Grand Prix: The Killer Years
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RadioTimes said:
After Jochen Rindt was killed at Monza and became F1's one and thankfully only posthumous world champion in 1970, the motor racing world was ready to change. This exemplary documentary tells the story of the terrible toll exacted by Grand Prix racing. Central to it is Jackie Stewart - he tells how a 1966 crash left him trapped in his car by its steering wheel. After that, he raced with a spanner taped to the wheel, so he could get himself out. That's one of the rare stories of survival, for this is a mostly a catalogue of casualties. Earlier at 8pm, Plus Ca Change is like a glossy official brochure, full of good pictures but no more than a fans-only souvenir.
Excellent, and moving film, especially the bit about Jim Clarks death at Hockenheim. Jackie Stewart is owed a lot by many for all of the work that he did towards improving safety. I can remember a British GP at Silverstone when I was watching at Stowe as he spun off into the cornfield. Lots of people were booing him, I may have been one of those, much to my shame. But he was right, thank goodness. I think that what shocks me most about that film though is that the races just carried on, and why was David Purley the only one to stop when Roger Williamson crashed. That's always puzzled me.
timbo48 said:
Excellent, and moving film, especially the bit about Jim Clarks death at Hockenheim. Jackie Stewart is owed a lot by many for all of the work that he did towards improving safety. I can remember a British GP at Silverstone when I was watching at Stowe as he spun off into the cornfield. Lots of people were booing him, I may have been one of those, much to my shame. But he was right, thank goodness. I think that what shocks me most about that film though is that the races just carried on, and why was David Purley the only one to stop when Roger Williamson crashed. That's always puzzled me.
I believe the other drivers didn't realise(or so they said at the time) that it was Williamson's car on fire and that he was still in it, but that it was Purley's car and he was angry about the shunt which was why he was bouncing around the place as we saw in the film.Paul Dishman said:
I believe the other drivers didn't realise(or so they said at the time) that it was Williamson's car on fire and that he was still in it, but that it was Purley's car and he was angry about the shunt which was why he was bouncing around the place as we saw in the film.
They may not have realised at first, but after the second or third lap when Purley was standing in the middle of the track frantically waving that excuse surely doesn't really stand up. Stewart was one of those who carried on racing (that's not to put down all the good things he did before and after for safety). There's a very sad quote on forix from Purley: That car burned for several laps, and all the 'safety crusaders' just kept on bombing through the accident scene without even backing off...The horror of that accident didn't even end with Williamson dying
Tom Wheatcroft, who owned and entered the car, was left to extricate the body himself from the wreckage when it eventually got back to the paddock after the race. Absolutely unbelievable Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff