Extra Lap of Victory
I was born in 1982. Amazing to think I know, given my youthful appearance. But my abilities to defy the aging process aside; ’82 also produced an extraordinary F1 season, as I learned while browsing through the Motor Sport Magazine digital archive recently (an essential purchase, I would have thought).
That a ban on racing in Switzerland didn’t preclude a Swiss Grand Prix reflected the bizarre nature of the 1982 season – and then the race was almost cut short...
The season was extraordinary by any standards. Controversy and tragedy combined with new regulations that made for an uncertain championship throughout. Among the 16 races in 1982 was one that had unconventional origins – and would provide the only victory for the eventual world champion.
Switzerland had imposed a ban on motor racing since the 1955 Le Mans disaster, but Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni had helped promote a non-championship Swiss Grand Prix at Dijon-Prenois in 1975, which he duly won. In 1977, an extended Dijon circuit hosted the French GP for the first time. The race then alternated each year between Dijon and the Circuit Paul Ricard, which took the honour in ’82. So the Dijon organisers got together with the Swiss authorities to organise what would be a one-off grand prix outside the ‘host’ country.
With only three races left to go in the championship, the absent Ferrari driver Didier Pironi was still leading the driver standings, but would never race again after his awful accident two races previously at Hockenheim. Keke Rosberg was second in the drivers’ championship.
The normally aspirated Williams FW08 had just delivered Rosberg second place at the Austrian GP a fortnight before, his fourth of the season. But Pironi, Elio De Angelis, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, John Watson, Riccardo Patrese, Nelson Piquet, Rene Arnoux and Patrick Tambay had all won races.
Qualifying at Dijon had seen the Renault duo of Prost and Arnoux claim the front row, the French marque hoping for a third successive win at Dijon. Patrese (Brabham) and Lauda (McLaren) were on the second row, with Andrea De Cesaris (Alfa Romeo) and Piquet (Brabham) on row three, ahead of Derek Daly and his Williams team-mate, Rosberg.
For the second time that year, there would be no Ferrari on the grid, after lone driver Patrick Tambay suffered a trapped nerve and went home early. To date, it was the last time a grand prix would start without a Ferrari.
Having crashed in practice, Arnoux took the spare Renault into the lead off the grid, while Rosberg made up two places at the first corner to take sixth. Lauda and Patrese were similarly dispatched by lap six, so that only Prost, Arnoux – now behind his team-mate – and Piquet were ahead of the Finn.
Prost pushed hard early on, setting fastest lap on lap two when he overtook Arnoux, but he had to conserve his tyres, particularly when Roberto Guerrero’s Ensign sprayed the track with oil. Meanwhile, Rosberg was doing the same, but with a curious mix. The Finn had three different compounds of tyre on the car: soft on the right side; a hard left-front; and medium on the left-rear!
When Piquet pitted on lap 40 for fuel and tyres, Rosberg moved up to third place, and his charge was only halted when he came up on De Cesaris for the second time. “Lapping De Cesaris in that race was the biggest nightmare of my Formula One career,” Rosberg stated in a recent interview, “I was alongside him every lap on the main straight, but Alfa’s top speed was superior to ours – I mean, I was lapping!”
The Italian eventually cost him more than 10 seconds, but then Rosberg began to catch Arnoux. Fuel injection problems once again caused the Frenchman problems, and he pitted. Rosberg was soon catching Prost, who was suffering from worn aero skirt. On the 75th lap of 80, Rosberg set his fastest lap. By lap 78, the lead was down to a few car-lengths.
And then came the bizarre twist in the tale.
“The organisers tried to stop the race a lap early,” recalls Rosberg, “I mean, you had to see it to believe it! Peter Collins (Williams team manager) saw it coming, climbed on the podium where the guy with the flag was read to drop it and stopped him from doing so.”
In fact, the field did another two laps, but by lap 80 Rosberg had managed to overhaul Prost and he crossed the line more than four seconds ahead, claiming his first win and taking the championship lead, which he held to the season’s end.
The best driver won. But everything could have been so different...
You scratch my back…
Anyone who runs a blog or website will probably tell you that they do it for the fun of it – for some recognition. Some might also use it to showcase their talents in the hope that it will lead somewhere one day, maybe even in an attempt to provide an extra source of income.
I think I speak for the majority of us when I say that it’s unlikely we’ll be able to retire anytime soon thanks to some randomly placed adverts across our pitches on the Internet. I mean, when was the last time you felt compelled to click on an irritating animated banner ad? Nope, I can’t remember either.*
So this blogging malarkey then, why do we do it? Well the answer is two paragraphs up: recognition.
When blogging for the fun of it, the satisfaction you gain comes from the number of visitors that trundle along and read your missives. There’s a nice warm fuzzy feeling to be had when the going’s good and your website’s traffic resembles the M25. But there’s also dejection when your only guest is some tumbleweed, accompanied by the sound of a hollow, dry wind, for comedy effect.
So receiving acknowledgement for your efforts is most welcome indeed. Especially when someone appears to have taken the effort of sending you an Email praising your website and everything you do. You’re amazing, you. Did you know that?
But hold on one cotton-picking moment! Is that the smell of an ulterior motive that I detect?!!
The number of Emails I’ve received from desperate marketing types recently is frankly ridiculous. I feel sorry for the popular motorsport-related websites out there who probably have to sift through mountains of the stuff that finds its way into their Inboxes every day.
Their slurpy-slurp Emails grind my gears more than they should do perhaps. But it annoys me. It annoys me that they feel I don’t adhere to any principles, that I have no integrity to anyone that decides to read whatever I to commit to the Internet.
So no, Cake Group, I don’t want to promote the FXPro-Virgin Racing F1 game, which supposedly “combines the thrill of F1 racing with the fast-moving excitement of international currency trading,” but in reality is the gaming equivalent of scurvy and about as much fun as choking.
Same goes to you, 7th Chamber: I’m not interested in pimping Reebok, the pikey’s choice of footwear - Lewis Hamilton in some shockingly bad viral video, or not. Oh, and I would encourage you to perhaps proofread what you have casually just written, before pressing ‘submit’ in future.
And to anyone else who has recently tried to groom me into writing nice things about their client’s services or products (hello HStreet Media and Arena Media): ner ner. Go elsewhere and let someone else mislead their readers instead.
Keeping it real, me. Bo.
*(I'm fully aware they're present here, but someone accidentally clicked on a couple the other day. I may yet get that yacht ...)
Wheely Disappointing – Gears and Tears
Being a motor racing fan isn’t much fun when all you have is Freeview. Bar the BBC’s excellent Formula 1 coverage and the BTCC on some random ITV channel, the only other option available to motorsport addicts is to delve into the bowels of the Internet for an illicit feed which, typically, is the size of a postage stamp and has about as much clarity as mud.
As a Freeview pauper, you grab whatever is thrown on to the TV schedule that happens to feature anything with an engine that goes around in circles, such is the desperation.
So imagine my surprise when flicking through yesterday’s listings only to discover the Beeb were showing the first episode in a new documentary series called ‘Gears and Tears’ that is based on, wait for it... Formula 1... Stock Car Racing.
Yeah, you and me both. You could quite comfortably write what I know about oval racing on the underside of a petrol cap. But beggars can’t be choosers, and maybe, just maybe, Gears and Tears would help get me through the bleak summer period while F1 is enjoying a siesta?
“It’s an obsession that’s divided two rival families for 40 years,” the press release proudly states, “two racing dynasties who, every weekend, fight fiery gladiatorial showdowns in thundering purpose-built chariots designed to push the opposition off the track.”
Which is, quite frankly, a load of ol’ toot.
Okay, so Gears and Tears does indeed centre in on two families who wouldn’t look out of place on an episode of Jeremy Kyle, but apart from that, it makes the world of stock car racing seem about as glamorous as herding camels and about as much fun as choking.
Of course, I should be talking about the 700bhp machines that feature in the stock car series, rather than the families behind them, but unfortunately, Gears and Tears is really just a bog standard reality TV programme, with a vague racing connection tacked on for good measure.
The majority of the programme focuses on this supposed rivalry between the two families that has spanned more than 40 years. But Montague versus Capulets, this most certainly isn’t. The wives, who hogged their fair share of camera time, certainly liked to have a good old moan, but in practice, probably wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Surely the producers haven’t over-hyped what is the core of this documentary?
I am always up for broadening my motor racing horizons, but I don’t think Gears and Tears will go any way in promoting short circuit oval racing to the public in general. We only caught a small glimpse of just how committed the drivers and fans are in this particular branch of motor racing, something that would have been a darn sight more interesting.
Instead, it is programming of the lowest common denominator, and I’ll most likely be catching up on my beauty sleep when it’s on again next Monday evening. How about you?
A Nostalgic Treat – Silverstone Classic
Racing, music, no mud - the perfect event? © Jakob Ebrey Photography
It’s generally a sign of a good weekend when Monday morning arrives and you find yourself struggling to summon up the energy to get out of bed. The daunting prospect of having to trundle your way through the foothills of averageness once again, counting down the days until the next exciting occasion comes along and lifts you out of humdrum.
A similar thought process went through my mind earlier on this week, after spending a thoroughly enjoyable weekend at this year’s Silverstone Classic event. Three days gorging on an impressive roster of great marques and machinery from yesteryear, all racing around the Home of British Motor Racing.
This year’s Classic featured 800 legendary cars spanning seven decades of motor racing heritage and provided some evocative entertainment for the large crowds who were in attendance (up 10% to 73,000 this year). The highlight of the weekend being the three classic F1 races which commemorated the 60th anniversary of the first World Championship Grand Prix held at Silverstone in 1950.
The special birthday celebrations pitted more than 120 of the world’s most iconic and famous F1 cars into real racing action. None of this timid, touchy-feely, racing you will see at other historic events. Proper racing. Cars being driven in anger and not out of fear of possibly incurring a hefty repair bill.
Each of the grids showcased the development of the sport, with 75-year-old Alfa Romeos and ERAs navigating their way around Copse at full opposite lock, rear engined BRMs and Lotuses going wheel to wheel in the pre-1966 event, and fans of latter day Formula 1 drooling upon sight of iconic cars like the Williams FW07 and Lotus 87, all fighting for glory.
This year’s event also marked the comeback of Sir Stirling Moss – just 20 weeks after falling three storeys down a lift shaft – who drove his OSCA sports car in Saturday’s RAC Woodcote Trophy race, which featured a myriad of rare and valuable vehicles worth almost £70m. Unfortunately Moss was forced to pull up with ten minutes to go due to a stuck gear, leaving musician Chris Rea to take the class win instead.
Groundshaking start to the WSCM race. ©Jakob Ebrey Photography
Equally unforgettable was Sunday’s World Sports Car Masters (Le Mans car) race. The likes of Red Bull Racing’s design guru Adrian Newey and Le Mans racer Chris Buncombe taking on the hordes of rumbling Lola T70s in their Ford GT40s was fantastic to watch. Hurtling down the Hangar Straight at a blistering pace, weaving in and out for position. A sensational spectacle, matched by a stellar drive by Steve Tandy who took the outright win.
Other track highlights over the three days included the evening race for the Italian Historic Car Cup, touring car action courtesy of the Masters Mini series, the U2TC series and the HSCC ‘Big Beasts’ – featuring American V8 racers alongside big-engined Jaguar and Mercedes saloons - all were a nostalgic treat.
Which sums up this year’s Silverstone Classic rather nicely. It is quite possibly the biggest UK club-race meeting of the year. Where else can you see such a collection of mouthwatering cars, all driven to the limit? Where else can you see acres of working paddocks and over 5,000 classic car owners on their social outing of the season?
As historic events go, Silverstone Classic is easily one of the best that I have attended and should find pride of place on every racing enthusiast’s calendar. Stepping foot through the circuit's gates each day was like walking through a time portal. But unlike, say, Gary Sparrow in 90s sitcom 'Goodnight Sweetheart', I got my kicks from being able to get up close to the cars that have made the headlines in years gone by, rather than frolicking with some lady from fifty years ago.
A provisional date of 22nd to 24th July has been set aside for next year’s Silverstone Classic, so make a note in your diaries, or whatever fangled electronic devices some of you modern folk use these days.
Follow Motor Sport Musings
Recent Posts
- In the Fast Lane – Chelsea AutoLegends
- Review: Dakar Rally 2010 DVD
- Review: Overdrive – Formula 1 in the Zone
- One for the Diary: Chelsea Auto Legends
- Extra Lap of Victory
- You scratch my back…
- Wheely Disappointing – Gears and Tears
Advertisement
- I wrote this: In the Fast Lane – Chelsea AutoLegends http://goo.gl/fb/bk2wi 9 hours ago
- Bought some rather splendid greeting cards from this fella today: http://www.timlayzell.com Love the bold, pop art style images! 1 day ago
- I'm not a bike man, but a racing fatality regardless of the number of wheels is always terrible. RIP Shoya Tomizawa. 1 day ago
- And that's a wrap. I'm all Le Mans'd out for one day. 1 day ago
- Stirling Moss: "I didn't like Le Mans. Racing through the night, when you should be courting women!" 1 day ago