Regga & Bernie, Monza 1978

I've just watched the "Superswede" documentary on Sky with a mixture of awe and sadness. The footage of Ronnie's F3 inversion at Montlhery was new to me and so much of the other private/family film clips reflected so well on Ronnie & Barbro.

One thing stood out for me. In the immediate aftermath of Ronnie's Monza accident Regazzoni appears absolutely furious with Ecclestone with some obvious insults being hurled. Obviously the previous year there had been some abortive negotiations for Regga to join Brabham but surely this was the past ?

I'm guessing Regga felt that Ecclestone was part-responsible for Ronnie's (and Brambilla's) botched post-accident care. The thuggish actions of the Italian police probably didn't help the whole scenario.

Or was there a further back-story ?

I don't think there's any blame due to Bernie. I thought very well of Ron and greatly regret his loss, but think that what happened was the medical equivalent of a racing incident - something that can happen without, necessarily, any negligence/bad intent.  Equally, the reported Regga disposition seems to me illustrative of what we liked about him - as an emotive character rather than a 'clinical' driver on-track. As an added reflection, does anyone see any drivers in the current crop who at all reflect the charisma of those two greats?

Alonso, definitely and maybe Ricciardo, and then there is the enigma that is Raikkonen.  And Master Mazepin, the Bad Boy of this era.

With the important distinction that  , on the evidence of this season , Mazepin is clearly incapable of driving  a shovel into a pile of s*** ...

Yes but he has charisma - on the Dark Side.

With the important distinction that  , on the evidence of this season , Mazepin is clearly incapable of driving  a shovel into a pile of s*** ...

Agreed but I'd recommend that you avoid anywhere popular with Russian tourists in future - branches of Itsu, Salisbury Cathederal....

As an added reflection, does anyone see any drivers in the current crop who at all reflect the charisma of those two greats?

I’m quite certain there were curmudgeon’s in 1978 bemoaning the ‘lack of charisma’ of the stars of the day who weren’t climbing trees and ‘wetting’ those below like they did when people had ‘charisma’ in the 50’s.

I’m sure in 2051 I’ll be doing the same although presumably Kimi will still be racing…..

Regards Mike

Edited by blackmme, 25 July 2021 - 19:02.

I don't think there's any blame due to Bernie. I thought very well of Ron and greatly regret his loss, but think that what happened was the medical equivalent of a racing incident - something that can happen without, necessarily, any negligence/bad intent.  Equally, the reported Regga disposition seems to me illustrative of what we liked about him - as an emotive character rather than a 'clinical' driver on-track. As an added reflection, does anyone see any drivers in the current crop who at all reflect the charisma of those two greats?

In the kindest possible way I can't agree with that. 

It was Ronnie's accident that probably awoke everyone in the F1 world to realise that safety was still being neglected despite the dreadful and avoidable deaths that befell such as Williamson & Pryce. Yes, fire marshalling had improved but both Peterson and Brambilla were extracted roughly (albeit with the best possible intentions) and neither was stabilised on scene before being stuffed in the back of that humble Fiat ambulance. Witness in the Superswede film a glimpse of a young Sid Watkins grabbing a shoulder bag and have Chapman pointing him towards the scene of the accident. I believe Sid was initially held back by an aggressive police cordon.

I was working in hospitals just a couple of years later than 1978 and admittedly we had little of the knowledge that we now have re the risk of post operative DVT/embolism (especially after long bone fractures) - however there were (allegedly) shortcomings in Ronnie's post operative care.

So maybe not negligence but perhaps blind stupidity. Within a year or two we had safety cars and trained extraction teams etc. Not a moment too soon...

Still can't understand what it was that specifically riled Regga against Bernie though....

from "Motorsport Aktuell" (13.9.78)

After the accident Clay Regazzoni and Bernie Ecclestone had some words. After Peterson was out of the car there were no doctors around. Dr.Raffael Grajales-Robles (Fittipaldis "own" doc) was not allowed (by Bernie) to come to the races anymore. So Ecclestone brought his doc (Watkins). Watkins was not as fast as he should (Quote Clay) at the accident. Clay was *very* furious about it.

I don't think there's any blame due to Bernie. I thought very well of Ron and greatly regret his loss, but think that what happened was the medical equivalent of a racing incident - something that can happen without, necessarily, any negligence/bad intent.  Equally, the reported Regga disposition seems to me illustrative of what we liked about him - as an emotive character rather than a 'clinical' driver on-track. As an added reflection, does anyone see any drivers in the current crop who at all reflect the charisma of those two greats?

I think that is chronological superiority in reverse . I can think of more than one Sixties' GP winner I'd rather not be stuck in a lift with(n (no names, that would be crass ) . Any lack of charisma of the current crop is probably down to the 24/7 exposure the poor sods have to endure . But some current drivers -  Alonso , Perez, Sainz, Verstappen  and Leclerc - have that certain aura . Hamilton might not have it to the same extent , but he can comfortably allow his results  to speak for themselves .         

This thread, being the only one with the topic of 1978 and Monza that is still has not been archived, is where I am posting an episode of ABC's Wide World of Sports.

I hope you all enjoy it as a historical look back at the way F1 was covered in the USA.

Jp

Edited by jonpollak, 31 January 2023 - 17:22.

Don't you just love it when the American TV presenter says, "... the race was restarted and Phil Hill went on to win..." - even only seventeen years later, it was unimaginable to race on in the face of such tragedy.

In 1961, of course, nothing short of an earthquake could have stopped a race once it was started...