1980-1985 – Formula 1 (Vol 1)

1980-1985 was quite a time period in Formula 1. Politics, turbos, and aerodynamics

all combined into arguably the most exciting (and one of the strangest) time periods

in F1. From the legendary Cosworth engine to new turbo technology, every team was

scrambling to keep up with the seemingly weekly advancements in aerodynamics and

engine technology. This time period also saw the retirement of James Hunt. One of

the most controversial drivers ever in F1, Hunt moved into the broadcast booth

alongside Murray Walker, and his commentary, along with his brutal honesty, was

the stuff of legend. The legendary Niki Lauda returns after a horrific crash, and

a newcomer by the name of Ayrton Senna makes his debut.These are original films,

not contemporary videos of historic races or retrospectives.

1981 Belgian Grand Prix Highlights – (29 min.)  
Live BBC coverage (edited for time) of the 1981 Belgian Grand Prix. On the Friday before the race, a
congested pit lane led to a death when Carlos Reutemann could not avoid an Osella mechanic. More
controversy as drivers organized a strike, feeling that their safety concerns, and confusion over the seemingly
hourly rule changes by the FIA over vehicle ride height and other legalities, were not being addressed. At the
start of the race, Riccardo Patrese stalled his Arrows car, and a mechanic jumped over the wall to attempt to
restart it. Patrese’s teammate, several grid positions back, veered into the stalled machine and slammed into
the crouching mechanic. The race was stopped as the mechanic was tended to (he would be ok). The race
was eventually won by Reutemann, with Laffite, Mansell, and Villeneuve following.
Quality Note : This footage is not as clear as our other films, but very watchable!

1981 BBC Documentary – “Gentlemen, Lift Your Skirts” – (47 min.)  
An excellent documentary on new aerodynamics introduced into F1 over the
previous few years, as well as what was in store for the 1981-1982 season.
Excellent quality, and includes some footage of various engine developments.

1981 Spanish Grand Prix Highlights – (29 min.)  
A live BBC broadcast, edited for time, of the 1981 Spanish Grand Prix..Murray Walker classified
this as one of the best F1 races he ever witnessed. Driving an ill-handling Ferrari, Gilles
Villeneuve took the lead on lap 14. He would keep pace on the straights, but be eaten up in the
corners. Villeneuve refused to relinquish the lead, and held on as competitor after competitor
attempted to pass. Widely considered Villeneuve’s greatest drive, the excitement from Murray
Walker in the booth makes this one of the greatest F1 races of the 1980’s.

1982 Formula 1 Season Preview – (17 min.)  
A recap of the turbulent 1981 season, this footage was aired just before the 1982
South African Grand Prix, the first race of the 1982 season. Much of this video
involves interviews with Niki Lauda, who was returning to F1 after a 2-year retirement.

1982 Brazilian Grand Prix Highlights – (33 min.)  
A live BBC broadcast, edited for time, of the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix. After a two month wait, due to the
cancellation of the Argentine Grand Prix, the F1 teams reassembled in Rio de Janeiro Brazil for the Brazilian
Grand Prix. An odd result, with Nelson Piquet taking the win, and Keke Rosberg taking 2nd, but both cars were
later disqualified (2 races later) for being underweight, handing the win to 3rd place Alain Prost. No one would
know it at the time, but Carlos Reutemann would inexplicably announce his retirement from F1 after this race.

1982 San Marino Grand Prix Highlights  – (31 min.)  
A live BBC broadcast, edited for time, of the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix. When it was announced that Nelson Piquet
and Keke Rosberg would have their points stripped away after being underweight 2 races ago (Brazilian Grand Prix),
many teams decided to stage a boycott of the San Marino Grand Prix. As such, there were only 14 cars on the starting
grid (there were usually 31 cars on the grid during this era of F1). Rene Arnoux and teammate Alain Prost were on the
front row in their Renaults, but as the race progressed, both cars broke down. It became a Ferrari race, as teammates
Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi easily outpaced the rest of the depleted field. Ferrari team orders assured that
Villeneuve would finish ahead of Pironi, but with just a few laps to go, Pironi closed up on Villeneuve. Villeneuve
assumed Pironi was simply staging an exciting finish for the fans, and was shocked when Pironi actually made the
pass to take the lead. Villeneuve passed Pironi back, but on the last lap, Pironi made a bold pass around Villeneuve to
take the win. With the already thin field, and the attrition rate, only 5 cars would finish this race.

1982 British Grand Prix Highlights – (10 min.)  
A live BBC broadcast, edited for time, of the 1982 British Grand Prix from Brands Hatch. The Brabham
team had brought along refueling equipment, and rumors were rampant that this would be the moment
when Formula 1 would see their first mid-race pitstop (that actually occurred a few races later). On the
parade lap, Keke Rosberg’s car stalled, so Riccardo Patrese took over the pole position. When the
race started, it was Patrese’s Brabham that stalled this time, and Nelson Piquet took off into the lead.
Didier Pironi swerved to avoid the stalled Patrese, but Rene Arnoux slammed into the back of the
Brabham. John Watson swerved into the grass while a wheel bounced into the path of Teo Fabi,
ending his race. The eventual winner was Niki Lauda, followed by Pironi and Tambay.

1982 Austrian Grand Prix – Formula 1’s First Pitstop  – (1 min.)  
The fans and the TV cameras had been waiting for months for this to happen. At the 1982 Austrian
Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet made the first modern day, mid-race pitstop to take on tires and fuel.

1982 Swedish Grand Prix Highlights – (11 min.)
A live BBC broadcast, edited for time, of the 1982 Swedish Grand Prix. Because F1
racing had been banned in Sweden since 1954, the race was held in Dijon, France.
Keke Rosberg takes his first F1 victory, with Alain Prost and Niki Lauda following. The
race organizers were so poor that no one waved the checkered flag for Rosberg, who
made one more lap under full power, unaware that the race was over.

1983 Lotus Documentary – Lotus Goes Turbo  – (27 min.)  
A truly excellent film covering Lotus Team operations, from aerodynamics to engine
advancements. Colin Chapman had just passed away, and the team was struggling
to come to terms with the death of their founder and leader. Nigel Mansell and Elio
de Angelis are seen many times in this film. Very clear footage.

1985 Elf Documentary – Anatomy Of A Start  – (11 min.)  
A wonderful film showing the various preparations of the drivers before the start of the
Monaco race. There is no commentary in this film, just music, and we see all the best
drivers of 1985 walking casually through the pits, readying themselves for the race.

1985 – Niki Lauda Explains F1  – (20 min.)  
The great Niki Lauda explains the speed and perfection of an F1 driver and
car, and shows the difference between a street car and an F1 car. He gets a
little help from James Hunt, who takes a new Porsche 928 around the track.