129 replies to this topic

[Richard Jenkins]

Few questions about Roberto Moreno:


3. Why confirms Benetton Moreno after the Nannini helicopter accident? Who were the other candidates ?

Martin Brundle was next in line. Andrea de Cesaris rang up Benetton but the biggest pressure was from Ford USA who wanted Michael Andretti. The why is answered in the interview.

[midgrid]

I enjoyed this feature in The Race on Moreno's switch from EuroBrun to Benetton.

[nmansellfan]

Thanks midgrid, I enjoyed reading that too.

[SKL]

Just saw this thread-  my son and spent an enjoyable weekend with him and the Patrick Team at Road America  way back when.  My son had met one of  Pat Patrick's sponsors when he valet parked this car and the topic of racing came up pretty quickly.   He got us a VIP weekend with swag and everything.   Roberto was very accommodating  and gave my son many pointers for his kart racing.  Seemed very approachable and made a good impression to both my son and me.

[Zoe]

I enjoyed this feature in The Race on Moreno's switch from EuroBrun to Benetton.

Wow what a story. Thank you so much for sharing.

Psalm 23!

[Michael Ferner]

Isn't that the "Pulp Fiction psalm"?

[Richard Jenkins]

I enjoyed this feature in The Race on Moreno's switch from EuroBrun to Benetton.

 

I see Sam has effectively gone for the unfiltered version Roberto gave me - https://www.oldracin...Roberto-Moreno/. Reading the above link in The Race was like listening to Roberto re-tell me everything from five years ago.I knew about the Heathrow bags story and as you can see the cup of tea and the psalm was mentioned.

 

The reason I didn't quote more about Pavanello in my interview was because Pavanello had only just died and I was very wary of putting quite sensational information about the recently deceased.

 

I don't see it in Sam's article but I suppose I can now say that Roberto's other allegations (I must mention that this is from Roberto) about Eurobrun were:

 

• Years later John Judd apparently met Kees van der Grint (Eurobrun engineer) and told Kees that Eurobrun ran the 3.0 litre engine rather than the standard 3.5 litre.
• John Judd also apparently told Kees that at the Canadian Grand Prix of 1990, Pavanello pre-bought tickets before the event for the team and John to go home to Italy from Montreal on the Friday as it was cheaper than going back on the Saturday. (Back then, if you didn't pre-qualify, you finished on the Friday)
• Once Roberto was given the chance to use tyres left-over from Claudio Langes which Langes had not used for some reason. They were supposed to be 'qualifying' tires, the best set to use for the qualification attempt. When Roberto saw them, he saw that the supposed best set left for qualifying were actually old ones.

 

I have no idea if this is true, but considering some of the real shadowy figures of the late 1980's and early 1990's Formula 1, it wouldn't surprise me if this wasn't just confined to Eurobrun.

 

Anyway, nice to read on the screen what is saved in my whatsapp. I imagine it'll come out again when Roberto's biography (due out next year I think) is published.

Edited by Richard Jenkins, 21 November 2020 - 20:07.

[LittleChris]

According to Autosport, Roberto will be taking part in this years Formula Ford Festival run by Jonathan Lewis, Micky Galter & possibly Ralph Firman Sr !! 

Following weekend they'll run Kelvin Burt and Warren Hughes in the Walter Hayes Trophy.

Not April 1st is it ?!?! 

 

Ex-F1 driver Moreno to make Formula Ford Festival comeback (autosport.com)

Edited by LittleChris, 21 October 2021 - 15:23.

[PayasYouRace]

I enjoyed this feature in The Race on Moreno's switch from EuroBrun to Benetton.

 

Missed this when you posted it. Great read. I especially like the bit about the digestive biscuits.

[john aston]

The Beyond the Grid podcast featured Roberto Moreno last year and it's still available. An  extraordinary listen - Moreno is the most emotional  interviewee I have ever heard in the sport. Sniff...  

[Gary C]

Roberto is doing the Fford Walter Hayes Trophy next month at Silverstone in the same car from 40 years ago.

[funformula]

Roberto is doing the Fford Walter Hayes Trophy next month at Silverstone in the same car from 40 years ago.

I was told that he will participate in the same model (Van Diemen RF80) but not the same chassis he used back then.

[DogEarred]

Didn't he mostly use a red Royale RP 26 for some of his competitive races?

[Rediscoveryx]

According to Autosport, Roberto will be taking part in this years Formula Ford Festival run by Jonathan Lewis, Micky Galter & possibly Ralph Firman Sr !!
Following weekend they'll run Kelvin Burt and Warren Hughes in the Walter Hayes Trophy.
Not April 1st is it ?!?!

Ex-F1 driver Moreno to make Formula Ford Festival comeback (autosport.com)

Moreno is one of those guys who just seems to be genuinely likable in all ways. I can’t recall anyone having anything negative to say about him. Pretty good racing driver at that. Going back to his roots like this, for the pure passion of the sport seems to be in line with his character.

[opplock]

Formula Ford Festival entry includes Roberto Moreno, Jan Magnussen and about 100 others. That's double the number in recent years. 

 

Can't wait. 

Edited by opplock, 22 October 2021 - 08:30.

[Michael Ferner]

"double the number in recent years"

 

 

Oh, really? That's sad how the event has diminished compared to "my" time.

[LittleChris]

Roberto is doing the Fford Walter Hayes Trophy next month at Silverstone in the same car from 40 years ago.

 

According to the Autosport article, Kelvin Burt will run Roberto's RF80 in the Hayes Trophy. As far as I can tell Roberto is only doing the Festival

[Thundersports]

Roberto is only doing the Festival and the car as Funformula isn't the actual chassis he used in 1980.

[opplock]

"double the number in recent years"

 

 

Oh, really? That's sad how the event has diminished compared to "my" time.

 

From memory the low point was just under 40 entries. Sad but it still provides some of the best racing of the year.  

[bsc]

From memory the low point was just under 40 entries. Sad but it still provides some of the best racing of the year.  

As with a number of things, it depends on what you want to count. The winner of the Formula Ford trophy has been awarded, since 2013, to the Kent class. However, before then it was awarded to the type of cars racing in the contemporary British Formula Ford championship. As such, the lowest field was 2012 when a mere 13 Duratec powered cars turned up (which made something of a mockery of the knock-out format). Since 2013, the number of Kent cars racing at the Festival has been steadily climbing.

 

To complicate matters, between 2002 and 2012, there was a Kent competition at the Festival (and, in some years, competition to obsolete Zetec cars) - however, they did not compete for the title of Formula Ford Festival winner. 

[KWSN - DSM]

Formula Ford Festival entry includes Roberto Moreno, Jan Magnussen and about 100 others. That's double the number in recent years. 

 

Can't wait. 

 

I can't find an entry list, do you have a link?

[bsc]

I can't find an entry list, do you have a link?

I don't think it has been published yet - I expect it to appear early-mid next week. I think the BRSCC have just published the headline entry figure and some of the more famous drivers. 

[Michael Ferner]

As with a number of things, it depends on what you want to count. The winner of the Formula Ford trophy has been awarded, since 2013, to the Kent class. However, before then it was awarded to the type of cars racing in the contemporary British Formula Ford championship. As such, the lowest field was 2012 when a mere 13 Duratec powered cars turned up (which made something of a mockery of the knock-out format). Since 2013, the number of Kent cars racing at the Festival has been steadily climbing.

 

To complicate matters, between 2002 and 2012, there was a Kent competition at the Festival (and, in some years, competition to obsolete Zetec cars) - however, they did not compete for the title of Formula Ford Festival winner. 

 

Thanks for that! I barely recall that there was a time of two festivals in one, Zetec and Kent, and had never even heard of Duratec (which I suppose was the "next generation" after the Zetec, right?). So, is there still a contemporary British FFord championship, or are they all racing Kents again?

[KWSN - DSM]

In my head I have the idea that the first Autosport Magazine I held in my hand was with the Formula Ford festival as the coverstory, with a thick green border and a white FFord sort of pointingright down left as if going down hill, but we just the angle of the camera, would say 1978 - 1981 - Tried googling just now, but have not found - The Formula Ford Festival used to be something supercool and very special.

[opplock]

 So, is there still a contemporary British FFord championship, or are they all racing Kents again?

 

There is a national FF championship but its back to racing with Kent engines. The contemporary single seater championships are spec series. Formula 4 and a series closer to F3 (FB3 I think its called). Yawn.  

[jcbc3]

In my head I have the idea that the first Autosport Magazine I held in my hand was with the Formula Ford festival as the coverstory, with a thick green border and a white FFord sort of pointingright down left as if going down hill, but we just the angle of the camera, would say 1978 - 1981 - Tried googling just now, but have not found - The Formula Ford Festival used to be something supercool and very special.

 

My recollection is that the border was blue....

[jcbc3]

This one?

 

[KWSN - DSM]

This one?

 

 

Yes

[bsc]

Thanks for that! I barely recall that there was a time of two festivals in one, Zetec and Kent, and had never even heard of Duratec (which I suppose was the "next generation" after the Zetec, right?)

In summary, Zetec 1800cc engines were replaced at the end of 2005 with Duratec 1600cc engines. These were used for the British championship until they were replaced by the turbocharged EcoBoost cars until the end of the championship in 2014.EcoBoost was unpopular hence the Festival being run for Duratecs in 2012 and Kents thereafter.

In some years there were three competitions at the Festival: the main event for Duratecs, and separate trophies for Kent and Zetec cars. The latter generally poorly supported.

[KWSN - DSM]

Once they went away from the original 1600 cc and created multiple FFord classes it was as if the class overall suffered.