It's very rare you hear Murray Walker get genuinely angry like that. And Hunt was right, Arnoux was a quick driver in his day but by 1988, he was well past it
Berger was running full boost and would never have finished anyway and he was one of the few who didn't actually blame Arnoux for this. When he got back to the pits Berger reported that his brake pedal was already 'very long' and that he simply couldn't stop in time to avoid the Ligier.
Berger actually willful crashed right there since it was about time to get his early flight back to Europe. Ferrari put on a show with only half fuel and therefor light weight cars since there was no chance to beat McLaren under normal conditions and Berger's 3rd place as well as Ferrari's 2nd place in the Championships were safe. Nobody was aware of this exept for Prost who was told by Alboreto before the start. Berger explained this in his German autobiography "ZIELGERADE" 1997.
Berger didn't wilfully crash into him! His brakes were a bit shot and he thought he was far enough up to Arnoux for him to let him by. No driver will crash into someone on purpose like that. There was still a chance he could finish the race but unlikely as he was going way too quick by that stage in the race. The idea was to get ahead of the McLaren's and then drive slowly to try keep them behind for the rest of the race.
@Monsta Lova Did you read the book? No? If he didn't crash right there he would have ran out of fuel within less 5 laps from that point. It was a slow corner and Berger also wanted to take this chance to give Arnoux a lesson to look in the mirror in the future since Arnoux often ignored Blue Flags. The driver himself knows better than you, just saying.
Andrea is correct Deliberate crash as Ferrari’s plan was to lead, then crash, due to not being able to compete due to high fuel consumption. You have to feel sorry for Rene Arnoux.
Unfortunately true. Same thing as Silverstone 1988 when Berger made it to the chequered flag only to drop from 5th to 8th (he leaded the race in the early stages) at the very final chicane because he was out of fuel
@rendlesham His driving standards had significantly decreased since Dijon though, that was a long time before this. You're only as good as your last result in F1
It's always been a feature of F1 that the fans idolise the top drivers so much that they always blame the backmarker for any difficulties that the guy on the lead lap may have in getting by. Even when, as in this case, the leader has clearly come off the brakes and stuck his nose into a wedge at the last moment. Even when the leader subsequently admits to having caused the incident deliberately. In most F1 fans' book, the backmarkers are to blame just for being on the track and not being able to disappear.
But the likes of Jarier, de Cesaris, and Arnoux (when he was past it as a top racer), werea class of blocking backmarkers to themselves, and if Berger deliberately took him out, then fair play to Berger!
@SuperTheEmperor What "typical French driver" are you comparing him to? Prost, Villeneuve, Alesi, and Laffitte were all pretty stellar. Jabouille was good when his Renault didn't break on him. Even Depailler had his moments.
It's very rare you hear Murray Walker get genuinely angry like that. And Hunt was right, Arnoux was a quick driver in his day but by 1988, he was well past it
Berger was running full boost and would never have finished anyway and he was one of the few who didn't actually blame Arnoux for this. When he got back to the pits Berger reported that his brake pedal was already 'very long' and that he simply couldn't stop in time to avoid the Ligier.
Berger actually willful crashed right there since it was about time to get his early flight back to Europe. Ferrari put on a show with only half fuel and therefor light weight cars since there was no chance to beat McLaren under normal conditions and Berger's 3rd place as well as Ferrari's 2nd place in the Championships were safe. Nobody was aware of this exept for Prost who was told by Alboreto before the start. Berger explained this in his German autobiography "ZIELGERADE" 1997.
Andrea Rojas Arnoux took a terrible line there.
Berger had no brakes
Berger didn't wilfully crash into him! His brakes were a bit shot and he thought he was far enough up to Arnoux for him to let him by. No driver will crash into someone on purpose like that. There was still a chance he could finish the race but unlikely as he was going way too quick by that stage in the race. The idea was to get ahead of the McLaren's and then drive slowly to try keep them behind for the rest of the race.
@Monsta Lova Did you read the book? No? If he didn't crash right there he would have ran out of fuel within less 5 laps from that point. It was a slow corner and Berger also wanted to take this chance to give Arnoux a lesson to look in the mirror in the future since Arnoux often ignored Blue Flags. The driver himself knows better than you, just saying.
Andrea is correct
Deliberate crash as Ferrari’s plan was to lead, then crash, due to not being able to compete due to high fuel consumption.
You have to feel sorry for Rene Arnoux.
Watching this I wondered why Berger is so calm when he's right next to the guy who took him out the race...then I read the comments.
As berger states in his memoirs, he aimed for arnoux for reason, he had not enough fuel to finish the race anyway
Is it just me or did Murray sound more outraged about this than James?
My first memory of Formula 1.
Arnoux was a good driver in the 70s but dragged on too long in F1 as this proves
He was fast as hell. 18 pole positions and 7 wins in a very competitive era, but the end of his career was a bit of a shame.
Unfortunately true. Same thing as Silverstone 1988 when Berger made it to the chequered flag only to drop from 5th to 8th (he leaded the race in the early stages) at the very final chicane because he was out of fuel
@rendlesham His driving standards had significantly decreased since Dijon though, that was a long time before this. You're only as good as your last result in F1
It's always been a feature of F1 that the fans idolise the top drivers so much that they always blame the backmarker for any difficulties that the guy on the lead lap may have in getting by.
Even when, as in this case, the leader has clearly come off the brakes and stuck his nose into a wedge at the last moment. Even when the leader subsequently admits to having caused the incident deliberately.
In most F1 fans' book, the backmarkers are to blame just for being on the track and not being able to disappear.
But the likes of Jarier, de Cesaris, and Arnoux (when he was past it as a top racer), werea class of blocking backmarkers to themselves, and if Berger deliberately took him out, then fair play to Berger!
@F1000X Don't forget Didier Pironi, Maurice Tritingant and Francois Cevert.
@SuperTheEmperor What "typical French driver" are you comparing him to? Prost, Villeneuve, Alesi, and Laffitte were all pretty stellar. Jabouille was good when his Renault didn't break on him. Even Depailler had his moments.
Villeneuve wasn't even french. Alesi was on par with Arnoux.
Alliot, for sure
his brakes had turned to powder as well
@johnjack1 : you are right! They said : "Wenn wont win But we can have a good show, so lets do it!"
ohhhhhh, the french
Arnoux why didn't he quit?
Austrian!
0:51 no knuckle sandwich?!
Certainly deserved one
but f1 is like that the race would of been more exciting if such and such continued but it never happens
Villeneuve is not even french -__-
I don’t care what Berger admitted to, Arnoux was still a shit driver.
So shit he'd gotten 18 poles and 7 wins. Stupid moron
Arnoux was a good driver with Renault but as he got older he lost his skill completely lol