San Marino/Paul Ricard 82

[Jonny Apex]

While everyone's ranting and raving about Ferrari's team orders, people seem to forget these two races.

San Marino 82: Pironi refused to bow to Ferrari team orders and beat Villeneuve across the line. A lot of people criticised Pironi. The incident is said to have tiggered the events which led to Villeneuve's death a fortnight later at Zolder.

Paul Ricard: Arnoux ignores team orders and wins the race ahead of Prost - a 1-2 for Renault and French drivers on home soil. A lot of people praised Arnoux for his defiance.

Was anybody out there at these two races? Any other examples of races where one driver has stuck up two fingers to the top brass on pitwall?

[TimD]

Yep. Carlos Reutemann was told to honour the strict number two status of his contract with Williams at the 1981 Brazilian GP. Told to back off, and let Alan Jones take a clear pass in wet conditions, he kept his foot down, and scored what was described as a perfect Williams 2-1 Victory...

That set the tone for the working relationship between Jones and Reutemann for the rest of the season.

At the end of the season, Carlos approached AJ and suggested they should bury the hatchet. Jones, still aggrieved, replied "Yeah. In your back, Mate."

[Adam43]

Didn't Arnoux say he would let Prost through, but then went back on it without telling Prost! Prost didn't even try to catch and overtake him becuase he thought there was no need!

I'm not 100% sure of any of the details. Must read up on it...

[Lee Janotta]

Pironi didn't "ignore team orders", the rat stole the win from Gilles, who had no way of knowing his younger teammate intended to pass him, and was proceeding at a leisurely pace!

And were it not for team orders, Gilles could well have taken the championship the year before. '82 was to finally be _his_ year, which is why he was so startled by Pironi's behavior.

[Jordi]

yes, Gilles was faster that Pironi at the limit, but he was innocent, and Pironi just stole it...

Joann had advised him of Pironi, as Pironi hadn't even invited Gilles to his wedding, but Gilles thought he had forgotten..

While Gilles duly sat behind Scheckter in Monza 1979, Pironi used the first opportunity he had to pass Gilles.

"People seemed to think we had the battle of our lives! Jesus Christ! I'd been ahead of him most of the race, qualified a second and a half ahead of him. Where was my problem? I was coasting those last 15 laps, he was racing"

[f1manoz]

Arnoux was subsequently fired by Renault. Most say it was because of his refusal at the French GP to move over for Prost. Don't forget, Prost was the 'golden child' at Renault (until his very public falling out with the team a year later and then he went and had his best years at McLaren!!)