1979 US Grand Prix West – Long Beach
Gilles Villeneuve, Ferrari 312T4 leads at the start
Photo by: Motorsport Images
On April 8 1979, 24 Formula 1 cars were set to line up on the starting grid in Long Beach for the US Grand Prix West. At least, that was the plan…
Polesitter Gilles Villeneuve simply forgot to stop at his designated grid spot and drove past, seemingly preoccupied with getting heat into his Ferrari’s tyres. The Canadian caused plenty of confusion behind him. Fourth-placed Patrick Depailler pulled up alongside the Ferrari, gesticulating to Villeneuve.
In the confusion, Depailler’s Ligier team-mate Jacques Lafitte ground to a halt when the rear of his car seized. The drivers ultimately decided the head back to the pits and await a restart. That allowed second-placed Carlos Reutemann, who didn’t make the original grid, and Lafitte to start the race from the pitlane.
After heated conversations Villeneuve was allowed to keep his pole. The Canadian took victory just under two hours later after a gruelling race in which only nine cars saw the chequered flag.
1981 Belgian Grand Prix – Zolder
Start: Nelson Piquet, Brabham BT49C leads
Photo by: Motorsport Images
The 1981 Belgian Grand Prix weekend in Zolder was struck by tragedy on Friday: An Osella mechanic, Giovanni Amadeo, was critically injured during practice after stumbling and being hit by Reutemann in the pitlane. He would succumb to his injuries the Monday after the race. The incident triggered protests from mechanics from all teams about the lack of safety in the pitlane.
In those days, well before the arrival of speed limits, pitlanes were overcrowded with hangers-on and generally much narrower than today. Several drivers joined the protest and vacated their cars on the starting grid, which proved to be a bit of a problem when the organisers decided to start the formation lap anyway at the scheduled time…
With several cars stuck on the grid, second-placed Nelson Piquet caused a further delay when he echoed Villeneuve’s mistake in Long Beach and missed his grid spot. The Brazilian was sent round again and had to weave his way past his colleagues on the cramped grid. Because of the long wait several cars struggled with overheating engines.
Arrows driver Riccardo Patrese wildly gesticulated on the grid, asking for assistance. His mechanic Dave Luckett jumped to his aid, assuming the field would be sent on another formation lap.
As it happened, the…
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