212 replies to this topic

[Risil]

midgrid, on 06 May 2020 - 18:15, said:

Rampant Renaults run riot! The atmospheric cars are gasping, even at this circuit.

 

It's surprising, isn't it? But then again one big advantage of the turbos is to be able to run light and turn their boost up in qualifying, and if you qualify ahead in Monaco you normally stay ahead. Brilliant performance from Patrese to get onto the front row.

[Risil]

Spillage, on 06 May 2020 - 18:19, said:

I'm always amazed by how far forward these drivers appear to be sitting in the cars. Maybe it's just an optical illusion but I'd expect a broken foot nearly every time they hit the barrier.

 

Give it a few more laps.

[SophieB]

Risil, on 06 May 2020 - 18:19, said:

Yeah. Odd how no one's mentioned it, but then again in 1982 I guess death in Grand Prix racing was still common enough that the main reaction was to repress it and try to soldier on.

 

On a less tragic note it's also Williams' second race without their team leader Carlos Reutemann, who abrubtly retired after Long Beach. So we're in the odd position of two of F1's 4-5 top teams running depleted driver line-ups. I don't know if anyone would've believed you in spring 1981 if they'd told you that in 12 months the Williamses would be driven by Keke Rosberg and Derek Daly.

 

Edit: While I was going on and on Murray Walker did actually mention Gilles' death.

It’s a distinctive motorsport characteristic that in some ways, it just moves on instantly but in other ways, I don’t think it ever quite ever gets over it.

[Bleu]

Spillage, on 06 May 2020 - 18:19, said:

I'm always amazed by how far forward these drivers appear to be sitting in the cars. Maybe it's just an optical illusion but I'd expect a broken foot nearly every time they hit the barrier.

 

Drivers feet were needed to be behind front axle line only for 1988 cars.

[Risil]

That was a Brian Henton update, presumably for his family back home

[SophieB]

What is that sign advertising in the tunnel? Congress something something. I never noticed it before.

[ANF]

Risil, on 06 May 2020 - 18:19, said:

Yeah. Odd how no one's mentioned it, but then again in 1982 I guess death in Grand Prix racing was still common enough that the main reaction was to repress it and try to soldier on.

I guess they might have been talking about it earlier in the BBC broadcast. These F1 rewinds don't offer much of a build-up...

[Risil]

SophieB, on 06 May 2020 - 18:27, said:

What is that sign advertising in the tunnel? Congress something something. I never noticed it before.

 

Boringly, it's the convention centre attached to the Loews hotel.

[Spillage]

I think Brian Henton is the last F1 driver to come from the East Midlands. I'm here for these updates.

[Risil]

Oh Rene!

[Spillage]

Rene ah, no!

[Risil]

Caught the inside kerb at the Swimming Pool complex. Corrected the spin, but stalled.

[ANF]

He's blown it!

[Bleu]

Managed to avoid barriers after the error, but not stalling.

[Risil]

I wonder if this was a pivotal moment in Rene Arnoux's career transition from promising newcomer to boobery-prone veteran.

[midgrid]

Look how heavy the swinging Renault is at the rear.

[Risil]

James Hunt getting on the Rosberg train early.

[Risil]

"If Salazar does not give way and move over..."

[midgrid]

Salazar practising for Hockenheim.

[Spillage]

I love it when James Hunt gets angry with a backmarker.

[midgrid]

Henton into the pits!

[Risil]

midgrid, on 06 May 2020 - 18:34, said:

Salazar practising for Hockenheim.

 

Hindsight is fun!

[Risil]

Spillage, on 06 May 2020 - 18:34, said:

I love it when James Hunt gets angry with a backmarker.

 

I think that's when he's most authentically an ex-world champion.

[SophieB]

‘But it is, I’m afraid to say, about what you’d expect’

 

Hunt was so great as a commentator.

[ANF]

Salazar wasn't very good at letting faster cars through, was he? Almost came to a halt in the chicane.

[TomNokoe]

The Renault logo is very in-your-face

[midgrid]

Risil, on 06 May 2020 - 18:34, said:

Hindsight is fun!

It's interesting, as the articles that I have read largely downplay Salazar's responsibility for the later incident, but his display just now was truly incompetent. If he had ended up on the inside instead of the outside line for the chicane, he surely would have clattered straight into Prost as he would do with Piquet.

[ANF]

Looks like a marshal has dropped his baseball hat in Sainte Dévote.

[ANF]

Oh, Pironi brushing the armco out of Poetier.

[TomNokoe]

Prost visibly slower through the chicane, Patrese absolutely flying

[Risil]

Eliseo Salazar is getting a lot of camera time!

[Risil]

TomNokoe, on 06 May 2020 - 18:45, said:

Prost visibly slower through the chicane, Patrese absolutely flying

 

Hunt was predicting earlier that Patrese might come into the race as Prost's heavy turbo ate up its tyres.

[midgrid]

Patrese was so surprised at Hunt's praise that he nearly binned it at the final corner.

[ANF]

Patrese sliding through Massenet. Not sure his tyres are any better than Prost's.

[Risil]

ANF, on 06 May 2020 - 18:49, said:

Patrese sliding through Massenet. Not sure his tyres are any better than Prost's.

 

I wonder if they're running radial tyres by 1982.

[Risil]

V12 Matra power!

[Bleu]

A lot of yo-yoing with the gaps in the front.

[Spillage]

De Cesaris is holding his own pretty well. Alfa made some decent cars, all of them hampered by poor reliability.

[Bleu]

Pironi hit de Angelis and damaged the nose.

[ANF]

Oops! Ferrar front wing flying on De Angelis's rear wheel.

Nose rather.

Edited by ANF, 06 May 2020 - 18:58.

[TomNokoe]

Why does Piquet have a front wing, but Patrese doesn't?

[Bleu]

TomNokoe, on 06 May 2020 - 18:58, said:

Why does Piquet have a front wing, but Patrese doesn't?

Seemingly turbocharged cars use more downforce.

[Spillage]

It is pretty remarkable that ground-effects cars produced so much grip that teams could get away with running no front wing at Monaco. I think Derek Daly ran most of the race without a rear wing, too.

Edited by Spillage, 06 May 2020 - 19:01.

[ANF]

Only 76 laps?

[Spillage]

"He did well at Long Beach, led for a long time, he ran a very strong second.... he did finally crash there, but..."

[Bleu]

How many times has Murray or James said "up the hill"?

[midgrid]

Bleu, on 06 May 2020 - 19:05, said:

How many times has Murray or James said "up the hill"?

"This is an interesting circuit because it has inclines, and not just up, but down as well."

[Bleu]

Thinking of Piquet's struggles nowadays he's one of four drivers with 20+ wins but no Monaco win.

 

Mansell

Clark

Piquet

D.Hill

[Bleu]

One hour gone now.

[Risil]

midgrid, on 06 May 2020 - 19:06, said:

"This is an interesting circuit because it has inclines, and not just up, but down as well."

 

A welcome change from the M.C. Escherco Grand Prix