31 replies to this topic

[23Kev]

Hi,

A mate and myself are trying to remember who it was that was involved in a fight in the late 1980's. We have a feeling that one of the drivers was Nelson Piquet and there was also a JPS Lotus involved. In that sense it could be Senna but I've read all the biographies and can't remember a fight (other than with Eddie Irvine at Suzuka) with him involved.

So anybody got any ideas?

Thanks

Kev

[Gary C]

wasn't it Hockenheim and Elisieo Salazar???

[David Hyland]

Yep, Nelson Piquet and Eliseo Salazar came to blows out on the circuit after Piquet's Brabham and Salazar's (March?) collided at one of Hockenheim's chicanes in the 1982 German GP. Piquet thought Salazar was letting him through (to lap him); Salazar either thought Piquet was too far back to make a pass into the chicane, or just plain hadn't seen Piquet at all. IIRC, Piquet was driven to physical violence because this was one of the first races where Brabham were trying out their (at the time new-fangled) "mid race fuel stop" strategy.

Senna and Mansell had an altercation (came to blows?) in the pits at Spa in 1987 after Mansell's Williams and Senna's yellow (Camel) Lotus has a coming together resulting in the retirement of both cars.

David.

[LB]

Originally posted by David Hyland
Yep, Nelson Piquet and Eliseo Salazar came to blows out on the circuit after Piquet's Brabham and Salazar's (March?) collided at one of Hockenheim's chicanes in the 1982 German GP. Piquet thought Salazar was letting him through (to lap him); Salazar either thought Piquet was too far back to make a pass into the chicane, or just plain hadn't seen Piquet at all. IIRC, Piquet was driven to physical violence because this was one of the first races where Brabham were trying out their (at the time new-fangled) "mid race fuel stop" strategy.

Salazar was in an ATS, he was also managed by Piquet at the time iirc. The collision was at the second chicane, the Ostkurve one, on lap 18.

Oh and Piquet should learn to wait until someone takes his helmet off before he takes a swing at him.

[David Hyland]

Originally posted by LB
Salazar ... was also managed by Piquet at the time iirc.

Really? That makes the whole incident spectacularly more amusing (to me, anyway).

[LB]

Originally posted by David Hyland
Really? That makes the whole incident spectacularly more amusing (to me, anyway).

He was definately Piquets protege, not totally sure if it was full management but still it does add another aspect to it Forix reckons it was the 19th lap btw , I was close.

[2F-001]

That hardly qualifies as a fight between two drivers, though... I don't remember Salazar doing anything more than holding up his arms to defend himself as he staggered back on his heels - wondering what he was supposed to have done!

[mikedeering]

That was hilarious - Piquet attempting to punch Salazar and also kick him as well. Probably a story twisted over time, but wasn't Nelson's engine on the verge of blowing up anyway, and the crash saved BMW the embarrassment of blowing up in the lead on home soil?!

The 1982 review tape of the incident is also amusing - Clive James narrating "this may well be the highlight of Salazar's career, so let's see it again"

As for other fisticuffs - Mansell was restrained from punching Senna at Spa 1987 by Lotus and Williams mechanics. Senna commented afterwards something along the lines of "When a guy has he hands around your throat you don't think he has come to apologise!"

Suzuka 1993 has been touched upon - amusing since Adam Cooper taped the whole incident and it was printed in Autosport the following week.

Spa 1998 anyone? Schumacher and Coulthard?

[Chevy II Nova]

Actually, it was lap 18.

Video of the incident.

[eldougo]

M L ----- Your info supplied that Nelson Piquet was Eliso Salazar manager or Protage are incorrect.True he know Eliso as did myself the story goes like this.

Thruxton---- Nelson who was there to see Greg Siddle F3 Ralt team .Out to the A30 road to drive back ot London he spotted a chap walking along the road it was(you guess it ) Eliseo he had just arrived in UK .He asked him who to see about starting in f3 he put himonto GS an he in turn passed him onto a KIWI chap Ron Wasley who ran both Eliseo and another driver Placido Iglesias in RT-1Ralts. He then went onto drive one of the 1st RT-3 at a wet Donnington meeting early 1979 at which i helped them out before going off to work in Europe.
Then i caught up again with the team at Austria GP F3 race he was on the front row i think???
Anyway he then went into the Aurora and into f1 1981, by then he had a manager but it was not Nelson .I checked my story out today with Greg

[ensign14]

Originally posted by mikedeering
Suzuka 1993 has been touched upon - amusing since Adam Cooper taped the whole incident and it was printed in Autosport the following week.

Except he cut the bit where Irvine said out loud 'Brazilian wanker'...

[23Kev]

OMG!! I can't believe the number of replies and the amount of people that knew exactly what happened.

Thanks so much to everyone, I'll make sure I show the guy at work the video, he should love it.

I do also remember the punch up between Mansell and Senna now.

Thanks again

Kev

[RTH]

Originally posted by 2F-001
That hardly qualifies as a fight between two drivers, though... I don't remember Salazar doing anything more than holding up his arms to defend himself as he staggered back on his heels - wondering what he was supposed to have done!

Wasn't much of a fight - more like 'handbags at 10 paces '

[fines]

Originally posted by eldougo
He asked him who to see about starting in f3 he put himonto GS an he in turn passed him onto a KIWI chap Ron Wasley who ran both Eliseo and another driver Placido Iglesias in RT-1Ralts.

Wasn't Iglesias in the ex-Piquet RT1?

[josvdp]

As I recall Irvine whacked Fisichella (I think) in front of me at the Spanish GP after a first corner take out abut five years ago - one more for the list

[Falcadore]

Only a couple of weeks ago Yvan Mulelr got in a shoving match with Anthony Reid in the BTCC paddock.

One year Tony Longhurst was so irate about his team mate seemingly taking him out of the race that he got out of his car, went across to Paul Morris and proceeded to start swinging despite the fact that Morris was still strapped in with helmet on. James Kaye who was fighting for third place in the ASTC round laughed so hard he nearly crashed.

[josvdp]

Going back a few years in BTCC Frank Sytner hit a Radio 1 DJ (Mike Smith ?) as I recall

[sandy]

As I recall, Carel de Beaufort attempted to rough up Jack Brabham after a coming together on the track, but Jack was laughing so much that Carel desisted. (Also, Jack was a tallish, rangy individual, of a solid build and so perhaps there was a little more to Carel's holding off than it appeared). Does anyone have date and place of this incident - I think it was at Zandvoort.

[Wolf]

I don't know most of those incidents like Piquet-Salazar, MS-DC, &c, are plain funny to me.

OTOH, I certainly wouldn't like to have been around in '37 Tripoli GP, when Fagioli was furious because he thought he was baulked by Caracciola and after the race threw a wheel hammer at poor Rudi. Some sources say, he then tried to grab a knife, but was pulled away. Neubauer says he appologized for that, some 15 years later...

[eldougo]

Originally posted by fines

Wasn't Iglesias in the ex-Piquet RT1?

___________________________________

Yes it was painted red & white

[Ralliart]

At Pau one year, Jim Clark had to be restrained from going after a driver. When he made his comeback at Miami, Emmo went over to one of the organizers (maybe THE organizer) and told him off, for some reason. I think Emmo even pulled the headset off.

[JacnGille]

Originally posted by Ralliart
At Pau one year, Jim Clark had to be restrained from going after a driver. When he made his comeback at Miami, Emmo went over to one of the organizers (maybe THE organizer) and told him off, for some reason. I think Emmo even pulled the headset off.

I believe that was Bob Raymond that Emo tried to "decapitate" with his own headset.

[Lutz G]

Originally posted by David Hyland
Yep, Nelson Piquet and Eliseo Salazar came to blows out on the circuit after Piquet's Brabham and Salazar's (March?) collided at one of Hockenheim's chicanes in the 1982 German GP.

Dr. Eisenfaust Nelson Klitschko on the left...

Here's a slideshow... (2 MB)

http://home.nikocity...ke/piquet82.zip

BTW: A "few" years later Eddie Cheever kicked race leader Salazar (IRL) out of the race. This time
A.J.Foyt was in Piquet "mode":

(1141 KB)

Lutz

[Jhope]

Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve during the 2001 Canadian GP drivers meeting. Jacques accused Juan of brake testing him in Saturday free practice, and Juan rebutted, somewhat heartlessly with "haven't you killed enough people this year?" refering to the marshall killed during the Australian GP. Jacques grabbed Juan by the neck and was about to thrash him until some drivers and Chalie Whiting got involved.

[LB]

Originally posted by josvdp
Going back a few years in BTCC Frank Sytner hit a Radio 1 DJ (Mike Smith ?) as I recall

Mike Smith was Sytners teammate at BMW for a couple of years - I remember Sytner being furious once at Snetterton I believe because Smith had stolen the fastest lap point by pitting for fresh tyres when Mike was out of contention. Weither they actually came to blows I dunno.

The Formula Ford guys have been battering lumps out of each other this year in the UK - One pair being banned for a race ( Perez and someone else I'll have to look it up) after exchanging punches at Rockingham. Dan Clarke also had a swing at another ( innocent ) competitor when he was taken out of the Silverstone race In fact it was his teammates fault.

Oh and James Hunt punched a marshall.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by LB


Oh and James Hunt punched a marshall.

The one thing, IMHO, that's Not On. Another competitor, bad, but someone who's giving up their own time and effort to make it possible for the competitors to race - quite simply Not Cricket. Inexcusable.

I was helping out with a friend's company's trade stand up at the Croft BTCC meeting this summer. The guy who runs the Legends championship (seemed like a very good bloke, wish I could remember his name) took a shine to us and kept dropping in, and at one point he said he'd had to 'discipline' one of his drivers for having a go at a marshal after he'd cocked it up and gone off into the gravel...

pete

[Fransz]

Originally posted by LB
Oh and James Hunt punched a marshall.

Yeah but that doesn't count. IIRC after punching him, didn't he pick him up and give him a kiss.

[Dead Sexy]

Originally posted by Chevy II Nova
Actually, it was lap 18.

Video of the incident.

I love that gay little kick he attempts

I also love how he actually takes a swing.. at a guy in a helmet.. Punch him in the stomach or something! He probably went away with a bruised hand while the other guy had nothing.

[catfigs]

alan jones knocked over a marshall or some guy manning a gate at a touring car race at wanneroo (?) a few years ago in western australia when the guy wouldn't let him into the paddock because he'd left his ID at the hotel. or something. the next race, in the bit introducing the telecast, you know, the music etc, they had footage of alan jones and tony longhurst, who had only recently launched into paul morris, sitting next to each other reading a boxing magazine. my memory might be muddled up though.
a few races later at lakeside my dad and i were roaming around the pits and encountered jones, and my dad, the cheeky so n so, brought it up i believe. in a good natured way. jones muttered something or rather under his breath and walked off in semi disgust. i suspect a lot of people were bringing it up in similarly good natured ways that weekend. we both thought that was pretty funny anyway, and barraked for him that weekend. to hit somebody else that is. didn't happen.

[Dudley]

Do we have room for the collected works of jos?

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by Ralliart
At Pau one year, Jim Clark had to be restrained from going after a driver.

Can you say more?

[Chevy II Nova]

Originally posted by Dudley
Do we have room for the collected works of jos?

Ehh? Clue me in Duds.