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Having just watched the Sky Sports’ documentary ‘Villeneuve-Pironi: The Untold Story’ I find it necessary once more to correct the record regarding the 1982 Imola Grand Prix. I might also add that I am mystified as to why the film used the sub-title ‘untold.’ As far as I could see, it merely repeated a forty-year-old myth.
Repeated in this film were several false claims. Firstly, Gilles had not been “considerably faster” than Didier during practice that week-end. Due to problems with his 126C2 on Saturday, Didier was the only driver to not improve on his Friday time. He was however fastest in Sunday’s morning practice ahead of Gilles and both Renault’s thus making him fastest in race trim and hence de facto race favourite.
Secondly, there were no team orders in operation. This has been confirmed to me by Ferrari team members present that afternoon. For those who require more evidence consider the famous image of the Ferrari pit board displaying the legend: 1 Didi 2 Gilles ‘slow.’ Similarly, when Gilles was leading the race the pit-board read: 1 Gilles 2 Didi ‘slow.’ If Ferrari really had stipulated that Gilles was to win the race, ‘slow’ could not possibly have been interpreted as ‘hold position’ as articulated in the film. In Ferrari parlance ‘slow’ meant precisely what it said: slow.
Not only this, but if Ferrari really had wanted to convey the message that Gilles was to win, surely the pit would have communicated the precise opposite of the message it did transmit to Didier i.e. 1 Gilles 2 Didi. How could Didier, as race leader, have possibly misunderstood such a message? The reason Ferrari did not convey this message to Didier is simple: there were no team orders in operation at Imola 1982. It was a fair and square battle. Gilles took his eye off the ball and like all true racers, Didier took advantage. The situation could not have been any more different to Monza 1979.
David Sedgwick
Author: 'Pironi: The Champion That Never Was
