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The fairytales that never were - heartbreaking DNFs

Started by DNQ , Apr 07 2006 10:24

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#1 DNQ

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 10:24

Every now and then we get a total upset/surprise in motorsport. Olivier Panis at Monaco in 1996 is probably the definitive example of the modern era of GP racing. However, quite often these wanna-be fairytale results turn into heartbraking DNFs (or at the very least, disappointment) before the Chequered Flag - as Mark Webber (on course for 3rd) last week demonstrated when his Williams broke down.

I'm writing an article about some of the most heartbreaking DNFs in Motorsports history.

A few that I am going to feature:

Le Mans 1990, Sportscars - The outdated privateer Porsche 962 of Larrauri/Pareja/Brun had run strongly all day at the 24 Hour, and was on course to split the Jaguar's on the podium. With 14 minutes the car broke down, with Pareja at the wheel - he was inconsolable and broke down next to the car.
Hungary 1997, F1. Hill had made little impact in the mediocre Arrows, until the Hungaroring. The then WDC muscled past Schumacher and sailed into the lead to what should have been Arrow's first GP win. Instead he lost a gear and fell back to second. So close but so far.
France 1990, F1. After failing to qualify at the previous round, Capelli and Gugelmin led the French GP 1-2 with 6 laps to go. Prost overtook Gugelmin on lap 52 - 3 laps later Gugelmin's car broke down. On lap 56 Prost passed Capelli, who was struggling with a misfire. He held on to 2nd, but the 1-2 and the win were gone.
Europe 1999, F1. Minardi had not scored a point in four years when Badoer found himself in 4th place at a wet N'ring. Sadly his car broke up and Badoer broke down in tears beside the car - he knew it may be his last chance to score a WDC point - it was

Well, there you go, there's a few to set the ball rolling. There are dozens, no doubt. Which ones stick out in your minds as being the most painful? I'm keen not only for F1 - EVERY category out there. Cheers!

#2 gbl

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 10:31

Your first two imidately came into my mind. Here's another one I just read about:

In 2000 Alex Barron was driving Dale Coyne's always backmarker Champcar. Thanks to good strategy he had a real chance to win the last two races of the season, even leading the last one, however in both cases his engine let go in the last laps, up today the team still hasn't won a race.

#3 wdm

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 10:40

Levegh's fluffed gear change at Le Mans in '52 must be one of the saddest... There's a photo of him in tears afterwards.

Made all the more poignant by the events 3 years later...

#4 Vitesse2

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 10:41

Even though I'm a Nuvolari fan, it's hard not to feel sympathy for Pechvogel Manfred von Brauchitsch in the 1935 German GP: had his tyre not blown on the final lap, Tazio probably wouldn't have caught him.

But he did ....

#5 Henri Greuter

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 10:57

Jean Pierre Jarier three times:

Brazil '75, to the benefit of Pace (turned out to be Pace's lone victory)
Watkins Glen and Canada '78, being Ronnie's replacement in the Lotus 79 in two events where Andretti was driving the car as a mediocre also ran. Jarier breaking down twice, after the breakdown in Canada saying (in tears) "Now I know I'll likely never win a GP in my life anymore"

Other heartbreaker in '78: Patrese at Kyalami: could well have become the only ever victory for Arrows.

What I rate for heartbreaker:
1977 indy 500: Gordon Johncok breaking down with 16 laps to go. AJ winning his fourth event instead.
I rather would have seen Johncock winning that one after the sad victory he had in '73 and besides that, it should have been the last ever victory for that wonderful Old Offy fourbanger at the track where it became famous.

and, given my interests:
Duke Nalon being forced to make another pitstop for fuel in the Indy 500 of 1948. Could have been the lone victory ever for the legendary Novi V8....

Henri

#6 rwhitworth

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 11:27

John Love - SAGP 1967

#7 f1steveuk

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 11:30

Off the top of my head, Bellof, Monaco. The race should have gone on, and Bellof would have caught Senna..........

#8 subh

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 11:30

I would suggest Nicola Larini’s drive with the Osella in Canada 1989. It was a wet race, and he ran third for nine laps, fourth when passed by Senna, but went out with water in the electrics.

Other possibles might be: de Cesaris, Belgium 1991; Brundle, Montréal 1992. I will think of many more, but the Badoer incident above was the first to occur to me.

#9 mikedeering

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 11:38

The details from Frnace 1990 aren't quite correct. The shortened Paul Ricard race covered IIRC 80 laps. Gugelmin was indeed passed around the 50 lap mark and promptly retired. Capelli then held off Prost until 2 laps from the end when car issues saw him slip back. The 1-2 was never seriously on, but Capelli's win definitely was.

He nearly repeated the trick the following week at Silverstone - he retired while 3rd and catching the leaders.

Most of the famous ones have already been covered here. Hakkinen had numerous near misses in 1997 but these are largely forgotten because he then went on to be successful. Prior to this his luck was appalling. Time and again he lost the lead late on due to mechanical troubles.

Warwick had a few - he too led Canada 1989, and of course he was close in Rio 84.

Johansson's fairytale start at Ferrari in 1985 - Imola?

#10 Jerome

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 11:58

No, AFAIK I don't think you can count Johansson run in 1985, because he ran on a too high petroluse. It was the year the tanks were reduced, and Prost and the other runners had to turn down the use of the turbo. Johansson did not, led the race and ran out of fuel...

#11 D-Type

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 12:05

Nuvolari at Monaco in 1933(?).
He had the epic race-long duel with Varzi and as he took the lead on the last lap his engine went. And he didn't even get credited as a finisher as he was disqualified for receiving outside assistance when a marshall helped him as he was pushing the car to the line.
From memory so I may not have it quite right.

#12 DNQ

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 12:18

This is great - keep 'em coming. What about OUTSIDE of F1? Another one I can think of is Glen Seton at Bathurst in 1995 - the guy has never won the race despite being a two-time champion. '95 saw him leading with 30mins to go before the engine shat itself.

#13 LotusElise

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 12:45

Carlos Sainz's Toyota giving up within sight of the finish on RallyGB springs to mind.

#14 Vitesse2

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 12:51

Originally posted by LotusElise
Carlos Sainz's Toyota giving up within sight of the finish on RallyGB springs to mind.

Not to mention Luis Moya's reaction to it .... :lol:

#15 Gary Davies

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 13:00

Very early in the race - just seven miles into the 1957 Mille Miglia - but heartbreaking nonetheless ... Moss and Jenkinson in the 4.5 Maserati with the broken brake pedal. In The Racing Driver, Jenks describes the scene as they returned to the Maserati garage: "... the faces of all the mechanics and the team manager were almost beyond description; they were as a group of children who had been told there was no Father Christmas - they just did not believe their eyes - while some of them were genuinely in tears and beyond even expressing sympathy."

Ugolini "...went a grey colour and became speechless and overcome with emotion."

TNFers will know that the factory had such high hopes for this entry, feeling confident (as DSJ explains) that not only did they have the Ferraris covered, but were in with a shot of bettering Moss' and Jenks' 1955 time.

#16 Gary Davies

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 13:02

Just thought of another one. Graham Hill, British Grand Prix, 1960. You all know the story.

#17 ian senior

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 13:03

Frankie Migault.... Connew....Austria 1972.... need I say more? If only the car had lasted to the finish, who knows what that could have led on to?

#18 Disco Stu

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 13:19

The Champ Car race at Detroit in 1997 - PacWest Racing, which hadn't won a race in it's existance, found its cars running 1-2 at the end thanks to a gamble on fuel strategy, with Mauricio Gugelmin leading Mark Blundell. Neither driver had won a race at that point either. Midway through the final lap Gugelmin ran out of fuel, ruining the 1-2 but at least leaving Blundell in the lead. With two turns remaining Blundell then ran out of fuel, handing the win to a startled Greg Moore, who had just earned his first victory the week before. The team went from 1-2 to two retirements in the last half lap.

There is a happy ending to this one. The next race saw Blundell get the win in a crazy finish in the rain at Portland, .055 second covered the podium. Blundell won three races that year, with Gugelmin winning one. They were the only wins for either driver, and the team would only get a surprise win from Scott Dixon at Nazareth in 2001 before they folded.

#19 Keir

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 14:03

Spence at Le Mans '66

#20 Jerry Lee

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 14:28

Indy '92

Four Andrettis in the race. 3 of them crash hard with significant injurys (worst was Jeff). Michael absolutely dominating all day and very concerned about the rest of his family. Engine quits with about 12 laps to go. That was a real heartbreaker.

#21 byrkus

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 15:37

1995/96 BPR race at Nogaro... After starting in front, blue/yellow Ferrari F40 (Gounon) got pushed from behind, and spun into tires, demaging it in process. After losing more than a lap, he drove like a man obsessed, gaining up to several seconds per lap. Some 15-20 minutes from finish, when he was only 15 seconds behind leader (and on way to a GRAET win), the car broke down... Really heartbreaking.

Luca Badoer (Nurburgring 99) is very close second.

#22 barrykm

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 16:05

Although there are many heart-breakers, for me it is Ricardo Patrese at Kyalami...

#23 scheivlak

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 17:26

Originally posted by rwhitworth
John Love - SAGP 1967

Not a DNF - he finished second!

#24 Macca

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 17:53

Peter Collins & Klementaski in that same 1957 Mille Miglia - well ahead when their diff broke near the end.

Eddie Sachs at Indy.

And Nuvolari almost getting a first Mille Miglia win for Ferrari with bits hanging off the car.

Paul M

#25 Twin Window

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 18:03

Originally posted by LotusElise

Carlos Sainz's Toyota giving up within sight of the finish on RallyGB springs to mind.

IIRC, there was a lengthy road section to also be traversed after the end of that stage. Never gets mentioned, that...

Originally posted by barrykm

Although there are many heart-breakers, for me it is Ricardo Patrese at Kyalami...

Patrick Depailler in the same race; great pics of Ronnie consoling him on the podium.

You could, I suppose, count a couple from just the 1982 Monaco GP; DD and de Cesaris both briefly looked like they were on for their maiden wins. Very briefly...

#26 Updraught

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 18:24

Jim Clark, Mexico GP 1964 - lost the world championship on the last lap.

#27 rwhitworth

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 18:30

Originally posted by scheivlak

Not a DNF - he finished second!

True - but still heartbreaking ;-)

#28 Gary Davies

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 18:37

Originally posted by Updraught
Jim Clark, Mexico GP 1964 - lost the world championship on the last lap.

Quite so, and without seeking to get into a bout of iffing, NGH would be justified in feeling a little miffed too, what with Bandini biffing him off earlier in the race and then allowing his team leader to slip through into third on that same last lap.

#29 Cirrus

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 18:58

Quite..... "What Ifs?" and the '64 Mexican GP are inextricably linked!

#30 ensign14

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 19:23

Canada 1989...Nicola Larini...retired whilst running 4th.

In an Osella.

Behind 2 cars that later retired.

Just before the other car made a pit stop.

Could have been an Osella on the podium at least...

Also when Peter Charles ran out of fuel at Monza in 1984 when lying 4th on the penultimate lap...and van de Poele at San Marino some years later when 5th in the Modena-Lambo...funny how these random Italian cars ran so well in Italy...;)

It would have been great to see Geoff Lees get a big win that his merits deserved, and he was an hour or so away from winning Le Mans when the Toyota gave up.

#31 Barry Boor

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 20:09

Ian, you have saved me from giving the impression that I only think about one thing!

I was not party to the financial dealings but I know that money was paid at quarter, half and three-quarter distance. The car retired just a few laps short of half, so Peter only got money for quarter.

Had it lasted until the end and finished around 11th or 12th, there would have been sufficient money to have got to Monza....

Then again, the engine would still have failed at the Rothman's and Francois would probably have walked away just the same.

I guess the only difference is that Peter might have been able to pay the Dartford Tunnel toll as opposed to having to write a cheque.

Apologies for this indulgence.... :blush:

#32 angst

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 20:36

So much of John Watson's 1977 season fits the bill. The pole at Monaco, his start spoiled by the paint on the grid - I seem to remember. France, where he held off Andretti for lap after lap, only for fuel feed problems to intervene. Same again at Silverstone, only with Hunt as the pursuer, and he didn't even finish that race. There were othere as well, as I recall - but those are the ones that stick in the mind. And, of course, later on that season his team-mate Stuck led at the Glen(?) but his clutch was gone, and eventually caught him out.

Giacomelli at the Glen in 1980, should have been. Mass's puncture at the 'ring in '76 - he was on one that day. Materassi in the Bugatti, Lasarte 1927 - driving brilliantly to lead the dominant Delage of Benoist.

I would, at one time, have added Mansell at Monaco 1984, but after he started winning and still decrying his 'terrible problems' with the car, his drama-queen antics made me believe that every Mansell victory was a heartbreaking DNDNF.

#33 Vicuna

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Posted 07 April 2006 - 22:20

Then there is the F1 career of a fellow Kiwi..

#34 CRX Lee

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 02:47

1989 Indy 500- Al Unser Jr. crashing from the lead with just 5 turns remaining in the race after making contact with Emerson Fittipaldi. When Fittipaldi came by under the yellow flag the next lap preparing for his first win at Indy, Unser Jr. showed him a hand gesture that was indeed a thumbs up :up:

and not what some people guessed. Unser Jr. was classified to finish second although the car went no further.

Soon thereafter when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway removed and replaced the concrete walls , Unser Jr. bought that section of wall that he hit and had it trucked all the way to his ranch in New Mexico and had it placed alongside his driveway. A few years later Unser Jr. went on to get his first Indy 500 win.

#35 angst

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 02:55

Originally posted by Vicuna
Then there is the F1 career of a fellow Kiwi..

Of course. How he's not been mentioned until post 34 is unusual. And thinking of Amon makes me think of Bandini, Ferrari, French Grand Prix 1966. If only that throttle cable hadn't broken, how different might that year have been? Would there have been the 'strike' that meant no entry into the British GP by Ferrari? And Rindt's great drive around Spa that year, leading (convincingly) until the track started drying out. Surer's drive at Brands in '85 deserved a result.

#36 Falcadore

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 06:43

Andrea de Cesaris at Spa-Francorchamps in 1991. Imagine if Eddie Jordans rookie team had been able to cobble together a win, in the dry. Sadly the car broke down and Senna won the race nobody wanted to win.

Or Jordan again, rookie Barrichello's DNF at Donnington in 1993 when a podium was on the cards.

Kevin Waldock in the 1992 Sandown 500, this amazing little privateer team were on their way to a third consecutive Sandown 500 podium when the Sierra RS500 broke.

The most famous incident in all of Australian motorsport? Admittedly seventeen laps (10%) into the 1980 James Hardie 1000 could hardly be considered, but when Dick Johnson crashed his Falcon into the wall avoiding the famous rock that had tumbled on to the track, eventual winner Peter Brock was already a lap down, and Johnson had the field covered for pace. The resulting human interest story as Johnson tearfully and angirly explained to those listening how everything he owned was tied up in the car. The telethon that followed where public donations were sent in to restore and rebuild Dick's car, the money that suddenly appeared from Ford...

It changed the history of Australian motorsport.

#37 Falcadore

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 06:49

Johnny Herbert's Lotus being hit by Eddie Irvine n the grid at Monza in ... 96 or 97? Herbert qualified an amazing 4th on a desperate day for the descendants of Colin Chapman. By the next race Lotus were gone with nothing left but Herbert's blazing anger at Irvine...

#38 Teapot

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 09:36

Originally posted by Falcadore

Johnny Herbert's Lotus being hit by Eddie Irvine n the grid at Monza in ... 96 or 97? Herbert qualified an amazing 4th on a desperate day for the descendants of Colin Chapman. By the next race Lotus were gone with nothing left but Herbert's blazing anger at Irvine...

I think it was in 1994...

My heartbreaking moment par exellence was Alessandro Zampedri's crash at Indy 500 in 1996... he came so close to a win and then... He was leading the race with 10 laps to go, then a shock absorber broke down and he had to back off in third and finally, after a restart from a yellow flag on the last lap, Roberto Guerrero drove right into his car, sending him up in air against the fences. The poor man, although classified fourth, ended stuck in a wheelchair for months.

#39 lustigson

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 10:04

Originally posted by Jerry Lee
Indy '92. Four Andrettis in the race. 3 of them crash hard with significant injurys (worst was Jeff). Michael absolutely dominating all day and very concerned about the rest of his family. Engine quits with about 12 laps to go. That was a real heartbreaker.

Any more on that? I've never heard of four Andretti's in the same race. Mario, Michael, Jeff... and John? What injuries did they sustain?

#40 Mal9444

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 11:11

Bit nervous about this one, since it's all I seem to talk about and indeed just been posting about it in another thread, but...

Mike Hawthorn and Desmond Titterington's great drive in a lone D-type Jaguar against the might of Mercedes in the 1955 RAC TT. Mercedes had taken five cars - three to race and two others to practice, including a 300sl coupe in which (until he was prevented from so doing by the Clerk of the course) Fangio took Karl Kling round the circuit for a bit of one-on-one tuition. Jaguar took two cars, and raced only one. Hawthorn had a great tussle with Fangio while Moss led, handed over to Titterington in 2nd. Titterington ran away from John Fitch (in the Moss car) at 12 seconds a lap. Moss took over from Fitch a whopping three minutes down on the Jaguar but could make no impression on Titterington. England brough in Titterington and gave the car back to Hawthorn, Moss started taking seven seconds a lap out of JMH and got past, but the Jag was still in a strong second place with Fangio third, unable to dent Hawthorn. Then Hawthorn fluffed a gear change two laps from the end and blew the engine.

Everyone speaks of it as a huge disappointment for Hawthorn - but what about Titterington? Deprived of a Giant Killing result on his home circuit before his own crowd against the mightiest team ever seen in motor racing. He must have been gutted. It was widely held at the time and since that had England split the driving half-and-half between Tiitterington and Hawthorn, Titterington could have held off Moss and the D-type would have won. Such a result would have given Jaguar the world sports car championship that year, for even the subsequent Moss/ Collins Targa Floria win (the only remaining Championship race) would not have recovered the points deficit incurred by withdrawing from Le Mans.

Personally, and as a Moss disciple, I am not convinced Titterington could have kept Moss at bay for three hours - but the race statistics show that in terms of lap times there were but seconds between all three drivers at their fastest, but that by his second stint Hawthorn was beginning to lose it.

#41 Vicuna

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 11:47

Originally posted by Falcadore
Andrea de Cesaris at Spa-Francorchamps in 1991.

Not to mention 1983...

#42 Falcadore

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 14:40

Originally posted by lustigson

Any more on that? I've never heard of four Andretti's in the same race. Mario, Michael, Jeff... and John? What injuries did they sustain?

There were several Champ Car races in the 91 and 92 seasons with all four in the same race IIRC. Certianly I can recall four being at the first Australian CART event in 1991.

#43 Collombin

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 16:25

If a deliberate, non-F1, qualification run DNF isn't too far off topic, then how about Jigger Sirois at Indy in 1969? It certainly fits the heartbreaking bill.

His team waved off his qualification attempt, believing it too slow to make the field.

Had they allowed him to continue he would have ended up sat on the pole! As it turned out he missed the show completely, and never made it to the start of an Indy 500 in his whole career.

Ouch

#44 lustigson

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 18:10

Originally posted by E.B.
If a deliberate, non-F1, qualification run DNF isn't too far off topic, then how about Jigger Sirois at Indy in 1969? It certainly fits the heartbreaking bill.

His team waved off his qualification attempt, believing it too slow to make the field.

Had they allowed him to continue he would have ended up sat on the pole! As it turned out he missed the show completely, and never made it to the start of an Indy 500 in his whole career.

Ouch

What did they time him with, then... a bloody hourglass?

#45 Olivier Favre

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 18:25

François Delecour, losing the Monte-Carlo in the very last stage in 1991.
Fortunately, he won three years later ...

#46 ensign14

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 19:07

Originally posted by lustigson

What did they time him with, then... a bloody hourglass?

He was doing a fairly slow speed that would have been marginal the previous year. But weather conditions were very bad throughout qualifying and he'd've been about 31st fastest. Had they let him complete the run, he would have been at risk of being bumped - from pole, as he would have been the only day 1 qualifier - and without a spare he'd've been out of the race regardless. No-one expected the next 2 days of qualifying to be rained off...but quis audet vincit...

#47 Pikachu Racing

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 20:01

It was Mario and Jeff Andretti that suffered injuries at Indy 92. Michael's car broke down with 10 to go. John was the only Andretti to finish.

Last year at Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a lap lead and with 15 minutes to go the wheel bearing failed.

Dale Earnhardt at 1990 Daytona 500 when he was leading on the final lap before a cut tire robbed him of a win. He finally won the Daytona 500 in 1999.

Jimmy Kite at IRL Kentucky 2000. He was among the leaders even leading before the engine quit.

Tony Stewart and Richie Hearn at 1996 IRL Loudon. With 20-semi-odd laps to go both made their schedule pit stops only to the have the car failed in the pits.

List of Tony Stewart heartbreakers in the IRL:
1996 Disney: engine quit while in the lead. 5 minutes later rain came and ended the race
1997 Texas: leading before engine and crash took him out
1998 Indy: on the pole for the race and engine gave up after 22 laps while in the lead

Al Unser, Jr. and Raul Boesel at 1994 Michigan 500. Both engines blew within few laps of each other while in the lead. It did have a feel good story as the win was handed to Scott Goodyear driving in a Kenny Bernstein car that was to be out of CART after the season.

#48 David Beard

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 20:08

Originally posted by ensign14
He was doing a fairly slow speed that would have been marginal the previous year. But weather conditions were very bad throughout qualifying and he'd've been about 31st fastest. Had they let him complete the run, he would have been at risk of being bumped - from pole, as he would have been the only day 1 qualifier - and without a spare he'd've been out of the race regardless. No-one expected the next 2 days of qualifying to be rained off...but quis audet vincit...

Never heard of Jigger before...but all this made me Google

http://home.flash.ne...iggerSirois.htm

#49 Leo

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 20:48

Originally posted by angst
Of course. How he's not been mentioned until post 34 is unusual.

And after almost 50 post no one has mentioned Jean Alesi. Especially his drives at Monza. I remember the 1992 qualification, where Alesi took provisional pole with a few minutes to go. In that catastrophically bad F92A. Jean took a gamble on setup: there was a flimsy piece of carbonfibre over the rear axle, but it hardly qualified as wing. He went around waving to the ecstatic fans on his cooling down lap. Unfortunately in the dying seconds of the session Mansell and Senna marginally bettered his time. Alesi should have won the race at least three times in later years, hadn't it been for mechanical troubles or slow pitwork.

#50 Vicuna

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Posted 08 April 2006 - 21:03

Originally posted by Leo

And after almost 50 post no one has mentioned Jean Alesi.

Good point

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The fairytales that never were - heartbreaking DNFs

#1 DNQ

#2 gbl

#3 wdm

#4 Vitesse2

#5 Henri Greuter

#6 rwhitworth

#7 f1steveuk

#8 subh

#9 mikedeering

#10 Jerome

#11 D-Type

#12 DNQ

#13 LotusElise

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#15 Gary Davies

#16 Gary Davies

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#24 Macca

#25 Twin Window

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#28 Gary Davies

#29 Cirrus

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#31 Barry Boor

#32 angst

#33 Vicuna

#34 CRX Lee

#35 angst

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#40 Mal9444

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