WINDSOR'S WISDOMitv-f1.com
F1 Racing's Grand Prix editor Peter Windsor is a former Williams team manager and commentates for US-based motorsport channel SPEED TV. As such he offers a unique insight into the 2007 season so far – and on the late Gilles Villeneuve, whose career ITV-F1.com is celebrating this week, 25 years after his death.
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the death of one of F1’s folk heroes, Gilles Villeneuve. What might he have achieved had he survived? Would modern technology have masked his genius at all?
Gilles was all about passion and enthusiasm. You’d knock on the door of his motorhome or hotel room at about 7pm on any Friday at any circuit, anywhere in the world, and he’d beckon you in and you’d sit and talk, and drink Cokes and eat apple pie.
Gilles loved racing and he particularly loved F1. What he hated were people he couldn’t trust and/or people who put money or ego – “politics” – ahead of the simple equation of “quick driver requires quick car”.
How much more successful could he have been?
I think he matured a lot in 1980. At Monza, I remember Carlos Reutemann telling him over and over again that he should not “give” the championship to his team-mate, Jody Scheckter.
Gilles wouldn’t have it. Jody was a great guy and it would be his, Gilles’, turn in 1980, etc, etc.
The 1980 Ferrari, of course, was a wombat – and bang went Gilles’ championship.
He learned from that, though – he learned about the uncertainty of it all.
And then, at Imola, in 1982, when he was betrayed by those he trusted, he learned that from that point on he was on his own.
Had he not had his accident I guess he would have won the 1982 championship. And then, I think, he would have retired.
F1 was changing, Gilles’ eyesight was deteriorating – and he had a new house and a family with which to spend time.
Oh yes: and there was that ’65 Mustang that needed restoring…
****
I remember a few months ago postulating that Gilles' eyesight was failing and that may have been the cause of his fatal accident at Zolder (and many of his accidents). It seems I was correct about the eyesight issue, at least according to Peter Windsor. This makes my additional theory about Jacques' eyesight failing and possibly contributing to his deteriorating driving skills of late a bit more plausible.
Yes, I know, I'm blowing my own horn here, but what the hell....
0
Gilles' Eyesight
Started by
Autumnpuma
, May 08 2007 08:12 PM
8 replies to this topic
#1
Autumnpuma
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Posted 08 May 2007 - 08:12 PM
Don't rest in peace, Bruce. Raise Hell.
______
Give me a roof over my head, some food to eat and a fast car. That's all I need.
That's all I'll ever need.
----Robert Kubica
"Gilles was the last great driver. The rest of us are just a bunch of good professionals."
----Alain Prost
The only true sports are motor racing and mountain climbing; everything else is just a game.
TF1 Blogs: be afraid, be very, very afraid..........
______
Give me a roof over my head, some food to eat and a fast car. That's all I need.
That's all I'll ever need.
----Robert Kubica
"Gilles was the last great driver. The rest of us are just a bunch of good professionals."
----Alain Prost
The only true sports are motor racing and mountain climbing; everything else is just a game.
TF1 Blogs: be afraid, be very, very afraid..........
#2
Quiet One
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Posted 08 May 2007 - 08:30 PM
Autumnpuma, on May 8 2007, 05:12 PM, said:
I remember a few months ago postulating that Gilles' eyesight was failing and that may have been the cause of his fatal accident at Zolder (and many of his accidents). It seems I was correct about the eyesight issue, at least according to Peter Windsor. This makes my additional theory about Jacques' eyesight failing and possibly contributing to his deteriorating driving skills of late a bit more plausible.
Yes, I know, I'm blowing my own horn here, but what the hell....
Yes, I know, I'm blowing my own horn here, but what the hell....
"There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the Universe, and it has a longer shelf life" - Frank Zappa
"Great drivers are the ones who win the races they're not supposed to" - K.Chandhok
"On the rare occasions that I play a racing game I often think ‘you know what this needs? A boss battle or two.’ A Formula One game in which, suddenly, everybody else has a monster truck and their sole desire is to squash you. A street racing game with a tank or two blowing the roads and buildings to bits. A Nascar game with a track that occasionally bends to the right" (Adam Smith - RPS)
"Great drivers are the ones who win the races they're not supposed to" - K.Chandhok
"On the rare occasions that I play a racing game I often think ‘you know what this needs? A boss battle or two.’ A Formula One game in which, suddenly, everybody else has a monster truck and their sole desire is to squash you. A street racing game with a tank or two blowing the roads and buildings to bits. A Nascar game with a track that occasionally bends to the right" (Adam Smith - RPS)
#3
aussief1
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Posted 09 May 2007 - 06:34 AM
Very interesting article.
Well picked up on in regards to the eyesight problems aswell Mike
Well picked up on in regards to the eyesight problems aswell Mike
Edited by aussief1, 09 May 2007 - 06:35 AM.
"Giancarlo, you are still two seconds a lap slower than Fernando, this cannot be possible you have the same fuel load, I know you have some understeer but you cannot be two seconds slower, COME ON"!!!! - Alan Permane, Fisichella�s race engineer, 2006 Australian Grand Prix
"We're lucky we don't build aeroplanes" - Mark Webber on Red Bulls reliability issues at the Australian Grand Prix 2008.
Nathan is: .............. ??
#4
LabradoRacer
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Posted 09 May 2007 - 01:36 PM
Wan't laser eye correction available that time? If it was, Gilles could have done what Tiger Woods & co did & perhaps could have saved his life & have had a more glorious career.
#5
Jean Todt
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Posted 09 May 2007 - 04:48 PM
Autumnpuma, on May 8 2007, 08:12 PM, said:
WINDSOR'S WISDOMitv-f1.com
F1 Racing's Grand Prix editor Peter Windsor is a former Williams team manager and commentates for US-based motorsport channel SPEED TV. As such he offers a unique insight into the 2007 season so far – and on the late Gilles Villeneuve, whose career ITV-F1.com is celebrating this week, 25 years after his death.
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the death of one of F1’s folk heroes, Gilles Villeneuve. What might he have achieved had he survived? Would modern technology have masked his genius at all?
Gilles was all about passion and enthusiasm. You’d knock on the door of his motorhome or hotel room at about 7pm on any Friday at any circuit, anywhere in the world, and he’d beckon you in and you’d sit and talk, and drink Cokes and eat apple pie.
Gilles loved racing and he particularly loved F1. What he hated were people he couldn’t trust and/or people who put money or ego – “politics” – ahead of the simple equation of “quick driver requires quick car”.
How much more successful could he have been?
I think he matured a lot in 1980. At Monza, I remember Carlos Reutemann telling him over and over again that he should not “give” the championship to his team-mate, Jody Scheckter.
Gilles wouldn’t have it. Jody was a great guy and it would be his, Gilles’, turn in 1980, etc, etc.
The 1980 Ferrari, of course, was a wombat – and bang went Gilles’ championship.
He learned from that, though – he learned about the uncertainty of it all.
And then, at Imola, in 1982, when he was betrayed by those he trusted, he learned that from that point on he was on his own.
Had he not had his accident I guess he would have won the 1982 championship. And then, I think, he would have retired.
F1 was changing, Gilles’ eyesight was deteriorating – and he had a new house and a family with which to spend time.
Oh yes: and there was that ’65 Mustang that needed restoring…
****
I remember a few months ago postulating that Gilles' eyesight was failing and that may have been the cause of his fatal accident at Zolder (and many of his accidents). It seems I was correct about the eyesight issue, at least according to Peter Windsor. This makes my additional theory about Jacques' eyesight failing and possibly contributing to his deteriorating driving skills of late a bit more plausible.
Yes, I know, I'm blowing my own horn here, but what the hell....
F1 Racing's Grand Prix editor Peter Windsor is a former Williams team manager and commentates for US-based motorsport channel SPEED TV. As such he offers a unique insight into the 2007 season so far – and on the late Gilles Villeneuve, whose career ITV-F1.com is celebrating this week, 25 years after his death.
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the death of one of F1’s folk heroes, Gilles Villeneuve. What might he have achieved had he survived? Would modern technology have masked his genius at all?
Gilles was all about passion and enthusiasm. You’d knock on the door of his motorhome or hotel room at about 7pm on any Friday at any circuit, anywhere in the world, and he’d beckon you in and you’d sit and talk, and drink Cokes and eat apple pie.
Gilles loved racing and he particularly loved F1. What he hated were people he couldn’t trust and/or people who put money or ego – “politics” – ahead of the simple equation of “quick driver requires quick car”.
How much more successful could he have been?
I think he matured a lot in 1980. At Monza, I remember Carlos Reutemann telling him over and over again that he should not “give” the championship to his team-mate, Jody Scheckter.
Gilles wouldn’t have it. Jody was a great guy and it would be his, Gilles’, turn in 1980, etc, etc.
The 1980 Ferrari, of course, was a wombat – and bang went Gilles’ championship.
He learned from that, though – he learned about the uncertainty of it all.
And then, at Imola, in 1982, when he was betrayed by those he trusted, he learned that from that point on he was on his own.
Had he not had his accident I guess he would have won the 1982 championship. And then, I think, he would have retired.
F1 was changing, Gilles’ eyesight was deteriorating – and he had a new house and a family with which to spend time.
Oh yes: and there was that ’65 Mustang that needed restoring…
****
I remember a few months ago postulating that Gilles' eyesight was failing and that may have been the cause of his fatal accident at Zolder (and many of his accidents). It seems I was correct about the eyesight issue, at least according to Peter Windsor. This makes my additional theory about Jacques' eyesight failing and possibly contributing to his deteriorating driving skills of late a bit more plausible.
Yes, I know, I'm blowing my own horn here, but what the hell....
spex! LabradoRacer, My dad is an optician, and during free time I help him out, So I do get some information regarding Laser treatment. That treatment cannot be done for everyone with poor eye sight. I heard. Infact, its a very risky treatment, I am sure these days things are better, but back then it could have been done only on lab pigs with confidence!
Edited by abbas_gear, 09 May 2007 - 04:50 PM.
#6
Quiet One
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Posted 09 May 2007 - 05:38 PM
abbas_gear, on May 9 2007, 01:48 PM, said:
You may be true about Gilles, but JV could have had an operation or somthing to improve his ever sight, I remember him wearing a PINK spex!
LabradoRacer, My dad is an optician, and during free time I help him out, So I do get some information regarding Laser treatment. That treatment cannot be done for everyone with poor eye sight. I heard. Infact, its a very risky treatment, I am sure these days things are better, but back then it could have been done only on lab pigs with confidence!
spex! LabradoRacer, My dad is an optician, and during free time I help him out, So I do get some information regarding Laser treatment. That treatment cannot be done for everyone with poor eye sight. I heard. Infact, its a very risky treatment, I am sure these days things are better, but back then it could have been done only on lab pigs with confidence!
Does anybody have any info?
"There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the Universe, and it has a longer shelf life" - Frank Zappa
"Great drivers are the ones who win the races they're not supposed to" - K.Chandhok
"On the rare occasions that I play a racing game I often think ‘you know what this needs? A boss battle or two.’ A Formula One game in which, suddenly, everybody else has a monster truck and their sole desire is to squash you. A street racing game with a tank or two blowing the roads and buildings to bits. A Nascar game with a track that occasionally bends to the right" (Adam Smith - RPS)
"Great drivers are the ones who win the races they're not supposed to" - K.Chandhok
"On the rare occasions that I play a racing game I often think ‘you know what this needs? A boss battle or two.’ A Formula One game in which, suddenly, everybody else has a monster truck and their sole desire is to squash you. A street racing game with a tank or two blowing the roads and buildings to bits. A Nascar game with a track that occasionally bends to the right" (Adam Smith - RPS)
#7
LabradoRacer
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Posted 10 May 2007 - 02:39 PM
abbas_gear, on May 9 2007, 04:48 PM, said:
LabradoRacer, My dad is an optician, and during free time I help him out, So I do get some information regarding Laser treatment. That treatment cannot be done for everyone with poor eye sight. I heard. Infact, its a very risky treatment, I am sure these days things are better, but back then it could have been done only on lab pigs with confidence!
Well,Tiger Woods was the first golfer to use laser treatment to get his eyes twice as good as normal. I'm not kidding. His eyesight is twice as good as a normal person's. Of course ,Vijay Singh & the others followed suit.
#8
Jean Todt
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Posted 10 May 2007 - 06:53 PM
LabradoRacer, on May 10 2007, 02:39 PM, said:
Well,Tiger Woods was the first golfer to use laser treatment to get his eyes twice as good as normal. I'm not kidding. His eyesight is twice as good as a normal person's. Of course ,Vijay Singh & the others followed suit.
#9
Argento Reloaded
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Posted 10 May 2007 - 10:52 PM
I´ve used to have miopia and took laser tyreatment 5 years ago and I was OK: no contact lenses, no glasses and a vision like a teenager!!!
This and Viagra change my life!!!! Just kidding I don´t need Viagra.....YET!!!!
This and Viagra change my life!!!! Just kidding I don´t need Viagra.....YET!!!!
Edited by Argento, 10 May 2007 - 10:54 PM.
"Fashion dates but Logic is Timeless" Alec Isigonis
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