Grand Prix Rejects

Hi there F1 Rejecters!

I've been a little quiet on the F1 driver interview front, but with a new season comes a spate of new interview opportunities, and I'm kicking off my Australian Grand Prix build-up with a chat with a driver who would shortlist in the 'You Lucky Bastard' category of Reject Centrale: Philippe Alliot.

Famed for a series of crashes and some appalling manners when being lapped, Philippe also enjoyed a lot of success in sports car racing, and today runs a karting facility in his native France.

He had a lengthy interview with me last year, and I've taken the opportunity to time its publication with the launch of my website's new design.

You can read the interview by clicking on this link: http://bit.ly/1gaRnLH

Our entire interview archive can be accessed here: http://richardsf1.com/interviews/

Enjoy!

Thanks as always!

That takes me back to my first days watching F1. Philippe Alliot was one I'll never forget from that 1990 season, mainly because of those "appalling manners when being lapped", which was why I was really surprised to see him make those last few comeback drives in 1994. The other one I'll always remember was just as French and was just as notorious... and Alliot had pinched his drive at Ligier so off he went to his adventures at Osella. It's the generously-beaked walking hair gel advert, Olivier Grouillard!

And, as we all know, Philippe Alliot shares a birthday with me. As does Ricardo Rosset, heavily featured on Dr Baker's Lola retrospective.

Thank you minrdi! Always a pleasure to read your interviews.

He mentions a possible 3rd place at Monaco in 1990. I don't remember this. Does anyone remember the race?

I think it's a very optimistic interpretation of what could have happened. He was running in seventh place when he retired on lap 47 with a gearbox failure, and would have finished fourth had he retained his track position to the end. He would have had to pass Boutsen, who was 25 seconds short of lapping him when he retired, to claim third. Perhaps the gearbox was playing up and slowing his pace before he retired, and his target of third would have been achievable with a completely healthy car?