15 replies to this topic

[ghinzani]

I was thinking about Tinnitus (probably spelt wrong...) the other day and thought back to Volker. Then just talking about Ortwin Podlech in another thread got me thinking about Volkers career. He did look to have the correct connections, Ortwin and Keke managing him, Marlboro backing, a good relationship with Schafer/VW etc yet his F1 career bombed in awful cars. He then managed to bounce back in Japanese F3000 to the point where you just thought he might make the jump back to F1 on the back of his excellant results in Formula Nippon, then his career is over with ear problems. What happened to him? Does he still maintain an involvement? It must have been a massive dissapointment considering his performances at the time. He sort of bridged the gap between Bellof and Schum*cher. His big opponent throughout the junior formula was Kris Nissen, who was similarly stymied by injury with that massive fiery crash at Fuji - he also was talked of in terms of F1, with a possible Zakspeed drive at one point.

The other driver I remember from that era who had a career cut short by injury, non racing related was Thomas Daniellson. Now he was a quick lad - Swedish F3 champion with a SAAB engine, a stalwart of Madgewicks team in 86/87 IIRC, then injury followed by a brief return to success when he won the first round of the F3000 champs in 89 or 90 and then off into obscurity. Did the eye problems end his career? Or was it the break he had to take that ruined his career and took away the momentum? With so many F1 teams around at the time I am surprised he never made the grade. I vaguely recall a test run in a Ben Elton but then again they gave away test drives like sweeties.

[simonlewisbooks]

Was Thomas Daniellson's eye problem an injury?
I thought it was something he'd been born with. IIRC he didn't have the kind of binocular 3-D vision that the authorities considered a requirement.
That was amazing, considering his obvious speed and ability in what was then a red hot F3000 field, and harks back top the way Archie Scott-Brown was treated by some race organisers uin the 50s when he had already proved his ability in British events by managing to match the likes of Hawthorn and Moss while driving a humble Connaught, not to mention his peerless ability in a Lister Jaguar sportscar.

[ghinzani]

Ok non-racing afflictions?

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by ghinzani
What happened to him? Does he still maintain an involvement?

The other driver I remember from that era who had a career cut short by injury, non racing related was Thomas Danielsson.

Weidler, no - http://www.oldracing...irstname=Volker

Danielsson is still an intermittent racer in Swedish club events.

[angst]

Wasn't Yannick Dalmas' career (F1 at least) cut short by some illness? Can't remember what...

And, of course, Johnny Servoz-Gavin who picked up an eye injury on some jaunt or other...

[FLB]

Originally posted by ghinzani
He then managed to bounce back in Japanese F3000 to the point where you just thought he might make the jump back to F1 on the back of his excellant results in Formula Nippon, then his career is over with ear problems. What happened to him? Does he still maintain an involvement? It must have been a massive dissapointment considering his performances at the time.

He still managed to win Le Mans in 1991 with Herbert and Gachot. They came back fo Mazda in 1992, but IIRC, that's the last of him racing seriously.

Didn't Danielsson have a heart condition as well or am I mistaking him for another driver?

[FLB]

Originally posted by angst
Wasn't Yannick Dalmas' career (F1 at least) cut short by some illness? Can't remember what...

Dalmas had a bout of Legionnaire's disease in 1988 which effectively killed his F1 career. He did have other F1 drives afterwards, but was no longer talked about as 'the new Prost'.

[Simon Arron]

IIRC, Thomas Danielsson's eye trauma first became apparent during the 1988 Pau Grand Prix weekend. His team-mate Johnny Herbert had been sidelined by the medics, after Gregor Foitek shoved him into the barriers during the previous race at Vallelunga, and while watching trackside he noticed how badly TD was missing certain apices. I'm pretty sure he mentioned it, which led to Thomas taking an eye test and - subsequently - being stood down while a squint was investigated more closely.

I always thought it poetic that Thomas should win the opening FIA F3000 race of 1989, at Silverstone, on his return to the sport. He was quick enough to win the next one, at Vallelunga, too, but he slithered off the road while running (I think) second.

Volker Weidler's enforced retirement helped salvage Heinz-Harald Frentzen's career. H-HF was treading water after being ditched by Mercedes-Benz and Camel in fairly quick succession, but he got the call to replace Weidler in Japan, restored his reputation and was rescued from having to work for his family's undertaking firm. He'd probably have struggled to conduct a hearse at the appropriate pace, mind.

[fines]

Originally posted by FLB

He still managed to win Le Mans in 1991 with Herbert and Gachot. They came back fo Mazda in 1992, but IIRC, that's the last of him racing seriously.

I'm pretty sure he last raced in Japan, without going to my records, but he was leading the Nippon Championship when he was advised to stop immediately - and did, too! HHF got his seat and did some pretty impressive testing and a couple of good wet races, but his results were abysmal. Only goes to show...

[COUGAR508]

Originally posted by FLB

He still managed to win Le Mans in 1991 with Herbert and Gachot. They came back fo Mazda in 1992, but IIRC, that's the last of him racing seriously.

Didn't Danielsson have a heart condition as well or am I mistaking him for another driver?

It was considered that Weidler was the linchpin of the driving team which won Le Mans for Mazda in '91, even though he had the lowest public profile of the three drivers.

[simonlewisbooks]

Much of this thread ties in fairly closely with a previous one
http://forums.autosp...&threadid=96584
"The Moment That Blunted the Edge"

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Simon Arron
apices

[fines]

Is that sarcasm, or is my Oxford Dictionary wrong when it says "apexes"?

[ensign14]

Old skool, my dear fines, representing the original third declension-ness of a borrowed word. The OED gives "apices" and "apexes" as the plural - but the former first.

[Simon Arron]

Originally posted by fines


Is that sarcasm, or is my Oxford Dictionary wrong when it says "apexes"?

"Apices" and "apexes" are both correct, according to Mr Collins's fine lexicon. Most journals of my close acquaintance prefer the former, but it's down to personal preference (or else individual publishing companies' house style).

Hope that helps,
SA

[fines]

It does. Ta.