Wookey F1 Challenge story only

Oulton Park Circuit, England
Sunday 22nd August 1971

A week after the Austrian Grand Prix there was a brief break from the championship schedule in the form of the International Gold Cup at Oulton Park, now sponsored by Rothmans. As usual for the event the field was opened to Formula 5000 cars (the class results counting for the European championship series, also sponsored by Rothmans).
After a very restless night, in the presence of Barry Sheene and James Hunt, Taka Katsumoto gives her wheel to this event to the young driver James Hunt who will make his F1 debut. I will not explain why this decision, but she fell in love with the young British.
Many absent for the Gold Cup, the organizers have invited F 5000 to fill. Two surprises at the start: the young James Hunt, therefore, pilot of F3 replaces Taka Katsumoto with the support of Lord Hesketh. Herbert Müller, a well-known endurance rider, takes the wheel of the old Lotus 72 from Siffert.

One test session, and that's the feeling! Hunt wins the pole at the start of the session, then a brief ripple refreshes the track. Nobody can get his tires warm enough to beat the time of English! Stewart and I are getting closer to a few hundredths, but that's not enough. Next are Mennella, Vaillant, Scheller, Depailler, McLeod, Priori, Cole, Cevert and Sanders' Crosslé, first F5000.

At the flag, Hunt did not miss his departure and Stewart jumped in his wheels, he rush dasn The Avenue but a lurch, very rare for him approaching Cascades. Mennella narrowly avoids it, and I have no choice but to party in the grass ...
Lack of luck rebound on the vibrator, my right front wheel crashes in the mud and I go in cabriole!
Fortunately, clearance is important. after a complete turn the car falls back on its two wheels and I am left for the fear ... And a sacred pain on my body hardly recovered from my accident of Zandvoort. Bad luck !

With the help of the marshals, I get out of the Wookey before they sprinkle it with plenty of dry ice. Nice, who will clean?

I barely remember that I hear a clamor, then a sound of impact. I turn around and look to Hilltop, just above me.
Hunt crashed! Then I hear applause ... Apparently he got away without any pain either.

The race remains lively until the end, but is especially marked by a cascade of abandons. Accidents, various breakdowns. And in the end, it's still Stewart's Tyrrell that wins. Scheller is second to Redman who wins the F5000 race.

English version wrote:The Italian Grand Prix in Monza marks the first anniversary of the death of Jochen Rindt, whom nobody has forgotten in the paddock. But this event is also a big event for the Italian motor sport and for the tifosi. The atmosphere is unique on this route so atypical, ultra-fast, where the drivers brake only twice during the lap: at the first corner of Lesmo and before the Parabolica.
At the end of the Austrian Grand Prix, the drivers' title seems to have been promised to Jackie Stewart. Only Siffert is still in a position to threaten the Scottish, but he should for that reason win the remaining 3 races.
Following the saw-tooth performance of his cars throughout the season, Enzo Ferrari publicly blamed Firestone tires and threatened not to participate in the Italian Grand Prix. Great stir at the organizers of the race: a weekend in Monza without Ferrari, it is a financial disaster assured. Finally the Commendatore returns to his threats. But Jacky Ickx judging the 312 B2 inconduisible decides to fall back on the B1 of 1970. Clay Regazzoni, winner at Monza in 1970, drives the B2. It is equipped with a new engine whose speed is lowered. Regazzoni breaks it in Saturday's practice. A new rear wing is also installed on both cars.
 
Presentation of the event
After missing the Austrian Grand Prix, Matra returns to Italy with a new engine. A lot of work has been done on the intake ducts and the lubrication system. We note the presence of two huge tubes on each side of the engine participating in the system of "catch-tank" imposed by the CSI to prevent oil splashes. Finally the system of fixing the chassis to the engine is also new. By these changes, Matra hopes to get a great result in Italy and save the team season. Jean-Pierre Beltoise is still absent because he is still suspended by the ITUC.
McLaren's season in Formula 1 is so disappointing that Denny Hulme has preferred to play a round of USAC rather than participate in this Grand Prix. Jackie Oliver will be the only one to defend the chances of the New Zealand team, always driving an old M14A.
As in Austria, four BRMs are at the start: three P160s for Jo Siffert, Howden Ganley and Peter Gethin, and one P153 for Helmut Marko. Thanks to the power of its twelve-cylinder engine, which has done wonders at the hands of Siffert in Austria, the team of Louis Stanley appears as the favorite of the event. Dace Criblez continues to learn on his private P160.
Colin Chapman and Team Lotus are still worried by the Italian courts following Jochen Rindt's fatal accident the previous season. As a result Chapman does not make the trip to Lombardy and the team comes under the puppet banner of Worldwilde Racing, a structure owned by Sports Director Peter Warr. It presents only the turbine 56B, entrusted to Emerson Fittipaldi. Because of the strong heat on the circuit, the turbine does not reach its maximum efficiency. Anyway, this car is not developed at all. "We changed gear to increase the speed," says Fittipaldi, "but at its best I can not push her up beyond 300km / h. She's loaded with kerosene, something like 220 liters ... that's ridiculous. I can not even stay in the wake of other cars. "
Jo Siffert bought Rob Walker's Lotus 72 to replace his old March 701 as a rental car. For this race, he entrusted to his compatriot the Swiss sports car champion Herbert Müller, versatile driver, former winner of the Targa Florio and versatile. François Mazet was to take this old March back, but finally, we will not see him at the weekend.
Surtees hires a third TS9 for a ghost, motorcyclist Mike Hailwood says "Mike the bike". Hailwood already raced in Formula 1 between 1963 and 1965 on behalf of Reg Parnell, without much success. He agreed to join his friend John Surtees, just like him former motorcycle champion.

French driver Jean-Pierre Jarier, 25, is back in Formula 1 at the wheel of the March 701 entered by his boss in Formula 2 Marcel Arnold, with the support of Shell. However this old machine, already seen at the Gold Cup, is poorly prepared and Jarier will have much merit to keep on track during the weekend.
Jo Bonnier is again present with his old McLaren M7C, but this time under the red banner of the Scuderia Filipinetti.
Galvanized by the honorable results of Riccardo Priori with a rebuilt model, the team of Silvio Moser makes his return with the Bellasi F1 70 for this single Italian round. Moser only hopes to qualify at the wheel of this car, which was already completely out of date in 1970, and whose young sister is honorably honored, especially thanks to the qualities of her young driver and a flawless preparation.
 Frank Williams, had thought to entrust his 701 to the Brazilian José Carlos Pace, but finally the car could not be repaired since the Gold Cup and he only aligns his 711 for Pescarolo.
The rest of the board is without changes.




Qualifications
As expected, the V12 dominate the qualifications, and Siffert logically takes the pole. But Stewart whose flexible and precise steering adapts perfectly to the circuit manages to slip in front of Ickx. Luigi Mennella and I share the second line ahead of the rest of the V12: Matra, Vaillante and Ferrari ...
Riccardo Priori manages to insert his Bellasi next to Amon. Then McLeod, Katsumoto, Scheller and all the cars, 41 competitors in all appear at the start.



The race.
When lowering the flag, I let myself be surprised and overflow by the two Valiant. It is not a bad thing to let myself be carried away by their aspiration and even if I am only seventh at the end of the first lap the race promises to be long.
By the time they get ready to disappear from my sight at Lesmo, I see Stewart overflow Siffert who is quietly back in his wake.
In Monza, the whole thing is to hang on to the good peloton. Aspiration plays a vital role, and the important thing is to be in a group close enough to the head. As we are all old folks to share our heads, the few changes of position that excite the tifosis in the stands do not worry us more than that in this first part of the race.

On the other hand, you must never let yourself down, as in a cycling race. It is still necessary to pick the worst performers to clarify the situation, and especially save his horse, for the last laps, when the race places will really start.
All this causes a race of attrition and we lose favorites like Ickx, Vaillant or Mennella, then half-race Jo Siffert who loses all chances for the championship. From then on, Stewart ensures. He just needs to enter the points to be World Champion. Gethin, Warson, Amon and Peterson stay in their wheels and wait for their time. Time off the hook, I manage to pick up in the wheels of Regazzoni at the same time as the Blue Lotus of Briot that is the race of his life and my friend Pierre Scheller who seems to have measured his effort.
As we approach three quarters of the race, a sudden storm breaks out. Stewart can immediately get his tires wet, followed by the rest of the competitors except Scheller, Briot, Hill and me.
Scheller takes the lead of the race, I get off his suction to recover some visibility after the spray of water that his tires raise.
Although smooth, our Michelin tires still behave quite well in the rain to make the risky bet to keep them in case the downpour is brief and the track dry. Briot and Hill, they do amazing feats with their Goodyear.
Unfortunately the downpour does not stop, and competitors wearing rain tires start to get closer. We need to increase the pace or we will lose everything. Hill is the first to go at fault. Briot carefully raises his foot.
Scheller, still in the lead, hopes to return to his season in half hue. I sail at 3 seconds without trying to raprocher. Behind Stewart is on the attack, but not thoroughly. He passes Briot, then just manages his lead over Gethin a third place enough to secure the title.
Taking a turn at Pierre Bat, Scheller, blinded by the wall of drops of water misses his braking parabolica. I just have time to see him sink into the mud before I realize I'm leading the race. Seeing nothing in my retro, I have to rely on the panels that Henri offers me to manage my advance. Fortunately, now second Stewart does not insist and I win my first Grand Prix of the year.
In the deceleration lap my engine gives way. OUF! I was lucky. If the rain had not made me stand up, he would probably have given in before the finish, like that of my teammate Patrick Depailler.

The following week, Monza, is a series of events that will change the history of F1 for a long time.
- Monday, September 6, Ron Tauranac announces that he passes the hand of the Brabham team to Bernie Ecclestone, British lawyer, former pilot briefly seen in Monaco in 1958 and then as manager of Rindt.
Ecclestone has already started to approach the other British stables to negotiate with the organizers.
- Wednesday, September 8th
RTL announces a major communication operation around its new logo.
- Thursday, September 9, XYZ receives on RTL Denis Briot following his excellent result in Monza. On the set are also the Belgian Pierre Bat, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Erick Bernard, the Swiss Dave Criblez, and finally François Mazet.
The conversation talks about the difficulty of the teams that are not Ecclestone's friends to negotiate travel expenses for GPs across the Atlantic. Tone up. Bernie's personality goes bad with some, unless it is the exorbitant commissions that he would ask ... While the program turns out to unpack on the bottom of the negotiations between teams and organizers.
Jean Farran, boss of the radio, takes advantage of an interruption of pub, followed by a musical interlude, to launch a crazy idea, to which the presents adhere quickly.
The season 71 being played, RTL will be sponsoring a parallel end of the season on 3 races in Europe, with teams that will not go to Canada or the USA. It requires 3 minutes, the show does not resume, and a new record of Claude François is broadcast on the air. Farran rushes into Jean Prouvost's office and pulls out his agreement. He comes out of breath and slips the news to XYZ.
"It's the same song," sings Claude François, but when the record stops, it's just not the same song.
XYZ drops the song live:
- I just learned that for competitors not wishing to travel to America, RTL will organize the Benelux F1 Trophies on the same dates. The races will be broadcast on our antennas, in 3 languages ​​and on Télé Luxembourg, and will also benefit from a wide press coverage of the Prouvost and Bertelsmann groups!
Dennis Briot and Erick Bernard approve without hesitation and immediately agree to participate.
The other pilots present are very favorable and promise to do their best to convince their partners to do the same.
XYZ goes on to say that he personally takes care of finding two circuits to receive the series, and the conversation drifts on the wishes of the drivers for these circuits. Spa, close to Luxembourg is obvious. Yet criticized by the GPDA, to the point that the GP of Belgium was canceled. But, without daring to criticize their elders, the young drivers present seem more attracted by the challenge of the Ardennes toboggan than afraid of danger. Other names include Charade.
Of course, all this will require intense work to be ready in days, but at the time, nobody seemed to find that impossible.
So they did it.
Sunday, September 12, Stéphane Collaro receives Jean-Marie Balestre, Secretary General of the FFSA. Asked about the organization of this parallel trophy, Balestre insists that he must respect the rules of the FIA ​​and therefore be organized by the approved sports bodies.
On the other hand, he has no substantive objection and quotes the British off-season races regularly organized by the press. In the background, the message goes very clearly: If RTL goes through the Federation to organize a race, the FFSA will respond present.
The next day, the RACB officially applies for Spa to host a round.
Tuesday, September 14, on the antennas of RTL we announce not two but three races!
Saturday, September 18, the day before the GP of Canada, not to enter into media competition with him, will take place the GP of Belgium in Spa.
October 2 will be held in the same way the Auvergne Trophy in Charade before the US GP. Finally, the 10 of October will take place the GP of Luxembourg on a provisional circuit traced on the roads of the Grand Duchy, whose classification will decide the possible ex aequo.
A special scale, supposed to motivate the small stables is established which will distribute points until the 10th place. It is modeled on that of GP Moto.
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 and

Throughout this process, rallies multiply. The most impressive contingent comes officially from South America, although the Vulkan Academy is actually located near Silverstone. Team B of the Latin American manufacturer, in the hands of Oreste Berta, presents two cars, And the Spanish subsidiary Pegaso aligns an old T1, but equipped with a brand new engine "Hecho en España" which served secretly bench of test until then. Williams also aligns his team B, the 711 of Pescarolo enjoying the support of the "Band Ecclestone" is Trimmer who inherits the old 701.
Christian Ethuin, rents Bob Bondurant's Shasta, with the support of Motul, a reward appreciated for his loyalty to the small French manufacturer of synthetic oil.
If we add a handful of coming backs of pilots seen here or there during the season, 25 cars are pre-registered for Spa !

In the week leading up to the Canadian GP, ​​I am totally overwhelmed. as the defending champion, the press is harassing me for my feeling about the RTL Trophy, I have to prepare the start of the single seaters for the Americas, and oversee the first laps of the PNB72.
The car is this time a fairly simple evolution of the model 71. Inspired by hooves more and more fashionable, I gave up making a one-piece frontshield like the Tyrrell but I still had two deflectors in front the front wheels, as seen on the BRM and Ferrari at Silverstone, but with a more streamlined shape. I hope to gain penetration without losing support. I also pushed back the rear wing, now cantilevered behind the gearbox. I gain downforce through leverage. In addition, by hanging on the vertical drifts, I managed to completely clear the bottom surface. Indeed, my sponsorship with Concorde gave me access to the most advanced aeronautical technicians who explained to me that it is this surface that works and not the superior as one might think. By releasing the air flow at this location, we gain support which allows to less steer the fin, and thus limit the drag. It's all benefit.
Knowing that I can not finish the championship at the same time, what my past title imposes on me, and develop the car, I hire Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, the best choice available for this, since Patrick Depailler accompanies me to the Americas .
At the same time, I receive friendly pressure to participate in the Trophy RTL. Which gives me an idea. I'm signing Jaussaud to the series. He will test the new car in real conditions, while I honor my commitments in the league.
I detached a team of mechanics, all the more easily that I did not intend to take everyone with me, since the championship is out of reach.
But as I waited a little, I take this opportunity to ask RTL a supplementary budget. Should not miss the opportunity to finance the team a little, right? It will always pay me the displacements of the team and the compensation of "Papy" Jaussaud.

As I take the path of Orly to take my Concorde, I learn the arrival in Francorchamps of two last minute registrants. First, Count Van der Straeten rented a Cosworth DFV that he had mounted on Teddy Pilette's M10B. He told the press that the Belgian GP, ​​saved, could not do without some Belgian competitors. Pierre Bat had to appreciate!

The other is more unexpected. Hannelore Werner had announced his arrival on a Vaillante, but in fact, it is a complete B team that aligns the "Club V" driving school of the brand. And the second chassis is entrusted to a complete unknown, Bulgarian moreover! He runs under the pseudonym "Vasko", which casts doubt on the degree of approval of Teodor Zhivkov's regime to this initiative.
Recall that Bulgaria has just adopted (99.6% by referendum) a new constitution and announced to enter the path of "advanced socialism". In the international context of "détente" where the big Soviet brother tried to return to F1 with Khadi, the kremlinologists are lost in conjecture on how to analyze this commitment.
For his part, Jean-Pierre Vaillant just recalled that in 1963, the Club V had already received a Russian driver, Nicolas Olensky, now specialist in ice racing in his country, and that there was not enough to make a fuss.
Toine Hezemans, the Dutch driver well known in Tourism, is offered a seat by Alfa Romeo. This is the March-alfa already seen this season at the hands of Nani Galli, among others.

RTL Benelux Trophy rnd 1 :
GP de Belgique  

Having made the choice to participate in the North American Championship campaign, it is remote that I am the first round of the Trophy RTL.

Jaussaud took the time to settle the all-new PNB72 during qualifying, and so left the last line, having failed to make a full round. On the phone, I tell him not to worry, to take the race as an additional test session, the result does not matter to me. What is important is to bring as much information as possible to the car and especially to the aerodynamic level, the point on which the car presents the most novelties. For that, the partial times on the various portions of the cricuit, straight or sinuous will inform us. For this, the team has Belgian Citroën agents equipped with lap times at various points along the route. We did not have telemetry at the time!
While some are happy to participate, or think already in 1972, a good fight opposes local Teddy Pilette, the two Valiant, the Bellasi of Priori and Christian Ethuin, who quickly adapted to the erratic behavior of Shasta.

- "This car is weird ... You have the impression that it generates a lot of aerodynamic support, and then all of a sudden, if you have a bump in the curve, you lose everything! When it's billiard, you can go all the way in. The same bumpy turn is like having no fins! " he tells me on the phone.
Of course, at the time, we did not master the "ground effect". It was not until 1976 that Chapman and Murray operated it properly by installing "skirts" to seal the air under the car and keep it low.

To the delight of the Belgian public, the friendly Teddy Pilette on his McLaren F5000 transformed into F1 wins the race, in front of the huge surprise, the Bulgarian driver "Vasko", congratulated by Henri Vaillant, out of Jonquière to oversee Team B of the brand, since Jean-Pierre leads the main team in America the same weekend.
Tony Trimmer completes the podium. Priori, Ethuin, Dimitrov, Bessia, Cole, Hulsebos and Bagration pick up the remaining points.