18 replies to this topic

[molive]

Lauda was fighting with James Hunt for the title, that was the decider, he had 3 points advantage over Hunt...

then...

Rain comes down hard, the race is delayed for hours and starts with the rain still falling down...


The race starts...

Lauda makes a clean start, but then moves away of the path and lets the field by. He does 3 laps and parks his car...

So, James Hunt would become the 1976 Champ.

Lauda, surrounded by dozens of reporters earger to know what happened, only says: Paúra (fear).

What was he afraid of? The rain? Was he remembering Nurburgring (85 days before the Japanese GP)? Why was he conceding the WDC like that, without a fight, after having almost died a few races back?

Of course, we all know that NL fought back and eventually won the 1977 title over Scheckter, but to this day I find NL´s decision hard to accept (and I´m not a fan of his).


Any insights on this incredible chapter of F1´s history will be welcome.

[cabianca]

It's pretty simple. If you didn't go thru the Nurburgring crash and its aftermath, IMO you have no grounds on which to question Lauda's decision. If he didn't want to race that day, it was his decision to make. As usual, Niki followed his own path without apology. Even the animals in the Italian press didn't bring it up, nor did Ferrari.

[badri]

Lauda, talks about this situation in some detail in his book
"Meine Story".

Don't you think it takes a different kind of courage to accept
that he didn't want to race, given the conditions at Fuji?
And remember, even the Ferrari team offered to put out an
excuse, after LAuda pulled in, but he refused!

cabianca: It's pretty simple. If you didn't go thru the Nurburgring crash and its aftermath, IMO you have no grounds on which to question Lauda's decision. If he didn't want to race that day, it was his decision to make. As usual, Niki followed his own path without apology. Even the animals in the Italian press didn't bring it up, nor did Ferrari.

Wasn't it James Hunt who said "Niki is the barvets man I know in
racin" (or word to that effect) after wining the '76 WDC?

[BRG]

What was he afraid of? Dying.

In the awful conditions at Fuji that day, he must have seen that another accident was very possible. And once he had consciously understood that the risk of another accident existed, that very realisation, by unnerving him, made an accident even more likely. So he did what only a brave man could do, parked the car, got out and walked away. A coward would have just punted around slowly and blamed the car.

That is my reading. I always admired Lauda, firstly for getting back into a GP car so soon after that terrible fiery crash and then for having the courage to stop at Fuji, even at the cost of a WDC. He may have many other failings or personality flaws, but in 1976 he was the moral champion.

[Rediscoveryx]

Remember that Lauda had suffered terrible burns in his face that had yet to heal. From what I've heard, he could'nt blink properly, so his eyes were filled with water which made it nearly impossible for him to see where he was going.

If someone could verify or reject this I would be grateful

[molive]

Originally posted by Rediscoveryx
Remember that Lauda had suffered terrible burns in his face that had yet to heal. From what I've heard, he couldn´t blink properly, so his eyes were filled with water which made it nearly impossible for him to see where he was going.

If someone could verify or reject this I would be grateful

You mean, water from tears? or rain? Was there no wet races between his come back at Monza and Japan?

BTW, this is not a bashing thread. I admire Lauda a great deal, for his talent and for his courage. I only meant to know more about this episode, since I was only 10yo at the time and don´t remember very well the comments about NL´s decision.

[Don Capps]

Originally posted by cabianca
It's pretty simple. If you didn't go thru the Nurburgring crash and its aftermath, IMO you have no grounds on which to question Lauda's decision. If he didn't want to race that day, it was his decision to make. As usual, Niki followed his own path without apology. Even the animals in the Italian press didn't bring it up, nor did Ferrari.

Molive, I realize that you are looking for more about this, but as several have pointed out, the situation then and as it is perceived today (per your summary) differ. As MIchael points out, even the **** that usually exploits such things in the Italian "press" (the lead picture for the story on the 1965 Monza 1000kms was a helmet -- with the head still in it, if that gives you any idea of their sensitivity) backed off on this one -- which is nothing short of remarkable.

If Lauda had been his Own Man prior to the German race, he was something even more than that after Japan. I have always thought it astonishing that he was in the car at Monza or any other race after that horrific crash he had. It was Lauda's decision and he said what he said then and being Lauda, that was that -- Next!

There is no doubt that Lauda was still suffering various physical problems at Fuji -- the burns on his face were especially a problem. However, Lauda knew when he had Seen the Elephant and that it was time to park the car and climb out. He experienced something that combat troops experience but rarely speak about -- you can only go to the well so often and at some point the backet will come up dry, you can take only so much. And no, it is not a fear of death or dying, it is a fear of not having "done good." I knew men of such bravery that I cannot even begin to relate how brave they were, tell me that they're not going on a mission that day. Later on, I knew exactly what they meant -- we all have limits and some times we find ourselves staring into that chasm of darkness and, well, suddenly you realize that do have an imagination....

While many on the RCF seem to enjoy taking pokes at Lauda, I always think about the end of the 1976 season and then the 1977 season -- no one ever in GP racing managed to quite do what Lauda did (not even Moss) and literally go from his deathbed to triumph over not just the others but himself as well -- and telling Ferrari where to stick in the meantime. Lauda is a man that is just so different at times, we often forget what he really is literally forged from....

It is impossible to love Lauda, but you certainly have to respect him.

[Joe in LA]

The way I always looked at it was this: Lauda came back too soon when he returned at Monza--he was very brave to do so, and it showed his strong desire to win, but he wasn't really ready physically or mentally to race. Japan just confirmed the obvious--when you damn near kill yourself it takes a while to recover fully, if you ever can. It is certainly unreasonable to expect someone in his condition to be prepared to deal with, what by all acounts, were terrible conditions in Japan. Hopefully, no driver will have the "opportunity" to demonstrate that kind of bravery again.

[Catalina Park]

Niki was not the only driver to pull out of the race due to the conditions and one driver that did pull out (Larry Perkins) was known as a wet weather driver.
The drivers that pulled out were: Larry Perkins lap 1, Niki Lauda lap 2, Carlos Pace lap 7 and Emerson Fittipaldi lap 9.

[Bernd]

I've seen an interview where Lauda discussed this. He was in considerable discomfort anyway and had never liked drivin the the wet. Basically he said that he was in no mood to "Put up with this **** with rain"

As usual not mincing words

[ebe]

Originally posted by Rediscoveryx
Remember that Lauda had suffered terrible burns in his face that had yet to heal. From what I've heard, he could'nt blink properly, so his eyes were filled with water which made it nearly impossible for him to see where he was going.

If someone could verify or reject this I would be grateful

´

Yes.

By the time Lauda had a couple of surgeries to make him see properly again.
His (right) eye became either easily dry or sometimes there was too much fluid to wetten the eye.



The decision to stop because of the heavy rain was partly fear, partly because it was
'all to much' for him, as he explained.

Later, much later (and even now) he regreted his decision, he knew he could have cruised to the title. But it is to late for that now, back then he was 'brave enough to be a coward'.

[Buford]

When you are given the Last Rites. You are expected to die. Not only do you not die but are back racing again with unhealed injuries less than 3 months later, I am inclined to give you a break if you are not up to it on a given day.

[Mohican]

Agree with Buford. I think that nobody can possibly criticise Lauda over this episode; many others, but certainly not the '76 Japanese GP.

Have often thought, when doing nothing more dangerous than driving on the motorway in heavy rain, that doing the same in an F1 car - at higher speeds, with uncovered and much wider tyres, more and closer traffic and no windscreen wipers - must be pretty bloody dangerous in itself.

And look at the record: just consider the Pironi/Prost crash at Hockenheim in '82 - which must have led to Prost voluntarily retiring from the Australian GP in Adelaide in, what, 1987 ?

[Leif Snellman]

Originally posted by Rediscoveryx
Remember that Lauda had suffered terrible burns in his face that had yet to heal. From what I've heard, he could'nt blink properly, so his eyes were filled with water which made it nearly impossible for him to see where he was going.

Also, Lauda had no eyebrows at that time. We have eyebrows to hinder water from running from the forehead down into the eyes. Without eyebrows and without the ability to blink properly, racing in the midfield in rain must have been an awful experience.

[fines]

[shameless plug]http://www.racingnew.../story?id=38003[/shameless plug]

[molive]

Originally posted by fines
[shameless plug]http://www.racingnew.../story?id=38003[/shameless plug]

thanks for the link fines, good article.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by molive
.....Was there no wet races between his come back at Monza and Japan? ....

Niki had problems in Canada, his rear suspension breaking up, but pressed on to the finish despite a lowly eighth placing. No rain...

At Watkins Glen he drove "well within himself" to finish third, staving off a last minute challenge from Jochen Mass. Again, no rain...

[Zawed]

I have to admit I don't like the guy much due to some of his recent comments, but you do have to respect his actions that day. It takes a brave man to actually pull out of a race amidst all that pressure.

[alain]

Originally posted by Rediscoveryx
Remember that Lauda had suffered terrible burns in his face that had yet to heal. From what I've heard, he could'nt blink properly, so his eyes were filled with water which made it nearly impossible for him to see where he was going.

If someone could verify or reject this I would be grateful

You are right here.I have read this from some book.