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Niki Lauda got married secretly with Marlene Knaus, a tall and sexy model that he met in the house of the German actor Curd Jurgens, between one Grand Prix and another. It wasn't until the first days of April that it was discovered the wedding had been celebrated on Tuesday, March 11, 1976, in the town hall of Wiener Neustadt, thirty kilometers from Vienna. Initially, the news was taken for a joke, but a careful check of the civil registry quickly dispelled any doubt. It was a flash marriage: during the winter, the Austrian driver had broken off his engagement to Mariella Reininghaus, a girl he had known for seven years and who belonged to a wealthy family of landowners and beer industrialists, and then he met Marlene.
"We liked each other right away".
Niki confesses. Regarding the breakup with Mariella, he confesses:
"When I fell in love with her, I was 20 years old. The world was different for me. Sport has changed everything, for Mariella and for me. Formula 1 and the desire to succeed. involve such a commitment that it doesn't leave much room for feelings. Tension kills private relationships. I found myself next to a woman who timed her times, but who wanted to stay far away from the kind of life I led. We decided to end it".
If Mariella, always elegant and sophisticated, with a sweetly impenetrable face, followed Lauda in every race, Marlene knows nothing about engines, single-seaters, Grands Prix and Formula 1. The new Mrs. Lauda doesn’t even know how to hold one of those modern electronic chronometers that are now used to record the drivers' times on the track, and she saw the first race of her life on March 6 in Kyalami, South Africa.
"The marriage certificate doesn't change anything. The same goes for Marlene, she was indifferent about getting married or just living together. I was just tired of being spied on in the bedroom. If you ask me why I married Marlene, the answer is simple: I fell in love with her then, I still love her, and I will love her tomorrow".
For reasons of confidentiality, only five people attended the wedding. Lauda borrow the tie from his best man, while the bride, who is twenty-six years old, two less than the Austrian driver, managed with difficulty to get the rings:
"I don't know where".
Niki candidly admits. Some malicious people advance the hypothesis that the couple is expecting a child, and that for this reason Lauda wanted to regularize the union but from Maranello, Enzo Ferrari, for whom Lauda has admiration and respect, comments the event saying:
"I was aware of Lauda's marriage. If Niki has found a sentimental situation that is in harmony with his character and his job, I am happy, and I wish him and his wife all the best".
While we find out about Lauda's wedding, in Italy on April 2, 1976, another newly born marriage begins to creak, as Bernie Ecclestone, Carlo Chiti and Alfa Romeo's managing director, Vincenzo Moro, meet in Milan, and the British manager indicates that he doesn't want to take charge of the expenses related to the purchase of the engines, as these are not as competitive as expected.
Chiti retorts by saying that, as the new chassis was not ready before the autumn of 1975, Autodelta, which takes care of the design and construction of Alfa engines, doesn't know whether to decide to continue the collaboration or to interrupt it. But Ecclestone doesn't get worried, and answers that Brabham would prepare a new chassis by the end of the year, and that this one will be designed both to host the Alfa engine and, eventually, the Cosworth engine, in case the negotiations don't go well. Having said that, Ecclestone not only indicates that he would not accept the terms they talked about in March, but he adds that the conditions for signing a new agreement are that all expenses for supplies and engine overhauls will have to be borne by Autodelta until they achieve their first victory. Only after having won the first race, Brabham will be responsible for the overhaul expenses, but only at a third of the cost of the previous proposal, and until 1978, adding that they will probably win the world championship already in 1977. Obviously, Moro answers negatively, but Ecclestone leaves Milan giving Alfa's managing director and Chiti a week of time to answer. On April 7, 1976, during a confidential meeting, Moro asks Chiti to prepare a brief study of the costs and times for the realization of a Formula 1 car entirely made by Alfa Romeo. In the meantime, on Thursday, April 8, 1976, Niki Lauda tests at Jarama the new Ferrari 312 T2: the Austrian driver starts to run in the morning, with a temperature of 17 °C and a track in not ideal conditions as it is very dirty. Lauda completes 61 laps, stopping the chronometers at 1'19"5, which significantly improves the track record that was 1'20"83. During the morning, an off-track slows down his work, as Lauda's foot is caught between the brake and the accelerator and the Austrian driver goes off the track, but without causing any damage to himself or to the car. Niki resumes testing in the afternoon, with the same temperature and even worse track conditions, completing twenty-seven laps and setting his best time in 1'20"1.
Two days later, at Silverstone, on Saturday, April 10, 1976, during the Graham Hill International Trophy, the first race of the European Grand Prix series, the Englishman James Hunt, on a McLaren, takes pole position for the third time this season, lowering by three seconds the official lap record that belongs to Clay Ragazzoni, set during the British Grand Prix last July. Without Ferrari, which had to renounce the Silverstone race because of the air strikes, the fight in the race will be much more open: James Hunt will try to redeem the unfortunate test of Long Beach, and to confirm the success he obtained last month at Brands Hatch in the so-called Race of Champions. At his side, in the front row there is Brambilla, who with his March gets the second best lap time of the day. For Giancarlo Martini and for the Ferrari 312 T of the Everest team it is an auspicious day: after the big disappointment suffered a month before at Brands Hatch at his debut in Formula 1, the driver from Ravenna records a time of 1'20"2, only seven tenths of a second less than Ragazzoni's official record. In the race, on April 11, 1976, the Graham Hill International Trophy is won by James Hunt, who with his McLaren M 23 C repeats the success he achieved two years earlier with a Hesketh 308. At the start, Hunt immediately takes the lead, and keeps it for the entire race. The only one to threaten him is Vittorio Brambilla, who, after being in the slipstream of his rival until the end of the race, is delayed during two overtaking maneuvers and loses more ground due to some vibrations to the front left wheel of the March 761 that he had borrowed from the German Stuck. Brambilla cannot dispose of his car because it has to be modified according to the new regulation for Formula 1, which will come into force in May. The Italian driver however does an excellent performance, reaching the finish line eleven seconds behind the winner. The race, rather modest in terms of interest, is however conducted at very high speed, and ten competitors lower the lap record. Not Brabham, who took part in the race with only Carlos Pace and did not go beyond the ninth place in the classification. Regarding the poor performance of Brabham-Alfa Romeo, a few days later, exactly on Thursday, April 15, 1976, Italian journalist Enrico Benzing says:
"Suddenly these men don't know how to build a winning chassis anymore and they propose a bulky car, excessively heavy and of poor global efficiency. Brabham should have prepared a chassis for the installation of an Alfa Romeo engine during the summer of 1975. The delays were unwarranted and unjustifiable".
And he adds:
"In Brazil the two Brabhams weighed six hundred and sixty-nine kilos, that is ninety-four kilos more than the limit, and now Chiti realizes that he had made enormous efforts to reduce the weight of the engine by twenty kilos without any correspondence for the chassis. It is superfluous to accuse Alfa Romeo of a bad choice. A year ago, Brabham was at the top of Formula 1. We could accuse it more generically of having associated with one of these English chassis teams".
And finally, the journalist launches an appeal to the president of Alfa Romeo, Gaetano Cortesi:
"Now, Dr. Cortesi, a decision has to be made: let's not wait for the cars not to qualify in Monte Carlo. The name and prestige of Alfa Romeo are at stake. There is the possibility of cancelling the generous agreement".
In order to avoid an unnecessary clash with Ecclestone, before the British manager could read what was written in the Italian newspaper, Martini&Rossi, sponsor of Brabham-Alfa Romeo, issues a press release on the same day to defuse the tension:
"We are convinced that we are getting closer to solving the complicated problems that the Brabham-Alfa Romeo marriage has raised".
Also on April 15, Ecclestone sends a letter to Moro. He complains about Chiti's April 7 letter, which offered a counterproposal to Ecclestone's requests: the five engines supplied in 1975 would be granted for free but have to be returned at the end of the season, and the seven engines from 1976 would have to be paid for. What infuriates Ecclestone, however, is the letter's closing, which ends with a warning:
"Should this proposal not meet with your approval, the contract of January 2, 1975, will remain in force".
Ecclestone doesn't stand for this, and therefore writes to Moro:
"Had I understood that we were nothing more than mere customers purchasing racing engines exactly as it was the case when I was purchasing Ford DFV engines, not only would I have complained bitterly, but I would have most likely filed a lawsuit against Autodelta for inducing my company to sign a contract based on false information about the product they were selling me. Over the past year, at press conferences and with me personally, President Cortesi has always said that we should be considered as part of the family. For this reason, I am surprised by the ultimatum written in the last paragraph of engineer Chiti's letter".
Five days later, on Tuesday, April 20, 1976, Moro calls a sports meeting in which the president of Alfa Romeo, Gaetano Cortesi, also participate. Chiti admits that the engine produced is indeed the heaviest in Formula 1, but adds that its power is equal, if not greater, to that of Ferrari. The only difference is that the Maranello engine will have an extra 20 horsepower above 7,000 rpm. Chiti also adds that the development of the engine is conditioned by the union strikes and the excessive demands of Ecclestone, who is requiring more units than other teams use. Cortesi, therefore, asks that Ecclestone agree to greater technical intervention by the Italian engineers, and allow Autodelta to carry out car tests. Following the meeting, on Friday, April 23, 1976, Moro responds to the accusatory letter that Ecclestone sent him on April 15. He does so via a telegram, stating:
"It is my duty to request, before any other discussion or decision regarding the relations between Autodelta and Brabham, that you kindly indicate to me, as soon as it is possible, the evidence you have in hand to support these accusations".
The telegram concludes with a direct warning to Ecclestone:
"I will inform Count Rossi of this message".
While in Italy there are discussions about the relationship between Alfa Romeo and Brabham, on Monday April 19, 1976, Niki Lauda crashes with the tractor (borrowed from Enzinger Wastl) on a slope adjacent to his new villa, near Salzburg. Result: a fractured rib and the fear of some internal injury. The accident takes place at around 6:00 p.m. Niki is finishing the construction of the magnificent villa he has erected in a green and hilly area, and is enjoying his contribution. He is using a tractor to plough a piece of land, clearing it and making it more level. However, the vehicle suddenly overturns - perhaps due to a pothole or a steep incline - and the Ferrari champion only has enough time to throw himself to the side.
"I was very lucky; I could have been crushed".
One of the tractor's mudguards, however, hits Lauda in the chest, who remains half unconscious on the ground. Immediately rescued, the Austrian driver is taken to a hospital in Salzburg, where doctors examin him, then leave him free to return home.
"The doctors told me that the rib fracture takes four to six weeks to heal, but that the pain disappears after a couple of weeks. We'll see. For now, I don't know if I will be able to participate in the Spanish Grand Prix. I will only take to the track if I can drive to 100 percent of my skills. To sit in my Ferrari and drive at fifty percent, as I could do now, would make no sense".
After the accident, Lauda - who has a lump in his face between his right cheekbone and temple - immediately contacts Enzo Ferrari and then barricades himself in the villa, which is already habitable: the telephone is not yet working and his wife Marlene, with the help of some relatives, defends the privacy of the Austrian champion. During the night of Tuesday, April 20, 1976, Ferrari sends Sante Ghedini, assistant of the Maranello team, to Salzburg. The latter, as soon as he arrives, forcefully removes the journalists present in front of Niki's villa, and in the following days he informs Ferrari about the state of health of the Austrian driver, while the workers resume work in the house that is still a building site, and thus poorly defended against intruders. Meanwhile, John Hogan, Marlboro's highest sports director, sends the following telegram to Niki Lauda:
"Tractor World Champion. Sorry to hear you lost control. Perhaps in the future, a model with reduced power would be more suitable for you. The International Sports Commission is seriously considering developing a new formula for next season. An expert driver, an arc, and safety belts will be mandatory, with engine power limited to ten hp. All pools and trees around must be surrounded by ARMCO. Hope to see you in Spain. Hogan".
On Wednesday, April 21, Lauda undergoes further checks at the Salzburg hospital, as some concern is caused by a sharp pain he feels in his chest, obviously due to the broken rib - the tenth right one, to be exact - and urinating problems. On the other hand, the right kidney has taken a blow, and some sediment in the urine remains, not so much to worry about, but just enough to require treatment and a new check-up within four or five days. Obviously, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who is a great friend of Lauda, learned what had happened with great alarm:
"This is an accident that was not wanted, neither for Niki nor for Maranello. It is absurd to be forced to give away points to our many rivals. However, I am reassured by the presence of Clay Regazzoni, who is in great form, and by the exceptional quality of his mechanical equipment. Lauda's rivals will have to deal with the Swiss driver and with the 312 T2. Clay constitutes an alternative at a very high level, and he could bring points to Ferrari on one side and on the other side take them away from the drivers of the English teams".
On the rest period that Lauda will have to observe, Montezemolo says:
"We are waiting for the outcome of the last examination that Niki has to do. If he has to give up the Spanish Grand Prix the damage will be limited, otherwise the fact would become very serious. But for now I don't want to think about it".
At the same time, in Italy, the newspapers never miss an opportunity to advise Enzo Ferrari to hire the young driver Maurizio Flammini to replace Niki Lauda, until the latter recovered his health, something that sent the Austrian champion into a rage. Years later, Daniele Audetto would say:
"We decided to invite Maurizio Flammini for a test at Fiorano, a driver of great hopes, already a winner in Formula 2. Should it be necessary to replace Niki for a race, we preferred to do it with a driver who is free from other Formula 1 teams; and we don't mind the idea of giving an Italian a chance. But as soon as Niki heard about it, he wouldn't even listen. He assures that he will race in Spain".
After learning about the test from Montezemolo that morning, Lauda sits down with his coffee after lunch on Wednesday, April 21, 1976. In a very formal tone, he begins to express his feelings to the Italian press:
"I am fed up with the attacks of certain people. They can't always take advantage when one is sick, or can't answer because prudence or public role advise him to keep quiet. They want an Italian driver in my car and they ask Ferrari. I don't have any problem with Ferrari, he knows that if I can make it I will race in Spain, but if I don't feel up to it I will stay put rather than compromise the whole season. And they started saying, 'Give the car to the Italian driver!' They were just blowing things way out of proportion. These are the same people who wrote that Ferrari won the world championship, but that I did not. They know nothing and understand nothing about how our team operates".
Lauda is completely unstoppable and speaks his mind freely, while Sante Ghedini is just watching him, amused.
"At Long Beach Regazzoni wins, and they don't even suspect that Clay is the one going fast, but they know that Ferrari has changed the team orders, that Audetto supports Regazzoni, just as Montezemolo used to push Lauda, who is now an orphan, poor thing. They are stupid and also liars. Look at my marriage: I'm getting married because I have to have a child with Marlene. Nothing wrong with that if it were true, but it's not. So why are they being so malicious? Because they are full of malice, and plenty of it".
Then he continues:
"On a technical level, there is no hypothesis of giving the car to someone else. The Italians aren't there, let's face it, I won a world title and a certain number of Grands Prix. We are on two different levels, when we are closer I will accept the challenge, but not now, I don't care. I'll make a more real hypothesis: let's put the car in the hands of a real driver, let's say Ickx, who is the only one with a vague contract, and he needs three or four races just to understand the car, assuming that it is so easy to win with a Ferrari. No, it's stupid, I'm sick".
Would Lauda expect some understanding?
"No, I don't want understanding, I ask for some objectivity and not the backbiting from the living room. Then I'll defend myself on the track. It's ridiculous that in Italy even a World Champion doesn't get respect, and that specialization here means factionalism and gossip. It is especially strange when compared to the English style. Listen to the text of the telegram sent by Marlboro to Niki: too many horses in the tractor. Safety campaigns require reduction. It is indispensable to install guardrails around the pool and nets under balconies. Take care, we'll be waiting for you in pole position at Jarama".
Then Niki closes the topic:
"I've been quiet for six months, but now that I've let off steam, I can move on for another six".
Moving onto practical ground, Niki returns to the more usual, precise and calibrated tone:
"In five days, the second check-up: if the kidney is fine, I'm happy, if not, I'll take some pills and that's it. Five days should be enough for the beating. The rib remains, and that won't be fixed for three weeks. If everything else goes well, on Monday or Tuesday I can go to Bologna to see the Professor, and we'll see if he can wrap me up well enough to stay in the car".
A bit of band-aid and a corset may be enough to get around and drive a race car, but doing so for three consecutive days imposes greater problems.
"I'll go and try if I feel good, otherwise I'll stay here and rest directly for Belgium. In Spain then I run only if I am able to win, so as not to be dangerous to myself and others".
Meanwhile, four troublesome individuals arrive, and the first one confronts Ghedini, stating:
"I am sent by the press office of Ferrari".
The second is an amateur filmmaker, and the third is a professional photographer who, stepping onto a cardboard step, tumbles miserably down the stairs. The fourth is a quiet gentleman who comes to ask Lauda for suggestions on how to design a universal cab for tractors that is rollover-proof, and propose the launch with his name on it. In the following days Niki relies on an Austrian specialist, author of miraculous interventions on the skiers of the national team, Willy Dungl, sent by the reporter of the Salzburg radio, Klettner. At first, Dungl shows up at Lauda's house, where the Austrian is resting on his bed. The doctor barely mutters a good morning, looks at the driver, then exclaims:
"I can't do anything here at all. If you want to be visited, take the trouble to come to Vienna".
Accompanied by doctors, Lauda goes to Vienna to be examined by the traumatologist Poigenfurst and by Dungl, who tells the Austrian driver that having driven the distance from his home to the city of Vienna qualifies him for his care. Lauda, therefore, renounces the hospitalization in a famous institute in Bologna, and undergoes a series of special treatments to accelerate the recovery and contain the painful consequences of the fracture. On Thursday, April 29, 1976, after many fears and apprehensions the Lauda case seems to be resolved in a positive way. The World Champion decides to travel to Spain and try to participate in the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the fourth race of the championship and the first in Europe, scheduled for Sunday, May 2, 1976, on the Jarama circuit. Already on Wednesday, April 28, 1976, Lauda had dissolved all reservations by communicating to Enzo Ferrari that he was considered fit to participate in the Spanish Grand Prix, and that the physician had signed a certificate that freed Ferrari from any moral responsibility. A factor that is also important for insurance purposes. The Austrian driver, therefore, leaves Salzburg in the morning with his plane to Madrid while the rest of the team, including Clay Ragazzoni, leaves from Milan on a scheduled flight. However, the fact that Lauda is going to Madrid does not mean that his participation in the Grand Prix is 100% certain.
This is already a positive element, but Niki will have to evaluate his condition on Friday, on the first day of practice. The doctor's opinion is positive, but the track's response is also needed. Wanting to run at all costs could be dangerous, and the Austrian does not have the absolute necessity to do so. He can even afford the luxury of skipping a race, a gift to his opponents that could prove useful. This is because there are two more Grands Prix in May, and Niki needs to participate in them in top form. It is better to miss one and be fully fit than to be on track in Jarama with further negative consequences in a period full of commitments. Many in Maranello have arrived at this conclusion recently, but no one has tried to impose it on Lauda. Essentially, Ferrari is simply accommodating Lauda's wishes. It must also be said that the Modenese team has great confidence in its driver's sense of responsibility. On several occasions, he has demonstrated both his attachment to Maranello and his intelligence.
"If Niki decides to race in Spain, it means he's fit enough to do so".
It's clear that Niki believes he has fully recovered his physical form, especially since the Jarama circuit, with its tight turns and ups and downs, is one of the least restful in the world championship. Drivers and cars are subjected to constant acceleration and deceleration, with only one short straight – the final part of which allows for daring overtakes under braking - to catch a moment's breath. Wearing a crew-neck sweater and blue jeans, with a calm, smiling face, Niki Lauda looks like a student on vacation. You certainly wouldn't guess that he's been through days filled with anxiety and fear, or that he's about to make a major decision.
"I am ready. I'm fine, I don't feel pain anymore. That's why I decided to come here and participate in the test tomorrow. However, I will only run on Sunday if I am sure I can do it. And I have to be one hundred percent sure: if I have a doubt, I'll let it go".
Niki says in the large hotel at Madrid airport, home to the Formula 1 circus, after arriving there in a small private jet. A two-hour flight, just enough time to distract himself and have a quiet chat with his wife Marlene, his brother-in-law and Willy Dungel, the physiotherapy specialist of the Austrian ski jumping team, a magician of his kind. Dungel prepared a special corset for the driver and in these days implemented a series of special treatments, including massages and electrotherapy. And the device for such applications has traveled with Lauda's helmet and suit.
"The one with the tractor was a stupid accident. They say I'm a computer, but an affair like that shows that I'm a man like everyone, who makes mistakes. Now I hope I can race, because it's my job and because I feel good. It's simple, isn't it? I don't do calculations, I don't think about the World Championship. And in fact, if I realize during tomorrow's tests that I can't drive my Ferrari in the usual way, I won't race in the Spanish Grand Prix. It is what it is".
Disembarking from the plane in Madrid, Lauda went straight to the Jarama circuit to check out the 312 T2 he is expected to bring to his Championship debut.
"This is not one of the most restful circuits. It's already hard under normal conditions because there are a lot of corners and you're constantly accelerating and braking. In the car, the vibrations are intense. But I'll give it a try, with the precaution of starting very slowly".
The Austrian driver begs the Maranello mechanics to make a small modification to his driving seat. A section of the backrest, corresponding to his fractured rib, is removed and replaced with softer, more yielding material.
"I haven't been able to test at Fiorano these past few days, so I need to regain confidence with the 312 T2".
It's clear that Lauda has a strong desire to be on track on Sunday, but at the same time, he doesn't want to take any unnecessary risks. In this regard, Daniele Audetto reiterates Ferrari's intention not to influence Lauda's decisions:
"Niki surprised us with his rested and serene appearance. We repeated to him that he is his own best judge. It's up to him alone to determine what to do".
Regazzoni, instead, does not know whether to be selfishly pleased or worried about a possible absence of Lauda in the Spanish Grand Prix. The Austrian has 24 points in the world championship, against Depailler's 10 and Clay's 9. The Swiss says:
"If Niki is not there, it's a big advantage for me. I could considerably reduce the gap: I'm aiming at the title, like him. On the other hand, racing alone would be a considerable responsibility for Ferrari. I would have to double my efforts and I couldn't afford the slightest mistake. Moreover, in practice and in the race, Lauda is a point of reference for me. If I were in Niki's shoes, I would try to race. He has the right to try. It's also a matter of character. Personally, I would never give up".
Starting with the Spanish Grand Prix, the new regulations, issued by the International Sports Commission to promote safety, come into force. The regulations - which Ferrari defines as a praiseworthy attempt, adding, however, that there is much more to propose - have forced manufacturers to modify their single-seaters or to create original ones, as in the case of the Ferrari 312 T2 or the six-wheel Tyrrell, so that the dominance of the Maranello company could be subjected to more valid attacks than in the past. While the same 1975 single-seaters competed in Brazil, South Africa, and the United States, from Friday renewed or completely new cars - designed to meet the 1976 regulations for increased safety - take to the track. The numerous and complex rules are open to interpretation, which is why disputes between teams and the International Sports Commission are expected. The main points are these: rear overhang reduced from 100 to 80 centimeters; front overhang limited to 120 inches, whereas previously it was unrestricted; width of wheels, including tyres, not exceeding 21 inches; rim diameter not to exceed 13 inches; maximum width not to exceed 215 centimeters; deformable structures and second roll cage; maximum height of the air intake opening for the engine not to exceed 80 centimeters. At first sight it seemed that the elimination of the high air intakes and the reduction of the overhang should reduce performance, even considerably. However, the qualifying times from the first day are not very far from those of two years ago.
Regarding the new engine air intakes, you can see a variety of solutions at Jarama. There's the meticulously designed Ferrari intake with its nearly perfect NACA ducts on the body's front, and then there are more imaginative designs, like Tyrrell's horn-shaped intake. The biggest problem for some technicians is caused by Goodyear's decision to supply only one type of tyre, as it is very difficult in some cases to adapt the car to it. And it is perhaps the tyres that are most responsible for the, albeit slight, decrease in performance. Goodyear will provide all teams with a front tyre that Ferrari's technicians had rejected, but which was highly favoured by those at McLaren and Tyrrell. The single-seaters are understeering - in other words, they aren't turning enough on the entry to corners. In response, Goodyear developed a special type of tyre exclusively for Tyrrell, justifying this decision by noting the car's four front wheels. This led Goodyear to bring a tyre model to Madrid that Ferrari had previously discarded. And this is not the only problem for Ferrari, since on Friday evening, at the end of the first day of practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, Niki Lauda has not yet decided if on Sunday he will drive the new Ferrari 312 T2 on the Jarama circuit. Official practice at a permanent autodrome like Jarama is quickly becoming a mere formality, as most teams now conduct their testing during the week leading up to the race.
Only less affluent teams, such as Shadow and March, couldn't join the testing until the official sessions began, but this has little impact on the outcome since they aren’t regular front-runners. During these unofficial testing days, all teams time one another, and exaggerated claims are often a form of gamesmanship. tyres are tested to determine the most suitable compound for the race, while the suspension, aerodynamics, and general handling are all optimized in search of the ultimate, consistent lap time. Some cars, such as the six-wheeled Tyrrell Project 34/2, cover as many as 500 miles - well over 200 laps of the twisty Autodrome. Following all this, one would expect each driver to complete a few shakedown laps at the start of official practice, before recording a lap time that secures a favorable grid position. However, it doesn’t seem to work like that and most drivers use the four practice sessions to the fullest, doing 130 or 140 laps in preparation for a 75-lap race. One of the problems is that with everyone practicing, a driver is lucky to get even 10 good, fast, single flying laps out of a session of 40 laps or more, and that's only if they have a trouble-free session. The unfortunate Copersucar-Fittipaldi team never really overcomes its troubles, which begin when the driveshaft on the big DAF transporter they had bought from Hesketh breaks. This happens just as they are approaching the Jarama circuit the day before practice is due to begin. The two cars get underway on Friday morning. While Emerson Fittipaldi is putting in a solid 40 laps with a best time of 1'20"71, Ingo Hoffman is having a much shorter session. The engine in his car produces an almighty bang, leaving a big hole in the side of the Cosworth crankcase and a shower of broken parts in one of the inlet trumpets. This marks the end of his practice, and the mechanics immediately begin working to change the engine. The March team is also in trouble. Peterson's blue and yellow car stalls on the opening lap, and it takes him a long time to coax it back to the pits, where the electrical system is repaired. Later, the rear aerofoil comes loose from its mounting and swings drunkenly sideways. The other March isn't doing much better. Stuck's airbox comes undone and lies almost upside-down on top of the engine, but the German presses on undeterred. Among the aces, there is concern in the Ferrari pits because Lauda is still bruised with damaged ribs. This stems from an accident on his property near Salzburg when a tractor digger he was operating rolled over on him.
Although he is in a lot of pain and is very uncomfortable, he is driving as well as ever. However, he has some doubts about whether he can maintain this performance for the entire race distance. He is so stiff that he is unable to get out of the Ferrari until mechanics remove the entire cockpit surround, the usual twist and wriggle up and over the narrow fairing being quite impossible for him. In the McLaren pits, his erstwhile rival James Hunt is sympathetic but is making no allowances for the World Champion’s discomfort. This, in fact, is the chink in Ferrari’s armor that the McLaren team needs, and they keep the pressure on. Hunt sets the fastest lap in 1'18"52, compared to Lauda’s 1'18"84, but Regazzoni is supporting his teammate well, going third fastest in 1'19"15. Making up for the March team's troubles, Brambilla is his usual spirited self and is fourth fastest, just ahead of Depailler, Nilsson, Mass, Laffite, and Pace. All of these drivers manage to get into the one-minute-nineteen-second bracket. It is quite clear that a lap in the one-minute-eighteen-second range is considered an 'ace' time, while a one-minute-nineteen-second lap gives good contenders a chance. Anything in the range of 1'20"0 or higher is hardly worth mentioning, and times between 1'21"0 and 1'22"0 will likely place a car at the back of the grid. After some indecision and discussion, it is agreed that 24 cars can start, which means that six drivers are going to be left out. While the Ferraris and Hunt are at the front as expected, the biggest surprise for some people is Depailler in fifth place with the six-wheeled Tyrrell. However, anyone watching the cars in the faster corners can't help but notice how well the front of the car is gripping the road. This is so effective that the rear end is starting to look unstable. Another pleasant surprise is the driving of the new Swedish star, Gunnar Nilsson, who is lifting the spirits of the Lotus team with every lap. He has pronounced himself very happy with the Lotus 77. His new teammate, Mario Andretti, is a bit cautious and is still settling into the new car. His best lap is one second slower than Nilsson's. The Ligier-Matra proves reliable, completing 54 laps in the first 1.5-hour session. His time of 1'19"39 is right there with the likes of Mass, Nilsson, and Depailler. It's great to see an all-French team in action and performing well. They have a French car, a French driver, a French engineer, and French mechanics. The entire team is financed by French cigarettes and is painted blue. There is a distinct air of Matra about the whole team and very little Ligier, as most of the people involved are familiar faces from the Matra days.
After lunch, there is a shorter, one-hour session. Even so, Tom Pryce manages to complete 32 laps, as he is still learning his way around the Autodrome, having never been there before. Although Hoffman has another engine installed in his Fittipaldi, he still fails to get any practice. The engine won't run properly, so he doesn't complete a single timed lap. Big trouble also hits the Brabham pit. Pace's Alfa Romeo engine fails, so he has to go out in the spare car while preparations are made to change the faulty engine. But that is not all: Reutemann goes off the track and damages his car. With the monocoque chassis damaged, he has to use the spare car. While Brambilla is in his usual great form, Peterson is making little progress. The slow clutch action on his car is causing him to lose time on gear changes, and there are many of them at Jarama. Hunt is still making full use of the six-speed McLaren/Hewland gearbox on his car and remains ahead of Lauda. His teammate, Mass, who also has a six-speed gearbox, moves up into fifth place. A pleasant surprise is to see Chris Amon heading the midfield drivers with the brand new Ensign N176 as the car is performing well. The performances of the Shadow, Williams, and Surtees teams are not outstanding. All of their drivers are among the also-rans and not far from being non-qualifiers. The fact that Niki doesn't give up after the first few laps is a good sign. This is supported by another important element: the Austrian, despite his imperfect physical condition, sets the second-best time. Only James Hunt is faster than the Austrian, setting a 1'18"52 lap time in his McLaren compared to Lauda's 1'18"84. Hunt leads a group of drivers that includes Regazzoni (1'19"15), Brambilla (1'19"27), his teammate Mass (1'19"30), and Depailler (1'19"32) in the impressive six-wheeled Tyrrell. The tests are divided into two sessions: one lasting an hour and a half, and a second lasting one hour, with a short break in between. Before getting into the car, Lauda was given a thorough massage by Willy Dungel. He approached the test with great serenity, wearing a special corset under his suit. Lauda took the first few laps at a leisurely pace to both assess his condition and regain confidence with the car, which he hadn't driven in 20 days. He gradually improved, making pit stops only for routine adjustments. It was the same in the second session, where he completed a total of sixty-seven laps and, as mentioned, recorded the second-best time.
"At the end of the first hour and a half I felt a little bit down. I had some pain in my fractured rib and I was afraid it would get worse. Instead, it didn't get worse in the final part, and I can be quite optimistic. I'm really hoping to race on Sunday. I had some pain today, especially when braking, because the seatbelts were pressing on my body. During left turns, all my weight was pushed against the driver's seat, compressing the painful area. My Ferrari performed well, and for sure, in normal conditions I could have been faster. However, in these circumstances, I can also be happy with my performance".
Lauda says. Dungel is pleased with the Austrian driver's performance:
"Time is on Lauda's side. I am convinced that tomorrow he will be better than today, and in any case, we might as well see now if Niki can face the fatigue of the Grand Prix on Sunday. For me, he is fine".
And Lauda echoes him:
"Tomorrow I will continue with the tests. I'll try to improve, maybe passing on the kerbs of the track to check my physical condition even in the hardest points. Of course, there's still the problem of covering seventy-five laps on a difficult circuit and against strong rivals".
Ferrari's crew watches the reigning World Champion's test with trepidation. At the end, Daniele Audetto summarizes and states what everyone is thinking:
"Niki has performed magnificently, and the chances that he can race on Sunday are increasing. But let's be clear: we have not, nor will we ever, put any pressure on him. It will be him, and him alone, who decides tomorrow night whether he will take part in the Spanish Grand Prix".
Friday's tests bring the usual names to the fore. During the morning, before Friday's tests, the stewards are supposed to check the thirty single-seaters entered for the Spanish Grand Prix to ensure compliance with the new rules. Instead, the inspection devolves into a farce, simply confirming the shortcomings of this international motorsport body. They even lack the right tools, and most of the stewards seem bored with having to work. Had Roberto Nosetto not intervened to prod his colleagues, even a modest, albeit appreciated, examination of the various cars would not have taken place. The March cars of Brambilla, Stuck, and Peterson are not in compliance regarding the height of their rear rollbars. It is decided that they will have to increase the height, and significant doubts also arise concerning the Ligier. Only Saturday's second test session counts for grid qualification, as the first session is dedicated to optimizing the single-seater's configuration. There is a 1 1/2-hour session in which lap times are not counted for the starting grid positions. This is to allow teams to try their cars in racing conditions with full petrol tanks, and also to scrub-in new tyres ready for the race. There is a delay in starting as a track-inspection takes place due to some concern over the strength of the wooden poles supporting the catch-fencing. Some of them are described as being like young trees, and saw-cuts are made in them so that they would snap off cleanly in the event of an accident. This test session hasn't been going long before it is all stopped because the Fittipaldi team is in deep trouble, proving that things can indeed go from bad to worse. Hoffman’s engine is still refusing to run properly, in spite of having come direct from a Cosworth rebuild, and it dies altogether at the end of the main straight. Meanwhile, Emerson Fittipaldi underestimates the adhesion of his front tyres and understeers off into the catch-fencing at the other end of the circuit. While the fencing is repaired, the Fittipaldi cars are retrieved. The damage to the team leader's car is minimal. However, Hoffman's engine is obviously suffering from valve-gear trouble, constantly spitting back through one of its intakes. So, they start another engine change.
Pace's Brabham is back in action with a new Alfa Romeo engine, while Reutemann is settling into the spare car. With nothing to lose, Ken Tyrrell sends Scheckter out in the 007/6-4, which has had its complicated airbox removed. This leaves the inlet trumpets to breathe from the turbulent air behind the driver's head, and there seems to be little loss or gain in performance. Just as the session ends, a cloud of smoke rises from Brambilla's locked wheels at the end of the straight. The orange March slides helplessly off the track and into a bed of pumice granules, which were specifically laid to decelerate wayward cars before they hit the fences. The system works perfectly. Finally, there is one hour of timed practice for the final selection of the fastest twenty-four. Once more, Hunt solidifies his position with the fastest time, although it's not as quick as his first session. Depailler causes a stir by setting the second fastest time in the six-wheeled Tyrrell, which is also running without an airbox. Taking a cue from those at the front, Perkins removes the airbox from his 1975 Ensign and achieves his fastest lap of the entire practice session, just managing to get onto the grid in twenty-fourth place. There are no major changes at the front, but Laffite is impressive with the sheer reliability of the Ligier-Matra V12. He completes 36 laps in this final hour, bringing his total for the two days of practice to a record 142 laps. During the two days, the International Sports Commission closely inspects the cars to verify if all the new rules have been adhered to. The McLaren rear wings are found to be in contravention of the 80 cm rule because the sidepods extend slightly beyond the trailing edge of the wing. However, this is easily rectified with a pair of tin snips. Other contraventions are discovered in teams with tall drivers who sit high in their cars, as their helmets protrude into the line between the two highest points of the roll-over bars. The worst offender is Ingo Hoffman, while Emerson Fittipaldi, in an identical car, sits well below the line. For them, it's academic as Hoffman has only managed a total of six timed laps throughout practice. A much more serious issue is Nilsson's situation, as he sits above the legal height in the Lotus 77, whereas Andretti is compliant in the sister car. To appease the rules, a small plate, like a tiny aero-screen, is bolted to the front structure to raise the line.
Two of the Marches also contravene this rule: surprisingly, Brambilla’s car and, not surprisingly, Hans Stuck’s. Both are made legal by tubular additions to the roll-over bar behind the cockpit. This is sad to see, as it's reminiscent of Le Mans or Saloon Car scrutineering, where cars have silly additions tacked on just to satisfy a trivial rule. In summary, neither Hunt nor Lauda improve their performance, so the British driver secures his third pole position of the season. On the second row are Hunt's teammate, Jochen Mass, and Patrick Depailler with the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34. Parnelli has withdrawn from the World Championship, this time for good, and therefore did not take part in the tests. As a result, Mario Andretti has found a new job at Lotus, replacing Bob Evans. On the other hand, the Dutch Boro debuts. It was born from a legal dispute between Ensign and one of its sponsors, HB Bewaking. In payment to the sponsoring company, an Ensign car from 1975 was given and renamed the Boro 001. The driver chosen is the Australian Larry Perkins, who had previously attempted to qualify for the 1974 German Grand Prix in an Amon. Boro also purchased the equipment from Embassy Hill, which was dissolved after the plane crash that killed Graham Hill, in order to participate in the championship. The private team RAM enters two Brabham BT44B-Ford Cosworth cars for two drivers making their debuts: the Swiss Loris Kessel, who had already competed in two non-championship races in England between March and April, and the Spaniard Emilio de Villota.
RAM bought the cars, engines, and spare parts at the end of 1975. The owner of Brabham, Bernie Ecclestone, pushed for two drivers from the selection of Kessel, Maurizio Flammini, and Patrick Nève to be lined up in the cars. Emilio Zapico, a local driver, also makes his Formula 1 debut, driving a Williams for the Mapfre team. Meanwhile, Canadian tycoon Walter Wolf officially renames the Frank Williams Racing Cars team to Walter Wolf Racing. The new sporting regulation states that only drivers with certain requirements can participate in the World Championship races, unless they are directly entered by a manufacturer. More importantly, due to the rule of discards, only twenty-four drivers are allowed to take part in the Grand Prix. As a result, Brett Lunger, Loris Kessel, Emilio Zapico, Harald Ertl, Emilio de Villota, and Ingo Hoffmann are all excluded at the end of qualifying. On Sunday, May 2, 1976, before the start, the McLarens are deemed illegal because their oil pipes protrude more than the allowed 60 centimeters (at 65 cm), and for the position of their radiators. On the second point, it is decided to postpone the matter until June. As for the first point, the commissioners decide to let the cars start, as they believe this violation doesn't affect their performance. This decision, however, provokes a reaction from Daniele Audetto, the Scuderia Ferrari's sporting director, who threatens to pull his cars from the race if the McLarens are allowed to start.
"But how could that be? We were forced to increase the radiators because the new pipe arrangement made the lubricant temperature rise by about 10 °C, and they claim there's no consequence for them?"
Almost dramatic moments followed, with Ugeaux eventually settling on a rather questionable compromise: the McLarens will be allowed to start, but it will be publicly declared that the two cars are irregular. Race day is a perfect Spanish one with clear blue skies and a hot sun, and a good crowd pouring into the circuit. Due to a television deal with Brazil and South America, the race isn't scheduled to start until 4:00 p.m. This makes for a pretty leisurely morning, with the exception of yet another test session at 11:00 a.m. During this session, everyone thrashes around the track as if they have never been to Jarama before. The last time the Grand Prix was held at Jarama, in 1974, the race started in the rain and finished in sunshine, and the wiseacres all complained that the race had started too early. This time they're complaining because it's starting too late, suggesting that the lovely sunny weather will be gone by 4:00 p.m. and it will be raining. Some people are suggesting that Formula One racing should be conducted like USAC small-track racing, with a practice session in the morning and the race in the afternoon. Others say it should be run like motorcycle Speedway, with no practice at all, just straight out onto the starting line. There is plenty to talk about during the 4-hour wait for the start. For various technical reasons on the organizing side, the start is delayed until 4:15 p.m. But before that, the new King of Spain arrives in a most unruly fashion. His giant helicopter lands behind the pits, creating a massive whirlwind of dust and debris that blows filth and dirt all over everyone, many of whom are dressed in their Sunday best to greet him.
By this time, all the cars have been wheeled out onto the grid, not in a nice presentation of teams and drivers, but in a straggly, disorganized shambles. The King meets some of the drivers, who are then allowed a single warm-up lap. They set off one at a time, more or less in grid order, with strict instructions not to overtake. After Fittipaldi leaves his mechanics, he finds a pool of brake fluid where the car had been standing. While some of the mechanics wait for their driver to return, the rest rush back to the pits to start up Hoffman's car, which had been race-prepared for such an emergency. When Fittipaldi arrives back on the dummy grid, he finds that the left-front brake caliper is leaking fluid. He jumps out and runs all the way back to the pit - a very long way, especially in full protective race gear and a helmet. He climbs into Hoffman’s car and sets off around the circuit again, while the start is delayed until he joins the dummy grid. Everyone is ready. Hunt and Lauda, Count Villapadierna, the Clerk of the Course, who climbs onto his rostrum. With what seems like the hint of a waved flag, Niki Lauda - who had been given a shot of novocaine to calm the pain before the start - is the quickest off the line and overtakes James Hunt. The rest of the cars are right behind, in the order of Hunt, Brambilla, Depailler, Mass, and Laffite. Regazzoni botches his start and gets thoroughly boxed in. Pryce's Shadow swallows a lot of dust, and the throttle slides jam shut, so he has to trickle along for half a lap until the petrol has washed them clean. By that time, everyone else is long gone. After the initial rush, Brambilla is elbowed back into fifth place, where he rightfully belongs. Depailler passes him during the opening lap, and Mass gets by on the second. Fittipaldi lasts only three laps before a bolt falls out of the gear-lever linkage, and he gives up the unequal struggle. The team doesn't know whether to laugh or cry after such an unbelievably bad weekend. On the tight little Jarama autodrome, it takes five laps before a gap begins to appear in the high-speed procession, as "follow-my-leader" is the order of the day unless you are very brave or very skillful. The cars run nose-to-tail in the order of Lauda, Depailler, Mass, Brambilla, Laffite, Nilsson, and Andretti.
After a small gap, the order is Regazzoni, Scheckter, Reutemann, Pace, Jarier, Watson, Peterson, Amon (who had a poor opening lap), Stuck, Merzario, Ickx, and the others. On the next lap, a definite pattern begins to form with Lauda, Hunt, Depailler, and Mass pulling away, but they are in a state of deadlock. A second race is taking place between Brambilla, Laffite, Nilsson, Andretti, and Regazzoni, with the rest trailing behind. Meanwhile, Peterson heads for the pits with his transmission overheating, wondering if he has joined the wrong team for the wrong reason. After ten laps, the scene has settled into two distinct races. Hunt is pressing Lauda as hard as he can, knowing the World Champion’s physical staying power is suspect, much like a professional boxer would target an opponent's cut eye or split lip. On lap 12, Laffite overtakes Brambilla to move into fifth place. Meanwhile, at the back of the field, Ickx surprises everyone by overtaking the car in front of him. Given that it is Merzario, there is little reason to get excited, but the fact that such a move even draws comment is a poor reflection on Formula One racing. When the nice young Belgian overtakes Stuck on the next lap, things become exciting and enthralling. This puts Ickx into seventeenth position in a car that James Hunt had raced among the front drivers last year. Once past Brambilla, the Ligier-Matra V12 screams its way ahead, getting away from its pursuers but unable to catch the cars in front. It is now Nilsson’s turn to try and get by the orange March, but Brambilla is not giving any help. As they go by the pits to start lap 19, the black and gold Lotus gets into position to push through on the inside under braking. When they arrive at the end of the straight, the March goes straight on with all wheels locked and into the pumice granules. As someone remarks, Brambilla had practiced that maneuver the day before. This puts Nilsson in sixth place, with Andretti and Regazzoni behind him. It's a situation that should have intimidated a newcomer, but the young Swede seems oblivious to that fact. To be honest, the performances of Regazzoni and the other drivers aren't getting much attention because Lauda, running out in front of Hunt and Mass, is commanding respectful admiration. Niki Lauda is driving as if he's in perfect health, despite being forced to lean his right shoulder against a hump in the seat to lessen the strain on his side.
"I was in pain - a terrible pain. Breathing was a struggle, and I was having painful twinges, especially on left-hand bends. At one point, my performance dropped and Hunt came up behind me. He tried to pass me on the right, in a particularly difficult stretch. He caught me by surprise and, in reaction, I swerved and ended up with my wheels over the concrete kerb at the edge of the track. It was a terrible blow. I felt myself failing and was afraid I would have to stop. So I let Mass overtake me and pushed on. I was calm, though. I still had a good lead over Nilsson, who was about twenty seconds behind me in fourth place".
Undeterred by his repeat performance, Brambilla gets the Marshals to help him back onto the track, and though some laps down, he presses on. Unfortunately, the March's suspension is damaged, and he soon has to retire when it breaks. Laffite's strong run in fifth place ends when his gear selection mechanism becomes deranged. He has to make a pit stop for repairs, rejoining the race two laps down. With the Ligier heading for the pits, Mass seizes the opportunity to force his McLaren past the six-wheeled Tyrrell. Depailler's brake pedal is becoming spongy from overheating fluid, allowing Mass to claim third place. This occurs on lap 25. One lap later, the Tyrrell driver finds himself in trouble, braking into a sharp corner. Before he can pump the pedal, it's all over, and the Project 34/2 spins off backwards into the catch-fences. On lap 30, Mass closes up behind Hunt and the two McLaren drivers are looking for signs of Lauda in the leading Ferrari. They are now lapping the tail-enders, which only adds to Lauda's discomfort. On lap 32, Hunt makes his pass as they head for the corner at the end of the straight. Lauda has no physical reserves, only willpower, and that isn’t enough. He knows he is beaten and lets Hunt take the lead, followed two laps later by his teammate Jochen Mass. Poor Lauda is in real agony and, physically, would have given up right then and there. However, his mental strength is as formidable as ever, and mind-over-matter compels him to keep going in a secure third place. With the Ligier and the six-wheeled Tyrrell out of the race, Nilsson inherits fourth place. However, Andretti has to watch the Swede disappear into the distance as his gearbox begins to fail, making it impossible to select gears. On lap 35, he is forced to retire at the pits, as a repair cannot be made. What was once the tail of the field has now become the midfield, with drivers hopeful of securing a good place. Meanwhile, even the stragglers can now realistically envision themselves finishing the race. Scheckter is in a very uninspired sixth place. Behind him, Jarier, Reutemann, Watson, Amon, and Pace are engaging in a minor battle with very little at stake. This continues until Watson spins his Penske out of the fray, rejoining at the back of the field. Both of the Brahham-Alfa Romeo cars are running regularly, but not fast enough, being only capable of matching the Cosworth-powered cars, despite the fact that both Pace and Reutemann are capable of being at the front of a Grand Prix. On lap 45, Regazzoni begins putting the pressure on Scheckter and the last of the March cars fades quietly away when Merzario retyres with gear-selection problems, Stuck already having gone for similar reasons, after an off-track.
Perkins, in the Dutch-owned Ensign, is keeping out of trouble, but he has to stop for a tyre change. Alan Jones is managing to stay ahead of Ickx and Leclere, though he's not truly in contention and is shortly to be lapped by the leaders. Meanwhile, Pryce is running with this group but isn't making much progress. The Cosworth engine in the Penske blows up pretty dramatically, sending those following skating on the oil. Then, Scheckter’s Cosworth engine suffers a broken belt for its auxiliaries, and that is that for him. On lap 57, Regazzoni finds petrol spraying onto his legs and immediately stops at the pits. This forces him to throw away fifth place. He then loses three laps while the pipe to the fuel pressure gauge is cut and nipped up. The gauge has broken internally and is leaking petrol. At the front the two McLarens are in complete charge of things, running one behind the other in a demonstration of strength, not luck. Lauda has settled for third place, grimly determined to complete all 75 laps, while Nilsson is very happy in fourth place. Troubles and retirements have promoted Jarier to fifth place for a short time, until an electrical failure ends his race. Reutemann now holds sixth, with Amon in seventh. The remaining drivers have all been lapped by the leaders. At the end of lap 65, the confidence in the McLaren pit is rudely shattered when Mass enters the pits with the engine enveloped in a heat haze. There is no need to look under the cover; the Nicholson-McLaren Cosworth engine has blown up in a very big way. Hunt is now on his own and is immediately given a signal to take it easy. Lauda returns to second place, to the great enthusiasm of the entire Ferrari team. This includes Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who for one Sunday abandoned his high-ranking positions at Fiat in Turin; Mauro Forghieri and Franco Rocchi, the technicians from Maranello; and Daniele Audetto, along with the very attentive group of mechanics. There are now ten laps left until the end of the race. Never one to miss an opportunity, Regazzoni has rejoined the race three laps down but just behind the leading McLaren. The Swiss takes great delight in hounding the McLaren precisely when its driver wants to relax a bit. Obviously, Hunt knows it's Regazzoni, and that he is several laps behind. Nevertheless, there's always the thought that it might have been Lauda having a resurgence of stamina, and pit signals have been known to be wrong. A Ferrari looks like any other Ferrari.
On lap 70, Jones's gear-change mechanism breaks on his Surtees, forcing him to complete the remaining laps stuck in one gear. This drops him from eighth to ninth place when Pryce eventually gets by. Apart from this incident, the Spanish GP concludes without further drama. Hunt wins with relative ease, whereas Lauda has to suffer considerably to reach the finish line, given his less than optimal physical condition. Gunnar Nilsson, third, conquers his first podium. Thanks to Carlos Reutemann and Carlos Pace, Alfa Romeo finally reaches the top six since the 1951 Spanish Grand Prix, while fifth place is conquered by Chris Amon. Hunt crosses the finish line in first place, but the applause goes to the Austrian driver:
"It was the hardest race of my life, and I certainly hope I never have to do another one like it again. After that damned accident in Salzburg, I made a real effort of will to be able to race here. I'm glad. The only way to recover quickly is to get off to a flying start. For the next race, the one in Belgium, I will be perfectly fine. Although you can never tell, I'm sure that under normal conditions Hunt would never have been able to overtake me. I took the lead and only lost it because I was too sick. My Ferrari was perfect. At a certain moment it started to understeer a bit, because of the front tyres, but nothing serious, nothing that a Lauda at one hundred percent couldn't dominate".
Montezemolo recalls:
"Before the start I asked Niki if he was trying to win: I don't think so, he replied, you'll have to be content with second place. However things ended up, it seems to me that Lauda was exceptional. It is necessary to have confidence in him, in Regazzoni, in the team and in this 312 T2 that has proved to be a very good car, and in compliance with the new Formula 1 rules".
And Regazzoni comments:
"Niki has done a truly courageous feat".
And James Hunt thinks the same:
"Lauda was very good. However, I knew that he could not have resisted for long and I did not want to take unnecessary risks. I overtook him when I realized that he was dropping slightly. But today, at least, on this circuit, I would have passed him even if he had been in top form".
A statement that, in light of what will happen later during the technical checks, takes on an equivocal aspect. Indeed, shortly thereafter, the new Formula 1 regulations immediately claim their first two victims: James Hunt, who has won the Spanish Grand Prix with his McLaren, and Jacques Laffite, twelfth with his Ligier-Matra. However, an appeal filed by Teddy Mayer, manager of the English team, against the sporting commissioners' decision now hangs over the classification. This appeal will be heard by the International Sports Commission within a month. What happened depends mainly on two reasons. First, some teams in the Formula 1 constructors' association are so focused on winning - and thus making money - that they disregard everything else. Second, there's been a power vacuum in motorsport in recent years, particularly in Formula 1, due to the shortcomings of the International Sports Commission. Hunt's McLaren is disqualified because its total width, measured from rear wheel to wheel, is 1.8 centimeters greater than the regulation maximum of 215 cm, measuring 216.8 cm. This excess width is attributed to a bulge in the Goodyear tyre profile. Laffite's Ligier also faces disqualification: its wing overhang measures 83 cm on the left side and 81.3 cm on the right, exceeding the regulated maximum of 80 cm. This is the official statement with which the organizers of the Spanish Grand Prix exclude from the race James Hunt (McLaren) and Jacques Laffite (Ligier):
"At 9:00 p.m. the sporting commissioners of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, after receiving the report of the technical commissioners, excluded the drivers James Hunt and Jacques Laffite from the classification because their cars, the McLaren and the Ligier, did not comply with the new Formula 1 regulation that came into force in the Spanish Grand Prix".
Niki Lauda, who drove an exceptional race in the new Ferrari 313 T2 to conquer second place on the track, is now proclaimed the winner of the Spanish Grand Prix. This significantly reinforces his position as the leader of the World Championship. The Austrian now has 33 points, compared to Depailler's 10 - who was forced to retire due to a brake malfunction on his six-wheeled Tyrrell - and Regazzoni's 9. This gives Lauda a commanding margin of 23-24 points, more than enough to approach the rest of the championship with confidence. It's a pity for Hunt. While relaxing at the Marlboro motorhome, he's informed by a journalist that his brilliant performance and hard-won success in the race have ultimately been cancelled. On Monday, May 3, 1976, Salzburg returns to being a normal city. The day before, however, the motorcycle racing program had been quietly brought forward to allow everyone to gather in front of the many small televisions scattered everywhere. From six or seven meters away, they would intuit, rather than clearly see, what was unfolding amidst the thousand curves of the Spanish Grand Prix. It's the next day for Niki, too; he has returned to Salzburg during the night, tired and undone. The few kilometers from the airport to home are proving harder than those he ran on the track at Jarama. On Monday, everything is different, despite an intense schedule that must be meticulously respected to get everything done. This includes the workshop, a chat with business partners, and preparing the plane - though the pilot handles the flying - for his journey to Vienna. There, he will resume treatment at a slower pace in order to heal completely. At Hof there is only Marlene, to whom Niki has left a few phone numbers. Marlene receives her mail - a bundle of letters and telegrams - from a friendly letter carrier, dressed in black and red like a postman. For the first time, she is alone in this villa. The house has made considerable progress since last week, though it still remains a noisy construction site. Niki is more fatigued than a week before: pale, his face even drawn, almost as if all his nervous energy had suddenly given out now that he had reached his goal and achieved this impossible success.
"Yesterday when he arrived at the finish line he didn't want to see anyone. He politely requested to leave him alone".
Says Marlene, while Niki reiterates:
"I felt sick from the very first minute. In fact, it had been hurting like hell for three days, ever since I started testing. So I doubled my concentration during the race: it's simple, the more you think about driving and only about driving, the more the pain remains something far away, forgotten. Then, at the end, the pain truly hits, but so does a sense of endless fatigue. This will be the week of crisis, because I have to get back to normal: no more massages, no more vitamins, no more of anything. I have to heal like an accountant, not like a driver who has no time".
Niki spoke little - or rather, nothing, he claims - with journalists in the days before. But how did others, his colleagues, greet him when they saw that on the first day of practice he got second?
"Some people are still convinced that I did everything to get some publicity. They would say to me, 'Niki, that's not true.' I didn't say anything back, wanting to leave them with some uncertainty - the doubt that I could knock them out whenever I wanted. Hunt patted me on the back, I smiled. I would have killed him right then".
Then, talking about the race, Niki confesses that there wasn't…
"Anything particular, except for that heightened tension. No, there was one bad moment: when Hunt passed me under braking. He dove in where he shouldn't have, forcing me to swerve sharply left to avoid a collision. That movement may have cost me an extra week to heal. It was a strong twinge and my body was stuck in the seat, but my head was moving, and the muscle bundles went all the way down my back to my ribs...".
Also present in Salzburg was Gino Amisano, the grand patron of the Agv helmets that Lauda wears. An amusing character, he's nicknamed 'Mr. Lingotto' for his undeniable financial capabilities. Amisano is also deeply passionate about his product, the helmets, which he cares for with filial love. Hearing talk of heads, and therefore of helmets, Amisano rouses from his reserve. As if he were a magician, he pulls out a brand new model for Niki - super light and super safe - which Niki is then forced to model. The helmet comes down in front of him while he is eating his steak. Gino works on the helmet, adapting it and trying it on Niki from time to time for new measurements. Everything here is business, including concluding the new one-year contract. There's also another sponsor to secure for the suit.
"You're the World Champion one more time".
But going back to talking about the race, is it an important success for Niki?
"Of course, it's important - I'd even say deserved. I believe I had a good race, securing second place on the track, and that silenced everyone. The team had to defend its chances and, look, you could feel Montezemolo's presence right away, tough and tenacious against these International Sports Commission knuckleheads. Rules are meant to be respected; there's no other way. We can't build a 5000cc engine, then just say 'sorry' at the end and win the race anyway. On a technical level, routing the oil pipes through the radiators results in greater cooling of the oil itself, reducing its temperature by 12° to 15°. This, in turn, translates into an increase of 25-30 horsepower - just enough to pass at the end of a straight or accelerate faster out of a curve. And then there's the issue of the tyres at the end of the race. Laffite's infraction may have been unintentional, but McLaren's was not. They attempted to circumvent the rules, and fortunately, they were caught".
States Niki, who goes on to say:
"This win is important for the world championship. I don't think we can say everything is solved, but we took a step forward on the very day we needed to. That means a lot, also from a psychological point of view, especially against our competitors.".
In the days following the Grand Prix, Niki goes to Vienna to complete a check-up without putting a time limit on the doctors. Dungl has completed his task, now it's Niki's turn to heal. If everything will be fine, on Friday the Austrian will make contact with Ferrari (Audetto or Ghedini) and confirm the test session at Fiorano for Monday, May 10. Before that, however, on Wednesday, May 5, when the medical examination is over, he will resume business. Do you remember the person with the tractors who came to the house the day after the accident? The little man hit the jackpot, and on Tuesday, May 4, Niki signed a contract with the company in question for rollover-proof cabs. In any case, once again the International Sports Commission came out very badly from an affair in which it had a relevant part. For too many years, automobile sports managers have abdicated their rights and duties, leaving room for new forces too closely tied to specific interests. The pre-race checks had started in a ridiculous way, and so they continued without the intervention of Nosetto and Rogano, who are rightly stimulated by Ferrari. President Pierre Ugeaux admits the International Sports Commission's responsibilities to the Ferrari representatives. He even has them distribute the sentence from the sport commissioners, which details the examination of the McLaren case. The disqualification is exemplary, but woe betide if it is to be reduced to an isolated, merely punitive episode. It would be necessary to set a new policy, bringing the world of Formula 1 back to the laws of sport.