01x02 - The Constructors

[bunniefuu]

BERNIE VOICEOVER:
I don't know what happened to me

after Jochen died.

I wasn't too good.

I can't use the word ill

'cause I don't know
what was wrong with me.

I wasn't too active
for a little while.

It wasn't just losing a friend,
we were like partners in everything.

We had big ideas and plans
to go forward together

into Formula One, have our own team.

So, it wasn't such an easy thing

to suddenly turn it off
and walk away,

so, I thought we ought to carry on

and see if we can't make it...
it happen,

what Jochen and I wanted to do.

[THEME MUSIC]

I bought Brabham for 100,000 pounds

which today doesn't sound like it,

but those days
it was a lot of money.

It was a bit untidy.

Nobody quite knew
where everything was

and nobody was particularly doing
one job.

They were...It was all a bit
of a muddle generally.

The drawing office was a muddle,
everything was upside down.

So, I thought the best thing
to do is,

let's get things
that we don't need thrown out

and tidy up everything in general.

Each car had their own bay

with their own little workshop
beside it.

And stalls were organised properly
so people knew where everything was,

so, it saved a lot of time.

And I wanted to get people
to be a little bit more tidy

with the way they dressed,

so, things looked
a little bit more businesswise.

It's what most of the teams
are doing today,

the way they sort out
their workshops.

Awful lot difference in size
but the principle's the same.

I was lucky that I decided to keep
the right people.

Eddie Baker and Charlie Whiting
did a super job.

Gordon Murray was Gordon Murray.

At that time
he wasn't the designer of the car.

I'm Michael Blash,
my nickname is 'Herbie'.

Herbie Blash was also close
to Jochen as it happened.

So, all those people stayed.

In the early days

I didn't have any sponsorship
on that car

or any advertising at all.

It was a nice white car.

The F1CA, the Formula One
Constructors Association

wasn't a constructors'
association at all.

It was a group of guys
that ran Formula One teams

that got together
to make some complaints

wherever they could.

['LITTLE GREEN BAG'
BY GEORGE BAKER SELECTION PLAYS]

# Lookin' back on the track
For a little greenback. #

Colin Chapman

probably was the best designer
of his time.

# Out of sight, in the night,
Out of sight in the day. #

Ken was a timber merchant.

We used to call him 'Chopper',

Chopper Tyrell.

# Out of sight, in the night,
Out of sight in the day. #

He was down to earth
like a farmer if you like.

# Gonna do it my way

# Lookin' back. #

Ken's team was the team to beat.

Teddy was an American.

As a child he had polio,

didn't stop him
doing anything he wanted to do.

He's a brilliant skier as well.

He ran McLaren.

Although Frank had been
in Formula One for years,

he'd never really got himself
in the winning position.

He would always run out of money

'cause he'd always spend
a little bit more than he had,

and say, "Bernie could you possibly
lend me 5,000?"

He'd normally go to a place
in the King's Road in London

and buy some Cashmere sweaters
or something,

and that was Frank.

# Lookin' for some happiness... #

Each one was trying to put
the other one out of business.

We used to meet at the Post House

at the airport.

I don't think we could afford

to have a large meeting room,

so, we had a double bedroom.

And as a new kid on the block,

I thought,
I better do something to help

'cause they're all very English.

So, I was the tea man.

I was lucky enough at that meeting
to come close to Max Mosley.

Max and I were so different
to each other.

Max could speak English properly.

He was a barrister,
I was a used car dealer,

so, it was strange
that we got on so well together.

# For a little, little greenback. #

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]


for me with Brabham.

And one of the first races for us
was in Argentina.

I had Graham Hill driving for me

and Carlos Reutemann

that was a new kid on the block.

We used to travel to Argentina,

those days not only economy
but cheap economy.

We used to race
because we wanted to race.

It didn't pay but we wanted to race.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Promoters run the event.

The most important thing
for the promoter was that

they gave the least amount of money
to the teams.

And the teams never told,

"I'm getting this
what are you getting?"

It was always secret.

And everyone thought
that they were doing a good deal

and getting more than somebody else.

I was a team owner
and wanted to make sure we got paid

and got paid
the right amount of money.

And I said to the teams,
"Why don't we form a company

and we'll lay out
the terms and conditions

with the promoters.

I'm sure we can do a lot better
than what we're doing now."

And they said, "No."
All of the teams wanna be racers.

They don't want to look after
all that nonsense.

Colin Chapman thought,
"Better a good used car dealer

do deals with promoters."

So, in the end they agreed for me
to negotiate for everybody.

I take all the risks,
so, I was guaranteeing the teams.

And they offered me 8%.

[CHEERFUL MUSIC]

Jackie Stewart
reigning world champion

with car number one.

Emerson Fittipaldi is here

with the John Player Special.

They move onto the grid,
warming up their tyres as they go.

All 25 cars are going.

[INDISTINCT SPEECH]
[ENGINES REV]

Sometimes the promoter
would forget he had to pay.

In Spain, I turned up in the morning
and I went to his office

and the window was open
and he'd gone.

When he knew I was coming,
he disappeared.

Here he comes.

The Flying Fittipaldi does it again.

The bottom line was,

if the promoters don't pay,
I have to pay.

Colin Chapman's
golden boy from Brazil

takes the chequered flag.

The CSI were the sporting authority.

They were based in Paris

and very French.

The CSI owned the rights

to the Formula One
World Championship.

You couldn't have a race
until the CSI had approved it.

They laid down all the rules,

and this is what you can do,
and what you can't do.

And the biggest
and most important stick

that the federation had,

"Was this race won't be counted
for points for the championship?"

[INDISTINCT TALK]

OK. Yes, yes, we're ready now.

The promoters were
in fact automobile clubs

and obviously they wanted
to always pay an awful lot less

than they were being asked to pay.

And it was my intention
for making them pay more.

The Automobile Club of Monaco
were basically the promoters

of the Formula One event.

And a new president to the club

was appointed, Michel Boeri.

And he'd suddenly agreed
with the CSI

that there should only be 16 cars
running at the event.

We wasn't too happy with this idea.
I said, "This is completely crazy."

I think that the 25 cars
on this circuit

with this calibre of driver
is a perfectly safe operation.

And I can't see
why this one Grand Prix of the year,

we should have to run fewer cars
and...and not as normal.

So, I said,
"Well, I think if that's the case,

we shouldn't race.

It's better we leave."

And the people
that bought the tickets

wouldn't have been
too pleased obviously,

wouldn't have been good for Monaco.

I'd said, "Get Graham's car out
and I'll get in the car

and drive it out of here
and show people we are leaving."

Couldn't reach the pedals

and charged up the ramp
to leave the garage

and saw that this policeman
was in front of me.

I didn't manage to stop
and run the policeman over.

And then suddenly,

we had a lot more police arrive
and threatened

I was gonna be arrested
and taken away on the spot.

I said, "Well,
you'll have to arrest us all."

And then they had to back down.

After all the things that happened,
we raced.

The flag is up.

We're ready for the start
on the 30th Grand Prix of Monaco.

[CHEERFUL MUSIC]

Here he is headed for victory,

Jean Pierre Beltoise's the winner.

"In the end,
it was good that we stuck together."


[UPBEAT MUSIC]

In '73 it was a bit of a scrap

between Emerson in the Lotus

and Jackie in Ken's Tyrrell.

Emerson Fittipaldi

was really a superstar.

Why do you do it?
For the money?

Oh, no.

No, I do it because,
you know, I always like to do.

I used to pay a lot
to race in Brazil.

I used to work during the week
to race on the weekends

just because I love, you know.

Jackie's teammate
Francois Cevert was a charming,

really super looking young guy.

[IMITATES ENGINE REVVING]

And also very, very quick
and very talented.

He was very close with Jackie
and supported him.

Four other gears
for the rest of the time?

Exactly.

And maybe it doesn't feel
so good to begin with,

but I'm sure when we have to do
really fast times,

you know, it'll be better.

Jackie, could you go out
in your car now

and give Francois a tow up
to somewhere about a 52?

Emerson's teammate

was Ronnie Peterson.

[ENGINE REVS]

The problem with Ronnie
was he was too quick.

He made it. Bravo!

[INDISTINCT TALK]

Bad luck, Emerson.

And Emerson wasn't too happy.

[SOFT MUSIC]

Philip Morris with their Marlboro

helped us build Formula One...

with all the money
that they put into the teams,

the drivers, promoters,

in fact anyone that was involved

in Formula One.

[CHEERFUL MUSIC]

Pat Duffeler was a Belgium guy,

was helping Philip Morris

in Europe with their promotion.

We at Brabham
was always looking for sponsors

and there was a possibility
of us catching Marlboro.

Emerson latched onto Duffeler

and asked me
to meet them in Switzerland.

Duffeler committed
to sign a contract for Marlboro

with us at Brabham.

What I didn't know

that Duffeler was sort of playing us
off against McLaren

which I think
basically was his first choice.

So, in '74 Emerson and Marlboro
finished up with McLaren.

Often happens with people,
they forget what they've said

or they didn't want to remember.

So, as far as I'm concerned
I've done a deal.

I've had a...
shook hands on a deal.

That's a deal no matter what.

The only men
who are still keeping Stewart

from a certain title
are his teammate,

Francois Cevert, and his great rival
Emerson Fittipaldi

the reigning world champion.

I was disappointed

that Emerson wanted to leave us.

It's always a bit
of a disappointment

to think you've got to start

all over again with someone else.

Colin was very upset

that Emerson
was sort of dropping Lotus

and going to McLaren.

So, he told Ronnie no team orders.

First lap, the first lap only

from the bridge
till the second chicane,

no overtaking.

This is between you, gentlemen.

It's a gentlemen agreement.
It's very serious.

First lap only.

Afterwards, god bless you all.

Emerson Fittipaldi
has got to win this race

if he's going to continue
his challenge

for the world championship.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

The big question is,

will Emerson Fittipaldi
be waved past by his teammate?

Jackie Stewart would not expect
any opposition from his teammate,

Cevert waved him past.

And here we are on the last lap.

The decision has been made,

it's Ronnie Peterson still ahead
of Emerson Fittipaldi.

And Ronnie Peterson
wins the Italian Grand Prix.

One of the most sensational results
I have ever seen in motor racing.

Jackie Stewart in fourth position,
Francois Cevert fifth.

And Jackie Stewart
is the new world champion.

An incredible decision
by Colin Chapman

to allow his Swedish driver
to win...

Jackie! Jackie! Jackie!

..and give Stewart
the world championship.

[INDISTINCT TALK]

Is it bad?

Because of the incident
on the circuit,

practice for today
for Formula One cars

is now concluded.

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER PA]

Francois Cevert
had a bad accident at Watkins Glen.

And I remember Carlos
coming into the pits

and telling me what had happened.

So, I sort of spoke to him

and said, "Well,
nothing you could do about it,

and nothing, as it happens,
anyone can do about it.

The race is not gonna stop
and you're here to race,

and I think
you'd better get on with it."

[SOMBRE MUSIC]

Jackie said to Ken,
"I'm not racing."

And then Ken had no alternative
but to stop.

I believe that,

you know, when you get
into a racing car

somebody comes up

and puts a syringe into you

and you get intoxicated by it,

and you...you... you're living

in a world full of candy floss.

Then suddenly you come in
after such an event has happened,

and suddenly you know somebody

has switched on
the electric lightbulb

and the whole cold hard light
of the world strikes you.

One wonders the kind of pressure

that's put on your wife
for instance.

There were times

I felt like
saying to Jackie,

"Please give it up."

But I never did.

In fact, I vowed
that I never would.

Might there ever come a point

where you get back
into a racing car?

No.
I'm never gonna race a car again.

I've made up my mind about that
and I've promised

that I'd never get back in

and race a car and I never will.

[SOMBRE MUSIC]

The first meeting Luca
came to in London,

and one point came up

which obviously sort of influenced
a little bit about Ferrari.

And he said to me,
"I need to leave the room a minute."

And then another point come up,
off went Luca again.

We subsequently found out

what he was doing
was ringing Mr Ferrari

to find out his instructions

'cause he really was a new kid
on the block.

Luca would do things
and get things done

in a sort of a charming way.

[SPEAKS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

However, Luca's the sort of guy,

if you asked him to go
and sh**t somebody,

he probably wouldn't ask
the person's name.

In '74, someone
suddenly come on the scene

which nobody knew about,
really and truly, an Austrian guy.

And also quite a charming guy

'cause he'd managed to charm his dad

into giving him enough money
so he could deal with Max Mosley

who owned March at the time...

to buy a car and race.

So, that's how Niki

suddenly come
on the scene.

And I think Niki could sort of talk
his way through most problems.

And the ones he couldn't talk
his way through,

he drove his way through.

Philip Morris,
with the Marlboro brand,

paid Niki to go to Ferrari.

Very good.

You play 33 too,

nobody under 34 [indistinct].

'Cause both Luca
and Niki were very intelligent.

It was a very good partnership.


Travelling from one country
to another is a drama.

You had to have documents
before you could move anything.

I made an arrangement

with a travel company
called Cazelli Mills.

I thought the only way to do it,

we move everything ourselves
all together.

Which would mean
the teams didn't have to worry,

so, they'd see the cars
leave their factory

and see them again
when they arrived at the circuit.

And I gave a personal guarantee

that everything that went in

would come out again.

I explained to the promoters

that they had to make a contribution

towards our costs
for appearing in races.

In fact,
it wasn't a contribution in the end

I think they paid all the costs.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

Carlos was a very unusual driver.

He was one guy
that if he went over a curb

and damaged a wheel,
he'd be terribly upset

that he'd damaged the car
in some way.

And that's the sort of person
he really was.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

I didn't know

what people were excited about

really and truly.

If you don't win the race

you should be miserable.

And if you're second,
you're the first of the losers.

[INDISTINCT TALK]

Carlos was a fairly strange guy.

He'd be on the grid and look in

and if he was sort
of in fourth place or fifth place,

then he'd be, "Ahh,
we've got no chance here

because he's gonna be so quick."

And they're away,
and it is Ronnie Peterson

who I think engaged second gear,
who has made a [indistinct]

[CHEERFUL MUSIC]

This is not Carlos' day.

Here it is, and here is the flag.

And Niki Lauda has won

the 20th Spanish Grand Prix.

We looked like we wasn't gonna have

the Belgian Grand Prix
in a circuit called Nivelles.

And the promoters...

Genuinely it wasn't the case
that they were trying things on,

couldn't get the money together.

So, I said to the teams,
"We should run this race.

Why don't we run it?"

And the teams said,
"Oh, no, no, no, no.

If you think the race should go on

and it's good for all of us,
you do it.

You bankroll it and we'll be there."

So, I became a promoter of the race
which really meant

that I was responsible
for paying the teams,

so, I had to collect all the money
from wherever I could

in order that we could do that.

I don't remember
collecting the money

we'd charged for the toilets,

but any other money
that was floating around

we collected and paid the teams.

[CHEERFUL MUSIC]
[ENGINES REV]

Although that year

we won three races,

Emerson won three as well,

but he collected more points
than us

and he won the championship.

[INDISTINCT TALK]

[CHEERFUL MUSIC]

It was necessary
to have a meeting with the CSI

'cause they'd made a declaration.

Although the championship
was all sort of laid out

where we were gonna race

and we had contracts
with all the promoters,

they said
they didn't care about this.

None of the races were gonna count
for the world championship.

So, it was obvious
that we need to discuss this

'cause it didn't seem
a sensible thing to do.

We had the meeting and Ugeux

who was the President of the CSI
and Jean-Marie Balestre

who was the President

of the French Federation.

I was getting a bit fed up
with the silly conversations

and I sort of got up and was...

I think moving pictures around

and generally being quite rude
I suppose.

And Jean-Marie
got a bit upset with me

and he was holding a pencil,
I can remember him,

and he snapped the pencil
and I turned the lights off.

I said, "I'm not even frightened
of the dark."

Max was with me at the meeting

just to make sure
I didn't get arrested.

And he thought it was quite funny.

Particularly the way it came out

because we got an increase
in the promoter fees.

Niki Lauda!

Niki Lauda!

Niki Lauda!

Niki Lauda!

[CHEERFUL MUSIC]

Dry tyres.
Whatever decision we want to make.

No-one's announced it
in English.

Yeah, yeah. I'm on it.
I'm on it.

Suggestion they start
the race at 4:00

and declare it a wet race,

so, we can decide whether to go
on the wet or dry tyres

and it takes it away from the clerk
of the course for having to.

Would you please ask them
to announce this

on the loudspeakers
in English to all the teams.

[INDISTINCT TALK]

[SOFT MUSIC]

Not possible
to race in this condition.

[INDISTINCT TALK]

Stop it now
or there's gonna be a big accident!

Stop this race!

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[SOFT MUSIC]

[SPEAKS IN GERMAN] 291.

Thank you very much.
Thank you.

OK. OK.

You'll go out.

You scrub your tyres.

You go slow. Nothing to do.

It's not important to take risks

or do nothing, OK?

I'd been very, very friendly
with Niki

really basically
since he really started driving.

But I never...

I don't know why I never sort of
looked at him

and saw, "This guy is gonna be
a world champion."

Probably Luca saw something in Niki,

certainly something I didn't see

that he was gonna be
world championship material.

[ENGINES REV]

[CHEERS]

When Niki won,
it was something to remember.

But five years the same track

more or less to the day,
Jochen got k*lled.

So, memories for me at Monza
had been good and bad.

Nothing.
More money, but nothing else.

Daddy!

Yes.

Two or three months
after that,

we lost Graham.

He used to fly his own plane
and he wanted to land at an airfield

because that's where
he took off from.

Graham Hill's Aztec crashed

into the Arkley Golf Course

in the foggy conditions

plunging in flames
into a small wood

beside the course.


Emerson walked out of McLaren

although he had a contract.

So, it left McLaren
looking for a replacement,

Philip Morris had some ideas
who it should be.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

James dressed
with Marlboro identification

was fantastic for them.

I managed to... [CLEARS THROAT]

Excuse me.

I've been training
for my new sponsors.

[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]

I think there's a real possibility

that James Hunt and the McLaren

is going to be the only real
opposition to Ferrari next year.

James was one of those guys

who would always take things
to the limit.

You didn't see James
on the back pages ANYMORE,

you saw him on the front pages

and in a lot
of specialist magazines.

Niki and James
were super competitive

and only wanted to win.

Didn't wanna hear about losing,
they wanted to win.

[CHEERFUL MUSIC]

Niki's just won

the South African Grand Prix
in record time,

just two seconds ahead

of James Hunt.

A fantastic race.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

James, that was extremely fast.

How'd you do it?
Big ba*ls.

There's some sort of grey area

about the measurement of the wing.

It's extremely difficult
to give an opinion at this time

because the case is still going on,

but I think the way I look at it

I think most people look at it
very clearly.

There are rules laid down

and I suppose
we ought to stick to them.

Naturally you feel
a bit pissed off with the system,

you know,
but that...that allows anything

as stupid as that to happen,

but as far as I'm concerned

the important thing for me

is to drive and to win

and I did that.

Niki for sure

was gonna win
the championship.

[LOUD BLAST]

[SOMBRE MUSIC]

[CHEERS]

It was very tough,

and I was in a lot of trouble
with the car.

I had a lot of understeer
and I was fighting for my life.

It didn't take too long for Ferrari

to find another driver
to replace Niki.

Carlos was our driver at the time
said that he'd been approached

and he would like to join Ferrari.

[SOFT MUSIC]

Niki, being Niki, made a comeback

and again had that nature

that he still wanted
to win the world championship.

Everyone there was so enthusiastic

but people didn't really,
I think know exactly

how brave he was.

[ENGINES REV]

I remember sitting in
what used to be,

in those sort of things,
motor homes in a caravan with him.

And he took his helmet off

and there was blood
still running down his face

and on the bandages.

So, at the time I said,
"Well, this is stupid.

Why don't you just..."
He wouldn't stop.

I'm really Catholic.

So, the priest came
and I expected him

that he will speak with me
and tell me some,

you know, that I should try hard
to survive and all that.

Instead he didn't say anything,

he just put the little cross
on my shoulder

and left again.

I don't know how it is...

How to say in English
what it is, the last...

The last rites we say.
Last rites.

And there is Lauda

in third position.

A beautiful manoeuvre
from James Hunt.

cl*max to the whole season,
the last race.

We wanted to try

and build a world championship,

not a European championship.

And how these sort of races

outside of Europe

were important to the teams
to get new sponsors.

I've always believed that our future
was on live television.

But most broadcasters
wanted to have delayed

and I said, "No.

It's gotta be live."

It couldn't be worse
at the Fuji circuit.

Pouring rain, thick mist,
and it's a delayed start.

So, is the Japanese Grand Prix
on or off?

The way Niki had come back

it was obvious the race
was gonna attract a lot of people.

The broadcasters,
they was all a bit concerned

who was gonna pay all the costs
for the satellite fees.

So, we picked up the tab
to make sure it all happened

and made sure
we got world-wide coverage.

Very often I use the word
'we' when it was 'I'.

'Cause in the end
I did most of the things

and took all the risks
from whatever happened,

so, I didn't drag anybody else in,
in case things went wrong.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Most people thought
we should cancel the race

including the promoters
and the federations and everybody.

I said, "This race is gonna be
broadcast worldwide,

and it is gonna be broadcast.

It is gonna happen."

A couple of drivers
had come to me and said,

"This is completely ridiculous,
we're gonna get k*lled."

I said, "Well, if you genuinely,
genuinely, genuinely, think

you're gonna get k*lled,
the obvious thing is don't race."

But they all raced.

And it's James Hunt
who takes the lead

in the Japanese Grand Prix.

Niki had to be fourth
and he'd have won the championship.

Oh, but look at that car

snaking [indistinct] conditions.

And Niki Lauda has pulled
into the pits in front of us.

Niki Lauda the world champion
has pulled into the pits.

Niki Lauda talks to Daniel Ordetto,

the Ferrari team manager,

and says the conditions out there
are too bad.

I've had enough.

Nobody blamed him for this.

I mean,
people should have blamed him

for actually taking part in the race
in the first place

'cause it was terribly
brave thing to do.

James kept going
and doing the best he could.

He didn't have the sort
of communications those days.

James Hunt, number 11,

has to keep going to win
this year's world championship.

Brambilla's going through,
and Hunt has let him past.

No, he hasn't let him past.

And Brambilla spins
and he missed Hunt by inches.

And Hunt, Hunt is in the pits
in second place.

and if he drops below fourth
if he goes out,

his world championship
is gonna be in danger.

And there are two wheels changed,
the engine is going to fire,

and James Hunt gets away.

Now, he is in fifth position
and out of the contention.

And James Hunt is passing Jones.

Hunt is fourth.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[CHEERS AND WHISTLES]

Our new world champion,

James Hunt,
by just one single point.

The race was just so popular
with all...what had happened

and all the circumstances
surrounding these last few races.

And I think people thought,

"We've missed a lot of races
and we shouldn't have missed them."

We ought to start thinking about
broadcasting the world championship.

And that's exactly what happened.

So, we suddenly got
a completely new audience.

Representing
for the Formula One association,

two of the organisers,

two of the sponsors

and two from the CSI.

[SPEAKS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

Duffeler was a charming guy,

charming enough that he got

into the CSI.

He branded his success

in having screwed me
with the Marlboro deal.

He had been working very hard
with the promoters,

promising them all sorts of things.

A whole bunch of these people
signed a contract with the CSI

expecting that they would be paying

a lot less for the teams to turn up.

And it was called the $100,000 club

which meant
if any of the promoters then broke,

what they'd agreed,

they'd have to pay $100,000
to the CSI.

Patrick's job
effectively was to destroy me

and what I represented.