judgement and, as Arnoux punched it round,
Paris looked rich and in physical terms they it kept punching him - especially blows to the
were, because the Grand Prix cars went past head. He used whatever width the track of-
just there, smack in front of them. Residents fered, the Renault at all manner of angles and
paid a fortune for that. sometimes virtually sideways.
In fact everybody looked rich except you 1:24.543.
and the Formula One photographers, always Only two other drivers - de Cesaris and
dressed as if they had just come back from Patrese - reached the 1:24s by the end of the
Vietnam. session, Rosberg fourth, Prost sixth, and Wat-
Because 31 drivers entered and only 26 son 12th. (Like Mass, in the spare because of
were allowed into the qualifying sessions - an engine problem.)
again the track not being big enough for more Arnoux said that, given a clear lap, he
- a pre-qualifying session was held from 8.00 thought he could go a second faster on the
on Thursday morning. The 23 drivers whose Saturday.
teams scored points in 1981 were exempt, Patrese spiced that Saturday by doing a
leaving the remaining eight to contest three 1:23 in the morning untimed session, Mansell
places. Livening this up further, the organis- next and Alboreto after that. Patrese had a Co-
ers sent out the municipal watering-truck to sworth engine, team-mate Piquet the BMW
cleanse the track, which it did by making it the turbo. Mansells Lotus had a Cosworth, Al-
equivalent of wet for half the session. (Some boretos Tyrrell had a Cosworth. What might
drivers used wet tyres until it dried.) This was that portend?
taut and edgy, and it built and built to the fi- Patrese struck early. Out after only three
nal few moments, when Jariers Osella went minutes he worked down to a 1:25, backed
fastest from Mass in the spare March (the race off, did a high 1:23 and next lap hammered in
car had an engine problem) and Warwick in 1:23.791, provisional pole. Giacomelli was bub-
the Toleman. He went 55/100ths of one sec- bling, too. Out after nine minutes he worked
ond quicker than team-mate Fabi, who now down to a 1:35 and pitted, emerged four min-
became a spectator along with Paletti (Osella), utes later and in three laps did 1:23.939. Theyd
Boesel (March), Serra (Fittipaldi) and de Vil- put up a roadblock in front of Arnoux, who
lota (March). played a long, waiting game. With ten min-
Recriminations? The Toleman team, utes of the session left he took it on. Someone
torn between delight for Warwick and regret has described his lap as violent but, of more
for Fabi, claimed that the March which was importance, the track was clear and Arnoux
weighed after the session was not the one feasted on that.
which Mass had used to set his time... 1:23.281.
Prost came fourth, Pironi fifth, Ros- Princess Rainer, who would already be there.
berg-blocked by slower cars who, hed swear, The driver then got out and stood on the po-
werent looking in their mirrors - sixth. It was dium. The other cars would turn into the pits
a familiar complaint, eternally made down the at the end of their slowing down laps.
years but no less frustrating for that. Arnoux did lead Giacomelli through Ste
In one of the practice sessions Daly ar- Devote, Patrese third, but Daly already had
rived in the pits with the engine blown up and problems. Mansell got ahead of me on the
I was fastest on the timesheets. Instead of al- run to the first corner and Id have to follow
lowing me to get into the spare car that was him for most of the rest of the race. He was
available and ready to go it was kept for only blocking me, I couldnt get by. I could see his
Keke. They had to go back and get a fourth car eyeballs in his mirror looking at me. That al-
which they rolled up, and I was never comfort- lowed the rest to pull away across the opening
able in that car. I could not go as fast on quali- lap Arnoux squeezed and forced a substantial
fying tyres as I could on race tyres and it was lead:
a bit of a struggle. Even so I qualified eighth-
not bad. Arnoux 1:34.230
Watson struggled to tenth. Giacomelli 1:36.752
The weather on Sunday shifted from Patrese 1:39.009
azure to cloudy and Rosberg captured all the
physical aspects when he remembered that, in On lap 2 Prost went past Patrese and next
the untimed session, his head bounced around lap Giacomellis gearbox began to fail, giving:
like a ball on the bumpy section by the swim- Arnoux,
ming pool - and the race would be over 76 Prost, Patrese ... Rosberg eighth, Watson
laps, a total of 156 miles. eleventh. The leaderboard remained static un-
You can have tactics at Monaco and these til lap 15, when Arnoux spun at the swimming
invariably involve patience: the received wis- pool. The Renault slewed, smoke churning
dom on this May day revolved around an as- from the wheels, and came to rest facing the
sumption that if Arnoux led the others would right way but stalled. Arnoux could not restart
form a traditional crocodile behind him and the engine and, anyway, a skirt on the Renault
circle until the Renault broke down, by which had been damaged, disturbing the handling.
time Prosts Renault would probably have bro- It opened the race to Prost, with Patrese and
ken down too and the rest of them could get Pironi held prisoner behind him. That endured
on with it. from lap 15.
Roebuck noticed a banner Gilles sei sem- Further back Rosberg hunted down Al-
pre con toi (Gilles we are always with you) boreto and went by, Alboreto on his best be-
and when Pironi saw it he crossed himself. haviour. Rosberg hunted down de Cesaris
In the drivers briefing the etiquette for and brandished the Williams at him a time or
the finish was explained. Whichever driver two but de Cesaris wasnt having any of that.
won would do his slowing down lap in the Watson circled further back and would get no
usual way but, instead of turning into the pits, higher than ninth.
would continue to the start-finish straight and Lap 20: Prost, Patrese, Pironi, de Cesaris,
halt at the podium, opposite the pits. The driv- Alboreto, Rosberg, Mansell, Daly, Watson,
er was presenting the car to the Prince and Lauda.
MONACO round 6
On lap 23 Salazar retired when his fire the pullrod on the front suspension and I just
extinguisher went off and on lap 29 Cheevers drove by him. I was actually driving over the
engine failed. Sixteen cars left. limit, the car dancing everywhere. I was fly-
Lap 30: Prost, Patrese, Pironi, de Cesaris, ing, I really felt I was flying.
Rosberg, Alboreto, Mansell, Watson, Daly, Lauda. Lap 70: Prost, Patrese. Pironi, de Cesaris,
On lap 31 Laffite retired with a handling Daly. Alboreto had gone with a front suspen-
problem, on lap 32 Winkelhocks differential sion failure. Nine cars left.
failed, and on lap 37 Watsons ignition failed. Lap 71: Prost, Patrese, Pironi, de Cesaris,
Thirteen cars left. Daly. The other four cars were a lap down.
Lap 40: Prost, Patrese, Pironi, de Cesaris, Next lap Daly, his visor coated in oil, lost
Rosberg, Alboreto, Mansell, Daly, Lauda - the control of the Williams at Tabac and it struck
other four runners a lap down. the Armco. Daly thought instantly: it is de-
Prost began to increase the pressure, stroyed. I am coming into the Tabac corner,
pulling further and further away from Patrese the car is oversteering and gets away from me.
while Pironi, who lost his nosecone lapping I have a lazy spin, the rear wing hits the Arm-
de Angelis, battled on in third. At the end of co. I straightened the car and away I go again.
lap 46 Mansell pitted for new tyres. That freed Never stopped. However, the Armco barrier
Daly and then I started a charge, absolutely broke off the rear wing with the gearbox oil
started a charge. Daly had been doing 1m cooler on it so I drive around but I now have
28s, 1m 29s behind Mansell, but now he went no rear wing. Charlie Crichton-Stuart is tell-
down to the 1m 27s. ing me GO! GO! GO! from the pit lane wall
Lap 50: Prost, Patrese, Pironi, de Cesaris, - four laps left. I drive around a full lap with
Rosberg, Alboreto, Daly. Everybody else ran a my gearbox dumping the gearbox oil out on
lap down. the racetrack.
On lap 51 Piquets gearbox failed and on Prost overtook him up the hill to Casino
lap 58 Laudas engine failed, leaving 11 cars. so Daly ran a lap down, Prost pulling deci-
On lap 59 Daly set his fastest time of the sively away. Prost completed lap 72 in 1m 30,
race, 1m 27s, although Prost was in the 1m 26s. Daly 1m 44.
Around lap 60, the order unchanged, Lap 73: Prost, Patrese, Pironi.
drizzle fell and moistened the surface. Pironi covered the lap in 1m 35, a figure
On lap 65 Rosberg, frustrated by the ro- which would become very important and very
bust de Cesaris reluctance to let anybody past, suggestive very soon.
hit a kerb and broke the Williamss suspension. One lap down, Daly, de Angelis, Mansell.
As hed reflect, he misjudged it by an inch and Four laps down, Henton.
a half and that destroyed his whole effort. His Six laps down, Surer.
hands were raw from grappling the Williams Lap 74: Prost, some seven seconds ahead
round. De Cesaris says cryptically Rosberg of Patrese, came up to lap Surer again, but ex-
couldnt pass me and eventually he went off. iting the chicane on the seafront the Renault
I was catching cars almost every lap, suddenly snapped out of control. Dalys oil?
Daly says. I caught Keke right before the It rammed the barrier, was pitched across into
chicane on the seafront and saw him hit the the other barrier, pitched back again and lay
kerb on the right side going through it. I still motionless. A wheel, torn off, bounded away
remember it in slow motion. I saw him break and debris lay everywhere. Any accident at
130mph is shockingly sudden but more so Because the Brabham had come to rest
when there is nowhere - absolutely nowhere - in a potentially dangerous position marshals
to go. As Prost clambered out, shaken, a clus- prepared to give it a push but waited for a gap
ter of marshals churned yellow flags. Danger. in the traffic.
That enabled Patrese to pick a way Pironi went past and into the lead, de
through and complete the lap in the lead. I Cesaris chasing him hard.
thought: now maybe it is my turn to win. I saw De Cesaris went past and into second
my mechanics cheering me from the pits when place. Seeing Patrese beached, de Cesaris
I went past them after the Prost accident. I was thought: hell have to have a push. I didnt
leading Pironi comfortably I had no need to think that was allowed. I thought he would
push hard ... I was not ready to take any risks be disqualified. De Cesaris didnt realise you
on the wet surface. could legally be pushed if your car was in a
The order: Patrese, Pironi, de Cesaris. dangerous position.
Pironi covered the lap in 1m 43, mark- Patrese, immobile and impotent, watched
edly slower than the previous lap. He was suf- them both go. That almost finished me.
fering, he thought, a misfire and assumed the Chance gone. Hed never won a race although
wet weather had seeped into the electrics. he had led Kyalami in 1978 before the engine
Daly ran on, ever slower. failed and Long Beach in 1981 before an oil
I wasnt worried about Daly because I was ful- filter failed. Now this. The marshals pushed
ly aware that he was a lap down, de Cesaris says. and he set off down the Station Hairpin back
Lap 75: Patrese lapped Surer down from into the race - the slope allowed him to bump-
Casino Square and the Italians in the crowd sa- start the engine - but with no remote idea of
luted him with raised fists as he moved safely the running order. Anyway, I got going. Hed
towards victory. On the descent to the Station continue to the finish and have time afterwards
Hairpin, he lurched under braking - the track to examine his sadness.
like ice slewed sideways, turned round and Pironi completed the lap in 1m 58 and
ran over the inner kerb backwards, stopping was clearly in trouble. He might have been ex-
there. I braked normally, maybe even a bit ercising prudence in the wet but his time was
early. The back end of the car suddenly went much slower than that.
away and I was going backwards. De Cesaris did 1m 42 - a gain of fully 16 secs.
It wasnt as if I came from nowhere. Id As Pironi crossed the line to begin the
qualified on the front row and spent most of last lap - 76 - he gesticulated to have the race
the race a couple of seconds behind Prost. stopped, even as the Ferrari pit held out a sig-
Then I spun on the oil - oil which I only found nal ONE MORE LAP. Pironi was running out
out about a couple of years ago when I read of fuel: that is what had been slowing him.
an interview with Derek Daly! Twenty years A Lotus unlapped itself.
later I understood what had happened! I never With Pironi limping, Monaco suddenly
thought it was a mistake but I always won- spread itself in front of de Cesaris. Pit signals
dered why I spun off when I was going so told him that Pironi had a problem so in ef-
slowly. The car just went away from me like it fect I was leading the race. I said to myself:
was suddenly on ice. maybe this time youre going to make it. [Like
Thats why Patrese spun and stalled, Daly Patrese, hed never won.] I was very good
says. He spun on my oil. So he spins and goes back- through the race and I was really quick. Then
wards and gets stuck. I pass him. Interesting... - and the car was unreliable - it went to 11 cyl-
MONACO round 6
inders. De Cesaris thought: Ill have to settle ing down lap a lot of people were cheering and
for third. That assumed Pironi would manage waving flags but that was normal for anyone
to finish, Patreses push was legal, and Patrese finishing in Monaco. He thought nothing of
could get back past him. that, either. In the tunnel he drew up next to
Monaco, de Cesaris says, had become the Ferrari and gave Pironi a lift back. Pironi
a lottery. had been jerking his thumb like a student
Monaco, Patrese says, was very strange. hitch-hiker waiting on the autostrada.
De Cesaris got to the top of the hill and Patrese reached the entrance to the pits
at Casino Square the engine died. I swore. I but marshals gesticulated no, no, keep on to
knew I couldnt win. The circuit is downhill the podium. He couldnt understand why, be-
from Casino to the tunnel and de Cesaris let cause at the drivers briefing, as he remem-
the Alfa freewheel. bered so well, theyd been told only the win-
Pironi nursed the Ferrari to the tunnel ner would be required to do that. Well, Patrese
where it slowed and came to a complete halt, concluded, they must have changed the rules
the last of its fuel drunk. to include cars in the first three positions.
De Cesaris came to a stop just at the He parked the Brabham beside the po-
beginning of the tunnel - in fact, just before dium and got out looking bemused. I asked
Pironis car. He I got out and sat on a wall somebody What happened? and they said
nearby. One report said he I was in tears but You won! I had so many doubts. After I
he denies that. I didnt cry. spun I saw so many cars going past...
Daly pressed on. Then I pass Pironi, whod As de Cesaris says, I didnt know whod won,
stopped in the tunnel, Daly says - and de Cesa- even on the podium nobody knew whod won.
ris stopped in the tunnel, too. Very interesting... Eventually Riccardo Patrese really be-
Patrese passed Pironi but in the tunnels lieved because, in a great moment, he bran-
darkness didnt recognise the Ferrari. He was dished the trophy and grinned like his head
beginning to think, however, there are a lot had just exploded. Pironi, classified second,
of cars stopped round this circuit. His lap 75, quickly turned his back - sensing, no doubt,
a nightmarish 3:04.2 while he waited for the the champagne shower coming his way. De
push, receded into memory Daly did not, of Cesaris, classified third, stood to one side
course, know that Patrese had restarted. Im looking withdrawn, uncomprehending, re-
coming down to the Rascasse hairpin to start signed to the final reality. Amid the delicious
my last lap leading the race and I hear the dif- uncertainty de Angelis made his way to the
ferential grind and grind and grind and grind podium, no doubt because, running at the end,
and eventually break. Daly clambered out and he deduced he must have been in the top three.
walked away. He still feels the decision not to He was actually fifth.
let me use the third car potentially cost me the Prost 18, Watson 17, Pironi 16, Rosberg
race win, I think. 14, Patrese 13, Lauda 12.
Patrese, driving prudently, completed Patrese would never win Monaco again, de
the race and took the chequered flag, thought Cesaris would drive 208 races and never win one,
nothing of that. All finishers get the chequered Pironi and Daly never drove Monaco again.
flag. He estimated that perhaps hed come as Apart from that it was all very proces-
high as second but who knew? Of course in sional, predictable and uninteresting - you
those days there was no radio so nobody could know, the way Monaco always is.
tell me anything. Hed remember on the slow-
6 JUNE----------------------- DRIVERS VIEW
Fundamentally it was an urban street track in
STREET
North America on the grid system - the typical
layout of a city there - so you were just going
from intersection to intersection. The quality
FIGHTING
of the roads was pretty poor in a number of
places, not so bad in others. It was the nature
of the tarmac itself to be very low grip, so
fundamentally we had low grip too. On street
circuits, because you get all the usual rubbish
-------------USA, DETROIT going down on it - every contaminant you can
think of-for decades, when you put a race car
bad things are. The last two numbers should big, big music. Just to come here is absolutely
be turning so fast you cant read them... magical. I didnt talk about the race track, I
Detroit was different, all right. You gave them the chance to say Well, heres a
wouldnt be sitting at a pavement cafe in the guy whos got something good to say.
Place de la Republique sipping a glass of The drivers found problems immediate-
Loire wine (a succulent Sancerre, perhaps) ly. Because it was a new circuit there ought
and watching the girls go by; youd be in the to have been an introductory session on the
plastic and formica Hungry Tiger - where fast Thursday so they could make its acquain-
food meant fast - sipping Coke (or was it Pep- tance. That was cancelled, the track unready.
si?) and watching the police cars go by, sirens Work went on and the drivers walked round
screaming into the fetid evening air. seeking out and analysing the points of maxi-
Downtown Detroit, built on the usual mum danger.
American grid pattern, was a series of cliff- An office worker, Debra Krzesowisk, was
face buildings rising, as it seemed when you quoted as saying: I wish theyd fix up some of
stood beneath them, all the way to the sky, but the other streets ... there are holes and I mean
many were from the 1920s and 1930s and cu- holes! Id like to see these Grand Prixers race
riously art deco. There was a feeling of decay, in those craters. If the whole thing brings in
or something approaching genuine poverty. At money to fix our streets, then its worth it. Ill
night the white middle class fled to the leafy just race around in my own Grand Prix until
suburbs spread out into Michigan, leaving the then.
middle and inner suburbs exclusively to Af- A clergyman, due to hold a wedding
rican-Americans, who had a way of flashing Mass, foresaw a problem with traffic getting
mean, mournful, distrusting eyes at you. They in and out for the church. We need some flag-
had their reasons, good reasons, but all in all it waving down there.
was a hell of a place to hold a Grand Prix. The untimed session on Friday ought to
John Watson remembers everybody have started at 10.00 but the track still wasnt
turned up at Detroit and thought it was a ready and no car went out until 3.55 in the
dump, partly because of the location and partly afternoon, the first qualifying session aban-
because of the circuit - you had this wonder- doned. When the drivers came back after their
ful Renaissance Center but inner city decay initial runs they complained about the man-
around it. The local media, typically Ameri- hole covers, the bumps, the walls, the narrow-
can, expected the influx of Grand Prix drivers ness of the track, the escape roads and the ab-
would be more polite in the way they would sence of sufficient protective tyre walls. Apart
give an opinion of Detroit, or whatever, and by from that they adored it...
and large most of the opinion was pretty blunt The great American public, nurtured on
and pretty rude. People dont like to be told 200mph ovals, knew nothing about Formula
their city is a dump. One and many showed no sign of wanting to
I was one of a number of drivers they know anything about it (but see the comments
spoke to and I said something which was very of local residents the Thompsons on page 127).
positive and it worked for me. I said Ive One man asked what speed these Formula One
dreamed of coming to Detroit for God knows cars were doing round the track and, when he
how long because of Tamla Motown, the Su- was told they averaged about 80mph, said My
premes, and so on. At that time Motown was car goes fastern thaat. It caught the mood: ir-
ritation that the middle of their city had been ing. There were marbles, although I couldnt
fenced off mingled with incomprehension as imagine these millionaire jet-setters playing
to why. anything as humble as that, even to pass the
Nor was that all. In a hotel four blocks time in the Renaissance Center. Some drivers
away, something called the Poetry Resource did banzai laps, whatever they were. Some
Center was sponsoring the Sixth Annual Mich- took corners balls to the wall and I didnt
igan Poetry Festival. They described it as the plan to investigate that. All of them tried to
Grand Prix of poetry and insisted the noise of keep it on the island. One car had evidently
the cars wasnt putting off any of the 300 at- come straight from the box.
tending. Elsewhere a convention of librarians, The nuances of the qualifying, beyond
3,000 strong, began. Werent they the total op- the complaints of the drivers, were lost on
posite of Grand Prix racing? One of the 3,000, me, never having seen it before, and, with
Emily Mobley, responded by insisting the race both sessions now on the Saturday after Fri-
added to the excitement and added: We just days cancellation, nobody else had seen it
hate to see a stereotyped image of librarians. in that form either. As a matter of tradition,
Were very outspoken and aggressive. whoever covered motor racing for the Daily
The cars were just down the road, maam, Express also filed to its sister the Sunday Ex-
if you fancied giving that aggression an outlet. press (which of course went to Press on the
The Grand Prix clearly formed part of a Saturday evening: hence staying up late at Le
rejuvenation plan for Detroit, just as the im- Mans). They habitually showed as much inter-
mense Renaissance Center - several tower est as the American public and were content
blocks side-by-side - did. The name told you with a single paragraph recording who had
everything. The central tower contained a ho- pole and where the Brits came. Even this was
tel and the drivers stayed there. Since the pits not always used. It meant that that Saturday
were just below it they took the elevator down at Detroit I had no incentive to discover the
there, and never saw Detroit except as some nuances and, once Canada was out of the way
monstrous backdrop from their bedroom win- a week later, wouldnt ever need to discover
dows. At one point Rosberg actually felt a them. I didnt even know if there were any.
prisoner of it all. Alain Prost was a good enough driver to
I stayed in a very basic self-catering apart- ignore his instinctive dislike of the track - all
ment far from this and was astonished to get you can see is bumps, corners and walls - and
back alive every evening. I dont think theyd take pole from de Cesaris, Rosberg and Pironi
ever seen a white man walking the streets at on the second row, but the McLarens were
night and it was the shock factor which pro- all over the place, Lauda on the fifth row and
tected me as I made my way towards the de- Watson on the ninth.
lights of the Hungry Tiger again. Prost bided his time in first qualifying,
In the Press Room the Formula One jour- not venturing out until the session was just
nalists spoke a patois entirely of their own. over five minutes old, and did one slow lap,
Youd hear talk of compounds, hear expres- looking around him. He pitted and re-emerged
sions like rock ape - which I took as an allu- ten minutes later for a five-lap run, reaching
sion to the hilarious Peter Ustinov spoof Grand 1:49.187. He pitted again and re-emerged 14
Prix of Gibraltar1 - quallies and welly and minutes later for a single lap, a 1:49.8. He made
wets. Perhaps they indulged in rain danc- his final run 24 minutes after that, a 1:57 fol-
USA round 7
lowed by 1:48.537 - provisional pole at an av- and not resumed for an hour, which drew a mis-
erage speed of 82.6 miles an hour. De Cesaris chievous barb from Lauda: If they stop it for
in the Alfa Romeo was the only other driver all the crashes round here Ill be able to have
into the 1:48s. a drink every ten minutes. Rosberg observed
Rain fell, making the second session wet. trenchantly A Grand Prix driver can only stand
That meant average speeds in the 60mph range so many starts in a one-day period.
and guaranteed Prost pole, although his right The positions at the end of lap 6 deter-
foot remained painful after the whack against mined the restart grid, and after the full 62
the Armco at Monaco. Without the rain, Prost laps the result would be decided on aggregate
judged he could have found another second. times. Prost had been leading Rosberg by
Gazing ahead to the race he felt overtaking three seconds, which seemed useful to carry
would be more problematical than Monaco forward. Watson was now on the seventh row.
and out-braking a car ahead was all but im- The main part of the race would be en-
possible in the ten right-hand corners. acted in two distinct dimensions: the fight
The 25 cars came to the grid on the for the lead and Watson fighting to get to the
shoreline straight in the shadow of the Re- leaders. Lap by lap the two dimensions would
naissance Center, accompanied by - inevita- come closer and closer.
bly - Motown music. They faced a left-handed We struggled all the way through prac-
horseshoe at the end of the straight and then tice and qualifying to find grip, Watson says.
the staccato sequence of mini-straights and In the intermission when the race was stopped
geometrical corners which worked their way Pierre Dupasquier of Michelin, who was one
back past the other side of the Renaissance of the smartest men Ive ever met within motor
Center. They joined the straight at the other racing - a very, very smart engineer - came to
end, the shoreline again to one side, although me and said John, youre on the 06 (or whatev-
reaching towards the start-finish line theyd er it was), the softest tyre. Please go and put on
have to negotiate a tight little right-left and a a set of 05s, one compound harder. Actually
sort of chicane. it wasnt so straightforward because in those
The race began on time at 2.20 on the days there were extremely subtle differences
Sunday afternoon, Prost strongly away and between grades, compounds and construc-
Rosberg trying to squeeze by. That didnt tion of tyres and Michelin operated with great
work and Rosberg slotted in behind de Cesa- secrecy anyway. Im not sure Pierre didnt
ris. Watson picked up a couple of places from even say You will win the race. I went to
the start and inherited another when Winkel- my mechanics and said Look, have you guys
hock crashed, making him 14th. De Cesaris got some of my 05s? They dragged some out,
pitted on lap 3 with a broken driveshaft, but strapped them on, the race recommenced, and
Watson didnt inherit another place because bit by bit I found myself able to pick up pace.
Mass got past him. Michelin would never have gone to Niki and
The leaderboard at lap 6, just over ten said the same thing to him because he always
minutes into the race: Prost, Rosberg, Pironi, ran the 06s whenever he could, so it would
Mansell, Giacomelli, Cheever. have been pointless...
Into lap 7 de Angelis and Guerrero Prost led again from Rosberg and Pironi.
crashed and Patrese became entangled too, his Watson ran a distant 13th to lap 16 when
Brabham briefly on fire. The race was stopped he surged past the Lotuses - de Angelis had
a gearbox problem, Mansell a handling prob- 10. Positive thought is actually as important
lem. A lap later he took Mass, two laps after as anything in any part of motor racing. Look
that he took Arnoux, who had a misfire. Wat- at overtaking. You can send out a message
son ran ninth. to a car youre wanting to overtake, and the
He describes the problems of finding a message is clear: I am coming through. I am
rhythm. From the exit of Turn 20 youd prob- not going to be put off by you, I AM coming
ably get about 140 miles an hour. It was a dif- through.
ficult corner, 180 degrees. You could never get
the car to enter the corner, never get bite, and
at McLaren we were chasing our tails to get FANS EYE VIEW
the car to do that. Because it was a lighter car, The excitement was palpable and everyone
it was very gentle on its tyres compared to Re- was so thrilled that Detroit was hosting a
nault. Turns 3 and 4 were geometrical, a hor- Grand Prix race for the very first time. The
rible little tight squiggle, 6, 7, 8 geometrical. city was buzzing with anticipation because we
Along the back straight you hit the maximum didnt know what to expect from the sophis-
speed into Turn 1 and that was 140, 150mph ticated European drivers, their glamorous
in an aspirated car, maybe 10mph more in a women, and of course the world press. Would
turbo. they like our old rust-belt working class
Prosts fuel metering unit slowed him and city?
Rosberg hustled the Williams through into the Ml weekend we were out on the downtown
lead on lap 23. streets soaking up the carnival-like atmo-
Next lap Watson dealt with Laffite, the sphere, drinking beer and eating food from
lap after that Daly, so that on lap 25 he ran the many street vendors. Seeing the cars
seventh. Prost, travelling ever more slowly, at the practice runs blew us away. How did
came back to him on lap 29, Watson moving the drivers manage to navigate such a crazy
past him and into the points. He dealt with Gi- route?
acomelli, who slid wide in a corner - but Gia- The city had promised that there would be
comelli retaliated and ran over Watsons rear spots where you could view the Sunday action
wheel. Giacomelli retired, Watson continued, for free so we didnt buy passes. We scrambled
now fifth. Ahead, in the order he would reach around fences and barriers and wound up
them: Lauda, Cheever, Pironi, Rosberg. holding onto some tree branches down by the
Watson produced an extraordinary lap. Detroit River, amazed by the roar and speed
Around a track on which, as you remember, of the beautiful Formula One cars racing
Prost judged overtaking more difficult than around our town.
Monaco, he was poised to strike. BARBARA AND CHUCK THOMPSON
I caught up to a run of three cars, Niki, DETROIT, USA
Cheever and Pironi. In the space of one lap
I passed Niki into Turn 1. He said I saw Niki never was someone who would fight
you coming and I made way for you to go you wheel to wheel right into the last millime-
through but the point is that Niki, again, was tre of track, Cheever I didnt know so much
acting archetypically. He had convinced him- about and he was probably less predictable,
self it couldnt be done so he wasnt doing it. I Pironi was certainly somebody who would
took Cheever into Turn 8 and Pironi into Turn possibly be unpredictable as well. Anyway, I
USA round 7
was coming through with such positiveness: While all this was going on, behind
bosh, bosh, bosh, job done. The power of posi- me my good old team-mate and friend Niki
tive thought is an exceptionally powerful tool suddenly went: oh, oh, you can pass - repro-
in all of life but its knowing how and when to gramme the computer chip in the brain. He got
apply it. past Cheever and Pironi and he had a better
It was my little tsunami, if you like. I chance of winning the race than me. He was
had a rhythm, I had a car which, suddenly, fewer seconds behind Keke than I was and he
was reborn with the tyres. Ironically if you could have finished second on the road but
were looking for rhythm you couldnt come won on aggregate. He tried to pass Keke, got
to a better city than Detroit, home of Tamla it wrong and shunted, which Keke found very
Motown. amusing. Whereas I was quiet, clean, positive,
As Rosberg went past the pits a Williams Niki was will I wont I? Keke shut the door,
board told him Watson now ran second and and that was it.
was only 12.9 seconds behind. Rosberg had a On lap 37 Cheever, who had been follow-
concise thought: damn! Then he asked him- ing Pironi since lap 26, made his move: I had
self a question: is this going to be Belgium all followed him for so long that at one point I
over again? Rosberg confessed that Watsons said: I have to get by him now or forget about
tyres seemed magical, and he - Rosberg - had it. I did it when I came out of the hairpin. I
a gearbox problem. He couldnt get third and took the wrong line but I kept my foot on it
fourth. and closed my eyes.
Then, Watson says, I started to reel in It worked.
Keke and I was picking up two to three sec- Watson pressed on, alone and untrou-
onds on average a lap. bled. Rosberg limped in fourth, wracked with
doubts about the Championship. As Napo-
Rosberg Watson leon said, when youre choosing a general you
Lap 33 1:54.5 1:52.2 ask Is he lucky? This mid-season Rosberg
Lap 34 1:55.2 1:51.3 wasnt lucky at all and mild-mannered John
Lap 35 1:53.8 1:51.4 Watson was showing himself hard enough to
Lap 36 1:55.9 1:51.2 take whatever anybody threw at him.
Eddie Cheever, in his fourth season, fin-
That was Watsons fastest lap of the race ished 15 seconds behind and had never been
and on the next lap I passed him into Turn 1. as high as second before. John was unbeat-
You got the momentum off Turn 20 and youd able today, he said. He would have been the
take a slingshot down the inside. Keke said af- winner under any circumstances. I had to take
terwards You know, you were catching me risks to get by drivers but I did it without any
by so many seconds a lap - Id just done my mistakes. I didnt take any crap from anybody
best lap and youd taken four seconds out of it. and I didnt give anybody any crap.
Theres no answer to that. So I took the lead Watson 26, Pironi 20, Prost 18, Rosberg
in the race on the road but I wasnt actually 17, Patrese 13, Lauda 12.
leading on time because it was the aggregate. I A tremendous race by any standards and,
had to pull out 15 seconds or something, which despite the five-hour time gap to London and
I was able to do fairly comfortably. the endlessly delayed restart, it was straight-
forward to cover. Well, Charlie Vincent of the
Detroit Free Press didnt find it like that. He relaxing in the Renaissance Center and make
wrote: No one seems quite sure how fast he their leisurely way up to Canada on the Tues-
went, or how far, or how many people watched day, perhaps driving through the tunnel under
him do it, and some even question whether he the Detroit River into charming Windsor on
did, indeed, win the first Detroit Grand Prix the far side and then, travelling north, take in
Sunday afternoon. But John Watson, a 36- the countryside.
year-old Irishman driving for Team McLaren, One of the organisers said the barriers
took the checkered flag and easily beat Amer- and fences which lined the course would take
ican-born Eddie Cheever to the finish on the about ten days to remove (although, amazing-
last lap of the time-shortened race. ly, they hadnt decided where to store them,
Clearly Mr Vincent hadnt seen it before, or the bleachers - outdoor uncovered bench
either. seats arranged in tiers - for the race the follow-
He quoted Watson as saying: The car ing year). Because Detroit was very much a
was bloody awful in practice. I wasnt partic- working town, getting it back to work was an
ularly hopeful, based on that. I found I could imperative, and dismantling the barriers had
pass people in a few places, and once I found begun shortly after the race ended.
that, it seemed to happen relatively easy. I As I walked to the Renaissance Center
didnt expect to be able to overtake people. I and saw the crews working on dismantling
didnt see places to do that in practice, but to- the barriers I was confident Watson would be
day I did. I really had to start racing all over there, and everybody else too.
again once I passed Rosberg. It was a bit of a They had all long gone, of course, fled
disappointment but I overcame it. faster than the white middle classes daily
Another Free Press writer, Curt Sylves- exodus to Detroits suburbs. Where they had
ter, wrote that after Cheevers exertions all gone I had no idea and nobody could tell
Cheever had in mind at 6:15 p.m. Sunday me. The girls on the hotel reception were as
were three things - a beer, a shower and a nap. helpful as they could be given that the whole
The beer was no problem. It was waiting for Grand Prix entourage had simply checked out
him at the interview table, right next to race and decamped.
winner John Watson. But the shower and the Forwarding address for any of them?
nap were being delayed by the throng of jour- No, sir!
nalists who closed in on him before the formal Here was an important insight. The Grand
Watson interview was completed. Sylvester Prix entourage, singly and collectively, were
pointed out that Cheever was the only Ameri- almost pathologically restless, which is why
can in the race and so what if he has lived the Rosberg regarded a day and a half waiting in
last 24 years in Italy? the Renaissance Center - an opulent place re-
Whenever a Briton wins, and youre plete with floors of shops and restaurants - as
working for a British newspaper, it is invari- the physical and mental equivalent of a prison
ably easy to report it. I still knew nothing sentence. I would come to know the controlled
about how Grand Prix racing functioned and stampede from any circuit once the race was
really did have no sense of its habits and habi- over, something so intense that, only two or
tats. The following day the Express wanted a three hours after the chequered flag, the pad-
full-scale interview with Watson. I imagined dock which had been teeming with transport-
that the teams would naturally spend Monday ers and equipment and lavish hospitality units
USA round 7
would be completely empty, just tarmac and 65,000 seats were unoccupied. Some people
litter blowing in the breeze. thought 45,000, the organisers and police
The future was always somewhere else, claimed 100,000.
and these people felt an irresistible compul- Yes, all very mysterious.
sion to head off towards it now. The idea of Perhaps Id find out more in Canada.
reminiscing about the race, savouring the Footnote: 1. Riverside Records produced
fresh-minted memories, having wild parties - records of interviews with racing drivers and a
all that had been discarded a generation ago, spoof of Monaco by Peter Ustinov, called The
lost in the rush to the future. Grand Prix Of Gibraltar. He made the engine
Id covered sport for a long time and nev- noises (he had a cold) and dealt mercilessly
er confronted anything like this. Who on earth with the (pseudonymed) drivers; 2.1 did find
were these people and what drove them - yes, out where hed gone, but only when I started
drove them - to behave in the way they did? researching this book. He went to New York.
Id reported a Grand Prix weekend and not Footnote: 1. Riverside Records produced records of interviews with
spoken a single word to any driver. Wherever racing drivers and a spoof of Monaco by Peter Ustinov, called The
Grand Prix Of Gibraltar. He made the engine noises (he had a cold)
you happened to be at the circuit they were and dealt mercilessly with the (pseudonymed) drivers; 2. I did find
somewhere else. It was all very mysterious, out where hed gone, but only when I started researching this book.
He went to New York.
like something very private being enacted in
public. * Scheduled for 70 laps but stopped after six because of an accident.
Restart scheduled for a further 64 laps but stopped at two hours,
Outside the work went on, and by the eve- with results being an aggregate of six and 56 laps. Lap leaders are
ning rush hour the main thoroughfares -Jef- given on the road.
ferson, Larned, Congress, Woodward and the
Chrysler Freeway - had normal traffic flowing
down them.
The Daily Express never did get their
interview with John Watson and I never did
find out where he went.2 I do remember one
thing, though. I had a very leisurely journey
up to Canada, taking in the scenery, and if the
Grand Prix people didnt care to be nostalgic
about the race, I didnt care to be about the
nightly visits to the Hungry Tiger either.
Perhaps, to the Grand Prix people - even
the ones who were rock apes - the whole
world had come to resemble Hungry Tigers.
There was actual proof, if any more were
needed, of the degree of mysteriousness. Wat-
sons winning speed, 78.2mph, was open to
question according to the Detroit Free Press
because varying officials couldnt decide
how long the track was. One party said 2.493
miles, the other 2.59. Nor did anybody seem
to know the attendance, although many of the
13 JUNE--------------------- - but as the drivers played a friendly football
match against the journalists2 on the Wednes-
DEATH ON
day at Montreal, Villeneuves death was only
just over four weeks past. The local papers ran
endless eulogies to him to the point where, as
someone remarked, the Grand Prix seemed
DRIVERS VIEW
---CANADA, MONTREAL I liked it. It was fast but as a consequence a
circuit where you couldnt use too much down-
I introduced myself and said how well his Ah, so they werent all gentle by nature
Detroit victory had been received at home. and polite in an Olde Worlde sort of way...
Thats nice to know, he murmured in It rained during the afternoon qualifying
that softened Ulster accent. session and the weather wasnt warm, itself a
I didnt say more and he didnt say more. cruelty because traditionally the race was at
No matter. Id finally spoken to a Formula One seasons end - cold in Canada then - but finally
driver. True, I hadnt unlocked any of the mys- the organisers got a June date when it ought to
teries of their compulsions for movement, and have been very warm indeed. De Cesaris went
I hadnt enquired where hed been since De- quickest followed by Rosberg, whod felt this
troit because that didnt matter any more, but was a turbo circuit and slim pickings, if any,
at least Id looked him in the eye and found for him.
he appeared not just entirely normal but rather In the dry on Saturday the turbos swal-
polite in an Olde Worlde sort of way. Perhaps lowed the circuit - Pironi, the Renaults, Piquet
they were all like that if only you could find - leaving no-surrender Watson to pant along
them. sixth and no-surrender Rosberg seventh.
There was, however, a way to find them: Grandiose terms like International Me-
set up a proper interview through a teams dia Centre were not yet giving ordinary re-
Press Officer. Mansell was an obvious sub- porters delusions of splendour, and the Press
ject - British newspapers really did want Brits Room was a homely place - as they used to
- and the John Player Special Lotus man went be in most sports - with plain chairs in the in-
by the name of Tony Jardine, young, affable terview room and a plain table for the drivers.
and accommodating, a gifted mimic with a Pironi appeared, very handsome in a well-
great crease of a smile which stretched full bred, well-groomed Parisian way He sat and
across his face. Since, by chance, I was in the said quietly, almost to himself, We all know
same hotel as Jardine and Mansell he was sure who would have been on pole if he had been
it wouldnt be a problem. here. It came from a deep place within. Pironi
After Saturday qualifying at the hotel? looked down, away from everybody, and tears
he suggested. welled in his eyes.
Fine. Cynics are fully entitled to suggest this
There was a Close Encounter of the Sec- was theatre, designed so Pironi could prove
ond Kind (a crash being the First, any teams he was neither cheat nor bastard but a caring,
Press Release being the Third) between the feeling human being. If Im any judge it was
Brazilians Serra and Boesel during the morn- not. This man was very, very close to breaking
ing untimed session. On the track they both down completely, as if hed erected all sorts
laid claim to the same piece. Off the track of barriers since Imola and Zolder, and now a
they had rather less than a meeting of minds. combination of geography and circumstances
Serra went to Boesel and explained the facts had destroyed the barriers, leaving him sitting
of life, which involved Serra trying to ram there not so much vulnerable as naked. Frank-
his fist through the visor of Boesels helmet. ly, he could barely speak.
Serra turned to leave and Boesel aimed a juicy The Press Room was very quiet, no chair
kick at his posterior, whereupon Serra turned leg scraping the wooden floor.
again, fists raised, and weighed in. Six me- And then we all went away, quietly, to
chanics were needed to drag them apart. wherever we were going.
All unnoticed, young Riccardo Paletti couldnt do the collar up. He smiled at that. He
managed to get the Osella onto the second had a dry sense of humour, more Yorkshire
last row of the grid. Enzo Osella, satisfaction than Warwickshire youd have thought.
pouring from all his pores, said He has been He discussed driving a racing car in the
brave - a bomb. You know what Enzo meant. wet. You cant see anything. Thats eerie,
Montreal was the sort of city which, by thats really eerie. He stressed that turbo en-
its ambience, invited you to relax. It was Paris gines were what you had to have, full stop. He
erected in the New World and several cultures concluded: I know I can win the World Cham-
removed from Detroit. The women, slender pionship. The big question is when. Im a prac-
and dressed in the casual chic way French tical man. Listen. I know Im good enough to
women do, knew all the arts of swishing their win it. One day hed back that statement by
bottoms as they walked, the restaurants knew doing it, but that one day would have seemed
all about seducing you with their food, and impossibly far away as we sat with the hum of
you didnt hear, as the in-crowd disported the Montreal traffic filtering in from the road
themselves in the evenings, the constant wail outside. In August, Rosanne would give birth
of police sirens. to a daughter, Chloe, and shed be ten when he
That translated into the mood for the did do it.
Mansell interview and, anyway, it was high Mansell was easy to talk to, quite open
time to listen to a Grand Prix driver speaking in a disarming way, and spoke well. I thought:
more than one sentence. We met in a corner of if theyre all like this I wont have any prob-
the hotel lobby, comfy chairs, all very relaxed. lems.
If the first impression of Pironi had been I would have, and theyd be with him, but
handsome boy the first impression of Mansell, thats another story.
which never needed subsequent revision, was A former Express man, Malcolm Folley
strong man. I soon learnt about the paradoxes introduced me to one Eoin Young in the bar
he carried round with him. After the interview just round the corner from where the inter-
I wrote: He sits, trim and bouncy, and speaks view had taken place, and somehow we took
about coming to terms with dying - and, al- an instant dislike to each other. Young can be
most in the next breath, of the two geese he brusque, has a quiver-full of put-down lines
has back home in Warwickshire and the seven and had spent his whole adult life in motor rac-
eggs they are hatching at this moment. He is ing, at this time as a columnist among much
very proud of things like that. else. Word filtered back to me that he thought I
His wife Rosanne was resting upstairs, was an upstart which, of course, in motor rac-
their first child due in August. ing terms I was - although I had been a profes-
He discussed the toll exacted by each sional journalist since 1962. It couldnt have
race, how it left a driver bruised and half a mattered less because, after Montreal, wed
stone lighter. He discussed how the G forces never meet again anyway.
from the ground effects were so extreme that, That evening Riccardo Paletti and his
to accommodate them, his neck muscles had mother Gianna had dinner. Shed write in a
had to develop so that the neck was a size big- tribute to Riccardo4 that you did not know
ger than it should be. Its muscle-bound now. and I could not have foreseen that they were
He touched his collar and said he didnt wear the last minutes where you could have smiled
ties any more because, the neck so large, he to me, spoken to me, cried, touched me. Shed
CANADA round 8
remember having a long wait for the meal but Professor Watkins waited behind the
we were happy. right-hand column in one chase car with his
He told her: I know that you are more usual driver at the Canadian Grand Prix, Ma-
relaxed when I do not qualify but I know that rio Valli. Another chase car waited behind the
you want my happiness. other column. Both had garish neon lights on
She replied: Yes dear, I really wanted their roofs and these pulsed on and off, on and
your happiness, and shed add she wanted it off - bright yellow on the Watkins car, blood
so much that it overruled everything else. He red on the other. Theyd follow the grid and
sensed how worried she was and tried to calm get to an accident faster.
her. The Formula One car - a nervy, highly-
Sunday dawned cloudy and overcast. In strung creature, each component taut, each
the morning session Piquet and Patrese went integral part loaded with torque - is designed
quickest and everybody settled to wait. Ac- to be stationary for only very brief periods or
commodating television schedules, the race alarming processes start within it. Pironis Fer-
was not due to start until 4.15. Rain hung in rari began to creep. He pushed the foot brake
the air but never came - and neither did the and stopped it. Still he waited. The Ferrari
trains to the lies metro station, which ordinar- crept again, he braked again and that cut the
ily served as a wonderful people-mover to and revs. The engine died and, in the traditional
from the Grand Prix. A strike crippled it. gesture to warn all those behind, he raised his
At some unrecorded moment as the clocks arm: Ive stalled, miss me.
ticked towards the race, Palettis mother made Palettis mother remembered seeing that.
her way towards the tower where the hospital- It was an instant of very great peril and
ity suites were. It overlooked the grid. Paletti everything afterwards happened at ferocious,
ran towards her and shed remember You are ever rising speed.
smiling, beautiful, happy. Your face is shining Palettis mother remembered shouting
because, inside, you have the joy of being on Riccardo.
the starting-grid - of having qualified a wheel- The cars were getting from 0 to 100mph
barrow. He gripped her arm strongly and said in four seconds. Each row of the grid was sep-
hed pulled a joke on someone. It would make arated by eight metres, giving 104 metres (113
themboth smile when they got back to Milan. yards) from Pironi at the front to Lees at the
Their eyes met and she sensed he was tell- back. Under that ferocity of acceleration, 104
ing her, as he always told her, dont be afraid. metres is nothing at all.
Bye, mamma. The red light blinked to green and all
From the hospitality suite she watched the cars accelerated as hard as they could.
him emerge from the drivers briefing and he The sheer power unleashed in that instant can
still seemed happy. She saw him walking to- make concrete tremble. Arnoux accelerated
wards the Osella chatting with Boesel. away and I didnt see Pironi stall, I didnt see
There was a long wait for the red light to anything.
blink on, the longest, Mansell would say, that Prost, directly behind Pironi, couldnt
he had known in racing. help seeing and twisted the Renault left to go
Palettis mother remembered it as the round the Ferrari. That alerted cars behind
slowness. and they went left too in a great, almost fran-
tic, ripple of motion.
Watson, from the third row of the grid, FANS EYE VIEW
was long gone before anything happened. My father worked for the local VW-Audi
Rosberg only just managed to get past.5 dealer in my home town of Danbury, Connect-
Derek Daly had Mansell on the same row icut. You could say I was in or around the car
as me but on the left-hand side and I was in business from about the age of two. Being in a
front of him in the stagger. Before I saw Pironi VW family, and having seen the film Le Mans
I could see cars were moving in an unusual at the age of eight, I naturally became inter-
way - couldnt work out what it was. Sudden- ested in both Porsche and Ferrari. My Italian
ly I see Pironi had stopped and Im probably heritage favors the Ferrari side.
doing 100 miles an hour at this stage, maybe In my teens I discovered Formula One, and
more. Mansell was beside me. I saw what was around 1980 really started following it actively,
going to happen, and in an instinctive moment which was difficult because TV coverage in
I thought: the only thing I can do here is yank the US was sporadic, at best. No surprise that
hard to the left to miss Pironi - I hope Man- Gilles Villeneuve became my hero.
sell sees me. I believe Mansell saw what I was The racing was really great (passing for the
confronted with and understood my thought lead on track, wow!) I talked my father into
pattern because the very instant I turned left taking my brother and I on the trip to Montreal.
he turned left with me. I avoided Pironi, Man- I was set to graduate from High School so it
sell avoided me in perfect, synchronised steer- was a kind of graduation present.
ing movements - because I was sure my crash Tragically, we lost our Gilles the month
was going to happen with Mansell. It was before. Ill never forget that moment when the
pure, instinctive reaction by two people seeing report came on during ABCs Wide World of
a similar thing, realising the danger level and Sports on the Saturday of Gilles accident. It
understanding how to save themselves. was a devastating blow. At that time, driver
Neither man was able to lift off the accel- fatalities were still all too common but Gilles
erator so it was done flat out. Mansell would was seemingly invincible.
describe this as subliminal: you have no time Still, we had already bought our tickets and
to think, only act, and it is governed entirely I was determined to see Formula One cars
by self-preservation.6 for the first time so off we went to Montreal.
Boesel couldnt avoid the Ferrari and his It was a lot of fun. The shriek of the Cosworth
March struck its left rear wheel. The March V8, Matra V12, Ferrari and Renault Turbo V6s,
was pitched away and Lees struck it helplessly. etc, was worth the price of admission. We were
Behind Boesel, Paletti was coming: bespecta- seated in the grandstand at what used to be the
cled Paletti, inexperienced Paletti, ambitious Turn 1 and 2 esses just beyond the old starting
Paletti determined to seize his moment, prove grid. The grey and cold weather seemed ap-
his great truth as a Grand Prix driver. He had propriate given the loss of Villeneuve:
the Osella up to 120 miles an hour and at We werent sure what happened in the Paletti
10,200 revs. He must have been unsighted by accident and didnt find out about the outcome
Boesels March because Boesel hadnt been until the next day. The restart took a long time
able to swerve and reveal to him, even for a to organise. I understand now that it took a
millisecond, that the Ferrari was there. very long time to get poor Riccardo out.
JAY GILLOTTI
MERCER ISLAND, WASHINGTON
CANADA round 8
Paletti? That could have been me, Hen- had no time to grapple it off him, seized the fire
ton says. We both qualified quite low on the fighter and pointed him. The first extinguisher
grid and I was on the left, Paletti was next to - this one? - was doing its work in 1.8 seconds.
me but one row ahead. They dropped the flag The fire seemed to be out but then, in a further
and I remember to this day that because I am moment of horror, it started again, licking like
left-handed it saved my life. Pironi had stalled the flames of hell from under the Osella. The
at the front and all of a sudden there were petrol must have seeped everywhere.
cars going everywhere - wed all dropped our Time is a very strange thing. The fire was
clutches and were flat out. I just whipped to the completely out in between 50 and 70 seconds,
left. Paletti hit the back of Pironi, straight in, but it felt like forever. Lauda said: What dis-
trapped his feet. I saw him hit out of the cor- turbed me the most was that it took so long for
ner of my eye as I was going past. He would the fire to be put out. The fire extinguishers
have been going quite quick. Construction they were using did nothing.
wasnt the same as today It was that sandwich That was a harsh judgement and what Lauda
aluminium that they used and it just collapsed surely meant was that they did nothing instantly.
very easily on impact. Palettis mother remembered it was day-
The Osella struck the Ferrari so hard that light but she had only darkness. She thought of
it pitched it into the air and flung it 40 yards how many millions of people must have died in
across the track in a moment of savage, shock- this second, how many millions of mothers em-
ing violence. The Watkins chase car drove braced their babies and all she had was nothing.
between the Osella and the Ferrari - Watkins Watson, like almost all the other driv-
saw Pironi was not only moving but undoing ers didnt know about it at all until we came
his seat belts to get out. round at the end of the first lap.
The other chase car stopped behind the Watkins and team owner John McDonald
Osella. It had taken nine seconds to get there. wrenched the steering column and steering
The Watkins car stopped in front of the wheel from Palettis chest. His crash helmet
Osella. It had taken 16 seconds to get there was taken off. The medical team took 28 min-
and by then Pironi, with the movements of a utes to get him from the wreck, and that felt
man demented, had sprinted to the Osella and like a lot longer than forever. It was so long
began tearing at the wreckage of the car to get that Murray Walker, watching from the BBC
to Paletti and help him. studio in London, would never forget it when,
Paletti sat trapped, the steering wheel across the coming years, other details of the
rammed against his chest, his legs broken. He tragedy had softened from memory
was, mercifully, unconscious. Watkins ran, Paletti was put on a helicopter. It took 98
stooped and opened Palettis visor. He got an seconds to reach hospital, but he was beyond
airway into his mouth and lifted his eyelids medical help and had been since the Osella
but the pupils were dilated. Watkins sensed struck the Ferrari. He died at 5.45 on the op-
liquid running.7 Suddenly the 40 gallons of erating table.
fuel in the Osella burst into flames. That was The Ile Notre-Dame in late afternoon:
38 seconds after impact. The fire - hellish mol- the sky was grey like a shroud and darken-
ten yellow and red - became a funeral pyre, ing, a bitter wind had come up and even as
Paletti lost forever within it. the workforce cleared the wreckage away, so
Pironi saw a firefighter pointing his ex- that the race could eventually be restarted, the
tinguisher in the wrong place and, realising he circuit seemed spiritually emptied.
Any journalist working for a daily news- I was thinking more about telling people
paper has to respond instantly to an event like Paletti had died than thinking of Palettis death.
this and the days of mobile phones and lap- I am ashamed to write these words for
top computers were a whole technological age many reasons, not least because they are true.
away, unimaginable as well as unanticipated. In mitigation I was there to do my job and
To speak to the Daily Express Sportsdesk you nothing else, and that was what I was doing.
had to place a collect call with a Canadian Professionally I was in no position to recoil
operator who then rang the papers number any more than, say, the rescue workers had
in London and waited for the switchboard to been, however much more important their
answer. When they did, the Canadian operator work was than mine.
gave your name, where you were calling from If I had been drawn into the aftermath
and would the newspaper accept the charge? instead, I am sure I would have decided that
The man on the switchboard said Yes and I never wanted to see this literally infernal
you were through, asking him to connect you thing ever again.
to the Sportsdesk so that you could say: a driv- Sportswriters do not become sportswrit-
ers just been killed in an horrific crash. ers to describe young men being burnt to
There was no live television coverage on death. On the contrary, sport is - or ought to
the BBC (you got edited highlights late at night), be - a celebration of being alive. In nearly 20
and who knew which Press agencies were pres- years of it Id been at only one event where
ent to send a newsflash round the world? somebody died - the 24-hour race Le Mans
The Sportsdesk at the Express may well in 1976 when a restaurant owner from Stras-
have been blissfully unaware of any of the bourg crashed fatally; but that happened in the
events on the Ile Notre-Dame. My job was middle of the night and on the far side of the
firstly to tell them, secondly to write about it. circuit. Before the era of TV cameras moni-
The Canadian operators had a rule (same in toring the whole circuit, it might as well have
America) that they would only allow a num- happened in another universe, and in a sense
ber to ring for a short time and then theyd say had. After all, Id been back at my hotel and
Sorry, no answer and disconnect. Newspaper sound asleep anyway.
switchboards were notably tardy, especially if a Paletti was utterly different. Paletti was a
lot of calls came in at the same time, and I kept sequence of images which wouldnt be going
getting disconnected before anyone in London away and I see them still, particularly Pironis
would answer. At one point I placed three calls sprint to try and help, particularly that awful
simultaneously on different phones in the Press fire reigniting under the car and, strangely, the
Room in the hope one would make it. burnished rubber marks in a crisscross over
They never did and eventually I got the track left by many tyres.
through to the Manchester office. In all the claustrophobic circumstances
Of course, you dont care about the com- closing in on Pironi, from Imola to Zolder to
munications problems of 1982, but in retrospect here, it is impossible to imagine his anguish
they assumed an importance to me, which is when facing the restart. Professor Watkins
why Ive mentioned them. Contemplating the sought him out because drivers have to be fit,
full horror, discussing it endlessly as everyone physically and mentally, to race, and if Wat-
does, wringing meanings out of it, gathering kins judged they werent they didnt. He found
drivers reactions - I didnt do any of that under Pironi very uptight and still shocked, and ad-
the imperative of getting the call through. vised him to take it easy.8
CANADA round 8
Evidently Pironi hesitated before making AT DUSK. It seemed to represent perfectly all
the decision and then reacted like a racer when the reasons for getting back to writing about
he had made it. He brought the cars round to the living and forget all about the bizarre ritu-
the grid again in gathering gloom - it was now als which constituted a Grand Prix weekend,
6.15 - and this time they moved cleanly away, the deadly sting lurking within them, and the
Pironi holding the lead from Arnoux, Prost people who spoke their incestuous patois like
running third. an impenetrable code.
On the second lap Giacomelli, who had The Falklands war was ending and Brit-
an engine problem, intended to pit. Daly and ish troops moved towards the capital, Port
Mansell were behind as they reached the hair- Stanley. On the British Airways flight back,
pin before the pits. Daly got by and Mansell as the plane slogged out over the Atlantic,
didnt see Giacomelli raise an arm signifying the intercom crackled. Captain here. Spot
I am pitting for the most logical of reasons: of good news. White flag over Stanley The
Giacomelli did not, as it seems, raise his arm. plane erupted, people standing and cheering.
They crashed. Giacomelli kicked his car as he An American next to me asked plaintively
walked away from it but Mansell remained in What did that guy say?
the cockpit for some time, his left arm painful. Never mind. Family business.
When he got out a marshal gripped him by The Canadian Grand Prix seemed such
that arm and it hurt so much Mansell aimed a a small thing compared to that, and was: one
swipe at him with the other. dead, not many, many dead.
Pironi, in the spare car of course, fell back At the baggage carousels at Heathrow
and once Piquet had dealt with Arnoux on lap Eoin Young, whod been on a different flight,
9 he was not to be caught. Patrese worked up to waited for his suitcase. He had his back to me
second place by half distance and stayed there and I thought: well at least Ill never see you
while Watson lurked like a predator in fifth: again. This upstart is upping and starting back
on lap 67 of the 70 Cheever ran out of fuel (and in his real career as of this moment.
kicked his car), Watson fourth. On lap 69 de I didnt see him again for - oh, a couple of weeks.
Cesaris ran out of fuel (and cried, even though Arietto Paletti and a colleague flew from
hed be classified sixth). When Piquet and Pa- Milan to Montreal and were met there by a
trese came onto the podium Watson joined senior Osella executive and one of the teams
them. Hed been hoping for a point or two and technicians, an old friend. The friend would
expressed amazement that he was there. What remember it was just them, from all the racing
did Napoleon say about generals and luck? world. They confirmed Riccardo was dead.
Watson remembers Canada as a hard race. They all went straight to the hospital, and
It was that, all right. seeing his son had such an impact on Arietto
De Cesaris remembers Canada as bringing that he had difficulty standing up.
at least one advance in safety. After Paletti they Riccardo looked serene.
changed the starting procedure so that if a car Footnote: 1. The 1967 International and Universal Exposition
stalls on the grid they couldnt give the start. (EXPO) was a world fair held at Montreal as part of the countrys
centennial celebrations; 2. The drivers won 3-2 despite facing the
Watson 30, Pironi 20, Patrese 19, Prost Latin elite of the journalists, led by a strong pack of Italians and
18, Rosberg 17, Lauda 12. South Americans (Grand Prix International). Slender, wan young
Italian Riccardo Paletti played for the drivers but wasn t mentioned
Because of the five-hour time gap and in the report. Patrese, however, starred; 3. Grand Prix Internation-
the delays, I filed my story the following day al; 4. Riccardo Paletti, a family tribute privately printed; 5. Keke:
An Autobiography, Keke Rosberg and Keith Botsford, Stanley Paul,
and it appeared under the headline: DEATH London, 1985; 6. My Autobiography, Nigel Mansell, CollinsWillow,
IN THE AFTERNOON AND A WREATH London, 1995; 7. Life At The Limit; 8. Ibid.
REMEMBErING
RICCARDO
A GRID TOO DEADLY
THE
I loved the venue. I thought having a Dutch
Grand Prix was magnificent because the area
was great, they really loved their motor racing
and you have people from a lot of European
A Saturday race to avoid clashing on tele- wasnt necessarily significant at Tarzan but it
vision with the Wimbledon final on the became so in the quick corners out the back.
Sunday, and that tells you where the tennis You just knew if you got it wrong you were
correspondent of the Daily Express would going to hurt yourself. Ive looked back and
have to be: London SW19, watching Jimmy thought of the amount of times 1 climbed into
Connors beat John McEnroe 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 7-6, that Toleman, especially in 81 and 82, and
6-4, and definitely not among the sand dunes thought: if I have an accident in this car Im
facing the North Sea a pleasant train ride from going to hurt myself. But you never ever eased
Amsterdam. Oh well, one more race wouldnt off.
hurt. Derek Warwick
Mansell hadnt recovered from his Mon-
treal crash and Lotus selected Roberto More- Hed driven Formula One since 1977, but
no, whod arrived in England from Brazil only since the Kyalami drivers strike had been in
three years before, knowing no English at all the United States. He spoke near-fluent Eng-
and having driven nothing more than a kart. lish in a refined Gallic purr. Pironi was hand-
Now in 1982 hed done a little testing some in a boyish, cherubic, choirboy sort of
with Lotus but four problems confronted him: way- although in character certainly not an-
a race weekend is a compound of many pres- gelic; Tambay was handsome as Hollywood
sures which are absent from empty circuits defined it. He was softly spoken, gentlemanly,
and repetitive test days; Zandvoort was widely and something about him suggested he under-
considered a place for turbos, which of course stood there was life outside a motor racing cir-
he did not have; the grid was restricted to 26 cuit as well as inside.
drivers but 30 entered, so he had to qualify; Enzo decided then he told somebody go
and he had hardly driven the current Lotus, get him, Tambay says. Thats the way the
the 91, before. company worked. Piccinini was his go-for and
Ferrari reached for Patrick Tambay to Piccinini first asked Pironi to call me. I was
partner Pironi and here was another introduc- in Hawaii. Pironi called me and said Are you
tion to Grand Prix racings habits and habitats. interested? I said OK, why not? Piccinini
Far from entering a lengthy period of mourn- called me then.
ing for Villeneuve, speculation had linked a Why did I say yes? I had turned down
whole variety of drivers to the drive - eight Ferrari at the end of 77. I was supposed to have
alone in one magazine, excluding Tambay. a Ferrari contract that year after the Austrian
HOLLAND round 9
Grand Prix - I was supposed to have a meeting Before Monza, I went with Mauro For-
with the Old Man after Zeltweg where I had gheiri to meet Mr Ferrari - first meeting - and
run between the Ferraris of Niki Lauda and I excused myself for not waiting to sign the
Carlos Reutemann. I got a telex saying that contract with Ferrari. I said I was not sure that
the meeting was cancelled - well, put back. I the offer would be genuine but I had one that
went to London to meet with John Hogan [se- was confirmed and on the table. The Old Man
nior Marlboro executive] and in the meeting said You made a mistake. You would have
Teddy Mayer turns up. This was the Tuesday won races with us and you would have won a
before the next CanAm race in the States. In lot more money with us than you will at Mar-
that meeting they produced a contract for 78 lboro McLaren. I said The money is not the
and 79 with McLaren. purpose.
We had a discussion. I said Well, I have In 82 when Gilles passed away the Old
a Ferrari possibility and they said Wed like Man - and I dont know for what reason - must
you to be alongside James Hunt, its going to have thought: well, Ill give this guy a chance
be a lot more fun with him as a team-mate again. And he did.
than Carlos Reutemann -and James Hunt had Who was Enzo Ferrari? He was Enzo
been World Champion the year before that. Ferrari! He was everything you can imagine
Youre going to have the Goodyear tyres and and more, very impressive, very, very power-
Ferrari will have the Michelin tyres. They are ful in the sense that he decided if you were
coming in and for the first year its going to be going to work for Scuderia Ferrari either as
a shambles. Heres the contract. If you sign it a mechanic, an engineer or a driver. That is
now you have a sure Formula 1 drive for 78 power. It was totally different from any other
and 79 and an option for 80. operation, totally, totally different. He was
I didnt have any agent, I didnt have any very smart, very - I wouldnt say wicked, but
managers, I was doing the negotiations by my- very shrewd and also a manipulator in order
self. So there I was with a possible contract with to be able to get the best out of people. To pro-
Ferrari, and the Old Man has cancelled that duce the teams best performance you have
meeting, and a McLaren contract on the table to get the best out of everyone in the team.
in front of me - Teddy Mayer there for McLar- Sometimes it was controversial and difficult
en, John Hogan there for Marlboro. I signed. for some people but in the end thats what he
I went to the States - the CanAm race tried to do.
in, I think, Trois Rivieres. I said to Gilles I He didnt go to the races but he had his
just signed the contract with McLaren that you Moscow eyes - spies - there. He had Ital-
were going to have -because he started in 77 ian press guys or some trusted people that he
at the British Grand Prix in the McLaren M23 talked to. They were calling him and giving
and I drove the Ensign. They had an option him a report on the way the team was behav-
on him for 78 and Teddy didnt take it up, he ing, the way drivers were behaving, who was
signed me instead. I said But, Gilles, I have doing what.
an offer also from Ferrari. They want a young Motor sport, including Grands Prix, was
guy for next year with Carlos. Maybe you quite different to most other sports in that the
should ring them up and come to Monza and circuits and tracks reflected what French wine-
see if there is a possibility that its for you. growers call terroir, meaning the importance
Thats the way it happened. He came to Mon- of the exact place where the growing is done.
za and met them. A football pitch is a football pitch anywhere.
Tennis surfaces for the Grand Slam vary but left some distance behind the pits, to inspect
the courts are always the same size and flat. the handling of his two cars and that of every-
Athletic stadiums are athletic stadiums and body else, and what he saw was raw speed.
the race distances always precisely the same, Around Zandvoorts loops and bends Arnoux
rugby pitches are ... rugby pitches, swimming averaged 128 miles an hour, which is 58 more
pools the same. Even horse-racing circuits than the legal limit on Britains motorways,
have a striking uniformity, albeit with certain for example.
variations, but nothing approaching the dif- Lauda was fifth, Tambay a whisker be-
ference between Detroit, Montreal and now hind, Rosberg a whisker behind that and Wat-
Zandvoort, different again. When the wind son 11th. Poor Moreno came last and the only
blew they had to sweep the sand off it. Only driver in the 1:21s, despite de Angelis showing
golfers, competing across many terroirs, face him the way round. All very predictable.
as much variety, and anyway they have an ad- On behalf of Lotus, Tony Jardine hosted
vantage: if they make a mistake with, say, a a dinner for journalists in Amsterdam that
long putt they wont need Prof Watkins in a evening and, the wine flowing, they all gos-
fast car coming towards them or a military he- siped away like women are supposed to do,
licopter to take them to the nearest hospital. catty, cruel, salacious, irreverent, scurrilous -
That knowledge changes everything. and wonderful. Here was something else. A
Zandvoort, evidently made from concrete small, enclosed world like Grand Prix racing
German coastal defences, had been a Grand seeps and heaves with rumours all the time
Prix circuit since 1952 and looked tired. Cir- and, because it is small and enclosed, the ru-
cuits did not, then, routinely spend huge sums mours become important entities for an hour
on improvements obeying the mantra we must or two, until the next one comes along. You
be world class. find yourself getting drawn in to this and,
The races came once a year and the same before you know it, youre behaving like an
crowd came once a year to the circuits which insider looking out. Eoin Young, when he no
were as they had been the year before. Each longer went to the races, wrote plaintively that
season had more or less the same rhythm. what he missed most was exactly this gossip.
I did not realise Zandvoort, like Montreal, Next day the weather turned hot, cutting
was unusual in that you could get close to it on the cars speeds so that the grid remained es-
public transport and walk the rest of the way sentially undisturbed. Moreno hadnt quali-
- an astonishing contrast to the rural circuits fied and a lot of people wondered what Colin
where five-mile traffic jams were normal, get- Chapman made of that.
ting out into the traffic jam from the car parks Thus far the Renault cars had been,
might take a couple of hours, and people un- overall, unreliable and the question of the
able to afford helicopter rides plotted devilish moment became what happens when one of
strategies to find ways round it all. them holds together? Prost lay only 12 points
Arnoux went fastest in first qualifying behind Championship leader Watson and, al-
on the Thursday from Prost, then Piquet and though Arnoux had only four, half the season
Pironi, confirming that the turbos did rule. remained.
Someone described their speed as frighten- That evening Id arranged to dine in Am-
ing and their cornering no less so. Frank Wil- sterdam with Murray Walker, still one of the
liams went out to the Hunserug, the right-and- few people -courtesy of the interview at his
HOLLAND round 9
home - that I actually knew. The whole eve- ognise an impersonator remains even more
ning passed in a moment. How else could it mysterious.
have been when you have, across the table It all served to reinforce my impression
from you, a gifted raconteur with a snorting that everything about this Grand Prix racing
sense of humour, an ease about everything he really was ... strange.
did and a rich store of stories harvested from Watson, as an Ulsterman always sensitive
all those years of being on the inside? Not to to what can be loosely called matters of secu-
mention taking the tank into Nazi Germany, rity, expressed concern that his parents were
or the Indian villages and the aspirins... on holiday and hoped they wouldnt hear. Be-
Back at my hotel some time shortly after yond that, and understandably, he didnt want
one in the morning the phone rang. An excited to discuss the matter and in fact there wasnt
voice from the Daily Express Foreign Desk an- much to discuss. Nobody knew anything.
nounced that Murray Walker had been killed To watch the race you could, with the
and what did I know about it? I only knew I right pass, wander from the paddock to the
must have been one of the last people to see horseshoe corner called Tarzan at the end of
him alive. I had no idea where he was staying the start-finish straight and stand on the semi-
- this is Amsterdam - and who the hell do you circle of grass which comprised the infield.
ring at one in the morning to find out? David Apart from the raw excitement of 26 cars be-
Benson, who had covered Grand Prix racing ing pitched into it from the flag, Tarzan was
for the paper years before, was on a trip to Sin- a favoured overtaking place and spectacular
gapore and the voice said it would ring him anyway, with a ground effect car going round
there to see if he knew. Quite how someone in it at full belt. The Sports Editor was curious
Singapore would know Murray Walkers hotel to know what Grand Prix drivers earned and
in Holland was not my problem. Getting back so, at Tarzan, I was standing next to one Nick
to sleep was. Brittan, then - among many other things -John
Race day dawned overcast and dry. At Watsons manager, trying to prise out of him
the circuit another version of the nights events what Watson earned.
emerged. Someone had rung the BBC after Never going to tell you that!
midnight claiming to be Walker and telephon- But... just a general figure ... a guideline...
ing from Holland. This someone said John Never going to tell you that, either!
Watson had been killed in a road crash and a This was yet another strange aspect.
friend critically injured after emerging from Grand Prix racing had a most ambivalent rela-
a nightclub - the name of a real nightclub was tionship to money and the public domain, and
given. BBC Radio 2 carried it as an item on you wouldnt have anticipated that because it
their 1.00 am news bulletin - hence my phone offered itself as an exclusive activity fashioned
ringing a few minutes later. Quite how Walk- precisely by money, lots of it. Hence the exclu-
ers name became juxtaposed with Watsons is sivity and, by extension, how special it was.
mysterious and it may be that, plucked from All the insiders seemed agreed that Grand
deep slumber, I garbled the message from the Prix racing was a big deal, and many insisted
voice from the Foreign Desk myself. it was the only deal in the whole wide world.
Murray Walker had one of the most dis- Beyond that, almost everything to do with it
tinctive voices in Britain and quite how any- was laboured secrecy. Sponsors paraded their
one working at the BBC did not instantly rec- involvement but baulked at any suggestion of
how much, leaving the amount to implication.
The prize money was completely un- That took Warwick from fifteenth to
known beyond a tight inner circle who distrib- tenth. Rosberg was moving on Giacomelli and
uted and received it. If Arnoux won the Dutch Lauda. He took Giacomelli, himself in com-
Grand Prix, due to start in a moment, we had bative mood and ceding nothing, on lap 8 after
no idea how much he got, or the first three, a protracted and at times alarming struggle.
or if the prize money went lower down the Next lap he out-braked Lauda into Tarzan.
finishing order than that. Was pole position That gave, at ten laps: Pironi, Prost, Arnoux,
worth money? Was the fastest lap? Was there, Piquet, Tambay, Rosberg, Lauda, Giacomelli,
in effect, start money for showing up? Daly, Watson - but Warwick in the pits because
Every year Wimbledon held a Press Con- the rear wing had blown off on the straight. He
ference to announce that years prize money, wasnt aware of that until he reached Tarzan
which is how everybody knew what Connors but he was certainly aware of it when he did
and McEnroe would be getting as winner and reach Tarzan.
loser. The tennis authorities issued lists of Rosberg hustled past Tambay after slip-
prize money during a season, constantly up- streaming him tightly along the straight and
dated. Football transfers were announced rou- ducking by into Tarzan - again on lap 12. He
tinely. The value of every horse race appeared pushed the Williams as hard as he could even
in the morning papers every day. The prize though he could see a tyre was losing pres-
money in major golf tournaments was freely sure. By now Warwick has emerged from the
available and aroused no controversy. pits with a new rear wing and hurled the Tole-
But this...? Mystery again.1 man, covering lap 12 in 1:23.1 and next lap
Arnoux and Prost catapulted from the doing 1:19.7, the fastest of the race so far and,
grid, Pironi with them, and into Tarzan Prost as it would prove, unassailable. Only one other
cut across and took the lead. Rosberg could driver got below 1:20, Piquet on lap 68 with
hardly see the starters signal and cars surged 1:19.8.
by - from the fourth row hed be running Therein lies a tale or two.
11th. The reason I got fastest lap, of course,
At the chicane on lap 2 Pironi took Ar- was because at the time we were struggling
noux. The order after that: Piquet, Tambay, for sponsors so we came in and put a new set
Lauda, Giacomelli, Watson, de Cesaris, Ros- of tyres on just to do a fast lap, Warwick says
berg. Pironi out-braked Prost into lap 5 at Tar- with his accustomed candour. Thats bloody
zan. quick round there in a flying pig: 20 miles
Young Derek Warwick found the Tole- an hour was quick in that car! The idea was
man could be wrestled round Zandvoort, and to get some publicity and show that we were
although it ran between one and two seconds quicker than we really were, and it did help
slower than Pironis Ferrari he matched Tam- us to keep the sponsor for the following year.
bay. The lap times are interesting: The car didnt have a lot of downforce but did
have quite good power, but the problem was
Tambay Warwick its inconsistency because the engine didnt
Lap 2 1:24.1 1:23.0 have enough money put into it.
Lap 3 1:24.3 1:22.4 Witty, with his accustomed candour, sets
Lap 4 1:22.9 1:23.7 out the background. Holland was quite sim-
Lap 5 1:22.8 1:22.5 ple in a way. We were struggling. We were all
HOLLAND round 9
staying not that far away from the track and in The orderly rhythm was shaken up into
the evening Alex, myself, Roger Silman [team lap 22 and inevitably, perhaps, at Tarzan. For a
manager] and Rory Byrne met. We were try- lap or two Arnoux had felt some sort of vibra-
ing to get sponsors, we really needed them. tion from the steering and made the reasonable
Rothmans were sponsoring the March team assumption that tyre wear was causing it or a
and Id made some overtures into Rothmans wheel was out of balance. He approached Tar-
because the first thing you do in Formula One zan quite normally at 190mph, moved into the
is try and nick each others sponsors. late braking area - again quite normally - and
We thought: weve got the British Grand suddenly the left front wheel keeled over and
Prix coming up, why dont we consider run- broke away completely. The steering arm had
ning the car light and sacrifice any chance of broken under braking and the Renault could
a result for track performance? We did. Rory not be controlled. In an instant Arnoux knew
and Roger agreed to it - Derek was OK, Fabi I have no steering, no brakes, I am helpless.
was OK but he didnt qualify. Derek was on He braced himself for the impact which would
the seventh row, not a bad effort in qualifying. have to come.
It was probably our best qualifying and that The Renault screamed straight ahead and
was legal. Derek made a pit stop quite early as it left the track the kerbing flipped it briefly
for a problem and took on fresh tyres. Thats into the air. Then it was screaming onto the
what helped as well. sand and scrub run-off area like a missile
Hawkridge, with his accustomed can- being pitched through its own dust-storm. It
dour, says I dont think we were ever in the rammed its snout into the tyre wall - a prop-
running to get Rothmans as a sponsor. Chris er, solid thing about five tyres high and three
was off on his own quite often chasing rain- rows of tyres deep, all bound together - and
bows [which is what sponsor chasers have to the impact made a deep, reverberating, shock-
do]. He may well have had some contact with ing shriek.
them but I wasnt aware of it. I thought he was dead.
No, the point was to get the Toleman round The Renault rode upwards, the snout bor-
Zandvoort at serious speed to create publicity ing with such ferocity that it scattered tyres
to attract sponsors, whether Rothmans or not. like a bomb burst, flinging a dozen of them
It would also create publicity for the team in into the air towards the people cowering be-
the run-up to the British Grand Prix, only two hind the barrier and the ranks of people in the
weeks away. In terms of a showcase, that is grandstand behind that. It bored all the way
The Big One to every British team, but espe- to the metal guardrail and came to rest there,
cially to a small team looking for money. battered and at a grotesque angle.
The publicity worked, which is why I am Paletti and Montreal remained horrifi-
writing about it these 25 years later and you cally vivid in the memory and now this. What
are reading it. was I doing here? What was anybody doing
From lap 15 the race settled into an or- here?
derly rhythm, Pironi commanding it from the Arnouxs helmet moved, and in such cir-
front from Prost and Piquet, Arnoux and the cumstances it is a movement of mercy because
slogging Rosberg. Watson, 11th, could make it means life.2 He was lifted from the cockpit
no kind of progress and thered be nothing for and didnt need the ambulance. Hed escaped
him today, not even lowly points to maintain with no more than a bruised right ankle.
his Championship momentum.
Rosberg now ran fourth, trying to reel in positions. I was fast down the straight and
Piquet, and that became much more relevant Prost would get me on the inside, then Id pass
to the Championship when Prosts engine him again. He couldnt quite make it stick and
lost power and then failed. Piquet now faced he eventually had two or three tries. Then the
the prospect of reeling in Pironi, but this day same thing happened with Alboreto. Hed pass
Pironi had a fast, reliable car and drove a mas- me, Id pass him. Well, going in to Tarzan he
terful race, controlled and unhurried. Prost was trying to pass me and we touched. Wed
was gone after 33 laps (of the 72) and Rosberg got too close and he believed it was a deliber-
could see all sorts of enticing, intriguing pos- ate act. He spun, I continued.
sibilities up ahead and no threat behind, Lauda End of the race Im standing talking to
too far away. three or four people. I suddenly see this punch
come over the top of their shoulders. Didnt
Pironi Piquet Rosberg quite connect. Alboreto had a big red face on
Lap 34 1:21.5 1:22.9 1:22.5 him and he said Next time I keeell you. That
Lap 35 1:21.1 1:22.4 1:22.7 was all. A scuffle erupted, somebody pulled
Lap 36 1:21.2 1:22.1 1:22.4 him back and off he went.
Alan Jenkins, newcomer to the McLaren
It was the story of the race. Pironi could team, got into a dust-up with Tyler Alexander,
keep the Ferrari in the 1:21s at will whereas Pi- forthright American, a team-member from
quet and Rosberg didnt get there for another five way back and consummate exploiter of one-
laps and when they did Pironi went into the low liners. To appreciate this, you need to cast
1:20s. Rosberg drove the final ten laps as fast as your mind back to my plight at Detroit where
he could make the Williams go, disregarding I assumed everyone would linger and savour,
the health of tyres, engine and everything else. and instead everyone headed away in some-
He actually caught Piquet on the final lap but thing approaching a stampede.
in his own phrase the car had nothing more I got on famously well with Tyler ex-
to give,3 and anyway Piquet always seemed to cept at Zandvoort, says Jenkins. Everybody
have a bit in hand if he needed it. was rushing to the plane, as everybody did
Rosbergs bad run was ending, Watson just about before the cars had actually slowed
finished ninth and Pironi was talking about down on the last lap! At Zandvoort the people
the Ferraris power and reliability. He was also who knew went out in their hire cars and used
talking about the Championship and it looked half the track to get to an exit and beat the traf-
his for the taking. Brands Hatch might not suit fic. I hadnt got a clue. I said to Tyler What
the turbos but Paul Ricard would, and Hock- happens now, how do I get to the airport? -
enheim, and the Osterreichring, and Monza. I seemed to have been in a different hire car
That left twisty Dijon and contorting Las Ve- with different people every day. As he disap-
gas, and even in those places Pironi could an- peared between two motorhomes, Tyler said
ticipate scoring points. Well, youre free, white and 21 - you sort it
Watson 30, Pironi 29, Rosberg 21, Patrese out. I got a lift with another team in the end,
19, Prost 18, Piquet 17. saw Tyler at the airport and said Thanks. He
In the immediate aftermath of the race was a bit gruff but later on we hung out a bit
two men faced quite different situations. together, went and had a meal or a beer to-
Derek Daly had found himself in a dust- gether, so we got on fine.
up with Prost in Tarzan. We were exchanging
HOLLAND round 9
LAIR OF
the warming up afterwards, and still win the
race with the combined advantage of three
things: less weight - obviously, with a lower
fuel load - new tyres when you went out and,
So with those three things - and its quite One was just compressed air and the other one
easy to do the mathematics -I worked out, if I had the fuel in. One bled into the other one.
remember correctly, that we needed to lose not Using this, getting 33 or 35 gallons in
more than something like 26 or 27 seconds in took three and a half seconds.
total making the pit stop and then wed be sure Basically we had to invent the fuel rig
to win the race. and we had to invent tyre-warmers.
The first time anything physical hap- A week before the British Grand Prix
pened was when we went out on cold tyres [as they went to Donington.
new tyres were when you pitted for them] and We did our first test. In the meantime,
you lost so much on the first one or two laps of course, I had done a lot of video work and
while the tyres warmed up. I thought: well practising with the crew on wheel changing
thats blown that, but I stopped and thought to see how you could change wheels very
about it again. I spoke to the tyre company quickly - because in three and a half seconds
and I asked them Well, what would happen you could get the fuel in. We got special wheel
if you put the tyres on already at their operat- nuts and wheel pins, did all sorts of special
ing temperature? They said As long as you things for the wheel changing. We trained the
dont overheat them and burn the compound people like crazy.
off you will be quick immediately. We went to Donington and lo and behold
When I think back now to the first equip- we were under the 26 second mark. I said to
ment it was ridiculous! I designed a thing that Bernie Thats it. Next year well build a half-
looked like a Tardis or a blue telephone box. tank car. In fact the tank would be big enough
We put a gas burner in the bottom and a fun- to do Detroit and Monaco without stopping, so
nel at the top so the air was circulating right it was like a 60-per-cent-tank car, if you want
through this box and stacked four tyres up in to put it like that. Of course, it gave you much
it. We had a little window and through it we more freedom on the mechanical layout of the
could prod them - we had no thermostat or car as well.
anything, we opened the window and prod- The first example of The Pit Stop Ploy
ded the tyres to make sure they were at the was to be the British Grand Prix.
right temperature. We kept that burning in the Brands Hatch spread itself like a feast for
pits, well just out the back of the garage, then the eye. That phrase has not been chosen care-
slowly but surely we developed different fuel lessly. A spectator could actually see a great
systems. deal, building into a fund of precious memo-
This was because of a pressure problem ries to be carefully hoarded for future delight.
which, ordinarily, didnt exist because cars In a grandstand, permanent or temporary, the
were only being fuelled before a race, and it track uncoiled like a mighty gesture: you saw
wasnt being done against the clock. You took the cars flee under the bridge at Clearways,
as long as you needed to fill the tank and then come full bore round the great curve to the
you were ready to go the full distance. The undulating start-finish straight, saw them dive
problem? As the fuel went down, the remain- into Paddock Hill Bend and down the dip be-
ing air in the barrel expanded and there wasnt yond before they rose to the Druids horseshoe.
enough pressure to squeeze the last bit out. They were lost in the trees there but emerged a
Murray thought that through and even- moment later on the downhill to the left, along
tually I had two barrels, one next to the other.
the back straight and fast uphill left-left-left go the distance. Naturally some suspicious
out into the country. minds in the paddock thought it no more than
Only Austria (and maybe Kyalami) was a feint to sow doubt and confusion, and Ros-
like this and it must have been something to do berg called it a hoax. Others wondered, if The
with the contours of the land. You needed el- Ploy happened and if it worked, what impact it
evation. The flatland circuits might have been would have on Grand Prix racing. They had to
missile ranges - whoosh, there goes another conclude it could only be fundamental.
one. At Brands you could see who was gain-
ing on whom, who losing, and, as a race de- FANS EYE VIEW
veloped, you might have a dozen or more cars My love affair with motor sport started in 1952
simultaneously in your sight spread round the with a ride in an MG TD - top and windscreen
mighty gesture. At moments there was simply down -to a stock car race at a nearby dirt
too much to watch, your eye drawn helplessly track. Another jump to road racing occurred
this way and that. when I acquired George Monkhouses two
Paddock Hill Bend, adverse camber, was books, Motoraces and Motor Racing with
a favourite overtaking place which demanded, Mercedes Benz. I still have the books. From
in the vernacular, big balls. You got to see all there to being an avid fan and competitor was
that, too, especially the ones who had them a short jump. I stopped competing in 1971 and
and the ones who hadnt. went into insurance brokerage.
Rosberg (who certainly did) came brim- In 1976 we went to Monaco for our first Grand
ming with confidence. He lived in England so Prix. A British couple sitting at the next table
this was his home race, involving a minimum helped us with the French menu. We have been
of travel and inconvenience. He liked Brands fast friends since. We went to the UK annually
Hatch, he knew the Williams would be fast and they visited us at our home in New York
there and he knew, too, that in terms of the on occasion.
Championship he needed to do well. Where We had been to Brands in a previous visit to
better than here? The circuits to come favoured the UK for some club racing so a Grand Prix
the turbos. visit was in order. Our friends obtained excel-
He didnt fear the Renaults or Brabhams lent tickets and made the necessary arrange-
or Ferraris in the British Grand Prix, he feared ments. It was quite an experience: incredible
Watson and Lauda. crowd, fantastic air show and great racing.
Rosberg was fast on the opening day de- Lauda and Pironi seemed to have their spots
spite tangling with Arnoux at Druids - Ros- well in hand, but Tambay, de Angelis, Daly and
berg went to the inside and evidently Arnoux Prost were within a breath of each other.
wasnt looking - and did a 1m 09.5s lap, pro-
CHARLES J. BOUGH
visional pole which became pole the following
day. UTAH, USA
The Brabhams had built-in air jacks and
big fuel fillers behind the roll bars, the mean- Tambay pointed out that it was done all
ing clear. Herbie Blash of Brabham confirmed the time in Cam-Am racing. Im sure it would
The Pit Stop Ploy and insisted it had not been be terrific for television and for the crowds
adopted because the cars couldnt go the dis- but it would mean redesigning all the pit lanes
tance: no, its the quickest way to make them to separate refuelling from other activities or
else there could be a lot of dead journalists and
GREAT BRITAIN round 10
some charred pretty girls. The tanks would be dont think we could use them anywhere else,
made lighter, everyone would get into the act but at Brands they really were very, very quick
and wed have a whole new set of tricks and both as a qualifying and a race tyre. So we had
wheezes. Arent exit and entry from the pits this tyre advantage and we were virtually on
already dangerous enough?1 the pace of the McLarens with it. We said to
Jean Sage said Renault had thought of it ourselves: how do we get the best out of this
a long time before but it didnt seem practical. weekend? What do we most want?
We will be very interested to see if Brabham There were sponsor pressures to be on
can make it work. the television.
Of more immediate concern to Brab- Right, Hawkridge & Co decided, you
ham was that Goodyears compounds did not want to be on television, we will put you on
enable the team to run softer - and therefore television.
faster - tyres, getting through one set up to the They took a further decision: if either
pit stops and another set afterwards. Instead Warwick or Fabi lasted long enough to roll to
Brabham ran standard A compounds like the a halt because they have no more fuel, well
other Goodyear runners. call it driveshaft failure.
In great secrecy another team, Toleman, An immense crowd came on race day, a
were preparing to use an amazing variant of Sunday bathed in sunshine. They saw that if
The Ploy. After Zandvoort and the fastest lap, Brabham were preparing to perpetuate a hoax
no, we didnt get Rothmans, but we then went it was both elaborate and convincing. At their
to the British Grand Prix and we had to make pit they laid day-glo strips like signs so that
a decision: what are we here for? Witty says. Piquet and Patrese would know exactly where
Wed looked at it and thought: well, our reli- to stop. They had fuel churns, in the livery of
ability record is so poor that you can go round sponsor Parmalat, ready. They had mechanics
and round and hope you might get a tenth but in fireproof clothing bearing Parmalat logos.
nobody is going to notice you - and that was if On the warm-up lap Rosbergs Williams
you finished. So we took a gamble. suffered a problem with fuel pressure and
When you are trying to create a profile the car wouldnt start. I knew the problems
and youve got budgets, youre trying to pay of starting at Brands. I had to place my car
for Brian Hart, youre trying to do this, do that, pointing slightly downhill into the wall to
youre trying to better yourself, you look at all avoid a slide. I had it all figured out.2 Me-
kinds of things. It was Alex or myself who said chanics pushed him as the other cars flowed
Why dont we run half tanks? That was the round, and it wouldnt fire. Eventually it did
one that really fooled everyone. The decision and he attacked the warm-up lap to re-catch
was taken on race morning and both drivers the rest of the field and take his position on
agreed. We felt that a performance was need- pole. He reached them when they had formed
ed in order to raise our profile. Its probably up and so he had to start from the back. Well,
against the spirit but its a dog eat dog world in he thought, it will look even better when I win
Formula One. it from here.
In terms of the relativities of it, Reflecting now, Rosberg says: I was
Hawkridge says, we were racing on exactly on pole and the car didnt start, so I lose the
the same tyres we had had a year earlier but pole and had to start from the back. It wasnt
they were particularly good at Brands Hatch. I a question of understeer or anything like that.
We had a super car. So we lost the pole and By lap 5 he was 11th and now he pro-
thats one of the bad memories because that ceeded to dispatch Giacomelli. He was only
race would have been mine, Id have walked some 30 seconds behind Piquet, and of course
it. Its not that that would have been a step to- Piquet was going to be pitting. He never did.
wards the Championship so much as, being a On lap 10 he had a fuel injection problem and
racing driver, you want to win races and to toured, arm raised. It opened the race to Lauda
win at Brands, which is a mans track, thats and gave this running order behind him: Piro-
where you want to win. Its not about 100,000 ni, Daly, de Angelis, Warwick, de Cesaris.
spectators, its about me and the rest of the Warwick moved up to de Angelis and
drivers. moved straight past into Westfield, a power
Patrese stalled, his arm raised high in- play, especially on half tanks. Still Rosberg
stantaneously. Pironi corkscrewed past, Ar- came - sixth by lap 14. Pironi and Daly circled
noux slewed and clouted the rear of the Brab- together.
ham, Prost turned sharp left on to the grass,
Daly dipped just past but still on the track, Pironi Daly Warwick
Watson went on to the grass but Patrese and Lap 15 1: 16.4 1: 16.3 1: 15.4
Arnoux, cars seemingly locked, ebbed across Lap 16 1: 15.8 1: 16.1 1: 15.1
forcing Watson wider and wider. Arnoux was Lap 17 1: 15.9 1: 15.9 1: 15.4
out, Patrese was out and so was Fabi, so hed
never find out what he could have done fuelled Warwick was catching them, although on
light. that lap 17 Rosberg pitted for tyres. Hed ex-
The Ploy rested on Piquet now and he plain that understeer puts too much heat into
led from Lauda. Rosberg came from afar like the tyres and you progressively destroy them.
an avenger against fate: on the opening lap As he reached his pit he saw the team in de-
he surged past Mass, Baldi, Mansell, Laffite, spair and as they tried to get him back out
Surer, Henton and Watson. as fast as possible they panicked. He saw Pat-
If Lauda could stay with Piquet as the rick Head, designer Frank Dernie and Frank
race unfolded, The Ploy would be in disar- Williams himself looking downcast. Rosberg
ray... felt his world collapsing because, on top of
all this, he knew perfectly well that the un-
Piquet Lauda dersteer would destroy the tyres the team was
Lap 2 1:16.1 1:16.5 struggling to put in. He resumed at the rear of
Lap 3 1:14.8 1:16.4 the field - again.
Lap 4 1:15.4 1:17.1 Warwick reached Daly and Pironi and
was about to put himself, Toleman and Hart
So it was working. all over the worlds television screens as per
By now Rosberg had dispatched Guerre- request.
ro, Serra was out after an accident with Jarier, Round the Clearways sweep into lap 18
and Watson spun avoiding that. The McLaren the Toleman - imperious in its pace - drew full
wouldnt restart. Rosberg was 12th and com- up to the Williams and, as Paddock Hill Bend
ing strong but Goodyear had produced a new loomed, Warwick simply placed it to the in-
tyre and on full tanks he had serious under- side and sailed by. James Hunt, commentat-
steer.
GREAT BRITAIN round 10
ing on the BBC, found a phrase: Warwick ate the Toleman, this Lauda who had perfected
Daly alive. economy of movement, who dealt in precision
He saw Pironi directly ahead and for six and efficiency and logic, this Lauda who led
laps stayed with him. by some 25 seconds.
Witty was watching it from behind the Warwick slowed on lap 41.
pits and I thought wed do well to get to lap Witty knew what had happened when,
25, either running out of fuel or unreliability obviously he didnt appear
ending it. That came, and lap 26... Warwick, interviewed on TV, said The
On lap 26 Warwick hugged in behind car was fantastic, the engine was superb, the
Pironi round Clearways, hugged tight as they Pirelli tyres were just as good as when the
reached the flickering bays of the grid. Pironi race started. What can I say? Its a bitter dis-
made a move to go to mid-track but Warwick appointment for Toleman because the team
was already inside. Pironi left him room on above all else needs the break and we just
the inside through Paddock and Warwick had didnt get it.
done it. At the instant he went by he cheered Witty remembers that. When Derek got
in the cockpit and then he saw the flags and back Barrie Gill was doing the TV interviews
banners waving to him. and Derek gave an Oscar-winning perfor-
It was one of the great moments, War- mance, which surprised me somewhat.
wick says. Id had a bad start, the car was
really difficult, and if those moments come FANS EYE VIEW
along you have to grab them with both hands. Having finished school for the summer
Because the car wasnt particularly quick we holidays I spent five glorious days at Brands
qualified mid-field, the Pirellis were working Hatch - that fantastic amphitheatre of motor
fantastically and I remember, when I passed sport - sneaking past security guards and vol-
Pironi on the outside, I saw the crowd for the unteer marshals to gain access to the pits at
first time in my whole life. There was so much every available opportunity.
banner waving, scarves, and you could hear On the Saturday I hid under a team trans-
them over the noise of the engine, earplugs and porter, only emerging when the general public
everything. Quite amazing. That moment did had long gone.
my career a huge amount of good. Brands was I was able to photograph the drivers and
quite a local track for me and I knew it very teams during lunch and official qualifying.
well, I knew the right place to overtake him. During the race I stood at Graham Hill
It ran out of fuel, which must mean it wasnt bend.
carrying very much...
JULIAN EYRES
Pironi, all unknowing, said Nothing I
could do, and there would have been nothing HIGH WYCOMBE, UK
he could have done even if he had known.
Witty, watching intently, says Lap 27, Hawkridge remains unrepentant. Even
the cars still running and I began to have if you take the light fuel, we ran 41 laps so
doubts, began to wonder if they had changed we were light but we werent empty. People
their minds about fuelling the car light. could draw their own conclusions but what
Easy to miss, in the communal fervour, you couldnt take away from it was that the car
was that Lauda was actually going faster than was a competitive package at Brands Hatch.
Derek got the Renault drive [in 1984] and it
didnt do Toleman any harm. It was a strategic he heard Warwicks engine cough. He was
decision to try and make the best of that week- pretty astute and the only guy who suspected
end - and we knew that, if wed been on the something. I said Oh! We always said we
tyres Pirelli wanted us on, we wouldnt have would keep stum. Obviously the team knew
been competitive at all... about it and I wondered how long they would
On lap 44, Lauda led Pironi by 42 sec- keep quiet but it stayed silent for the event. It
onds. got Derek the Renault drive and it launched
The race drifted into stalemate, or rather Toleman. I had Michael Turner do a painting
remained in Laudas control. He did not relin- of it, Derek going past Pironi. Anyway, after
quish it and was never going to relinquish it. Brands we went back to normal service.
Everything worked very well right from That would be the French Grand Prix,
the beginning, he said. I was surprised to be only a week away, which is to say that the truck-
in the lead so early. He was given a genuinely ies, the mechanics and everybody else needed
emotional reception by the crowd. I think the to be down by the Riviera on the Wednesday,
British people like me and I saw that at the and they werent even out of Brands Hatch
finish. I wasnt perhaps the man they want- into the traffic jam yet.
ed to see win but they gave me real tribute. Well hell, yes, thats life in the big city.
He paused and surveyed his Championship
Footnote: 1. Grand Prix International; 2. Keke:
chances, because he was now third. I think
Brands is one of the last tracks where we can
beat the turbos. At the others its going to be
very difficult.
Rosberg had dropped out after 50 laps
with low fuel pressure and let the team know
his feelings. Echoing Lauda, he realised that
if you didnt have a turbo you had to win here
and hed got nothing.
On lap 63 Brian Henton set fastest lap in
the Tyrrell with yet another variation of The
Ploy, this one entirely unplanned. You know
why I did the lap? Because I had Alboretos
spare car. My race car had blown up in prac-
tice so I was in Alboretos spare and that was
much quicker. We did come in - I think the
nosecone was loose - and they did put new
tyres on. Thats what you do. I went out and
I was pulling people in and I finished eighth.
That fastest lap is about the only thing I man-
aged to achieve in Formula One!
Pironi 35, Watson 30, Lauda 24, Rosberg
21, Prost and Patrese 19.
After the race Denis Jenkinson of Motor
Sport approached Witty and said he thought
GREAT BRITAIN round 10
25 JULY---------------------- crickets - the authentic background music of
Provence making their incessant knitting
ORDERS &
noises with their knees, strident as a sharp
sziss sound. You could also see, in clearings,
ladies sitting on battered chairs wearing very
DISORDERS
little and promising a good time either in the
bushes or on the back seats of cars theyd
parked nearby. They were completely shame-
less in - forgive me - their body language, just
in case anybody misunderstood what was on
FRANCE, PAUL RICARD offer, and they were, physically as well as geo-
graphically, about as far away from the crea-
P aul Ricard was a very strange place and
very strange things were to happen there.
That was entirely appropriate because the cir-
tures on the topless beaches as you could get.
They gave the term Service Station a whole
new meaning.
cuit and its location reflected with unerring
accuracy the separation between the seductive
imagery of Grand Prix racing and the reality DRIVERS VIEW
of it. It was a long circuit and you had the Mistral
The circuit lay some distance from the straight. Once you got to the end of that it was
Mediterranean coast, the topless beaches and more technical but also driven at high speed.
the beautiful people, although this was some- You remember the S of de la Varrerie after
times claimed for it to sustain the imagery. In the pits? You took that at more than 170mph.
truth it lay dry like a dead snake somewhere in That was where Elio (de Angelis) was killed
the tree-clad hills of Provence along narrow, (in 1986) and afterwards it was made into a
contorting roads which clogged solid at Grand right turn. When you had a car which was
Prix time with many thousands trying to get well balanced, as I had for the Grand Prix, it
in and, later, the same many thousands trying was OK in fifth gear. That means flat out. And
to get out. In purely logistical terms, or rather taken with your eyes wide open, not shut! On
an absence of logistics, access was at least as the Mistral we were doing 330kmh [205mph]
bad as any British Grand Prix at Silverstone but it wasnt exciting. You were going straight
(which alternated with Brands) - itself an utter ahead, you didnt have much to do so you could
nightmare. Whole families (French or British rest. It was when you got to the end and went
according to the venue) grew visibly older as into Signes: youd be doing 280, 300kmh [170,
they waited in enormous, static columns of 185mph] and that became a difficult corner. I
cars in the countryside. liked Ricard a lot. You couldnt really compare
Paul Ricard had its own airstrip so that it with any other circuit because you had this
the rich people, not always beautiful, could long, long straight and then the technical part
gaze down from their executive jets on the - and you had plenty of problems with the tyres
poor bloody columns as they rose, free, and because the track was very abrasive.
turned towards the delights of Paris. Rene Arnoux
The roads up (and back down) were - be-
cause of the hills - like rides on a big dipper
when the traffic did move. You could hear the
FRANCE
BRAZIL round 11
2
The circuit itself, the artificial creation of strong word meaning their heritage, just as ev-
the Ricard family and their fortune from the erything else in France was, but - and the but
drink which bore their name, was in 1982 a is significant - even more important to them
very modern facility although 12 years old: a as a place where they (in this case Renault,
mere fresh-faced child in the context of most Prost and Arnoux) could challenge and defeat
other circuits which (again in 1982, before The the best the rest of the world could put against
Ecclestone Imperative) resembled widows them. There were many, many delights in
fallen on hard times. France but they did not include the ladies on
Ricard, however, was fearsome fast, its the chairs and they did not include French
Mistral Straight (named for the wind which chauvinism, which was about to be played out
rakes the Rhone-Saone valley) the longest in full measure. I cannot tell you whether the
on the calendar and permitting the absolute French have raised sex to an art form (as they
maximum speed of which a Grand Prix was claim) but they have achieved a comparable
capable. Tambay would do 339kmh (210mph) level with the chauvinism.
whilst at Signes, the right-hander at the end of It brought a truly great weight onto the
it, Rosberg was doing 278kmh (172mph). Even Renault team and was passed on through the
in a world living through the medium of speed team to the two drivers. That refracted, splin-
these were stunning. Marseilles, the sprawling tering the team into acrimony, mistrust and
port where many people stayed for the Grand recrimination; and what the team and drivers
Prix, was 484 miles from Paris. Tambay would did divided France to the point where Prost,
have covered that in two and a half hours at afterwards, was abused at a real service station
his Mistral speed. The fabled TGV high-speed because the attendant thought he was Arnoux
trains, traversing France in competition with and thus felt liberated to say what he thought
air travel, couldnt have stayed with him. They about that Prost, imagining he was saying it
did a mere 200mph. to Arnoux.
The whole area around the circuit was Yes, Paul Ricard was a very strange place
bleached by sunlight and little rainfall, boul- and very strange things were about to happen
ders were strewn here and there, and the en- there.
semble resembled a lunar base. It was also The Renaults dominated qualifying,
wonderfully quixotic in a particularly French Pironi splitting them on the first day (Prost
way in that they issued passes to get out as fastest, Arnoux third) but Arnoux taking pole
well as in (Derick Allsop of the Daily Mail from Prost on the second. Arnouxs pole lap
wondered If you havent got one, do you have was driven at an average speed of 137.6mph
to stay forever?); and when there was no rac- which, leaving Paris at 9.00 on any morning,
ing, to keep the coarse, sparse grass under would have got him to Marseilles nicely in
control they shepherded hundreds of sheep in time for lunch.
and let them graze. If you chanced to be there Only Arnoux and Prost did laps in the 1m
then, the Mistral, the shimmering pits com- 34s. This really was turbo territory although
plex and the enormous, shifting tide of sheep they were now delivering so much power that,
suggested youd wandered into an avant-garde as Pironi confessed, Signes could no longer be
film rather than a lunar base. taken in one without lifting off the accelera-
To the French it was a precious place, tor.
part of what they call their patrimoine, a
Lauda was the leading non-turbo driver another, in which case the order was to stay
on the fifth row, having done 1m 37.77s, Ros- the same.
berg - talking in terms of needing miracles Prost would write1 Gerard Larrousse
- next on 1m 37.78. Theyd had a moment in told Rene to let me through if the two of us
second qualifying when Rosberg asserted that were among the points coming up to finish
Lauda had deliberately blocked him after mak- [,..] I must stress that I didnt make any such
ing a rude gesture. Rosberg was visibly angry request to Rene or Gerard Larrousse, simply
after the session and went forth to clarify mat- because if I had been in Renes shoes, I would
ters. You could do that with Lauda, as Rosberg have refused point blank. Rene didnt protest
knew, and he did. against Larrousses instructions.
Watson qualified two places behind Ros- Arnoux, as it seems, kept his own coun-
berg and needed miracles just as much. sel and for the most obvious of reasons: a mo-
Brabham, meanwhile, prepared to try tor race is a tumultuous journey into the un-
and implement The Pit Stop Ploy. known and any one of a hundred factors can
Based on qualifying, and making the alter it at any instant. The team orders might
necessary assumption that both their cars never be implemented because the circum-
would function for the full 54 laps, Renault stances simply hadnt arisen (which is what
could divide the race up as they wished. Here invariably did happen).
an imperative came into play: the Champion- Looking back now, Arnoux explains:
ship. The full extent of the French govern- We were half way through the season and I
ments financial involvement in the company had a contract with equal status to Prost and
was never absolutely clear but French taxpay- it was a season where drivers didnt have too
ers money was going in and what the French many points.
government wanted was the Championship: The atmosphere at a French Grand Prix,
a Frenchman in a French car beats the world. especially Ricard, was the opposite to the
Under the logic of this, Renault would maxi- British. At Ricard, people came to be seen. In
mise their chances whenever and however Britain - Silverstone or Brands - people came
they could, and you did not have to be a math- to see the people they hadnt seen since this
ematician to see the implications of the points time last year. It gave the British Grand Prix
table. Prost had 19, Arnoux 4 and with only the feel of a giant club meeting, or a reunion,
six races left (including this one) the chances and Ricard an affinity with the Cannes Film
of Arnoux catching Pironi, Watson, Lauda Festival where, no doubt, youd meet a lot of
and Rosberg looked slight. It would be hard the same crowd.
for Prost, too, but possible. A win here and he The grid that hot afternoon teemed with
would be among the Championship leaders. so many people you could no longer see the
Team manager Jean Sage said: Before cars. Who were these people? A small num-
the race we all decided that, if we were run- ber were the drivers, team members and me-
ning first and second then Alain should win. chanics. The rest? They strutted with an air of
Rene agreed to that, and there was no discus- importance, stooping to examine the cockpits
sion about if the lead is so many seconds. and then, all at once as the countdown began,
Whatever the gap between them, Prost was to they were gone to the shade where, perhaps,
win - unless the cars were being threatened by loose-limbed lovelies in skimpy uniforms
soothed them with aperitifs.
FRANCE
BRAZIL round 11
2
Arnoux led from Prost, Pironi tight up to tried to haul Mass out. Mass emerged with
them and the Brabhams predatory. They trav- light burns.
elled through the long sweep called Sainte- It could have been an horrific thing.
Baume and onto the Mistral. Patrese went past On lap 12 Piquet led by nine seconds and
Pironi but Rosberg went off, dropping him to that represented the focal point because, lap
12th and needing even more of a miracle. after lap, the order remained Piquet, Arnoux,
Down the start-finish straight Piquet dealt Prost, Pironi. On lap 14 Watson retired with
with Pironi. On the Mistral he dealt with Prost. an electrical problem.
By lap 5 Patrese led from Piquet, as they On lap 22 the Brabham pit crew came out
would have to do if they were running light to and made ready for the stop, Piquet leading by
make their fuel stop. Arnoux was content to let 17 seconds. On lap 23 Piquet did not pit but
them go. I spared my tyres at the start when I surely would next time round. On the Mistral
had full tanks. I didnt want to overheat them smoke belched from the Brabham and through
while I stayed in touch with the Brabhams, out Signes he pulled off. The Ploy remained un-
on half tanks. I wasnt going to fall for that tested in the only place which matters, the
game. For the first ten laps I drove with my heat of battle.
head, not my hands. I tried to stay as cool and Then there were two, Arnoux and Prost,
lucid as possible. It would have been dumb to and the Renault plan could be implemented. On
fall apart so early lap 25 Arnoux led Prost by ten seconds, Pironi
On lap 9 Patrese suddenly slowed, flames running a steady third 16 seconds behind Prost.
from the rear of the car, and Piquet went Pironi was rapping out laps of 1m 44s regular
through. The engine had blown. Patrese got it as a drumbeat, but so was Arnoux and so was
back and parked it in front of the pit lane wall, Prost. Sometime after this Prost lost a skirt,
the flames a proper fire now. He looked in his making the Renault a handful and making the
mirror and thought blimey. He scrambled to catching of Arnoux problematical.
get himself out and a fire marshal yanked him, Arnoux showed no signs of being caught.
dragging him clear. That created a dilemma within Renault, be-
Piquet pulled away from Arnoux at the cause with 20 laps to go the order had solidi-
rate of a second a lap. fied - Arnoux, Prost, Pironi, Tambay, Ros-
On lap 11 at Signes, the corner where the berg, Alboreto - and if it finished like that, but
cars carried such terrible speed in, Baldi and Arnoux contrived to give Prost the win, the
Mass touched. They went off into the small Championship would look very, very differ-
run-off area, tearing down catch fencing as ent: Pironi 39, Watson 30, Prost 28, Lauda 24,
they went. Baldi came to rest on the trackside Rosberg 23.
of the guardrail protected by a tyre barrier They ran towards the end and what the
but, 20 yards further on, Mass struck the tyres French call a denouement, meaning the con-
and guardrail a tremendous blow. His March clusion but carrying theatrical implications
vaulted across the little access road behind it of surprises. There would be those, all right,
and came to rest upside down and burning on not least because Arnoux now led by 23 sec-
the densely-populated spectator slope beyond. onds. The Renault team held out a pit board
Several people suffered burns but by sheer and nothing could be lost in translation to the
good fortune no one was killed.2 While the drivers:
firefighters arrived Baldi sprinted over and
T 10 1 ALAIN 2 RENE Arnoux won it by 17 seconds, Pironi 42
seconds away, and the crowd bathed in that:
- ten laps to go [T = tours, laps], Prost to Renault 1-2 in France, both drivers French,
win, Arnoux second. Arnouxs response came Arnoux a chirpy, cheeky chappie whod had
in statistics and decimal points, and they could shocking luck so far and, perhaps, reflected
not be lost in translation back to the pit lane the irreverence of the ordinary Frenchman.
wall, the team and their board - even though Arnoux was extremely popular and more so
Renault would hold the board out again four after the one hour 33 minutes and 33 seconds
more times. of the French Grand Prix.
I found it completely abnormal to give Pironi 39, Watson 30, Prost 25, Lauda 24,
my leading place up, Arnoux says, and at one Rosberg 23, Patrese 19.
moment my lead was 35 seconds. Arnoux walked into a storm. He said:
Halfway through the race, unfortunately, I ran
Arnoux Prost into serious vibration problems. I was shaken
Lap 45 1:44.0 1:44.0 like a bag of beans and on the long straight I
suffered from very painful hands just trying
T 9 1 ALAIN 2 RENE to keep the steering wheel steady. I couldnt
slow down because I could foresee a pit stop
Arnoux Prost to change tyres.
Lap 46 1:44.4 1:43.7 That might have sounded like a justifica-
Lap 47 1:44.8 1:44.2 tion for not slowing down, particularly since
Lap 48 1:44.7 1:44.1 he expanded on it. When you have 23 sec-
Lap 49 1:44.9 1:44.2 onds lead over the man behind you, you might
as well stop to let him by. I did not want to
Of course I saw the pit boards! Arnoux take any risks in case I had to stop - for tyres -
says. What did I think? I didnt think -I sim- during the last laps. It was not a justification,
ply continued with my race. because Arnoux added: What I really mean
to say is this: if I hadnt had those vibrations I
T5 1 ALAIN 2 RENE would have been even further ahead.3
Prost countered with I dont care wheth-
Arnoux Prost er his lead was one second or 30. His orders
Lap 50 1:44.4 1:44.1 were to let me by. Our situation is too critical
Lap 51 1:44.6 1:44.8 and it is too important for us to win the title
for our chances to be treated with such high-
T 3 1 ALAIN 2 RENE handedness.
Sage said that from a human point of
Lap 52 1:45.3 1:44.3 view one can understand Renes decision to
keep ahead, but from the teams point of view
T 2 1 ALAIN 2 RENE it is rather different. Obviously, we want to
win the World Championship and Alain has a
Lap 53 1:45.2 1:44.9 lot more points.
Lap 54 1:46.6 1:44.8 Reflecting, Arnoux says: Was there a
great drama within the team after the race? Yes
FRANCE
BRAZIL round 11
2
IMAGE
-but I dont like the new one. In Formula 2 it
was big fun and a very exciting place to drive
around and in Formula One a very, very good
track for the Ferrari. Once, twice, three times,
Tommy Byrne was born on the back terroir, before it was gelded in 2002 and made
seat of a car on its way from Blackrock to the to look like everywhere else, contained im-
hospital in Drogheda thirty miles away. It was mensely fast straights in the forest and three
a good sign. chicanes (overtaking places, incidentally, un-
He told a wonderful tale, of how he, broth- der braking) to stop the speeds from going
ers, sisters (five in all), parents and the occa- insane.
sional rat lived in a two-bedroomed house un- The fact that each track offered great
til it burnt down. He worked as a petrol pump danger is self-evident but the dangers were
attendant, borrowed money to race and was subtly different depending on the configura-
good enough to win the Formula Ford Festi- tion. Hockenheim was about to demonstrate
val at Brands Hatch in 1981 in Ayrton Sennas that, and give me - apart from the Mansell in-
car: Senna didnt return from Brazil for the terview - a sudden and profound insight into
Festival and at that time had no intention of how drivers actually think.
returning at all. On the Friday Lauda was hustling the
Byrne said: You jump into the car and McLaren round but even he could not force
its just life, isnt it?1 it to the pace of the turbos. Lauda bided his
Imagining Byrne in Grand Prix racing time, making his first run 20 minutes into the
was not at all difficult because who knew session and, on his only hot lap, did 1:52.6.
the backgrounds of any of them? And who It would be his best time but still more than
cared? four seconds slower than Pironi on provisional
The Hockenheim circuit is named after pole. Lauda bided his time again and, moving
the town next to it. You come from one of two towards the end of the session, emerged. On
autobahns which slice past and theres a very his first hot lap he had to take to the grass to
German feel: the towns architecture is slight- avoid Rupert Keegans March and it may be
ly portly, woods mask most of the circuit, and his tyres picked up some dirt.
the immense stretch of stone grandstands - one He fled along the start-finish straight but
of the autobahns is so close it allows glimps- into the right-hander at the end spun off at high
es of them - are uncompromisingly solid in speed and the McLaren tore down some safety
a Germanic way. First built in the 1930s for fencing with great, rotating violence before it
motorbike racing and used as a test track for hit the barrier beyond. Yes, you do look for
Mercedes-Benz in 1939, the extensive rebuild movement, and Lauda was moving all right,
after the War (to accommodate the close au- out of the car and on the move. I remember
tobahn) did not remove the atmosphere of the thinking: its an entirely normal human reac-
1930s. tion to get away from a place where something
Motor racing people generally dont care dangerous has just happened. At that moment
about any of this any more than drivers back- Niki Lauda of the seared face appeared just
grounds and it is true the configuration of the like you and I. But appearances, as the old saw
track and the likely weather are infinitely more has it, really can be deceptive. Hed crashed
important than a circuits surrounding geogra- at perhaps 150 miles an hour - faster than any
phy. A pity. Each circuit, as I was discovering, shunt you or I are ever likely to have - and
brings a different terroir to the calendar and his arms had suffered whiplash. His thought
so does each country. Thats why its called processes were: there is just enough time to
the World Championship. The Hockenheim get into the spare car before the end of the ses-
sion.
Thats why he was running... Pironi as the Ferrari came to rest the right way
Rain drowned the Saturday morning un- up after hammering the Armco. Some drivers
timed session but seven cars ventured out and stopped and Piquet removed Pironis helmet.
were soon leaving roosters of water behind One report2 said he nearly fainted when he
them. Pironi did three laps and was easily saw Pironis injuries and had to walk away,
quickest, 2:10.9 against Tambays 2:14.2. ill, as the rescue crews started work.
Pironi came fast from the chicane feed- Professor Watkins was in a fast-response
ing onto the straight towards the Stadium Porsche in the Stadium Complex and conse-
Complex. Up ahead Prost travelled slowly quently had to go all the way round to reach
(125mph!) on the left intending to pit and Pironi. By then medical cars positioned nearer
reached Derek Daly, who pulled the Williams were already at work.
over to the right. I know Prost is trying to pass As it happened, Allsop and I reached the
me so I move over to the right side. The fact circuit just after the accident, anticipating the
that both intended to pit, and neither of course shrieking and droning of cars going round -
knew the other was pitting, is relevant only in what someone called That Certain Sound. We
that they were both travelling comparatively heard silence. It is no ordinary silence and
slowly. there are reasons, not least that a racing cir-
Pironi, peering ahead into the water, cuit exists to generate sound because highly-
noted Dalys movement and assumed it was to stressed engines are loud and, if youre close
give him - Pironi - overtaking space. Pironi to them, abominably, almost unbearably loud.
could not see Prost and, at about 150mph, his Marlboro used to give away earplugs as a nor-
left front hit Prosts right rear, launching the mal part of their publicity machine.
Ferrari. Silence is ominous because it can only
I didnt know at the time that Pironi was mean something has happened, and invariably
beside Prost - Pironi was, I think, running two it takes an accident to stop the cars.
seconds faster than everybody else. Absolute- Hockenheim sounded like a tomb.
ly flying, Daly says. Pironi only sees a ball Pironi was conscious when Watkins
of spray, well, a ball of mist. When I pulled reached him and he implored Watkins to
over to let Prost go by, just before the Stadium, save his legs. Watkins gave his word that he
Pironi saw the ball of mist pull over to the right would. Watkins, surveying the state of both
side. Hes thinking: theres only one car creat- Pironi and the Ferrari, was amazed he was
ing it. So he ploughs straight through the mist still alive. Then the anaesthetic worked and
that is still there thinking: the other car will be Pironi drifted out of consciousness. His legs
gone when I reach that point. He doesnt rea- were so badly mangled that amputation was
lise Prost is in the middle of it - or he realises considered and the car had to be cut open to
too late, hits him doing full chat and does the get him free. He was taken by helicopter to
end over end. I never saw him. Heidelberg University Hospital where a sur-
Prost watched Pironi actually overtake geon said amputation might be necessary.
me in the air and Pironi himself remembered Watkins again assured Pironi that that would
seeing the tops of the trees. The Ferrari land- not happen, certainly at this stage.3
ed on its rear and somersaulted for 300 yards Daly drove to the pit lane because I was
down the track. Prost had no brakes - the Re- going there anyway. I go to the pits and Im
nault badly damaged - and struggled to miss sitting there. Suddenly a photographer arrives
GERMANY round 12
and then theres two or three more, and then because, the day before, every driver had been
theres more and more and more. Im think- under 2:00.
ing: something unusuals going on here. Then Someone took a photograph of Pironi in
I heard Pironis crashed, then the session the midst of the wreckage. The Ferrari looked
stopped. It was only when I backtracked that I as if it had been crushed around him and, bare-
put the pieces of the puzzle together. headed, eyes closed, contorted face bloody, his
I was more connected to Pironi than I head was locked into a posture of agony. This
ever was to Keke because I drove with Pironi photograph, or variations of it, went round the
in three races [for Tyrrell in 1979] when Jarier world and lingered for days so that you might
got hepatitis. We drove from the airport to- be wandering a street anywhere and sudden-
gether and I got to know him. He was a very ly be confronted by it assaulting you from a
unusual, quirky kind of personality. I always newspaper hoarding, might sit next to some-
thought there was a hidden side to Pironi. You one in a bar reading the evening newspaper
never quite saw the full picture. Believe it or and find your eye helplessly drawn to it, might
not, the ruthless side of him I did not see. I switch on the television news in the hotel and
partnered him in Austria, in Canada and at couldnt escape it.
Watkins Glen - remember Ken Tyrrell ran a The full weight of Ferrari expectation
third car there because he was looking at me now fell on Tambay.
to replace Pironi, which is what I did the fol- And that broth of a boy Byrne? nq - did
lowing year. So I got to know him a little bet- not qualify. The full weight of his own expec-
ter than I did Keke - no, I connected with him tations would take him to Austria a week later
better. It hit me more personally when he got to have another go.
hurt than, say, Paletti because I didnt know The Press Room was high up in the
Paletti at all. grandstand opposite the pits and Allsop and
Tambay was also in the pits. Didier went I made a high-powered decision. Rather than
out because he wanted to test a new set of wets. stay in there watching the race on television,
Whether he should have tested those wets or I as most journalists habitually did, wed go to
should have tested them I cant remember ex- the seating just outside the Press Room en-
actly, or even why he went out. Franco Lini4 trance - every journalist had a reserved seat
came up to me and said Youre on your own, - and actually watch the cars. From so high
kid. Now youve got to do it for yourself and up in the grandstand you could see them com-
not for somebody else - because I was always ing into the Stadium Complex, going round it,
somebody elses team-mate. along the start-finish straight and then out into
Humanitarian concerns aside, Pironis the country again. If anything happened, and
career as a Grand Prix driver seemed over and in 1982 there was always that, we could get
consequently the Championship opened up. to the Press Room in seconds. So we sat and
His 39 points were unlikely to withstand the watched, just like normal spectators, as Prost
efforts of the pursuing pack across a further took his position on the front row. (Because
four Grands Prix. of the Pironi accident this became effectively
The rain lingered into second qualifying pole, just as Arnoux, behind Pironis vacant
where Piquet went fastest with 2:03.4, a statis- position, became effectively the front row.)
tic which illustrates the perils of a wet track Lauda, wrist sprained in his Friday crash,
withdrew.
Brabham were due to try The Pit Stop in the grandstand watching was proving to be
Ploy and informed opinion suggested Piquet an entirely agreeable experience on a pleas-
would pit after 25 laps of the 45. antly warm afternoon.
In the morning warm-up Rosberg hadnt On lap 19 Piquet came up to lap the Chil-
been happy with his engine and decided to ean Eliseo Salazar in an ATS at the Ostkurve
take the spare car into the race. That was a chicane, far out of our sight. Piquet went
scramble and the only lap he did was the pa- ahead into the mouth of the chicane but Sala-
rade lap to the grid, the cars set-up all but un- zar steamed into the side of him, punting him
known to him. He faced a gruelling afternoon off. The ATS came to rest on the track and
and estimated that seventh was as much as he by then Piquet had sprung from the Brabham
could hope for. consumed by a truly terrible rage. As he land-
Arnoux seized the lead, Prost behind, but ed on the ground he brandished both hands to-
Piquet slotted inside Prost braking for the first wards Salazar, who was still clambering out.
chicane. Piquet hustled Arnoux as he would be Salazar made his way onto the run-off area and
bound to do with the Brabham so much lighter Piquet came for him, his body language very
and took him on the second lap. Piquets ad- pronounced indeed. As he came he raised his
vantage was startling. hands again. What the hell were you doing?
He gesticulated then pushed at Salazars hel-
Piquet Arnoux meted face, gave him a left hook and a right
Lap 2 1:54.1 1:57.0 cross combination, and as Salazar backed
Lap 3 1:54.5 1:55.8 away tried to kick him in what appeared to be
Lap 4 1:55.0 1:56.4 a delicate place.
Lap 5 1:54.8 1:56.0 He missed.
He stalked urgently away raising both
So the advantage was translating to hands above his head in a gesture meaning:
around a second and a half a lap, amounting what can you do with idiots like this?
to 35 seconds by lap 25, enough time for a Salazar, head bowed, walked some dis-
successful pit stop and a tactical revolution in tance away behind Piquet who, when he
Formula One. reached some grass, turned, ripped a glove off
Tambay went past Prost and moved up and flung it to the ground in a great theatri-
to Arnoux, moved past on lap 10. Prost had a cal gesture, did the same with the other glove.
fuel injection problem so that the position be- Salazar turned round and walked back where
came: Piquet, Tambay, Arnoux, Patrese, Wat- they had come from, helmet held slack in his
son, Rosberg. hand. He looked distracted as Piquet climbed
Patreses engine expired in wisps of over the Armco and vanished into the trees,
smoke at the Brabham pit and now, clearly, perhaps looking for a pack of wolves to kill
Watson and Rosberg could anticipate gain- with his now bare hands.
ing points. The turbo advantage here reduced And just eight weeks before, when Id
them to the art of the possible. The race spoken to Watson and interviewed Mansell,
seemed becalmed, or rather moving at an es- Id been thinking how touching it was that
tablished rhythm, as races often can when the these Formula One drivers had guarded Olde
initial skirmishing is complete and the cars Worlde courtesies.
have settled into their running speeds. Sitting
GERMANY round 12
When we didnt see Piquet come round, happened out of sight we had no way of know-
Allsop and I concluded hed had a mechani- ing it had happened and in those days there
cal problem and wed find out the details af- were no endless replays on Press Room televi-
terwards. sion screens. The coverage finished when the
It gave the race to Tambay, Arnoux track- coverage finished. That meant we had no op-
ing him distantly into second but Watson, run- portunity of watching a recording to see what
ning third, had a front suspension failure with Salazar had done to Piquet and what a few in-
nine laps to go so that Rosberg came third. stants later Piquet had done to Salazar.
Enzo Ferrari was not remote as such a By now Piquet would be in Rio de Ja-
moment. You got telexes from Enzo Ferrari neiro, still wearing his overalls, having flown
and a phone call straight away into the Ferrari back without the need of an aeroplane. Sala-
motorhome, Tambay says. zar, however, sat on the ground in the ATS pit,
Pironi 39, Watson 30, Rosberg 27, Prost leaning against the wall.
25, Lauda 24, Patrese 19. For me it is not a problem when he starts
Tambay says that when Piquet crashed he to punch me, he said. I ave my elmet on.
told himself to be careful with the back mark- He can punch me all day and I dont care. But
ers, but he had a feeling this was his day even when e try to kick me zere... He looked up,
when he missed a gearchange and thought he face bleak, and didnt smile at all.
might have damaged the engine. As he came Anyway, we reconstructed the crash and
from the Ferrari some of the mechanics, whod the fight, and photographs lifted from televi-
been through Zolder, Montreal and the Satur- sion proved irresistible to any red-blooded
day here, were in tears. daily newspaper. We didnt dare watch a race
Reflecting now, Tambay says: If you from anywhere except the Press Room and
look at the race, I won because I was second to its comprehensive television coverage ever
Piquet and he got involved with Salazar. This again.
is why I won the race. Like Murray Walker I never did see the fight until I got home
would say, You win the race by covering the and watched the video.
distance before the others. Rosberg had quite other concerns when
After the accident of Gilles, I dont know he got home. Hed been burgled.
what happened to the team, to the car or to the Hed always said I dont need a bloody
construction of the car or the engines, but the alarm system here, you know. My front door
car started to be very reliable and performed had been kicked in - really kicked in. It had
very well. I dont know if they strengthened it boot marks like this. It was lying on the floor
or made progress with the engine or whatever, when I came home. My gold coins and souve-
but straight away with Didier we started hav- nirs and things like that had gone. I got alarm
ing a lot of results. systems but I never felt comfortable in the
When any race is over a journalist checks house after that.
with his office to have a tactical talk, not least
Footnote: 1. Byrne had a brief Formula One career: five meetings,
to find out how much space he has been allo- of which he qualified for two and retired both times; 2. Grand Prix
cated. I did that and Allsop did that in adjoin- International; 3. Life At The Limit, Watkins; 4. Franco Lini was an
Italian journalist who in the 1960s became Ferrari team manager,
ing telephone booths and we were both asked evidently because Enzo wanted him to talk to people. He could do
the same question: what about the fight? We that, all right.
both tried to stall: oh, the fight? Because it had
15 AUGUST------------------ DRIVERS VIEW
It was a frightening place to drive. lts funny,
CHAPMANS the place was all a bit over the top but my
main memory is of Bosch-Kurve. I dont know
why. Every track you have a little something
LAST FLING
you remember better than others. The Bosch-
Kurve was very furious. You came down from
the altitude and in the wet... well. Into the Bo-
sch-Kurve in a non-turbo - that would hardly
AUSTRIA, OSTERREICHRING get you up the hill! - in my first year, 1978, you
could slide the cars without getting wet pants,
A
you know. Modern cars, however, would be
different terroir again, this one looking
going flat round Austria. We just couldnt do it,
at first glance more suited to The Sound
we couldnt use the power. [Authentic Rosberg
of Music than racing cars. Imagine a hillside
insight - Hilton: From the grid there was a
contoured by great, grassy undulations rising
hill you couldnt see over. Rosberg: But there
to the rim of a tree-lined horizon. Imagine
was nothing there to see. Hilton: But when
dense, tall copses of firs here and there like
you went from the grid there might be all
natures decoration. Imagine more than three
hell on the other side. Rosberg: Nooo. You
and a half miles of track threaded like a ribbon
wouldnt qualify that far back. Come on!]
into this, travelling through immense loops
Unfortunately after that a chicane was built.
and sweeps up the hillside and even more im-
That was an awful chicane - every chicane
mense loops and sweeps down again. Now
is an awful chicane. Whoever invented them
imagine Nelson Piquets pole lap at an average
should be banned from motor racing. OK, after
within an eye-blink of 152 miles an hour.
Mark Donaghue was killed (in practice, 1975)
We were in the theatre of giants, no place
something needed to be done but the corner
for persons of a nervous disposition.
there wasnt the worst on the track, was it? It
The Osterreichring felt Austrian. You
had no run-off area - like all the others There
saw people wearing lederhosen and hats with
was quite a big difference in altitude from the
feathers not for effect but because thats just
pits to the top of the hill. The last corner was
what they wore. You saw comely wenches
a fairly steep hill. It was the altitude that made
serving big beers to the lederhoseners from
it an interesting track, and you only had that
rustic wooden bars. You smelt sausages -
at Spa and Brands Hatch.
wurst - drifting on the breeze.
Wed come from Hockenheim through Keke Rosberg
Munich by car because, however much Grand
Prix teams and drivers felt the need to go to Strolling in Munich, that picture of Piro-
airports at the first possible opportunity after ni seemed everywhere, as if it haunted a whole
a race - which had thrown me completely in Continent. You wondered what ordinary peo-
Detroit - and come back through airports at ple made of it and how difficult it was to justify
the last possible moment for the next race, oth- as the consequence of a sporting event, Pironi
er members of what someone called the Grand wanted to he in the car and nobody ordered
Prix Family had no need of that. You took a him to go suicidally fast in the wet, of course,
couple of days off and meandered instead. but no doubt most of the kamikaze pilots in
AUSTRIA round 13
the Second World War were volunteers too. year making no differentiation between win-
Since 1945 wed been at peace for five decades ter and summer. It enabled the Daily Mail to
and thats why the hoardings carrying Pironis deploy him to the Grands Prix with a surpris-
bloodied agony seemed to reflect another time ingly short overlap at either end of the Grand
and another mentality, not a Saturday session Prix season, something utterly unimaginable
of no particular importance up the autobahn 25 years later.
past Stuttgart a couple of days before. Allsop had begun covering it the season
You wondered if being a volunteer was before - 1981 - and, in Belgium, confronted a
itself really a justification, an excuse-all, for mechanic being run over and killed in the pit
what had happened at Zolder, Montreal and lane, another run over and almost killed on the
Hockenheim, wondered if a great responsi- grid.
bility did not fall on the people who accom- We hadnt grown up with motor sport, we
modated the volunteers by giving them cars hadnt subconsciously absorbed and accepted
which were lethal - and justified doing that by from childhood the ethos well, it happens and
murmuring well, they want them. Presumably continued.
the pilots wanted the planes too. It took a long time for that to begin to
These were the questions an outsider happen to me and after 1 May 1994 I knew
would ask. As far as anyone could tell, the it never really would. I cant speak for Allsop
insiders never asked them at all. They had but Id be surprised if he didnt feel the same.
grown up within it, it had always been like Now imagine, against this background,
that, they had dedicated virtually every mo- that you are surveying the vast, undulating
ment of their waking, working lives to it and hillside for the first time and about to witness
beneath the well-rehearsed world-weary cyni- Piquets lap which would make the Osterre-
cism a profound affair of the heart was going ichring the fastest Grand Prix circuit then in
on. Drivers, team principals, designers, me- use. The circuit was frightening and - in the
chanics, tyre manufacturers, uniformed girls context of 1982, Zolder, Montreal, and that
who handed you drinks and biros and note- picture - very frightening indeed. A glance up
books and badges, sponsors of all shapes and the hillside was enough.
sizes, married couples who ran motorhome The Osterreichring nestled into its beau-
hospitality units, Press Officers, journalists, tiful setting but the pits and paddock were in
photographers, all manner of officials, truck- no sense beautiful. The equivalent of todays
ies, the Longines timing team, the medical immaculate Media Centre, humming with
staff, the guys who flew the helicopters, the technology and relaying everything instantly
woman who toured the circuits in a red cara- round the world, for example, was a large,
van developing the photographers films and, egg-shaped, permanent marquee on the op-
on top of all these, shifty people you couldnt posite side of the track to the pits. It was so
quite place - they were all in love with it. old its original white had discoloured to a soft,
Sometimes Allsop and I felt lonely be- sour yellow. By definition, being a marquee,
cause we were not. We came from that other it had no windows and consequently the heat
world, the one beyond the paddock, he a foot- within it - Austria can be very hot in summer,
ball man in those distant days when that sport and was - gathered in much the same way that,
did not sprawl monstrously across every min- we are assured, has made the planet Venus an
ute, hour, day, week and month of the whole inferno.
Its called the greenhouse effect: the air It was a curious session in that many
has nowhere else to go. Inside the marquee lay drivers spent a long time in the pits watching
strewn, for some inexplicable reason, theatri- the light, pastry-puff clouds and hoping they
cal props and artefacts. would move across the sun, cooling the track
The telephone room was cleverly situated even a little.
in a small room built into the marquees top, That night a tremendous storm brought
reached by a wooden stairway. Yes, heat rises. merciful fresh air in its wake but Saturday was
Yes, the heat rose as it gathered. Yes, it had no- hot again, the times fractionally slower. Patrese
where else to go. At one point the temperature went quickest from Piquet, then Prost, Tambay
in the telephone room reached 140 and dic- and Arnoux - whod had a wretched Friday
tating a story became extremely difficult be- when his race car and the spare car kept break-
cause you were peering at your notes through ing down. Rosberg, sixth again, led the non-
a constant cascade of your own sweat. It was turbos from de Angelis but Watson was lost in
exactly like taking a shower without the show- 17th place with debilitating understeer on this
er. I saw one man take his shirt off and use Saturday. The day before, hed been 18th. Tom-
that to dab-dab-dab his eyes. I saw Jardine, my Byrne somehow goaded and coaxed and
hair matted, wandering heat-struck looking as forced the Theodore onto the last row.
if hed been doused. Because the calendar was (reasonably)
From that room, despite everything, the stable from season to season people fell into
stories went out that in first qualifying Piquet rituals: the last thing you did when you checked
had done the 151mph, Patrese slightly slower out of your hotel was make the reservation for
but in the 151s as well, Tambay next on 148, the following year. Hotels were passed down
then Prost with Rosberg fifth fastest on 145, a through the generations like precious legacies
genuine feat for a car without a turbo engine. because otherwise you might end up travel-
One report claims other teams were stag- ling huge distances to find a room when the
gered by the Piquet lap. Family came to town in their hundreds, their
The turbos were fearsome here and Piquets rooms safely locked up (as it were) from the
lap, on his third run near the end of the session, year before.
became an overall marker of progress. The year People had rituals, and among a certain
before, Arnoux in the Renault turbo took pole group on the Saturday of the Austrian Grand
with 1:32.0, an average speed of 144mph. Pi- Prix it never varied. The old Daily Mirror
quets 1:27.6 annihilated that. Didier Braillon hand Pat Mennem, a florid-faced man of great
wrote in Grand Prix International: However humour and - truly - an Olde Worlde charm,
spectacular the Brabham performance, it obvi- led the hire-car motorcade up
ously was also frightening, and certain drivers a winding mountain road to a restaurant
did not hesitate to say what they were thinking perched at the top where the food and wine
- that the current cars are missiles and that a lap were excellent but, more importantly, the
record nowadays is more concerned with bal- owner had fought in North Africa for Rom-
listics than auto racing... mels Afrika Korps. Mennem had just missed
Arnouxs 1:32 would have put him fifth the War but had a military bearing and could
on the 1982 grid, behind not only Rosberg but hold a drink like no other man I have ever en-
the non-turbo Tyrrell of Alboreto too. countered.
AUSTRIA round 13
The owner and Mennem exchanged The Ploy, would pull away. Patrese moved into
warm greetings, and the feasting began. At the lead, Tambay had a puncture and motored
a certain point, when the wine began to talk, as quickly as he could to the pits and the Re-
either Mennem made a signal or the owner naults were being shed by the Brabhams.
made a signal. Ready. The owner had some- Lap 5: Patrese, Piquet, Prost, Arnoux, de
how managed to keep recordings of the songs Angelis, Warwick, Teo Fabi, Mansell, Rosberg.
the Afrika Corps played to maintain their On lap 8 the Tolemans failed, Mansell fell
morale and he put them on. He and Mennem back and pitted, Arnouxs turbo broke, and on
marched up and down the restaurant while the lap 17 Piquet pitted. His tyres had blistered,
rest of the clientele dissolved into great hilar- forcing him in early. The pit crew, caught un-
ity and applause. awares, were unprepared for The Ploy yet and
Those five decades after the madness took almost half a minute to do their work. He
ended you could do the marching now. The rejoined fourth.
fact that an Englishman was doing it to Third Lap 22: Patrese, Prost, de Angelis, Pi-
Reich military music guaranteed bonhomie as quet, Rosberg, Laffite.
well as hilarity, and somehow it made that pic- Two laps later Patrese pitted and Murray
ture harder and harder to take. Walker, commentating on BBC, described it
Never mind. A great, wonderfully eccen- as sensational because the fuel went in and
tric night up a mountain and on the morrow the four tyres went on in 14 seconds.
you have an Access All Areas Press Pass for As Gordon Murray says, the cars didnt
the race, something unimaginably precious to go far enough for us to do it until Austria. You
any follower whod waited all year, slept in a know, if I look at those photographs now its
tent and bought a ticket to sit on the hillside as bloody stupid. I had all my guys dressed in
the nearest to it they could get. Nomex and Im standing in front of the car
The narcotic leads to addiction. in a short-sleeved shirt, nothing on my head.
The heat wave reached into race day and If the car had gone up Id have been a Roman
a vast crowd came, Austrians celebrating Lau- candle...
das return and Italians wanting to celebrate Patrese describes refuelling as a fantas-
another Tambay victory in the Ferrari. At the tic idea. Its still a fantastic idea today! After
green light the hills were alive with the sound Austria everybody had to start doing it. In
of Formula One music as the 26 cars set off. Austria Nelson broke down but I did the pit
The crowd saw Piquet cleanly away and stop. Everybody was watching what we were
Rosberg hustling past Tambay, but the Alfa doing and it worked very well. Of course in
Romeos played dodgem cars and that of de those days there was not a limit on how many
Cesaris banged into Daly. Even as Piquet led litres you could have in the car - it was quick,
the surge up the hill and out into the coun- around 120 litres in four, five seconds. With
try the 26 had become 23 and, after a lap, 22 the turbos we needed 240 litres to complete a
when Keegan stopped. His steering had been Grand Prix, so half that made a much easier
damaged in the Alfas crash. way for the driving.
A turbo race, of course: Piquet leading I went out, I was in the lead and we could
from Patrese, Prost, Tambay and Arnoux, de have won the first race where we did the pit
Angelis and Rosberg panting along behind stop - but unfortunately my engine blew up.
them. The Brabhams, committed yet again to
Patrese had got out just in front of Prost gap down to 1.6 seconds and when de Angelis
but when the engine blew the Brabham rotated reached the crest of the hill Rosberg was vis-
off, travelling at speed across a meadow be- ibly nearer than he had been the lap before.
fore riding up a bank backwards. Spectators He thrust the Williams through the little
behind a mesh fence watched it come at them sequence of lefts and rights on the far side of
and some turned to flee. The bank arrested it. the hill, forced it through the sweepers after
We did get a race, however. Prost led but that so hard that, emerging, hed cut the gap to
of course Renaults didnt finish races, de An- four cars lengths.
gelis ran second, Piquet third but Rosberg was He had momentum, something you
catching him. Piquets engine was about to ex- sensed as well as saw.
pire. At lap 40: Prost, de Angelis, Rosberg and As they began the downhill journey
Laffite on the same lap, and only five other through the carving curves towards the fin-
runners going round. ishing line, way down there, he lurked within
The hills remained alive to the sound striking distance and stayed at that distance. It
of Formula One music, but only sporadically was like a perfect waltz through the lefts and
now as the nine survivors rose and fell among rights, a majesty of movement against such a
the circuits 3-6 miles of undulation. The race majestic backdrop. Rosberg jinked left but de
remained alive because Rosberg was catch- Angelis covered that, Rosberg got a tow and
ing de Angelis, suddenly had him in vision. jinked left a second time. De Angelis covered
Watsons engine failed after 44 laps and four that again.
laps later Prost was gone with a fuel injec- It brought them to the long, sloping right-
tion problem, yellow flames belching from the hander which went on and on into the start-
rear of the Renault. Prost clambered out, head finish straight.
bowed, distraught, his body seemingly bowed Rosberg weighed his options very calmly,
by rage. He wandered away, trance-like, onto balancing them against the risks and what that
grass, his back to the car which had come to would mean for the Championship. He might
rest half on and half off the circuit. go inside de Angelis, over the kerb: no ob-
And still Rosberg was catching de Angelis... struction there and grass the other side. The
Rosbergs foot hurt and hed lost time be- corner was ferociously fast and if hed been a
hind Laffite who blocked him when he tried younger man he might have tried it. Instead he
to get by but, typically, he attacked the Oster- hesitated, for a millisecond maybe.
reichring. What followed represented an act of I only had one chance and that was the
willpower as well as driving. last corner. I knew that the inside was very
I came through to fourth or fifth in a easy to block. I could have done it on the out-
fairly short time. I was catching Elio three, side but I thought for sure Id crash because
four seconds a lap. if you get on marbles at the end of the race
At lap 50, three to go, he had the gap on that corner and went off you would hurt
down to 3.1 seconds and a lap later 2.6. As de yourself. So I decided not to take that risk,
Angelis reached the crest of the hill from the which was untypical of me because I knew if
start-finish straight Rosberg was half way up I go outside I can win. And I could trust Elio,
it. Out into the country de Angelis stretched he was my best friend in Formula One, that
away but Rosberg came back at him. Cross- wasnt the question. But of course he would
ing the line into the last lap Rosberg had the block inside, which he then did - and then he
AUSTRIA round 13
gave me a chance. They had this half-round him from Tyler when I got Wattie. For some
[kerbing] on the inside - strange looking - and reason someone said You do the Monza test.
I considered running right over that. I decided I dont think Id done a test prior to that.
the car would probably jump too much and Niki came in and said That high speed
jump into Elios car. I decided not to do it but bit there, I want a softer front spring.
drive behind him and I knew Id lost already. If Dialogue...
I came out from behind there was not enough Jenkins: No, you dont. You want a hard-
distance to the line. er one and we are going to put more wing in.
De Angelis drifted wide as they approached Lauda: Nope.
the exit, leaving Rosberg the empty inside. Jenkins: What do you mean, no?
From there it was a straight power play Lauda: I mean that wont work.
to the line. Jenkins: Well, I think it will.
De Angelis got there 0.050 of a second Jenkins started to get the wing numbers
before Rosberg, and Colin Chapman flung his out and he didnt want to look at it. He sat in
cap high, high into the air, a gesture hed been the car and I said - this was mid-afternoon -
making for years whenever one of his cars Can you just try it for me? He said OK. I
won. He would never do it again. Chapmans cant remember his exact words but the mean-
last was de Angeliss first. ing was Ill try it just this time.
Neither of us had yet won a race and Then he waved to his buddy in the back of
I was very happy for him, I wasnt sad and the garage, the bag carrier, to get his stuff and
I gave it all I could, Rosberg says. I was I thought: hes going to leave! But he stayed in
lapping Laffite, thats where I lost the race. the car, went out, did a few laps, came in and
Jacques wouldnt let me by and I lost five sec- said Hmmm. Very interesting. Now I go.
onds or six seconds. And he left. I got this huge bollocking from
Pironi 39, Rosberg 33, Watson 30, Lauda Ron [Dennis] as to why I had upset Niki so
26, Prost 25, de Angelis 22. hed left before the end of the test. Ron wasnt
Between Austria and the next race, the there but rang to see how we were doing. Ron
Swiss at Dijon, the teams went testing at said What time did he do? and I said hed
Monza. Alan Jenkins remembers that because done a really good time then left.
it gave him an extraordinary insight into how It was something like he had to make a
Lauda thought. point. I had made him do something he didnt
Niki felt in his own mind he could ex- want to do, compounded by the fact that I was
trapolate things like tyre temperature for ex- right. It wasnt a falling out, it was showing
ample, which we didnt know a huge amount who was boss.
about. We certainly didnt play with tyre pres- Yes, Herr Andreas Nikolaus Lauda of Vi-
sures like they do now. This was the early enna had furtive eyes which didnt miss much
transition from crossplys to radials and it was and a suspicious mind. He was also, in most
much more of a black art than it is now but he situations in his life, the boss.
would tell you he could tell what the car was
doing as he left the pit lane. He would often
just come back in, wouldnt do a lap. Hed say
No, no, thats not going to work. I think [de-
signer] Steve Nichols was taking over running
29 AUGUST------------------
DRIVERS VIEW
Theres a naughty tale about that involv- The view from behind the paddock was,
ing the escape road, which itself proved to in Formula One terms, panoramic. After Aus-
be a naughty place. Behind the paddock you tria Id taken my family on holiday to Italy and
could sit and watch the cars go through the motored up to Dijon to cover the race before
hard left-hand corner called La Bretelle (the continuing home. I got my mother a pass for
Link Road). From there the track described a the Saturday and she sat watching La Bretelle
long, tight loop as it returned towards the rear as qualifying began. Nothing had prepared her
of the paddock. If you missed La Bretelle you for the late braking, deceleration, road hold-
had the escape road directly ahead. It wrig- ing and acceleration of the Formula One car,
gled gently until it rejoined the track where and, as the first few came hard in, she mur-
the loop returned and wasnt just a short cut, it mured Dead! - theyd have to crash and die.
was a very short cut indeed. Instead they followed the racing line, got onto
Tambay had a pinched nerve in his the power baaarp-baaarp and proceeded quite
shoulder which proved so painful that after normally.
first qualifying he withdrew, and Arnoux had If you are a follower of Grands Prix
joined Ferrari for 1983. through the medium of television and have
How would that affect the balance in the never been to a race weekend or test session
Renault team and particularly Prosts champi- your first taste of the reality of it will be a
onship chances? He could scarcely count on strong experience, as if the basic laws of ge-
Arnoux helping him... ometry, physics and gravity are being rear-
The Renaults were so quick on the Friday ranged before your very eyes.
that they chose not to contest the Saturday ses- The other day a magazine called Evo,
sion but contented themselves with running on which specialises in road testing hot produc-
full tanks and unmarked tyres. tion cars, did a detailed comparison of such
Rosberg wrestled with understeer - the as a big BMW, a Corvette, a Lamborghini,
familiar problem, haunting him like a ghost an Ascari, a Mitsubishi and, among others, a
from race to race. He, Frank Williams and Caterham CSR. That was the most potent, do-
his engineer Frank Dernie struggled with this ing 0-100mph-0 in 13.7 seconds, but, as the
but what Rosberg described as a last minute magazine pointed out, the current McLaren
change to the tyres solved it. He had three F1 car was doing 0-100-0 in 6.6 seconds, more
different compounds on the car for the race, than twice as fast. The McLaren also braked
a decision taken shortly before the start. I from 185mph-0 in 3.5 seconds, which candidly
tried it on the warm-up lap and it felt really is very hard to imagine from the drivers point
good. I just said This is the way to go. No of view. (Circa 1982, Rosberg would recount,
argument.1 the G-forces were so stark under braking that
Watson also suffered understeer, qualifying 11th. they tried to make your eyeballs rotate.)
A strange incident enlivened Saturday Of course, television flattens and slows
qualifying because Mansell went off up the es- everything. If you go to Wimbledon the
cape road into catch fencing, blamed Henton, courts seem smaller than the ones youve been
and they squared up. (Many years later Hen- watching at home and the ball is travelling a
ton found reminiscing about this amusing and lot faster. You need some time to adjust. Same
said Fist fight? It was handbags at dawn!) at Lords where, sitting side-on to the wicket,
a fast delivery is difficult to glimpse and you
wonder how any batsman has the time to play you turn right, you do down the hill through
it. Now think of a downhill ski race where, at these esses. I braked too late at the top of the
points, the racer may be jumping the length of hill and missed the left turn. I go through this
a football pitch in the air. And so it goes. None escape road, stop at the top of it and see Wat-
of this (in my own experience) equals the sense tie coming, let him go by and drive out be-
of complete disorientation when you are con- hind him. Of course when I drove up behind
fronted with 0-100-0 in 6.6s machines for the him I am now two seconds closer than I was.
first time: the shrieking, echoing bomb-burst I flashed by the timing at a 1m 32. I drive in.
of noise, the braking points which cannot be Charlie Crichton-Stuart is first up to me.
possible, the absolute precision in cornering - Crichton-Stuart: Man, the car must be good.
like watching a Japanese bullet train - and the Daly: Charlie, I didnt do the time.
unleashing of so much power out of a corner Crichton-Stuart (looking left, looking
that the car is already in the distance. right, shouting into Dalys helmet): Dont tell
Then, afterwards, you listen to the drivers anybody - especially Keke. Dont expletive
and they invariably sing the same song. The tell him.
set-up wasnt quite right... could have found Daly prudently said nothing to anybody
a tenth of a second here, another tenth there except the car is faster with front wings on.
... understeer in turn two ...tyres started to go (Momentary diversion. A quarter of a
off... Ill be faster next time no question ... century later I had this verbal exchange with
As Frank Williams once observed, how- Rosberg:
ever much power a racing car can deliver the Ive spoken to Derek Daly and he out-
driver always demands one and the same qualified you.
thing: more. Rosberg (combative): Where?
Mother never wanted to go again after Dijon.
Dijon but the narcotic was getting to me. Rosberg: Yeah, using the short cut!
Whether she saw Derek Daly go by on So when did you find out?
his hot lap I have no idea but plenty of people, Rosberg: I knew it instantly
including the timing officials, clearly did not. How?
Daly says that in his relationship with Rosberg: Because he CANT be quicker
Rosberg the only thing that irritated him - than me, not in Dijon. If you wait long enough,
Rosberg - was that I started ahead of him on he might have got lucky and had a time which
the grid at Dijon and part of the reason he won was similar, but Dijon? Nooo. He cut the loop
there was as a result of something I did. off
First, the hot lap. Actually that was a bo- End of verbal exchange.)
gus time. I didnt do it. Heres what happened: Dalys short cut did, however, lead the
it appeared that the Williamses were faster Williams team to put front wings on Rosbergs
without the front wings so we were both run- car too, and as Daly says It turned out to be
ning in qualifying and practice without them. the best for the race, which put him in a posi-
In the last session I tried with front wings on tion to be able to take advantage of everybody
the car again and immediately I thought: this elses misfortune.
is a faster set-up. Im chasing John Watson, Prost had pole from Arnoux, Patrese and
who is maybe four seconds ahead of me. You Lauda.
know Dijon? You go down the front straight,
SWITZERLAND round 14
A Grand Prix meeting was a more in- Piquet was travelling fast, prising tenths
timate affair then, the paddock large by the of a second from Prost wherever he could, and
standards of the 1960s but ridiculously small cut the gap from 7 seconds to 4.5 He made
by todays. In mood and conduct it was near- his pit stop on lap 40 but that could only be
er 1967 than 2007. Drivers didnt habitually a crippling disadvantage because he had not
conceal themselves in air-conditioned motor- overtaken Prost. The race turned, as others
homes and if you wanted a word with Rosberg had done before it, on whether the Renault
he would invariably be sitting outside chat- would hold together. The order after Piquets
ting, probably provocatively, to people going stop: Prost, Arnoux, Rosberg, Lauda, Piquet,
past. He wore sunglasses, he smoked and he Patrese.
ate real food with a knife and fork, not organic By lap 44 the first five faced a crocodile
shredded carrot juice and pasta and the like. of cars - Patrese (now lapped), Alboreto, de
From time to time a sturdy, dedicated little Cesaris and Daly The Renaults selected their
tribe of Finns complete with flags - they fol- moments and passed by, but when Rosberg,
lowed him from race to race - would suddenly catching the Renaults at 1.5 seconds a lap,
burst into view shouting at great volume Keke! reached de Cesaris he also reached a problem.
Keke! and things we couldnt understand. He De Cesaris did not accept the racing etiquette
smiled and they smiled and the people going that all is fair in fights for position but a driver
past smiled, and wasnt this the way life was being lapped moves courteously aside as soon
meant to be? as he decently can. De Cesaris blocked and,
A hot, dry Sunday afternoon. Arnoux because the Alfa Romeo had the turbo power,
took the lead from Prost and they pulled clear Rosberg could not match it on the straights.
and Prost overtook him. Now Prost pulled So Rosberg tried everything he knew in the
away and Arnoux held a big gap to Patrese corners, driving like a lunatic and worried
while Piquet, running light for his fuel stop, about destroying his tyres. He watched, impo-
had to make a move. He needed to be in a sub- tent, as the Renaults sailed away and he was
stantial lead but only got past Patrese on lap 4. not happy.
Order at lap 5: Prost, Arnoux, Piquet, Patrese, De Cesaris nearly cost me the race. I was
Rosberg, Lauda ...Watson 11th. very quick but I just couldnt get by this bloody
The race assumed its shape, a familiar Alfa. I could slipstream it, get alongside it and
shape. Piquet caught Arnoux but by then Prost that was the end of it. I just could not take him
was literally out of sight and at La Bretelle Pi- because when I was alongside by the end of
quet slithered off onto the dust, came back. Pa- the straight he was ahead again and there was
trese drew up and Rosberg drew up on Patrese. no chance, I couldnt out-brake him, nothing.
Piquet took Arnoux on the outside down In those days blue-flagging wasnt what it is
the start-finish straight on lap 11. today and this happened lap after lap, lap after
Watson made a concerted thrust so that lap. The bloke was being lapped! It wasnt for
on this lap 11 he reached eighth and on lap 17 position - he was a lap down.
took Patrese. He lost a skirt, however, and pit- Did I speak to him afterwards? No. I
ted three laps later. It took so long for repairs knew Andrea quite well but after that, whats
that when he emerged he ran at the back of the the point? You expected bad behaviour from
field. Andrea. I had a very clear idea always about
who I was in front of and who I was behind.
Can I let him by or can I fight with this guy? A concertina developed at the front, Ar-
Every person you would approach differently noux catching Prost (I would quite happily
because you had a mental picture of every have gone by him if I could, Arnoux said)
one. You knew his weaknesses, you knew his and Rosberg catching Arnoux. On lap 73 Ros-
strengths. You knew his history, what hed berg overtook Arnoux, who pitted imagining
done before, so you just had the feel for every- he had run out of fuel. Rosberg did not know
one. And you treated them all differently. An- that Prosts choice of softer tyres was moving
drea was unfair. I was so angry I was tempted against the Renault, nor that Prost had lost a
to bang wheels. That was the only time I nearly skirt.
lost control of myself in a racing car. I just felt On lap 76 of the 80 Rosberg closed ...
I was never going to be able to solve the situa- closed ... closed. You could feel how taut he
tion. And you have to remember this guy was held the Williams, how hard his demands of
being lapped and Im hurting my tyres and Im it were, how strongly he wielded it through
hurting everything. the corners. On lap 77 he flung it through La
De Cesaris says: Dijon? I dont remem- Bretelle and a gap came up, 2.08 seconds. In
ber at all. What happened at Dijon? the sweepers out the back he drew up to with-
Rosberg did bang a fist on the steering in a couple of cars lengths.
wheel in frustration and the statistics are an Into lap 78 he held distance with the Re-
eloquent testament to his anger. Hed been lap- nault down the start-finish straight and now at
ping consistently in the 1:09s from early in the La Bretelle was almost close enough to start
race, only going into the 1:10s - and one lap threatening. This time out the back Rosberg
the 1:11s - when in traffic before rapping out thrust the snout of the Williams over to the
1:09s again. That is what he was doing when right searching for an opening. Prost coun-
he reached de Cesaris and what he was losing, tered that. The man with the chequered flag
lap by lap, to Prost. walked towards his position and the Williams
team realised he was going to stop the race
Lap 47 Lap 48 Lap 49 Lap 50 two laps early. They pointed that out to him in
Rosberg 1:09.9 1:11.0 1:11.5 1:13.6 no uncertain terms.
De Cesaris 1:11.2 1:11.5 1:13.4 1:11.4 Approaching lap 79, the second last, Ros-
Prost 1:09.0 1:08.9 1:09.1 1:09.0 berg was still those two cars lengths away.
Dont forget, Rosberg says, they tried to
This continued for another three laps, stop the race one lap early. The starter want-
costing Rosberg an estimated ten seconds. ed to wave the chequered flag! Peter Collins2
Rosberg described de Cesaris at the time ran to the start-finish podium, grabbed the
as crazy ... a madman. At one point, doing blokes hands and wouldnt let him put the flag
170mph down the straight, Rosberg banged up! Thats what saved the win. Peter Collins
the side of the Alfa Romeo with his front thought: dont you dare.
wheel and he knew this was becoming very Into a downhill left-hander Prost sudden-
dangerous. ly went wide. It surprised Rosberg although
Eventually de Cesaris made a mistake not enough to deflect him from going into the
and Rosberg went through, de Cesaris off the wide open space on the inside and through. He
circuit. Rosberg felt it was the least de Cesaris had a couple of corners to fashion a protective
deserved. gap before they were both on the start-finish
SWITZERLAND round 14
straight and the turbo power came at him. He ism itself would play no part. As Lauda told
fashioned the gap and it safely delivered him me once, Forget about flags and anthems and
the race. crap like that, in this game they dont matter
Prost fell away and Rosberg beat him by a damn.
4.4 seconds. Rosberg said So now Im 11 points ahead
It was an extraordinarily improbable mo- of Prost but he can win Monza and probably I
ment for two reasons. Before the race Rosberg cant. So, lets see ... if Alain wins Monza and
said (to Murray Walker and others) that he I dont finish, then where are we? Yes, only
thought a non-turbo could win it, and this at two points difference before Las Vegas - so
a turbo track; and a year before he had been youve got to be very careful about jumping to
out of a drive after an undistinguished career. conclusions.
That evening at Dijon he led the World Cham- The Finnish tribe decamped to Dijon
pionship and that was in his thoughts, not the where that evening they gave the solid streets
first victory. their rendition of the Keke! Keke! chant and
Rosberg 42, Pironi 39, Prost 31, Lauda brandished those Finnish flags, but however
30, Watson 30, de Angelis 23. sturdy the tribe proved to be, however ener-
It left only Italy at Monza and the United getically they flourished those blue crosses on
States at Las Vegas. A driver could count his white backgrounds, Laudas Law still applied.
best 11 finishes from the 16 rounds but in such Nationalist fervour couldnt help Keke at all.
a season that was meaningless. Rosberg had Never mind. He fully intended to do what
nine finishes and could therefore keep every- he had been doing for the whole of his life, and
thing he gained, Pironi was statistically out of help himself - in both senses of that term.
it, Prost was favoured by the Renaults unre- Footnote: 1. Grand Prix International; 2. Peter Col-
liability in the sense that he had only scored lins, Australian, was Williams team manager and later held
points in five races, Lauda in six, Watson in senior posts at Benetton and Lotus.
six also and de Angelis in seven. We were to
be spared mental arithmetic which bedevilled
other seasons where drivers were dropping
points and the permutations gave proceedings
an artificial and sometimes grotesque aspect.
As The Family decamped from Dijon
with its customary urgency - you came from
the Press Room when youd filed your story
and they were all gone, like a vision dissolved
- any of the top five (and excluding Pironi,
of course) might take the Championship, al-
though the chances of de Angelis depended on
him winning the last two races and Rosberg
scoring no points.
That made four, Rosberg, Prost, Lauda
and Watson. They were four entirely different
personalities, four different nationalities and
four different backgrounds although national-
12 SEPTEMBER------------ row and in the Middle East by Tuesday Eoin
Young thought this worthy of reproducing in
PRODIGALS
his weekly column, reached into his pocket for
his notebook ... and guess what wasnt there?
DRIVERS VIEW
RETURN The circuit was the same then as it is today,
although the first chicane was a little different
(and has been the subject of constant change).
Nevertheless there was a chicane there, a
-------------ITALY, MONZA chicane before Lesmo, there was a chicane at
the Ascari - so basically Monza was Monza
not the way Rosberg thought. His whole ca- that headset in Monza I could do something
reer had been grounded in repetitive examples with them by keeping the front end from bit-
of reality and, eyeing the Championship table, ing in the quick corners. That was all to do
even lowly points might be beyond price. with changing the flexibility of the front of the
Saturday was hot and dry and Andretti skirt - if, say, youd thrown the wings away
went out swiftly - after two and a half min- you wouldnt have been able to make the dif-
utes - to set a 1m 30.3s after three laps. Piquet ference we were able to make with it.
did a 1m 30.1 and Tambay, out a minute after That made Wattie go from the back of
Andretti, did a 1m 30.0. the grid to 12th just because all of a sudden as
Prost was out after four and a half min- he whipped into the Lesmos and so forth he
utes and did a 1m 32.6. These were initial skir- wasnt getting this pointy feeling which made
mishes because pole was going to be deep into him worry about the back end. It happened on
the 1m 28s. Watsons second run.
The others - Arnoux, Rosberg, Patrese, Nobody could beat Andrettis time and
Watson -waited. sensible people wondered if there was any
They came out successively after almost point in going back to their hotels at days end
eight minutes (Watson for a 1m 52.8s), 11 min- because that lap was going to bring the whole
utes (Arnoux for a 2m 03.6), 12 minutes (Ros- of northern Italy to the circuit on the morrow
berg for a 1m 32.6) and 34 minutes (Patrese and you might never get through the queues
for a 1m 29.8). By then Mario Andretti had and in. Vedano al Lambro, so quiet and quaint
convulsed Monza. His first run ended almost for the rest of the year, would resemble an
seven minutes into the session and he waited enormous car park. The footsoldiers would
another 20 minutes before trying again. He flow past this and the Vespa riders, exhibiting
organised himself and settled with a 1m 55, contempt for their own mortality, would weave
attacked hard with a 1m 28.7 and finessed that improbable paths through it, but The Family,
in a great gesture with 1m 28.4. accustomed to hire cars rather than walking or
In qualifying I was hell for bent because weaving, prepared for the dawn run: not early
I just really felt up to it, Andretti says. It doors but the doors before those, even.
turned out to be a battle between Nelson and And so it happened.
myself and whoever came in last from the run Rosberg had no problems getting to the
was quickest. I went out and we had so much circuit because he woke at four in the morn-
power in those days, especially in qualifying ing, thinking that if he took a single point it
trim. We were up to maybe 1,100 horsepower. would take Watson out of the Championship
I was actually in fifth gear getting wheelspin equation. The thought was so strong that he
in the Lesmos - between the first and second couldnt get to sleep afterwards.
Lesmo. On my quick lap I did the second Les- Contrast that with Andretti. Did I get a
mo flat and I figured I could not duplicate this. good nights sleep? Oh, absolutely. I always
That was it and that time held. slept the best when I was on pole and when
When I set the time I didnt know if Nel- I had a chance at a good result. To me, that
son was out there also, and then all the people was my life. When things would go well thats
were jumping out on the track when they an- when I was the most relaxed. So no problem
nounced it so I figured well, that was good... about sleeping the night before.
Who noticed Watsons first run, peaking When The Family came in they found
at 1m 33.4s? The black art in 1982 was the messages painted on the grid in white and red
skirts, Alan Jenkins says. When I was given letters: Mario and Patrick, win for Gilles. The
messages had been painted elsewhere round Piquet faced a planned pit stop and the
the circuit too. imperative, of course, was to establish enough
Each driver prepares in his own way. We of a lead to do that but his clutch malfunc-
used to go all kinds of lengths to try and relax tioned, letting Tambay through as they came
Wattie, Jenkins says. In fact I could see him round to complete the opening lap - increasing
at breakfast or see him walking into the garage Monzas palpitations - but Arnoux overtook
on a Sunday morning -I know bike riders who him down the start-finish straight.
are like this now - and you could tell if it was a On the second lap Patrese overtook Tam-
good day or a bad day. However, whatever had bay but Prost, eighth, was preparing to make a
happened in qualifying nine times out of ten move. As the race found its rhythm - Arnoux,
hed put it behind him by Sunday and it didnt Patrese, Tambay, Andretti - Prost worked his
matter where he was on the grid: well, thats it, way up to them. Patreses clutch failed, Prost
its down to me now. Hed stopped looking for powered past Andretti on the start-finish
solutions in the car, whereas people like Alain straight and was third. Andretti had had the
Prost were still looking till the flag fell. Alain right side turbo expiring on me so I was losing
would be saying No, no, dont drop the flag power. When Prost passed me thats when I
and start the race, Ive still got to change that started losing straight-line speed. I was defi-
ride height half a turn. Hed been chewing nitely a lame duck at that point.
his nails. Wattie was like that Friday-Saturday. Rosberg ran seventh thinking tactically
Hed often be blinding in the Sunday warm- - that one point - and Watson eighth. A Prost
up just because hed put it behind him. The victory would blow the whole thing open. At
Walkmans had not long been out - the ones eight laps:
you put a little cassette tape in - and I got an
electronics buddy of mine to wire one into the Arnoux 12m 48.6s
radio and we played him Van Morrison tapes Tambay @ 7.4s
on the grid. Prost @ 16.2s
Arnoux, whod been astonished by the Andretti @ 18.7s
passion of the tifosi as he drove his Renault De Cesaris @ 20.3s
road car to the circuit - the tifosi making their Giacomelli @ 21.7s
own dawn run in large numbers and forever
ready with an outpouring for Ferrari drivers Rosberg came up behind Giacomelli, Wat-
present and future - made his own contribution son behind Rosberg. On lap 11 de Cesaris pitted
to the impending sense of drama by lunching for new tyres, ratcheting Giacomelli, Rosberg
with the Ferrari team and reportedly ignored and Watson up a place and now Watson made
Renault altogether. a move, or rather two moves: he overtook Ros-
By afternoon and race time Monza pal- berg (who said afterwards it was done under a
pitated. yellow flag) and then out-braked Giacomelli
From the green lights Piquet pulled ahead into the first chicane. It was the sort of thing
on the long drag to the first chicane, Tambay he did so consummately on street circuits, find-
following, then Arnoux, Patrese and Andretti. ing space within the constrictions and asserting
The 26 starters threaded through the eye of the himself in one decisive moment.
needle - the first chicane as tight and unforgiv- And whatever happened Arnoux wouldnt
ing as that, so tight it produced a concertina be helping Prost.
effect. The cars at the back were reduced to On lap 22 Prost set fastest lap and was
what seemed strolling pace. with Tambay, probing into the first chicane,
ITALY round 15
Tambay resisting. The two cars and drivers that: a car may be in trouble but unless that is
were beautifully matched and they danced a in some way visible or audible the spectators
duet round the parkland while outrageous ill dont know.
fortune struck at Rosberg. Going flat out down Monza, Arnoux will say, was a little
the start-finish straight the rear wing sheered bit of a miracle for me. Ferrari announced on
as if a great force had seized it, plucked it from the Saturday after the official practice that I
the car and flung it into the air. It happened would be with them: Rene Arnoux will be a
almost directly in front of where I was sitting part of the Ferrari team from 1983. The Grand
and I can still recall the shocking violence of Prix started and I was on the third row. The
the instant. car was working very, very well but after 20
Rosberg heard a bang and you think laps my buttocks were burning me. I felt pet-
you have a flat tyre or something because the rol on them and my legs, everything. I asked
car is behaving very strangely. The mirrors myself: whats happening here? And after a
did not show that the wing had gone. With- couple more laps I said: thats it, Ive my but-
out it the car went much faster on the straight tocks in petrol. The petrol tank, which was in
and he sailed past Giacomelli wondering quite my back, had a little leak and the petrol came
how he could be doing that, a mystery com- out when I braked. I was in the lead and I said
pounded by the fact that Giacomelli kept wav- to myself: Ill never get to the chequered flag,
ing trying to tell him. In the corners, without Ill run out of fuel. I did get to the end, won
the downforce, the Williams became a bronco the race and there was so little fuel left that I
and Rosberg came round to the pits. When I couldnt have done another lap, certainly not a
stopped I thought they werent doing anything fast lap. That was my miracle.
- because I couldnt see that, either! I was Prost could no longer win the Champion-
screaming at them to change my puncture. ship and the odds favoured Rosberg because
Finally they told me what had happened. The Watson had to win Las Vegas and Rosberg
repairs cost half a minute and might cost the get no points: theyd both finish on 42 points
Championship. but Watson would get it on the most wins tie-
While Rosberg sat impotent Prost made break.
another attempt on Tambay at the first chi- At the end, as the leaders moved into the
cane. Next moment his hand raised - Im in slowing down lap and those behind them were
trouble - the fuel injection awry. The crowd still racing, the tifosi swarmed the track. Like
adored that: a Frenchman in a French car de- a crowd at a car rally, they melted back when
served only their derision, a Frenchman in an- a car approached, came back on again when it
other French car whod be driving for Ferrari had passed. They spread across the start-finish
deserved their veneration. Theyd really adore straight by the pits so that Mansell, needing to
Arnoux winning if it couldnt be Tambay or cross the line to be seventh, suddenly found
Andretti. himself confronted by a wall of people.
Rosberg rejoined 15th, Watson running Many, many thousands gathered below
fourth. Rosberg did what he could but ninth the podium balcony and Arnoux made it into
was as high as he could get and, across the a stage, worked the crowd from there by ges-
last third of the race, the four at the front - Ar- ture - Im coming soon, Im coming soon! He
noux, Tambay, Andretti and Watson - circled took his blue cap off and flung it like a Frisbee
with no suggestion the order would change down to them and they adored that, all right.
again unless one of them broke down. The I went on the podium and I was hypercon-
maddening aspect of motor racing is precisely tent, Arnoux says, but the effects of the fuel
burned me for two weeks afterwards. At the pressure and being irritated, in that he wasnt
time the fuel was special and that burned well... going anywhere, as much as anything else.
Rosberg had different sentiments. We Outside the motorhome someone mut-
were supposed to win the Championship in tered that one of the drivers had flat-spotted
Monza, we knew what we needed to do and his tyres, an expression I had never heard
then I lost the rear wing. I lost a rear wing at before. Id mastered keep it on the island, I
Fittipaldi, I lost a rear wing at Hockenheim knew what rock apes were now, and ban-
and now at Monza. I consider myself very, zai laps, and which cars were (and were not)
very lucky in that it happened in the right era: straight out of the box - but this? Eoin Young
we had rear-wing cars, so we didnt have a lot sat nursing a glass of red wine, as he invari-
of downforce on the front wings. The main ably did, in the Elf motorhome, a sanctuary
downforce came from under the car and that and food-source for journalists. He was maitre
meant it wouldnt swap ends on the straight. d there, an official capacity supervising and
A 1983 car would have swapped ends imme- monitoring. He must have thought not him
diately. again when I went in.
It was one of those occasions when af- What the hell does flat-spotted mean?
terwards you dont have to say something. Pat- He smiled at my ignorance but respected the
rick Head knows and you see that he knows. fact that I was saying: look, I am ignorant,
If you see a guy suffering already, you dont thats why Ive come to ask. Blunt and gruff if
need to hit him. Patrick is one of those. You he didnt care for you, warm as a log fire if he
know that it breaks his heart. did, he explained simply and patiently that if a
Rosberg 42, Pironi 39, Watson 33, Prost driver brakes hard it can lock all four wheels,
31, Lauda 30, Arnoux 28. slicing rubber off the part of the tyres which
By an irony, this once Watson didnt es- happen to be in contact with the track: the slice
cape from the circuit within minutes of the making them flat there, and nasty to drive af-
race ending because, presumably, he didnt terwards. We had a glass of wine, and another,
have a helicopter ride out and he just couldnt and Montreal faded into the distant past.
face the Vedano al Lambro gridlock. He sat in Weve exchanged a lot of words in the
the Marlboro McLaren motorhome alone, his 25 years since, but from that moment never a
face both dignified and quizzical as it often wrong one; nor ever will.
was when fate played little games with him. So Arnoux says, I won, Tambay in the
Its not easy he said wistfully, when the Ferrari was second and Andretti in the Fer-
others have so many more horses - the brute rari third. The next day I was going back to
horsepower which the turbos delivered at a France with Gerard Larrousse in the plane and
place like Monza. Hed flogged the McLaren the headline in one of the Italian papers was
all the way home and still finished 1m 27s be- THREE FERRARI DRIVERS ON THE PO-
hind Arnoux, hed spent just short of an hour DIUM. That was funny. Well, it didnt make
and a half in a hellishly hot cockpit as a pris- Gerard Larrousse, the Sporting Director of
oner of the possible. He was an artist at that Renault, laugh.
- exploiting the possible - and no mistake, but No, I bet it didnt.
even he, in his best fighting mood, could do no
Footnote: 1. Mario Andretti World Champion, Andretti with
more. So many more horses, he said again. Nigel Roebuck, Hamlyn, London, 1979; 2. Joan Villadelprat from
Alan Jenkins reflects: I think Monza Barcelona got into Grand prix racing as a mechanic and rose to
be Tyrrell team manager. He held senior posts with Benetton and
had as much to do with Wattie feeling under the Prost teams.
ITALY round 15
25 SEPTEMBER------------- DRIVERS VIEW
Racing round a car park is not exactly
ROULETTE
motor racing. Youd got these totally artifi-
cial corners. Once the tarmac and concrete
we were racing on got rubber down the grip
WHEEL
improved and some of the corners were
actually challenging corners. The biggest dif-
ficulty was that you were on a racetrack made
up of canyons of concrete and in some corners
you couldnt see ahead - see if somebody had
CAESARS PALACE, LAS VEGAS spun on the exit - because the barriers were
higher than the level of the cars. That was a
Fifth, however, took Rosberg clear of all watch world famous celebrities perform, but,
court room machinations, all appeals, all hear- hey, these cars, man, somethin else.
ings, and clear of all the combinations Watson If Monaco is (almost) a caricature of it-
or Lauda could put together. self as a place, Las Vegas is fully a match for
Fifth was golden. it and in a more conscious way. If you are go-
Rosberg decided not to concern himself ing to have excesses, make them enormous,
with where Watson was running, and Wat- and Las Vegas had truly made them like that:
son, reminiscing, says: I was the principal hotels so big you took a helicopter from the
contender. Knowing you have to win is not a reception along several miles of corridors to
bad way to go into it and I think intellectu- your room and there you discovered that a slot
ally it suited me because it wasnt a question machine had been placed in the bathroom so
of choice, it was a question of circumstance. that while you attended to your natural func-
All I could do was the best I could. I was left tions you wouldnt miss a minute of putting
with an option and it is as difficult an option as the money in.
you can get: control the race, win it and some- Something like that anyway.
how try to make sure Keke didnt finish higher The Las Vegans feelings towards For-
than sixth - but you cant control that. If Keke mula One - indifference - was in no sense
finished lower than sixth, getting no points, matched by Formula Ones feelings towards
we would have had 42 points each but Id have Las Vegas. They were not indifferent.
won it on a tie-break with most wins. Gordon Murray remembers I locked
Since the abandonment of Watkins Glen myself in my room for three days and refused
in upstate New York in 1980 the United States to come out. I hated the place, all the falseness
Grand Prix - and variants of it, like US GP- and the gambling. I just couldnt stand it. I left
West and USGP-East - had seemed to settle before the end of the race.
at Long Beach, had been to Detroit and was Alex Hawkridge had never been there
now back at Las Vegas for the second year or, before. What did I make of it? A joke, really.
more precisely, it was back in the car park of The place was everything I had expected it to
the Caesars Palace hotel. be, larger than life as it were, but it just didnt
The residents and visitors hadnt thought appeal to me in any way at all. Im not a gam-
much of it in 1981 and hadnt changed their bler and I dont like bright lights and it was a
minds. Youd have imagined everyone in Las glitzy sham of a place, really. And then we got
Vegas might have embraced Grand Prix rac- to the circuit - the car park. That was probably
ings excesses as a wonderful complement to the worst venue I have ever visited.
their own but the two cultures didnt interact: Chris Witty says Las Vegas is a show
they - high rollers and low rollers and all rollers and we were a four-wheeled circus. I couldnt
in between - aint never heard of these drivers believe you could create a two-mile track in-
and these cars and, hey, theyre doin it in the side a car park - but then I had never seen the
car park agen. Same sentiments as Detroit, re- Caesars Palace car park. It was the closest I
ally. The Las Vegans knew and understood all have ever been to Scalextric in my life. There
forms of gambling, they liked world champi- was no run-off anywhere, it was absolutely flat
onship boxing bouts and theyd pay whatever and all you saw were little heads going around
money had not yet been stripped from them to over the concrete blocks. It was very surreal in
that sense, very in keeping with the whole Las DRIVERS VIEW
Vegas, Nevada, thing. The track itself was sandy but tracks tbat
This is Rosbergs philosophy facing what were specially built and only used for that
would be the supreme moment of his career: were always sandy. I think it was the first time
You dont get many chances at the Champi- computer analysis was used and it worked un-
onship, as was proved afterwards. You dont believably well. It was a hard circuit on the
think about the future, you only think about driver, physically tough. You were constantly
whats happening now. The opportunitys turning left. I never had a problem in the race
there and you need to grab it with both hands. because in my case it was all about mental
So you do everything you can. And dont for- fitness. I am sure I wasnt the fittest driver
get Id been leading the Championship on and but Im sure I wasnt the unfittest either. I ran
off during the season, it didnt all happen at every day, I gave the impression that I smoked
the end. and drank but I led a very active life in the
You approach it like any other race. Las summer. I was just mentally strong. Thats
Vegas? I dont really care where or what the the trick. I used to run at lunchtime, Ibiza,
place is because I dont see whats outside. I wherever I was. It raises your pain barrier in
dont take much notice and I dont care if its the heat because heat was the biggest problem
Detroit or Rio. I go there to race. In Mexico in a Formula One car. It wasnt the physical
City I even brought my own food and stayed exhaustion, it was the heat. It was so bloody
in my room. hot at places like Dallas, like Rio, and Vegas
The track measured 2.2 miles (3.6km) was hot. In Dallas I was sunbathing on the pit
and, in outline, resembled something from a wall when Elio and Nigel were standing under
geometry class or a giant doodle. umbrellas packed in ice. I knew I had them
The weather was hot, hellishly hot - so already.
hot that some drivers, like Mansell, expressed
Keke Rosberg
the view that you couldnt sustain a race dis-
tance in it and drivers would be taking it easy
In second qualifying Prost took pole from
until the latter stages. On the first day (the
Arnoux but Alboreto maintained his pace and
Thursday: it was a Saturday race) Rosberg
Watsons McLaren looked much more respon-
could barely breathe in the cockpit as he qual-
sive to his demands - Rosberg sixth in the
ified fifth -Arnoux provisional pole, Michele
lightweight spare, to which Daly says: There
Alboreto dancing the Tyrrell round between
was a special qualifying car for Keke. I dont
the inter-connecting concrete blocks to be
know how much underweight it was but I re-
second, then Cheever and Prost. Lauda was
member all the adjustable cables were taken
immediately after Rosberg and Watson tenth.
off it, we had roll-bar adjusters and they were
The cars not at all as I like it at the moment,
taken off...
because my style is to pitch it into corners and
The McLaren team and Ron Dennis con-
it wont take that. Were going to change it.1
fronted a delicate decision. Lauda had global
Mind you, Rosberg dismissed all talk
presence and was being paid a fortune - by his
of drivers taking it easy by saying that they
own admission he demanded from Marlboro
might say they would but they wouldnt and
(McLarens sponsor, who were paying the
announced, typically, when he was asked
bills) more than anyone had ever been paid in
about his own tactics, Balls out.
Grand Prix racing before to return to the sport
CAESARS PALACE round 16
for 1982.2 Watson had no global presence and Alan Jenkins offers this insight: Nikis
was being paid a great deal less. favourite was whingeing about John and he
McLaren found itself in a dilemma partly even did it to his face - Youre messing around
because of the ability of both its drivers [Wat- all through practice then come the bloody race
son actually leading Lauda on points] but with I have to start looking in the mirrors because
the added caveat of Niki winning the World sure enough youre going to appear. And that
Championship on his return - the publicity was John.
that he, and therefore Marlboro and McLaren, During the warm-up Tambay pitted and
would have received would have been infinite- withdrew from the race because he had an in-
ly greater than me, because as far as the world jured arm and Guerreros car blew up. Prost
was concerned I was just a Joe Blow. went fastest - from Watson.
On the Friday night Ron, being the ever- Track temperatures were anticipated at
pragmatic man that he is, acknowledged that 135, the circuit was like one long corner and
there was more chance of me doing well than offered the drivers no respite, the G-forces
Niki, partly because I had the benefit of three would give their necks a beating. Who could,
points and partiy because really Niki couldnt who would, survive it?
win it. Ron spoke to Niki and said Look, these Prost brought them prudently round
are the circumstances, if you are ahead of John to the grid from the parade lap and as they
and youre running 1-2, will you step aside moved to their bays America spread itself as
and let John take the win? I think it was the a backdrop with enormous advertising hoard-
first time in Nikis career that he had ever been ings. One, proclaiming CAESARS PALACE
asked to do something like that and, in fairness GRAND PRIX SEPTEMBER 23-26, 1982,
to him, it was not easy to acknowledge that re- captured both Americas real interest (the race
quest. Eventually he did acknowledge it. He did was on September 25) and the nature of Las
it with reluctance but he did it nonetheless. To Vegas (the hoarding stood atop three ancient,
his credit he said Yes, I will do it. classical stone columns, but were they ancient
Ron always says You race for the team, and were they stone, and who cared?).
you lose for the team but equally the team The tail of the grid came slowly round
realised that at the last race I was in a better the last corner to the grid, probing for their
position to win the Championship than Niki places. The medical car and the wrecker
was. At the end of the day McLaren winning trucks followed, stately, positioned themselves
the Championship was more important than just at the back. At the green light Prost was
offending Niki Lauda. away fast and the cars behind dug smoke from
He could have said no, and what would their tyres so violently that a pall hung like
Ron do? Ron would have been annoyed but mist full across the track. Prost led Arnoux
there was nothing in the contract, as far as I into Turn One and as they streamed into the
was aware, that stipulated Niki had priority, tracks continuous contortions half a dozen
so Ron wanted to consolidate the situation. He cars jostled for position. By the end of the lap
didnt want to have the pair of us racing with it had settled.
the potential that both of us failed to finish.
Thats where Rons management and judge-
ment led him, and it was difficult for Niki.
1 Prost FANS EYE VIEW
2 Arnoux I first noticed Formula One in 1970 when,
3 Alboreto as a teenager, I saw Jochen Rindts stunning
4 Patrese victory in the Monaco Grand Prix on ABCs
5 Cheever Wide World of Sports. I became a devoted
6 Andretti follower of Grand Prix racing the next year
7 Rosberg and in 1972 I attended my first major event,
8 Piquet the Six Hour sports car and the Can Am race
9 Warwick weekend at Watkins Glen.
10 Daly With schoolboy fascination I watched as
11 Watson... the drivers I had been reading about -Jacky
Ickx, Mario Andretti, Ronnie Peterson, Peter
It meant that in the jostling Rosberg had Revson and Francois Cevert - went about their
lost one place and Watson two. This was of business. I met Cevert briefly in the garage.
no concern to Prost and Arnoux, especially What a charming and worldly fellow.
Arnoux who intended to leave Renault having His terrible accident the next year, at the very
made a strong statement. On lap 2 he moved track at which 1 had seen him race, dimmed
past Prost for the lead. They stretched from my enthusiasm. I did go to the US Grand Prix
Alboreto and Laffite overtook Watson. in 1974 and witnessed Emerson Fittipaldis
The first seven ran unchanged and on lap second title but that race also was marred by
4 Watson began to make his move. He dealt a fatal accident to Austrian Helmut Koinigg.
with Laffite, dealt with Daly the lap after that, Afterward, I was walking through the garage -
stalked and took Warwick the lap after that. fans could do that in those days - and remember
He stalked Piquet now but Piquet was further an eerie feeling upon seeing an empty Surtees
up the road and Watson didnt deal with him pit. The announcement came only later after
until lap 11. Next: Rosberg. we had left the circuit.
Everything, Watson said at the time, In 1982 I was a 28-year-old editor at the
seemed to fall into place and the car felt as Denver Post, handling national and world
good as at Detroit. On lap 15 Prost retook news. I had read reports of an event in Detroit
Arnoux and Watson dealt with Rosberg: this planned for 1982. Having worked briefly for a
was classical and authentic. Watson positioned newspaper in the Motor City, I decided to go.
himself directly behind through a left kink And having never been to Las Vegas, I decided
towards a right-hander, pointed the McLar- to attend the season finale. I thought the title
en to the inside and accelerated so strongly in that turbulent year might come down to the
he went past in a great surge. Rosberg said: final race, providing added incentive.
When John came by me I knew there was no
JAMES PINKELMAN
way I could stay with him - Rosberg did stay
with him for a handful of corners but then the WASHINGTON DC, USA
McLaren moved away - and it was clear to me
at that stage that he could win the race. If he
did that, of course, my points position became
crucial. Now I needed those points to be sure Watson dealt with Andretti the lap after,
of the title and for the first time I concentrated Cheever the lap after that. On the same lap Pa-
my attention on the Championship rather than treses clutch failed, making Watson fourth and
the race.
CAESARS PALACE round 16
Rosberg seventh. Three laps after that Arnouxs ed to turn the car in. It was confusing initially
ailing engine expired, making Watson third (and because hed talk about his understeer and un-
23 seconds from Alboreto), Rosberg sixth. dersteer and understeer.
An insight into Watsons mentality and On lap 27 Piquet retired (a spark plug
technique, which explains what was happen- problem). Patrese was already out, of course,
ing, from Alan Jenkins: Wattie had a particu- and Gordon Murray headed for the airport.
lar dislike of a car that was in any way nervous On lap 27 the Championship moved de-
at the rear and he used to describe it like this: cisively towards Rosberg because Andrettis
as long as he could lean upon the rear with Ferrari suddenly skewed sideways in a tight
some confidence he could beat anybody. He right-hander, the suspension broken.
had a very late-braking, very positive turn- Wattie was never going to win the Cham-
in style that he could only manage if the car pionship at that stage any more, Rosberg says.
would let him. If it wouldnt let him, he tended I didnt worry where he was, I just had to be in
to be hesitant about turning in, which made it the top five so it wasnt a big job, but, of course,
appear to understeer. I couldnt afford to have a DNF if he was going
It probably did understeer but the fact is well. I was only worried about the DNF really.
it wasnt an understeering car - which people So you do your own thing and hope the others
just couldnt understand - it was his tendency dont spoil it. Mario drove the Ferrari and he
to start turning early for fear of the rear bit- broke the suspension when he was behind me.
ing him. Initially he couldnt really put it into He could have taken me off. He nearly did. I
words that well. We hung out a bit socially so remember he went across me.
in a sense it became possible to talk about it Andretti remembers it was almost iden-
away from the track. I remember when I ran tical to the year before when I was in the Alfa
Alain Prost after John, all of a sudden there Romeo: rear suspension, same side, same spot.
was a guy that called you up every bloody When the rear suspension goes you are just a
night and wanted to talk about springs, bars passenger.
and God knows what else. Those were the As the Ferrari bumped onto the dusty
wonderful days before pit stops and you had run-off area there, glimpsed through the dust
to figure out what to do to make the car run for was Rosberg, fifth.
the best part of two hours, and then it was lit- The race settled again after that but, frus-
erally up to the driver. This whole juggling act tratingly for Watson, he was getting a vibra-
- well, there was so little to adjust on the car. tion which affected his vision and the cars
JB [Barnard] was never a great fan of adjust- handling deteriorated so that he got to within
able roll bars. They were all too complicated. ten seconds of Alboreto - who was ten sec-
We basically plugged in what worked for the onds behind Prost - but no closer.
balance of the race, certainly on the front of the It was very much a tyre thing, Watson
car. JB reluctantly let us have one on the rear says. I drove a bloody good race and the as-
but he wouldnt let us have one at the front. pect thats slightly irksome, and I could never
Thats how Wattie could also pass peo- prove, were suggestions that the Tyrrell had
ple so easily and when the car was working something slightly dodgy in terms of the skirt
he looked like he could pass almost anybody. operation they were running which gave sig-
It wasnt so much he braked later but braked nificant advantage. I got past everybody except
deeper into the corner, because he really need- Michele, I drove my heart out, I was driving flat
out and I got to within ten seconds and I hadnt actually getting dizzy in the braking zones.
anything left. I just had to consolidate. They were also bumpy and they were coming
Prosts tyres were wearing so badly that at you the whole time.
under braking I felt as though I would be You know the way it is by now, and how
shaken out of the cockpit. Alboreto went past they all headed for the airport. Rosberg went
on lap 52, Watson following four laps later. to Los Angeles.
Quietly, almost ruefully, Watson says: If We left Sunday night from Las Vegas to
I wasnt first it didnt really matter where Keke San Francisco to Mansours Ojehs 30th birth-
was. If Michele had hit the wall I was quids in day party.
- but then Keke would have finished fourth. There was Elio, Derek, some other driv-
Rosberg knew that if Alboreto did hit a ers. I was too tired to enjoy it because by the
wall and he - Rosberg - retired for whatever time we got to his house for the party it was
reason, the Championship had gone. Hed re- 1.00 am and mentally I had had enough. It
member the final 20 laps as awfully long al- wasnt one of my better parties.
though he wasnt tired and could have pushed Chris Witty, whod worked for Autosport
hard if hed needed to do that. Rosberg knew - magazine before joining Toleman, stayed in
every driver does - that if you dont push hard America after the race because I wanted to go
you can lose concentration, make mistakes. and see a couple of potential sponsors. I ended
He sat there thinking: I hope the car holds to- up somewhere in Long Beach and Keke was
gether, thats all. there with Jeff Hutchinson.3 He was World
It did. Champion but we all sat down for something
Rosberg 44, Pironi and Watson 39, Prost to eat and he said When I was a SuperVee
34, Lauda 30, Arnoux 28. guy I was struggling but Autosport and those
Easy to forget that Alboreto drove a race magazines helped me through. He didnt say
of maturity and without error to win the first I dedicate this title to you guys or anything
Grand Prix of his career. Easy to forget that like that but it was my first experience of a
the Tyrrell team had been winning races since World Champion being humble. Well, grate-
1971 and would only ever win one more af- ful. A lot of people help drivers along the way
ter this, Detroit in 1983, Alboreto the driver and drivers can forget about it very quickly.
again. To which Keke Rosberg says Humble
Easy to forget that Lauda retired with an and grateful? I hope I was like that because it
engine problem after 53 laps so that, all in the was the correct thing to be.
moment, the Championship disappeared - and At the very end a driver exhibited the
Ferrari had the Constructors Championship, Olde Worlde courtesy I had met at the very
not McLaren. beginning, and now, near the culmination of
Easy to forget that Daly, who had not our tale, you know all the things which hap-
been to Las Vegas before, caught Keke in the pened in between.
end. I went much better in the races, which
was one of the complaints Patrick Head had Footnote: 1. Autosport; 2. To Hell And Back, Lauda;
3. Jeff Hutchinson, long-time motor sport journalist and
- if only we could get him to qualify better - photographer, who also made money flying drivers around
because my race lap times were much more in his little propeller plane. His journey from London to
comparable to Kekes. Three or four laps from Mexico for a Grand Prix there was an epic, and his recount-
ing of it much more entertaining than Round The World In
the end I was so physically spent that I was
80 Days.
CAESARS PALACE round 16
JUST PASSING
THROUGH
WHERE THEY ARE NOW