HISTORIC MONACO GRAND PRIX
GOING £ 30,000 INTO DEBT FOR A MOTORSPORT CAREER BEFORE SIGNING WITH FERRARI
Next up was Séries E , focussed on F1 Grand Prix racing cars from 1973 to 1976 and named after Austrian driver Niki Lauda . Niki ’ s family never wanted him to become a race car driver . So , he took out a £ 30,000 bank loan , secured by his own life insurance policy , to buy his way onto a Formula 2 team in 1971 . Lauda ' s star was on the rise when he placed 3rd at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1973 , which piqued the interest of Enzo Ferrari , who signed him three years later and paid him enough to clear his debts . After winning the 1975 Formula One in a Scuderia Ferrari , Lauda was seriously injured in a crash at the 1976 German Grand Prix when his Ferrari 312T2 burst into flames . He came close to death after inhaling toxic smoke and suffering severe burns . He pulled through and raced again just six weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix , and eventually lost the championship title by just one point to James Hunt . Only one year after his major injury , Niki Lauda went on to win his second Formula One championship .
One week after his death in 2019 , drivers and teams paid tribute to Niki Lauda during the 77th Monaco Grand Prix . A moment of silence was held before the race while fans and drivers wore red caps and helmets in his honour . Monaco ’ s Charles Leclerc wore a cap with the name ‘ Niki ’ printed on the front .
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RACING SNOWMOBILES IN QUEBEC BEFORE MAKING GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Séries F is named after Gilles Villeneuve and featured F1 Grand Prix cars from 1977 to 1980 . The 40th anniversary of the death of Colin Chapman , founder and manager of Lotus , was also commemorated during this Séries , with over thirty-five Lotus cars participating .
Gilles Villeneuve won six Grand Prix races in a short career of just six years . The Canadian racing driver started his professional career by competing in snowmobile races in Quebec . For the 1981 season , Ferrari introduced their first F1 turbocharged engine , the 126C , which produced tremendous power but had poor handling . Gilles Villeneuve still managed to wind his way through Monaco ’ s tight circuit during the 1981 Grand Prix and win the race with the 126C , an incredible feat for any driver . Gilles
Maserati and Jaguar C-Type during the Séries C race
Villeneuve died in a 230 km / h crash during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix and remains one of the most iconic figures in the world of motorsport .
CELEBRATING CARS FROM THE 1980S FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME
For the first time ever , this year ’ s Historic Grand Prix had a race dedicated to cars from 1980 to 1985 . Séries G , the final race of the event , is named after racing legend Ayrton Senna .
Acclaimed for his wet weather performances , Senna managed to win the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix during heavy rain , one of the most renowned races in F1 history . The race start was delayed by 45 minutes due to weather , which led Niki Lauda to request that the tunnel , which was dry and coated with oil from the previous races , be flooded . A local fire truck was called in to hose down the section of the track and the race began . Senna still holds the record for six victories at the Monaco Grand Prix .
The Brazilian driver was known for strolling back to his apartment in Monaco after racing through the Principality . Senna died at the age of 34 after being fatally injured during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix . In 2007 , Prince Albert II of Monaco unveiled a plaque in his honour at the Fairmont Hotel during a ceremony that was attended by his sister , Viviane Senna .
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