Forty years on from Arnoux v Villeneuve: How occasions have modified
Maurice Hamilton
Shut• Veteran F1 journalist, masking the game since 1977
• Motor racing correspondent for the Observer for 20 years
• Has written a number of books and coated F1 for BBC Radio 5 Dwell
Within the wake of the controversial penalty which value Sebastian Vettel the Canadian Grand Prix, Maurice Hamilton remembers the well-known battle on the French Grand Prix — the subsequent race on the F1 calendar — 40 years in the past between two males combating for second place.
1 Associated
There’s an attention-grabbing irony in Renault’s Cyril Abiteboul’s view that dialogue in regards to the notorious Montreal penalty shouldn’t be forgotten now that F1 is shifting on to the subsequent race at Paul Ricard. The paradox is that precisely 40 years in the past, the French Grand Prix was gloriously memorable for an ‘incident’ involving a Renault that lasted the perfect a part of a lap and would have despatched in the present day’s social media into meltdown.
Again then, there was loads of post-race chatter — however 99 p.c of it was pushed by a heady combine of enjoyment and disbelief.
To set the scene: this was Renault’s residence Grand Prix, staged at Dijon-Prenois nearly two years for the reason that French agency had made its F1 debut with a turbo engine that was derisively known as the Yellow Teapot, because of its behavior of terminally spewing smoke.
By 1979, nonetheless. the jokes had stopped. The turbocharging various allowed by the principles was seen to be the best way to go, significantly when Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux made it an all-Renault entrance row. A quick downhill sweep, adopted by a protracted climb in direction of the tip of the two.Four-mile lap, allowed the V6 turbo to get spooled up properly and use its torque and energy to most impact on the one straight worthy of the identify. Even the race day climate – overcast and funky; good for turbos – appeared to level to Renault’s long-awaited maiden win. Saying that, with Gilles Villeneuve a few tenths again in his Ferrari, something was doable.
Gilles Villeneuve completed forward of Rene Arnoux — for second place — on the finish of their thrilling on-track duel. Library/Common Pictures Group through Getty Pictures
Positive sufficient, when Arnoux nearly stalled, Villeneuve darted by way of the hole and snatched the lead from Jabouille going into the primary nook. Then he started to drag away. Arnoux, in the meantime, was recovering from ninth and had carved his method into third by lap 15.
As Villeneuve continued to guide, his Michelins started to endure. Jabouille was enjoying a ready recreation; 80 laps round this twisting circuit was a giant ask in a race with out tyre modifications. On lap 47, France significantly started to dwell the dream because the predominantly yellow automobile handed the crimson one going into the primary nook.
When Arnoux’s pit board relayed the change of place up forward, it was all of the Frenchman wanted to start demolishing the 25-second hole. When he outbraked Villeneuve with three laps to go, college was out. Renaults have been first and second – and that gave the impression to be that.
However this didn’t enable for Villeneuve’s utter refusal to surrender, significantly when he appropriately sensed his rival had a minor gas pick-up downside. Going into the penultimate lap, Villeneuve locked his left-front massively and dived contained in the Renault, retaking second. One way or the other Gilles held on though, judging by the Ferrari’s lurid angles, his tyres have been fully spent. In the beginning of the ultimate lap, Arnoux took his flip and the within line, tyre smoke in every single place as the 2 automobiles ran side-by-side by way of the right-hander.
We have been spectating from the dip on the backside of ‘S de Sablieres’, the place the observe then swept left in direction of the again loop of the circuit. There was a really quick entry over the hill; positively single file and no place to remotely contemplate overtaking.
What we noticed subsequent defied perception. The Renault and the Ferrari appeared over the crest, side-by-side, banging wheels, Arnoux having been off the street and rejoined – with out lifting, after all. The following ricochet of rubber despatched Gilles snaking to the suitable and onto the kerb, René discovering himself barely off line for the left-hander within the dip, however fast sufficient to regain second – just for Villeneuve to seize it again going into the subsequent proper. The gang, packed onto the encircling hillsides, went completely psychological. Villeneuve held on and took second place by zero.24s.
There was not a single phrase of recrimination afterwards. Arnoux and Villeneuve, of comparable slight construct, have been grinning like a pair of naughty schoolboys. It might need been a unique story — however I doubt it — had they been combating for the lead with the championship relying on it.
In any case, there was no apparent process (in comparison with in the present day’s clearly outlined routine) had anybody wished to protest. The File De Press (completely in French, after all) listed two observers from Portugal and Italy, plus six ‘Juges de Fait’, all of whom have been French and probably heading for the Renault-Elf enclosure to help with the consumption of champagne. The celebration of this landmark win was not about to be tainted by outrage from any quarter.
Jean-Pierre Jabouille received the race, nevertheless it was Renault teammate Rene Arnoux (left) and Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve (proper) who stole the post-race plaudits. Bernard Cahier/Getty Pictures
Within the absence of fast Web pushed opinion, the publication of Autosport journal the next Thursday was the one supply of legitimate remark. The final lap antics didn’t advantage judgement of any type on the information pages; Nigel Roebuck’s report waxed lyrical a few second that can dwell endlessly within the minds of these lucky sufficient to witness it.
It was left to Jody Scheckter to precise a phrase of warning in his column. The Ferrari driver might have been lapped as he completed out of the factors in seventh place however he was nonetheless main a championship he would finally win.
Nonetheless – and regardless of being a fan and pal of his youthful team-mate – Scheckter wrote: “Operating wheel-to-wheel like that may be a very harmful past-time.
“If both of them occurs to be six inches additional ahead or additional again, then both or each of them will probably be doing a loop within the air. Conditions like which can be odd. As a result of they did get away with it, each are heroes. Had there been an accident they each would have been branded as fools and lunatics. In South America [Argentine GP], [John] Watson obtained fined and pilloried for a wheel-banging incident.
“At present, the 2 wheel-bangers are applauded. Humorous world.”
And a unique world, too. However proof that, as ever, there are two sides to each story.