THE DRIVERS STAND THEIR GROUND! The Story of the 1982 Formula One Drivers' Strike

[@AidanMillward]

Ignore the bit about Watson being a young driver. I read his stats wrong. 🤣

[@LilSebastian_]

I can’t now that I’ve heard it… you are FAKE NEWS!! 😂

[@THIS---GUY]

How old was he at the time?

[@AidanMillward]

@@THIS---GUY yes.

[@dodolurker]

@@THIS---GUY I think John Watson was around 35-36 years old at the time. Edit - yeah, he was 35 when that strike took place.

[@mrterp04]

Shades of Gorilla Monsoon’s “there’s a lot of fire in this youngster!” for a 40-something Carlos Colon at the 93 Rumble

[@UrMomsChauffer]

Niki Lauda was brilliant. I feel like he and Jackie Stewart did the most for drivers rights and safety in all disciplines, while managing to stay alive in one of the most dangerous eras. Granted, the cars make the drivers more interesting, but the drivers are the main reason F1 still exists.

[@truantray]

Lauda loved money. He effectively tripled F1 driver salaries because he set new benchmarks.

[@brandonwalker1355]

@@truantray Makes sense considering the Lauda's are (well, at the the time) the banking family of Austria.

[@UrMomsChauffer]

@@truantray that may be true, but it doesn't negate his brilliance.

[@bowelrupture]

Also I think Jackie had some luck that sir Jack Brabham, even when he disagreed with Jackie, was convinced that if they did not boycot the German GP in 1970, they could never open up their mouths again.

[@princeendymion9044]

@@truantray That doesn't take away from everything he did for safety in F1. He didn't simply ask for the German and Japanese Grand Prix of 1976 to not go ahead because he would win the championship. He was well aware of that fact but he was also fully aware just how insane it was to race in those conditions on slicks and his accident showed everyone how truly dangerous it was. He helped reform the GPDA after Senna and Ratzenberger's deaths in '94 and kept the push to improve safety until his own passing in 2019. He may have loved money, but you won't be able to find me someone who doesn't.

[@Sticktothemodels]

Legit needs to be a film or miniseries focused on the 1982 season, craziest year in modern F1 by far

[@leonadams8097]

Man, imagine a DTSesque retrospective on 1982, or even just a Rush-style dramatisation of Pironi v. Villenueve

[@LucasOliveira-tt2ll]

Lauda was bold by sleeping alongside De Cesaris, imagine if the italian started dreaming about crashing, you could wake up with a black eye

[@CrunchyMotorsport]

Even though it was so serious the drivers still pissed about. That's why we love F1 drivers

[@johncarl5505]

How is that exclusive to F1 drivers?

[@robinmacfarlane4769]

You forgot to mention that I believe Patrick Tambay claimed that if there was an outcome of Villeneuve and Prost sharing a bed, he would be the fastest driver ever.

[@AidanMillward]

I didn’t forget.

[@foneco]

So sad that the ones that where also gifted in playing Classical piano died so young and with such a big future in front of them. RIP Gilles and Elio.

[@allainangcao28]

Mass: Hmm where is everyone? *goes out for a lap* Ferrari: *holds out pit board* Mass: Huh that's weird All the teams: *join Ferrari and held out pitboards* Mass: WHAT THAT FUCK

[@somerandoonline5852]

That was an epic story, really nice to see how the drivers can stand together when needed

[@DjDolHaus86]

I kinda want to know who was the big spoon in the Prost/Villeneuve arrangement

[@sanfordcurtis8242]

The wet wipes on F1 twt probably would, as well

[@DjDolHaus86]

@@sanfordcurtis8242 What are you insinuating by that?

[@sanfordcurtis8242]

@@DjDolHaus86 the DTS stans on F1 twt (who are easily offended) already think/ want Gasly and Tsunoda are/ to be an item. I can see them being intrigued as to who the big spoon in the Prost/ Villeneuve arrangement was (let’s just be thankful Twitter didn’t exist in 1982, so to speak 😄)

[@AndrewGeierMelons]

We Canadians make good big spoons. Original French are more petit, pun intended.

[@DjDolHaus86]

@@sanfordcurtis8242 Ahh, I see.

[@janimizer1725]

I would give all that I have to just go back in time and give them a camera so they could vlog themselves in that hotel room. Seemed like a lot of fun

[@stuartd9741]

Exactly. Would have been intriguing watching those FI drivers entertain themselves.

[@daniwalmsley611]

The description of the suite with sll the drivers in sounds like a school trip for DofE or NCS and Im dying! Another great story time thanks aiden

[@srxt6758]

The whole 1982 season needs a goddamn video

[@OpreRoma]

I would genuinely listen to a podcast where you did an extended deep dive on the more "content heavy" shit in racing history such as this, don't know if I speak for anyone else tho 😛

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Great to hear the story in more detail. It would be good to have the follow on strike/nearly strike stories too. I must admit that I always tend to side with the drivers (it's their necks - literally - on the line after all), but it's good to know more details about why things got that bad. Keep up the work, young man!

[@plisskenationbackfromthede3657]

Balestre made bernie look like a good guy 😆

[@qwj68boots]

As has become a common practice, AM, more brilliant F1 History! Bravo, bravo!!!

[@youngrody2386]

Having an Aidan Binge Lately, keep up the good work mate!

[@mikekeci1152]

Completely true, it just feels right right now

[@pranc236]

Not a bad rabbit hole! 😊

[@SkateBNE]

It’s so easy to do! The content is awesome.

[@piermariobarozzi]

from all the F1-Racing related KZbinrs, you are the best, always the best content

[@minibus9]

awesome video, and of course prior to this big piece of poltics was Jackie Stewart's safety campaign which for many fans would be their first dose of the politicts of F1

[@AidanMillward]

Also the boycotts of Spa and the Nurburgring in 1969.

[@minibus9]

@@AidanMillward indeed, and all the various stuff in other motorsports over the years

[@zanemurcha9742]

According to Jochen Mass himself, he was annoyed with the idea of the F1 drivers going on strike. Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast in 2020, Mass says the following. " (the drivers) told me we're going to strike and I said. Guys, why do you want to strike for? We cannot change the problem here in South Africa... if you think you can you're crazy, we have to do it at home, we need good lawyers and so on and so on and then we can probably do something. But whilst we're here, let's race and then we go home and see." Niki Lauda didn't take kindly to Mass' words saying that the drivers should stick together. Mass' then girlfriend was South African and he went to her parents place 45 minutes south of Johannesburg. So he wasn't even at the track when the drivers went on strike. When Mass arrived the following morning he found an empty paddock and pit lane. He asked his mechanics what was going on, to which he replied, "They've locked themselves in a hotel somewhere we don't know." An annoyed Mass told his team "I'm driving, get my car ready." Mass reckoned it was because of him doing his laps that the drivers returned to the track.

[@Andacrosstheline]

The little shots you take are hilarious Aiden. Underrated content to be sure, keep it coming!

[@Cynon]

Giacomelli giving a lecture on Gladio is something I wish I could have been there to hear.

[@heliumtrophy]

It would definitely be interesting although he's probably glad he was in South Africa talking about it and not Italy.

[@michaelkitchin9665]

That and Lauda's stand up.

[@alexbasso5268]

Giacomelli is me after 4 beers

[@slaphead90]

Thumbs up for the jazz intro/outro, and a wholehearted thanks for your motorsport knowledge and insight.

[@shawnmungur4875]

Took your advice and began sifting through old F1 racing and yeah, you're right! Some of the gaps between first and third means being a lap down, the only scraps were somewhere in the order of 4,5, and 6; two laps down.

[@nataliejordan9319]

Thanks for the video! I got interested in this era of F1, and I was checking out 1981 and came across the travesty that was the 1981 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. I would be so interested in hearing your take on the race but also on the circumstances surrounding the event/protest.

[@talonobrovacgorgon5994]

7:08 What on gods earth was that noise?

[@AidanMillward]

The people downstairs are doing some renovations and I was getting bored of stopping the video every ten seconds for them.

[@aprilkurtz1589]

I forgot how devastatingly oogly those cars were. Ye gads! It looks like the drivers are sitting on a dais with wheels. Thanks for doing this video, I learned a coupla new things!

[@ronloomis8245]

Great story, never heard of it until now.

[@JohnSmithShields]

Enjoying these updated storytimes

[@AidanMillward]

This is all new.

[@JohnSmithShields]

@@AidanMillward I realise that now, at first I assumed it was the FISA/FOCA war, but it's the initial scurmishes. The picture offers for Croft BTCC and F1 Silverstone still stand.

[@AidanMillward]

@@JohnSmithShields if you want to send em that’s be useful. 🤝

[@JohnSmithShields]

@@AidanMillward no problem, non-watermarked full sized images available on my Flickr a few days after the events, I'll email a link. Last year's are there already, including gt masters and w-series.

[@DonWan47]

I love this video. Well done, Aidan.

[@rajjy1976]

When is your Juri Vips video dropping? 😄

[@someone2084]

that would be a interesting one

[@joeogle7729]

Well there isn't really that much to say really. The situation can be summed up with as an intense gamer moment, "streamer words", and a P45 in the post. I don't think he's racing anytime soon but it'll be interesting to see A who replaces him in F2 and B what the future holds

[@AidanMillward]

Said a stupid thing and Red Bull is doing damage control. There's the video XD

[@charamia9402]

@@AidanMillward I'd like to know who haven't said or done something stupid or offensive at that age. Fully on board with RedBull cracking down on it though.

[@AidanMillward]

@@charamia9402 it’s the hilarity of red bull saying they condemn abusive behaviour and stuff yet you had Marko post-Silverstone.

[@TheToonMonkey]

"Lauda did stand up....."but one funny part of this". Yup, I imagine that was the reaction in the room. 😂😂

[@stuartd9741]

You know might have been kinda intriguing to be there or indeed a fly on the wall while all them F1 drivers entertained themselves.. If I had a time machine....

[@brianpack5479]

"We'll be here all day..." You keep saying that like it's a bad thing. I've got time and extra snacks. Let's go!

[@Yvolve]

Balestre was such a crook. Bernie was just ruthless.

[@DL-ls5sy]

Balestre was waffen SS during WWII

[@jody6183]

Brilliant videos Mr Millward... Just a shame they aren't a bit longer... Every time you state 'But that's a story for another day' I'm thinking No, No, tell me now 🤣

[@ben-jam-in6941]

Good one Aidan.

[@anthonyhastings5961]

I think there's a Clive James documentary somewhere about the 1982 season

[@JackRoadkill]

Solidarity, Reg!

[@matzemunz2827]

Them fancy sideburns!

[@martinlampert4721]

Didn’t know about the 08 near-strike

[@philippruest5577]

Ban of private testing hit Ferrari with its 3 tracks hardest.

[@kennedysingh3916]

Very interesting, watched from Old Harbour Jamaica.

[@philippruest5577]

2010 Valencia safety car not catching the leader cost Alonso title. There were FIA key dwcisions agaimst Ferrari too.

[@donnypopovski7251]

Ferrari lost a bit of clout with Schumacher gone.

[@philippruest5577]

@@donnypopovski7251 Yes but Kimi won the title right away 2007.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

"Balestre was seething in French" - what a line!!!!

[@upthebracket26]

Have you read Alan Henry's Turbo years?

[@tekpic04]

One point I like to make about FIA presidents, they see themselves as Idi Amin of Motorsport governance and when it suits them, they will run for office of their perspective countries.

[@amaccama3267]

They don't call it the Piranha Club for nothing.

[@dpm2937]

How much I wish I was that suite

[@stevenwilliams8211]

Seething in French... Golden

[@reptongeek]

The vegetarians at his wedding line was also a good one

[@stuartd9741]

Sacre Bleu!

[@Frostfly]

Politics is anytime more then two people are talking.

[@mark6bat]

It'll be interesting in a few years time to find out what really happened in Saudi

[@userb3nje909]

It made for good TV and also got people talking by having Verstappen win...

[@markusjuenemann]

I suddenly smell a movie called "Rush II" coming soon to theaters next to us... If you get what i mean...

[@philippruest5577]

Spa 2008 penalty against Lewis was clearly wrong, as was Montoya penalty for Barrichello crashing.

[@tokyosmash]

Lauda was a legend

[@dasmoools606]

It's so funny now if you think about it. Well depressingly funny if you look at the state of things now. Time only reason the FIA push for safety, isn't for any real concern over safety, considering they'd happily ditch a lot of the progress made by Nikki and the boys. If.. They knew they'd get away with it and make money off of it of course.

[@chrishenniker5944]

I didn’t know that F1 drivers have a trade union, but what are the big British trade unions in motorsport?

[@iandc7050]

anyway a few bits and pieces: whether ferrari had a man on the inside the lewis overtake for the win at spa in 08 was a lot more clear cut leaving a track and gaining advantage than vettel in montreal 2019. ironic it was felipe that got the benefit when it was kimi who overtook lauda seemed generally unhppy with the result despite the rescinding of the attached to team part. mind you its been fifteen odd years since i read his autobiography so once i get the book out of storage ill be sure to comment again

[@iandc7050]

giacomelli and de cesaris were both alfa romeo (FISA) drivers at the time. making lauda the only FOCA driver to sign and prost the only FISA driver not to sign the initial statement. food for thought. also to note that the FOCA teams were almost exclusively british, and FISA was a french organisation and the FISA teams being two italians and one french. of the FOCA teams, only Ligier and ATS werent english, and only Ligier and Brabham didnt have cosworth or hart engines. surely this was all of note and influenced the drivers too

[@iandc7050]

final thought: worth noting after lauda, schekter, hunt, stewart, jones and fittipaldi all had gone, the grid really lacked big time influential political drivers. piquet the only champion and young, reuteman on the cusp of leaving the sport, the elder statesmen were laffite, watson, mass and jarier - not exactly a star studded group. if lauda hadnt returned to the sport these rules may well have become a new norm.

[@eugenem7650]

Barrichello and Montoya is that a reference to USA 03

[@amitanshthakur5261]

can you explain?

[@eugenem7650]

@@amitanshthakur5261 2nd to last race of the season Montoya is fighting Schumacher for the championship. He goes around the outside of of Barrichello they are side by side and Barrichello turns in on him and he gets stuck in the gravel . Montoya got a pen and that was the end of his championship . Watch it and see what you think

[@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1]

@@eugenem7650 also the first corner incident in Malaysia 2002 when the Michael understeered into JPM breaking his front wing and JPM got a drive through for it

[@eugenem7650]

@@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1 that was definitely the worst decision during that time period

[@amused7928]

Loving the Elton John look

[@mikehipperson]

At least Elton's hair transplant worked.....sort of!

[@doginu]

00:55 You said the "M "word

[@paulmcmullen3267]

Can I make a request video. Can we have the story of that Tyrell car that had 6 wheels.

[@andyfarmer876]

Is that a Lola-mastercard shirt?

[@aydankhaliq2967]

If you like this era of F1, I recommend you people watch Turbos and Tantrums on YT.

[@bjarulez]

Wow, how did I miss this for 2 days? Oh ye, its called GT7

[@MaxScheibenpflug]

To get somebody that can keep Bernie in check is by far neither the same nor enough to keep Lauda in check.

[@bosprocket]

BALESTRE dammit BALESTRE!

[@plisskenationbackfromthede3657]

Interesting that i can translate this. And then it reads CROSSBOWS dammit CROSSBOWS 🤣 i guess balestre is french for crossbow?

[@bosprocket]

@@plisskenationbackfromthede3657 ARBALETE dammit ARBALETE

[@TRC98]

I would love to see Lauda do standup

[@apc9681]

No quorn at Aidan’s wedding

[@MrSaywutnow]

Oh, but to be a fly on the wall during a Niki Lauda stand up set. It's too bad James Hunt wasn't driving in '82.

[@TheFarCobra]

Why was the Lauda stand up not in Rush?

[@JohnSmithShields]

This was after Rush was set.

[@truantray]

Rush ended in 1976. there would a good movie about Hunt's sad life after 1976, another good movie about Villeneuve's death in 82 and the betrayal of Pironi.

[@philippruest5577]

1990 Senna wiped out Prost's Ferrari for the title unpenalized. 1997 Michael's Ferrari crashed into Jacques for the title and got excluded feom the season's standungs.

[@chrishamilton2559]

Aiden isn't always right, no matter how smug or British he acts.

[@mrterp04]

Ah Teo Fabi-he of the infinitely receding hairline

[@AidanMillward]

We would be very good friends.

[@truantray]

He was done in F1 after that anyway, went on to CanAm and Indy.

[@deanfarrimond7543]

Still waiting for my name to be on the patreon list, 4 months now

[@AidanMillward]

I’ve had a look. You’re definitely in the $5 tier. Which is mad since I manually re-entered everyone into that slide at the start of the month. I’ll fix it for the next one. It wasn’t deliberate.

[@deanfarrimond7543]

@@AidanMillward I wasn’t taking it personally mate. 90% of the satisfaction is from helping the channel but it is a nice quirk to have your name in the video is all. Good content as always still waiting on the cart series or have I missed them?

[@AidanMillward]

@@deanfarrimond7543 I haven’t done the latest one yet.

[@chipwhitley9407]

"RAWE CEEK" 🤣

[@conors4430]

I love this. Good on Nikki!

[@readytogame83]

More vids please more...more.....more....

[@fsutcliffe816]

It’s like the train drivers in the UK

[@stuartd9741]

Actually I have to state again. The union is striking for terms and working conditions of the lower paid staff on minimum wage. Yes, the train drivers are striking as they are part of the same. union + I doubt any train drivers could play piano...so not as entertaining..

[@iandc7050]

bruno giacomelli confirmed brigate rosse

[@mrkipling2201]

The fans could have watched the mechanics playing football on the track........

[@jlaalmohammed7062]

Rawe ceek

[@bartleymollohan1090]

Actually F1 racing sucks most of the time… however when it comes to drama, it is the best soap opera around!

[@stuartd9741]

Yes! Do you remember the 91* Silverstone GP where Mansell gave Senna a lift back to the pits. Because he'd run light on fuel trying to chase the Williams. One of F1's coolest/ iconic moments of you ask me.. * Geez didn't realize it was that long ago..

[@bartleymollohan1090]

@@stuartd9741 Yep

[@philippruest5577]

2005 rule change to stop Ferrari domination.

[@F-Man]

Roberto Moreno

[@AidanMillward]

Dave Benson-Phillips

[@mikehipperson]

How very dare you!

[@baddrivingsouthwales4789]

Life = politics; politics = life.

[@stuartd9741]

Life = politics 💰 politics = life

[@damoncuccia788]

I knew there was a reason i'm not a fan of Teo Fabi. lol

[@stuartd9741]

Yes not his finest hour I would suggest politely lol.

[@toquita3d]

Either get at least one vegetarian dish for your wedding, or don't invite the person and show how little you care about them. Pick one or the other.

[@AidanMillward]

It was a joke.

[@toquita3d]

@@AidanMillward I know. My bad, I woke up with a terrible mood today.

[@matheusamaral623]

dude really seems to have a problem with brazilian drivers

[@kben24]

I hate when people call it F1 driver transfers… makes no sense

[@AidanMillward]

Transfer deadline day in f1 would be fun.

[@kben24]

@@AidanMillward OK, you convinced me!! Mid-season/summer break transfer window.

[@areasquirrel]

That got me looking for the video of Sky imagining a transfer show based on the 2018 silly season. Silly Season is basically what we call this sort of thing, anyway. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXOYm5quZ7mlkM0

[@ryokohakubi7540]

Are you joking? Have you really compared the toothless behavior by the drivers in Saudi Arabia, when their life was at stake and Kyalami '82?

[@DL-ls5sy]

Balestre was waffen SS during WWII. He prefered Germany....

[@TerribleFire]

2008 Belgium GP... thats why Brazil was sooooooo sweet!

[@neilperry2224]

There was a rumour that FIA stood for Ferrari international appreciation ......

[@VV-ky1gz]

You invited vegetarians to your wedding and served them meat?