90 replies to this topic

[engin]

good day everybody

i'm talking about carlos reutemann the moody argentine driver who was one of the very best drivers at his time i think bernie the recent f1 boss said about him that whenever carlso in the right track and in the right mood he would alwasy be very fast and he ( bernie ) would put him with senna in the same rank .

but till now there r and were different opinions on why he has lost the title in 81 ?

was it the car ?

or he wasnt in the mood as some people thought it was the case or what exactly ?


thanx.

[Ray Bell]

My good friend Peter Windsor always had kind words and a high opinion of Carlos. The late Mary Packard remarked later that Peter held this view even before he went to Europe, long before he became known in closed circles as Mrs Reutemann...



[This message has been edited by Ray Bell (edited 03-25-2000).]

[Keir]

I always found Carlos to be very over-rated.
On his day, he was fast, but then so was everyone else.

To sum up his career, he was a number two driver, who found himself driving "number one driver" cars. When his turn came to be the World Champion, he drove as he almost always drove, without passion.

------------------
"I Was Born Ready"

[Falcadore]

He lost the world title in 81 because a race he won was later removed from the calendar. but another race that wasn't even held might have made a difference too.....

<shrugs> so many things to blame, but a loss is still a loss. All things considered he should have won the title but didn't, Piquet did him on greater desire and ability. But then again perhaps the greatest disappointment was Alan Jones who only won two races in a car that was still as good as it had been the previous year. Frank Williams describes 1981 and 1982 as titles Jones should have won.

[KzKiwi]

I have always felt that he was psyched out by the pressure of it all in that last race at the 'Car park GP' at Caesars Palace in 1981.
Anyone remember what happened at Ferrari in late 1976 and early 1977. Reutemann was drafted on board because of Laudas crash. Ferrari testing and development stalled until Lauda got things back on track once he was sufficiently recovered from his injuries. Of course that was not all Reutemanns fault but the signs were there that he was not complete or consistent enough to be a strong contender for world championship honours. Perhaps he was too much of a nice guy?

[Ray Bell]

Peter thought so....

------------------
Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Roger Clark]

When asked in 1977 whether he considered Reutteman a team mate or a rival, Lauda said "Neither"

[CVAndrw]

Yeah, I've read quite a bit of Niki's feelings on the subject of The Great Reutemann's personality and driving prowess, but nothing quite so pithy as that.

And, somewhat more graphically (which you'd only expect given the source), here's how Nelson Piquet summed up Carlos' behavior that fateful day in Las Vegas:

"He open the legs!"

[KzKiwi]

Alan Jones lapped Reutemann during the Las Vegas race in 1981. After the race he was asked how he felt about this.

"Wonderful" was the reply.

Sums up the feelings between the two 'team mates' for that seasons racing.

[Falcadore]

Las Vegas was definately AJ's day. He blitzed the field, although Piquet may not have fought him realising he had Reutemann under control.

[Huw Jenjin]

For a number two driver to have pole position and lead his first GP in a less than overtly succesful car is not the behaviour of a number two driver.
I would put ruettemann at the extreme end of drivers who, once they had total confidence in their machinery went on to a different plane to the others.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by KzKiwi

Alan Jones lapped Reutemann during the Las Vegas race in 1981. After the race he was asked how he felt about this.

"Wonderful" was the reply.

And he gave Reutemann the finger as he lapped him!

Perhaps one of our Spanish-speaking chums could throw shed light on this, which I photographed in his pit that weekend...





I imagine it was put there by his mechanics.

[Wolf]

Originally posted by Roger Clark
When asked in 1977 whether he considered Reutteman a team mate or a rival, Lauda said "Neither"

This is one of those quotes which say more about the guy who said it than about 'object'...

[JtP]

Originally posted by KzKiwi
Alan Jones lapped Reutemann during the Las Vegas race in 1981. After the race he was asked how he felt about this.

"Wonderful" was the reply.

Sums up the feelings between the two 'team mates' for that seasons racing.

The post season Williams party sumed the situation perfectly, AJ having announced his retirement. If only his F1 career had totally finished that day. Reutemann went up to Jones at the party and said " Alan can we bury the hatchet?" "Yes in your ******* back mate"

Reutemann was a bisare character. On his day he was unbelievablely quick, but if not, oh dear! Seemed totally unable to get on with any team mate and that includes Lauda, Andretti and Jones, none of them to this day have a kind word for Carlos. Allegedly AJ's lip still curls at the mention of his name.

[Mallory Dan]

No surprise then that he went into Politics is it !

[Stephen W]

El Lole was one of the few uncompromising drivers in F1. The young hotshots would gladly mix it with the other leading lights but most moved over when Reutemann hove into view.

However he wasn't necessarily the most sympathetic driver when car care came into it and would often 'drive a car into the ground'.

One of the best ever F1 overtaking manouvres involved Reutemann, Lauda and Giacomelli at Brands. Only Carlos could have been so audacious.

[jorism]

How was Carlos with Gilles?

[Huw Jadvantich]

Do we have someone on site who actually knew Carlos well?
I never knew him but had huge respect for him, and not much for the drivers who made the comments above, in a personal sense rather than their results.
Both Lauda and Jones have been proved to have their mouths in gear before their brains, and Piquet was one of the most revolting characters ever to get into a racing car.
I get the impression that Ruettemann was hugely gifted but by comparison to the other '**** or bust' drivers he had low confidence, a great sense of self preservation and a complete disinterest in what ever else went on around the pits. it is clear that he was not one of the complete drivers who could say all the right things at the right time......maybe thats changed now he is a politician.
His motives for being one may have been that he was in a position to actually put some things right......
What does Gordon Murray have to say about him for example -between them they made the BT42 and 43 go really well (with Pace's help)

[angst]

As far as I know Reutemann got along famously with Villeneuve. The thing that strikes me is that of all those drivers (Lauda, Andretti, Piquet, Jones) that have bad-mouthed Reutemann, I can't remember him doing likewise back to them.

They disliked him because they viewed him as a threat. Lauda was comfortable with Regazzoni and Watson because he felt he always had their measure - especially politically. Reutemann, not so. Piquet struck me as being a loudmouth anyway. Jones... as a race driver shouldn't you be embarrassed to have to ask your teammate to pull over and give up a huge lead? Once he'd won the WDC in '80 the number 1/2 roles should have been dropped IMO - I should imagine that on reflection FW would agree. How different would Andretti's perception of Peterson have been had he been taken on on a differen basis within the team - if he'd been equal number 1 eg - would their relationship have been as close then?

What I'm trying to say is that the perception of Reutemann as difficult, based upon the views of other drivers, is nothing more, or less, than a compliment to his skills. Villeneuve, of course, feared no one and had no problems with him - indeed thy appear to have been quite warm toward each other.

[santori]

I've heard that a teenage Piquet had had a job helping out at the Brazilian GP one year in the '70's and had to clean Reutemann's helmet. Carlos thought he didn't do a very good job and said so.
Something like that, anyway, which I suppose would have had a bit to do with their later relationship (didn't Piquet offer to let Reutemann clean his helmet after the '81 championship?).

Also, Lauda and Piquet were great friends which can't have helped.

[380W]

As an Argentine I must say that Reutemann was a great driver, quite understimated for us during his career, but after 25 years his figure is greater and greater every day. The late journalist Alfredo Parga wrote a marvelous book called "Los días de Reutemann" (Reutemann´s day) and in the book Reutemann explains that at Las Vegas 81, he raced with troubles in his gearbox. His second place at the Championship was wonderful, because Williams and all the team preferred Alan Jones. Mr. Parga always quoted that Lole was inmortalized that dreadful day because he could hit Piquet (as many years later did certain MS) and clinched the Championship, but he didn´t so. This portrayed a true sportsman.

[David M. Kane]

I was at Las Vegas that day, he didn't even try. It was ridiculous...

[Wolf]

Originally posted by David M. Kane
I was at Las Vegas that day, he didn't even try. It was ridiculous...

I hope You dion't mean it was ridiculous that he didn't even try... to hit Piquet.

OK, OK- I know You didn't.;)

[David M. Kane]

Actually I saw him drive a BT-44 at Watkins Glen and it was magic; at Las Vegas it was like....so what?

We're talking a shot at a WC...I'd been a man possessed! This is what he was supposedly trained for, had put years of effort into...it defies logic!

[David M. Kane]

If he was truly trying to be a Sportsman, I salute him; but the car appeared to be running perfectly, no fluffed shifts...he just seemed to literally to be out for a Sunday drive...sorry, I don't buy the story!

[canon1753]

What did Mario have to say about Carlos?

[380W]

Originally posted by David M. Kane
If he was truly trying to be a Sportsman, I salute him; but the car appeared to be running perfectly, no fluffed shifts...he just seemed to literally to be out for a Sunday drive...sorry, I don't buy the story!

Sorry, but did you test the Williams???????. If Reutemann said that the gearbox was damaged, I believe him and believe to the journalist who interviewed him and wrote a great book. If the car was OK, why he arrived eighth (or ninth, I don´t remember) ??????. He won 12 F-1 races and I think that day he didn´t forget how to drive.............He lost that day the Championship and deserves all our respect, as the same all the great drivers who could catch the Championship and failed..........

Regarding the photo posted by Twin Window, it´s a humoristic Argentine magazine "Humor". In the cartoon Carlos is asking Moria Casán (a famous vedette) "Hello Mommy, did appear the Number Three" (for the magazine) and under the cartoon I could read "Lole prueba con gomas argentinas" (Lole is testing argentine tyres). The joke is that in Argentina people usually call "gomas" (rubber and in a second acception, tyres) to the breast, specially if are big..............

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by David M. Kane

I was at Las Vegas that day, he didn't even try. It was ridiculous...

So was I, and it was certainly one of the most bemusing [non] performances I've ever seen.

To this day, I've never heard - from Willies personnel, or anybody - a solitary explanation as to why he literally wilted at the final hurdle.

I took this pic of 'Lole' on pole at Caesars, as FW leans-in giving some last-minute advice...

Originally posted by 380W

He won 12 F-1 races and I think that day he didn´t forget how to drive...

Exactly; and that's what confused everyone!

Thanks for the translation of my earlier photos.

[380W]

After the race, the Williams staff was happy............the first time in F-1 history that a team celebrated to loose a Driver´s Championship............it was evident that Reutemann was not supported by the team...............

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by 380W

After the race, the Williams staff was happy...

Er, no they weren't. Not Reutemann's side of the camp, anyhow.

You weren't there yourself, I take it.

[380W]

Originally posted by Twin Window
Er, no they weren't.

You weren't there yourself, I take it.

You´re right..........I friend of mine told me so. I am translating him the thread and he is very angry..........he is a huge Reutemann´s fan..............

My apologies.................

But, in qualification, Reutemann had an accident and the car was replaced or repaired????????. I´m not sure of that, and I am asking................

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by 380W

My apologies...

Not necessary!

We all share the same passion.

[David M. Kane]

308W:

I drive a March 741 with the same engine and the same box. I think I know when they are running right and when there not...

Sorry. Was you're friend there? I'm a HUGE fan of Carlos, that's why I'm telling this.

I will apologize when you find a Williams mechanic who will stand up and be heard.

[emarrapodi]

This one is my first post in this forum

Sorry, I do not speak Englishman

What he says 380W is true

Here the photographic test




The Team Williams it was happy

Reutemann he was a great pilot, but a better person

Regards from Argentina

[Huw Jadvantich]

That elusive Williams team mechanic would give the definitive answer about Las Vegas, but I am 95% certain that there is one. If a driver can drive, then he will. If the car was good, then he would have, its as simple as that. There are drivers who can drive the wheels off a **** box, and return competitive times, and there are drivers who can't ; that is a simple matter of style, and perhaps the difference between what we all call a Maestro (Peterson, Villeneuve, Moss - notice non of them were world champions!) and the next level of of hugely talented drivers, who simply have to know that their machine can respond the way they want it to before they can achieve 11/10s.
Ruettemann almost certainly believed he had done the best he could with that car that day, whilst acknowledgeing dissappointment that he couldn't do better.
When it comes to driving, I simply do not believe all this 'moody' nonsense, particularly when a clearly very intelligent man knew what was at stake (For himself, regardless of the team).
There is only one scenario where I believe he could have wasted that race, and that was to make a point (This circuit is w*nk, you other drivers are w*nk, you people within the team who don't like me are w*nk. the world championship is w*nk too - its simply not that important in the scheme of things to me - and when it comes down to it, I am the only one who can get you these things - I don't like you enough to do it, therefor I won't).

Moody doesn't come into it. Reutemann may have needed a good car under him and good people around him to provide that magic performance, but that is just a keen case of self preservation.
I believe his apparent moodyness outside the cockpit revealled more about the people around him and the circumstances than it did about CR.

[Arturo Pereira]

I am also a Fan of Reutemann, but imho he lost the WC well before Las Vegas. When he was inspired, he was a hell of a driver, but he also had ´those days´ and maybe Las Vegas was one of them, in part.
There are many conspiracy theories about what happened with that gearbox at Las Vegas, but I think that it just did not work ok, and that was not a kind of track where a deffective gearbox can be ignored.

[Ralliart]

If one wants to speculate when Reutemann lost the championship, look at Monaco, I've always felt, or maybe even Kyalami where, to my knowledge, the parties that did go (the was a war with FOCA and FIA I think it was) to South Africa went with the knowledge that it was a championship Grand Prix. Reutemann wins it only to find out that it didn't count. He had that fantastic points-paying streak going and then he tangled with someone and was out of an excellent chance to bag some points. Couple of points there and despite the team not behind him, he would've had it. Monza when he was extremely disappointed he hadn't won. Another pivotal race. I was at LV Wed-Sat (race day) and Reutemann put in a fantastic pole time. Then, something happened to that car and he spent the remainder of the weekend in another car I believe. It's possible he never sorted out this car - of if he went back to his pole-setting car it was not the same. If he says he had trouble with his car (I'd always read it was handling and not gearbox), I have to believe him. He was certainly upbeat leading up to the race and got there days earlier. I think it was the night before practice began and I was listening to the radio, KABC I think, and the sports talk guy asked a simple motor sports question with the winner getting some prize. Suddenly, I heard "Can I answer that question?" It was Reutemann, waiting to be interviwed. He wasn't allowed to answer it but the following interview revealed he was relaxed. Like many that saturday, I was mystified. Disappointed. Perplexed. The prospect of finishing like that might have motivated him to return to Williams in '82 (I doubt money was a factor) but then he left only to have Jones' replacement, Rosberg, win the championship with one win. The pass of Reutemann by Jones at Long Beach - aluded to in a post - Reutemann being instructed to move over) happened right in front of me. Reutemann was up on the curb.

[Ralliart]

The sportscasters name was Scott St. James, it just came to me, for what that previous anecdote's worth. He surpassed himself that night - because he was a stickball type - by asking some pertinent questions and getting fascinating answers. St. James wasn't taking any callers' questions, damn it, because I wanted to encourage Lole (one year that same station had Mario Andretti on before Long Beach GP weekend and they did take calls and I got through). I should've added, regarding Las Vegas '81, that Doug Nye wrote, in "Racers: The Inside Story Of Williams Grand Prix Engineering":
"In race morning warm-up the Argentinian was complaining of ill-handling, the car's corner weights were measured and found spot on. On the warming-up laps he was still disturbed...Alan rocketed into the lead...Piquet nipped (Reutemann) out in the early half of the race and drew away. Reutemann missed a gear past the pits but continued with no visible ill-effects but no more sign of attacking his World Championship challenger." A last word on Las Vegas that year. Villeneuve was about to be hauled in for not lining up properly on the grid before his Ferrari crapped out - that has been written about and there's no way he should have taken the rap. GP Int'l published a two-page photo of the grid just before takeoff and, along with Villeneuve, Pironi is also in violation and there are a buncha drivers lined up questionably. Was he holding up part of the field? I think so, not sure. But being the only guy who lined up incorrectly? Nope. Not by a long shot.
Another excellent source on Reutemann is the Special Edition CORSA put out (available, according to the cover, also in Uruguay, Paraguay and the United Arab Emigrates):
"Reutemann" No. 804 28 Oct.-3 Nov. 1981 146 pages with a 14-page supplement.

[David M. Kane]

Ralliart:

Good job! Now handling would make sense because the track was reaklly mickey mouse. After all it was a converted car park, more suitable for go carts!

Everytime he came by my viewing spot he sounded crisp and his shifting unlabored.

Lole was well known for being easy on his equipment. When he drove for Brabham the mechanics use to rave how the brake pads looked as if they hadn't even been used! His car always looked almost fresh compared to his teammate when they returned after aession. The man has as much natural talent as anyone on the grid!

Ralliart bought up several keys points, he had to swap his pole winning car for a spare, etc. Clearly
SOMETHING went wrong! AND several cars DID drop out with mechanicals!

I can't emphasize how silly a track layout it was.

Lastly, I remember the Casino Manager bitching that the F1 crowd wasn't gambling enough. Apparently Bernie had convinced him that the crowd would gamble like fight fans. Seems they throw their money at the tables. It wasn't any Monaco, I can assure you and F1 did NOT return the next year, if they did it was without me!

[FLB]

I've always thought that what killed Reutemann's championship hopes in 1981 was Williams changing back to Goodyears. Brabham did the same, but they managed considerably better than Didcot. Goodyear's rain tires were particularly bad. Piquet drove a terrific race at Montreal to finish fifth. The first four were all Michelin runners. Derek Daly had his Avon-shod March near the points before brake problems.

Reutemann, who'd qualified second, was 19th at the sixth lap. This was the same man who had driven a great race at Rio in monsoon conditions, on Michelins. Alan Jones led at Montreal on Goodyears, but retired with handling issues. In other words, he gave up. What is remarkable is that the words 'Alan Jones' and 'gave up' are not usually used in the same sentence...

[Ralliart]

In '81, in the first seven GPs, on Michelins, Lole scored 37 points (not counting the Kyalami round, which he won, that was subsequently demoted from WC status) and in the last eight GPs, on Goodyears, Lole scored 12 points.

[David M. Kane]

Ralliart:

That point difference between Michelin and Goodyear is HUGE!

[Lutz G]

Originally posted by 380W
After the race, the Williams staff was happy............the first time in F-1 history that a team celebrated to loose a Driver´s Championship............it was evident that Reutemann was not supported by the team...............

Here's a letter that was printed in the Swiss mag "Motorsport aktuell", issue 37/1996

-snip-

I saw exactly with my own eyes what really happened during the Las Vegas GP weekend in 1981, the reason why Carlos Reutemann lost the title... Reutemann was on pole, was fastest in the warm up. After the warm up session I saw how they fiddle around with the gear box and front suspension. But why? I (radio reporter and IRPA journalist) got the answer from Reutemann himself after the race.
"I had lots of trouble with the gear box and the setup was completely different, the car was all over the place in some corners"
I was sure why they fiddled around with Reutemanns car. That was their way to steal Carlos the title. That's how Frank Williams manipulate his drivers (even today).

(...)

Jorge Canaves

-snap-

What do you think? Another bs story - or is there some truth?

Lutz

[edelweiss]

Originally posted by Ralliart
In '81, in the first seven GPs, on Michelins, Lole scored 37 points (not counting the Kyalami round, which he won, that was subsequently demoted from WC status) and in the last eight GPs, on Goodyears, Lole scored 12 points.

Originally posted by David M. Kane
Ralliart: That point difference between Michelin and Goodyear is HUGE!

Another comparisions:
Jones scored in 7 races with Michelin 24 points, in 8 races with Goodyear 22 points
Piquet scored in 7 races with Michelin 22 points, in 8 races with Goodyear 28 points
Rebaque scored in 7 races with Michelin 3 points, in 8 races with Goodyear 8 points

How about that? What are the conclusions now?

Kyalami 1981 never had any WC status, before the race it was already known it would never get points (at least not FIA), maybe from the WFMS breakaway-series they tried to do in Winter '80-'81.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by David M. Kane

After all it was a converted car park, more suitable for go carts!

To be picky, Caesars also had to buy - and then flatten - a couple of motels and a petrol station to add enough space to the car park in order to build the track.

...F1 did NOT return the next year, if they did it was without me!

I think you'll find it did, and staged another WC decider...

[Jerome]

Sorry, even as an old Carlos Reuteman-fan I just can not believe this story about Frank Williams sabotaging Carlos car. Why? First that I don't believe that a F1 team would sabotage its own chances to win the worldchampionship. And if they did, why only in the last race of the season? Why not after Brazil, Monaco, Zandvoort?

Secondly, I remember two things, having read them in Grand Prix International:

1. After the race, Frank Williams immediately walked over to Carlos, still in the car, and leant over to console him, probably. But Lole got out of the car very quickly... on the other side, so where Frank was not. If Frank had sabotaged Carlos his car, why would he walk over to Carlos, who obviously was very angry about losing the WC. THink about it. If Frank had sabotaged the car, should he not have ignored Carlos completely?

2. In 1983, Carlos Reuteman visited the South African Grand Prix, and Frank Williams almost ran to Carlos, took his hand, looked around and said outloud: 'This is the man who should have been worldchampion last year.'

Again, this does not pan out. My thought is that Carlos' car lost some vital balance between warm-up and the race, perhaps to temparature, perhaps to a mistake in a slight change in the set-up. Other posibility? Carlos folded. But sabotage? It does seem nonsense.

[380W]

First at all, I must emphatized that I am not with the sabotage theory..............

The following lines are from the book "Los Días de Reutemann" -Reutemann´s days- by Alfredo Parga. (page 198 and others) I must say that I´ll try to do my best translation, but everyone is free to make his own translation.

Cita:
En el caravan, la reunion habitual se desarrollaba en un clima tenso. De datos precisos y de reflexiones no tan exactas. mas parecia una conversacion desatinada entre personas de lenguas distintas que no se comprendian.


In the caravan, the usual meeting was held in a tense ambient. With precise data and reflections not so exact, almost seems a crazy conversation between people of different languages that didn´t understand.


Reutemann, que nunca habia improvisado ninguno de sus informes tecnicos informaba y volvia a informar. Decia que su coche no funcionaba como debia funcionar ¿Servia de algo?

Reutemann, that never improvised his technical reports, gives informations over and over. He told that his car doesn´t work that it should be. ¿Does it matters?.


Cuando recibe el aviso para subir a su auto para la vuelta de reconocimiento y buscar su lugar de partida, advierte que la maquina sobrevira en las curvas a la izquierda y subvira en las que son a la derecha. En la misma largada discute con Williams tratando de solucionar alguna cosa, cualquier cosa. Es tarde. Dolorosamente tarde. Reutemann inicia el Grand Prix de Las Vegas donde iba por el titulo, completamente desarmado. Adelante de todos, pero tecnicamente extraviado. No podia enselar el camino, estaba perdido.


When he received the call to get in his car for the formation lap and go to his place in the grid, he noted that his cars oversteers in the left handers and understeers in the right handers. On the same starting grid he argued with Williams trying to solve anything, something. It´s late, painfully late. Reutemann began the Las Vegas GP when he was for the title, completely unarmed. In front of eveyone, but technically lost. He couldn´t show the way, he was lost.


...Reutemann octavo y a una vuelta, deja el auto envuelto en silencio. Demudado, cuando Williams intenta preguntar, se le adelanta y solo pronuncia una palabra.
"Caja", Se coloca la campera bajo aquel sol del desierto, y se va.


Reutemann eighth and one lap behind, let the car in silence. Pale, when Williams tried to ask, he spoke before and only told one word "Gearbox".

...El endurecimineto de la caja fue espantoso, ni segunda ni tercera ni cuarta, todo cantaba. En cada vuelta como minimo erraba de tres a cuatro cambios. Manejaba con una mano y con la otra tenia que sostener la palanca. Una sensacion que a 200 Km/h acelerando y frenando, no era placentera.

"The gearbox´s hardening was awful, neither second gear, nor third, nor fourth, all "sang". In every lap, as least, I failed three or four gear changes. I drove with one hand and with the other I had to hold the gear lever. A sensation that at 200 Km/h, acelerating and braking it wasn´t joyful.........."



(El periodista Mike Doddson estaba presente en Didcot cuando desarmaron la caja. El dogring(orquilla o seguro de cada velocidad) de la tercera esta destruido y bastante arruinado el de la cuarta. Esto explica que saltaran los cambios. informaba Head, de culpable ceño fruncido. ¿Importaba?).


The journalist Mike Doddson was at Didcot when the gearbox was open. The dogring of the third was destroyed, and much the same for the fourth. That explained why the gears "jumped" told Head, with a guilty angry........doesn´t it matters??????????.



Charles Chrichton Stuart confiesa en Auto Hebdo al periodista frances.

Charles Crichton Stuart confessed to the Auto Hebdo´s journalist:


"En la ridicula temporada que acaba de terminar, Carlos lo perdio todo. El no era mi amigo ni lo era de nadie del equipo; yo hubiera debido tratar de serlo. Nosotros estamos involucrados mucho en su situacion".


In the now finished ridiculous season, Carlos lost everything. He was not my friend nor the rest of the team, but I might try to do so. We are much involved in his situation.

"¿Responsabilidad? Esencialmente en el del apoyo moral. Carlos posee un caracter latino; todo el mundo lo cree infalible pero tiene gran necesidad de confianza por parte de su entorno. Y nosotros no hicimos nada".

Responsability?. Esencially in the moral support. Carlos has a latin character, all the people believes that he is perfect, but he has a big necesity of confidence by his surroundings. And we did nothing.

"Posee las virtudes y los defectos de un latino; nosotros somos britanicos. Con Jones no existen problemas. ¡Es un australiano! Para el, solo hay negro y blanco, sin lugar para el gris. Carlos precisaba algo mas que asistencia tecnica y nosotros no supimos darsela. No lo hicimos mejor que Ferrari y que Lotus. Reutemann deja la Formula 1 sin que nadie haya conseguido extraerle lo mejor de si mismo. Forma parte de esos siete u ocho pilotos naturalmente dotados; de esos capaces de descolgarse con una "pole" en 5 vueltas. En 1981 se clasifico once veces delante de Jones; ahi esta el don. No incurre en equivocaciones y pilotea inteligentemente. Todo esto prueba que cometimos un error".

"Jones, como australiano, es testarudo y rencoroso. ¡Nunca se olvido de Brasil!. Diez veces le aconsejamos olvidar; diez veces nos respondio que tenia un contrato de primer piloto. A su vez Carlos nos decia: "Ofrecer la victoria era bajarme los pantalones. No acostumbro". Reutemann tenia razon".



"En Las Vegas, Reutemann acuso a su caja. Head lo desmintio. Cuando los periodistas solicitaron confirmacion de los problemas en el auto de Carlos, Head no estaba muy al corriente. De vuelta en la fabrica, quisimos saber. Luego del desmontaje se advirtio que el sincronizador de las relaciones tercera y cuarta no se hallaba en buen estado. Pilotear en esas condiciones no debia ser maravilloso."

At Las Vegas, Reutemann accused to the gearbox. Head didn´t accept so. When the journalist asked about the troubles at Carlos´car, Head was not aware of that. Back in the headquarters, we wanted to know. After the gearbox was opened it was evident that the syncronic of the third and fourth gears was in bad shape. Driving in that conditions was not marvelous...........

"Reutemann queda como un autentico deportista. En ocho dias sufrio dos asesinatos mortales: el fracaso en el campeonato y su retiro. Su alejamiento puede sernos reprochado".

(Stuart habla de la 3era y 4ta marcha; Head le dice a Doddson de la 2da y 3era. El unico que se ocupa de las tres velocidades es Reutemann).

Stuart talked abouth third and fourth, Head told Doddson about second and third. The only person who talked about the three gears was Reutemann......................


In the photo that submitted my friend Eduardo, we can see clearly at least seven or eight members of Willliams crew celebrating the Alan Jones win...........it´s normal or fair so?????????? when the other driver lost a WC?????????????

[David M. Kane]

308W:

I stand corrected. I therefore apologize.

I can assure you from personal experience that problem would be huge! I have a re-attached hand to proof it.

Given the problems Carlos was having, I'm impressed he made it to the end of the race!

As to the finish line celebration, what you expect? I never fully understand the Williams/Jones love affair. I think it's a cultural thing...

I've never been a fan of the way Williams treats it drivers. I particularly take issue with Patrick Head's snippy attitude, what the f@#$ did he ever drive?

[Lutz G]

Thanks 380W for translating from the book "Los Días de Reutemann"!
Very interesting!

Here's a pic of Frank Williams and Reutemann after the GP...



Lutz

[Ralliart]

From GP Int'l's Las Vegas '81 report:
"Reutemann...found that his Williams understeered in certain corners, and oversteered in others. Then the gearbox began to play up...(and) contiued to drop back as his gearbox problems worsened: 'I missed gears 50 times.'...(Afterwards) It was some time before he got out of the car. As he eased his cramped limbs, he was helped out of the Williams. Frank Williams waited to talk to him on the right side of the FW07. Reutemann stepped out on the left side. He staggered over to his bag, and bent down to pick it up. Worried, Frank leaned over with him, but still not a word was spoken. Carlos straightened again, and seeing the photograpers around him, tried to smile. It was an unhappy effort, tinged with disappointment. Then he humped his bag onto his hunched shoulders and walked away like a lonesome cowboy."

From F1 Dec. '98:
"Carlos Reutemann, for a multitude of reasons, began the race with an unmatched set (unmatched in the sense of physically having run a selection of tires that provided the required balance; when he should have been doing this, on race morning, he was instead bedding in brakes)...(Pironi suffered similar problems in Brazil '82 but)...No one noticed - or cared - about Pironi's (problems)...Reutemann, though, with the same tire imbalance, had been under the spotlight - and, until Vegas 1981, no one had encountered that trouble before. It had to have been him. It wasn't."

From Motorsport March 2003:
"Carlos said he had gearbox problems," says Head. "But our mechanics couldn't find anything wrong. There may have been air in the clutch line, or something like that. But there was definitely no dog damage and no damage inside the 'box."