I was waiting for that comment: First off Sheckter was no slouch. And we don't know how the battle would have ultimately ended. Could have been like Vettel and Webber in Istanbul a couple years ago, who knows. That said, yes, he definitely had the speed and to some extent the chance to have become a WDC. Just like Moss or Collins and just like them he was a (the last?) gentleman who chose his word over the title. However he was not the calculating driver like the multiple WDCs I mentioned who made sure they end up with enough points to win the title. I loved Gilles and the way he drove, it was super spectacular, but it wasn't always the way to win a race and ultimately the title. The 3 wheeler back to the pits was epic but equally pointless (quite literally). Fair enough. To me winning the title is the ultimate goal. However I agree 100% with you that Gilles was a LOT better than Hill. Thanks. In a sense I envy myself nowadays: If I had known that access to the drivers/pits/cars would ultimately become so impossible as it is today, I would have tried to pull the journalist stunt a lot more in the eighties.
I can't comment on his skill as I have not seen enough of his driving, but the battle against Arnoux was cool but keep in mind that Rene was a good driver but not great so a Prost would have picked a spot and made the pass stick (by the way Arnoux driving the Ferrari in 84 was the first F1 car I saw in person), anyways here is a nice little series I watched a few months back by Peter Windsor called Remembering Gilles; [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSl-N2768Uo&feature=share&list=UU9vha7Lv5UFbvhiMLwLjheQ]Remembering Gilles - Part 1 - YouTube[/ame]
You guys ever seen this? Pretty cool: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtlraTcMX3g]G.Villeneuve Ferrari vs Italian Air Force F104 Jet Fighter - YouTube[/ame]
Thanks it's nice to share cool stuff that others enjoy also. Regular TV kinda bites these days, very few watchable shows and I don't follow much current racing so there is YT. YT has become what was once just an impossible dream -- you can find stuff that you didn't even think existed, watch when you want, pause it as long as you want, it's awesome, the only drawbacks -- some stuff has degraded quality and guys like Moe try to ruin the party.
" it was one of the most tiring races of my life, the go-kart ride we all have now is very hard on drivers because they get pitched around a lot. My helmet kept smashing against the roll over bar and I ache all over, but I feel good ..and I feel good things are ahead for Ferrari" GV, 1981 Monaco victory.
That plane has been repainted in red and is now at the track in Fiorano IIRC It is from that squadron that Enzo got the prancing horse symbol (well he got it from the mother of one of its flying aces and the squadron adopted it)
Cool, didn't know that. I'm pretty sure several other F1s also raced the jet that day, one being an Alfa Romeo
