On this week #34: Didier Pironi
On 23 August 1987, Didier Pironi died while competing in a powerboat race off the English coast near the Isle of Wight. He was born on 26 March 1952 in Villecresnes (France) into a family with roots in the north east of Italy. Didier had a half-brother, Jose Dolhem, eight years his senior who enjoyed some success as a professional racer, even entered in three Formula 1 races in 1974 with the Surtees team. He only qualified once, for the USA Grand Prix but the team retired him during the race. It was logical therefore that the young Didier would develop an interest in speed and cars, although he first showed sporting prowess in swimming, becoming champion of the Paris region at the age of 15. Mixing with Jose's friends, including racers Patrick Depailler and Jean-Pierre Jarier steered him towards motorised sport, first on two wheels and then on four.
In 1972 he enrolled in the Elf driving school, winning the now famous “Volant Elf” which had been set up the previous year to reward its best student and provide financial support for a racing programme. At the time, France seemed to have a production line for talented youngsters, many of whom were making their way into Formula 1 with the goal of becoming world champion. Didier soon made a name for himself, winning the French Formula Renault series in 1974 and the European championship two years later, competing against other youngsters including Rene Arnoux and Patrick Tambay. In 1977 he won the Monaco Formula 3 Grand Prix and also finished third in the Formula 2 championship. It was the gateway to Formula 1, courtesy of Ken Tyrrell who was already running Didier's old friend Depailler in his team supported by Elf. So Pironi made his Grand Prix debut in 1978, finishing in the points five times. He was to achieve greater success that year in another discipline, as Renault was determined to win the Le Mans 24 Hours after failing on its two previous attempts. The Regie fielded a three car works team and a further “unofficial” car. One of the Alpine A442Bs was crewed by the 26 year old Didier and fellow-countryman Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and they duly won, beating the Porsche 936s.
Pironi stayed at Tyrrell for 1979, with another old friend, Jarier, replacing Depailler. His first podium came at Zolder (Belgium) when he finished third, the same position he also secured in the final race at Watkins Glen (USA). He was tenth in the championship and there was a parting of the ways with Ken Tyrrell who had forbidden him from returning to the Le Mans 24 Hours, this time with Porsche. He wasn't out of work for long, finding a berth in another French team, Ligier, which had been a title contender the previous year with Jacques Laffite. Having two Frenchmen in the team wasn't always easy, but he did secure his first win, at Zolder, a venue that was beginning to take on a special significance for him. It was time to move on as it was hard to resist the siren call from his family's homeland: Ferrari.
“Ferrari has signed the Italian-French driver Didier Pironi for the 1981 season, who will be teamed with Gilles Villeneuve.” With the brevity typical of Maranello, the team announced its driver line-up, stressing his Italian roots. Didier once again found himself working with a French speaking driver, but this time one who was more his own age, as Gilles was born two years earlier and was equally ambitious. They became great friends, spending time together away from the race track. On track, it seemed the Canadian had the edge when it came to dealing with the unruly 126 CK, the team's first turbocharged car and a not very reliable one at that. Villeneuve won two races, putting on his usual show, while Pironi's best was a fourth place but he was appreciated within Maranello for his skills in setting up a car. Under the direction of the engineer Mauro Forghieri, the team fielded the 126 C2, a more advanced machine, which was capable of fighting for the title. In the early part of the season there was an increasingly acrimonious war being fought between FISA, the governing body and FOCA, the teams' organisation, which culminated with the latter boycotting the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, so that only 14 cars were entered and, of the major teams, only Ferrari and Renault, the latter represented by Alain Prost and Rene Arnoux, took part. Their four drivers fought for the win of what was a rather surreal race, which earned its place in the history of the sport because of a thrilling duel between the two Ferraris, which started off as a way of putting on a show for the fans, but once the two Renaults were out, it became a full on fight, with Didier emerging victorious ahead of Gilles.
This isn't the place to go into all the details of a duel about which there are still some doubts and unanswered questions, at least publicly. What is certain is that this day marked the irreparable end of a friendship. They say time is a great healer but Didier and Gilles would never get the chance to test that maxim. Less than two weeks later on 8 May at Zolder, yes Zolder again, Gilles crashed in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix after he collied with Jochen Mass. The Ferrari flew into the barriers and the Canadian died a few hours later in hospital, never regaining consciousness. Didier withdrew from the race, but with two podium finishes in Monaco and Detroit, he was leading the championship. The next race was in Montreal where the Frenchman really felt the pressure of racing in front of Gilles' home crowd. Starting from pole position, he stalled on the grid. Most of the field managed to avoid the stranded car, but not a young Italian, Riccardo Paletti, who ploughed into the Ferrari, suffering fatal injuries from which he died a few hours later. It was another crushing blow for Didier, but he found the strength to fight back with a win in Holland, a second place in England and a third in France that propelled him up the standings.
On 7 August during the second qualifying session at Hockenheim, Didier accidently clipped Prost's Renault on the straight leading into the Motodrom section. Just like Gilles, his Ferrari flew into the air, the resulting crash damaging his legs so badly that Pironi never again raced a car. His Formula 1 career ended with three wins from 70 starts, four pole positions and 13 podium finishes, a second place in the Drivers' championship and a Constructors' title both in that tragic 1982 season. His injuries did not dent his will to race. After around 30 operations to rebuild his legs with a reasonable degree of functionality, he got back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. He tested an ATS and a Ligier in 1986 and while he did not lack the speed, he didn't have the strength to deal with a two-hour race. Therefore he opted for another form of racing, thus bringing together in a way his two sporting loves, engines and water. He was immediately competitive in powerboats, winning races and fighting for the title, but cruel fate followed him onto the water. In the Needles Trophy, his boat “Colibri” was battling for the win when it hit a wave from a passing oil tanker. Hitting the water at a speed of over 90 knots was like hitting concrete and Didier and his crew died on impact.
He was buried in the cemetery at Grimaud, near Saint-Tropez (France) and he now shares his grave with his half-brother Jose, who died less than a year later when his single-engined plane crashed near Saint-Etienne. An evocative epitaph sums up the fate of these two racers: “Entre ciel et mer” (Between sky and sea). A few months after Didier's death, his partner Catherine Goux gave birth to twins, named Didier and Gilles, in memory of a friendship that was never mended.
