Gilles Villeneuve’s F1 debut in a McLaren - Silverstone 1977
Discussion
Changed days especially hearing that Hunt asked McLaren to give Gilles a chance.
As stated this would never happen now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6GJ0Ggte6M
As stated this would never happen now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6GJ0Ggte6M
Not many people probably are aware of this, but the chassis they gave him to race that day was the one Hunt used to clinch his Championship at Fuji the previous year. Imagine if he had wrecked that piece of history!
I think Gilles would have hated the overtaking aids, the fuel and tyre saving. He was an all out racer who would go at it hammer and tongs for the whole race if he could.
Having to coast and save the car at some point was just not in his mindset. He would be glad about no ground effect or qualifying tyres though.
I think Gilles would have hated the overtaking aids, the fuel and tyre saving. He was an all out racer who would go at it hammer and tongs for the whole race if he could.
Having to coast and save the car at some point was just not in his mindset. He would be glad about no ground effect or qualifying tyres though.
I was there and the general mood music was certainly not 'I have seen the future of Formula 1 and it's got a comedy Canadian accent' . More 'looks quite quick ,spins too much but maybe worth watching ' McLaren agreed as they didn't sign him . Much more significant , and it felt it was the debut of the Renault V6 turbo ; it may have wheezed and popped and banged but change was in the air
EagleMoto4-2 said:
Not many people probably are aware of this, but the chassis they gave him to race that day was the one Hunt used to clinch his Championship at Fuji the previous year. Imagine if he had wrecked that piece of history!
I think Gilles would have hated the overtaking aids, the fuel and tyre saving. He was an all out racer who would go at it hammer and tongs for the whole race if he could.
Having to coast and save the car at some point was just not in his mindset. He would be glad about no ground effect or qualifying tyres though.
Bit of a cliché as he would have done lots of fuel saving in his turbo Ferrari. Why does everyone think todays F1 is the only era where you have had to save fuel?I think Gilles would have hated the overtaking aids, the fuel and tyre saving. He was an all out racer who would go at it hammer and tongs for the whole race if he could.
Having to coast and save the car at some point was just not in his mindset. He would be glad about no ground effect or qualifying tyres though.
thiscocks said:
Bit of a cliché as he would have done lots of fuel saving in his turbo Ferrari. Why does everyone think todays F1 is the only era where you have had to save fuel?
Were they not allowed refuel during the race up until the 1984 season when refueling was banned? Managing fuel was important with the early turbos but they were allowed refuel..Gilles hated having to manage his fuel. Indeed, it was because it was something he didn't do that well that he lost races he should really have won.
Eric Mc said:
Were they not allowed refuel during the race up until the 1984 season when refueling was banned? Managing fuel was important with the early turbos but they were allowed refuel..
Gilles hated having to manage his fuel. Indeed, it was because it was something he didn't do that well that he lost races he should really have won.
Brabham reintroduced refuelling in 1982 when they introduced the concept of using fuel as ballast and a number of teams followed suit.Gilles hated having to manage his fuel. Indeed, it was because it was something he didn't do that well that he lost races he should really have won.
If you go by the 1982 San Marino GP team orders/instructions fiasco then even Gilles was on a leash at his short tenure as he happily obeyed instructions to slow his pace down.
I didn't think Brabham's refueling was a ballast issue. I always thought it was it was using lighter fuel loads in order to run on shorter life but very grippy tyres tyres but at a sufficiently higher pace in order to establish a big enough lead so that even stopping for fuel and new super sticky tyres didn't lose that lead.
entropy said:
coppice said:
Absolutely right - I'd never heard the ballast explanation until now. The whole point was lighter car from less fuel and thus more speed .
Erm, is that not the concept of ballast in racing circles? I can see this turning into a pissing contest *grabs coat*
Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff