Bob Bondurant 1933-2021

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dinizintheoven
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Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Bob Bondurant 1933-2021

Post by dinizintheoven »

Continuing where I left off on the JDD forum...

DEATH #2 OF 3 FOR LATE NOVEMBER 2021, for the Paul Stoddart forum: Bob Bondurant, died 12 November 2021, aged 88.

Here's someone who wasn't a Reject, "by the beerest of marguns" as they say in New Zealand. His F1 career from 1965-66 reads: nine entries, one disqualification, four finishes, and one of those - the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix - was in 4th place for an instant unrejectification. That he was last of the classified finishers, in a situation not a million miles away from the events of 30 years later, do not matter. Later on that year, at the Belgian Grand Prix, he was one of the drivers who helped Jackie Stewart get out of his car while upside down and soaked in petrol, for which I would assume Wee Jackie is still grateful after all these years, given that he is still alive and doesn't have a face like Niki Lauda.

But, likely as not, what he was really known for was the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. Founded in 1968, it ran for 50 years before being wrecked in a bout of family drama - and apparently the family are still wrestling over the name. What a waste.
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!"
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