‘I couldn’t believe how professional some of the oil-sponsored teams were,’ recalls Gianfranco Ricci, one of just three non-French drivers to take part in the championship that year.
Ricci had arrived at Ricard having driven all the way down from his native Italy alone, pulling his race car behind on a rickety cart! Glimpsing the immaculate trailer and its equally immaculately attired mechanics of Team Pironi, not to mention the bountiful resources (a spare race car!) the Italian’s heart sank.
How to possibly compete against such largesse? A difficult year lay ahead: ‘I had no budget and I always struggled to qualify for the final. That was my first and last year in single seaters!’
One incident stood out in this baptism of fire year. On home soil at Monza later that season, the Italian privateer’s resources finally ran dry. In sharp contrast to what some people have written over the years, Didier immediately stepped in. ‘OK, so I wasn’t a problem for him – not like some of the other drivers – but I remember that he did not hesitate to get me the parts I needed – brake pads and two front springs.’ After a bruising year under fire from the full artillery of the French musketeers, Ricci returned home to Italy to compete in GT sports car series.
There were no such constraints for Didier of course. While the likes of Ricci were required to patch up their battered cars as best they could, those at the top end of the pyramid had the luxury of hopping into spare race cars. Night and day, haves and have-nots, but that is how it goes. Since the moment he had first glimpsed his baby-faced features in that Pilot-Elf brochure, François Guiter had taken a shine to the earnest young racer. It would prove to be a crucial slice of luck. In the not-too-distant future, Monsieur Guiter would again make a telling intervention on behalf of ‘baby’ Pironi, this time smoothing the path to the summit of his chosen profession. Indeed, as Didier himself later observed, ‘Without the support of Elf there would have been no career in motorsport.’ As far as international motorsport is concerned, money has always talked, loudly so.
The set-up at Team Pironi certainly impressed his childhood friend Eric Lucas who flew down to Magny-Cours via the family aeroplane in company with Louis Dolhem in early May. Met at Nevers-Fourchambault airfield by Agnes who, amongst her many other duties, also appears to have been acting as team chauffeur, the party drove the short journey to the former butcher’s shop in the centre of town, headquarters now to a thriving motorsport team and a championship leading driver.
‘We made a detailed visit of the premises and I was impressed by the magnitude of the situation. Everything had changed. For example, the team had five or six spare engines available, as many gearboxes and two spare chassis.’
A little while later Team Pironi, along with Lucas and ‘uncle’ Louis, were lunching in the hospitality lounge of the Magny-Cours circuit. In just over an hour Didier would be attempting to secure a hat-trick of victories following his triumphs in the opening two races of the season. The mood was buoyant. Enjoying a meal of pasta, salad, cheese and Evian water, it was at this moment that Eric discerned that his friend’s life had changed irrevocably. ‘It was then I realised life would never be the same again.’ Upwards and onwards, Didier was a man on the move.
In the race itself, Didier and Couderc engaged in a no-holds-barred dice for victory. Attempting to go down the inside of his rival however, the Elf driver found the door slammed firmly shut in his face. The resulting contact pierced the radiator of Didier’s MK14. To avoid overheating there was no other choice but to back off. Didier eventually finished third, five seconds behind winner Couderc and two seconds in arrears of second-placed man Snobeck.
After the race, Eric encountered a disconsolate friend: ‘Hey, it’s not so bad, you learnt how to handle a particularly difficult situation today, it will serve you well.’ Didier immediately brightened:
‘Yeah, and I’ll win all the others…’
Although the predicted domination did not unfold quite as the pilot might have hoped, by mid-season Didier was a hot favourite to win the championship. The key to success was consistency. While Couderc, Sourd and Snobeck enjoyed their own purple patches during the year, they could not quite match the relentless points-scoring of the younger man. A summer spell which yielded three further victories and two runner-up spots brought the longed-for title ever closer.
‘In the long term I want to go as far as possible,’ replied Didier when asked about his ambitions by the motorsport weekly Sport-Auto. ‘The dream is Formula 1.’
Meanwhile, Couderc was proving to be a very dogged opponent. Following a thrilling duel at Nivelles on the undercard of the Belgian Grand Prix, a few weeks later the pair engaged in another full-blooded battle at Charade, a sweeping circuit set within the spectacular backdrop of the Auvergne Mountains. On a circuit made slippery by one of the region’s heavy rainfalls, Couderc’s leading Martini suddenly snapped out of control. An oil-spattered visor restricting his visibility, it was too late for Didier to take avoiding action. Crunch! The second-placed car slid off into the guardrail. Race over.
Bad luck at the Bugatti circuit where a fire destroyed Couderc’s car and trailer signalled the end not only of a spirited season, but effectively a whole career.
Victory at Brands Hatch in early October finally clinched the title for the 22-year-old Parisian. Didier had made good his promise. More significantly, Guiter’s gamble had paid off. Naturally, the champion now set his sights on the next rung of the motor racing ladder: Formula Renault Europe. Guiter, of course, said ‘Oui.’
There was just time to seal a strong championship year with a final hurrah in Barcelona, venue for the 20th and last round of the year. As autumn arrived on its doorstep, the city’s Montjuïc circuit was drowning under an avalanche of dead leaves. Many cars overheated as the leaves snuck into radiators and cooling systems. Notwithstanding, as several of his rivals floundered, Didier picked his way through the debris to take his seventh win of the year. Such was the attrition rate, Giancarlo Ricci took fifth place and with it, his only points of a long, arduous Formula Renault campaign.
Promotion and relegation; such are the vagaries of motorsport. Ricci was headed home to Italy, Didier to Formula Renault Europe.
Mission accomplished.
Six
Didi et Rene
In a column written in 1982 at the height of his fame for Auto Hebdo, Didier would make passing reference to a quirk that had obviously not escaped his attention. Throughout his motor racing career, he noted, his own trajectory and that of his rival Rene Arnoux had run in parallel; both men had won their respective driving school championships in 1972 – Rene with Shell, Didier with Elf. The writer then briefly mused about a pattern that had since emerged: while Arnoux’s successes had occurred in years ending with an odd number, his own had occurred in years ending in even numbers. Thus, Rene had become Formula Renault champion in 1973, while his own season had floundered. Conversely, the year 1974 had yielded a championship for Didier while his rival from Grenoble had endured a miserable time. This on-off pattern had continued up until the present day, wryly observed Didier in the summer of that fateful year.
If such was indeed the case, 1975 was set to be an Arnoux year. What fate then Didier? The auspices were not looking good when the reigning Formula Renault champion received an invitation to join the French military early in the year. La Republic was calling. National Service was a requirement of French citizenship and as such a call that could not be ignored.
Didier was aghast. Fresh from his championship-winning year the champ was relishing taking part in Formula Renault Europe, the new format created to supplant the national category. Not wishing to lose the momentum built over the past 12 months, Didier railed against what he perceived to be the injustice of his situation. What about Magny? The team? Elf? Above all, what about his career?
‘The subject can’t even be approached with him. He does not accept this mandatory obligation. His bitterness is great and his revolt disturbing,’ notes Imelda in her dia
ry.
At 23 years of age, the time was exactly ripe for military service. A year away from the sport though was an intolerable thought. No amount of pleading or family influence, however, could avoid the reality of the situation. Salvation arrived in the form of Le Bataillon de Joinville, a special unit reserved for athletes and sportsmen and where future stars such as footballer Zinedine Zidane would undertake their own obligations. Reluctantly, Didier agreed to join up. Under special dispensations granted to those of a sporting prowess, he would only be required to attend training one day per week. Though far from ideal, it was surely preferable than full-time conscription.
1975 would thus prove to be a busy year all round. In addition to consolidating his position as one of France’s rising track stars, precious time would be spent marching on the parade ground or shooting on the rifle range – a discipline in which the racer excelled.
As far as the motor racing competition was concerned, the year ahead would be a reprise of the usual suspects with two intriguing additions. Lining up with Sourd, Snobeck and co would be rally ace Jean Ragnotti and the returning Arnoux. The field had just got that little bit stronger, and consequently the chances of retaining his crown as Formula Renault champion, that much harder. After a year in the wilderness chasing F2 drives and Lotus F1 testing contracts over in England, Elf had thrown Rene a lifeline in the shape of a small budget to enable him to compete in the new formula. Little Rene was ecstatic. Ragnotti on the other hand had already established himself as a class act. Movie stunt driver for the likes of Alain Delon, ‘the Acrobat’ – as Ragnotti was known – could arguably claim to be France’s greatest all-round driver. A dip into single seater racing seemed a good way to cement that reputation. Remaining with Team Pironi for a second season, great things were also expected of Richard Dallest. Competition without and within.
Life at the old butcher’s shop meanwhile was as hectic as ever. When not testing or hanging out at Tico’s place, Didier and the gang liked nothing better than to watch a movie under the bright lights of the steering-wheel chandelier – a constant reminder of their purpose. With Daniel Champion’s wife and young child in situ since late 1974, conviviality and friendship were the order of the day chez Didier.
Disqualification at the opening race at Nogaro for Didier (2nd) and Richard (3rd) did not augur well. In a year when all the top contenders were using the Martini MK15 chassis, the scramble to modify and innovate in the hope of gaining a competitive advantage became something of a Holy Grail. Adjustments to the height of the back wing of the team’s cars had consequently fallen foul of the regulations. For Didier, it was 12 vital points lost.
By the end of April, the season had settled down. Five races in and the squadron leader was still searching for his first victory. Although he was picking up podium finishes, the team were falling just short of resuming their place as regular winners. If Team Pironi had assumed they would continue in 1975 where they had left off the previous year, just a handful of races into the new season, that idea had been well and truly quashed as a glance at the championship table revealed:
Arnoux 54 pts
Ragnotti 46
Sourd 41
Pironi 40
Snobeck 38
Any one of five drivers could conceivably win the title. His meagre budget subsequently augmented by Elf, Arnoux was proving to be a tenacious opponent. A hat-trick of wins at Croix en Ternois, Ricard and Magny-Cours had propelled Rene to the top of the championship. If Didier felt a trifle overshadowed by his rival it is easy to see why. Not only had the little man migrated from Shell to Elf, racking up victory after victory, he was also forging a strong relationship with Tico Martini, the man Didier had adopted as his guru. A couple of ardent admirers, Didier and Rene vied for Tico’s affections.
Keeping a secret in the tightly knit world of Formula Renault was no easy task. Rumours the championship leader had hit upon an innovative ventilated braking system soon had Daniel Champion sniffing around for clues. Given that Rene and Didier were both driving under the Elf banner, a compromise was reached: in the interests of team spirit, the young chargers warily agreed to exchange technical information. In this cut and thrust environment, gaining even the slightest of technical advantages could prove crucial. Rene and Didier were, after all, comrades of sorts, albeit ones who watched each other’s moves with the keenness of eagles.
It was not until the sixth round at Monaco that Didier’s season truly began. The playground of the rich and famous had always been a happy hunting ground in past seasons. On a wet and slippery May afternoon, Didier shadowed Snobeck’s leading car in the colours of UFP for 22 laps of a race scheduled to run for 25. It was a race he desperately wanted to win. Three laps remaining and with the spray from the leading car playing havoc with his ignition, at the old Gasworks’ hairpin, Didier lunged inside the leader…
With the Monaco Grand Prix due off in a couple of hours’ time, here was an irresistible opportunity to impress F1’s movers and shakers. Inevitably, the two cars touched. Hampered by gearbox issues, Snobeck conceded the corner and the race. A much-needed 15 points secured, the victor would later reflect on how he had only ‘lightly tapped’ the leader in order to pass… With the win, Didier roared back into championship contention.
Victory in Monaco, however, could not mask a fundamental problem for the team: lack of raw power. While Didier’s split-times revealed nothing shabby with his cornering speeds, such was not the case on straights, that part of a circuit where top-end grunt mattered most and where he was losing out significantly to championship pacesetters Arnoux and Ragnotti. Tico and Didier looked to Bozian, the company responsible for preparing the team’s engines, not to mention those of Arnoux.
A change of engine tuners halfway through the season worked the oracle. In early June, Didier won at Hockenheim, pausing in the pit to collect Daniel and the rest of the guys who clung on to the hood of the car as the winner drove his victory lap. Success was always a team game. Later, as was his custom, Didier would treat his faithful mechanics to a slap-up meal. Drunk on success, the gang would arrive back late at Magny’s quiet town square in the small hours, exhausted but happy, what Daniel Champion referred to as ‘unforgettable times’.
As the heat of summer settled over France, Arnoux and Ragnotti were now in Private Pironi’s sights. However, faulty spark plugs and a puncture denied potential wins in Charade and Rouen respectively. From pole position in Rouen, Didier had briefly lost the lead at the start to Arnoux before calmly out-braking his rival at the New World chicane a few corners later. Thereafter victory had seemed assured.
‘I was perfectly at ease in my head before my puncture,’ noted a sanguine Didier when reflecting back on the race at Rouen. ‘I had that day a distinct feeling of superiority.’
Modifications made to his Martini together with an engine that was now producing serious power meant that Didier enjoyed a competitive, if not always reliable summer run of form. ‘On the straights he was irresistible,’ noted Paul Ricard runner-up Marc Sourd, who had finished just 0.3 of a second behind Didier and only 0.6 of a second in front of third-placed Ragnotti! Grandstand finishes were common enough in Formula Renault. Ricard ended in a third victory in seven races. Didier had his mojo back.
Indeed, by the time the series shut up shop in mid-July for a seven-week break, Ragnotti, Arnoux and Pironi were locked in a titanic three-way struggle for the title.
For Rene and his fiancée Nelly, the holiday turned into a nightmare when fire destroyed their trailer home. Tico Martini came to the rescue with an offer of temporary accommodation. Rene and Tico becoming ever-closer buddies would not necessarily have been the news Didier was hoping for, not with a championship at stake. Not long after, the Grenoblois couple moved into a caravan in the Magny vicinity. Rivals, friends and neighbours. Formula Renault always was a family affair.
Thanks to a dismal run in the final four races of the season, Didier’s title hopes frittered away: a fourth place at Albi and three
races in which he picked up a measly four points put paid to any hopes of retaining his mantle as Elf’s champion. Bungled off the road by a backmarker while preparing to launch an attack on Snobeck’s leading UFP in the season finale in Jarama summarised an entire season: close to success, but ultimately not close enough.
Meanwhile, Arnoux was cruising towards the title. In the rush to move up the motor racing ladder – to F3 or preferably F2 – the little man had manoeuvred himself into pole position. Though they had ostensibly been fighting for the right to call themselves the 1975 champion of Formula Renault Europe, Rene and Didier had in effect been fighting all season for a much greater prize – promotion to Elf’s Formula 2 team. Title slipping away, even by late September Didier was still hoping for a ticket to F2. There was just one problem. With Jabouille, Tambay and Leclère already on board for ’76, Elf had a vacancy for just a single driver – the Formula Renault Europe champion, a reality that not even Guiter – benefactor to the young man – could change. Nevertheless, he clung to a frail hope that he could somehow drive F2 in 1976, a prospect that was shattered prior to the start of the 16th round of the championship at Nogaro where, just about to start the race, Didier learnt that Elf had other plans for him. ‘Elf then finally convinced me to remain for a season in F Renault, with interesting prospects for 1977 F2 if I win the Challenge.’ Patience, dear Didier, patience.
Rumours circulated that the UK-based March F2 team were keen on Didier. For a brief moment, he considered leaving France for England. As well as being a leap into the unknown, such a move would have also meant jeopardising his hard-earned relationship with the petroleum giant, an unthinkable proposition.
Pironi Page 6