Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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sAx
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Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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Available on BBC's IPlayer - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... ler_Years/

Rawness of Jackie Stewart's memories still apparent, and David Purley's attempt to rescue Roger Williamson betwixt 'apparent callousness' of fellow drivers, has to be amongst the most provoking images ever recorded at a Grand Prix.

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beelsebob
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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The most telling part for me is 56 minutes in – David Purley desperately trying to save Rodger Williamson while the marshals are standing around doing nothing at all. It's very difficult to watch.

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JohnsonsEvilTwin
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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I think more Unable to help.

They didnt have the correct training nor equipment to deal with the situation. Nor where they paid proffesionals.

It was a monumental act of courage by Purley, a true and desperate hero. But the Marshalls were woefully under prepared, and this has to fall at the feet of the authorities.
More could have been done.
David Purley

donskar
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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A great period for F1, with a multitude of truly different cars AND engines, factory teams, successful private teams, minimal addvertising PR BS -- but far too dangerous.
Enzo Ferrari was a great man. But he was not a good man. -- Phil Hill

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flynfrog
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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I just finished winning is not enough. I didn't realize the shear number of drivers lost in this time period jaw dropping really.

beelsebob
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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JohnsonsEvilTwin wrote:I think more Unable to help.

They didnt have the correct training nor equipment to deal with the situation. Nor where they paid proffesionals.

It was a monumental act of courage by Purley, a true and desperate hero. But the Marshalls were woefully under prepared, and this has to fall at the feet of the authorities.
Yes, but you don't really need training to not stand on the other side of the track holding onto a fire extinguisher while there's a car on fire with a driver trapped in it, do you. And yes, monumentally courageous of Purley.

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N12ck
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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Brilliant program, watched it last night, would recommend to anyone :D
Budding F1 Engineer

xDama
xDama
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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N12ck wrote:Brilliant program, watched it last night, would recommend to anyone :D
About a month ago they've aired the documentary on Belgium TV. Watched it 2 times since then, and last night again. Those days in F1 were absolutely insane, compared to today.
"I race to win, and if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you're no longer a racing driver." - Ayrton Senna

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N12ck
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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Especially the bit about where graham hill saved jackie stewart and since then he put a spanner on his steering wheel, never realized he did that, amazing that the safety was soo low
Budding F1 Engineer

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strad
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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Especially the bit about where graham hill saved jackie stewart and since then he put a spanner on his steering wheel, never realized he did that, amazing that the safety was soo low
After this :
Image
He carried these:
Image
Safety may have been a little low,,but today the pendulum has swung WAY too far the other way. IMO
To achieve anything, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.”
Sir Stirling Moss

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N12ck
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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On the program it said they were taped to the steering wheel and showed an image, but that crash was horrific
Budding F1 Engineer

beelsebob
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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strad wrote:Safety may have been a little low,,but today the pendulum has swung WAY too far the other way. IMO
How is that possible? You want to see drivers and spectators dying?

o.O

Belatti
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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At least it would be good if the drivers pay for their mistakes. I dont want corpses, but At least some more DNF would be nice. I agree with Sir Moss in an F1Racing interview I read a while ago.
"You need great passion, because everything you do with great pleasure, you do well." -Juan Manuel Fangio

"I have no idols. I admire work, dedication and competence." -Ayrton Senna

beelsebob
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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Belatti wrote:At least it would be good if the drivers pay for their mistakes. I dont want corpses, but At least some more DNF would be nice. I agree with Sir Moss in an F1Racing interview I read a while ago.
Yep, some more gravel traps would be nice for this reason. MB and DC have made various comments that it makes the racing more exciting to have the tarmac there because it means drivers stay in the race... I'm not convinced that it does. In the olden days if I were (for example) a DC fan, I could hope that Schumacher made a mistake and dropped his rear end into the gravel... or that his engine might blow up (fat chance on that ferrari). These days, the cars have near bullet proof reliability, and there's not really a huge chance of a driver --- up putting them out of contention if they're out in front (unless you're at monaco/singapore).

This all said... I don't see replacing runoff areas with gravel as impacting on *safety* hugely if they're put in the right places. Yes drivers need to get penalised more for making mistakes, but that's not to say that they need to get penalised with broken bones/deaths.

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Ray
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Re: Grand Prix: - The Killer Years

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Belatti wrote:At least it would be good if the drivers pay for their mistakes. I dont want corpses, but At least some more DNF would be nice. I agree with Sir Moss in an F1Racing interview I read a while ago.
I respect Sir Moss and his achievements, but the dude didn't like to wear a helmet. His views on safety and how racing should be took a massive step back when that came out of his mouth. Can't remember the exact issue it was in, but he said that wearing a crash helmet was akin to cowardice when he was starting out and he didn't like to wear one. That's just plain nuts.