Lauda - impressions of Autodelta.

[italiansedanman]

I recently dug up an old book that I haven't read in years, almost 12 years I think. "To Hell and Back", Lauda's first autobiography. It was published in '86 for the first time, just after he finished his last season ever with McLaren.

The sixth chapter, entitled simply 'Brabham' gives his recollections of his time with the team in the late seventies and particularly the time immediately after joining the team when they were running the flat-12 Alfa Romeo engine in Gordon Murray's fan-car.

"Everything would have gone like a dream if only we'd had a different engine. The 12 cylinder Alfa simply couldn't hack it, and there were problems and crises around the clock. We missed finishing race after race because of some non-sense or other, an oil-seal defect or similar. There were truely theatrical confrontations between Murray and Alfa's technician Carlo Chiti (I visited Chiti a couple of times in Milan and was always fascinated by the 40-or-so stray dogs that ran around the workshops. Chiti seemed to be looking after every stray in Milan and the surrounding district; he fed then and had them checked by the vet. All this care and attention didn't seem to apply to the engines that were being put together in that chaotic kennel however, and I always felt as though nothing good would come of it)".

Can you imagine an F1 team today allowing that kind of practice?!?! Ah, the good(?) old days...

Needless to say, Brabham changed to DFV power in later seasons.

[aldo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by italiansedanman "Everything would have gone like a dream if only we'd had a different engine. The 12 cylinder Alfa simply couldn't hack it, and there were problems and crises around the clock. We missed finishing race after race because of some non-sense or other, an oil-seal defect or similar. There were truely theatrical confrontations between Murray and Alfa's technician Carlo Chiti (I visited Chiti a couple of times in Milan and was always fascinated by the 40-or-so stray dogs that ran around the workshops. Chiti seemed to be looking after every stray in Milan and the surrounding district; he fed then and had them checked by the vet. All this care and attention didn't seem to apply to the engines that were being put together in that chaotic kennel however, and I always felt as though nothing good would come of it)". .