Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Posted by grandprixinsider in Drivers, Formula 1.Tags: Behlau, BMW, Formula Ford, Imola, Monaco, Ratzneberger
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30/4/1994, Roland Ratzenberger dies.
I first met Roland Ratzenberger back in 1982, I was racing in Formula Ford 2000 and he was wokring as a mechanic for German gentlemen drivers to finance his own first steps in Formula Ford 1600 in Austria. I was happy to learn that he’d won the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 1986 and got a BMW factory touring car drive as a result. But trying to finance a season in British F3 failed, so Roland accepted to race in Japan as a well paid professional in Formula Nippon and sports car racing. With the support of Barbara Behlau, a Monaco-based sports manager, Ratzenberger was able to sign a deal with the new Simtek team at the start of 1994, hoping to raise money to complete the season as he went along. We had a chat in Interlagos about how that whole deal had come about and I couldn’t believe the story that got him the drive. He didn’t qualify for the Brazilian GP with the brand new chassis that hadn’t even seen a propore roll-out, but managed to get onto the grid of the Pacific GP at Aida. We last spoke on Saturday morning in the Imola paddock, he was cool, perhaps a bit more serious than usual. A couple of hours later I was among those assisting Roland being placed in a rescue helicopter. Little did we know, while ingeniously hoping for a positive outcome of the horrifying high speed crash he had suffered in practice for the San Marino Grand Prix, that our friend had left us upon impact at the Villeneuve bend.
Born: 4th of July 1962 in Salzburg, Austria;
Died: 30th of April 1994 at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy, aged 31.
35 years ago: Peterson quick, Fittipaldi wins 29 April 2008
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There was a seven-week break between the South African and the next round of the Formula 1 World Championship, the Spanish Grand Prix taking place in Montjuich Park. New rules about deformable structures had been introduced and not all of the teams managed to comply in time, the field therefore was smaller than expected.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
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29th of April – Discussion are ongoing whether Rubens Barichello has or still has to match Riccardo Patrese’s record of 256 Grands Prix starts. However, back in 1984 the Italian might have been unsuspecting that his career might stretch that long. Here Patrese is shown at the Belgium GP in Zolder where he celebrated his 100th participation in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Monday, 28 April 2008
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28th of April – Niki Lauda wins the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix at the Jarama circuit, his first victory in Formula 1 and the 50th win for Ferrari. To the left you see Luca di Montezemolo, then team manager of Scuderia Ferrari, celebrating the end of a winless streak of nearly two years.
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Sunday, 27 April 2008
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27th of April - In recent years Dr. Helmut Marko has been in the headlines for spotting talents for Red Bull-boss Dietrich Mateschitz. But back in 1972 Marko, shown above in a fight with Brazil’s José Carlos Pace during the Belgian GP, was Austria’s motor sport showcase talent on his own right while one Niki Lauda happened to be an also ran. Sadly his career was cut short by a stone hitting his visor at the French GP and severely damaging his left eye.
10 years ago: DC does it 26 April 2008
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Hoping for a repeat of Michael Schumacher’s show in Argentina, the tifosi gathering at the Autodromo Enzo & Dino Ferrari soon realized that, unless the McLarens broke down, this time around Ferrari had no chance to win.
Saturday, 26 April 2008
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26th of April – Pictured above is the first Brit Ferrari hired since John Surtees in the late 60s. Today is the birthday of “Johnny Dumfries” and I have to admit I wasn’t too aware of how hard of an effort he made on his own to make his dream come true. It was widely suggested that his motor racing career was well funded due to the family fortune. Not true, as I found out. Or do you know any heir to a zillion British Pounds forfeiting all the perks and luxury to become a van driver for one – at the time – notoriously cash-strapped lad like Frank Williams…?
15 years ago: Prost bounces back 25 April 2008
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After his spectacular performance at the European GP at the rain-drenched Donington Park circuit giving McLaren and Ford the second victory in three races, Ayrton Senna finally wanted the deal he was looking for: A 16 million US-Dollars salary, plus bonuses. Including the top range Ford engine. And this time he was pretty serious about it. And even with Prost dominating during the entire Wekend, for me this was the big story to research at my second GP as a journalist.
Friday, 25 April 2008
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25th of April – Seven years ago Michele Alboreto died in a crash while testing for Audi. The Italian entered the history books by delivering the last victory to the good old Ford Cosworth DFV noraly aspirated V8 engine at the 1993 Detroit GP in a time when the dominant Formula 1 teams were all equipped with powerful turbocharged engines.
Thursday, 24 April 2008
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24 th of April - Today’s the 25th anniversary of Rolf Stommelen’s death and sadly in Germany he is mainly being remembered in connection with the ill fated Eifelland Formula 1 project. The pre-season testing version shown above was the original D1 layout created by exuberant German designer Luigi Colani. It was soon to be reduced to the cockpit scoop and its particular rear viewq mirror arrangement. Everything else turned out to be too bulky and causing the car to overheat. At temperatures near freezing point… (more…)
