The small F1 team appreciation thread

[flatlander_48]

I started following international racing seriously in 1978 or thereabout so I do remember the F2 season of Bruno, I didn't know he won F3 in '76, though I do know the importance of that event back then already. While March literature I have only deals with the F1 and Indycars, not with the F2 and other cars.
Thanks for filling in some gaps. much appreciated.

http://www.marchives.com/

[editor]

I started following international racing seriously in 1978 or thereabout so I do remember the F2 season of Bruno, I didn't know he won F3 in '76, though I do know the importance of that event back then already. While March literature I have only deals with the F1 and Indycars, not with the F2 and other cars.
Thanks for filling in some gaps. much appreciated.

You're quite welcome.

[Indyote]

Bruno Giacomelli was one of the knowledgeable persons who said F2 worked against him. Giacomelli developed a reputation in F2 as being a mentally weak driver who required an inordinate amount of coddling. It was said he could work only with March's Robin Herd. All said Giacomelli's dominating Monaco F3 victory in 1976 was more important, bringing him to the attention of powerful sponsors and teams. At the time, the Monaco F3 race was renowned for making or breaking drivers. Ferrari made Giacomelli an offer which he rejected.

March's Atlantic-based 772P was a standard-bearer in other drivers' hands. That car rescued the program. The 782 was derived from the 772P.

I started following international racing seriously in 1978 or thereabout so I do remember the F2 season of Bruno, I didn't know he won F3 in '76, though I do know the importance of that event back then already. While March literature I have only deals with the F1 and Indycars, not with the F2 and other cars.
Thanks for filling in some gaps. much appreciated.

[editor]

An Blazing 1978 F2 season might have had something to do with that....... [sic]

Bruno Giacomelli was one of the knowledgeable persons who said F2 worked against him. Giacomelli developed a reputation in F2 as being a mentally weak driver who required an inordinate amount of coddling. It was said he could work only with March's Robin Herd. All said Giacomelli's dominating Monaco F3 victory in 1976 was more important, bringing him to the attention of powerful sponsors and teams. At the time, the Monaco F3 race was renowned for making or breaking drivers. Ferrari made Giacomelli an offer which he rejected.

March's Atlantic-based 772P was a standard-bearer in other drivers' hands. That car rescued the program. The 782 was derived from the 772P.

[editor]

Very interesting thread. Many thanks! Keep it going!

You're welcome.

[Openracer]

Very interesting thread. Many thanks! Keep it going!

[Pelican Joe]

BS Fabrications was a subcontractor or supplier to many constructors and to many teams over its corporate lifespan, including McLaren. It had relationships with many sponsors. Not all cars fielded by outside entities were purchased, loaned or leased. For instance, the new M23 built for Brett Lunger to drive was manufactured in-house by BS.

Overall, Gilles Villeneuve was not well thought of by McLaren. It declined to take up its $1,000-per-race option on him. John Hogan then placed Villeneuve at Ferrari. Villeneuve was considered a nutjob by many paddock denizens. Paddock wisdom held that things always ended badly for nutjobs, usually in death. While the scope of Villeneuve's talent could be respected, it's application often could not.

Jack O'Malley, as was emblazoned on his McLaren before Bernie Ecclestone decided humor wasn't appropriate for F1, had his career stunted by his association with McLaren and its heavy-to-drive M26. The deal came about because Hogan was impressed with the Italian.

Didn't BS Fabrications also work on the M24?

[Indyote]

Jack O'Malley, as was emblazoned on his McLaren before Bernie Ecclestone decided humor wasn't appropriate for F1, had his career stunted by his association with McLaren and its heavy-to-drive M26. The deal came about because Hogan was impressed with the Italian.

An Blazing 1978 F2 season might have had something to do with that.......

[editor]

Great comments guys, especially editor as usual. I actually had multiple chances to ask Chris Amon about why he wasn't in the new Mclaren but I chickened out and always wanted the answer. Chris stayed in the room next to ours at the Hotel Metropol in Monaco in 1973 when Dad and I were on a Page and Moy racing tour from England. Every morning we rode down the worlds slowest elevator with Chris and his manager, David Yorke, and in the afternoon I rode up with Chris several times, all alone in his grimy white racing suit and helmet under his arm. I was a racing mad zit faced 15 year old and I was very shy and just the two of us stared at the floor for what seemed like hours. My Dad was very chatty however and one morning he asked them how the Tecno was going, Yorke replied, "not too bad, for a piece of agricultural equipment". Dad and I laughed about that for the rest of our trip.

David Yorke became a consultant to Martini & Rossi after leaving JW. He was charged with the responsibility of taking the company into F1. Initially, Yorke placed the sponsorship at Brabham before that deal fell apart reportedly due to Italian national politics. Yorke visited the manager-less Amon in January of 1973 after Amon had returned from spending the Christmas holidays in New Zealand and negotiated the pact that saw the Kiwi fill the Tecno seat until the war between the the two Italian sides and the British side ended the program. Prior to its cessation, the Pederzanis stopped all development on the car, including dyno work on the flat 12 engine and research on a new flat eight. Allan McCall departed earlier.

[editor]

Very interesting info Editor. Did the B&S McLarens have any relationship with either McLaren after buying the chassis and with Philip Morris International/Liggett (who sponsored) or with the other teams (de Villota, Scribante/Charton, Melchester) other than running British F1.

Also, the Marlboro sponsored entries for Villeneuve and Giacomelli were 3rd McLaren entries not privateers. [sic]

BS Fabrications was a subcontractor or supplier to many constructors and to many teams over its corporate lifespan, including McLaren. It had relationships with many sponsors. Not all cars fielded by outside entities were purchased, loaned or leased. For instance, the new M23 built for Brett Lunger to drive was manufactured in-house by BS.

Overall, Gilles Villeneuve was not well thought of by McLaren. It declined to take up its $1,000-per-race option on him. John Hogan then placed Villeneuve at Ferrari. Villeneuve was considered a nutjob by many paddock denizens. Paddock wisdom held that things always ended badly for nutjobs, usually in death. While the scope of Villeneuve's talent could be respected, it's application often could not.

Jack O'Malley, as was emblazoned on his McLaren before Bernie Ecclestone decided humor wasn't appropriate for F1, had his career stunted by his association with McLaren and its heavy-to-drive M26. The deal came about because Hogan was impressed with the Italian.

[Paddy]

Great comments guys, especially editor as usual. I actually had multiple chances to ask Chris Amon about why he wasn't in the new Mclaren but I chickened out and always wanted the answer. Chris stayed in the room next to ours at the Hotel Metropol in Monaco in 1973 when Dad and I were on a Page and Moy racing tour from England. Every morning we rode down the worlds slowest elevator with Chris and his manager, David Yorke, and in the afternoon I rode up with Chris several times, all alone in his grimy white racing suit and helmet under his arm. I was a racing mad zit faced 15 year old and I was very shy and just the two of us stared at the floor for what seemed like hours. My Dad was very chatty however and one morning he asked them how the Tecno was going, Yorke replied, "not too bad, for a piece of agricultural equipment". Dad and I laughed about that for the rest of our trip.

[Privateer]

Amon said he believed initially that the Tecno flat 12 was better than Matra's V-12 and that the Allan McCall Tecno, though heavy and not built to be raced, handled well.

Listened to a podcast yesterday with Mike Kiedrowski, former factory Supercross/AMA Motocross racer. After talking about how his own Honda team f-ed him over for equipment in 1990 with his new teammate Jean-Michel Bayle when he was the defending champion for Honda, he left them to go race for Kawasaki. Someone came up to him at one point after the switch and asked "you know that bike is slower right?" Kiedrowski responded "yeah, but I like riding it".

[Openracer]

Again, very interesting info Editor. I wondered when Stewart's replacement was chosen.

[editor]

Not that I've ever heard. I thought he had intended to sign back on with March in 1973, but they went with Jean Pierre Jarier at the last minute as he had more financial backing. It's too bad McLaren didn't sign him as 1973 was such a transitional year for the team. That said, they had a young Jody Scheckter in the wings (though when did he sign with Tyrrell?).

Jody Scheckter said he signed to drive for Tyrrell at the USGP at Watkins Glen in 1973, adding that he was informed he had no chance of a seat at McLaren even though his contract with the team had yet to expire. UN sanctions against South Africa were cited. Emerson Fittipaldi was also said to be against having Scheckter in a McLaren, even the YardleyMac, in '74.

Chris Amon said he heard on the radio that he had been fired by March and replaced by Jean-Pierre Jarier while spending the 1972 Christmas holidays in New Zealand. Amon said the radio report attributed the axing to his demanding more money. Amon said that was not accurate. Amon said that when he agreed to return to March he asked only for less money than had been promised by Max Mosley, less even that what he was still owed by March for 1970. Before returning to New Zealand for the holidays, Amon had tested a 721G.

[Openracer]

Very interesting info Editor. Did the B&S McLarens have any relationship with either McLaren after buying the chassis and with Philip Morris International/Liggett (who sponsored) or with the other teams (de Villota, Scribante/Charton, Melchester) other than running British F1.

Also, the Marlboro sponsored entries for Villeneuve and Giacomelli were 3rd McLaren entries not privateers.