Grand Prix

The drivers are all on the grid now...

...and the Monaco Grand Prix is about to start.

There's Scott Stoddard with his Jordan BRM.

And with him now, is Jeff Jordan himself...

...talking to this brilliant English driver...

...who's won so many races in the dark-green BRMs.

Even faster than Stoddard in practice, was the Frenchman, Jean-Pierre Sarti.

Twice world champion, an absolute master...

...of these twisting Monte Carlo streets...

...he's won the Grand Prix here three times.

He drives for the great Italian manufacturer, Ferrari.

His teammate is the Sicilian, Nino Barlini...

...who's also won a place on the front row.

Barlini's the former world champion motorcyclist...

...who made a very successful switch to car racing last year...

...and is certainly a potential world champion in Formula 1 racing.

On the second row, is Pete Aron, the American, now driving for BRM.

Pete hasn't won a Grand Prix since he left Ferrari three seasons ago.

But in spite of two bad accidents last year...

...he's still just as fast as ever.

Yesterday he lapped only a tenth slower than Scott Stoddard...

...number one driver in the BRM team.

Let's try and get the season off to a good start. Shall we?

Drive the car, don't try to stand it on its bloody ear.

Tim Randolph, another American...

...driving a Japanese Yamura, also on the second row.

This team's only been in Formula 1 racing for two years...

...and so far the car's not been reliable enough to win a Grand Prix.

But the Japanese have the most powerful engines of all.

Ten seconds.

Five...

...four...

...three...

...two, one. Go!

Ste. Devote, and it's Sarti in the lead.

Then Stoddard, Aron, Hulme, Anderson and Randolph.

Stoddard's drawing level with Sarti up the hill. He's going to overtake him.

Now, it's Sarti in the red Ferrari, number 17 leading...

...past the Hotel de Paris and into the Casino Square.

Along the seafront, at the tobacconist...

...it's Sarti's red Ferrari ahead of Stoddard's green BRM number 12.

As they finish the first lap, it's Sarti first...

...Stoddard second, Aron third...

...and fourth now is Barlini's Ferrari, number 16.

Nothing could be better...

...than motorbike racing.

Three times I'm a world champion on my motorbike. I'm happy.

Then I go into one of these...

These cars... You sit in a box, a coffin. Gasoline all around you.

It is like being inside a bomb.

Crazy. But, of course, the cars are faster.

And that is the most important thing.

Remember that at Monte Carlo...

...because of the nature of the circuit...

...you shift gears over 2600 times during the race.

That's an average of once every three seconds.

No reason to expect gearbox trouble.

On the other hand, potential problems are in the back of your mind all the time.

I've driven this course six times before...

...the way I see it, I've only got three big problems today, and that's:

Two Ferraris starting ahead of me and my own teammate, Scott Stoddard.

Walking the course is almost the last thing I'd do...

...on the morning of a race.

It's become a bit of a thing with me. I do a lot of thinking...

...collecting my thoughts about how I'll run the race, all that sort of thing.

Of course, it originated with my brother, Roger. He used to do the same thing.

As a matter of fact, before I started racing...

...I often used walk the course with him.

The funny thing about Roger, you know...

...the day he was killed, he hadn't walked the circuit...

...for some reason or another.

I suppose I'm rather superstitious about that.

I love the challenge of Monaco.

Driving through ordinary streets full out, is to me what racing is all about.

It's a pity it's the only one left of its kind.

At the end of 10 laps the order is still Sarti, Stoddard...

...Aron and Barlini.

Stoddard can't quite squeeze his BRM past Sarti's Ferrari.

There's very little room to pass on these narrow Monte Carlo streets.

Barlini and the other Ferraris can't quite...

- Oh, my darling. You're not ready? - Ready? For what?

Pat, you've forgotten.

Hugo, the way I feel now...

...if I could remember my own name, I'd consider myself very fortunate.

- What have I forgotten? - Last night.

I told you I'd be by to take you to the winner's circle...

- ...if Scott wins. - Hugo, there's lots of time.

The dungarees.

Hugo, have you ever had ouzo?

I have had everything, my dear.

I was with two Greeks last night and we drank ouzo. A lot of ouzo.

And where, may I ask, was your husband...

...while all this Greek and ouzo business was going on?

Where he always is the night before a race: trying to sleep.

The danger? Well, of course.

But you are missing a very important point.

I think, if any of us imagined, really imagined...

...what it would be like to go into a tree at 150 miles an hour...

...we would probably never get into the cars at all. None of us.

So it has always seemed to me, that to do something very dangerous...

...requires a certain absence of imagination.

Number 17, Sarti's Ferrari, is still in front...

...but he just cannot get away from number 12, Scott Stoddard in the BRM.

And the second BRM driver, number 11...

...Pete Aron, is only three seconds behind...

...with Nino Barlini in number 16 Ferrari breathing down his neck.

25 laps gone. One-quarter of the race distance.

As Sarti and Stoddard fight for the lead, they're leaving Aron and Barlini behind.

Stoddard's pressing Sarti.

The Frenchman's usually unbeatable at Monaco...

...but today the Englishman is faster on some parts of the circuit.

Now that Stoddard's in the lead his lap times are faster and faster.

And he's going steadily away from Sarti.

There doesn't seem to be anything the Ferrari driver can do about it.

There's Scott Stoddard completing his 30th lap...

...and increasing his lead over Sarti.

And there's the third man, Barlini, in his red Ferrari now well-clear of Aron.

And he's just lapping a slower car.

That can be tricky here at Monte Carlo. It's almost impossible to pass...

...unless you can rely on the driver in the slower car to move over and make room.

That's 32 laps and the order...

...is Stoddard, Sarti, Barlini, Randolph, Aron.

- Get back out there. - It's sticking in between third and fourth.

It didn't do it in practice. Do you suppose it could be you?

All right, I'm doing it on purpose.

On purpose or not, you're breaking her up.

- I didn't build the damn car. - We can't do anything about it.

- Do the best you can. - What lap is this?

- Forty-two. - It's a cinch. I'm halfway home.

You're never halfway home!

Pete Aron's away again. He's had some gearbox trouble.

There's Stoddard now.

He'll lap his BRM teammate, Aron, next time round.

Stoddard's driving a tremendous race.

129.3.

Blimey, they nearly collided at the Gasometer hairpin. That was close.

Louis Chiron's waving the blue flag at the American...

...which means he ought to move over and let the faster car through.

Let Scott through!

The bloody idiot. Sarti's picked up three seconds.

You can't blame Pete for wanting to race.

Not with a teammate! He has to let him through!

Barlini in second...

...as Sarti completes 50 laps...

...half distance in the lead.

That's my driver. Let go. Let me through.

- Damn you! Damn you! - Get these people out of here!

- I waved him through. - Where are the cops?

- You're a bloody liar. - Please, Jeff.

I told you to take it easy with him.

- Apart from being a bloody coward! - Jeff, don't.

- Shut up! You're a liar! - Now, get these people out of here!

Shut up. Look, you're through with me!

Now, just get out of my sight as quick as you can!

Something's happened. There has been an accident.

See someone get killed.

- How did it happen? - Bloody lot you care.

- Don't say that. Don't speak to me like... - Mrs. Stoddard.

You can stay here if you want.

It will be some time in surgery.

You've got what you want now.

He's finished with driving.

Maybe we'll have some peace in our lives now.

You think so?

How I didn't spin out is a miracle of skill and daring.

What do you think of this man?

In the middle of the race he decided to take a swim.

It cost me two seconds.

From the manager.

Hey, Jean-Pierre.

You should fix that. I have something in my room.

I just talked to the hospital.

- He's alive? - Yeah.

Jordan says I was blocking.

Said I didn't give him a signal to pass.

- Did you? - Of course I did.

The gearbox froze coming out of the tunnel and I waved him through.

Got on the brakes, locked up, and threw me in front of him.

Next thing I knew, I was in the Mediterranean.

What are you going to do now?

I don't know. Gotta get a ride for the rest of the season. I don't know where.

Pete?

Do you ever get tired?

Of the driving?

No.

Lately, I sometimes get very tired.

You know what I mean? Very tired.

All right, unhook it.

Jeff is wrong, isn't he, Scott?

He says you're finished.

But you're not finished, are you?

I know, Scott.

Better than Jeff, better than anyone.

If I told them you'd drive again, they'd think I was crazy.

They'll think you're crazy when you tell them.

But you will, won't you, Scott?

You're in pieces now, but it won't change anything for you.

You'll pull yourself together and get back in the car somehow.

And for what?

To be better than Roger.