1979 French Grand Prix - Circuit de Dijon-Prenois

July 1, 1979

Renault's first Formula One race in the modern era was at Silverstone for the 1977 British Grand Prix. They entered a single car for Jean-Pierre Jabouille. What made this particular entry so notable, was the fact that the Renault RS01 carried a Renault-Gordini V6 turbocharged engine which was the first such engine to be used with any regularity in Formula One history.

1977 Jabouille - The fast, but fragile RS01

The car proved extremely fragile. So much so that the British teams cheekily dubbed it the Yellow Teapot because of its tendency to retire from Grands Prix billowing smoke from the engine. It suffered mechanical failures in all five of the races it entered that season. While reliability was clearly an issue the car was able to demonstrate an impressive speed capability and Renault stayed committed to developing the technology. Solving the turbo puzzle proved difficult and it wasn’t until 1979 when they introduced their new RS10 ground effects car (which now had a Renault-Gordini V6 with a twin turbo configuration) that the team began to show progress. That season Renault had expanded the team to two drivers with René Arnoux joining Jabouille.

The team was a national undertaking. Not only was Renault France’s largest automobile manufacturer, the team also partnered with Elf Fuel and Michelin tyres. So when the Grand Prix circus arrived at the Dijon-Prenois circuit it was clear that this was not just another race on the calendar for Renault.

Dijon, abounding in fast corners and with a steep uphill haul towards the end of the lap, is a circuit where horsepower counts for more than anything else. With the twin-turbo Jabouille was fastest from the very beginning of practice and he took a comfortable pole. Less readily anticipated, though, was the presence of René Arnoux's sister Renault on the front row. In the matter of sheer pace, the yellow cars stood alone.

Only Gilles Villeneuve (Ferrari) came closest to disrupting the Renaults dominance during qualifying. Behind the French-Canadian was Nelson Piquet (Braham-Alfa Romeo), Jody Scheckter (Ferrari), and Niki Lauda (Brabham-Alfa Romeo).

The crowd on race day was predictably of epic proportions, variously estimated at between 100,000 and 120,000. They were there in droves to lend their support to the yellow of Renault. Even the Gods seemed to be doing their bit for the home side. After the blistering, if clouded, heat during practice and qualifying, race day was overcast and cool - in other words, perfect turbo weather. All the omens seemed to be pointing in one direction.

Gilles Villeneuve

With all of this stacked against him, Villeneuve, knew the start would be critical. “For me, it is very important to get a good start,” he said on Sunday morning. “Somehow I must at least split the Renaults on the first lap.” He did better than that. When the green light blinked. the Ferrari lit up its tyres and catapulted away. Arnoux, on the front row, very nearly stalled his car, and that was all the gap Gilles needed. Jabouille had got away reasonably well, but it was not enough to hold the Ferrari. Villeneuve led the pack into the first corner, intent on forcing the issue from the outset. All the way round that lap, the Ferrari was on the ragged edge, but the policy was working out. Gilles was leaving them behind.

As the T4 completed lap one in the lead, it was followed by Jabouille, Scheckter, Piquet, Jean-Pierre Jarier (Tyrrell-Ford), who had made a sensational start from row five, Lauda, Jacques Laffite (Ligier-Ford), Alan Jones (Williams-Ford) and - back in ninth spot - Arnoux. After two laps, Villeneuve's lead was over two seconds and growing, but Arnoux was already giving notice of the Renault's potential, dispensing with Jones and Laffite in a single lap. After another, he was past Lauda. 

Rene Arnoux

At five laps, Villeneuve was more than four seconds to the good, with Jabouille steadily dropping Scheckter. Piquet ran fourth, with Jarier fifth, but the Tyrrell was swiftly passed by Arnoux, who needed only another five laps to displace the Brabham.

At the front, Villeneuve's progress was remarkable, but one wondered if he might regret the early charge when tyre wear became critical in the second half of the race. “I am not interested in three or four points,” he had said on Sunday morning. "This is one I want to win, nothing less.”

Although maintaining his five-second lead, it was clear that Villeneuve's Ferrari was making its driver work. The Renault, by contrast, looked as smooth as silk. If Jabouille was content to let Villeneuve lead, Arnoux clearly had very definite ideas about coming to grips with Scheckter, and the South African surrendered without a fight on lap 14. Ferrari, Renault, Renault, Ferrari. Quite suddenly it became obvious that Villeneuve's strategy, while the only one open to him, was not going to work out after all, for Jabouille was closing relentlessly, sometimes by as much as half a second a lap. The two of them were now well clear of the rest, who were led comfortably by Arnoux.

1979 French GP - Jabouille relentlessly pursues Villeneuve.

Jabouille was right up with Villeneuve after 30 laps, and the spectators really began to believe that perhaps a French victory might be at hand. Villeneuve was not about to wave Jabouille by, however, and a combination of lucky breaks with lapped traffic, handled with good deal of verve, pulled the Ferrari's lead out to four seconds again.

“For the second half of the race, my car was all over the place,” said Villeneuve later, this being the price of his early charge. On right-handers, he added, it was oversteering, and on left turns, the very opposite. So when Jabouille moved in once more, Gilles had no worthwhile cards left to play.

On lap 46, Jean-Pierre made his move, diving past the Ferrari at the end of the pit straight. “I remember being told early in my career that it was essential, after overtaking, to go as quick as possible for three or four laps afterwards,” he said afterwards. “It demoralizes the guy behind. That was good advice. and I really went hard for a while.” 

1979 French GP - Once past the Ferrari, Jabouille builds a gap.

In five laps the Renault went three seconds clear. Now the driver had only to keep going, keep praying that this time it would all come right.

Stalemate appeared to sum up the dying laps. Jabouille was a quarter of a minute to the good, with Villeneuve similarly ahead of Arnoux. Jones ran a solid, now lonely fourth, and Jarier appeared to have the measure of Clay Regazzoni (Williams-Ford).

And now it was that the race came alive. The question of victory was never in doubt, of course, for Jabouille had all well in hand. But even he was not without problems. “In the last 30 laps, my brake pedal went 'hard', and required a tremendous effort to push it. For the last few laps, I was in a lot of pain with my right leg, and I don't believe I could have continued for much longer.” Jean-Pierre's problems, however, were as nothing compared with those confronting Villeneuve, whose tyres were now quickly approaching the end of their life's work. The Ferrari's pace had slowed appreciably; and at the same time, René Arnoux, fighter that he was gave the Renault everything he had, closing in on Villeneuve at a simply prodigious rate, something around a second and a half a lap.

With ten laps left, Gilles's position appeared hopeless, for Arnoux was only five seconds back and, as we had seen earlier in the race, he quite obviously had no trouble in passing people.

Five laps to go, and the two cars were almost nose, to-tail, spectators now on their feet, willing Arnoux on screaming frenzied support. Villeneuve surely could not withstand the Renault for long, for surely Arnoux was now quite inspired, swept along by the moment.

On lap 71 he had gone round in 1:09.16, more than a second faster than any other driver in the race! And some measure of Villeneuve's determination was that he, too, set his fastest lap of the race at the same time, hobbled by tyre wear or no. On lap 77, Jabouille went through, then a horde of backmarkers, then ... delirium from the stands, Arnoux was in front! It was going to be a Renault one-two. At the end of the pit straight, he had calmly out-braked Villeneuve and snatched second place. And that, so it appeared, was that. Gilles had gallantly carried the battle to the Renaults and the gamble had failed. Torque - and a healthy dose of French pride - had beaten him. But Villeneuve was not like that. He had sensed that something was slightly amiss with Amoux's car. “When René passed me, I expected him to run away down the straight, just as Jabouille had done, but the gap stayed the same. I couldn't close on him, but he wasn't getting away.”

Arnoux's fuel pick-up was faltering slightly in the last few minutes. “I thought I would try to get him back as quick as possible, because he wouldn't expect it. At the end of the pit straight, I wasn't really close enough, but I dove for the inside and left my braking really, really late ...” 

1979 French GP - The epic duel between Villeneuve & Arnoux.

With smoke from all four tyres, the Ferrari scrambled inside the Renault, and the two cars rounded the tight right-hander side by side. During those remaining 7 or 8 kilometers (4 or 5 mi.), no one really knows how many times they banged wheels, slid wide, went off the track, rejoined it, touched again. It was desperate in a manner not often seen in Grand Prix racing, condemned by some as irresponsible, lauded by more as heroic.

The downhill left-hander into the loop is not a place for overtaking, nor even for lapping unless the back marker is unusually charitable. It follows a top gear right-hander, which dictates line astern formation Therefore, it was with considerable surprise to witness the Ferrari and the Renault emerge absolutely side by side on the last lap. Down through the left they plunged, Arnoux sliding out into Villeneuve, both cars getting way out of line on the exit.

René led up to the hairpin, but Gilles asked one more favour from his exhausted Michelins, braked later than late, and snatched back the place. Desperately Arnoux tried another counterattack, but Villeneuve was not giving way now. Across the line they went, the Ferrari in front. 

There was total pandemonium. As they cruised round the slowing down lap Gilles and René saluted each other, and when they stopped, they jumped from their cars, shook hands and embraced after the race of their lives. There were no recriminations from either man.

"No," grinned Arnoux, "I am not sad to be third. I enjoyed the race very much, and Gilles drove a fantastic race. Most of all, I am pleased for Jean-Pierre. C'est justice!"

"C'est justice!" - Renault and Jabouille achieve the first turbo victory.

"I tell you, that was really fun," said Villeneuve, merry as ever. "I thought for sure we were going to get on our heads, you know, because when you start interlocking wheels it's very easy for one car to climb over another. But we didn't crash, and it's OK. Tired? Not really, I feel I could go another 40 laps, maybe..."

The same could not be said of his tyres.

Truly a race to remember, a first win for Renault, their turbo and Jean-Pierre Jabouille. And there lay the tragedy. He had driven magnificently, finished the race exhausted. The winner, French in a French car in France, however, it is the legendary battle for second place that this race will always be remembered for. Being a Canadian, Gilles Villeneuve was a childhood hero of mine. I admired him for his strong and true character, but I loved him for his racing. In 1979 at Dijon is why I and many Canadians to this day will never forget Gilles Villeneuve. He was one of the very best drivers to ever race in Formula One.

1984 Monaco Grand Prix - Monte Carlo

June 3, 1984

Ayrton Senna came to Europe in 1981, at the age of twenty-two, to begin his open wheel racing career competing in British Formula Fords. He was already well known for what he had accomplished in karting. A portfolio which included the 1977 and 1978 South American Championship. He was also the Brazilian national champion four straight years, from 1978 to 1981.

Ayrton won his third ever car race at Brands Hatch on March 15th 1981, at the wheel of a Van Diemen RF81. By the end of the season he had established himself as the man to beat, winning the two prestigious national British Formula Ford titles.  In 1982 he graduated to Formula Ford 2000, competing in both the British and European Championships. Utterly and completely dominating the formula he won twenty-one of the twenty-seven races contested. That season Senna also had his first chance to race in a non-championship Formula Three race at Thruxton. He started from pole position and won easily.



1982 FF2000 - Gaining the attention of the F1 fraternity.

At the start of 1983 several F1 teams were keen to bankroll Senna's F3 season in return for an option on his services. He refused them all, choosing instead to maintain his independence and decide his own future. That year he drove for Dick Bennetts' highly respected West Surrey racing team in the British national F3 championship. This partnership began with a formidible display of dominance as Ayrton won the first nine races of the season and duly took the title after a season long battle with Martin Brundle.

Bernie Eccelstone, well known as the commercial driving force behind F1s multinational television coverage, was in 1984 also the owner of the Brabham Formula One team. Eccelstone was keen to have Senna drive for him, but it never materialized. Instead Senna signed for the Toleman F1 team.  While the Toleman team was neither a top team nor particularly well financed, it did have some talented people in it`s ranks. These included designers Rory Byrne, who went on to design championship winning cars for Benetton and Ferrari, and Pat Symonds, who succeeded with the team as it transitioned to Benetton and then eventually Renault. Towards the end of the 1983 season the team began to show some promise. It was only their third full season, but their TG183B design, in the hands of Derek Warwick scored points in the final four races of the season.

1984 Monaco GP - Senna's talent shine through.

Senna was quick to realize this and even at this early stage in his career Senna knew precisely where he wanted to go and how he intended to get there. From the start of his relationship with Toleman he displayed a finely honed analytical mind. It was with two impressive point scoring finishes at Kyalami and Spa-Francorchamps that Senna and Toleman would arrive for the sixth round of the season at Monaco.

Qualifying had seen World Championship leader Alain Prost (McLaren) take pole position with Nigel Mansell (Lotus) second, ahead of Rene Arnoux (Ferrari), Michele Alboreto (Ferrari), Warwick (Renault) and Patrick Tambay (Renault). Senna qualified an admirable 13th.

Race morning was marked by steady rain and conditions were so bad that the start of the race was delayed for forty-five minutes. At the first corner Warwick and Tambay collided and were out. Prost led the opening lap with Mansell giving chase, then the two Ferraris. Senna and another talented rookie, Stefan Bellof (Tyrrell) who started 20th, made excellent getaways from the start and at the end of lap one were up to 9th and 11th respectively. Briefly Prost extended his lead over Mansell. His teammate Niki Lauda (McLaren) was also going well and by lap 6 had overtaken both Ferraris to move into 3rd place.

1984 Monaco GP - Plumes of spray as Senna enters Tabac

On lap 10 the Englishman's Lotus was right up with the McLaren and on the following lap Mansell passed Prost for the lead. By this time both Senna and Bellof continued their steady charge through the field despite the treacherous conditions. Senna was 6th and threatening Keke Rosberg (Williams) for fifth, and Bellof was 8th immediately behind his compatriot Manfred Winkelhock (ATS). Leading a Grand Prix for the first time now Mansell began building a gap. The weather, however, continued to downpour unabated and on lap 16 when, going up the hill to Casino Square, with the power hard on, he touched the painted white line in the road with one of his rear wheels. The car flicked right, then left, before clouting the Armco barrier on both sides of the track. With his rear wing now askew and his suspension broken, Mansell tried to limp back to the pits but spun at Mirabeau and retired. By this time Senna had found a way past Rosberg and Arnoux. He was simply flourishing in the incredibly challenging conditions holding 3rd on merit and closing now on Lauda in second. 

Within two laps of Mansell's retirement on lap 19 he overtook Lauda to take second place and began to chase Prost, who was half a minute ahead. Five laps later Lauda crashed in Casino Square. As Senna chased Prost so attention focussed on Bellof who was up to fourth place from last on the grid. It was a mighty performance. On lap 27 Bellof blasted past Arnoux to take third place and set off in pursuit of Senna. As Senna closed on Prost so Bellof closed on the pair of them.

Stefan Bellof - What might have been ....

By lap 28 Senna had reduced the gap between himself and Prost by an incredible ten seconds, and it was at this time that Prost began gesturing to the flag stand to stop the race. By lap 31 was just seven seconds adrift, with Bellof inching ever closer to the Brazilian. But the world was denied the spectacle of one of these two young geniuses clinching his first victory in only his sixth Grand Prix, when red flags were produced, stopping the race. 

Jacky Ickx who was the clerk of the course and a renowned wet-weather expert in his days in Formula One, found himself in the midst of a political storm as he was accused of deliberately stopping the race to ensure Prost won. In fact he did stop the race upon his own decision and did not consult the race stewards before doing so. Adding fuel to the controversy was the fact that Ickx drove for Porsche in sports car racing, and so it was insinuated that he wanted Prost, who was powered by a Porsche-built engine, to win. Ickx was later fined $6000 by FISA and had his clerk's license suspended. Many people rightfully pointed out that the rain was falling as hard when the race was stopped as at any time in the afternoon.

1984 Monaco GP - Senna's first podium after an astonishing performance.

It would have been truly mesmerizing to witness what would have happened if the race had been allowed to run it's course, but unfortunately we are left only to speculate. Still this race marked the emergence of the new breed of racers in Formula One. Prost and Senna went on to become the dominant drivers of their era. But Bellof, who surely would have challenged them for that distinction, was killed in a sports car race at Spa-Francorchamps, ironically trying to pass Ickx's Porsche through Eau Rouge, a little over a year later.

What might have been .....