ACHIEVING RACING IMMORTALITY: The Story of Stefan Bellof's Nurburgring Record

[@AidanMillward]

**Doppelkupplungsgetreibe**

[@marcnobel3938]

almost ... "Doppelkupplungsgetriebe"

[@philipkalin1928]

It blows my mind, that he did this lap, not alone on the track. He had traffic… I wish we had onboard from this lap… its has to be absolutly insane…

[@napalmhotdog4365]

It has to be the maddest shit ever

[@jw4973]

The closest you’ll get is Derek Bell narrating his onboard lap, where Stefan blew past him about halfway round

[@nolimits4942]

@@jw4973 Can you provide the link?

[@mrwhiteshorts]

@@jw4973 Exactly. speed that lap up by 25 odd seconds and you have it. I believe Bell called that car as Ickx in 'In Car 956'. but i have not watched the VHS for a while.

[@Christoffski]

This and Rorhl vs. Schumi. 👀 if only.

[@DerGeraet205]

I remember reading it a little while ago, so not 100% sure anymore. But I think Porsche took the 919 Evo to the Nordschleife only after asking Bellof's family for their blessings and named the car the Stefan Bellof Edition/model so that his name and record can live on

[@elonmusk9697]

Yes they did. Also as I remember right, Bellofs family wanted Timo Bernhard to break the record if anybody would try

[@decnet100]

Timo Bernhard wore Bellofs helmet design while driving, which was created by Bellofs love of his life (Angelika Langner, a graphic artist), obviously after getting her permission. That about tells you how much of a nod to Stefan this was.

[@LucaTgaard]

Bellof was probably the quickest and most ballsy driver to ever get behind a wheel. For me, the best driver ever. His death was horrible, but I can’t think of a better way for a guy like him to go. Trying the impossible

[@paulsven7923]

Bellof in a Tyrrell catching Senna was out of this world

[@BritishRosie-es3zr]

I saw Bellof at Silverstone in 1985. He was running in a non-turbo Tyrrell on a circuit that was almost flat out the whole way round. Of course he qualified last when you had to have power, but he got past someone on the first lap (an Osella I think), and he held his own in a car with massive horsepower disadvantage. Not only that but he kept pushing to finish 11th out of 26 starters. I was amazed someone in such a slow car could compete at all, let alone fight for positions. It should not have been possible. Had he lived, a big team would have fought to sign him.

[@elonmusk9697]

He would have joined Ferrari if it wasn't for the accident. Enzo himself wanted him dearly

[@trombinichristian105]

Thanks for remembering Bellof! 🙏 “Stefan Bellof is the biggest talent, that I have ever seen” - Sir Jackie Stewart „Regarding his talent and everything what he has recently shown, without a doubt, he is one of the very, very, very best“ - Hans-Joachim Stuck

[@RobertGracie]

If Bellof had not been killed when he did, he would have gave Ayrton Senna a run for his money and more than likely would have been Germanys second Formula 1 World Champion*, it was such a loss to lose his talent so young, he was a young talent cut short by a fateful accident too early in his career....he should have been Germanys Second WDC* in F1! *And yes I am well aware of Wolfgang Von Trips too and yes Wolfgang should have been the first, Stefan should have been the second Bellof had his fear centre in his head turned off that day when he set that eyewatering 6:11.13 time, he drove the perfect lap at the perfect time and it was so upsetting when Porsche went back there and beat his time with that 919 Evo model they built, but that lap in 1983 was perfection, everything went right for him, its a real shame he never got the chance to make a run at the Title in F1, that is the biggest loss in motorsport history Heres the Nurburgring Racing Royalty: King of the Ring - Stefan Bellof Queen of the Ring - Sabine Schmitz

[@TheSt1092]

Wolfgang Von Trips could have been Germany's first WDC had he not been killed at Monza in 1961 . Extraordinary to think Germany was denied 2 F1 WDCs before Schumacher due to tragic circumstances.

[@kwisin1337]

Nothing porsche did hurt that record, different car, different track, different time. Get over it. Group C did happen, evo 919 DID happen. Fkn hell. With guys like you we would never try and beat a lap record.

[@LathropLdST]

Tsk. Mentioning Von Crash who died in Monza during his title bid, and not the first legit champion... Jochen Rindt was born in Germany, his parents died in the war so he was raised in Austria by his grandparents. Yes, he was the only posthumous champion. And yes, technically German.

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

@@LathropLdST And in a cruel twist of fate, both German-born drivers to have a good chance of winning the world championship died at Monza at the very same corner.

[@Rezcuz]

@@TheSt1092 Potential champions*

[@robertisler8557]

The amazing thing is, he does this lap in an official qualifying for a race (and with traffic)! All newer attempts are done or tried in special sessions, with optimal conditions and record specific settings…

[@AtZero138]

Agreed... My favorite Recorded lap.. the RUF Yellow Bird... Epic ... Traffic and all...

[@GavinRopchan]

The perfect lap doesn't exi...

[@jamsstar2010]

All of them are perfect 😂

[@Le3eFrereBrunet]

Hold my beer! 🍺

[@SpaceHCowboy]

Cmon, bro. There's always a perfect lap time til it's perfected.

[@stephanechartrand4290]

Asking Ken Mills...it exist

[@AtZero138]

If... Self management is possible,, That's as fast as I can get this car, with all factors added,, Fastest though this corner, on and on, Your opinion 99-100% of maximum ... Every turn, every apex, every single physical movement, 99 to 100%.. The Lap exist... Debate over setup.. advantage of etc.. live on forever... As I've only played at driving this track.. Forza Motorsports 4.. The Ring being a chance to fail yourself at every section of corners... As they add up... What if.. always Lives on... Not naturally competitive regarding anything that is considered a game, Pool or Bowling etc... I've only Raced BMX as a kid... In daily driving, I can't turn it off,, that drive to make this car go as fast as I can without drama.. Cheers from Southern California 🇺🇸

[@AnimaDweller]

Stefan's only weakness was not knowing when he needed to slow down. On raw pace alone I dare say he could've given Senna himself a run for his money had he races in f1 alongside him as he was supposed to. He truly is the Ringmeister

[@cliffthelightning]

One of the coolest helmet designs ever as well. I still have a large poster of Bellof driving the sweet Delonghi Tyrell. I wonder how many championships he would have if history had been different.

[@damoncuccia788]

Damn, Bellof is part of the "27 Club".

[@justinreynolds2235]

Much thanks for another brilliantly factual video Aidan. Bellof, Jim Clark and Henri Toivonen are my top three greatest drivers of all time. Being born in 1984, however, I only learnt of their exploits later on and never got the chance to witness that greatness personally. Although some of the more modern drivers I have had the pleasure to have watched come close, they all still miss the mark. Keep up the great work!!

[@flacjacket]

The only thing one needs to know about Toivonen is that when Walter Rohrl was asked if his Audi was fast enough to beat Henris Lancia his answer was "The car is, I'm not".

[@hugoagogo9435]

You’ve got your top three pretty much spot on. Although Personally I always put Clark at number 1

[@flacjacket]

Bellof's death was a tragedy, not only for him and his loved ones but for all motorsports enthusiasts whom it deprived of witnessing what may well have proved the greatest rivalry in the history of F1. Imagine Senna having an equal on track. It really makes one wonder how many drivers taken too soon could have become the greatest of all time. Toivonen springs immediately to mind as well.

[@iwantanaivanovic2962]

No need to imagine... senna had equals on track and couple of those were BETTER than him

[@ajwasp3642]

Bellof's death was the first death I witnessed on live TV. I will never forget Ickx''s car spinning, and his in-car camera recorded Bellof hitting the barrier head on.

[@schleichenderplattfu6028]

for me it was Riccardo Paletti in 1982 when i was 7 years old the 70s where not far away so it was just part of the buisness ... beautiful but also brutal times

[@AtZero138]

As Real Fans.. I find it difficult to watch, I respect the risk taken of course.. Mine would have to be.. Dale Earnhardt, I grew up watching racing, it was my own thing, .. Cheers from Southern California

[@boxy2k8]

Your video about Group C ended up making me very boring at parties, as I became enamoured with it. An updated or more in detail video would certainly be appreciated. I'm a sucker for anything Group C Also, a good idea for story time might be Mark Blundell's incredible pole time at Le Mans with his turbo wastegates stuck, leading to ridiculous power in his Group C Nissan

[@jstoli996c4s]

Blundell's lap is sheer lunacy. That car was scary powerful.

[@DonLee1980]

If there was a perfect lap, it might as well be Bellof's Ring record. However, it's also no secret how he got it... he took more risks and brought the car closer to the limit. That's why he also crashed a lot and unfortunately, lost his life eventually.

[@decnet100]

Indeed... during the race, he caught air for about 200m, obviously crashed. Before they even arrived to see if he was alright,he stepped out the car, smiling and signing autographs for the fans at the trackside.

[@Enevan1968]

At 8:28 you are spot on. Wanting to humiliate Ickx at 'his' Spa, he made the costly mistake of wanting to overtake at Eau Rouge. Yet still there are people - mostly your Germans - who blame Ickx.

[@thomasnieswandt8805]

Im german, but to quote some people who where there that day in Spa .... Bellofs Girlfriend "There was something strange that day. Everytime Stefan stepped into a car, he was happy and joyfull ... but not that day. He was quiet, alomst apathatic, something was wrong. People blame Ickx... i never did. It happend between them and whatever happend only the two know. Jochen Maas: "Even 30years later, people claim to know what happend. (Bellof tried to overtake Ickx and they collided), they say what was possible in that type of car. I WAS THERE! I DROVE THAT CAR. That day, that car, that spot ... it wasnt possible."

[@Alstevens83]

I think a lot of us would have killed to see the on board for that lap. It would have been something spectacular to watch. Upon my years watching and reading up on motorsports in general I think for that era of cars there has been two perfect laps, Bellof's laps around the Nurburgring and maybe Senna's Monaco lap.

[@Thunderbird1803]

Thank you for all the awesome videos!

[@minibus9]

awesome video, truly amazing what Bellof achived, also a sad story as you wonder what would have happened had he not been killed

[@tadroid3858]

Thanks, Aidan. I was a newly wed that year, and a little too busy to follow sports cars, so I was clueless. Great story, as usual.

[@Crushinglt]

Not sat through this yet but this makes me so happy seeing, I remember your original video on Stefan and it first introduced me to this legend, now have a poster based on his Lap at the Ring!

[@MontrealMike1986]

Keke Rosberg: Father of a Monaco based KZbinr 😆

[@fourutubez7294]

You missed the punchline

[@RACECAR]

I hear he was pretty good at that whole driving fast thing.

[@AnimaDweller]

Bellof's death was just like he was. Wreckless, no fear and he absolutely didn't care for something that wasn't "I dont care what happens, I'll overtake him" He probably would've died racing sooner or later. But what's for sure is that Bellof was one hell of a racing driver.

[@lestercombs1871]

Best Motorsport content on KZbin.

[@andrewdotmp4]

It's still my prediction that Bellof could have held his own in F1 if he lived past 1985 against the Prosts and Sennas of the Late 80s

[@jamieoconnor1916]

great work Aidan 😀👍👏thank you , a 6.11.1 lap of the green hell, as nelson mandela said " It always seems impossible till its done " respect 😎

[@SimRacing604]

Hardly recognized you without a hat Great video, as always! I never knew the surrounding circumstances of that lap. Fascinating stuff.

[@AidanMillward]

The hat is going to be a strictly outside thing. Maybe a streaming thing

[@MidTennPews]

Good morning Sir Aidan.

[@bugattieb110ss]

Derek Bell had advised Norbert Singer that he needed to 'rein in' the youngsters on-the-limit driving because he felt that it would ultimately lead to tragedy. Bell and Ickx were hugely experienced long-distance drivers and could see that Bellof was heading for trouble if he continued to drive like he was doing. Singer's German arrogance took this as jealousy of his young German protege and refused to do anything. Unfortunately, he paid the price with his life at Spa whilst trying to overtake Icks far too fast through Eau Rouge...

[@soggysadboi]

To me, beyond this lap - it's the reverence that other drivers have for Bellof that really gets me. Anyone that saw him race or raced alongside him speaks immensely highly of him, even if it's usually followed up by a description of his recklessness

[@davidciesielski8251]

Again, I really want to thank you!

[@captaintoyota3171]

Back b4 Motor trend ondemand got not worth it they had sportscar racing from early 80s entire seasons. So bellof bell etc etc. IT WAS AMAZING these guys drove those porsches to the limit and beyond. Bellof would jump in and trounce the lap time he was amazing

[@GregBrownsWorldORacing]

What an achievement, what a lap.

[@fibram1008]

One of the best drivers of all times

[@Christoffski]

What an absolute monster. His legend will always be strong, One of the cruellest "what if"s

[@michaeldelaney4389]

so true. imagine what senna vs. bellof could have been...

[@AeroGuy07]

I'm not sure why, but the intro music always seems to set the perfect tone for the video.

[@millennialchicken]

i just got the model of his record setting car recently, so this is of very apt timing. Still a insane time, done no less, by a no worthier man.

[@AidanMillward]

When we get a proper house I fully intend on stocking up on models of cars.

[@F-Man]

5:29 shots fired!

[@MartiniPinball]

Stefan was quite possibly the most natural gifted driver ever to race.

[@ianwynne764]

Hello Aidan: I am a Porsche "tragic". So I 'm delighted by any videos concerning Porsche. Thank you very much.

[@vladthemeatman7406]

Stefan Bellof esses are terrifying pushing on worn tyres

[@justincase9471]

For me it is one of the better corners on the track. I love how you can jump out of PF2 and then flow nicely through the Bellof corner. Just don't lift your right foot while going through it 😅

[@jozsefizsak]

You have very fine communication skills and your videos are extremely good.🙂

[@RACECAR]

You know...The 24 Hours Of Le Mans has an anniversary coming up. Potential idea for future content, especially the closer the event gets.

[@Andrew-vx2ls]

Fun facts: the WM Peugeot P88 was not really a works car...but it was built by Peugeot engineers Welter and Meunier building the car in their spare time...but with the full backing of Heuliez ( a French coach builder) and PRV6 twin turbo engine (906 bhp). It managed 406 kmh...(that is 253 mph (GB) for those still in the 1950s.

[@texasmr2]

So glad I got to witness genius and aggressive driving.

[@heliumtrophy]

Surely someone at Porsche had a (dry) sense of humour in putting Bell and Bellof together. All we needed is someone with a surname Bellon and the three race at Le Mans together for a trio that would cause someone to have a titter.

[@OldGuyWithaCamera]

Pairing Derek Bell with Hans Stuck was even better, I bumped into Hans Stuck watching a support race at Silverstone, he was wearing a T-shirt that said “ I’m Stuck with Bell”

[@marks7197]

One benefit was at Le Mans they had BE ST on the pit board.

[@berserkfuryyy6798]

Right on time. Good morning sir.

[@kwisin1337]

Great job as always. Could you do some vodeos related to canada and racing, targa newfoundland is amazing.

[@jsquared1013]

Way back in my mechanic days, I worked on prep for a few of the shop's customer cars (classic Porsches) which raced in Targa Newfoundland. The shop was in North Carolina! So those guys made the long trek up north every year to run that rally. It sounded incredible from the stories I've heard.

[@justjoshingf1]

Feel like you’ve got to do a video on Giacomelli’s legendary 7:16.212 lap of Imola now… (Just don’t forget to mention his pole position at Watkins Glen xoxo)

[@wenined9422]

Bellof probably is my number 1 in the "really wanted to see more of him" list. imagine him in a top team against Senna, Prost and Mansell. That Monaco Drive is probably one of the best forgoten Drives of F1, especially if you consider the car he was in: Bellof started last in Monaco, Brundle didn't even qualiy for the race. Of course the naturally aspirated engine helped Bellof in the rain but the car still was terrible. Senna started 13th, Johnny Cecotto in the 2nd Toleman 18th and ffs even Piercarlo Ghinzani, a underwhelming driver to say the least, qualified better in a Osella, a team that basically used their 1983 car until 1988 with the worst turbo engines because they had no money i would've loved it to see Bellof start in the same row as Senna (English is not my first language)

[@AidanMillward]

Senna tax in that race. Bellof is constantly forgotten in terms of how fast he was going

[@jamesdyer7960]

Brundle was often the quicker of the two to be fair. Unfortunately he crashed in qualifying which is he why he didn't make the grid. Also fair to suggest that the Tyrrell was very nimble and in those conditions a top driver could really exploit the handling advantage over the point and squirt turbo cars which with their boost induced traits, were a bit mental in the wet!

[@AidanMillward]

@@jamesdyer7960 Brundle had a decent f1 career considering he had his ankles smashed in

[@jsquared1013]

@@AidanMillward it's also worth noting that the Tyrrell did have a bit of an extra advantage by running under the legal weight minimum, as the subsequent lead shot controversy and ban would later reveal. It's still a massively impressive drive, but there is still that half-asterisk to it.

[@elonmusk9697]

Bellof, because even Schumacher needed a hero

[@kliment-san427]

5:23 Is that Keke Rosberg the father of monaco based youtuber who beat Lewis Hamilton in equal machinery ?

[@Milehupen]

Not saying i wanted a shorter video. But I thought you would be the type of guy to make a video about a 6:11.1 at the NBR exactly 6:11 in length

[@Quattro_Joe]

Having driven the Nurburgring and being an ok driver I cannot fathom the talent this guy had to set that lap

[@BlueJazzBoyNZ]

Crashing at the Nurburgring is a memory..

[@justincase9471]

Yeah, I have a couple of those memories 🤣🤣🤣

[@tomast9034]

have a ton of those from GT Legends till Iracing .....enough for 2 lifetimes :D:D:D:D

[@AidanMillward]

It is for your credit card.

[@BlueJazzBoyNZ]

@@AidanMillward Oh Yes.. But it could have been so so much worse..

[@justincase9471]

@@BlueJazzBoyNZ You got out of your crashed car and jumped behind the safety barriers? 😄

[@jomichel3594]

Bellof, Villneuve, Bianchi probably 3 of the biggest what if stories

[@periklaskyriakidis6064]

I keep saying this: Imagine Bellof battling with Senna, the Professor, Mansell and the others... Enzo chose him to drive for Ferrari in 1986 after he saw him overtake Rene Arnoux while the car being on the sidewalk. Imagine that driver competing with Senna... It haunts me

[@fixipszikon6670]

I never heard about this guy until not long ago, when I watched 1984 Monaco GP. There I saw that Senna was not the fastest driver on track, and I was wondering who is this guy. Who is this Bellof guy? He had no good resuls in F1. And then I saw a greatest list of F1 drivers voted by drivers, and he was on that list ahead of Jackie Ickx, Clay Regazzoni, Ricardo Patrese, Gerhard Berger. I know all of those! And drivers voted for Bellof instead of them! Wow. He must have been special. He was probably destined for greatness, really sad he died so young.

[@alexanderklaus2568]

Little correction. The chicanes are on the Hunaudieres straight and not on Mulsanne.

[@AidanMillward]

There’s always one…

[@jamesbehra2690]

I was a fanatical Senna fan. But i think we were perhaps deprived of the greatest battle ever between Grand Prix drivers: Stefan Bellof and Ayrton Senna.

[@fullmetalf4i]

I do miss those videos with the rock background occasionally

[@brucemckay7828]

So Adrian, a little off topic. Do think there could be a new league/series out of all the F1 FIA stuff. Or just economics ? Every top league in the world has had splits and new league/series formed. Football, American football, Baseball, Basketball, NHL and Indy car and CART. You have GM,FORD, Porsche, Audi, Hyundai, Honda wanting in. Then we have so many top tracks looking for "reasonable " use. And it usually only takes one Star (George) to make the new start up viable.

[@mattsharp2794]

I’d like to see a series someday of no rules. Whatever you want to go as fast as possible. Drive at your own risk. I know it can’t happen but I’d love to see what someone like a Mercedes would come up with with no restrictions and all the funding they want to pour in it.

[@jsquared1013]

That kind of thing very quickly turns into a simple "who has the biggest wallet wins."

[@DSW964]

Draft vs No draft on Doettinger hoehe and there’s your 5secs

[@R0LLM0P]

You missed a trick there the video is 9:55 you should have squeezed in another second to make it 9:56 😃 good work away 👍

[@Igor-ps5cd]

Amazing talent,pure racer.Better than Senna thats for sure. RIP.

[@SurvivalGP]

Just thought I'd fact check Ken Miles' accent, you're right, I guess Christian Bale can't do a good Brummie. Finally, something he isn't epic at. What a lap! Shane there's no footage of it, to my knowledge? 🤔 It does add to the mystique though

[@zakelwe]

Nice video, thanks. Amazing now though that you can buy a road car that can get pretty close to it. Will be interesting to see what time the Aston Martin Valkyrie could do. A lot less scary no doubt, and safer....

[@mark6bat]

I wish Merc would let Lewis try a few laps in the 2020 W11

[@FlyBoyGrounded]

I'm confused as to what constitutes a lap record. Isn't it only laps during a race that count? And there's that lap he did in an F2 race that nearly beat Regazzoni's which would have given him the outright racing lap record for all eternity. So many missed opportunities but, yeah, he didn't know when to back off.

[@sleebanger]

Bellof did a le mans mercedes back flip and was lucky to land inside the barriers.

[@andrewgardner9615]

Doppelganger for Rory Kinear

[@AidanMillward]

Shakespearean actor. Will take that.

[@carstenschroder7054]

Hmmm....🤔.....funny that that "other" german also came through the group c....

[@panvar8469]

Group C was the Group B of endurance racing... Bellof s time was the totem of Nurburgring until 919 Hyrbrid came along...

[@terminateshere]

Would Bellof qualify for the 27 Club? Or do you have to have a career in some sort of medium to qualify for that one?

[@Official_MikeyT]

He can be the most famous non-musician in the club.

[@neiljohnstone8240]

If you want notifications, you can set the bell-off.

[@SpaceHCowboy]

Ohhhh, I see what you did there..... Good yin. Belloff Bellon, bellstart and ill be the bell-end.......... Aaaaaah. I'm shite 🤦‍♂️

[@vurgelautosport]

If you're struggling for content. Could you explore the story of the A1 GP?

[@Durbanite2010]

Bellof might've been very quick over a single lap, but I'm not sure his race craft in F1 would've been good enough. He had the brilliant and consistent Derek Bell to help him in sportscars. Bellof and Tyrrell got disqualified in 1984. 1985 saw him get two points finishes, both on twisty, warm tracks in Estoril and Detroit, tracks which did not favour turbocharged cars. Senna finished 2 laps ahead of Bellof at Estoril, who only got 6th due to the very high attrition rate - there were only 9 classified finishers and one of those was Ghinzani's Osella. Bellof's 4th place at Detroit was, again, a race of attrition and a disintegrating track surface - Prost, Mansell and Senna all crashed at turn 2, where the track was disintegrating the worst. Johansson's brakes gave up, which is how he was nearly a minute behind Rosberg, Alboreto's brakes had started fading sooner than Johansson's (over half of the cars in the field had brake issues) and Bellof's clutch was not well at the finish and he couldn't pass Alboreto. De Angelis had his nose cone run over by Berger, so he would likely have finished ahead of Bellof. I don't think Bellof would've been a World Champion as long as Prost, Senna, Mansell or Piquet were around.

[@jamesdyer7960]

Yeas, in the 85 Dallas race, Brundle got taken out by Alliot whilst lapping him, so would have won ahead of Stefan anyway.

[@jsquared1013]

The thing with Bellof is that he had that raw race, but was a bit reckless and immature. It is far easier to get a fast driver to settle down and pace himself than to get a medium driver to learn how to be faster. A bit like Max Verstappen; raw pace but hotheaded and made lots of mistakes in the early part of his career, then once he started to mature a bit and engage his brain a bit more, he became a force of nature. A bit more experience and "mellowing" and Bellof would likely have been competing at the top alongside the greats like Prost, Senna, and Schumacher.

[@mahiru20ten]

Bellof is one underrated driver outside sportscars. In F1 he could rival Senna if given the right car and condition (eg. 1984 Monaco)

[@andreasphotiou1886]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmHYZa2Aq7Waaqc I was watching this yesterday. Bellof was sliding his Tyrell around like a go cart - god tier talent

[@illarionbykov7401]

But Tyrrell was caught cheating in 1984 at Monaco--they raced the car underweight and put ball bearings in the fluid tanks near the end of the race to meet the minimum weight limit. They also used banned fuel additives. 2 types of cheating at the same time explains why Bellof was getting better lap times than Senna. Bellof was still a top tier driver, but not as good as his Monaco 1984 performance makes him appear.

[@mahiru20ten]

@@illarionbykov7401 I wonder how much advantage do they gain with cheating, though.

[@illarionbykov7401]

@@mahiru20ten my guess is the cheating gained about 1-2 seconds per lap. Bellof qualified 20th at 1.11 seconds off Senna's 13th place time, and the pit-stop cheating system was not used during qualification, but during the race Bellof was gradually gaining on Senna maybe a second per lap average (it varied from lap to lap). Bellof and Senna were both gaining a few seconds per lap on race leader Prost, but Prost was slower than usual because he had damaged his car early in the race. But then the qual was in clear weather while the race was very wet, so Bellof gained a handling advantage as his Tyrrell was the only non-turbo car in the race. The turbos created a jerky power curve which was harder to manage and made spins more likely on a wet track. So it's hard to say how much of Bellof's advantage was from the cheating.

[@timyo6288]

It’s not immortality when you’re dead like Stefan.

[@alaeriia01]

I don't think the Porsche modified prototype lap should count as a course record.

[@jsquared1013]

The Bellof lap still stands as an official event record, as it took place during qualifying for an FIA-sanctioned race. The 919 Evo is an exhibition lap, and is the "overall" lap record. Or that's how I've been looking at it, not sure my pedantry is on point here.

[@markoarkaina8656]

Brummie accent on point mate.

[@AidanMillward]

Helps when half of you is from there.

[@ronwhite8503]

Listen to Amy Turtle (damn, I am old!) or Pig from Pipkins for a real Brummie accent. Or Snag Bros on t'Tube. Professional Brummies.

[@AidanMillward]

@@ronwhite8503 Frank Skinner also exists.

[@MillerMotoring]

The D. Bell lap is such a let-down in comparison of what the record surely was!

[@Bantercaptainxbox]

Anyone else flip the phone ???

[@crusherbmx]

He beat the Nurburgring, but Eau Rouge beat him.

[@Jimi90210]

😊😊😊

[@paulmckinstry6374]

"King of the Ring"? I'm not sure I'd want to go by that moniker. Just saying...

[@AlonsoRules]

Bellof was a hothead who thought it was a good idea to try and pass on the outside of Eau Rouge. Thankfully Ickx and spectators did not follow him.

[@Timelord774]

The mythology of Monaco 1984 is that Senna would have easily won if not for the red flag. I doubt it. The most likely scenario would have been both Senna and Bellof catching up to Prost but being unable to pass cleanly. Considering the reputation of those two young hot heads (Senna and Bellof) the most likely outcome would have been those two taking each other out in some rash move and the wise old head Prost winning anyway. The red flag didn't change the result but rather stopped Senna and Bellof from throwing away podium finishes!

[@AidanMillward]

Senna’s suspension would have broken within the next few laps anyway. Prost would have likely won with bellof second.

[@recorderknight1559]

i loveyou

[@stewartjmurray]

Never been so annoyed with a car manufacturer than I was with Porsche when they beat this in a car that doesn’t even qualify for any race series, just seems cynical to me.

[@johnny5805]

Shave your head dude. Noone so young should have to have a Kinnock.

[@o0Raine0o]

i only 11 seconds slower than bellof...

[@Joescuderia]

Journalist want to restrain people like Senna and Bellof from being animals on the track, that's against the nature of racing.

[@thomasnieswandt8805]

Thats why Bellof is on my Top 3 List of alltme racing drivers. 1. Jim Clark. , 2. Fernando Alonso. 3. Stefan Bellof. When Porsche broke his laprecord i was furious (and im not counting it)...I would love to see a driver who got that much tallent and speed, beeing able to drive a sportscar like Bellof did. BUT that cheap move from Porsche to build a car that has only one purpose "Undo the laprecord of Bellof" .... WHY??? There wasno need. It was one of those records you never touch. The fact that they had to modify the car up to the point that it was illegal and they still celebrate it, shows how much they care about their own legacy.

[@jsquared1013]

That's a bit of an overreaction. The 919 Evo wasn't out to "undo" anything, it was a technical demonstrator to show what was possible for an LMP-style car with only a few series rules rescinded. They did lap record attempts at multiple other tracks as well (I remember Spa was one of them). The 919 Evo lap was an exhibition lap, so Bellof's is still the fastest at a sanctioned event.

[@beany1987]

You will be fi e for co tent in a few days with the 2023 f1 cars launches!!

[@eamonahern7495]

There's no n in other. "A whole other". You don't have to undermine the intelligence of your transatlantic audience by Americanizing your language. You made enough of a deal about how "controversy" is pronounced. Keep that consistency.

[@AidanMillward]

Cheers Susie Dent. Also “Americanise” should be spelt with an S not a Z. Don’t lower yourself to their spellings. 👍🏻

[@SpaceHCowboy]

@@AidanMillward 🤣

[@jsquared1013]

The "American accent" is actually closer to the original English, it's you lot who changed the accent (purposefully, to maintain the separation between the classes. Twats).

[@eamonahern7495]

@jsquared1013 well I'm neither American nor British. I come from a place where not many people know the meaning of the word 'twat' but I heard you can't say it on daytime tv in Britain. I'm pretty sure saying 'a whole other' that way didn't come from a time when thee, thy, thou, and thine were words for you, yours, etc, but came from America. I won't lose my 💩 over it if I'm proven wrong though.

[@jsquared1013]

@@eamonahern7495 you can't say "twat" on American TV either, but I think it's an approproate epithet for people who purposefully change their accent to keep working class and middle class people isolated and separated. I also think it's an appropriate descriptor for the kind of person that thinks an "American" accent or regional dialect difference somehow indicates a lower intellect than someone with a "British" accent (of which there are dozens).