Anthony Ferrari- Thanks for confirming that it was Mario Andretti. Great quote and sums it all up. As for Ferrari, let us not forget that GV started his racing career in what was was probably the most interesting time in F1 in terms of technology- the onset of aerodynamic "wing cars" and turbo-charged engines. The Ferrari flat 12 was the worst possible configuration for underbody aeros (Colin Chapman-a true genius) and turbos, thanks to Renault, were the future. Ferrari had to develop an entirely new chassis and new engine; they had NO turbo experience as did Renault and Porsche; the fact that they could produce a dog of a car in 1981 (126c1) and the best car in the field in 1982 (126C2) is stunning. Don't forget that Tambay won in that car (1982 German GP) and that Andretti, first time in the car, took pole at Monza. He said it was one of the best cars he had ever driven. If both GV and Didier Pironi had raced through '82 it would have made Senna/Prost/McLaren look lame. At least Senna and Prost respected each other; GV and Pironi DESPISED each other. With these 2 racing against each other, we probably would have had the rest of the '82 season looking like the last 2 laps of the 1979 French GP.........Sadly, we wuz robbed.........
Yes true ... but he didn't make it to the end of that year We all should remember that Ferrari are always and have always been in the top 5, so when I say the car is a piece of cr@p ... it is NOT a Jordan. If Pironi hadn't been such an @rsehole, motorracing history would be completely different. Pete
It was lousy behavior in Imola, agreed. But other than that I liked the guy a lot. He was always fast in the Ligier and gave Piquet and Jones a run for their money in the title chase. And he was hot stuff in the Ferrari. He had a similar take no prisoners attitude as Gilles had. Breaking the promise in Imola was lousy, but then again it wouldn't have been such a big deal if Gilles hadn't taken it so badly. His reaction was out of proportion as well. Gilles honor codex was way beyond everybody else's. Otherwise he would have taken the title from Jody. I'd think any other driver would have fumed at Pironi for a weekend long and then closed the book on this.
That is absolutely not true. The forces in Gilles' accident were so great that both seatbelt mounting points broke. In Pironi's subsequent career-ending accident at Hockenheim later that year, one of the seatbelt mounting points broke. I understand that when Ferrari tried to replicate the forces needed to do that they were extraordinary and that was part of what prompted the very late rule changes for the following season - sadly to late for Gilles and Didier. Jonathan
Villeneuve's seatbelts were attached to the car by drilling holes through the webbing and sticking a bolt (with washers) through the belt and into the car. Pironi's were folded through a bracket and stitched, as they are today. Go figure. As for "why he was the best" ... Wasn't it Watkins Glen 1979, in the wet practice. Where Scheckter (that seasons world champion) came back into the pits after what he thought was a quick lap only to find that Villeneuve (in the same car) was 21 seconds faster...QED
