Data Driven F1

The 1981 Formula1 season was a time of big change, as more and more manufacturers started to follow the Renault example and developed their own turbo engines. The season also saw great driving talents such as Alain Prost, Gilles Villeneuve, René Arnoux, Alan Jones, Carlos Reutemann, and Nelson Piquet fighting for the title. Ganna Pogrebna and Patrick Henz discuss these and many other aspects of the season.

https://youtu.be/ohE-O7GS5ts

At the beginning of the 1980s, the professionalization and commercialization of Formula 1 led to the unavoidable conflict about money and power between the two major groups: the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) and the Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA).

In this special episode of Data Driven F1, where Ganna Pogrebna and Patrick Henz discuss F1 politics and how it shaped the F1 championship as we know it now.

Data Driven #F1 arrived to 1980s! The first year of the decade saw great #racing; victories and defeats, but also tragedies. Relevant topics for Ganna Pogrebna and Patrick Henz to analyze. Join us to find out what the year of 1980 had in store.

In this episode, Ganna Pogrebna and Patrick Henz discuss the life and career of Jody David Scheckter, who remains the only African driver winning the F1 World Championship title. Jody was racing in Formula 1 from 1972 to 1980 and won 1979 championship driving for Ferrari. After retiring, he pursued several successful business ventures.

This special episode of Data Driven F1 is about Walter Wolf and his Racing Team. Ganna Pogrebna and Patrick Henz analyze Walter Wolf’s life and career, in and outside Formula 1. Wolf’s entrepreneurial approach was based on key employees, continuous development, marketing, and networking. The undisputed highlight of Walter Wolf Racing as a team was Jody Scheckter’s second place in the 1977 championship.

One lucky phone call to a local Italian radio station's show "Chiamate Roma 3131" in 1972 caught Enzo Ferrari's attention, and soon after, opened the door for Luca Montezemolo to secure a position at Scuderia Ferrari. As a responsible leader, he was one of the key contributors to winning multiple championships by Ferrari, including those achieved by Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher. Ganna Pogrebna and I discuss Luca Montezemolo's life and career in Formula 1 as well as beyond (e.g., after retiring from F1, he organized the FIFA World Cup in Italy and established an efficient public railway company).

Ganna Pogrebna and Patrick Henz discuss the Formula1 1979 season, analyzing the competition of three different concepts: the reliable flat 12-engine (Ferrari); the advanced ground effect car (Lotus), and the turbo-powered car (Renault). The season also saw fantastic driver line-up: Jody Scheckter, Gilles Villeneuve, Alan Jones, Jacques Laffite, Carlos Reutemann, Rene Arnoux, Niki Lauda, James Hunt and Mario Andretti.

Creating a list of Formula 1 best drivers, we have to include “Superswede” Ronnie Peterson. Ronnie was a racer, celebrated by fans, and a role model for other drivers, like Michele Alboreto and Marcus Ericsson. In this episode, Ganna Pogrebna and I discuss Ronnie Peterson’s life, career, and legacy.

Warning: In this episode we talk about suicide, because this is a part of Peterson’s family story. If this sensitive topic is likely to affect you, please skip this episode. Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2019, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 47,500 people. Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable. Knowing the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can help save lives. Here is the list of support hotlines for different countries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines.

Formula1 drivers cope with a lot of pressure, often performing on the limit of their physical, intellectual, and psychological capacity.  They also take a lot of risk. These factors trigger a number of superstitions, which help drivers cope with daily pressures.

Ganna Pogrebna and Patrick Henz discuss drivers’ superstitions from early days of F1 to now.