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The Ferrari team have abandoned all activity with the Brown Boveri Comprex system (for the time being) and all three cars are fitted with the KKK system. Renault are not too happy for the car of Prost has a misfire which could not be traced, so they transfer him to the spare car (RE22B). Villeneuve has the choice of 049 or 051, and chose the former, while Pironi is driving 050, which have started the meeting as the T-Car. The Brabham team have abandoned the Weismann transmission on Rebaque’s car as a small breakage have occurred at the end of practice so they decide to play-safe with a Hewland. Ready for the 2:00 p.m. start all the cars left the pit lane and do a full lap, to form up on the dummy-grid on the top straight. When all is ready Patrese (he really is on pole-position, and the helmsman is deathly white) led them all down to the bottom straight. They pause, the red light is on, then the green and they are away in the mad rush down to the Queen’s Hairpin. Villeneuve is first into the braking area, and the last to use the brakes and is actually leading for about 100 yards even though he is slightly out of control as he go round on a very wide line. Patrese, Reutemann and Jones go through on the inside and are about to be followed by Piquet, Cheever, Pironi and Andretti when the little French-Canadian rocket back on course and shot into fourth place as the field headed off through the twisty bits. The 1980 Formula 1 season ended with an Italian, Bruno Giacomelli, in pole position in the last race. 1981 began with the same result, with Riccardo Patrese conquering the front row and the fastest time for the West United States Grand Prix. The Paduan, 27 years old, for the first time in his career manages to start in this favorable situation. His time (1'19"399) on the difficult street circuit was exceptional. Patrese narrowly overtook the men of Williams, Jones and Reutemann, and today he will try to repel their attacks and finally conquer a victory that is missing from his carnet. Let's not forget that last year Riccardo conquered the position of honor behind Piquet on this very same track. the Grand Prix of the United States West would see him among the main protagonists. In the days leading up to qualifying he had repeated several times that he was confident that the car was going well, that his chances of getting into the front rows of the starting grid were considerable but he didn't dare to hope for pole position. After Friday's qualifying session (which ended with the fifth fastest time) he said:
"Tomorrow I'll try to go to the front row".
Then on Saturday, the exploit, a result that made Frank Williams and Alan Jones' eyes widen, now sure they had put everyone in check. Loaded with cups, surrounded by beautiful girls, among which the stars of the Penthouse men's magazine stood out, sponsoring his car for this race, with the $ 15.000 check won for best performance in his pocket and a camera around his neck and related lenses delivered to him by Canon always for the fastest time, the Paduan was literally attacked by journalists from all over the world. They pressed him against the wall of a Convention Center room to snatch the secret of this surprising placement from him.
"I was honestly just trying to start from the front row. I wasn't expecting pole position because I thought Jones had put too much space behind him and was unassailable. Then, however, I realized I could aim high and with the set of tires I had available I took the maximum risk, and it was the winning move".
What meaning does this statement that relaunches you among the greats of Formula 1 have for you?
"A great moral significance, because many had forgotten about me. With over fifty Grands Prix behind me, honestly, I didn't think I would have had so much difficulty getting married. I had had some proposals, but they all came from second-tier teams. So I gave an answer to those who didn't believe in my possibilities. Those who made me ridiculous offers will now realize that they have missed a good opportunity".
Don't you think this result could be occasional?
"No, and I'll explain why: the car had already proved its worth in the South African race, and in testing at Paul Ricard it went faster than the Alfa Romeo that had tested with us. At Arrows there is a fresh air, there is now more serenity than last year, a kind of renewal. Designer Dave Warr who replaced Tony Southgate is a down to earth engineer. It does not attempt adventures and has created a simple but balanced car. I get on very well with him and after all I had already appreciated him at Shadow in 1977 together with Alan Jones".
The next races, therefore, should see you again among the protagonists.
"I hope so, even if I am convinced that many teams will make big progress as the days go by. In any case, I think I will be able to compete in good races both in Brazil and in Argentina".
What do you think of Ferrari?
"It went discreetly and I expected it. It must be said that with supercharged engines, the experience of winning the world championship with the Lancia Turbo has taught me that it is enough to increase engine power for a few revs. In the race, however, it's another thing. Instead, I believed that the Alfa was more competitive".
Do you think you can win?
"No, I don't make predictions. I'm in pole position for the first time, my big problem is not letting Jones pass me at the start. Maybe he's faster on the straights. It will still be a good battle".
Left on foot last year by Brabham, replaced by the Mexican billionaire Hector Rebaque who paid Ecclestone more than him, Zunino is married for the next races. He will drive a Tyrrell next to Eddie Cheever. However, he will have to pay Tyrrell a substantial fee in dollars. Siegfried Stohr from Rimini, rookie in Formula 1 with Arrows, failed to qualify, but set a record in practice with eleven spins. The last one was fatal to him, because after always being left with the car unscathed, he crashed violently, ruining it. When the Osella mechanics managed to repair it, the engine then broke down. Stohr, however, takes it philosophically:
"It means that when I write my memoirs I will have something more to tell".
The story of the Lotus 88 is not over yet. Colin Chapman's car, after being qualified during the technical checks and being used for three practice laps by Elio De Angelis (during which it demonstrated that it still had several problems to solve), as known, was declared illegal on Friday evening by the college of stewards, who denied their technical colleagues. However, the Chief Commissioner, John Bornholdt. he was unable to explain exactly the reasons which led to the exclusion of the car, vaguely declaring that it did not comply with the regulations and that the times obtained in practice could not be taken into consideration. Subsequently, however, Chapman presents an appeal against this decision and the stewards accept the appeal itself but refer the case to FISA, which will have to discuss it in Paris. The 88, however, will not be able to take part in the race. After seeing it running in practice, the marshals intervened again during practice on Saturday, displaying the black flag and causing the car to stop in the garage. They must have finally realized that, at speed, the bodywork, as it lowers, transforms into a sort of gigantic miniskirt. At the basis of the story remains the absolute inability of the international sports authorities to control the situation. Jean-Marie Balestre remained in Paris and his representatives there are not able to administer power. It is a serious fact, which in the future could tip the balance in favor of those who have the possibility of administering Formula 1 in a more professional manner.
Chapman, in one of his official press releases, expresses his surprise at the criticisms of his car. And he even goes so far as to say, speaking of Ferrari, that in Maranello everything that is innovative and nonconformist cannot be understood, because an old mentality dominates. And this is certainly not a respectful reference. There has been a lot of talk these days about the agreement signed in Paris between manufacturers and sporting authorities. The definitive text of the document that led to peace has not been officially disclosed, but we know in brief what the new regulations will be and what the political, technical and economic situation of Formula 1 will be. The division of labor between FISA and FOCA should be clear, leaving the right to make the laws to Jean-Marie Balestre and his men, to Ecclestone and the teams he represents, through his organization (even the legalist ones such as Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Renault and Talbot), that of lead the World Championship economically and organizationally. So let's see how the situation has settled, hoping that in these days no negative events will happen that could alter it again. As the agreement is conceived, Formula 1 unfortunately loses something of its charm of pure sport, acquiring in professionalism. In other words, we have passed from an activity that still had something amateurish to a circus-type show, a bandwagon that moves from track to track, maneuvered mainly by money. Bearing in mind that even the highest expression of motor sport must adapt to the times and therefore try to economize on fuel and energy, all the regulations have been studied and will eventually be changed through the special commission for Formula 1 which is an integral part of FISA with the representatives of all categories involved, i.e. sporting authorities, constructor organizers and drivers. Nothing should be modified without the prior and unanimous authorization of the owners and stables. Space has been left for technical research, on supercharged engines and aerodynamics, aiming however at a reduction in speed for safety reasons. Let's recap what are the main novelties of the 1981 regulations: reduction of the dimensions of the tires and abolition of the miniskirts with the minimum height of the side bulkheads of the cars at 6 cm from the ground; adoption of measures for the safety of pilots in two stages.
This year, improvement of the front guards and subsequently the obligation to create deformable structures especially for the front part of the machines in the event of frontal impacts; change in scoring for the World Championship. While last year the season was divided into two parts, allowing the possibility of accumulating the results of five races for each of the two sections of the championship, in 1981, with fifteen races scheduled, it will be possible to use scores achieved in ten races, regardless of the period. This will allow a driver, who for example will start with initially negative results, to be able to count on throughout the championship. And, conversely, whoever is unlucky in the final part of the season, if they have already accumulated a valid score in the first races, will not lose all chances of winning. The scores remain unchanged with 9 points for the first, 6 for the second, 4 for the third, 3 for the fourth, 2 for the fifth, 1 for the sixth. All Formula 1 affairs will be administered by FOCA, as has been the case for some time. But now the assignment is official and at the end of the season the constructors' organization will have to make known its accounts and take them to FISA. The teams will receive engagements for each race and the prizes will be divided according to established tables and according to the results achieved. In Long Beach, for example, the American organizers paid about 1.000.000 dollars, while they spent another 250.000 dollars for the construction of the street circuit. If we consider that the amount paid to FOCA was entirely covered by 21 sponsors (among these the largest are Toyota, Canon, Essex, the men's magazine Penthouse, Michelob beer) it can be thought that the other proceeds, with the petty advertising, television and the sale of tickets, will allow a considerable profit. The only ones to complain are the riders who, in the conditions of extreme uncertainty of recent times, except for a few cases, have seen their revenues decrease because the teams have offered minor engagements and the personal sponsors have abandoned the field. However, it is always hundreds of millions of earnings that will allow them to get rich with a dangerous but still very profitable sport. Speaking of technology and cars, Ferrari, as always, makes the news: after perhaps the most negative year in its entire history, the Maranello team arrives at the 1981 Formula 1 season with two totally new cars: the turbo and compress versions of the 126 single-seater.
Having abandoned the 3000 cc naturally aspirated engine, Enzo Ferrari bets everything on the 1500 cc supercharged engine; not only that, but it goes in search of a technical advantage, using a little-known device such as the Comprex, a device, built by Brown Boveri, designed for Diesel engines and never before applied to a petrol engine, much less by race. What is the difference between classic, turbo and Comprex superchargers? The first is a pump, driven by the engine, which sends a well-known and constant quantity of air at each revolution; it has only one very serious defect: if the overpressure required is high (as in the case of racing engines), the power required to operate the compressor is enormous and is subtracted from the engine. For this reason it was abandoned at the end of 1951 in Formula 1. The case of a touring car which must be supercharged within more modest limits is different, of course. In the last few years, however, the turbocharger has prevailed for the supercharging of racing and touring engines, thanks to its favorable characteristics of low weight (10-15 kilos), ease of installation (because it does not require a mechanical control from the engine) and very high power output. The turbo, as it is now called in jargon, is made up of a centrifugal compressor (an aluminum fan) and a turbine that can reach speeds of 140.000 rpm; the turbine receives the thrust from the exhaust gases and imparts its motion to the compressor which sends the air into the engine at increasingly higher pressure, in relation to the rotation speed. The turbo has the characteristic of pumping little or nothing at low speed and rapidly increasing the pressure which, in fact, is proportional to the square of the speed. At double speed, the pressure is four times greater, but this problem was solved by the engineers with an exhaust gas diverter valve, calibrated so as not to exceed the desired pressure. The turbo's major flaw is a certain slow response, which can be important in the race. And here we are at Comprex, which is a compressor similar to the volumetric one, therefore without delays in response, but which works by exploiting the energy of the exhaust gases, like the turbo. It is essentially very simple, but requires considerable work to fine-tune the various critical elements that regulate its performance. In fact, it consists of a cylinder, empty, but with many divisions that create axial ducts; this cylinder is turned by the engine, but without too much effort, because the work is only of movement and not of pumping.
The exhaust gases enter through a hole in one end of the housing that contains the rotating cylinder. At the opposite end is a hole which communicates with the engine intake duct, and thus the incoming exhaust gas pushes air into the engine. Since the cylinder rotates, however, the exhaust gas cannot enter in turn, because in the meantime the channel has moved away from the outlet hole and is closed. However, by continuing the movement, another hole is opened, this time for discharge towards the atmosphere, from where the gas comes out; and it does so with such speed as to create a certain void behind it, a void which is filled by fresh air, entering through a fourth hole, which in the meantime has come to be found in correspondence with the duct in the drum. This sequence becomes continuous at high speed and repeats for all the small channels that make up the drum. It is interesting to note that in a few months Ferrari has obtained with Comprex an efficiency equal to that obtained after years of work with the turbo, and therefore the new solution appears promising. But it will once again be the competition that will give the definitive confirmation, as has already happened for many other technical innovations of the automobile. Remaining on the subject of Ferrari, historical appeals are not infrequent in motor sport. Men change for generational reasons, brands often leave the scene, definitively or temporarily, but it sometimes happens that two or more of them find themselves on the tracks after years or even decades, resuming dormant rivalries, technical and competitive comparisons which other eras had filled the sports chronicles. And so the memories of characters and cars that have said a lot for the history of the sports car and otherwise resurface. One of the most passionate themes of the Formula 1 racing season that is about to begin is the comparison between Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, a comparison that brings back memories of the races of the early 1950s. Ferrari, apart from the brief experience of 1939-40 with the 815 sports car, had recently entered racing directly, but Enzo Ferrari already had a great deal of experience, not only as an Alfa driver in the period immediately following the Great War, but also as an organizer and technician since he had founded, in 1929, the famous Scuderia Ferrari with Alfa Romeo cars (and drivers such as Nuvolari, Varzi, Borzacchini, Trossi, Brivio, Moll, etc.), and later as coordinator of the Alfa Corse section which the Milanese company had founded the company ad laterem.
It is useless to recall the traditions of the Casa del Portello in the technical-sports field. Limiting ourselves to the post-war period, it will suffice to mention that extraordinary single-seater (born in 1938 for the Vetturette formula) which was the 158 (later 159) or Alfetta. An eight-cylinder in-line of one and a half liters supercharged by a single-stage and then a two-stage volumetric compressor, capable of delivering, in the latest version, something like 380 horsepower. With the 159, Alfa Romeo had resumed competing in Grand Prix immediately after the war, finding itself ready to face the new formula launched in 1947 (1500 cc engines with compressor or 4500 cc with natural aspiration). It had champions such as Achille Varzi, Jean Pierre Wimille, Nino Farina, Carlo Felice Trossi, and as opponents above all the Maserati, then the Talbot, the Delahaye, the English ERA But the Alfetta was unbeatable. Thus established in 1950 the World Championship, he immediately won the first title with Farina, and the next one with Juan Manuel Fangio, the great Argentine talent that the Milanese company had secured. But in the meantime Ferrari entered the scene, building its first Formula 1 single-seater in 1948: the type 125 with a 12-cylinder V engine with compressor and 230 HP of power, designed by Gioachino Colombo. With the pilots Alberto Ascari and Gigi Villoresi, the new car did not lack its first victories, but never in the Grand Prix where the Alfettes were present. Once the World Championship period began with the aforementioned formula, Ferrari decided to abandon the supercharged engine and with the engineer Aurelio Lampredi prepared the 375 F1 type with a 12-cylinder engine but 4500 cc naturally aspirated, with a power of 350 hp. For Alfa, the painful moments began: although still victorious (1951) in the first titled trials of the season, the Milanese cars found themselves constantly on the heels of their adversaries. Finally, the first Ferrari victory, in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with the Argentinian driver Froilan Gonzalez. Enzo Ferrari will write, recalling that historic day:
"When Gonzalez defeated the Alfa team I cried with joy, but I mixed tears of happiness with tears of pain, because that day I thought: I killed my mother".
And the following year Ascari won his first world title with Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo abandoned racing. Since last year the mother and her son (83 years old) are facing each other again, perhaps the old rivalries are now extinguished, and we no longer cry for a victory or a defeat. But it is quite curious that, compared to thirty years ago, the positions have reversed on a technical level: Ferrari with the small supercharged engine, Alfa Romeo - for now - with the opposite solution. However, there is also another big difference: back then, there was literally a vacuum behind one and the other car, today the competition is a completely different story. It should have started in January with the Argentine Grand Prix and, instead, thanks to the FISA-FOCA war, it only started on Sunday 15 March 1981, in the street circuit of Long Beach. The 1981 Formula 1 World Championship had a troubled prologue, but it should be one of the most interesting and hard-fought in history. First of all, because the abolition of miniskirts makes the fleet of cars less homogeneous over the course of the season, with different performances according to the tracks; then, because the man element (talent, experience, heart) returns to have a certain weight; finally, because the competition is, on a technical level, very varied: there are eight types of engine, between supercharged and non-supercharged, and three brands of tyres. It is a championship that promises uncertainty and suspense. Which team complied with the 1981 regulation more promptly and with greater skill? Will it be the year of the turbo with Renault in the foreground, thanks to the experience accumulated over three years, or will the new ways attempted by Ferrari lead Mannello's team to a brilliant revenge after the bad figures of last season? Technical and sporting questions which, for a change, risk taking a back seat in the face of the new wave of controversies that have invested Formula 1. The Circus had just emerged from an exhausting, demeaning war between sporting managers and the association of builders and we are already falling back into the old vices. This time, if possible, the story is even more serious, because we are dealing with deliberate, dishonest attempts to circumvent, if not the letter, then the spirit of the regulation. Have miniskirts been abolished? Well, some manufacturers have thought, let's study some gimmicks to get around the obstacle, or rather the law. And while the majority of the teams tried to adapt to the new rules, here are the clever ones in action, with lots of greetings to the sport.
How will this new World Championship end up? No one feels comfortable making sure predictions, but let's hear the opinion of Enzo Osella (manufacturer), Carlos Reutemann (Williams driver) and Gordon Murray (Brabham designer). Osella:
"The new technical rules have forced all manufacturers to create completely new machines. Research, for the majority of us, is aimed above all at aerodynamics as traditional naturally aspirated engines are now at their maximum power. You have to try to get the greatest possible ground effect without the skirts. Reversion then occurs to large front and rear ailerons. Someone has bet a lot, like Ferrari now and Renault before, on the development of supercharged engines. This is also a valid solution but I am personally convinced that research in this field is just beginning and it will still take some time before obtaining certain results. Osella is currently studying and developing a diversified version of the classic Cosworth engine with a larger bore and shorter stroke. In this way we believe that we will be able to have a few more horses".
Carlos Reutemann:
"For us riders, as I've already said, this year is almost a drama. We take part in races knowing that we cannot fight on equal terms with our opponents. You get into your car with the impression that another drives a lighter one, that a third has better tyres, that yet another has a more powerful engine. Without considering the various tricks that many manufacturers seem to have implemented to obtain advantages. As far as I'm concerned, I would like all the drivers to have the same chances, that the cars were more or less equal, that they respect the regulations".
Gordon Murray:
"It's easy to get around the regulations, as the scrutineers themselves are not up to the task. They confided in me that Chapman studied the solutions applied on his new Lotus with two chassis for 22 months. I reply that certain outlawed gadgets could also be made in 22 minutes. And I can prove it. However, if we want to talk seriously about 1981, I am convinced that with the new regulations, the problem to be solved will be that of finding the same aerodynamic balance on our cars that we had achieved with the sideskirts. Whoever manages to achieve this result first will start with great advantages".
Tires have always been important in racing. But the exasperation and technical sophistication achieved by tires in recent years has meant that, especially in Formula 1, even the small advantages in terms of compounds and construction have become decisive. After arriving in 1980 at enormous measures (to make the most of the drive traction of the engine, the discharge of power on the asphalt and also the aerodynamic effects with the adherence to the ground), the new regulations required, in order to reduce the cornering speed for known safety reasons, a reduction of the tyres. In this way, according to the intentions of the technicians, there would be less grip when cornering and consequently a decrease in speed. On the straights, however, the reverse effect occurs. That is, by using tires that can be narrower, higher top speeds are achieved. We have gone from a maximum diameter in height of the complete rear wheels from 26 inches to 23 and to a width from 21 to 18. Being smaller, the tires therefore turn more quickly, which is why they cannot be used, during the race, too tender, who instead will still have some advantages in the tests that last two or three laps. However, it must be considered that, again on the basis of the 1981 regulations, no car can have more than eight tires available for each qualifying session. Goodyear's exit caused considerable unease. As is well known, Michelin will supply the tires to all the teams in the first three races of the season. The Goodyear-fitting teams (all but Ferrari and Renault) had to adapt their cars to radial tyres. Subsequently, Pirelli will enter the competition, which will equip Toleman, and Avon, which will supply the majority of the English teams.
Michelin will be officially with Ferrari, Renault, Talbot and Alfa Romeo, while a relationship with Osella is under discussion. However, it seems that the French company has asked Pirelli to intervene, as it is technically unable to satisfy too many teams. Therefore, it is not excluded that the Turin team will receive Italian tyres. The speech of Avon (a small English company which in the past had already equipped some racing cars and which is also known for supplying Rolls Royce) is open. In partnership with Bernie Ecclestone's organisation. which was already a Goodyear distributor for Europe, is building a racing department using the machinery and some technicians that previously belonged to the great American company. The situation is therefore rather complicated, also because Michelin, with the study of TRX-type front tires (lower in shoulder height), has managed to mount the tires on larger rims while respecting the measurements required by the regulations. However, these tires will only be tested by the teams officially supplied by the French company. Left behind at the hairpin are the Renault of Prost and the McLaren of de Cesaris, the Renault having spin in the middle of the pack. The remaining 22 cars are pounding away with Patrese leading them and driving confidently and neatly. It takes only three laps for Patrese, Reutemann and Jones to break away from the rest of the runners and the Arrows driver have every reason to feel uneasy with the two rugged Williams drivers in his mirrors, but he seems to have everything under control. On lap four Villeneuve run wide on the long left-hander before the first hairpin and Pironi and Piquet nipped by, but do not leave him behind and with them is Cheever in the Tyrrell 010, carrying Cogan’s Michelob Beer sponsorship, and doing a very good job of work. When the leaders lapped Rebaque, who has been in the pits, Jones get a bit baulked and lost contact with Reutemann, while the Argentinian profits from the interruption and get right on to the tail of the Arrows, but still Patrese is unruffled. De Angelis hit the wall on the exit of the last corner and ends his race opposite his own pit and not much later Mansell also struck a concrete wall and ends his race. Not a Lotus day. In fourth place overall is Pironi with the turbo-charged V6 Ferrari, with the proverbial steaming mob comprising Piquet (Brabham), Villeneuve (Ferrari), Cheever (Tyrrell), Andretti (Alfa Romeo) and Laffite (Talbot) hard on his heels. One can’t help having a feeling of sympathy for Patrese because it could not have been pleasant having Reutemann that close behind, there being something relentless and ruthless about the Argentinian’s driving.
On lap 25 the Arrows engine begin to hiccough due to the fuel system playing up and Reutemann goes by on the bottom straight, and on the next lap Jones goes by and the Arrows is heading for the pits. With the race just one third run it is all over, the Frank Williams team are a majestic 1-2 and if their past record was anything to go by it is a mere formality for them to complete the 80 laps of the race. On lap 32 Jones goes by into the lead and it would be nice to think that it is just Reutemann responding to team orders, but in fact it is due to Reutemann running a bit wide on the left-hander in the middle of the twisty bit of the circuit and Jones (ever the opportunist!) nipping up the inside. Now it really is all over, car number 1 is first and car number 2 is second and even Hollywood couldn't improve on that, and after a couple more visits to the Arrows pits poor Patrese has to give up (and the helmsman’s face recover its complexion). Back in the pack Villeneuve’s heroics ends with broken transmission and Piquet get the better of Pironi and is firmly in third place, but completely out of touch with the two Williams and is having an uncomfortable ride with a heavy gearchange which is bringing up a nasty blister on his right hand. Just after the half-distance Laffite misjudges his braking at the end of the top straight and spurs Cheever’s Tyrrell up the backside. The Tyrrell isn’t damaged but the Talbot has its front aerofoil bent up and the mountings broken. As Laffite drive back to the pits hoping to have repairs effected, Giacomelli and Lammers caught him up and fell over each other trying to get by, so that all three turn into the pit lane at the end of the lap, the Talbot and ATS damages beyond immediate repair and Giacomelli looking for a doctor as the impact has hurt his hand. The impact to the back of Cheever’s Tyrrell upset the gear-change mechanism and the young American from Rome begin missing gear-changes so that Andretti’s Alfa Romeo quickly caught the Tyrrell and goes by. Now the order is Jones, Reutemann, Piquet, Pironi, Andretti, Cheever, Tambay and Jarier, with Surer and Serra bringing up the rear and Arnoux and Rebaque a long way behind after pit stops. Both Cheever and Tambay deserves small medals for driving a nice race, the Frenchman doing an excellent job with a brand new car that is only finished the previous Monday. The final result is still not settled, though there is little doubt about the first three places, but on lap 55 Pironi’s Ferrari faulted when the fuel pick-up system go on the blink and Andretti and Cheever goes by.
The next time it faults Tambay is right behind and the Theodore punts the Ferrari fair and square but no damage results. On lap 60 Tambay get by the Ferrari into sixth place, but the turbo-charged V6 is suffering from the weak fuel mixture and on lap 67 Pironi heads up the pit road with the engine sounding a bit sick and a lot of flames in the left-hand exhaust megaphone. In the last ten laps Alan Jones eases right off, responding to a cryptic pit signal which read REVS-FUEL, making sure that he didn’t run out of petrol in the closing laps. All is well with the world and the Williams finishes 1-2 yet again, having finished last season with similar results in Canada and Watkins Glen. The courageous Piquet is a good third, Andretti a very satisfying fourth, the Alfa Romeo having run perfectly throughout the race, Cheever fifth and Tambay sixth, which bring huge smiles to the faces of Teddy Yip and Sid Taylor for the new Theodore has run perfectly on its first outing. In the realm of the automobile (California is said to have at least 16 million cars on the road for a population of 22 million) Formula 1 has gained attention. Americans have flocked to Long Beach in masses, by any means, from tents to their fabulous campers, from motorcycles to pick-up trucks, those trendy trucks among the very young. The organizers have lined their pockets with dollars: 182.000 spectators in three days of practice and racing translate into several million dollars in cash. In front of this record, impressive and enthusiastic crowd, Formula 1 put on a show with all those ingredients that people ask for in 300 km/h racing cars. The first round of the 1981 World Championship went, once again, to Alan Jones and Williams, a success made complete by the second place of Carlos Reutemann ahead of the usual, tireless Nelson Piquet, the young Brazilian who already came close to the title last year with Brabham. This result might suggest a repeat race of those of 1980. But it's not true: only bad luck stopped a very brilliant Riccardo Patrese, who started in pole position without awe towards his more popular rivals. This time the Paduan can really curse bad luck: he was stopped, when he was leading the race with authority (and also calm), by a trivial breakdown of his Arrows.
"We disassembled the car and found in the petrol pump some threads of the wool that is used to eliminate leaks in the pipes. A small inconvenience that deprived me of the possibility of fighting for the victory. These are opportunities that cannot be missed. I've been waiting for three years, since the famous race in South Africa in 1978, and now who knows how long I'll have to wait. Incredible bad luck, because certain opportunities shouldn't be missed. Had I crashed into a wall, or had the engine cranked, I wouldn't be here to complain. And not even if I had fought for the twentieth position. But I felt victory in my hand and this burns me a lot".
However Patrese demonstrated with pole position that he can become one of the protagonists of the championship...
"Cold consolation. I just hope I don't have to wait another three years to have any chance of success again. It was from South Africa in 1978 that I was waiting for the moment to be able to fight among the first".
How did you see the Williams?
"Unfortunately from the rear when I had to pit. No, joking aside, I hadn't had any problems containing Reutemann and I never saw Jones until my Arrows started faltering. I got off to a very good start, avoided being passed by Jones and then moved into the lead, controlling the situation. When Carlos got close, it was enough for me to increase my pace a little to detach him. I repeat, I had no difficulties until the moment I realized on the straight towards the twelfth lap that something wasn't working perfectly. Then the problem became more and more evident and in the end on the straight Reutemann passed me while my car slowed down dramatically. I was hoping it was the electrical system, that the pit stop was enough to restart, but it was useless. I haven't even had the satisfaction of attempting a desperate comeback".
What will Riccardo do now?
"I'm going back to Padua for a few days. Then we go to Brazil for the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix. I promise right now that if the car indulges me I will try to win again. I haven't tasted the joy of success for too long".
Patrese had got off to a great start. He had held off the attack from Jones and Reutemann, while on the far left Villeneuve finished incredibly in the lead. But the Canadian went wide at the first corner and found himself in trouble.
"His was a very dangerous action, and to say that he is one of the six pilots of the safety commission".
Comment Richard. In truth, the Ferrari driver did not anticipate the start, but taking advantage of the incredible acceleration of the 126 CK's turbo engine. he tried everything for everything. Gilles, braking at the limit of every possibility, braked 50 meters after the others, but then had to go wide and lost some positions (from P1 to P7). Subsequently, Villeneuve's Ferrari, perhaps paying for the strain and stresses at the start, was forced to retire on lap 18, while it was in sixth position. Meanwhile, the carousel continued with Patrese in the lead, Reutemann behind him and Jones waiting to take advantage of the situation. Behind, Pironi fought until fuel problems due to the petrol vapor-lock progressively distanced him from the leaders. After the arrest of Patrese, twice in the pits (first to change the electric unit and then definitively stopped), Reutemann took the lead. The South American, however, played into his teammate's hands: he missed a corner and let Jones slip through him, losing an almost certain success. Piquet firmly held on to third place, while a very regular Andretti finished fourth in his Alfa. Eddie Cheever also finished in the points, very good with a Tyrrell that is certainly not up to the rivals, and the returning Tambay, whose Theodore is a car built on the remains of the Shadow by the billionaire Teddy Ylp who hired the designer Tony Southgate. The hiss of the Ferrari turbo enchanted the Americans and surprised the opposing teams. Even if in the end the Maranello team managed only Didier Pironi's tenth place, the debut of the 126 CK was positive. For example, the tested supercharged Renaults, protagonists in Formula 1 for three years, appeared in Long Beach slow and awkward compared to the red cars of the French driver and Gilles Villeneuve. A comment from Nelson Piquet, who remained behind the fast Pironi until lap 17, shows that Ferrari is already scary:
"I had to do everything to keep up with Didier's car. It was only when his performance dropped that I was able to pass".
Villeneuve's incredible start (who said turbo response is slow at the start?), the positions held for part of the race, the times obtained in practice on a circuit not suitable for supercharged engines speak for themselves. There are premises for a season at the top. There's a problem: the drive belt can't stand the extremely violent jerks caused by gear changes, but if you work hard, this problem will also be solved. At the end of the race, even if forced to stop prematurely, Villeneuve and Pironi appear satisfied. Even the engineer Mauro Forghieri does not hide his joy:
"To be newborns we already know how to speak, we hope to be able to raise a loud voice as soon as possible".
Positive transfer also for Alfa Romeo, which with the fourth place of the expert Mario Andretti collected the best placement since returning to Formula 1. The result, however, does not fully satisfy, because the Milanese company, given the placements of last season's final stage, had higher ambitions, but the cars appeared less competitive than expected. Indeed, on some stretches of the winding circuit, especially in the tight corners, they showed grip problems, putting the drivers in difficulty. Andretti and Giacomelli sometimes found themselves riding on two wheels, probably due to shock absorbers not suited to the needs of the track and above all due to the abolition of miniskirts. Bruno Giacomelli was also the victim of an accident which, fortunately, did not have serious consequences. The Brescian suffered a severe contusion with a laceration on his left wrist which will not affect his participation in the next races.
It happened in the corner before the arrival in the pits, on lap 41. Giacomelli was in eighth position. Laffite, who had rear-ended Cheever's Tyrrell with his Talbot and was proceeding slowly with the front wing folded, widened his trajectory to return to the stands. The maneuver forced Lammers, following the Frenchman, to widen in turn towards the pits and Giacomelli found the whole lane blocked and hit the Dutchman's ATS. The two both flew into the air with damaged single-seaters. The blow was so strong that the Alfa driver bent the steering wheel. Immediately aided, he was accompanied to the infirmary, where he was given a tight bandage. Then, he was transported by helicopter to the hospital for radiological tests which ruled out any fractures. There wasn't too much glory, all things considered, for the seven Italians engaged in Long Beach. Patrese, Cheever and Giacomelli aside, De Angelis ended the race against a wall in the pit straight, bending a wheel of his Lotus; De Cesaris, with McLaren, did only 500 meters due to a collision with Prost's Renault; Gabbiani, with the Osella, while traveling at the rear of the group, broke a suspension. Finally, Stohr hadn't even managed to qualify. Clay Regazzoni followed the US West Grand Prix on television with a group of friends in his apartment at the Watergate Hotel, where he is undergoing a series of re-education treatments after the delicate operation on his spine suffered on Friday 20 February 1981. A competent and interested, the hapless Swiss driver says that the Long Beach circuit once again seemed extremely dangerous to him.
"I was a little disappointed, because my former colleagues, questioned by the lawyer Camusi, the lawyer in charge of looking after my interests towards the organizers of the 1980 Grand Prix, answered evasively, without taking responsibility. This is a fact that makes me very sad. Perhaps, only those who are hit in person can understand".
As is known, Regazzoni has asked for around 10.000.000 dollars in damages as compensation for the accident he suffered on the Californian circuit last year. Commenting on the race, Clay harshly condemns the start made by Gilles Villeneuve.
"It was crazy, not even a beginner should do that. A mistake that could cost everyone dearly. Perhaps Ferrari would do better to train the Canadian driver on the Fiorano track and teach him that certain things are not done. As for the cars from Maranello, I must admit that the technicians have done an exceptional job. Pironi's car had incredible acceleration. I really liked Patrese: it was really unfortunate. Well done Andretti too. I think we will see an excellent championship".