http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2006/09...iously-injured/

Sorry if this has already been posted, but does anyone know anything more?

Thoughts and prayers going out directly.

Cris

Some comfort:



But he's 89? It seems like only yesterday he won Le Mans... hang on, that's 46 years ago.

Oh dear, those injuries sound severe for a younger man to endure, let alone an 89 year old.
Here's praying for a complete recovery ...a fine racer and fine journalist/historian. We don't need any more bad news this month
Hang in there, Paul .... please

oh blimey, not another one. Here's hoping Paul makes a full recovery.

Food for thought...... what could he have accomplished if he had devoted all his energy to being a successful race driver, and competed in Grand Prix full time.

He was 30 years old in 1947 so his potential GP career was already compromised by anno domini even before the advent of the World Championship.

Of course Fangio was even older but he is the exception. PF was first and foremost a sports car driver and unlike many of his contemporaries was more aware of the possible consequences of being a racing driver in period. When he crashed a Monza Ferrari in Sweden in 1955 he seriously contemplated giving up but in the event returned.

I can recommend the later Batsford paperback update of his original book STARTING GRID TO CHEQUERED FLAG if you can find a copy. It is one of the best books of its kind from this era and explains precisely his mind set and reasoning.

Paul, do you know the year of the update?
I see a Batsford paperback edition from 1962 with 296pp & 33 b/w photos.
(Translated into English by Louis Klemantaski)

That's the one Mark

I bought that book when I was 12 years old. It and its Batsford stablemate The Racing Car were the two books that really got me hooked on motor racing.

Good luck, Paul.

great book indeed . Olivier Gendebien wrote a very good book of memory too in the seventies "quatre fois vainqueur au mans" i dont know if it was ever translated in english. a good auto - biography of Jacky Ickx would be a good idea and a very interesting read .

Gendebien's book was published by Flammarion in 1972:

yep and in the same vein theres the " mes rallyes" by Lucien Bianchi . flammarion 1969 . its not only about rally . he talk of his road racing career too. and the tour de france auto too with Gendebien

Ha! Ditto, 12 years old too. But I happened upon The Racing Driver too, at the same sime.

Set back my Airfix kit buying program for weeks did that little find!

And yes, bon chance, Paul.

Batsford also published DSJ's 'Racing Driver' in paperback and I would recommend his 'A Story of Formula 1' published by Greville in 1960 if you can find a copy.

Reverting to Frere his book tells a story that nowadays would not be possible. His life was as with his contemporaries, an adventure and of course he could tell the truth, something that today's participants could not even consider.

Meanwhile any more news on PF's condition?

Former Le Mans winner, F1 racer and automotive journalist Paul Frere is in hospital following a serious road accident while road testing a Honda Civic Type-R on country roads in Germany. The 89-year-old veteran suffered a broken pelvis, several broken ribs and punctures to both lungs in a collision with another vehicle but he is recovering well and is expected to return home in a couple of weeks.

From grandprix.com

Thank you for that Twin Window.

He's a lucky man to have those injuries and be thinking about going home at his age...

Or any age, really.

Thanks Twinny. My dad - as tough as they come - checked out at 90.5 two years ago and I know how frail they are at that age.

All the very best for your recovery, Paul. I promise to re-read Starting Grid to Chequered Flag when I've ploughed through the latest edition of Practical Classics!

BTW, I was touched to see him in on my new DVD of Grand Prix a couple of evenings ago.

Paul is actually my kids great grandfather.
he seems to be well in hospital,
we are visiting him this weekend so hopefully will know more then!

Thankyou for the update.
I wish him well.
Just about to dig out my copy of "From starting grid to chequered flag", so will be having a good read and thinking of Paul.


regards
Paul.

Sean - please pass on very best wishes from Pauls friends, associates and many long-term admirers here in England.

Most sincerely - Doug

if anyone else has any words of encouragement for paul i will print them out and pass them onto him on sunday!...the problem with paul is...nobody seems to have mentioned to him he is 89 years old!

Best wishes to Paul from Dublin - always been a fan of his writing. Sean are you Irish?

Please pass on best wishes to Paul from me, the young Dutch journalist he had a very long and interesting interview with over a splendid lunch in Brussels last year .

This year, we met again at Le Mans in June and then twice in one week in July, first at the launch of Ferrari's new classic department in Maranello and then three days later at the Spa 24 Hours.

Dear Paul, get well soon, hope to see you back on track before long!

Paul

We trust that your recovery will be as SPEEDY as your performances on the racing circuits of the world.

From all your friends here in Afrique du Sud.

reply to Danny....am I Irish?........no I'm from Reading!!

As good a driver as he is an author and he's a very good author - and one of the nicest celebrities I've met.

I remember at one of the early Goodwood Festivals when he was kindly signing one of his books for me ( "nothing's too much trouble for a customer" ), the next guy in line thrust a programme in front of him and asked, as only the English can, " DO - YOU - SPEAK - ENGLISH ? ".

To which Mr Frère replied, with a wry smile on his face, "Just a little".

Best Wishes

Hello Paul
German Hospital eh!
What's the food like?
There is a good lunch and a nice bottle of rosé waiting for you at the ACM so get home soon.

Warmest regards and best wishes
Andrew and Paul Van Hoffelen.


Hope you get to read this board, if not perhaps Sean can pass this on to you.

And I'm very pleased to report that seanoshea has recently found a 1962 copy of Paul Frere's Batsford book on Ebay!

I hope he doesn't mind me mentioning that; I was very pleased to have been the vendor and it will (as they say) be in the post tomorrow.

Best wishes from a fan of Oulton Park (where the first meeting I can remember being at is the '61 Gold Cup where we were part of the track 'invasion' at Knicker Brook).

Paul.

That sums me up perfectly - a long-term admirer. Please pass on my sincere best wishes.

Moi aussi.

Like Tim I too bought the paperback From Starting Grid to Chequered Flag, and it was a few weeks pocket money ! That and The Racing Driver captured my imagination and also set me on a long and winding road. Who knows, without that inspiring book where would life have lead.

Get well Paul, a real gentleman with time to talk when we met at the first Goodwood Revival, and thanks for the book !

David

The first motor racing book I ever spent money on was From Starting Grid to Chequered Flag. I got it second hand while I was still in high school in 1978. Since then I have aways looked at Paul's writings as top shelf. His books sit alongside the Jenks books.

Get well soon Paul, from an Australian fan.

the irony of the situation is not lost on me.....but due to my car breaking down on saturday we awere unable to see Paul on Sunday!!!!....however he appears to be well, and i will pass on all your kind words next sunday when we see him

Hope your car isn't a Honda Civic. Now that would be ironic. Best wishes to Paul though, when you eventually get to see him.

Best wishes to Paul Frère...testing cars at 89.....


By the way, today is the death anniversary of Olivier Gendebien, or 'Jellybean' as his british mecanics dubbed him.

am pleased to report he is in good spirits.....and is even walking with the aid of a frame which is not bad considering the injuries...he plans to be back home next week...thankyou for all your comments they were greatly appreciated by Paul, and the family
Sean

Thank you for the update seanoshea and hurrah for that!

That's excellent news - thank you Sean.

If you would be so kind, Sean, please keep us appraised of his progress--the papers have been very thin with news in the last month or two.

Cheers,
Dave

I see Paul as one of the few that have "Walked the walk and talked the talk" with his natural writing style and the ability to make technical matters very easy to understand.

I remember borrowing a book from the library with, I think, a picture of a Porsche 917 on the front (there's a surprise) explaining all things technical regarding race cars and their design.

I learnt how to speak with confidence about "Polar Moment of Inertia" directly from this book.

All that writing ability...and he could drive the wheels off a thoroughbred Sports Car.

Make a full recovery Paul because I, for one, would love to meet you in person sometime in the future

Today is Paul Frère's 90th birthday.

Does anyone know whether he's alright by now?

Yes, Paul is reasonably well he turned up at a new car launch in Monaco last week on crutches but still smiling.,

Glad to hear that. (or should it be 'glad to read ~?)

That's great news - thank you Graham.

He's doing well to handle crutches on his 90th...

Glad to hear it.

For those who were concerned about Paul he was in great form yesterday at the BRDC lunch in Monaco. I photographed him here with former GP drivers Mike Sparken and Teddy Pilette.

Thanks for that Graham. I'm sure we all wish him many more enjoyable BRDC lunches!

Slightly OT, But good to see you've got the hang of posting pics Graham.

A world of opportunity awaits us all!

Regards,

Alastair

je me joins à toi.