UK heads-up : BBC4 March 27th, 9pm

[Gary Critcher]

Lads, I've just been informed today that the next documentary by the same team that brought you the 1955 Le Mans programme last year is now ready and will air on BBC4 on the 27th March.
Unfortunately, they haven't supplied me with a title !! However, when I was supplying them with some library footage last year, they told me the subject matter was 'safety in Formula 1'.
I think they were interested in the early 60's through to the late 70's, but don't quote me on that one! If I hear any more on the subject I'll let you know.

[mrva]

Thanks for the heads-up, the Le Mans documentary was great!

And the 27th is not too far away

[dyewat808]

Always nice to have inside sources!!

[Gary Critcher]

Apparently there are now two programmes on this date o Formula 1 / motorsport.

[Gary Critcher]

Just a subtle little bump for these programmes this coming Sunday evening.

[old man]

Catchy title, "The Killer Years", follows a programme with lots of past champions

[cg7aa]

I just finished watching the two programs. Thoroughly disappointing stuff is all I would say. I'm glad I had the option of fast forwarding through it. Perhaps I was naive in hoping for so much more.

[Andy77]

Damn I missed it. During Indycar I still thought of it but then i forgot about it

[Rob29]

Missed first 15 mins as Indycar overran.Not sure what I expected,but was certainly horrific.Some stuff I had not come across before despite being around at the time.

[strider]

I recorded it and have just finished watching it.

I have very mixed feelings. Basically it's about drivers being killed and I didn't like that. If you didn't know what motor racing was like in those days I suppose it's instructive because it tells and shows you the reality very graphically.

The best parts were the interviews, particularly those not showing JYS.

It was probably better than the Le Mans documentary, which I thought was bad in just about every way, but that's as much as I can say.

The programme before it, about 60 years of F1 history was much better.

[cg7aa]

Perhaps I should expand on my comments earlier. I do agree with strider that for those without any prior knowledge of the era, it is an eye opener. Incidentally, I have no first hand experience of that era and it's dangers, I've merely read extensively about it.

Perhaps my 'problem' was that I knew the stories and it felt like I was hearing them for the nth time e.g. the JYS crash at Spa 66. What slightly irked was that I felt a few too many of the fatal accidents were put down solely to circuit safety. In my humble opinion, some of the crashes could not be solely down to circuit safety or the lack of, other things conspired to make the accident happen in the first place e.g. Siffert's accident or McLaren's.

It's interesting that Beltoise's incident with Guinti wasn't mentioned.

There were some terribly moving moments to be fair, you can tell Nina Rindt's loss is pretty much still raw and she feels someone is to blame although she has accepted what happened happened "Colin cared afterwards because they charged him with manslaughter in Italy".

The Bandini footage was so so sad. I still find it extremely difficult to watch David Purley trying to rescue Roger Williamson at Zandvoort.


I thought the F1 60th anniversary program was more of an advert/montage for a modern F1 race weekend in the desert than anything else. It was great to see all the greats gathered together but there just wasn't enough time dedicated to them I felt. I had little interest in what the contemporary drivers like Hamilton or Lewis had to say, heard all before I'm afraid.

[Knowlesy]

It was an OK programme, some good interviews.

The 60 years of F1 thing was a bit meh.

[bella]

i've tried to watch programmes about f1 from that era and all the upsides and downsides but haven't really engaged with it. for some reason i did with this programme.

Originally Posted by cg7aa

There were some terribly moving moments to be fair, you can tell Nina Rindt's loss is pretty much still raw and she feels someone is to blame although she has accepted what happened happened "Colin cared afterwards because they charged him with manslaughter in Italy".

The Bandini footage was so so sad. I still find it extremely difficult to watch David Purley trying to rescue Roger Williamson at Zandvoort.

i agree on both counts - both bits of footage really touched me, especially nina rindt's story. i though the tribute to jim clark - the onboard footage from oulton park - was spot on, absolutely amazing. brilliant choice in soundtrack as well.

normally i find jackie stewart difficult, but having so many different contributors i thought brought his comments into context, and it was much easier to see how he'd come to his viewpoint as a human being. i'm still not keen on his opinions about modern f1 but it did help understand where he was coming from.

i can see how the programme might not sit well with the already well educated or those who experienced the racing at the time, but for those of us who tend to see nothing but the rose tinted spectacles (and statistics) view of pre-80s motorsport it's an education, and a great starting point to start viewing the time in a more realistic and contextual light.

[Knowlesy]

Nina Rindt was a star. Some real bitterness towards Colin Chapman there, clearly still hurting over it 41 years on. And never understood the dislike of JYS. One of the most sensible people going.

Was weird seeing Christopher Hilton popping up from time to time though.

[bella]

it's not really dislike as such with jackie stewart it's that the safety drum is worn out now, there's really very little to criticise yet he still manages to call it out with the same vigour that he did when safety didn't exist. i'm struggling to remember him actually talking about *driving* cars, and the joy of racing. it's all negatives. you wonder why he even bothered racing.

there's more to it, obviously, but that's the only way i can think of putting it into words.

[strider]

You've managed very well, bella. I don't dislike the guy; I just get fed up with him spouting off about anything and everything.

[Super Hans]

I just watched The Killer Years. I enjoyed it, though I found the footage of Bandini's and Williamson's accidents quite upsetting. Like Bella said, those of us who weren't around in the 60s and 70s have a romantic view of those times, but the programme helped me to see it in perspective.

A time of great highs but far too many devastating lows.

[mickey29]

The 'killer years' was a very well made programme, however it didn't have the power or impact of the le mans documentary.

The Williamson and Bandini incidents are shocking, the former even more so because of the despair of the driver who tried desperately to help in the face of inexperienced, badly trained and ill-equipped track marshals.

The 60 years programme was a disappointing rehash. A missed opportunity that was twice as long as it should have been.

[Gary Critcher]

'the despair of the driver who tried desperately to help'
That would be David Purley.

[mickey29]

Thank you, I was writing the post in somewhat of a hurry and Mr Purley's name just left my brain!

[strider]

If you really didn't know the name of David Purley, you should read this. Hero material.

I was privileged to know him after his career-ending accident. We had to go to meetings together that lasted 2 or 3 hours, but the pain from injuries meant he couldn't sit still for for that long. He had to get up and walk about.

As for Roger Williamson, his career in the junior formulae meant we raced at the same meetings and we became friends after a fashion, so his loss and the nature of it were particularly painful.

Maybe The Killer Years was too strong a title for the programme, but there was so much about that time that was far from romantic.

[mickey29]

I watched the programme, I know his name and acheivements.

I simply could not recall his name when I wrote that post at 7.43am before heading out of the door 2 mins later.

I wanted to complete the post before I left.

Strider: I am sorry for your loss and any distress caused by my craft moment.

[strider]

Originally Posted by mickey29

Strider: I am sorry for your loss and any distress caused by my craft moment.

Craft or daft? Either way, very gracious of you, but absolutely no need for an apology. It was the programme that brought back the painful memories, too many of them for me.

[RTH]

Originally Posted by bella

it's not really dislike as such with jackie stewart it's that the safety drum is worn out now, there's really very little to criticise yet he still manages to call it out with the same vigour that he did when safety didn't exist. i'm struggling to remember him actually talking about *driving* cars, and the joy of racing. it's all negatives. you wonder why he even bothered racing.

there's more to it, obviously, but that's the only way i can think of putting it into words.

Far too harsh.He was one of those rare individuals who could win in a car that did not have an advantage. 3 times world champion at a time when it was at its most dangerous and high quality opposition. The cars had got a great deal faster , cornering speeds had shot up, were so lightly built they offered less protection than cars of the 50s and circuits remained inherently very dangerous.
He was right about safety. We should not think motor racing is safe today, (many drivers have been fortunate with circumstances over the past decade or so,) just safer than it was then. A bad weekend could suddenly happen again now, let us hope it doesn't.

[bella]

no, not at all harsh. i agree with everything you say. it's just that i don't see things in black and white quite the same as some do. for me there's many shades of grey to every story and to every person, and his contribution to the sport and as a result to the sport we have today isn't questionable. it doesn't make him a saint and someone everyone has to adore regardless.

like i say, i admire his acheivements, but i wouldn't have a pint with him.