Discussion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkhVnv80_lc
http://gforcef1.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/forgotten...
I did not give it much attention at the time - mainly being enchanted by Senna at that time, I was 17 - but he did some impressive driving.
What if . . .
http://gforcef1.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/forgotten...
I did not give it much attention at the time - mainly being enchanted by Senna at that time, I was 17 - but he did some impressive driving.
What if . . .
Bellof was quicker than Senna.
Henri was the best of the best.
Both tragic losses. Bellof was incredible, absolutely incredible to witness. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing though, all pure natural instinct.
Henri was breathtaking. The only man alive who could make an S4 look under control. MA alwys admitted to the thing terrifying him and MA was a bloody legend.
They really really were outstanding. Henri is probably the best there has ever been. Bellof probably lacked the ultimate mental ability to go with his speed, but he was as quick and as inherently natually talented as anybody there has been.
Henri was the best of the best.
Both tragic losses. Bellof was incredible, absolutely incredible to witness. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing though, all pure natural instinct.
Henri was breathtaking. The only man alive who could make an S4 look under control. MA alwys admitted to the thing terrifying him and MA was a bloody legend.
They really really were outstanding. Henri is probably the best there has ever been. Bellof probably lacked the ultimate mental ability to go with his speed, but he was as quick and as inherently natually talented as anybody there has been.
Thread revival.
Although he was driving a 956 the damage to this 962 recently in a relatively low speed crash onto the start/finish straight at Spa shows how fragile and exposed the drivers were. Safety has come a long way.
Original seems to be gone here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dXUB8vVVVo
Different video shorter footage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7u9yADMYBg
Although he was driving a 956 the damage to this 962 recently in a relatively low speed crash onto the start/finish straight at Spa shows how fragile and exposed the drivers were. Safety has come a long way.
Original seems to be gone here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dXUB8vVVVo
Different video shorter footage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7u9yADMYBg
Edited by FourWheelDrift on Friday 29th October 18:48
Also the lap he set was in qualifying, he no doubt had to pass traffic, maybe also the car was not set up for him, it was an endurance car so Mas or bell probably tailored the setup for the long runs and their way. All stuff that the new car was not exposed to.
He was a kid brought in to shake it up, with pace aggression etc, just like Merc did later on with Karl Schuey and Frentzen.
he was a nutcase by all accounts the very embodiment of Gilles a few years later I gather, so he was always likely to end this way, but a shame he never really got the chance to show his true abililty.
He was a kid brought in to shake it up, with pace aggression etc, just like Merc did later on with Karl Schuey and Frentzen.
he was a nutcase by all accounts the very embodiment of Gilles a few years later I gather, so he was always likely to end this way, but a shame he never really got the chance to show his true abililty.
I think mis underestimating him is unwise pablo, he was probably the fastest man around in 83, faster than ANYONE and I mean Senna, Prost.
He was a rough diamond yes but he came from that rea of bravado and derring do.
As coppice says he was never going to be even middle aged, like Villeneuve, not a deathwish but simply a desire to always be fast, push etc, imagine like Gilles he was nuts on the road, so likely would have gone that way.
I have footage from Brands F1 in 84 and he is in the Tyrrell, cameraman is at the bottom of Pilgrims, Osella nips past on straight with another 200hp, Belloff stays behind and nips past again at the apex, Osella nearly crashes, this was practice, that was the man he was.
he died the same way, being brave and OTT, just as he should be remembered, a massive talent that shone too briefly but I think we all know not for long!!
He was a rough diamond yes but he came from that rea of bravado and derring do.
As coppice says he was never going to be even middle aged, like Villeneuve, not a deathwish but simply a desire to always be fast, push etc, imagine like Gilles he was nuts on the road, so likely would have gone that way.
I have footage from Brands F1 in 84 and he is in the Tyrrell, cameraman is at the bottom of Pilgrims, Osella nips past on straight with another 200hp, Belloff stays behind and nips past again at the apex, Osella nearly crashes, this was practice, that was the man he was.
he died the same way, being brave and OTT, just as he should be remembered, a massive talent that shone too briefly but I think we all know not for long!!
Back to my point though, as fast as Bellof was, who would have signed him? Not Peter Warr, not Frank Williams, not Ron Dennis. They wanted title contenders who could finish races consistently. Villeneuve was ace to watch, perfectly suited to a Ferrari incapable of competing against Brabham or Williams, but he wasn’t going to get a title contender drive. Bellof was frustrating because he’d proven in Group C, he could be fast and enough mechanical sympathetic to get a car round 1000km races
pablo said:
Back to my point though, as fast as Bellof was, who would have signed him? Not Peter Warr, not Frank Williams, not Ron Dennis. They wanted title contenders who could finish races consistently. Villeneuve was ace to watch, perfectly suited to a Ferrari incapable of competing against Brabham or Williams, but he wasn’t going to get a title contender drive. Bellof was frustrating because he’d proven in Group C, he could be fast and enough mechanical sympathetic to get a car round 1000km races
had he lived he's have gone to Arrows, then Benetton, then Ferrari. And Gerhard Berger would have been a multiple ETCC champion.pablo said:
Back to my point though, as fast as Bellof was, who would have signed him? Not Peter Warr, not Frank Williams, not Ron Dennis. They wanted title contenders who could finish races consistently. Villeneuve was ace to watch, perfectly suited to a Ferrari incapable of competing against Brabham or Williams, but he wasn’t going to get a title contender drive. Bellof was frustrating because he’d proven in Group C, he could be fast and enough mechanical sympathetic to get a car round 1000km races
Villeneuve was supposed to go back to McLaren for 1983Bellof was apparently going to Ferrari in '86
Bellof was over-rated. Brilliantly quick, yes, but completely bonkers with his fearless attitude.
So much is made of his 6m11s lap time at the 'Ring but at the same race he was comfortably leading, set fastest lap and crashed at Pflanzgarten; and at the tragic Spa 1000km race he went for the gap into Eau Rouge, trying to overtake Jackie Ickx who was supposed to win his home race for Porsche.
Poor form entropy
That lap was in qualifying for a start. And if you had actually been there, driven the track at that time, in that car you have no idea whatsoever what youa e talking about.
I know plenty who cannot even beat it online, and that says a lot.
he was nutcase yes, but he was also very, very fast. Faster than a lot of people realise, success in lower formulas has ALWAYS depended on teams, and maybe h was never in good ones.
That lap was in qualifying for a start. And if you had actually been there, driven the track at that time, in that car you have no idea whatsoever what youa e talking about.
I know plenty who cannot even beat it online, and that says a lot.
he was nutcase yes, but he was also very, very fast. Faster than a lot of people realise, success in lower formulas has ALWAYS depended on teams, and maybe h was never in good ones.
LukeBrown66 said:
Poor form entropy
That lap was in qualifying for a start. And if you had actually been there, driven the track at that time, in that car you have no idea whatsoever what youa e talking about.
I know plenty who cannot even beat it online, and that says a lot.
he was nutcase yes, but he was also very, very fast. Faster than a lot of people realise, success in lower formulas has ALWAYS depended on teams, and maybe h was never in good ones.
God knows i've tried, spent many an hour just relentlessly driving round the place online and in a 962 the closest i can get to his time, would put me somewhere around Pflanzgarten IIRC.That lap was in qualifying for a start. And if you had actually been there, driven the track at that time, in that car you have no idea whatsoever what youa e talking about.
I know plenty who cannot even beat it online, and that says a lot.
he was nutcase yes, but he was also very, very fast. Faster than a lot of people realise, success in lower formulas has ALWAYS depended on teams, and maybe h was never in good ones.
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff