Ronnie Peterson
Discussion
Date wise a day early but as the race is today it seems appropriate,
29 years ago (Sept 10th 1978) Ronnie Petertson was involved in an accident at the start of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza which claimed his life (he actually died on 11th Sept from complications after an operation to his broken legs).
Known as Superswede, Ronnie was the first reason I started to follow moyor racing and having seen him get pole position at Silverstone in 1973 I was hooked (he finished 2nd behind Peter Revson in the race).
I could ramble on at length but I think it easier just to say he was my first real 'hero'(in the sporting world), as well as being a fantastically quick driver he was a man of honour and class, I still remember the news of his death being announced and how devastated I was. Still missed today Ronnie. A brief resume follows:-
Made his Formula 1 debut in 1970 with the March team, the same team he had been racing for in the junior formula. He immediately impressed the world with his raw speed. In 1971 he scored five second place finishes and was runner-up to Jackie Stewart in the World Championship. The March team was run on a shoestring budget and it was not until he left for Lotus in 1973, that he won his first race at the French Grand Prix. Teaming with Emerson Fittipaldi, the current World Champion, he was proving to be more than a match for the Brazilian. He went on to win three more races that year and finished third in the World Championship. Fittipaldi soon left for McLaren and Ronnie Peterson continued with Lotus as the team leader for the next two years but the Lotus 72 was at the end of its useful life. In 1976 he returned to March but had limited success, Though he did win the Italian GP at Monza . 1977 brought an offer to drive the 6-wheel Tyrrell. This very complex car was just the opposite of what Peterson needed. Not being the greatest test driver he was lost in the Tyrrell. 1977 served as the low point of his career and for 1978 he returned to Lotus as a number two to Mario Andretti. Mario at first questioned this arrangement as he well new that Ronnie was no number two. As an indication of his character Ronnie accepted this position without malice; a far cry from the political intrigue that is Formula 1 today. Together they dominated the 1978 season in the Lotus 79 with Peterson scoring a pair of spectacular wins. Peterson acted the loyal number two but there were time when his brilliance could not be masked. He out qualified his teammate at Brands Hatch even though he was using hard compound tires, rather than the qualifiers which were held for Andretti, and a half tank of gas! After his victory at Zeltweg in Austria he trailed Andretti by only 9 points with 4 races remaining. It was well known that he would be with another team in 1979 and some suggested that he should just go for the championship with nothing to lose. Nothing except his word: "I'm going to McLaren next year", he said. "It's not announced yet, but Mario knows, Some of these people," he sighed, "who say I should forget our agreement now... I don't understand them. I had open eyes when I signed the contract, and I also gave my word. If I break it now, who will ever trust me again?" At the next race Andretti's car broke an exhaust and lost power yet Peterson followed him over the line. Peterson felt that his time would come next year, as he had been offered a number one position with McLaren. All of that ended before it began when Ronnie Peterson died as the result of an accident at Monza. In 1978, in Formula One the music had stopped, more than a man died that day for Formula 1 had lost its innocence.
29 years ago (Sept 10th 1978) Ronnie Petertson was involved in an accident at the start of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza which claimed his life (he actually died on 11th Sept from complications after an operation to his broken legs).
Known as Superswede, Ronnie was the first reason I started to follow moyor racing and having seen him get pole position at Silverstone in 1973 I was hooked (he finished 2nd behind Peter Revson in the race).
I could ramble on at length but I think it easier just to say he was my first real 'hero'(in the sporting world), as well as being a fantastically quick driver he was a man of honour and class, I still remember the news of his death being announced and how devastated I was. Still missed today Ronnie. A brief resume follows:-
Made his Formula 1 debut in 1970 with the March team, the same team he had been racing for in the junior formula. He immediately impressed the world with his raw speed. In 1971 he scored five second place finishes and was runner-up to Jackie Stewart in the World Championship. The March team was run on a shoestring budget and it was not until he left for Lotus in 1973, that he won his first race at the French Grand Prix. Teaming with Emerson Fittipaldi, the current World Champion, he was proving to be more than a match for the Brazilian. He went on to win three more races that year and finished third in the World Championship. Fittipaldi soon left for McLaren and Ronnie Peterson continued with Lotus as the team leader for the next two years but the Lotus 72 was at the end of its useful life. In 1976 he returned to March but had limited success, Though he did win the Italian GP at Monza . 1977 brought an offer to drive the 6-wheel Tyrrell. This very complex car was just the opposite of what Peterson needed. Not being the greatest test driver he was lost in the Tyrrell. 1977 served as the low point of his career and for 1978 he returned to Lotus as a number two to Mario Andretti. Mario at first questioned this arrangement as he well new that Ronnie was no number two. As an indication of his character Ronnie accepted this position without malice; a far cry from the political intrigue that is Formula 1 today. Together they dominated the 1978 season in the Lotus 79 with Peterson scoring a pair of spectacular wins. Peterson acted the loyal number two but there were time when his brilliance could not be masked. He out qualified his teammate at Brands Hatch even though he was using hard compound tires, rather than the qualifiers which were held for Andretti, and a half tank of gas! After his victory at Zeltweg in Austria he trailed Andretti by only 9 points with 4 races remaining. It was well known that he would be with another team in 1979 and some suggested that he should just go for the championship with nothing to lose. Nothing except his word: "I'm going to McLaren next year", he said. "It's not announced yet, but Mario knows, Some of these people," he sighed, "who say I should forget our agreement now... I don't understand them. I had open eyes when I signed the contract, and I also gave my word. If I break it now, who will ever trust me again?" At the next race Andretti's car broke an exhaust and lost power yet Peterson followed him over the line. Peterson felt that his time would come next year, as he had been offered a number one position with McLaren. All of that ended before it began when Ronnie Peterson died as the result of an accident at Monza. In 1978, in Formula One the music had stopped, more than a man died that day for Formula 1 had lost its innocence.
Derek Smith said:
Eric Mc said:
RP always impressed me. He was one of those who could have been great with a lucky break or two. He partnered Mario Andretti, one of my top five and by no stretch of the imagination fifth, and didn't suffer in comparison. That shows how good he was.
But for Ronnie being an honourable man and totally adherening to his contract he would have done a bit more than not suffer in comparisonHis performance at Brands when given rock hard old tyres to qualify on as oppsed to Mario's good as you could set get was just one glimpse of him showing he really did have Marios measure
Ronnie signed as no 2 and stuck to it, but didnt appreciate Chapman deliberately slowing him down
Derek Smith said:
freedman said:
Derek Smith said:
RP always impressed me. He was one of those who could have been great with a lucky break or two. He partnered Mario Andretti, one of my top five and by no stretch of the imagination fifth, and didn't suffer in comparison. That shows how good he was.
But for Ronnie being an honourable man and totally adherening to his contract he would have done a bit more than not suffer in comparisonHis performance at Brands when given rock hard old tyres to qualify on as oppsed to Mario's good as you could set get was just one glimpse of him showing he really did have Marios measure
Ronnie signed as no 2 and stuck to it, but didnt appreciate Chapman deliberately slowing him down
It is shame that integrity seems to be a point against you as a driver. Massa has been severely criticised in his home country for complying with a team order.
I could never work out where to place RP in the 'list'. When I used to watch GPs in a group we would often, I suppose as everyone does, drift into grading drivers. RP used to cause a lot of argument, although never on his innate ability. Nor how thrilling he was to watch.
I've just read his Wikipedia entry to find out who the badly injured driver was in his crash - it was Brambilla - and read that Peterson's wife committed suicide, they suggest through grief. I don't remember every hearing about that. I'd also forgotten about Roebuck's contribution to the witch Hunt.
Reformatted 'cause it confused me.
His official site has some great stuff on it
http://www.ronniepeterson.se/eng_index.html
JMC1 said:
I remember attending the 1978 Silverstone 6 hours, it was a great day as Porsche ran the 935/78 moby dick for the first time. Ronnie was there and he qualified the fire spitting BMW 320 turbo 5th behind moby dick on pole and then four more regular 935's but still in front of another 7 935's on a 30 car grid.
The race started wet and as you can imagine Ronnie was superb going faster and faster he then handed over to Stuck who spun it into the catch fencing three laps later the car was able to get back to the pits but later retired due to rear axle failure.
Great driver, great man, huge integrity.
I was there that day, Ronnie was at the top of his game after his resurgence back in the fold at LotusThe race started wet and as you can imagine Ronnie was superb going faster and faster he then handed over to Stuck who spun it into the catch fencing three laps later the car was able to get back to the pits but later retired due to rear axle failure.
Great driver, great man, huge integrity.
Ive never forgiven Stuck for sticking the BMW in the fence at the Brands race in 77 when chasing Ickx's 935, denying me the chance to see ronnie drive it that day
Redlake27 said:
The saddest thing about this accident was that, with current medical facilities, he would probably have not had the post-accident complications that led to his death.
Had his accident been in the UK or USA (and probably many more countries) he would have been fine even 37 years agocoppice said:
Oh come off it, he wasn't 'killed', nothing sinister or premeditated about it . Everybody in the sport knew that Italian medical facilities (and Belgian etc ) were chaotic - just listen to Brian Redman - and every driver knew the risks . It was a racing accident ,but its consequences were made catastrophically worse by poor medical care , to the surprise of absolutely no-one .
A great driver -and I was one of the lucky ones at Woodcote in 1973 . Unforgetttable.
It wasn't a racing accident, at all. The flag dropped before half of the grid had even firmed up, so we're still rolling, even Andretti and Villeneuve on the front row were moving. But that was just the startA great driver -and I was one of the lucky ones at Woodcote in 1973 . Unforgetttable.
After the accident lack of medical care at the circuit, and subsequently hospital cost Ronnie his life
Incompetence killed him, not the accident itself
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