1985: From Alfa to Omega
1985: From Alfa to Omega
Good morning everyone.
This week saw an F1 car with the Alfa Romeo name take to the track for the first time since 1985. This got us thinking - what on earth happened during Alfa's last stint in the sport?
Our esteemed forumite Miguel98 has taken up the challenge and produced this excellent piece documenting Milan's woeful 1985 - a season so poor that even Minardi and Osella were able to beat their well-funded countrymen. Read it here today!
1985: From Alfa to Omega
This week saw an F1 car with the Alfa Romeo name take to the track for the first time since 1985. This got us thinking - what on earth happened during Alfa's last stint in the sport?
Our esteemed forumite Miguel98 has taken up the challenge and produced this excellent piece documenting Milan's woeful 1985 - a season so poor that even Minardi and Osella were able to beat their well-funded countrymen. Read it here today!
1985: From Alfa to Omega
Fetzie on Ferrari wrote:How does a driver hurtling around a race track while they're sous-viding in their overalls have a better understanding of the race than a team of strategy engineers in an air-conditioned room?l
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Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
I very much enjoyed reading this - thank you!
Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
Just to let you know that there either there is a section of missing text, or possibly something has accidentally been duplicated. The paragraph introducing the 185T ends with the words "Once again", but with nothing coming after them - was there meant to be another sentence that was cut short, or a bit of stray text mistakenly being pasted in the wrong place?
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning:
"The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
"The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
mario wrote:Just to let you know that there either there is a section of missing text, or possibly something has accidentally been duplicated. The paragraph introducing the 185T ends with the words "Once again", but with nothing coming after them - was there meant to be another sentence that was cut short, or a bit of stray text mistakenly being pasted in the wrong place?
Ah yes, that was an erroneous piece of text that I managed to miss when proofreading the piece. It's been fixed.
Fetzie on Ferrari wrote:How does a driver hurtling around a race track while they're sous-viding in their overalls have a better understanding of the race than a team of strategy engineers in an air-conditioned room?l
Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
That was an informative article, with some nice humour. . But I believe the German GP was held at the modernised Nurburgring, not Hockenheim, in 1985.
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Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
good_Ralf wrote:That was an informative article, with some nice humour. . But I believe the German GP was held at the modernised Nurburgring, not Hockenheim, in 1985.
Yes, that's correct! My bad on this one, totally missed it.. It was the first GP on the new Nurburgring track.
Mario on Gutierrez after the Italian Grand Prix wrote:He's no longer just a bit of a tool, he's the entire tool set.
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Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
I wonder if Bruno Giacomelli was dreaming of his days at Alfa Romeo when he hauled himself out of bed at stupid o'clock on twelve Friday mornings in 1990?
The 185T was proof, if any were ever needed, that a good-looking car isn't necessarily fast.
The 185T was proof, if any were ever needed, that a good-looking car isn't necessarily fast.
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
dinizintheoven wrote:I wonder if Bruno Giacomelli was dreaming of his days at Alfa Romeo when he hauled himself out of bed at stupid o'clock on twelve Friday mornings in 1990?
The 185T was proof, if any were ever needed, that a good-looking car isn't necessarily fast.
Based on some 1990 interviews I've seen from Giacomelli, he knew perfectly well that Life had no chance of ever making the cut and just drove for fun (and presumably a bit of extra cash as well).
Eurosport broadcast for the 1990 Mexican GP prequalifying:
"The Life, it looked very lifeless yet again... in fact Bruno did one, slow lap"
"The Life, it looked very lifeless yet again... in fact Bruno did one, slow lap"
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Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
Miguel98 wrote:good_Ralf wrote:That was an informative article, with some nice humour. . But I believe the German GP was held at the modernised Nurburgring, not Hockenheim, in 1985.
Yes, that's correct! My bad on this one, totally missed it.. It was the first GP on the new Nurburgring track.
I'm really, really sorry, but that was the 1984 European Grand Prix.
Unless of course you specifically meant the German Grand Prix.
But seriously, that was some very nice work, Miguel. This may be one of our best non-profile pieces, thanks for taking it on.
Nuppiz wrote:dinizintheoven wrote:I wonder if Bruno Giacomelli was dreaming of his days at Alfa Romeo when he hauled himself out of bed at stupid o'clock on twelve Friday mornings in 1990?
The 185T was proof, if any were ever needed, that a good-looking car isn't necessarily fast.
Based on some 1990 interviews I've seen from Giacomelli, he knew perfectly well that Life had no chance of ever making the cut and just drove for fun (and presumably a bit of extra cash as well).
I just came across this 1999 interview: https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/arch ... giacomelli
No mention of horticultural curiosities circa 1990 as the focus is on just one race, but at the end he calls his decision to persevere with Alfa Romeo the biggest mistake of his life.
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- dinizintheoven
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Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
Simtek wrote:I just came across this 1999 interview: https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/arch ... giacomelli
Read this as well:
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/arch ... sotted-his
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
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Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
Great Article. Thanks.
I have a thing for F1 cars with obnoxiously coloured wheels.
I have a thing for F1 cars with obnoxiously coloured wheels.
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Re: 1985: From Alfa to Omega
Safe to say Alfa Romeo F1 Team #3 fared even worse than the 2nd one in hindsight, even it was just Sauber with a different name.