29 replies to this topic

[petefenelon]

Well, it looks like we're going to have the fastest ever lap and fastest ever average speed for a GP this weekend, with BMW and Ferrari bringing out their big guns (of course, I'm sure they'll all be under three litres these days) at Monza.

It's a pity that "Rabbit"'s record for winning the fastest-ever GP and Keke's record for the fastest ever F1 lap are likely to be taken - it'd be nice if they both fell to someone charismatic - JPM rather than MS, perhaps?

Does make me wonder how long dear old Monza can go on though - there's not nearly enough twisty second and third gear hairpins on it for the modern audience to appreciate the finer points of strategy (translation: it's got straights! and atmosphere! and fast corners!). How long until Bernie and Max decide that Agip advertisements are life-threatening and it has to go in favour of Bahrein?

Ah well. I shall be watching qualifying as that promises to be a spectacle, but I'll be out at a local classic car show and will tape the race for later consumption - and probably not watch it until after I've seen the Beeb's coverage of CART at Rockingham.

pete

[petefenelon]

OK, ok, 17 years since Keke's lap of Silverstone. Brain fade on a hot afternoon.

[John Fransson]

Monza and Monaco have permanent places on the shedule, they're going nowhere (woo!)

- John

[Barry Boor]

Monza may not be going anywhere but the direction the road takes at Monza may well go in several different and disappointing directions in the coming years.

[Bladrian]

Originally posted by petefenelon

It's a pity that "Rabbit"'s record for winning the fastest-ever GP and Keke's record for the fastest ever F1 lap are likely to be taken - it'd be nice if they both fell to someone charismatic - JPM rather than MS, perhaps?

pete

In Lauda and Rosberg you've managed to pick probably the two least charismatic of all the previous F1 drivers. It appears charisma is not a pre-requisite for holding records .....

.... unless it gets translated into raw speed, as Schumacher is wont to do. Lots of charisma there, then.

[2F-001]

I'm confused now... where does Lauda fit into this?

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Bladrian




In Lauda and Rosberg you've managed to pick probably the two least charismatic of all the previous F1 drivers. It appears charisma is not a pre-requisite for holding records .....

.... unless it gets translated into raw speed, as Schumacher is wont to do. Lots of charisma there, then.

"Rabbit" was Peter Gethin's nickname. Not because of his appearance but
because he... well, you know how rabbits breed?

Various folk have alluded to a legend that Peter was once found outside
a house of ill-repute clad only in one of the products of a certain
Surtees sponsor - what's the story there?

pete

[Bladrian]

My mistake. Peter Gethin WAS a charismatic driver.

... but still not as fast as Michael.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Bladrian
My mistake. Peter Gethin WAS a charismatic driver.

... but still not as fast as Michael.

Also the man who came up with the great phrase "Drive like an Italian
and think like an Englishman" when he was trying to tame Beppe
Gabbiani when he was in F2

pete

[Ian McKean]

For me, Rosberg had more charisma than most WDC.

[David Beard]

Gethin in the early 70s....I have always wondered who the other bloke is.

[Barry Boor]

Well, we got our new fastest-ever lap.... and joy of joys, for once a record NOT held by Mickey Cobblers.....

[Ross Stonefeld]

Is this the fastest ever road racing lap? Le Mans lap record is 145ish mph. Avus would have some awesome speeds, but is that a road course or an oval, and for the point of this discussion would it even be relevant?

[Barry Boor]

I have this vague memory of a sports car getting around the old Spa at a very silly speed indeed.

A Matra? Pescarolo?

[byrkus]

3:13.4 in 1973 1000 kms race in Spa, by a Matra driver - Pescarolo, I believe. 262,4 kph!!!

[Barry Boor]

163.055 m.p.h.

INDEED!!!!!

[Ross Stonefeld]

next reply to this post in 12 months then

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by David Beard
Gethin in the early 70s....I have always wondered who the other bloke is.

A mercantile agent who's come to repossess his driving suit...

So, for the record, what is the new record lap speed?

[byrkus]

259,828 kph (161,454 mph)

[LittleChris]

Didn't Ickx go quicker to set pole for the 1973 Spa 1000 Km's than Pescarolo's fastest race lap ?

I've got the copy of Motor Sport somewhere, cos there's a nice version of Continental Notes by DSJ about sitting on the wall at Stavelot reflecting on engine noises !!

[jarama]

Little,

yes, you're right. Pole time was 3'12"7.

Carles.

[Bladrian]

Heck, even Nascar cars can average quicker than that ..... unless they have to turn right, as well.

[Barry Boor]

Maybe so, but what would an F1 car average arount Daytona?

[Ray Bell]

A lot more than it would around Leyburn...

But Leyburn would be faster than Monza... by a large margin... if it had a surface.

[bobbo]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
Maybe so, but what would an F1 car average arount Daytona?

Now THAT would be an interesting demonstration at Speed Weeks . . .

Boggles the mind!!

Bobbo

[Doug Nye]

284.31km/h - 176.7mph! - this Grand Prix category practice average always sticks in my mind...

DCN

[scheivlak]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
284.31km/h - 176.7mph! - this Grand Prix category practice average always sticks in my mind...

DCN

http://www.pbase.com/image/955630

But Bernd didn't win either.......

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
284.31km/h - 176.7mph! - this Grand Prix category practice average always sticks in my mind...

Ahh... I was wondering, in fact somebody in RC posted that Bernd had done a 170mph lap and I asked what it was...

I knew what event it was, of course, the 1937 Avusrennen won by Lang... but then we have your description of it being a 'Grand Prix category practice'... the book (Monkhouse & King Farlow) sez it was a Formula Libre event. And it wasn't, as already mentioned, called a Grand Prix...

[917]

The whole world told us that Montoya did the fastest F1 lap ever - but is it really true? I remember darkly that Rosberg's fastest lap in Silverstone 1985 was not in the qualifying but in the free practice. This website
http://www.formel1welt.de/8GP1985.htm
tells us that he did 1:05,107 min in the practice on Friday (his qualifying time is undisputedly 1:05,591 min). If this Friday time is correct and if it is true that the Silverstone circuit in 1985 was 2,932 miles long (4,7186 km) then his average was 260,908 kph (162,121 mph)! For comparison: Montoya's fastest Monza lap was 259,828 kph = 161,454 mph. Maybe this is the reason why Juan Pablo said that this record is not very important, if it is not beaten this year, it will be beaten next year...

Any corrections?
Kind regards
Michael

[byrkus]

FORIX states 1:06.107. Other times should be true. Maybe your source made a mistake and put 5 instead of 6? For I simply don't believe, that on such 'short' circuit (66 seconds per lap) someone should have ONE second advantage on Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. I think it's a mistake.

FORIX also states, that 1:06.107 was achieved in 1st qualifying session. Best time on morning free practice was 1:17.055, also by Rosberg. And, if THAT time was achieved on qualifying - than it should count for starting places, and as such, 1:05.107 (if it would be achieved) would indeed be fastest ever qualifying lap. But it wasn't, since it never happened...