1981 Brazilian GP Highlights

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Just imagine how Sigfried Stohr must have felt!

You can see his reaction after he falls from being in a state of shock while getting out of his car in this RAI video (mainly 2:10 to 2:32) here:

 

[FB]

Don't forget that Carlos won 3 F1 races in 1981 - the non-championship race in South Africa which the FISA supporting teams boycotted.

Edit - the last F1 race for sliding skirt F1 cars.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Don't forget that Carlos won ... the non-championship race in South Africa ...

I forgot about it because it didn't count towards the WDC (which he lost by the equivalent of a 5th place finish in 'Double Old' money terms (the pre-2003/2009 money money) .

PS...Hey FB, how do I expand that Youtube link in post #21 into a fully blown video link like Keke puts up?

 

[FB]

Sorted it for you Ray. Copy the web address, click the little icon that looks like a film strip, past it in there and the software does the rest.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Copy the web address, click the little icon that looks like a film strip, past it in there and the software does the rest.

Thanks, FB!

You can see from the video link to that 1981 Belgian Grand Prix what a chaotic and 'unprofessional' (compared to later years) starting sequence/grid proceedure that was!

Piquet came to the grid very late and was 'backed up' into his grid slot...and Villeneuve got to the grid in his Ferrari even later!

Worse than that even was Patrese waving furiously for a long while to indicate he'd stalled.

In fact you can see Patrese started to wave a full 30 seconds (AT LEAST!!!) before the lights went out...and the misfortune of it all was that the Arrows mechanic (Dave Luckett, according to Keke The King) was sent out far too late - until the lights actually went to green - to restart Patrese!

Worse than the fact that he was sent out too late is the fact that he was sent out at all! Right into harms way!

The perverse irony is that it was the other Arrows of Stohr that smashed into his own mechanic and teammate!

Horrific!

THEN:

At 3:33 you see Williams 'teammates' (actually, enemies by then because of what happened at Brazil earlier) fighting each other for position at full racing speed while furiously waved yellows are being shown on the pit straight at the end of Lap 1 while saftey crew were still at work barely off the racing line!

At 3:38 you can see a dark blue Tyrrell coming periously close to marshalls waving yellows!

At 3:40 you have a yellow Renault overtaking a blue Ligier while the mess is being cleared...and then a red and white Ensign on the grass trying to overtake someone!!!

All of the above at FULL RACING SPEED!

Mindblowing!

 

[mjo]

I've just found the first lap of the Brazil race with English commentary:

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

By special request I have created a Highlight Package for the 1981 race at Jacarepagua.

Sorted it for you Ray.

* * * * *

Keke / FB: How about slaving off the 1981 Belgian GP posts into it's own thread...with a "Special Edition" by yourself (Keke)?

The 1981 Belgian GP was a Horror!

It started ominously when Argtentine WDC leader Reutemann of Williams hit a poor mechanic in the pits who later died in hospital.

Then, even before the start, the drivers were protesting...there was total confusion...and the Grid Formation was a complete shambles.

The start was terrifying. No one paid attention to Patrese waving furiously until the lights finally went to Green...then there was that sickening accident...followed by wheel-to-wheel fighting for positions all down the line at the end of Lap 1 while endless yellows were being waved as marshals and safety crews were working right on the track.

I'm sure the 1981 Belgian Grand Prix led to a whole host of new proceedures. Umpteen rules were likely created out of that...and that doesn't even include drivers battling for position and even over-taking under yellows. Indeed the yellows were being waved down the entire length of the Start/Finish straight at Zolder, with some drivers lifting (like Reutemann who rasied his arm high to indicate so) and others at full tilt going off line or onto the grass to pass!

 

[KekeTheKing]

Just to tie a bow on this Jacarepagua 81 saga, I recently got a hold of the 1981 Motorsport's, and Alan Henry seemed to accept Reutemann's excuse that he was prepared to relinquish the lead on the last lap, but that it became impossible when the checkered flag came out a lap early due to the 2 HR. time limit. Here's the relevant passage from the May 81 Motorsport.