Post Type Archives: Events

For the 1978 season, Michelin took over from Goodyear as Ferrari’s supplier, introducing for the first time in F1 radial tyres. The Ferrari 312T3 was a beautiful and efficient race car designed by Mauro Forghieri, an evolution of the T-series with a three-litre engine with 12 horizontally opposed cylinders. Argentinian Carlos Reutemann and young Canadian […]

In the summer of 1981, taking a break during a test session at Fiorano, Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve decided to spend some free time together in Milan. Nobody knew about it, the two were supposed to be on ‘stand by’ while their mechanics were working on the red cars. However around 9 am, the […]

Gilles Villeneuve’s first European race was the 1976 Pau F2 Grand Prix, and not the 1977 British Grand Prix, when he raced a McLaren for the first and only time and impressed so much, before being snatched by Enzo Ferrari. At this 1976 Pau Grand Prix indeed, Gilles was entered by Ron Dennis’ Project Four […]

After a junior ski career, Patrick Tambay debuts in motor racing in 1972 with a victory in the Volant Elf. He then starts his ascent in single-seaters and finishes runner-up in Formula Renault in 1973. Follows a season in F3 where he’s a front-runner, wins races and finshes runner-up in the championship. Picture above: the […]

Now in his forties, Jacques Laffite returned to Ligier in 1985 and partner Italian hot-shoe Andrea de Cesaris in the French squad. He did well to finish three times on the podium that year: in Great-Britain, Germany and Australia, for a total of 16 championship  points. Picture above: Jacques Laffite qualified 16th for the 1985 […]

The old Spa race track was 14 km long and used open national roads in the hilly landscape of the Ardennes: on this image from 1971, you can see the Porsche 917 of Helmut Marko shooting out of the Stavelot corner before starting the uphill run to La Source, full throttle. The victorious 917 of […]

For the 1970 Nurburgring 1000 km, it was agreed by John Wyer Automotive, Salzburg Porsche and the factory that the works supported teams would enter the 908/03, the car used at the Targa Florio. The light and agile 908/03 was better suited to the twisty and demanding Nürburgring than the big and powerful 917. Two […]

Jody Scheckter in a Can-Am Porsche 917/10 entered by Vasek Polak at Riverside in 1973 (picture-above). The fast South African who also raced for McLaren in Formula One, and very much impressed by leading the French Grand Prix, was forced to retire in this race won by Mark Donohue in the mighty Porsche 917/30 entered […]

Hans-Joachim Stuck, a touring car and endurance legend from Germany, absolutely flat-out in a BMW CSL he shared with Jacky Ickx, and here-above taking-off at Planzgarten in the 1974 Nürburgring 1000km. The car was fast but a handful to tame with heavy steering but Strietzel (as he’s nicknamed) enjoyed every minute of it. Hans-Joachim, the […]

The 1985 1000 km of Spa was the seventh round of the 1985 World Endurance Championship. It promised to be a fantastic battle between Porsche and Lancia, but sadly on lap 77 of the race, the two leading drivers collided in the Eau Rouge corner, which resulted in the death of defending Drivers Champion Stefan […]