06. Jean-Pierre GAGICK - The MyLittleRedCar column in AUTOHEROES #019

THE TIGHTROPE WALKER OF MONACO

In 1983, my father, a car salesman in Cannes, took me to the Monaco Grand Prix. A big fan of motorsport, he introduced me to the Paul Ricard and Dijon-Prenois circuits and to nights spent in the Turini.

So there I was, at the ripe old age of eleven, in the paddocks of the Monaco GP, my dad always finding a way to get passes...

My father explains the stakes to me, the domination of turbo engines seems inevitable - I don't yet understand all the subtleties of the mechanics... - but one driver is fighting against this tidal wave with his naturally aspirated Williams: Keke Rosberg.

The reigning world champion, the Finn, renowned for his aggressive driving style, is stubborn but a shrewd strategist. He opts to start on slick tires on this twisty track, ill-suited to powerful turbo engines. After a true demonstration of driving skill, he triumphs ahead of Piquet and Prost, a final stand for naturally aspirated engines that have already lost the war to turbos...

I particularly remember Keke Rosberg's Williams FW 08 C and Nelson Piquet's very elegant navy blue and white Brabham with its pointed nose.

For me as a kid, the Monaco Grand Prix was mostly synonymous with heat and humidity (because of the downpours), but what I remember most is the smell of gasoline and oil and the phenomenal noise of the cars. There was something terrifying about hearing them scream in the distance towards Mirabeau and then waiting for them to arrive after the tunnel. Keke Rosberg reminded me of a knight fighting his last battle against the "bad guys" and their turbos, even though I still didn't really understand the difference between the two engines.

I don't really remember when and how my father gave me this car, but I know that it accompanied me during many afternoons of games, reliving that GP which was as exciting with its commotion and noise as it was hypnotizing for a kid my age.

I found it in a box, by chance, while emptying my father's cellar after his death last December, as if he had given it to me a second time...

It has found its place in my living room again and will never leave me again.

JP Gagick for MyLittleRedCar

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