F1: Life on the Limit
Discussion
I have never read anything that suggested that the 1976 Fuji race had any direct influence on safety. It's main claim to fame is that it brought in a lot of new British TV viewers because of the James Hunt factor.
Hunt had become a bit of a phenomenon during the season as much due to his racy lifestyle and tabloid coverage of said lifestyle as it was due to the motor racing - although the season was exciting and dramatic in its own right. A huge head of steam had built up around his persona because of the way his life and his affairs were being blasted across tabloid newspapers.
It can't have been purely the racing because only three years earlier Britain had had another world champion - Jackie Stewart (who was fighting hard for safety himself) and yet his third victory was largely ignored by mainstream media with the vast bulk of the coverage being on the back "sporting" pages - not the front.
On the basis of Hunt's more general popularity, you could claim that improved safety was due to Rupert Murdoch - who generated the public interest in Hunt which in turn made UK television perk up as to covering F1 which in turn led to live coverage of a race from Japan which led to BBC's interest in covering F1 more seriously.
Hunt had become a bit of a phenomenon during the season as much due to his racy lifestyle and tabloid coverage of said lifestyle as it was due to the motor racing - although the season was exciting and dramatic in its own right. A huge head of steam had built up around his persona because of the way his life and his affairs were being blasted across tabloid newspapers.
It can't have been purely the racing because only three years earlier Britain had had another world champion - Jackie Stewart (who was fighting hard for safety himself) and yet his third victory was largely ignored by mainstream media with the vast bulk of the coverage being on the back "sporting" pages - not the front.
On the basis of Hunt's more general popularity, you could claim that improved safety was due to Rupert Murdoch - who generated the public interest in Hunt which in turn made UK television perk up as to covering F1 which in turn led to live coverage of a race from Japan which led to BBC's interest in covering F1 more seriously.
The 1976 season was riddled with controversy, with Hunt being disqualified after the Spanish GP and then reinstated on appeal, and then after a first lap crash at the British GP was told he would not be allowed to restart. After a huge outcry he was allowed to race, won it, and was then disqualified anyway. The stuff of tabloid dreams, unheard of in Stewart's day. That plus Hunt's playboy persona helped spark renewed interest in F1.
Unfortunately, the Surtees team were sponsored by Durex, and Auntie Beeb had a fit of the vapours at the thought of motorised johnny packets being broadcast across the land, and were notoriously opposed to broadcasting F1 for a long time.
Unfortunately, the Surtees team were sponsored by Durex, and Auntie Beeb had a fit of the vapours at the thought of motorised johnny packets being broadcast across the land, and were notoriously opposed to broadcasting F1 for a long time.
The Durex thing stopped any decent broadcasting in 1976 or 1977 - although some races were televised - as they had been since the 1950s.
The BBC had been happily showing live F1 on and off for two decades, including since the advent of full on sponsorship in 1968. I well remember watching the British GP live on TV in 1968, the British GP live on TV in 1973 and 1975, the Monaco GP live in 1974 etc etc.
The BBC finally got their act together for the 1978 season when they introduced the "Grand Prix" highlights programme for Sunday nights. Only a handfull of races were shown live until the early 1990s. Mansell's 1992 season was a big draw which encouraged the BBC to make a bigger effort. Hill's 1996 season was the first one where every race was shown live.
The BBC had been happily showing live F1 on and off for two decades, including since the advent of full on sponsorship in 1968. I well remember watching the British GP live on TV in 1968, the British GP live on TV in 1973 and 1975, the Monaco GP live in 1974 etc etc.
The BBC finally got their act together for the 1978 season when they introduced the "Grand Prix" highlights programme for Sunday nights. Only a handfull of races were shown live until the early 1990s. Mansell's 1992 season was a big draw which encouraged the BBC to make a bigger effort. Hill's 1996 season was the first one where every race was shown live.
Scuffers said:
Edited to make an active link.
Megaflow said:
So, just to clarify, I have been debating a film with a guy who hasn't seen it...
I wasn't even aware there WAS a film - until just now. I had assumed you were referring to an article or book.Whether I have seen the film or not is irrelevant if you want a general discussion on Bernie Ecclestone's contribution to improved safety in F1. I have read many, many books and articles on the progress that has been made in health and safety in motor sport and Bernie Ecclestone's name does not feature that highly compared to quite a few others.
Eric Mc said:
Did it get a cinema release?
I'd not heard of it until now.
It looks like it might be OK although it covers much the same ground as the BBC doc, "Grand Prix - The Killer Years".
I don't think it did. It was a trailer on the Rush DVD, that's how I heard about it. Very worth watching, some fantastic footage and in depth interviews.I'd not heard of it until now.
It looks like it might be OK although it covers much the same ground as the BBC doc, "Grand Prix - The Killer Years".
I will watch the film if and when it comes my way. It seems to have had a bit of a low profile (compared to say, "Rush" or "Senna").
How many people here have actually seen it yet?
Are you only interested in discussing the topic of the history of F1 safety with those who have seen this specific film or are you not interested in the discussion of F1 safety per se. If that's the case, your discussion might be a bit limited.
I may not have seen this film yet, but I've seen lots of other documentaries on the subject and read dozens of articles and books - so it's not an area I'm unfamiliar with.
Eric Mc said:
I wasn't even aware there WAS a film - until just now. I had assumed you were referring to an article or book.
Whether I have seen the film or not is irrelevant if you want a general discussion on Bernie Ecclestone's contribution to improved safety in F1. I have read many, many books and articles on the progress that has been made in health and safety in motor sport and Bernie Ecclestone's name does not feature that highly compared to quite a few others.
It is quite relevant when discussing the point of view that the movie puts forward Whether I have seen the film or not is irrelevant if you want a general discussion on Bernie Ecclestone's contribution to improved safety in F1. I have read many, many books and articles on the progress that has been made in health and safety in motor sport and Bernie Ecclestone's name does not feature that highly compared to quite a few others.
Eric Mc said:
I will watch the film if and when it comes my way. It seems to have had a bit of a low profile (compared to say, "Rush" or "Senna").
How many people here have actually seen it yet?
Are you only interested in discussing the topic of the history of F1 safety with those who have seen this specific film or are you not interested in the discussion of F1 safety per se. If that's the case, your discussion might be a bit limited.
I may not have seen this film yet, but I've seen lots of other documentaries on the subject and read dozens of articles and books - so it's not an area I'm unfamiliar with.
I was interested in discussing the film in general, there was no mention of safety in the OP. You brought the safety aspect up, and I responded, assuming you had seen the film, after all that's what the thread is about.How many people here have actually seen it yet?
Are you only interested in discussing the topic of the history of F1 safety with those who have seen this specific film or are you not interested in the discussion of F1 safety per se. If that's the case, your discussion might be a bit limited.
I may not have seen this film yet, but I've seen lots of other documentaries on the subject and read dozens of articles and books - so it's not an area I'm unfamiliar with.
The film also covers the other aspects of the sport before Nernie took over, such as not knowing who was competing until first practice, etc.
As I said in the first post, it is a great film if you follow F1.
Edited by Megaflow on Saturday 20th December 16:09
I'm sure I'll watch once I get hold of it - or it gets shown on TV.
Looking at the trailer it does seem to cover similar ground to "Grand Prix - The Killer Years".
Bernie was (and maybe might still even be) an organisational genius - at least by the standards of those who organised F1 before he starting sorting things out. I don't think for one moment that safety was high on his agenda - at least not at the start. I am sure all he did was look around him at the shambolic nature of the way things were being run and said to himself, "I'm sure I could do better".
Once the organisation began to become more systematic and "organised", safety improvements were almost a natural flow from that.
Note - I am discussing Bernie and the subject - not the film.
And don't say I'm not entitled to view on the subject because, as I've said, I've read enough and seen enough on this topic over 30 odd years.
The subject is interesting in its own right, whether one has seen a particular documentary or not.
Looking at the trailer it does seem to cover similar ground to "Grand Prix - The Killer Years".
Bernie was (and maybe might still even be) an organisational genius - at least by the standards of those who organised F1 before he starting sorting things out. I don't think for one moment that safety was high on his agenda - at least not at the start. I am sure all he did was look around him at the shambolic nature of the way things were being run and said to himself, "I'm sure I could do better".
Once the organisation began to become more systematic and "organised", safety improvements were almost a natural flow from that.
Note - I am discussing Bernie and the subject - not the film.
And don't say I'm not entitled to view on the subject because, as I've said, I've read enough and seen enough on this topic over 30 odd years.
The subject is interesting in its own right, whether one has seen a particular documentary or not.
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