NELSON PIQUET

PIQUET NA BMW EM 1982

1981 - O assunto mais comentado em Silverstone: a BMW estaria construindo um chassi para participar do Mundial de Pilotos de Formula 1 do próximo ano, e Nelson Piquet seria o piloto.

A verdade é que o aparato levado ao circuito inglês pelos alemães, que eram chefiados pelo conhecido engenheiro de motores da fábrica de Munique, Paul Rouche, era impressionante. Uma caixa eletrônica interpretava todas as reações do motor turbo quando o Brabham de Piquet rodava na pista.

As informações eram transmitidas dos computadores por uma antena instalada no capô do motor do Brabham. Isso significa que o empenho dos alemães é muito grande e que tudo deve ser analisado para o futuro desse motor na Fórmula 1. Tentando repetir a mesma confiabilidade comprovada na Fórmula 2, o motor BMW turbo só deverá aparecer oficialmente na última prova da fase européia, o Grande Premio da Itália, como disse Dieter Stappert, um dos diretores da BMW.

Outros dois detalhes que levam a crer que Piquet pode ser contratado pela BMW: Ralph Bellamy, conhecido do público brasileiro por ter projetado o Copersucar F6, foi visto constantemente com Paul Roche, utilizando um blusão da fábrica alemã. Nelson Piquet foi surpreendido em seu boxe conversando com Domingos Piedade, jornalista português muito ligado aos alemães, quando afirmou que ainda não havia renovado seu contrato com a Brabham mas que não estava preocupado, pois tinha um contrato para 82 com a BMW para pilotar carros BMW M1 no Mundial de Marcas.

Na realidade, caso a BMW resolva ter sua própria equipe na Fórmula 1, o mais indicado é contratar o piloto que está desenvolvendo os motores, Nelson Piquet.

LIFESTYLE ... MUST HAVES

1939 - When german BMW rider Georg Meier took the checkered flag in the Senior Tourist Trophy race at the 1939 Isle of Man, it marked the first time a non-Briton had won since the beginning of the TT in 1907.

In 1939 BMW arrived at the island early and well prepared. Meier, quoted in a story on the BMW Group Press Club USA site, said, “With BMW’s small racing department we arrived in Douglas in good time, since the official practice sessions started 14 days before the race. Early in the morning, at the break of dawn, we were already out there on the roughly 60 kilometre-long island track where people claimed that ‘only an English rider was able to win the race.’ And believe me, the circuit with all its substantial challenges really demanded the utmost of the rider.”

Proof of that demand was, for the second year in a row, another accident involving BMW rider Karl Gall, who came off at Ballaugh Bridge during a practice lap. His injuries were serious, and he died 11 days later.

Although it considered withdrawing, BMW decided to stay in the race, and on June 16, Meier started the Senior TT with 42 other competitors. “I was really under great mental stress at the start, with each rider setting out in 30-second intervals,” Meier said. However, Meier dominated the event, setting a new lap record his first time around and becoming faster on each subsequent lap.

“And then, after 2 hours and 57 minutes, I at last saw the man with the black-and-white-checkered flag waving me in as the winner. What I really wanted to do most at that point was literally kiss and hug my wonderful machine with its white and blue colors on the tank which, apart from all those flies on the wind deflector, still looked brand new, without the slightest trace of oil or any signs of the incredible race we had just been through.”

Schuco BMW R50 TT 1/10 scale Art no 06610

BMW R47

1927 - The R47 was introduced in 1927, and it succeeded the R37 as the performance model in the BMW lineup. At a price of DM 1,850. The R47 shared the same chassis as the R42, but its engine produced 18 horsepower and could propel the R47 to a top speed of 68 miles per hour.

BRABHAM

Pre-Season test at Paul Ricard