Nikki Loda’s first F1 title 50 years ago, in his words

Fifty years ago on this day, Nikki Loda Won his first formula 1 world title with third place in Monza. Tiffoi persuaded his hero, Clay Regazoni won the house as a cherry on the cake.

In 1975, Loda and Ferrari Set new standards in Formula 1. Austrian ended the 11 -year title for Skederia and laid the foundation for a new era of success, which is not dissatisfied Michael Schumacher Times.

Nevertheless, Loda did not feel emotional about it. When asked about his revolutionary 312T, he admitted: “I don’t even remember if you ask me today.” Then, curiosity he got better: “How much race did I win?” Answer: Five Grands Prix, and no less than nine pole positions in just 14 races.

His spring partner: Clay Regazoni

Loda joined Ferrari in 1974, finishing fourth in the championship with two wins as team partner Clay Regazoni. McLarenEmerson Fitpledi with just three digits. Loda proved to be very quick, but still error-prone.

Regazoni recommended Loda to Enzo Ferrari, allowing him to pay the loan to finance his early F1 career, and Austrian recommended his colleague.

“If I did everything right, I was faster than that,” Loda remembered. “He was a good team partner because he pushed me enough to reach my peak performance. Without him, I was only good, especially in Ferrari, where politics played a big role.”

In 1974, a person with a mustache still had an upper hand, but Loda was already going away in his number-one position.

The Young Stratagist: Luka de Mintezemolo

Skuderia was run by 27 -year -old newcomer, Luka Di Montezemolo, which was barely larger than Loda and was eight years younger than Regazoni.

Di Montezemolo sometimes missed the mark, Loda recalled: “Luka was inexperienced at first, but strategically strong – although he made mistakes.”

In the 1970s, Formula 1 Polisitors can still choose from which side of the grid to start. When Loda set the fastest time ahead of Regazoni in 1974 Monaco GP, he was stunned to find himself in the left hand of the grid.

“He was Montezemolo, as he realized (Ronnie) Pietersen was behind me,” he explained. “And since Peterson was a danger, he put me to the left to stop an attack.” When Regazoni took an edge in the beginning, Loda was angry: “Luca must have gone mad. All the reasonable respect, but it was my polar situation!”

Loda pushed Regazoni so hardly that the Swiss driver was out of the race, before he retired with power failure. “So both of us lost the race. And I said to Luka: ‘Look? It was completely unnecessary!” ,

Loda’s false start of 1975

Loda did not improve the sixth and fifth in the first two rounds with Old 312B3, then crashed the new 312T on his free practice debut in Kayalami, which was fifth in the race.

Ferrari caught fire from the Italian press, but Loda suspected that something was wrong with the new car and was tested against the old model in Fiureno. Engineers discovered a loose belt in the fuel-metering unit, which was responsible for the loss of 80hp in Kayalami.

The Technical Genius: Maur Forgiri

Ferrari’s magnificent Chief Engineer Maurore Foregiary played an important role in Loda’s success in 1975, with a seven-speed gearbox, a revolutionary transverse-mounted gyrbox posted next to the rear axle, which improved the balance of the car a lot.

Loda’s technical skills and careful approaches were already famous at that time, and they used the most use of Ferrari’s Fiorano track as often as possible – such as Shumakar a few decades later.

“One of the most important things in Firano was that you can drive every day and improve the car,” he missed. “Other teams had only access to race tracks that they did not even have. But we could have developed continuously, and we got a big advantage. The more difficult we did, the faster we progressed.”

Loda and The Comedator: “Quantty Panti?” “No!”

The veteran team’s boss Enzo Ferrari saw Loda closely. “Whenever I was finished and was about to leave, the old man will ask ‘Quantty Puti?” (How many marks? ‘), And I call’ Nove ‘(‘ Nine ‘).

Why did Ferrari respect him so much? “He liked my direct way,” Loda said. “He was more emotional with other drivers – when he wins, persuaded them, destroyed them when they did not.

“I think very few people really liked it. Giles Villainuve Certainly one of them was, as he had an aggressive style. I was one in a different way, because I wanted to get the technique correctly so that his Ferrari would win at the end. ,

A kiss for a princess

Loda’s success came on the streets of Monaco, which he called the most difficult race of his career. He took the sixth tenth of the shadow’s Tom pris of a stunning pole – which left them shaking, so they pushed them hard.

While many accidents occurred in the wet race, Loda had an oil pressure issue and had to rescue strictly from Emeron Fitpledi, fortunately three laps cut off with competition; He ended Ferrari’s two -decade victory -free line in the princely state.

Race winner Loda kissed Grace Kelly’s hand as he greeted the princess of Monaco on the podium, which was a shocking – from her point of view – controversy.

He said, “I was taught at home that you kiss a woman’s hand-especially her, Grace Kelly, Sovereign here in Monaco. It was clear for me,” he said. “But the whole world was amazed.”

Molestation with death in Nordeschlef

A year later, in the scary circuit claiming his life, Loda set a new track record with the first lap in the 6M58.6S under seven minutes.

“I said that I would never get again in my life. It was an incredible lap, a challenge to the very end – full maximum risk,” Loda recalled, “I knew that if I tried once again, I died. So I didn’t.”

World Championship Glory on Ferrari Turf

Loda gave the first shot in winning the title at Monza – the track where it would make a sensational return after his Nerburgering accident a year.

Ferrari driver needed to finish fifth, when Fitpledi failed to score in the last two rounds.

Starting from the situation of the pole, Loda tucks behind Regazoni’s sister car – which was still mathematically in dispute – and avoided any risk. “I don’t think I allowed him to go to the past, I think he defeated me,” Loda reflected. “But my goal was to win the championship. So I was not giving any risk to win the race win – I just needed to bring home.”

This was an ideal result for Ferrari: Regazoni gave a domestic win for Tiffosi, while the newly constructed Loda included him on the podium in the third. His first word as a world champion? “I think the rear-left shock absorber is broken.” Specific Loda – is described by a newspaper as a “robot with a heart”.

As Loda was in the race, the upcoming chaos overwhelmed it. The mounted carbinier had to be taken to the podium through a frenzied crowd. When Reporter Hanz Pueller asked how he was feeling in Padock, a Pale Loda replied: “On the way. On the way. On the way, one of the horses got out of my thin racing shoes with just two centimeters sealing.” His only view: “To get out of it in a piece.”

And yet he will later call it the “most beautiful day” of his life. No wonder, this victory was reward for years of struggle, when he dismissed his family’s reluctance to push financial difficulty and his family’s racing career.

“You cannot plan when or how you move during that phase,” he said about his difficult early years. “It depends on so many factors. Which means the first world championship you win is the most difficult among all, as the travel starts back in Formula 3. When you win it, you know that in the end you have the result of showing everything from the beginning to now. That is why it is most important.”

From that time, he said, everything becomes easy, no matter what circumstances: “Because you have already proved that you can do it. Then you have confidence – you are a world champion. So the second and third title is easy. First is the first. The first is always the most difficult.”

Why Loda never owned his title winner Ferrari

Loda did not see her enthusiasm after taking the crown in 1975. He tried to convince Anzo Ferrari, who gave him very little recognition for success (“no, she was shy,” Loda gave the nuances fine), to sell his title winning car at a favorable price. But as soon as the test began with the new car for 1976, the old machine was no longer interested in the champion.

Loda lost to the 1976 championship to hunt the 1976 championship in torrential rains in Fuji.

“I did not lose in 1976 due to Japan, but due to the fire accident,” he clarified. “Sometimes I am surprised how people do it sugarcane. It’s nonsense. Without the accident, I miss three races, I have been a world champion.

“But ’75, ’76,’ my run with Ferrari in 77 – when you keep it together, I could have been a champion three times. Not bad.”