Elio De Angelis

Yesterday (May 15) marked sixteen long years since Elio de Angelis died in a testing accident in a Brabham BT55 at Paul Ricard in France. Just days before, de Angelis competed in the Monaco Grand Prix, struggling around in an uncompetitive car, finishing at the back of the field. Elio won just two races in his career, but would certainly have done more had the machinery permitted him to do so.

http://www.forix.com/iex/imgz/_jmb/198006012_jmb_2.jpg

Elio, always remembered in our hearts, rest in peace mate.

Scott

Hear, hear..

Well said. Rest in peace Elio.

He was such an elegant gentleman and his loss was felt the world around in motorsport. I don't think one driver would have had a bad word for Elio.

RIP Elio:(

On the 1986 season review video Clive James said something like:

"Unable to help being handsome and rich, he made up for it by being a wonderful driver aswell."

I will never forget the little clip I saw of Elio playing the piano and Gilles playing the trumpet and the drivers singing along -- during the FISA/FOCA strike. Both were wonderful multi-talented gentlemen and now both are gone.

Thank you for that lovely picture, too. He was elegant and modest, a true sportsman and a credit to his family and Formula One.

Another one on the Heavenly Grid showing them how it's done.

didn't he also win at Austria in the proper way - by about 1/100th of a second - one of the great GP finishes ever.

1982 Austrian GP beating Keke Rosberg - Just!

How many other top-flight drivers could also boast being a capable and talented concert pianist amongst their talents?

Elio was one of those rare "renaissance" gentlemen, whose like we only rarely see. Remembering how his life was taken by a stupid and banal testing accident still brings me up short. Elio was just too special to have that happen.

In 1982, the Austrian Grand Prix was truly his. And he gave us one of the most magnificent races in the history of the sport. Times change....

Isn't it ironic that in the week when Austria happened, we honour so many gentlemen who honoured and uplifted the sport?

Makes you see just how far we have fallen, doesn't it?

At least in 1982 when the cars were seperated by inches at the finish it wasn't a fraud!

Remind me of his other victory, I only remember Austria (which I nearly wet myself watching on telly, as at that humble age, the choice between a Williams or Lotus winning was too incredible to behold)

San Marino 85, Senna had made Pole - both in JPS Team Lotus.

Yeah, what a time.

Don't you think that the "Heaven grid" would be fantastic to watch. GOD knows what HE does.

I'd love to find out whats going on up in the grid of the heavens..

But not just yet!!;)

Originally posted by Osella
Remind me of his other victory, I only remember Austria (which I nearly wet myself watching on telly, as at that humble age, the choice between a Williams or Lotus winning was too incredible to behold)

Osella,

You recall the 1986 Spanish GP. It was won by Ayrton Senna in a Lotus, over Nigel Mansell driving a Williams.

The final gap bewteen the two was only 0.014s. This was the second closest F-1 GP ever.

The tightest finish ever remains the one of the 1971 Italian GP. Then, Peter Gethin (BRM) beat Ronnie Peterson (March) by 0.01s. In 1971 the time was not measure down to thousandths of second, but based on photographic analysis, it is estimated that the final difference was 0.012s.

Cheers,

Muzza, once again you amaze me by your knowledge! you are a walking encyclopidia my man!

Originally posted by Osella
Remind me of his other victory, I only remember Austria (which I nearly wet myself watching on telly, as at that humble age, the choice between a Williams or Lotus winning was too incredible to behold)

Originally posted by Koby
San Marino 85, Senna had made Pole - both in JPS Team Lotus.

Alain Prost was the first who crossed the finish line in the 1985 San Marino GP, but he later was disqualified due to car underweight. Elio finished second but finally was declared the winner. Elio had a good start of season that year and was between the top drivers in the Drivers Championship, later he falled to his final fifth position that year.
I first heard about Elio de Angelis during 1988, when I read a journal about 1986 motorsport review in Italian. Later I known him for his campaign, his debut in Shadow, his development and wins at Lotus and his tragic finale at Brabham. I know he was handsome and good piano player too. I also remember Elio as "Mr. 5th" because during 1984-85 he finished many races in that place.

I have put that picture on all my computers as wallpaper. It makes focusing my attemtion on my work very difficult indeed.

They just don't make them like that anymore. *SIGH* those were the days.

About the Senna vs Mansell, I heard that Mansell wrote in his (auto?)biography that 0.014 was the closest ever margin!

What about the gap of the 1rst and 2nd, last race ?

It should be considered ?

wow 16 years... it didn't really seem so long ago...
This means I've been watching F1 for 18 years...

Originally posted by nicholaswhite
About the Senna vs Mansell, I heard that Mansell wrote in his (auto?)biography that 0.014 was the closest ever margin!

Hello, Nicholas,

No, it was not. I checked some books again and to the very best of my knowledge the closest finish margin was the one at the 1971 Italian GP, as per my previous posting (gap estimated at 0.012 s).

Senna winning above Mansell in the 1986 Spanish Gp was the second closest gap (gap of 0.014 s).

Regards,

Eighteen years today since his death at Paul Ricard.

Sadly missed.

RIP Elio

I always thought Elio was very under-rated, when you look at his perofrmances against Mansell in the Lotuses, and he clearly worried Ayrton at times in 1985. Who knows how good he would've been in the long term? His death was a terrible incident, caused by utterly inept facilities at Paul Ricard, and the sort of thing that was wholly preventable. RIP Elio.

Inept facilities, and a very unsafe car.
Once he got the chance to drive a fast one, a sh**ty destiny really. :(

Elio was the last of his kind sadly - a gentleman and a great driver. I was 17 when he died - I remember seeing him at Silverstone in '79 in the Shadow, I remember him coming into The Bell in Brackley with his crew on GP Saturday night in '85 for a glass of Chianti (could you imagine an F1 driver doing that nowadays?) and the day he died was the start of one of those horrible periods we have to occasionally endure in motorsport; within days we'd lost Toivonen, Surer's co-driver, Gartner...
Rarely is the death of a driver a true tragedy in my view, desperately sad, yes - but to die doing what you were born to do - that's no tragedy is it? But Elio's death was different - so unnecessary, so worthless. For the want of some properly equipped marshall's he might still be with us.

Elio was the last of his kind sadly - a gentleman and a great driver. I was 17 when he died - I remember seeing him at Silverstone in '79 in the Shadow, I remember him coming into The Bell in Brackley with his crew on GP Saturday night in '85 for a glass of Chianti (could you imagine an F1 driver doing that nowadays?) and the day he died was the start of one of those horrible periods we have to occasionally endure in motorsport; within days we'd lost Toivonen, Surer's co-driver, Gartner...
Rarely is the death of a driver a true tragedy in my view, desperately sad, yes - but to die doing what you were born to do - that's no tragedy is it? But Elio's death was different - so unnecessary, so worthless. For the want of some properly equipped marshall's he might still be with us.


Well said that man. :(

One of my all time favourites.

Elio would have been 50 years old this year if it weren't for that senseless tragedy 22 years ago this morning. RIP Elio.

Elio in the Lotus 81 at Brands in 1980 (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2393/2255363544_6111e3208a.jpg?v=1202661359)

Always nice to remember him. My last favorite driver, after his death I decided to never support a driver again.