14 replies to this topic

[MonzaDriver]

Hi to everyone in this forum.

I start this thread by the Michel Fenner's one.

Instead of talking about the 1 August's  accident, I would like to have your opinions or your knowledge,

about this episode.

You ìhave to know that  Arturo Merzario during this 40 years never like to talk about the episode,

or even clarify things.

Because hundreds of journalists ask him about he cannot avoid the topic forever,

but you can say that he has been totally reticent, unwilling, bagered by that.

 

The episode is related to a Rolex watch that Lauda gifted to Merzario not long after the shunt..

Problem is that Merzario reconize it was a promotional watch. I mean he knew Lauda didn't pay for this gift.

Lauda's stinginess was a very well know fact in F1.

Merzario became really offended by that, and refute on the spot the gift.

Then Enzo Ferrari put some pressure on Carlo Chiti, Chiti put some pressure on Merzario,

and he must accept it.

I wonder if someone in this forum know about this episode in different ways, or know more about it.

My opinion is that Arturo Merzario was totally right, and I would act like him surely.

This episode was unknown for many years among Italians fans.

I like to have your opinions.

MonzaDriver.

 

 

[jcbc3]

I seem to remember a story where Lauda was talking about the accident and praising Merzario for helping out. With words to the effect of: "he doesn't even like me".
So the animosity from Merzario towards Lauda was established before the accident. This would probably add to Arturo's resentment of the gift.

What I always try to preach to my kids is that you should receive a gift in the spirit it is given. I.e. if Lauda wanted to say thank you to Arturo for the heroics AND that he had a very nice watch laying around Lauda may have thought it was a good idea. And in that spirit Arturo should have said thank you and just gone on with his life without more ado.

As for the aftermath with Enzo and Carlo, that seems unnecessary. This was and should have been between Lauda and Merzario and Arturo's refusal should have been the end of the story. But I still think the watch should have been accepted.

In my humble opinion.

Edited by jcbc3, 08 August 2016 - 10:52.

[Odseybod]

Two sides to every question, I suppose.

 

If Lauda had presented the watch to Merzario, saying "I bought you this as a token of my gratitude", and Merzario subsequently discovered Lauda had actually received it for free, then yes, you could understand some feeling that the gift wasn't quite so generous after all.

 

But if the ratty chap was (like his contemporaries) in the habit of turning such promo gifts into much-needed spending money (and was maybe still servicing the debts that funded his early F1 career?) but chose instead to .give this Rolex to Merzario and find the spending money elsewhere, I think M. was over-reacting. He could always have copied the original plan to convert it into a lot of lire, if he was so offended, probably with Lauda's amused blessing.

 

And yes, no reason at all for the Commendatore and Chitti to interfere.

[byrkus]

Perhaps Merzario "resented" Lauda for taking "his" seat at Ferrari, just as the car became top of the class...?

 

I seem to remember an episode in 1973, when Merzario raced at Ferrari's sportscar team and was fighting for a win (against sister Ferrari car), until the team intervened and used team orders, so the other car would win. After which Merzario was so furious, that he didn't even appear on the podium. So, who knows. There were several aspects of Merzario, which could render him as short tempered; maybe that was just another one, Lauda taking "his" seat.

 

Just pure speculation and guessing, of course.

[Spillage]

Some people are remarkably humble about their heroism. Perhaps Merzario didn't want to be rewarded for something he felt was no more than the right thing to do; perhaps he even felt offended by a perceived suggestion that he expected to be.

Again, just guessing, really.

Edited by Spillage, 08 August 2016 - 11:57.

[Charlieman]

Four drivers have been identified for their outstanding bravery at the Nurburgring crash. In alphabetical order: Guy Edwards, Harald Ertl, Brett Lunger and Arturo Merzario. The anonymous marshal who provided a fire extinguisher to Ertl was wise to give way to a braver man. On that day, it seems that Art provided nifty hands in a bunch of flames to release Niki Lauda from the car and Brett had the muscle to lift him clear when belts were released. All four drivers contributed to Niki's survival.

 

Philosophers wibble about the debt of a rescued person to the rescuers, and the reverse. If Lauda and Merzario have ancient disagreements about Ferrari, they are long in the past.

 

I think it is best to commemorate four brave F1 drivers.

[Radoye]

 If Lauda and Merzario have ancient disagreements about Ferrari, they are long in the past.

 

Indeed!

 

[Michael Ferner]

Nice picture!! Who cares about watches.

[raceannouncer2003]

I interviewed Merzario at Monaco in 2012.  I asked him about the crash, but as you say, he didn't want to talk about it.  He did mention racing at Japan in the "water".  I don't know about the watches.

 

 

Vince H.

Edited by raceannouncer2003, 09 August 2016 - 06:01.

[ensign14]

Not often you see a driver enjoying his sponsor's product these days...

[MonzaDriver]

Well, me ttoo I am happy to see this picture,

but one thing is to forget about old disagreement,

and another thing is the way they behave while they were racing.

That's way more important.

And now they are also very close to be old.

Probably you see things in different manner.

MonzaDriver,  

[Arjan de Roos]

Lauda and Merzario were not the best of friends in the first part of the seventies. Several obvious issues being the cause for this and of course both had to race hard to survive (on and off track).

Niki was quick to learn Italian making him popular among the Ferrari mechanics, he also learned some wrong words in Italian. Arturo received them, but was quick to respond.

It were harsh and different times. Mind you, at the time in Italy Regazzoni fans fought with Lauda fans. Can you imagine Vettel tifosi beating up Kimi tifosi?

 

The three drivers  and one marshal who saved Niki received a medal at the Austrian GP. But in Monza Niki did not walk up to Merzario to thank the Italian in public. A mistake Lauda does regret, however his was quite preoccupied and being Lauda in a Ferrari and all the pressure. Yet this basically infuriated Merzario as an Italian at his home GP, what better place to be honored. Later Niki gave him a Rolex watch, not "just" a present but the watch he got for winning the Monaco GP Pole earlier that season. Arturo bitterly accepted with the Monza story in mind, yet he kept it and does has the watch still in his possession.

Also think of this. Merzario being Italian is of course passionate, but so much more for racing. He must have been very happy to see Niki overcome the accident as he so futile tried to save his teammate Giunti from the flames at Buenos Aires in 1971.

Both have met numerous times after this, Niki has apologized, Arturo cursed once more and the picture above tells a lot of them as they are today.

Edited by Arjan de Roos, 09 August 2016 - 14:22.

[MonzaDriver]

This forum is Amazing.

it was the watch for the Monaco's pole, and Merzario still has it.

Yes the relationship become better along the decades you can say.....

they dont speak each other probably until 2001 or close to that.

Anyway Arjan thank you for the info.

About the fightihing between Lauda's  and Regazzoni's fans, that's really not true.

In Italy there is only the Scuderia nothing else matter.

MonzaDriver

[secessionman]

It is only relatively recently that I became aware of Fittipaldi's involvement in Lauda 'Ring rescue, largely due to the Ertl/Lunger/Edwards/Merzario quartet oft being referred to in isolation over the last 40 years.

 

Should Fittipaldi's input have been more widely recognized or is this largely ignored because Lauda was already out of the car by the time he became involved?

[Arjan de Roos]

Do not mix up with was you see in the movie 'Rush' and what happened in reality. Emmo was indeed on the scene, but not with the first extraction attempts.