Ronnie Peterson 1978 - 2008

[tigermoth737]

Today marks 30 years since the Super Swede Ronnie Peterson passed away. An abundance of natural talent, coupled with an all-out driving style, guaranteed Peterson cult status in the 1970s, although his spectacular, full-opposite lock powerslides were in direct contrast to his deameanour out of the cockpit, as he was a reserved man whose hobby was tropical fish. Without doubt World Champion material, he simply never found himself in quite the right place at the right time. At Monza in 1978 he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was fatally injured. It seems a total contradiction that a man that races sideways for all his years should lose his life on the operating table rather then behind the wheel. This made the loss of Ronnie twice as hard to take, a quiet man but a fierce driver, he would have been driving for McLaren in 1979 but this career path would never be realised. He had much more to give and was taken from us in the harshest of ways.

Ronnie, we still miss you.

May he never be forgotten...

 

[Only_in_f1]

I always admired Ronnie as a driver. His driving style and general manner. The photo of him half slumped over the well going through stowe is one ill never forget.

Mario has said that on that Monza weekend Ronnie was more up tight than he'd ever seen him and commented how they didnt wish each other good luck.

Never forgetting.

 

[superberkut]

I will never forget. He was the inspiration for Gilles Villeneuve, another great driver, and partly influenced the latter's ragged driving style. Memorably, Peterson said later of Villeneuve, "The man is a public menace." (but, after the Canadian crashed into the Swede)

To have him drive and secure a win(?) in the Tyrrell P34 showed his incredible talent, considering that the P34 is not an easy car to get sideways, as per his driving style (more or less). His will to race was always something I admired, especially accepting a contract with Lotus in 1978 that visibly favoured Mario Andretti, because he wanted to be in a competitive car again. He could have easily won a title that year, or possibly in 1979 had he lived past Monza, but he acknowledged that Mario was a driver as well. That action really stuck with me.

30 years on, memories of his death are painful.