His technical judgments on Formula 1 are precise.
"The future lies in the turbo. It is a solution that offers great advantages, even if it is not easy to develop. I think that in the next World Championship, Renault is destined to achieve many successes. The French House is the one that has the most tested engine. The task for Ferrari, BMW and Alfa Romeo is less easy, as they still have a long way to go. It's a job more for engineers than for drivers. It is, however, a fascinating undertaking. I admit that I would like to collaborate on a turbo program. Be careful: I would like to, and that's it".
Lauda dwells on Ferrari. His relations with the Maranello team and Enzo Ferrari went from idyll to storm and then to a kind of reconciliation.
"I would be happy if Ferrari returned to the top. The technical possibilities are there: I know very well with what means and with what enthusiasm Ferrari works. The rather long interval between the end of the 1980 world championship and the beginning of the next one should have allowed the technicians to fine-tune the turbo. The unknowns of a new engine remain. I hope, and I'm sincere, that everything goes well".
Niki returns to the initial topic, that of the alleged return to competitions.
"I don't even know if I'd be able to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1. Not so much for my body: I'm fit and in two-three months of training I could do it again. The problem is another, it's a problem of mind, of concentration, of psychology. Would I still have the strength to think only of the car, only of the race?"
Lauda has a slight hesitation.
"I have a wife, two children, people who believed in me and work with me. My head is for them".
He doesn't say anything else, but these few words seem clear. Lauda has moved on, the helmet is hanging on a nail and it will stay there. There is no going back. Meanwhile, another Villeneuve lands in Italy. It is Jacques, younger brother of the much more famous Gilles, the top driver of Ferrari. Jacques Villeneuve, 25 years old, with the physique of a jockey but the gaze of a tough guy, after having started racing snowmobiles like Gilles, with which he won the world title in 1979, switched to four wheels and last year awarded the Canadian-American Formula Atlantic title. Now, to attempt the climb to Formula 1, he has come to Italy to participate in the European Formula 3 championship.
"It is necessary to race in Europe if you want to get to Formula 1. It is in the races held in the old continent that the managers follow the young drivers to then choose who to entrust the single-seaters of the top category to. I will have a March with an Alfa Romeo engine from the Pavanello Euroracing team".
Gilles runs with Ferrari, Jacques starts with an Alfa Romeo engine. Is this the first step towards the Milanese Formula 1?
"It's too early to say, but I confess that one day I'd like to make my debut in Formula 1 with Alfa. For now I have to settle for an engine that already impressed me with its power in this first test. I hope this contact will help me in the future".
What does your brother think of this choice?
"I spoke to him on the phone and he was happy with my decision. Furthermore, we will be able to be together more, since in all probability I will go to live with him, in Monte-Carlo".
Jacques Villeneuve, who completed about sixty laps on the junior track of Monza achieving the remarkable time of 50"9, impressed with the decision and control of the car demonstrated. Gilles' little brother, who tested first with Alberto Colombo's helmet and then with that of his teammate Mauro Baldi because he forgot his in Canada, he incurs four spectacular spins that immediately bring to mind the reckless driving of the Ferrari driver Jacques also receives compliments from Mauro Baldi who follows his evolution from the garage.
"He's a decisive and fast guy. I hope to find a perfect agreement with him and to be able to work in harmony to affirm the team".
Tuesday 17 February 1981, Formula 1 finally seems to have got into the right gear. In the press conference in the Place de la Concorde, the president of FISA, Jean Marie Balestre, announces that one of the main points of friction between the sporting authorities and the manufacturers has been resolved: FOCA has withdrawn the injunction presented in recent months to the Alta court in London to prevent FISA from making changes to the contracts already signed with the organizers of the world competitions. Jean-Marie Balestre declares:
"There are no obstacles to resuming concrete negotiations and solving the last outstanding problems. For our part, we hope that peace will have a long life. However, for this to happen, it will now be necessary to carefully study every word of the document presented by the builders after the Modena agreement. Therefore, starting today, and for three days, we will hold a joint meeting to find a solution that is satisfactory for all. I take this opportunity to let it be known that from now on it will be necessary to stop saying that FISA only defends the big builders. It is false, as our main concern is to give all teams the same chance to compete as equals".
As for the calendar, Balestre declares that there are no substantial changes with respect to the one announced in Monte-Carlo on Friday 30 January 1981. The World Championship will regularly start on Sunday 15 March 1981 in Long Beach with the Grand Prix of the USA West. The manager also confirms that the San Marino Grand Prix, scheduled at Imola on May 3, 1981, is exceptionally registered for this year. Builders and authorities, therefore, gathered around a table for three days. The most serious problem to solve remains that of the tyres. Goodyear's withdrawal has caused a lot of confusion. Michelin seems to have said it was willing to initially supply all the teams with a single type of tyre. But some teams (it seems also Ferrari) would not have accepted this solution. Balestre would then have agreed to make an exception to the current regulations, allowing the free use of the wider tires in use last year for which there would be a certain availability. But even this proposal would not find all the consenting teams. This will therefore be one of the crucial points of the discussions. Hopefully the solution will be found at the meeting. On the positive side, however, the fact remains that Formula 1 is ready to get back on track, even if it doesn't yet know which tires it will race with on tracks around the world. And so, on Thursday 19 February 1981, during the evening, the news arrived from Paris that the definitive peace had been signed, that the team managers had left the French capital fully satisfied. And in Milan, the engineer Carlo Chili confirms that the final agreement has been reached. In reality, there is still a small obstacle to overcome. In Paris, the sporting director of Ferrari, Marco Piccinini, and that of Renault, Jean Sage, remain to discuss with the president of FISA. Jean-Marie Balestre. The composition of the Formula 1 Commission is still in doubt: the sporting authorities want the manufacturers to have only one representative on this committee, the interested parties reply that they want two. It is an apparently negligible issue but the very fact that it is the subject of a fierce dispute means that both parties attach great importance to the composition of this commission. In fact, the men called to be part of it will decide on the regulations and calendars in the near future.
Consequently, having it under control will mean having command in the world of Formula 1. In any case, the document presented by the manufacturers after the meeting in Modena seems to have been approved with minor amendments. Unfortunately (but by now the protagonists of this affair have all gotten used to this stressful tug of war that has really tired the fans in particular) the formal drafting of the final document will take a few more days. We will probably have to wait until Monday 23 February 1981 to toast the end of this painful dispute which has become an authentic farce. However, it must be recognized that a clarification will end up doing good for Formula 1. Since it is not only a sport but also a 100.000.000 dollar deal (as FOCA defined Formula 1 itself) which involves of private manufacturers and large car manufacturers, it will be appropriate to follow the discussions and uncertainties of ten months with a period of stability and security. Too bad that the battle between FISA and FOCA was followed by other events, such as the abandonment of racing by Goodyear, which will certainly affect at least the start of the next championship. Many teams, among other things, have not yet prepared the cars that will face the first race in Long Beach in a few days and this will end up causing a rather irregular start. Twenty-four hours after the signing of the agreement between manufacturers and sports authorities for Formula 1, a new team officially enters the world of Grand Prix. In fact, the English team Toleman is presented in a Milanese hotel. The reason why the christening takes place in Italy is simple: the cars of the Withey team in Oxfordshire are - to put it simply - shod and dressed by Italian industries. The tires will in fact be Pirelli, the sponsor Candy, a well-known brand of household appliances. Although she is the latest arrival, Toleman certainly has the possibility to immediately stand out, despite being at her total debut. The drivers, the English Brian Henton and Derek Warwick, are new to Formula 1, the car made with ultra-modern construction techniques is new, the engine is also new, the only four-cylinder turbo in this category, made by Brian Hart. except Ted Toleman, 43, president of the stable and of a group of thriving companies, billionaire, offshore champion. and his very efficient right-hand man Alex Hawkridge have clear ideas. The program they have prepared for the next three years reveals unbridled ambition and boundless faith in their abilities.
"Gain experience during this season and maybe win a few races (perhaps already in South America, i.e. in the second or third round), take many victories in 1982 and win the world title in 1983".
Declares Hawkridge, giving the impression of not joking. And to underline their intention, they put a large inscription like this in the saloon where the new car, called TG 181, is being presented: Candy-Toleman World Champion 198… A little presumption doesn't hurt. However, the fact remains that Toleman has done things right, starting with the agreement with Pirelli with which she won the European Formula 2 last year. Thus, Italian industry returns to Formula 1 after having abandoned it in 1957 when it equipped the fabulous Maserati. And Pirelli's return to Formula 1 is almost revolutionary. The Milanese company has in fact created radial tires with unusual characteristics for Toleman. In fact, unlike conventional tyres, these Super performance tires are asymmetrical, i.e. they have a square outer shoulder and a round inner one. Basically, the technicians headed by engineer Mezzanotte, on the basis of the experiences obtained in Formula 2 and in the Sportscar World Championship won with Lancia, have theoretically overcome what is considered the handicap of the radials, i.e. too strong support on the inside shoulder which requires the use of compounds that are too hard (Ferrari knows something about it...). For the moment, however, the Tolemans have not yet undergone definitive tests because their construction has just finished. On Monday 9 March 1981 the cars will probably be tested in Monza, or in some other circuit, after which it will be decided whether to make their debut in South America at the end of March. Formula 1 starts practically from scratch. On Sunday 15 March 1981, in Long Beach, in the usual street circuit, a World Championship will begin under the banner of uncertainty. Leaving aside the controversies that have troubled the world of Grand Prix over the last ten months and which have discredited a sport that is among the most popular, it must be said that all the uncertainties with which the new season is presented promise a splendid series of races without prediction. The abolition of the infamous miniskirts (which in the last two years had made many races as boring as a two-hour monologue), the adoption, at least in the first tests, of a single tyre, that of Michelin, the profound technical evolution with the massive advent of supercharged engines, the arrival of new teams that don't hide ambitions, guarantee a fight that, if there are no surprises, will accompany all fourteen races of the championship.
It is difficult, when presenting the World Championship, to say today what will be the dominant motifs of 1981. Williams will try to defend the supremacy conquered last year with Alan Jones and will certainly always be at the top. But it will have to defend itself from the attacks that will be brought on it from all sides. From Brabham which threatened it thoroughly last year, from Renault which with an extra year of experience in terms of turbos, perhaps starts with a significant advantage. But the main questions concern Ferrari which in 1980 with the controversial T5 lost the supremacy it had demonstrated in previous seasons. The Maranello technicians are grappling with a completely new car, still undecided about the choice between the KKK supercharged bi-turbo engine and the brand new Comprex. There are reliability and performance issues that may be addressed with some more data after the initial Long Beach test. The same is more or less true for Alfa Romeo which, enriched by Mario Andretti's experience, nonetheless finds itself starting over with a different car from the one that had given great satisfaction and much hope towards the end of last year. Furthermore, on a technical level, it will be necessary to verify how valid some avant-garde solutions adopted by some teams are, such as McLaren, which has relied on materials of aeronautical origin (for example, the carbon fiber used to build the body) or the Lotus which has studied particular aerodynamic solutions that will certainly cause discussion. An additional reason of interest for the Italian fans will be the presence of a large number of Italian riders. From the already established De Angelis, Patrese and Giacomelli, to the young De Cesaris who landed at McLaren, to Gabbiani who ended up at Osella, to Stohr chosen by Arrows, to get to the American Eddie Cheever that Ken Tyrrell wanted in his stable. There is enough to await the start of the races with great anticipation and a lot of curiosity. Again during the presentation of the 1981 World Championship, it must be said that the golden helmet of the Formula 1 World Champion did not change Alan Jones. The thirty-four-year-old Australian driver, winner of the title last year with Williams, has maintained exactly the same attitudes of the past: he hasn't become a star, he's a character out of place in an environment where everyone tries to get noticed, above all he still doesn't care public relations Talking to him is always difficult in his splendid home in Los Angeles, however. Jones releases a few brief statements, while avoiding going into the general situation of Formula 1. To a precise question, based on an observation, namely on the fact that lately no driver has managed to repeat his success one year after another, the Australian driver answers:
"These are things I know very well but they don't concern me. I am different from everyone and my team is different. I know very well that the glory of winning a race lasts only one day and that the triumph of the world title is over immediately after conquering it. I think I'm a good fighter and above all I have a team behind me that wants to get there. We cannot compare with others. If we look at the last two world title winners, Andretti and Scheckter, we can see that they belonged to two highly decorated teams. Lotus won 71 Grands Prix, while Ferrari took everything there was to take. We at Williams, on the other hand, only won eleven races. There is still a long way to go, then".
What will happen this season?
"We looked to the future. When I won the title, in October in Montreal, our design engineer Patrick Head was in England preparing the new car. When we assert ourselves in a competition, in our motorhome, together with the technicians and Frank Williams, we never talk about what happened or the past. But we prepare immediately for the next engagement. This happened for the 1980 World Championship. We put a stone on it and thought about the future".
So is he still favorite for 1981?
"I did not say this. It will be very difficult. We start at a disadvantage compared to the teams that have declared themselves loyal to FISA. While the FOCA teams honored their contracts with South Africa and Reutemann obtained a beautiful but useless victory, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Renault and Talbot continued their tests with the cars prepared for the new regulations. We definitely miss these three months of work. But this doesn't make me despair because I really believe in Williams and Head. Our designer has certainly not lost his imagination and inventiveness. He's a great technician and I'm convinced he'll set up a car for me that can win again".
But Ferrari and Lotus were also competitive and then they weren't able to repeat themselves...
"It's the fault of the technicians, not the riders. It was they, the Ferrari and Lotus technicians, who made mistakes, or who rested on their laurels. I hope this doesn't happen with Williams".
From Friday 13 March 1981 the Formula 1 engines will roar again. With the first day of practice for the US West Grand Prix, on the by now classic street circuit of what is the most important commercial port on the American west coast, you enter the climate of the 1981 World Championship. The agreement signed in extremis in Paris between the sporting authorities and the manufacturers kicked off the championship, but controversies and suspicions did not disappear. Indeed, right now the fun begins. Unfortunately, the environment is polluted, economic interests continue to prevail over sport: it is difficult for the season to pass peacefully. In this regard, the Argentine pilot Carlos Reutemann says:
"Formula 1 has become a den of bandits. We shouldn't even get on the cars to start in the qualifying rounds. And it is not excluded that someone decides not to compete".
The situation is still serious. At least three problems are still present and it is not clear how they can be tackled and solved: the cars built by playing on the lack of clarity of the regulations; drivers who could not drive in Formula 1; the tires that will not be the same for all teams. Outlawed cars. To counter the arrival of turbocharged engines, the British manufacturers in the new regulations just signed have asked for a four-year stability. Some points of the technical standards, however, have been written in a way that lends itself to different interpretations. Thus Lotus has created a single-seater, the 88, with a double chassis (one rigidly attached to the bodywork and then superimposed by very hard springs on another normal chassis) which should allow the ground effect to be used perfectly, even without the side skirts, now abolished. The technical managers of all the other teams dispute the regularity of this invention by Colin Chapman and ask for this car to be excluded from the race. The same could be said for Brabham which has prepared a single-seater with hydraulic pressure devices to lower the car while racing. However, the managers of the two teams (Chapman and Ecclestone) bring two more traditional-type cars to Long Beach. However, FISA does not have specialists good enough and trained to enforce the law during scrutineering. Another car under attack is the new McLaren, whose chassis is made of carbon fibre. Some argue that, in the event of an accident, it would be dangerous due to its fragility. Different tyres. Michelin will supply the tires to all the teams until Pirelli and Avon arrive. But the majority of the teams accuse the French company of wanting to favor its factory teams (Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Renault and Talbot). Italian and French cars would be given tires of the most modern type, the TRX, while the others would be given 1980 model tires. This distribution system could give rise to violent protests. Billionaire pilots. The bad habit of hiring drivers who are not officially authorized to race in Formula 1 is spreading more and more. All you need to do is pay hundreds of millions to enter the Grands Prix. Ensign has signed a contract with the unknown Colombian Londono (who will not compete in Long Beach, however) only because he is a billionaire. Many other drivers would not yet have had the necessary score for the Formula 1 super license and among these are Serra, Mansell, the American Kevin Cogan (who will drive the second Tyrrell alongside Cheever), Angel Guerra, the Italian Sigfried Stohr, the South American Salazar. The president of FISA, Jean-Marie Balestre, has announced action against this abuse. He's certainly right, but he too should have thought about it first. Now there is the risk of causing a new earthquake with unpredictable consequences. In short, we are on the eve of the races but everything is still confused, everything can blow up, giving rise to an irregular World Championship.
"There are two types of constructors in Formula 1: those who, having become aware of a regulation, design a car on the basis of the required technical standards and others who, instead, study all possible systems to try to obtain advantages by circumventing the regulations themselves. It is also human that there are those who try to be clever. Unfortunately, however, all the troubles derive from the fact that there is no such a strong sporting authority capable of enforcing not only the rules but also the intentions expressed in the laws. So we are once again at a crossroads. If the attempts to cheat the technical agreements made in all these months of decisions are allowed to pass unscathed, we will end up in chaos again".
Mauro Forghieri, Ferrari designer for eighteen years, has clear ideas about what is happening right now, on the eve of the first day of practice for the US West Grand Prix.
"If the scrutineers want, they can block the outlawed cars not only during checks but also during practice or before the race. It will be enough to send a sturdy tow truck and remove the machines that are not in order".
The reference to what has happened in recent days, to the suspicions concerning Lotus and Brabham, is more than evident. Without arriving at the absurd proposal expressed by Chiti (Alfa Romeo) and Ligier (Talbot) in a meeting between representatives of the major car manufacturers (the two asked to return to cars with miniskirts to frustrate the scam attempts of those who want to obtain equally the ground effect), it would be sufficient to apply the regulations to the letter to put the situation back in order. However, the story will be resolved, for better or for worse, in the next few hours with a meeting of all the manufacturers and subsequent official technical checks. In any case, it's also time to talk about the season that's about to start and the conversation with Forghieri naturally moves on to Ferrari. The Maranello team has abandoned the glorious 12-cylinder boxer engines to venture into the field of supercharging with the Turbo and the Comprex.
"We've done a lot of testing, but we feel the need for a deeper test in the race. We have prepared two solutions, that of the Turbo, which has also been created with some small new modifications, and that of the Comprex, which is instead totally new in racing at this level. We know that a company like Renault has been working for years and now still has problems to overcome and that's why we are under no illusions. We too will face some unknown factors".
So this will be another year of transition for Ferrari…
"It all depends on how things develop. Never before have there been so many innovations as in 1981. Perhaps - even if it may make you laugh - the least important fact is the abolition of miniskirts. Changing and reducing the size of tires, for example, is relevant. And the fact that there is no more Goodyear must be considered. Let's not forget that last year, right here in Long Beach, the American company made Piquet win by giving him those tires that were clearly better than those of the others. Of course the Michelin. providing a mono-tyre to all the teams, it will put every rider on the same level, on equal terms".
A prediction for the world title?
"I would say Renault. Last year the French company proved to be close to the top. And with a few more months of experience, it can only go on".
And Ferrari?
"We have two riders who are excellent professionals and respect each other. Villeneuve and Pironi are also not very sensitive to external pressures because each of them knows exactly where they want to go. Our president hired them to respect certain rules, then we'll see in the running. To anyone who thinks that they might even get in each other's way, I say: two good riders are better than two bad ones and they're even better than one good and one bad".
To conclude, can Ferrari also think about winning the world title again this year or should it give up from the start?
"We always think about winning. We only run to win. Also last year we started to conquer the title. Just that. occasionally, you make a car that goes half a second faster a lap than it did last year and find that someone has managed to make one that goes two seconds faster. Then you have to throw yourself into the future, review all your accounts".
The confusion in Formula 1 continues. The controversies and discussions follow one another and talk is now made through the lawyers, the representatives of the teams, the men of the sporting authority, other teams, who present an appeal against the car of the English team, considered illegal and outside the regulations for 1981. There are 11 (out of 15) teams officially protesting against Lotus. Until now, a few hours after the first qualifying round, it is still unknown what will happen, whether the car will be disqualified or admitted to the race. According to the latest rumors, the stewards are determined not to disqualify her, also because they are not up to making a decision and above all so as not to disavow their work. In any case, this further Formula 1 controversy causes, for the first time in history, a break between the English teams, always united in their actions. Chapman was harshly attacked by the men from Brabham and outvoted, but resisted in his intentions of presenting the car with two chassis. In a meeting held on the morning of Thursday 12 March 1981, attended only by the heads of the British teams, Bernie Ecclestone tries to convince the owner of Lotus to give up presenting the car, but he fails. Subsequently a plenary meeting with all the manufacturers and a vote for and against Lotus takes place. In the majority the teams pronounce themselves negatively; only Tyrrell, Fittipaldi and Ensign refrain from filing a claim against Chapman. The English manufacturer shows arrogant, and even makes fun of the other participants in the assembly, presenting himself with an English dictionary with which he explains the meaning of the words of the technical regulation. The other participants, however, respond harshly, and Gordon Murray, designer of Brabham, leaves. Mauro Forghieri, Ferrari's technical manager, on the other hand, prefers to attack the presumptuous Colin harshly, and tells him that no one believes his justifications. However, the environment is very shaken, and it is not yet known what will happen on the track this morning when, at 10:00 a.m., the first non-timed qualifying sessions of the United States West Grand Prix will have to start.
However, there is a lot of anticipation for when the cars will take to the track, to see if all this controversy will be justified: it seems in fact that the contrasts with the revolutionary Lotus may also be unjustified, as the car has not yet given major demonstrations of competitiveness. However, this is a matter of principle, and for this reason the other teams are opposed to putting it on the track. On a sporting level, everyone points to the supremacy of Brabham, which, among other things, also has a strange device that could be considered outlawed. It is a series of gas springs which should - operated by the driver - lower the car during practice. Some are betting on Alfa Romeo, which with Mario Andretti and Bruno Giacomelli could become one of the favourites. On the other hand, the participation of Ferrari is unknown, which for the first time takes to the circuit to compete with the turbo engines of Renault and with the other already tested Cosworth and Matra of Ligier. If the Lotus affair doesn't bring negative news, the first data will be available by Friday tonight. From Saturday, then, there will be a battle for the starting grid, which will kick off the World Championship on Sunday. On the asphalt strip of Ocean Boulevard, between houses in a vaguely colonial style and very modern buildings, among palm trees and oleanders, applauded by a very large audience, 29 cars sprint away for the first round of non-timed practice of the Grand Prix of the USA West. The classic roar of naturally aspirated engines, of the 12-cylinder Alfa Romeo and Matra, of the 8-cylinder Cosworth, the crackling hiss of the Renault turbos and the squeak of the Ferrari Comprex (the noise of which sounds more like the lament of a mouse than the rumble of a car racing to the delight of ecologists) opens hostilities. A breath of sport after so many controversies, after the suffocating discussions which unfortunately are not over yet. In the middle of the lot of competitors, the new and revolutionary Lotus 88 does not start, the subject of an endless series of meetings in the last two days. The car did not start, however, only because the English team's mechanics were unable to get it right in time.
The car on Thursday had been deliberated regularly after the technical checks carried out by the American commissioners who found no violation of the regulation in the double chassis designed by Colin Chapman. The fact aroused the protest of the other teams and, as mentioned, eleven of them (all, excluding Fittipaldi, Tyrrell and Ensign) signed a complaint asking for the exclusion from the 88 races because it was irregular. Now the practice is being examined by the sports commission which will have to decide within a short time. However, there are several possible solutions: the car could be admitted to the sub-judice trials, expelled, or definitively approved. However, the latter hypothesis would give rise to further protests from the other teams who are ready for joint action to prevent the use of the single-seater. There were violent disagreements between the manufacturers. Colin Chapman, the owner of Lotus, had to face the ire of his own compatriots and then had a clash with the designer of Ferrari, the engineer Mauro Forghieri. At the FOCA meeting, Bernie Ecclestone tried in vain to get Chapman to pick up the car. The Lotus manager was adamant.
"You're all pissed at me because I had an idea that you didn't have. It's not the first time, it had already happened with miniskirts". However, the owner of the British team forgets to remember that the same miniskirts were outlawed by the regulations and had only been accepted due to the lack of strength of the sporting authorities. At this point a rift arose between the English constructors (it is the first time this has happened in the history of Formula 1) and in the following meeting, in the presence of the heads of all the teams. Chapman introduced himself as a university lecturer in front of the students. Showing an English dictionary, Chapman began to recite explaining, word by word, the meaning of the technical standards of international regulations. At one point, Brabham designer Gordon Murray got up and stormed off. When Chapman began to tell us that nothing on Earth is static compared to the Sun, Forghieri blurted out:
"You think you take us all for idiots but you're wrong. The car is irregular and we will make a complaint".
Soon after, eleven teams signed the official protest which is now being examined by stewards who unfortunately are not up to the task. Fittipaldi, harshly rebuked again by Forghieri himself who accused him of being afraid of Chapman, did not sign the complaint, citing as a reason the fact that he doesn't have turbo engines and must defend himself; Tyrrell because he owes Chapman and Ensign because, counting for nothing, he desires no enemies. Engineer Carlo Chiti, head of the Alfa Romeo team, says he will not let anything pass as has happened in previous years and that any irregularities will be reported.
"I will make one complaint a day, until the cheating stops".
There is much work to do on Friday, during the test-session in the morning and the timed session in the afternoon, because the Long Beach circuit can’t be used beforehand for testing as it comprises the normal streets of the city, like Monaco, so the tempo on the first day is one of settling in and sorting things out. In spite of all the political and legal wrangling during the winter, now that the first proper Grand Prix is on, everyone get stuck in and all seem well with the world, except for one small blot on the landscape. This involve the new twin-chassis Lotus 88 in which the aerodynamic functions have been isolated from the dynamic functions, which have been accepted and passed by the scrutineers, but is then protested by Colin Chapman’s friends and rivals. By lunch-time on Friday the Long Beach organisers have given Chapman the impression that the protest have been thrown out and the car is acceptable, so de Angelis started to practice with it, but then the fuel pump drive fail so he has to transfer to his Lotus 81 while repairs are effected. It is out again before the end of the afternoon but do not get any serious timed laps in. This short run showed up one or two teething-troubles and on Friday night there is some intensive machine-shop work being done in Long Beach to make bits and pieces. When the day is over the organisers announce that the protest have now been upheld and the Lotus 88 is illegal, but it could continue running until higher authority have decided. As regards everyone else there are some clear messages to be read. World Champion Alan Jones is justifying his title and is setting the pace, with a best time of 1'20"911 in a bracket all on his own.
The Williams team in general are right on top of the situation with Reutemann up there in fourth place. Ferrari are back in the game with a vengeance with their totally new cars, Villeneuve being third fastest and Pironi fifth. Jarier is giving inspiration to the Talbot team, with their temporary Matra V12 power plant and get himself into second position overall, and Patrese is hurling the Arrows round to good effect. The Alfa Romeos are up there, as are the Lotus 81 cars, but the McLarens are looking a bit hopeless and the Renaults seems to be marking time. The Scuderia Ferrari have started off with all their efforts centred on the Brown Boveri Comprex supercharging system, both drivers using this layout, but Villeneuve has the drive-belt to the supercharger break and while he is out in the T-car, fitted with twin KKK turbo-chargers he not only go a lot faster, but is faster than Pironi with the other Comprex. The first round of practices not valid for qualifying reproposes, in an hour and a half, the duel that had been the dominant theme of 1980, i.e. a battle between Jones and Piquet. The World Champion sets the best time in 1'21"26 and the Brazilian the second time in 1'22"045. Behind the two pacesetters the two old model Lotuses with Mansell in third position and De Angelis in fourth. The Ferraris they mark the eighth time with Pironi and the tenth with Villeneuve. As far as Alfa is concerned, Andretti is twelfth and Giacomelli sixteenth. Some minor accidents also occur which lead to the interruption of practice: on the second lap Giacomelli, while leaving the pits, is closed by Patrese and ends up against a wall ruining the spoiler of his Alfa. Shortly after Giacomelli himself still has a problem due to a fire and is forced to stop along the way. During the evening of Friday 13 March 1981, the long-awaited news arrives that the controversial Lotus 88 is excluded from the United States Grand Prix The decision, expected but still without many precedents, is taken by the technical commission and officially communicated by the race organizer, Chris Pook, together with the president of the stewards. The reason why the car is considered irregular is quite nebulous, but it still reflects the request of the complaint presented by eleven teams that had considered the car completely outside the regulations.
Basically, the stewards accepted the protest and declared the car outlawed due to the fact that a part of the chassis was attached to the suspension with four springs. The second chassis of the car is in practice put on a par with the bodywork, and as the latter is prohibited from being attached to sprung parts, this decision is made which is final even if the owner of the Lotus. Colin Chapman, will have the opportunity to appeal to the FIA tribunal in Paris. The exclusion of the Lotus 88 puts an end to the violent controversy that inflamed the first two days of the USA West Grand Prix. In any case, the car, which only completed three laps during the first qualifying round, did not show particularly competitive qualities. Driven by the Roman Elio De Angelis, it completes three laps of the course, the first at a very slow pace in 8'59"0 (the best time in practice is obtained by Jones in 1'20"91), at an average speed of 21.701 km/h; the next one is done in 6'09"0, at an average of 31.672 km/h, and the third, after a long stop in the pits, in 1'31"3. at an average of 128,057 km/h. Subsequently, due to a broken cable, the car was stopped and De Angelis got on the old 81 with which he gained further satisfaction. Saturday, once the controversies have subsided, the race will therefore get into full swing. The first day of testing highlights Alan Jones, intent on repeating last season, when he won almost all the races. With his Williams the Australian made a few laps at extraordinary speed, proving to be a great striker as always, taking incredible risks that sent thousands of spectators into raptures. The closest to good Alan is Jean Pierre Jarier. a driver who hadn't climbed into a Formula 1 single-seater for six months. The transalpine replaces Jabouille who is still injured driving the Talbot and proves to be, as always, a man with steady nerves and a very fast drive. Behind the two leaders finally a Ferrari, which seems to be back, at least for the moment, with its supercharged engines, at the top. Third place for Villeneuve and fifth for Pironi, with Reutemann in the middle. At the end of the first day of testing, the two men from the Maranello team appear very satisfied, as do the technicians who really weren't hoping for such a brilliant debut. On Saturday they will try, in the decisive second day of qualifying, to at least maintain the position if not to improve it. Riccardo Patrese is also in an excellent position, finishing sixth, while De Angelis takes eighth place. A slightly less good result than expected for Alfa Romeo, Andretti seventh and Giacomelli tenth.
But starting from Saturday morning the two riders of the Milanese team will try to climb a few places. Quite satisfactory, also the debut of Osella from Turin, who has Gabbiani practically already qualified and Guerra first of the excluded, but still in contention to be able to enter the role of starters who will start the great race on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.. Are a few kilometers of practice, just over a few hours of timed tests, enough to provide sufficient reasons to understand what could happen in Formula 1 this year? It is certainly too early to make an in-depth speech. The indications are scarce, many cars are still in the development and development phase and some drivers perhaps have not yet assimilated the characteristics of the cars available. However, talking to the protagonists of the race that will officially open the world championship today, we can get an idea of what could happen in the future, of the reasons that will guide a long and difficult season. The theme is of course the world title. Alan Jones says that for many years no champion has managed to win two consecutive times, but that he hopes a lot in a very valid team like Williams, claiming that they still have intact energy and will to fight. It is the same thing that its rivals think too. The only difference depends on the fact that many are convinced that the situation could change, that Williams is no longer uncatchable as in many 1980 races. Didier Pironi affirms:
"We at Ferrari are in a recovery phase. Personally, I think that Alan Jones will not be able to repeat last year's results for many factors. In a short time the supercharged cars will come out of arrogance and for the others there will be little to do. At the end of these days of testing, I can confirm that I am extremely happy with my move to the Maranello team. The great professionalism, competence and motivation, the technical and material possibilities, the human potential are enormous. I've been around many teams, seen everything, but I haven't yet seen something close to perfection, what all riders would like to have. With this I don't want to argue that Ferrari is always able to beat everyone and that sometimes it can't make mistakes. However, it must be recognized that the results obtained in Maranello are exceptional. Let's take an example: Renault has been working on a car powered by a supercharged engine for a long time. At Ferrari this path has been taken for a relatively short time. Well, I am convinced that in terms of engines, both with the Turbo KKK and with the Comprex, Ferrari is already clearly superior to the great French manufacturer. As a car, Renault is probably still superior at the moment, more perfect, but we are making great strides".
Pironi talks willingly: he says he gets on very well with Villeneuve ("But sometimes the Canadian will have to resign himself to seeing the back of my car") and that he has established an excellent relationship with engineer Forghieri.
"If sometimes the compressed engines are slow to respond, the same cannot be said of our technician. Just explain to him what the problems are and he knows exactly where to put his hands right away. And this too has never happened to me with other designers".
The Ferraris are therefore back to fighting in the top positions. But are Maranello's cars ready for a win?
"Maybe not immediately, but in two months it will also be possible to win. We still have problems with the reliability of some engine parts and grip. But there are two explanations. One is an engine problem: our engine is probably a bit too heavy and makes it difficult to balance the car. The second is due to a situation of the moment. We have to use all the same Michelin tires for the first three races. But when the French manufacturer can take better care of us and assist only the factory teams, there will be tires that are much more suitable for our Ferraris".
If the will to win is very much alive in Pironi, it cannot be said that it is lacking in Alfa Romeo. Results aside, Mario Andretti, in his first competitive experience with Autodelta cars in Formula 1, is convinced that he will be able to do battle in the very first places.
"We are already ready, and starting today we will give a hard time to those who intend to get on the podium. Unfortunately many teams try to cheat on weight or other tricks, while we are very regular. All you need to do is adopt a few softer springs to lower the cars during the race and you'll see that there won't be many problems".
Some difficulties, however, for Giacomelli who feels his car is not yet perfectly balanced. But the Brescian is also counting on starting the season in a brilliant way.
"We wouldn't be surprised if Alfa fought for the world title. In fact, that's why I'm here".
For the Saturday morning test-session the weather is still fine, with blue skies and sunshine and the Lotus 88 is out again, but before long it is black-flagged off the course and ruled out, with no reason being given! Behind the scenes a lot of people are getting very hot under the collar while others are becoming very embarrassed. Ferrari are in awful trouble, learning the forced-induction route all over again the hard way, while Renault are looking on with a degree of sympathy having been through it all. Villeneuve’s car (051) is been fitted with the KKK system in place of the BBC Comprex while Pironi has taken the T-car (050) with KKK system and his own car (049) with Comprex is now relegated to the T-car position. All is going well to begin with and while not the fastest cars on lap time they are recording the highest terminal speeds on the bottom straight (171 m.p.h. against the average 162 m.p.h. of the others). You can’t extract 550 b.h.p. from 1500 c.c, without a few teething-troubles and Villeneuve’s run come to a stop when a sparking plug check reveal a piston disintegrating in number one cylinder on the right-hand bank. The car is wheeled away for an engine change and Villeneuve transfers to the Comprex car, but this refuse to run properly and a fault is found in one of the injection pipes. By the time this is rectified the morning session is nearly over. Meanwhile Pironi has been reported losing oil round the circuit, and sure enough he come into the pits with oil running out of the gearbox due to a loose plug, so while one Ferrari is hoisted up in the air to be repaired, another is away in the garage area having an engine change and the third would not run properly. Not a Ferrari morning. It is not a McLaren morning either for the new space-age MP4 is being abandoned as needing more testing and Watson transfers to his T-car, an M29F. In the final hour, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., the final decisions have to be made and the fortunate twenty-four for the grid is to be decided. Now the pace get really frenzied and a good lap time on Friday begin to look pathetic and hopeless.
Alan Jones still set the pace and is the first driver to break into the 1'19"0, Mansell’s progress is halted for a bit when he ran out of fuel, Villeneuve is back in his KKK car with a new engine, and the scene is looking good, with Talbots pounding after Renaults; Alfa Romeos pounding after Ferraris; Lotus, Williams and Brabhams battling away, the World Champion setting the pace, the World Champion team still the one to beat and the glorious confusion of V6, V8 and V12 engines. Jones just kisses the concrete wall with his left rear wheel on the exit of the last corner and bent a suspension member, parking the car at the end of the pit lane and running back to get into the spare Williams car. The spring sunshine in California can be deceptively hot and as regular readers will recall from my 1980 Long Beach report, I succumb to the heat and become slightly delirious about Jan Lammers being on pole-position and the helmsman’s face showing white at the wheelhouse. As the sun get hotter this year I look through the window of the wheelhouse and see that the helmsman’s face is really white! As I go under I hear someone say that Patrese is on pole-position with a Beta-Ragno. That is bad enough, but worse followed, for beneath the orange and chequered-white colour scheme of the car is one of last year’s Arrows A3 cars. As the men in white carried me away I begin to wonder whether Walt Disney and Hollywood are behind the whole Formula One business. After spending Saturday evening at the midget-car meeting at Ascot Speedway, where they race eight abreast in full-lock power-slides with inter-locked wheels, on loose shale, sanity returns and Sunday morning dawn cool and clear. By mid-morning the sun is warming up nicely and at 11:10 a.m., in between all manner of other activities such as kart racing, sidecar racing and foot racing, the Formula 1 field have a 30 minute warm-up period.