About Wookey story (comments and discussion)

CReutemann wrote:Monsieur Wookey, this is an interview for "Corsa" a magazine from Argentina, I was hoping you could answer the questions, the more fantasy the best,

1)Monsieur, how do you feel with the car as it seems to have improoved really well after a disastrous begining of the season?

The new engine was a bit of a problem as we experienced drops of torque without really understanding why. It seems our engineers had underestimated the infuence of making it a part odf the working chassis on the performance of some valves. People from Maserati worked hard on the issue and it seems to work much better now.

2)How hard is to be able to present two cars being a private owner in each grand prix? Have you ever been almost out of the race beacause of lack of money?

This year, I do not consider ourselves anymore as a private team. We have technical support from Citroën and their Maserati affiliate. We have good sponsorship from Caron and Air France. Even if our budget is still inferior to that of Lotus or Ferrari, we compete on a really balanced scale with the other makes. We are very satisfied with our partner DSC who put its best efforts to provide us with a great chassis. Nicholas Cole sacrificed his own F1 driver carreer this year to put more effort on the workshop, although his results in F2 speak for themselves. Maybe some day we will build chassis ourselves in France, but we will do this only if we feel we can do better then with him which is not a foreseeable solution.

3)The depart of Bob Bondurant was really a dissapointment for everyone in America, could you tell us what happened exactly? Is it true he was expecting to be treated as a number 1 driver?

Not at all. Bob is a very good friend, and found a new family within the Team, as Henry Bondurand, our chief mechanic insisted on their kinship. But the beginning of the season was really an embarassament for him, and he needed to score some victories to keep is image bankabke for his personal sponsors in the US. So he preffered to focus on the US season, where he accumulates good results in both IMSA and USAC FA races. We both hope to resume our collaboration in the future.

4)During 1967 you were the top contender of the championship alongside with Graham Hill, which was the reason for the car's bad performance in the american season?  Because it failed to score in Canada, US and Mexico

you mean 1968? right? I think the causes are several. To summarize them, our opponents solved the problems that hindered their performances through the season while we could not ameliorate further our own performances to face that new threat. Plus some dose of bad luck and the championship slipped from our hands.

5)What can you say about the rumours that say you will join the Matra team?

These rumours are based on the real admiration I bear towards Jean-Luc Lagardère, a man of great leadership and talent. He honours me with his friendship, so we can sometimes be seen together chatting. But Jean-Luc is close to Simca, while I'm a Citroën man not only on the track but also into my private affairs of car dealing and these logics are unfortunately stronger then friendship. So there is no way I could drive for Matra officially as long as things remains as they are.

6)Since we are gossiping and you have a partnership with Citroën, is it true they are prepearing their own F1 car for 1969 season with the intention of hiring France's best young driver Cevert?

Never heard about this. Cevert is perhaps the best young talent to join F1 since Jochen Rindt. Maybe Carlos Reutemann would deserve a better car, as I noticed a great consistency in his driving too, but I would put the red carpet under the feet of François to get him. Maybe this is this feeling that sparked that rumour? But next year's Citroën F1 will be the Wookey-Maserati built at DSC, it is already official.

7)Can you give us any advance on your 69's car? What it will loke like or something? Is the contract with ELF that Michel Vaillant said you were offer still on the table?

Now you mean 1970, I presume. The 1970 car is already on the building phase.It will keep its Citroën-Maserati V12, in a revised version taking into account the problems we solved this season. I'm glad to send you an artist impression of it for your readers.



Merci monseiur

C'est moi qui vous remercie

CReutemann wrote:Monsieur Wookey, I'd like to participate with a Cosworth 4 wheel drive made by Luigi70 (he gave me permission to do so) with a modified livery and with a surprising driver. Any chance to be allowed to?