9 replies to this topic

[DoubleM]

Found this on Peter Windsor's site and - hoping I'm not breaking too many protocols - thought it would be appreciated here too. It's a birthday message posted on Facebook:

"Lorenzo,

Today, your birthday, you would have been 77 years old and so much time has passed since you left us in that tragic fire in Monte Carlo. I am convinced that there is an afterlife and therefore you’ll see here on our Facebook page many friends and admirers who were not even born when you left us – those who remember you with great affection, admiration and esteem. Many people have written beautiful things about you – for example the person who wrote: “At the time you left I was nine years old; this was the first great sorrow of my life.”

See the legacy you have left behind? Lorenzo, you told me once that you felt you were born unlucky. Of course you were right, with the benefit of hindsight, but in your 31 years you became a great man with your modesty, your determination and your enthusiasm for a sport you loved more than anything in the world; and you have left for us an indelible memory.

I would not of speak of bad luck, therefore. I’m still here, aged 74. I have known the great loves of two wonderful men – you and our son. I’ve known great pain and great joy, but above all thanks to both of you.

Margherita - Dec 21 2012."

----------------------------------

Also found the following - please forgive my shaky translation - I have tried to keep some vestige of the original Italian rather than clean it up into pukka Queen's English:

Intervista a Margherita Bandini - il ricordo del mio Lorenzo

(Interview with Margaret from the book Riccardello Bandini ‘Lorenzo Bandini, The King of Hearts’.)


When one remembers Bandini, there is the inevitably a deep feeling of a sense of anguish: the fire at Monte Carlo, the agony and everything else disappears under the weight of that image and that tragedy.

When asked to remember, Enzo Ferrari too, could not help but go back to that last, horrible image: "I remember that day in May 1967. I was in my office in Maranello in front of the TV. When I saw the big black mushroom of smoke ominously rising to disfigure the bay of Monaco ... I sensed the burning car was one of mine. Now I do not know why, but I sensed Bandini in the fire and I was sure I would not have seen the fire otherwise, an event that will accompany the terrible history of the car for a few years”.

Margherita, Lorenzo’s wife, every so often says: "Sometimes I did, yes: I took a watch and I figured 5 minutes. What are 5 minutes? Anything, a trifle, but inside a fire is an eternity."

In turn shy, jealous, reserved in his feelings but also with a Mediterranean passion: Lorenzo was so?
"Yes, at times he had some shyness or at least when he was not in his environment, he could feel disoriented and seem ill-at ease. His was not a personally cold character, in fact he was an extrovert, a real Romagna, passionate and romantic. It was like a time bomb that exploded in his cockpit during a short period of racing."

Behaved as a husband, which are often at home during long breaks?
"During the months of the races he was always very focused and meticulous. He controlled every detail both at work and in everyday life, was extremely accurate enough to demand more and shirts perfectly ironed."

He was happy with family life? Was it what he expected and wanted?
"I remember early 1967, when we had been married for three years, we planned to have a son within a year. He told me about his ambition, we wanted to wait a little longer, to see how his season went, and then we would have dedicated time to building a family."

What was the relationship with his fans? Did the fame catch him off guard?
"I don’t want to be misunderstood, but the peak was even greater than the fame he had with his death and the aftermath. At that time there was all this media attention on the drivers. When we went out together and went to the movies or for example in a restaurant, at times, I did keep myself apart. I enjoyed seeing the amazement of passersby. Some recognized him right away and nudged each other, whispering Lorenzo’s name. He was certainly pleased to hear the affection of the fans."

And Ferrari, what was her impression of his involvement with the mechanics and engineers?
"During a meeting organized by the Ferrari mechanics, six of the nine technicians who worked with Lorenzo, reminded me of an episode that they will never forget. At Monaco in 1966, after the race, we were preparing for the usual reception that was held every year at the Hotel de Paris. Before leaving Lorenzo went to see the mechanics, he found them in a restaurant near the garage where the cars were kept, they were just sitting at the table. "What are you doing here?” Lorenzo invites all of them to the Hotel de Paris. “Come with me, do not worry, I'm going to take some of my ties and we’ll all go together." He brought all the mechanics into the gala at the Hotel de Paris, where they had never been invited before. They clearly loved Lorenzo and will always remember him with affection because he felt one of them, other drivers of more noble extraction preferred not to have such a relationship with their mechanics."

What did competition mean for Lorenzo?
"It was his life, his great passion. At first it was just a dream but I think that Lorenzo was one of those people lucky enough to do in life what they were really passionate about. And he did it without any favoritism, he succeeded thanks to his great perseverance and desire to achieve results."

What was the relationship between Bandini and the engineer Enzo Ferrari?
"I think he put a lot of pressure. Lorenzo had an adoration for Enzo Ferrari but then recognized a lot of flaws. Only a few years ago I heard from Piero Ferrari that his father was deeply fond of only two drivers: Lorenzo and Gilles Villeneuve. Their loss hurt so much. Lorenzo and Ferrari were almost like father and son, but the engineer was a difficult character both professionally and personally. An episode for all is what happens after the French GP at Reims in 1966. Lorenzo earned pole position and was in the lead for two-thirds of the race when the accelerator cable broke. I remember he went to a metal fence and broke off a piece of wire to make a new coupling for the accelerator. Of course, he lost the lead and many positions. A few days later he returned to Maranello, I remember it well because I was there, Lorenzo met Enzo Ferrari and said, "Engineer, I'm sorry, I was really unlucky," he said with a serious air: "We need pilots also lucky." Enzo Ferrari had a way of doing things that might seem rude, but despite everything I have to say that he liked Lorenzo."

He was superstitious? Possibility? He had a lucky charm during his races?
"I do not remember if it was superstitious, but more than once confessed to me his conviction that he would die young. According to Lorenzo was fully defined by fate "If you are destined to die in a car-say-running or not running is the same thing, if you should die that day, there is little you can do."

How did you react when he managed to become a Ferrari? And when he caught his first and only success in F1?
“To race with Ferrari was really his greatest dream was a goal, but gradually, after many contests and sacrifices on the day the call came to Maranello. Certainly Lorenzo arrived at the summit of motoring without receiving any recommendation, indeed, Eugenio Dragoni, who was then the Ferrari sporting director, favored the choice of Baghetti rather than that of Bandini.”

What was his relationship with the other drivers, such as friendships or rivalries had?
"I have to say that journalists have always talked about a dispute with Baghetti and Scarfiotti but absolutely not true. Once the racing environment was much more familiar, we all knew and we often went out together.”

How do you remember the day before the last race in Monaco, and the moments before the accident?
"I remember everything on the eve of 1967 and details of the last hours spent with Lorenzo before the race. I am often reminded of his last act, was in second place and everyone wanted to win. The lap before the accident I was in the pit wall, and I remember very well, although I do not know what they had written on the signs mechanics, for a moment Lorenzo raised his two hands on the wheel as if to say "I can not do anything, what more can I do?". This is my interpretation: he struggled a lot throughout the race, since the early laps he was forced to make up positions. His problems started when he turned on the oil left the car driven by Brabham imprudently, that instead of withdrawing, making the track slippery flooded in an attempt to reach the pits. Lorenzo lost positions, then had to trudge, I remember that there were major withdrawals and he suddenly found himself back near the top, was in second place, he wanted to bring home the first place, both the public and the whole Ferrari team wanted him to win.”

The body of Lorenzo, in post-mortem investigations have indicated fatigue as the first cause, but never thought of a technical problem?
"I honestly do not know what could have happened, I remember some photos taken at the very moment when Lorenzo hits the hay bales, you can clearly see a rear wheel that is already past the car as if it were already detached from the car. Those photographs were never seen again.”

Lorenzo had already shown his talent, but the 1967 should have been the year of consecration in F1, as recalled by that time?
"The incident came just in the prime of his career, the Monday following the race would go to Indianapolis. He was excited to try the car with which he would run the famous May 31, and wished to go 500 miles at Indianapolis by winning the Monte Carlo."

Is there a photo or an image more reminiscent of Lorenzo than any other?
"Yes, there is a photo in particular that after all these years I still look at, was taken in Monte Carlo before departure. It's a close-up of Lorenzo, who has already wearing a helmet, you can see in the picture the tissue between the mouth and nose, used it to protect from dust. Stand out clearly under the eyes, the only detail of the face fully covered. Lorenzo is the look of deep and seems aimed far: I do not know if he had guessed that within a few hours he would have died but looking eyes have always been convinced that he had just had a premonition."

----------------------------------

May I take this opportunity to wish all TNFers a Very Happy New Year.
Mike.

[Doug Nye]

Very interesting and insightful post, thank you Mike. I always feel that those who are left behind are the truly unlucky ones. Our late friend Franco Lini was team manager that fateful season of '67. He adored Bandini, and I would love to know Margherita's memories and opinion of him.

I think it speaks volumes for Bandini's personality that while John Surtees utterly detested the Italian driver's main supporter and promoter, team manager through 1966 Eugenio Dragoni, he has never - as far as I know - had a bad word to say about Lorenzo Bandini himself.

This indicates, I guess, that he was quite confident in his pace advantage over the Italian, and saw him as an on-track threat he could always handle in comparable cars. But for someone as naturally competitive, suspicious and in some ways insecure as John to regard and recall his team-mate so graciously bears testament to Bandini's open and straightforwardly engaging nature.

DCN

[Tuboscocca]

DoubleM

Intervista a Margherita Bandini - il ricordo del mio Lorenzo

(Interview with Margaret from the book Riccardello Bandini ‘Lorenzo Bandini, The King of Hearts’.)



This book(let) is still available

http://www.libreriad...sp?IDBook=11153

Best regards Michael

[jj2728]

Thank you for sharing that Mike. Here are 2 photos from 1967.

Bandini at Daytona:


Lini at the USGP:


COPYRIGHT JAG

[Stefan Schmidt]

Peter Windsor is great

[Jack-the-Lad]

Thanks, Mike. That was quite interesting.

[312f1]

7th of May, 39 years ago...

 

Edited by 312f1, 07 May 2016 - 07:46.

[TobyF]

49 years - surely?......incredibly and sadly......once i've got it sorted i'll post a couple of pix - one is, i think, of Bandini as described in the OP: "Yes, there is a photo in particular that after all these years I still look at, was taken in Monte Carlo before departure. It's a close-up of Lorenzo, who has already wearing a helmet, you can see in the picture the tissue between the mouth and nose, used it to protect from dust. Stand out clearly under the eyes, the only detail of the face fully covered. Lorenzo is the look of deep and seems aimed far: I do not know if he had guessed that within a few hours he would have died but looking eyes have always been convinced that he had just had a premonition."  The second shows the Ferrari at the side of the track at Monaco during practice with deranged suspension and a bent nose.  There are others but i will need to sort through my flash drives and discover the method of posting pix here.

 

Toby

[TobyF]

.....and to continue - today the 49th anniversary of the end of the last bravest of battles.  Lorenzo Bandini - remembered always.

Toby

[B Squared]

I was nine years old when Bandini passed. My family lived close enough to school that I could go home for lunch and remember Mom having the radio on national radio personality, Paul Harvey, who announced that the Ferrari driver had lost his courageous battle.