Grand Prix Insider

3rd of May - Nelson Piquet wins at Imola the first Gran Premio di San Marino in 1981at the wheel of a Brabham BT49C with a normally aspirated Ford Cosworth DFV engine. Forcing defeat upon the mighty turbo-powered Ferraris and Renaults, the Brazilian scored Brabham’s 25th win as Formula 1 constructor on the way to his first title in the Formula 1 Drivers World Championship.

3/5/1924, Alan Henry Robert Kenneth Tyrrell is born

An imposing figure, two metres of height and of corresponding weight, Robert Kenneth Tyrrell once had been a woodcutter and also a timber merchant. As a racing driver he had got only average talent, his excellent ability was being a manager. And among the team principals of Formula One he was absolutely the most solid. Click HERE to access a Ken Tyrrell bio published earlier on within this blog.

Born: 3rd of May 1924
Died: 25th of August 2001, aged 77.

3/5/1949, Johan Gerard Haijje is born in Amsterdam.

A Dutch privateer who entered seven Grands Prix under the name Boy Hayje. He only managed to qualify for three GPs, the 1976 Dutch GP in a privately entered Penske PC3 and at the 1977 South African and Belgian GP in a March 761. He took his sponsorship with him into Formula 2 in 1978 with Fred Opert but again had no success. He stepped down to the European Renault 5 Turbo Championship doing rather well there.

5/12/1917, Kenneth Henry Downing dies.

Ken Downing, always a privateer, was best placed British driver on the grid for the 1951 British GP with Connaught A-type 2-litre Formula 2 car. Only the three factory Ferraris of Farina, Ascari and Taruffi and Manzon’s Gordini were in front of him. A goofy backmarker cost him a better result than ninth in the race. He retired from the Dutch GP, his only other appearance GP. But his allegiance to the Connaught marque continued for most of his career, both in sports cars and single seaters.

Born: 5th of December 1917 in Chesterton, UK
Died: 3rd of May 2004 in South Africa aged 87.