19 replies to this topic

[Jon Saltinstall]

I've been intrigued by the following reverse on-board photo which appears to show Niki Lauds (in his late 1970s helmet rather than any of his 1980s variants) at the wheel of what appears to be a Ferrari 126CK or 126C2. Can any TNFers cast light on what/when/where/why this event happened, or perhaps even a wider angle

 

http://imageshack.us...9/7350/uk7f.png

 

Any clarifications welcomed!!

Edited by Jon Saltinstall, 15 November 2013 - 15:33.

[f1steveuk]

Doesn't actually look like Niki to me.

[PCC]

Doesn't actually look like Niki to me.

I agree. It looks odd in other ways too. Where are the headrest and roll bar?

[Jon Saltinstall]

I think the headrest/rollbar are just not visible because of the wide angle lens and the camera angle. However, I agree with the view that through the visor the eyes don't look like Niki. There are also some missing helmet decals, and I recall that he generally ran with a smoked rather than a clear visor. So my gut feeling is that this is probably a modern shot of the owner (?) of the car in a replica helmet, possibly somewhere like Laguna Seca (the Monterey thing) judging by the bit of the scenery we can see?

[opplock]

It looks like a (not very accurate) replica of Lauda's 1976 helmet. Were these cars ever sold?

[JtP1]

I agree. It looks odd in other ways too. Where are the headrest and roll bar?

 

Where's the balaclava?

 

As you point out about the mising parts, he must be sticking out the car about 12".

 

Photoshop?

[Jon Saltinstall]

I think the "missing parts" thing is a bit of a red herring as the image appears to be distorted by a wide angle (almost fish-eye)l lens - look at the distortion on the side pod. I guess the more interesting question is - if this is a real 126CK/126C2, who's the owner? As opplock says, did any of this series get into private hands?

[funformula]

Doesn´t look like a genuine Lauda helmet from the 70´s to me, far too clean with no scruffs and marks, also too large eyeport.

It may be a Bell XFM1 but Lauda never wore this type in orange with Römerquelle sticker.

 

[Henri Greuter]

The longines advertisement and the uprising fin-like part on the right, as well as the lack of a high rollover barr make me think we're looking at a 1980 Ferrari 312T5.

 

I have seen a T5 in the USA during the inaugural US GP at Indy (2000)

 

Henri

Edited by Henri Greuter, 15 November 2013 - 19:26.

[Jon Saltinstall]

I should also have spotted the mid-blue overalls in the first place, which are distinctly non-Lauda!

[jtremlett]

Here is where the picture came from: http://blog.axisofov...a-1-in-3-d.html

 

Jonathan

[raceannouncer2003]

Looks like Bud Moeller's ex-Villeneueve T5.  Does he still have it?

 

http://www.historicg...ler Ferrari.htm

 

Not sure of the significance of the Lauda helmet/reference.

 

Vince H.

[Jon Saltinstall]

Cheers Vince - mystery solved! No Lauda connections of course, so perhaps he's just a fan.....

[Arjan de Roos]

 As opplock says, did any of this series get into private hands?

 

Just to get back on the "Mystery" Ferrari: All Ferrari F1's were sold if possible (read: there was interest). Mostly though to renowned collectors like Cluxton, Setton, Bardinon, to name a few. At GP's an old car (the muletto) would even be advertised by the F1 team present for a GP! These days they (people at Ferrari) know the historic/commercial relevance of their cars so some are kept for the museums.

Coincidentally: Moeller is re-enacting what Enzo later always claimed that could have been: Lauda chasing his 5th championship in a Ferrari.

Edited by Arjan de Roos, 20 November 2013 - 09:50.

[Henri Greuter]

Lauda chasing a fifth title with Ferrari?

 

Now I rate him and the 1979 (T4) Farrari for capable to win the title (that would be a third), I am less certain that even Lauda could have won the 1978 title with T3 against the Lotus 79 so a fourth title is less likely.

But even if he would have gained it against the odds: winning a title, any title with T5 ?????

 

 

dream on, dream on Enzo....

 

Henri

[Arjan de Roos]

Lauda chasing a fifth title with Ferrari?

 

Now I rate him and the 1979 (T4) Farrari for capable to win the title (that would be a third), I am less certain that even Lauda could have won the 1978 title with T3 against the Lotus 79 so a fourth title is less likely.

But even if he would have gained it against the odds: winning a title, any title with T5 ?????

 

 

dream on, dream on Enzo....

 

Henri

 

Missed you last night Henri! No, it is indeed dreaming: but I believe Lauda could have given Lotus a run for their money in 1978, not that I am fully convinced he could have beaten them. Its all dreaming indeed, including 1976. Only I agree, Lauda could not have done better in the T5.  

[Arjan de Roos]

.... got along with the team .....

Fully with you, only the team wasn't a team. But if Forghieri/Lauda would have the chance to full stop test/develop it would've been something.

[Henri Greuter]

 

Nobody, not a Fangio nor a Senna, would have won on the T5. Winning in '78 was unlikely - however the 79, with all its intrinsic superiority, did not run away with it and the T3 did win five GPs. But Lauda won his third championship in 1984 - against a teammate way quicker than him - Ferrari had good cars in between and he already had the measure of all the WC drivers of that period. We are talking about someone who made it happen and proved he could do it.

Reggazoni: I forgot to mention it in my reply but to me: Niki Lauda is one of the greatest drivers ever in F1. He is in my personal top 3 of best drivers ever. There are drivers who won more races and titles than him but that doesn't tell anything. Certainly in his Ferrari years, Niki proved how a driver could motivate a team and get the most out of a team.

And to put things in pesrspective: I think that what Villeneuve managed to do with the T5 in 1980, including winning 5th place at Monaco, that was out of this world. I can't think of any other driver in that era who would have managed to score points with that car.

BTW, if memory serves me well, Reutemann's first victory in 1978 (Brazil) was with at T2, T3 debuted in Kyalami, the third race that year. So T3 won `only` 4 GP's that year.


Henri

Edited by Henri Greuter, 22 November 2013 - 13:16.

[Arjan de Roos]

.... Winning in '78 was unlikely - however the 79, with all its intrinsic superiority, did not run away with it and the T3 did win five GPs. ....

 

Well.. Andretti won. Nowadays we remember as quite superior.

Still after Schumi era and 2013, have another look:

Lauda and Reutemann did score 7 podiums each. El Lole won 5 races, showing that the T3 was a winner. He also only recorded 3 DNF's marking reliability. Lauda had 9 DNF's.

Reutemann came third in the championship on 16 points only (Lauda 4th on 20 pnts). He may have taken the championship down to the wire.

[Arjan de Roos]

...which saved him the '79 seat or maybe not, had Carlos decided to stay on....

It was Carlos with Jody for '79, until Carlos told he was going to Lotus.