Ronnie Peterson F1 victory - 1978 South African GP classic

[@gonace]

Great video as usual! I was born in the same area as Ronnie and I can clearly remember his funeral and how destroyed his wife Barbro seemed. That was a tough day in the history of Örebro.

[@gingagirl00gng55]

Good video! Rest in peace Ronnie Peterson!

[@briandouglas5552]

Peter, my first exposure to F1 came when I bought my first issue of Road&Track. It was the December 1973 issue with the 2-rotor Wankle Corvette show car on the cover. The F1 story (Rob Walker?) covered Monza and announced Jackie Stewart's World Championship. I was unaware of the tragedy that had befallen François at Watkins Glen, even before that issue had hit the news stands. I was 13 years old. The cars of the 70s established so much in the way race cars are laid out, to this day. The drivers or those early decades are still the most memorable, with very few exceptions today. It is probably horrible to say, but I wonder if our love for Formula 1 would be as deep if the loss of those wonderful persons had not cost us so much grief. The sterile world of today's circus is just so take-it-or-leave-it. Give me sliding cars, abrasive drivers and bitten fingernails! Not so sure I'd go back to the hideous deaths, though.

[@4517onlyglory]

Damn, Colin Chapman, Ronnie and Depailler, RIP

[@bcosVic]

I did not know you were close to Gilles. He is such an iconic Canadian hero. I remember watching him race snowmobiles (he was amazing, captured the world championship at age 22). More tales of Gilles would be appreciated.

[@peterwindsor]

Will do my best! Yes, I counted Gilles as a friend. I think many of my colleagues did. He was that sort of guy.

[@massimilianobelloni237]

Peter you are a living encyclopedia of motor racing! It's nice that you mention and show mechanics and other people who played an important role at that time

[@jamesperez4108]

Hi Peter, we met all too briefly at an Autosport show some years ago and chatted about Gilles. I echo other commentators' views that having a special show for you to recount your memories and untold stories of Gilles would be brilliant. Having Nigel Roebuck to hand would be wonderful. Thank you so much for keeping us die-hards informed on TRE and other clips with your super sharp recollections of F1 eras past and present. Makes me feel like I had been to all those races myself! All the best.

[@iaingrant5478]

Great video Peter.

[@martinhedberg3514]

Great story, Thanks for your comments on the race! Cool that you where there 😊

[@dietpepsivanilla3095]

Thanks for this video Peter. I met you at Indianapolis one year. You helped my wife and son get Fernando's autograph. Thanks for that!

[@peterwilkinson2912]

Absolutely relished this Peter. You're brimming with the wonderful memories of it for you. Doesn't it all look a shambles in organisational terms though compared to the immaculate presentation that F1 is today. I agree, the rawness is lost today and I'm always amazed at the difference between how drivers looked so physically drained then, compared with today. Don't know what you think but Ronnie Peterson has to be one of the most brilliant drivers so tragically lost before his real time had come.

[@peterwindsor]

Yes, I was a massive Ronnie fan even in his F3 days. When he was driving for March in 1976 I persuaded him to jump back into an F3 car at Silverstone to see what he thought of it. He was that sort of guy.

[@masmith1226]

Fantastic footage and insight there, Peter. Enjoyable to watch. 👍🏼

[@robgraham5016]

Peter - as I said in the live chat the other day, I'm so jealous of you having spent time with Gilles. Do you think you could do another show dedicated solely to Gilles? I'd love to hear much more about him from you and I'd be truely grateful! Are you ever in Toronto? I'd gladly buy the beer, if we could meet and chat sometime! Cheers!

[@peterwindsor]

Hi Rob. Love Toronto, so hope to be there some time soon. And, yes, I'll have a look at doing a complete show on Gilles. Maybe we'll get Nigel Roebuck to tell some GV stories as well. Thanks for writing in.

[@peterwilkinson2912]

I'd vote for that Rob.. Peter, got to be done 👍🏻

[@vanduc996]

THAT would be an amazing show, to hear Nigel Roebuck and yourself chat about your memories of Gilles and that era! Please please make that happen Peter. Cheers I love hearing about your unique insights into f1 in general, but especially about the era of the '70s and early '80s. I know all those drivers by name but it was all before my time so hearing your insights and reflections really adds depth and colour to my understanding of that era

[@david-joeklotz9558]

Superb! One of the differences compared to today is the drivers' demeanor. Depailler just lost the race but he was smiling and talking, understanding that racing is racing. Sadly Ronnie Peterson was killed later that year. Jody Scheckter was one of his pall bearers. F1 was a very special place back then and I agree with Peter Windsor considering himself lucky to have been involved in that era. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" I just posted this on the Kyalami South Africa, '61-'87 Facebook group. I'm sure it will be LOVED!

[@peterwindsor]

Thanks. Yes, as I say, I think Patrick was just gasping for a Gitanes. Ronnie actually looks quite relaxed and cool. Colin Chapman is beside himself with joy - and there's also Tony Shakespeare, the Goodyear manager, in the background, looking quietly satisfied. Goodyear had been whipped badly at Rio; here was their bounce-back race.

[@david-joeklotz9558]

@@peterwindsor Thank U!

[@RichardHartley65]

peterwindsor - Chapman was a racer, through and through, and a great disruptor. His untimely death was a great loss to F1. I first became an F1 fan in ‘78 and, living in Norwich as a kid, the fortunes of Lotus had a big impact.

[@beagle7622]

David-Joe Klotz I remember watching in around 1980, a race was delayed. & 3 or 4 of the top drivers were sitting on the ground using Armco as a seat back. They were just talking, joking with each other . That would be an impossible scene today with drivers disappearing into the pit complex, very little interaction with anybody. Closer racing too as the cars could get close.

[@david-joeklotz9558]

@@beagle7622 Indeed so. But the fans back then were also different. There was a great respect for a driver and there was no celebrity madness. A driver could stand right in front of fans in the paddock and he would not be disturbed. These days it would be a mob of crazy people

[@davidnoels2586]

how do you remember things, names and events so accurately ? 😳😳😳 amazing ! keep up these splendid videos 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@Carrera6rennsport]

When you reach a certain age you can't recall what you ate for lunch the previous day but you can remember events from 40-50+ years ago in immense detail. Such is the human mind.

[@klauskarnath8233]

9:56 my Idol untill the Dead...

[@jeshkam]

Have you been to the tragic 1977 SA GP, Mr Windsor?

[@peterwindsor]

Yes, I was there. I'd still find it too upsetting to talk about on air. I knew Tom very well.

[@jeshkam]

@@peterwindsor I fully understand you, Mr Windsor. Thank you for your reply.

[@naliali]

Awesome video as always Pete , thank GOD we have you while no F1 , my opinion , you content is more interesting than anyone including F1 .... We are lucky to have you and you sharing your F1 life experience.. Nothing against anyone... but those were real car and real men driving... I hate what F1 has become now... no WOW factor left at Grand Prix event due to no sound or noise , I am spending all my saving every year flying from home in California to Austin every year , but the cars now although fast has no soul ,sound or WOW factor left.... Plus we (fans) are so far from them at the event , it just sucks and worthless to spend money on F1.. i rather now go see an IMSA race or Indy car as I can get closer to the cars and drivers... the autograph session at COTA is a joke... not sure who is the idiot who organizes that (sorry for my bad language) but have to speak the truth.. Not sure why don't F1 realizes if watching older footage of F1 is more exciting due to the RAW V10 or V8power , big tires , loud sound and danger than what it has become now, something is wrong today ..... Just Like Indy car fell off , after it was CART , one day this stupid F1 will finish if no one watches or go the GP... apologies for the long post

[@peterwindsor]

Thanks for your thoughts! All very interesting, seeing as how Liberty made it their mission to improve the show for the fans. It's one thing to have rock concerts, of course; it's something else to make F1 something we can touch and feel.

[@naliali]

@@peterwindsor Agreed , funny you say that, after one of the US GP , I don't remember which year 2014 or 2015, after the race , we saw all music fans coming to see the concert of course after the race....

[@glenngastonjonsson7954]

Kyalami is a no go area for me since Tom Pryce and that guy that flew out of his pants.

[@heathcock17]

Mr. Windsor, First let me say thank you for your historic role in F1 and for your work in preserving her history for future generations. In light of the current climate of racial injustice, specifically in America, yet globally in scope, I have wanted to ask you about your feelings, thoughts or observations of any "racial bias" you may have or have not noticed in F1, particularly in the years when F1 raced in apartheid South Africa. Do you have any thoughts, feelings or observations as it pertains to "race" in racing, particularly in the years of F1 in SA? Cheers and thank you and I hope you enjoy this years opened in Austria. Ryan Virginia, USA

[@janabella8schneider462]

Verstappened by Verstappen forevermore 🤘