In the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix which so tragically claimed his life, Lorenzo Bandini is wearing a red and white helmet. Does anyone know when and why he changed the silver helmet that he used before? Thanks.

Can't say why but the white and red one replaced the silver one at the very start of 1967 IIRC.

I'm pretty sure he was wearing it at the Race of Champions.

And at Daytona 24 Hours too.

I wonder if it was anything to do with the filming of 'Grand Prix' the previous season. Mike Parkes wore a white and red helmet but did not drive in the 1966 US GP at Watkins Glen. Although no footage of this race was actually included in the film did Bandini, as the only Ferrari driver, change his helmet for continuity reasons? My only reference book for '66 is Louis T. Stanley 's Grand Prix and in all the photos Bandini is wearing his usual silver helmet. There are no pictures of him at Watkins Glen.

Yes, he wore it at Watkins Glen, but whether it had anything to do with the film, I don't know.

Film continuity seems unlikely - Parkes' helmet was black below white, with the red/white band, so Bandini's new colours didn't match.

Bandini did wear the new colours at the RoC, so it seems to have been his new choice for 1967.

Paul M

Sarti's helmet changed from Surtees' design to Parkes', so no continuity concerns there...

A good friend of mine travelled with Lorenzo from Italy to Monaco for that weekend.

He has a pretty good memory so I'll ask and see if he knows.

Wow! I was looking forward to meeting him the following week. He was scheduled to drive my dad's friends car at Indianapolis. In fact I knew more about him than Wally Weir and was telling him he had a really good driver. Weir only knew him from a magazine. He had a new car on order and knew the GP drivers were better at the rear engine cars than the Americans. So he looked in a magazine, found the first top runner name he could find who didn't already have an Indy deal, knowing nothing else about him, got his number somehow, called him up offering the ride and Bandini accepted. Bandini was scheduled to travel to Indy right after Monaco.

Another great story from Buford

Thanks - looking in search its the 6th time I have told it on this forum, but I think it's a good story and shows how things used to happen. A dirt track USAC type calls an Italian he never heard of because he seemed to be the best of the Formula One drivers, who he knew nothing about, who didn't already have an Indy entry. What I don't recall and wish I did was how Weir got Bandini's phone number or any of the financial arrangements. But Weir wasn't rich, he owned a gas station, so I imagine it was a prize money only deal.

Didn't Bandini travel from Italy to Monaco with Chris Amon?

Edward

I recall reading somewhere Bandini's new helmet color specifically referenced the flag of Monaco, as it was his favorite race...Not sure if that's true though...

I 've just this second put the phone down from Chris who was most intrigued with Buford's story. He had already told me that he and Lorenzo were due to fly over to Indy together but Chris couldn't recall who Bandini was due to drive for.

As for the helmet, Chris did recall bringing a helmet back at some point and wonders if he'd brought it with him from Indy where he'd been just prior to Monaco.

As far as the colour is concerned, he can't help.

Wow the real Chris Amon? Next time you talk tell him my first F1 race I saw was the 1967 GP of Canada in a heavy rain. Chris was driving his ass off in the Ferrari. The car was all over the track. His car control was superb and he was on the ragged edge every corner. Later i read Enzo Ferrari had been highly critical saying something like "My Gladiators are afraid to come out in the rain." Tell him I think Enzo was wrong.

http://books.google.com/books?id=CeCxyf0Bp...=mnAqfj8WxdkDXs

Page 182
"And had he not perished in a fiery accident at Monaco, Italian star Lorenzo Bandini would have driven a Gerhardt-Ford for Wally Weir."

I will certainly tell him Buford - he calls a day or 3 after each GP for a debrief.

In fact with respect to China he said "I'm very pleased I wasn't driving in that...reminded me of the Ring in 68 where I don't think I saw anything for 2 hours..."

Cool please do. Don't know if he will remember 1967 Mosport or what Enzo said but I recall being furious when I read the comment. I could tell the car was terrible and Chris was getting everything out of it that could be gotten. To have the old man, who wasn't even there denigrate the effort - well I guess that's how he was. He wouldn't give Pete Aron a ride either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5MiiyQ-YAQ&feature=related

Is there a photo of this car at Indianapolis and who did drive the car in the race instead of Lorenzo Bandini?

Car #32 driven in the race by Al Miller. Bumped his way into field near end of qualifying. Started last. Finished 28th. Ran 74 laps. Out with oil cooler problem.

It's amazing how high that driver is sitting in the car, perhaps he was a tall guy or were the cockpits all like that in 67 cos I remember AJs car and I thought he sat a lot lower in that one.

I remember Al Miller well. I am guessing he was maybe 5' 10. Not real tall.

I've been debating whether or not I should post this photograph, but having seen the link to the Bandini footage, I don't think this is as bad. An amazing picture (which sadly I have no idea who took it, or copyright as it was a print I found in the bottom of a box of photo's I brought many years ago). It clearly shows Bandini's helmet, just at the moment of impact. Such a shame the outcome was what it was............

Isn't that a Schlegelmilch photo? He took one that is very similar.

Edward

Really don't know, there was nothing on the back of the print, but I wouldn't be surprised, shame about the content, but you cannot fault that it's a well taken picture.

Ridiculously crappy construction. The car exploded immediately upon hitting hay bales. But you don't know something until you know it and in 1967 they knew more about going fast than they did about not making fireballs. Had it not turned over he probably could have gotten out before suffering a fatal burns.

That is, you knew Al Krulack well. I have a great photo of him and Jimmy Clark grinning at the camera, Jimmy inhis car and Al leaning in to get Secrets. Everyone posed for the news cameras in those days, when asked.

I liked Wally's car and its checkerboard livery. I remember him as a short fellow with short arms but bless him, he had big aspirations and Wally's Mobile Station made a presence at the 'yard. Was guys like him and Al made the race more interesting.

I remember him - didn't know him. He was a pretty good driver. Yeah I knew Miller was his racing name not his real one. I have a picture of me sitting in Wally's roadster. Well i used to have one.. now it's in the museum at Watkins Glen with the rest of the photos. I made history in an Indy car lol!

Colour photo credited Grand Prix Library on P175 of the excellent Paul Parker book "Sports Car Racing in Camera 1960-69"
Shows Bandini with Franco Lini at Daytona 1967 and describes "with his shiny new helmet"

Not sure. He suffered severe injuries on the impact. Possibly he lost consciousness.
It was reported that the rescuers thought he'd been thrown out. They noticed he was still in the car, when they saw an arm trapped between the road and the cockpit of the overturned car.

Didn't a news helicopter hovering overhead substantially fan the flames, obscure rescurers' vision and add to the general confusion?

The rescue attempt was a complete fiasco. Yes, the rescue team (made up of a couple of well intentioned and ill-equipped marshals and volunteer nurses in short skirts) thought that he had been thrown out of the car. And, yes the TV helicopter did fan the flames - twice.

Edward

As mentioned above - Daytona '67 - I had completely forgotten about this pic...



Photo strictly Copyright: The GP Library

DCN

thanks for posting it

Here with Franco Lini.

Franco was very close with Bandini who - indeed, seemed to be liked and well regarded by virtually everybody...even John Surtees! Franco was absolutely devastated by his young friend's death, as his daughter Beatrice told us when we acquired his photo archive for GPL. In fact - one way and another - Franco had a torrid time in his year as Ferrari Direttore Sportivo; the Daytona 24Hrs 1-2-3 over Ford - Bandini's death - the Le Mans dramas - Michael Parkes's Spa crash - etc etc.

DCN

Has any Italian racing driver looked more like an Italian racing driver, and sounded like one - than Lorenzo Bandini?

Maybe Luigi Musso?

I don't know about the 'looking' bit but Lorenzo was one of the many that had the 'INI' factor. Jenks' phrase?

What about Eugenio Castellotti?

If we are looking for typical Italian racing driver names Castellotti and Bandini certainly fit the bill, but so do Villoresi, Serafini and Taruffi; amongst others.

In fact, more or less ALL Italians who have ever driven Grand Prix cars sound as though they ought to have driven Grand Prix cars, especially in the 1950s.

His elevator shoes probably did something to diminish Castellotti's perceived 'cool'...

DCN

Two photographs of Lorenzo Bandini at the Nürburgring (copyright E. PETER)

Please, gents, tell me what does it mean "typical Italian racing driver".


Who is "tipical Italian racing driver", and who is not?
Bandini was tipical, and Jarno is not? And Liuzzi? Varzi? Nanni Galli?
Vaccarella must be tipical, indeed. De Angelis not.

And who is a "tipical French racing driver"?
And a "tipical Rhodesian racing driver"?
And a "tipical Swedish... Sri Lankan... Korean... Northern Irish... Texan... Bostonian... Sicilian..."

Don't understand.

Seem to me a past-century argument. Thanks God, the World is changing.


-----
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Bob Dylan (1963)

I don't think this was meant in a negative way. Perhaps to an Englishman an Italian name can sound, fast, cool even exotic

Yes. After all, driving a half-a-gallon Smith is not as alluring as a three-litre Ferrari. And who would prefer "The Tart" by Joe Green to "La Traviata" by Giuseppe Verdi?

Mind you, on that basis Wolverhampton might sound dangerously exotic to a Balinese. :\

Nino Barlini???

Rob

Similarly Luigi Fagioli = Luigi Beans, and Nino Farina = Nino Flour...

Rob

Ivan Capelli = Ivan Hair
Ignazio Giunti = Ignazio Joints

My take

No country ooozes motor racing more than Italy. The romantic notion of a racing driver is a dark and handsome playboy.

Being Latin is a major headstart to achieve that goal.

Trulli doesn't comapre with Musso and Bandini but Michele was up there, Bruno too.

A typical racing driver from most other countries?

Who cares? There's no romance in motor racing in Korea et al...