Ronnie Peterson's greatest drives

Forty years ago this week Formula 1 lost one of its most exciting talents when Ronnie Peterson died following a crash in the Italian Grand Prix.

The Swede won 10 grands prix from his 123 world championship F1 starts, but his status in the pantheon of F1 greats far exceeds these relatively modest statistics.

Peterson is rightly regarded as one of the most exciting and gifted drivers never to have won the world championship and these are 10 of his most accomplished performances.

10. 1973 French GP, Paul Ricard

Lotus 72E
Started: 5th
Result: 1st

In some ways this was one of Peterson's more subdued races, but it is the event that first made him a GP winner.

Rookie Jody Scheckter's McLaren led from the start, while Peterson - after a great start from row two - led the initial chase in a close bunch.

"The McLaren was the fastest of the three types along the straight, which meant that even with a tow neither the Lotus nor the Tyrrell drivers could slipstream up alongside Scheckter," said Pete Lyons in Autosport's report.

Having not breached Scheckter's defences, Peterson decided to drop back and let team-mate Emerson Fittipaldi have a go. That proved crucial.

"In what appears to have been an uncharacteristic error of judgement as they were lapping a backmarker, Emerson tried to force his way through where Scheckter wasn't prepared to give him room," wrote Lyons.

The ensuing clash put both out just after three-quarters' distance and, since Jackie Stewart and Denny Hulme had already suffered punctures, Peterson was left to take his first F1 world championship victory at his 40th attempt.

9. 1974 Monaco GP

Lotus 72E
Started: 3rd
Result: 1st

After trouble with its new type 76, Lotus brought out the ageing 72 for Monaco and Peterson qualified third, behind the Ferraris of Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni. He lost out to third-row starter Jean-Pierre Jarier's Shadow, but soon got the place back.

While harassing Lauda, Peterson made a mistake at Rascasse and came back on as Carlos Reutemann's Brabham arrived. The clash put Reutemann out, but Peterson was able to continue, back in sixth.

Now he charged and, when Regazzoni spun out of the lead, Peterson found himself back in third. Jarier didn't put up much resistance, so after 25 of the 78 laps, the Lotus surged through to second.

"It is rare for a driver to be able to pull back such a handicap," reckoned Alan Henry in his book Ronnie Peterson - SuperSwede. "He hurled the 72 round the streets with a brilliant brand of controlled abandon."

And he was to be rewarded. Just before half-distance Lauda's ignition failed and the leading Ferrari stopped. Peterson moved to the front and took the flag 28.8s clear of Scheckter's Tyrrell.

Henry described this race as "the most memorable of Peterson's career".

8. 1976 Italian GP, Monza

March 761
Started: 8th
Result: 1st

Peterson's 1976 season with March was mostly just one frustration after another. Despite taking pole at Zandvoort and leading in Austria, he arrived at Monza for round 13 with just a single point to his name - and on his way to Tyrrell for '77.

Things didn't look that much better in practice either: Peterson qualified eighth, 1.29s off Jacques Laffite's pole time.

But come the race, Peterson was unstoppable. He jumped to fourth on lap one and quickly overcame Laffite's Ligier and the Tyrrell of Patrick Depailler to run second after four laps. He then chased after early leader Scheckter.

"Peterson made a rush onto Scheckter starting the 11th lap and pulled off a neat outbraking manoeuvre on the inside going into the first chicane," said our report.

Peterson never lost the lead, but he never got away from the chasing pack either. And he reckoned the arrival of light rain in the middle of the race was crucial.

"That win was really lucky because that rain shower just came at the right time to keep the tyres cool enough," he said in Ronnie Peterson - SuperSwede. "It was a cool afternoon and I equalled the pole position time on the very last lap of the race."

It was Peterson's first win for two years and he would have to wait 18 months for his next one.

7. 1974 Canadian GP, Mosport

Lotus 72E
Started: 10th
Result: 3rd

After a troubled qualifying Peterson started 10th and he held that position in the early stages, but then started picking off his rivals.

When the flying Peterson came up to lap the delayed Jochen Mass there was contact that damaged the 72's front wing, which made life harder.

"Every time I tried to apply full power, the front wheels seemed to lift off the deck - very exciting," said Peterson, but he still charged forward.

He was aided by problems for others, including Scheckter's Tyrrell suffering a brake failure, which put the Lotus up to fifth on lap 49 of 80. Peterson's charge brought him to the tail of James Hunt's Hesketh and the duo also closed on Regazzoni's third-placed Ferrari.

"Peterson was fighting the opposition with a tenacity that even he had rarely exhibited before," said Henry in Ronnie Peterson - SuperSwede, which was written in association with Peterson. "With the odds loaded heavily against him, his progress towards the leaders was terrific. It seemed that nobody would stop him on this particular day."

On lap 60 Peterson breached Hunt's defences and then, with less than 13 laps to go, leader Lauda crashed out after sliding on dirt and debris. That put the Lotus into third.

Peterson caught Regazzoni in the closing laps, but was delayed in traffic on the final tour, missing out on second by 1.5s.

6. 1978 Belgian GP, Zolder

Lotus 78
Started: 7th
Result: 2nd

Peterson's team-mate Mario Andretti dominated the event, taking pole by 0.79s and leading every lap, on the first appearance of the revolutionary ground-effect Lotus 79. But Peterson, in the old 78, also starred.

Peterson qualified seventh, 1.72s slower than Andretti. He avoided considerable startline mayhem to run fourth early on, then engaged in a duel with Scheckter's Wolf.

He moved into third on lap 10 of the 70-lapper, to run behind Andretti and the Ferrari of Gilles Villeneuve. When Villeneuve suffered a tyre blowout and had to pit, Peterson moved into second, only to have to stop for a new front tyre with 14 laps to go.

Peterson rejoined fourth and immediately began a charge. "In a matter of five laps, he had caught and passed third man Laffite, and was now seven seconds behind Reutemann," wrote Nigel Roebuck in Autosport's report. "This was lap 63. On lap 67, he came round half a second in front of the Ferrari!

"This was Peterson at his best, and it brought him a new lap record."

The Lotus 78 therefore beat everything but its successor: Andretti finished 9.9s ahead in the first of four Lotus one-twos that season.

5. 1974 Italian GP, Monza

Lotus 72E
Started: 7th
Result: 1st

"Although the John Player Lotus Team had planned to run the new 76 model, Peterson decided he wanted his old faithful 72 at the end of practice - but only with its front suspension changed back to narrow track," reported Autosport.

So, in a Lotus 72-8, the car in which he'd won at Monaco and Dijon already in 1974, Peterson lined up on row four at Monza.

Crucially, Peterson jumped Emerson Fittipaldi's McLaren on the first lap. One by one the three Brabhams that had started ahead hit trouble, leaving Peterson and Fittipaldi chasing the dominant Ferraris of Lauda and Regazzoni after 12 of the 52 laps.

Then Lauda's flat-12 started to smoke. Regazzoni caught him and took the lead on lap 30, but soon the second Ferrari failed as well, leaving a Peterson v Fittipaldi duel for the final 12 laps.

Lyons reckoned that, despite a broken exhaust, the Lotus was "slightly better in top speed than the M23 and was getting around the Lesmos a bit quicker as well", but Fittipaldi was better on the brakes into the chicane.

"Fittipaldi tried everything he knew but Peterson was ready for it all," added Lyons.

For the second consecutive Italian GP, Peterson showed his strength under pressure from Fittipaldi and won by 0.8s.

4. 1971 Canadian GP, Mosport

March 711
Started: 6th
Result: 2nd

This was one of Peterson's great wet-weather drives. A fatality in a Formula Ford support event delayed the Mosport race, which was put back further when it began to rain and the organisers allowed a short acclimatisation session.

Just before the start Peterson was one of a handful of drivers to have his rear roll bar disconnected for better traction, and he stormed from row three to second on the opening lap behind poleman Stewart.

Peterson struggled slightly in the early stages in his Firestone-equipped March, at one stage going off and falling to third, but he soon recovered and started closing on the leading Goodyear-shod Tyrrell, triggering an epic duel.

After the race Peterson said that Stewart had "admitted to me that I had taught him the right line to take" and they kept swapping places.

"Four times around the back Ronnie scrambled by Jackie, once on the outside of Turn 2, three times on either the inside or outside of Turn 3," said Pete Lyons in Autosport's report.

"Three times the world champion got it back before the end of the lap, once because the March got off on to the mud, once because the Scot 'snookered' the Swede on to an inferior piece of track with a slower car they were lapping, and once on slipstreaming at the top of the long straight."

Peterson finally made a move stick, but he could not shake off the Tyrrell. Crucially, Stewart retook the lead on lap 31, just before the duo caught George Eaton's BRM.

The Tyrrell made it by, but the March's nose touched one of the backmarker's rear wheels and Peterson half-spun. He lost 11s and his nose was knocked askew. That caused aerodynamic instability at high-speed and, with the right-front brake also locking, Peterson had to settle for second.

He was nevertheless comfortably the top Firestone runner and finished nearly a minute clear of third-placed Mark Donohue in a race stopped 16 laps early due to fading visibility.

3. 1973 Spanish GP, Montjuic Park

Lotus 72E
Started: 1st
Result: Retired

Stewart and Tyrrell were the best combination of 1973, but the fastest was Peterson and Lotus, as shown by his nine poles from the 15 rounds. Reliability was a problem, though, and nowhere was this better demonstrated than in April's Spanish GP.

Peterson was still looking for his first win and took pole on the punishing street circuit by 0.7 seconds from Hulme's McLaren M23 in his JPS-liveried 72. He held the lead at the start and then drove a controlled race redolent of the 'managed GPs' of the modern day.

"Colin Chapman had instructed Ronnie to reach and hold a 4s advantage; he was fitted with a hard compound on the right-front only and tyre life was to be achieved by subdued driving and reliance on the JPS's demonstrated superiority," wrote Pete Lyons in Autosport's report.

Even running a conservative pace, Peterson edged away, and troubles befell many of the cars behind.

"Ronnie showed complete mastery of the race," added Lyons. "Whatever the eventual outcome he had proven himself the moral winner."

But that is all he would be. Peterson started losing gears and retired shortly after two-thirds distance. It was thus team-mate Fittipaldi who scored Lotus's 50th victory, putting it ahead of Ferrari to top the all-time constructors' wins list.

2. 1971 Monaco GP

March 711
Started: 8th
Result: 2nd

Just a year on from a fine world championship F1 debut in which he netted seventh, Peterson arrived at Monaco still waiting for his first points finish.

His works March 711 had revised rear suspension and Peterson impressed during wet practice. Minor issues limited him to row four, but he jumped to fifth on the opening lap. Peterson then started a battle with Pedro Rodriguez's BRM ahead and the McLaren of Denny Hulme just behind.

In Ronnie Peterson - SuperSwede, Ronnie said: "It was a huge dice. I managed to slip past Denny, but Pedro's blocking was just incredible.

"Eventually I had to force him to brake so late into the Gasworks hairpin that his BRM came out with square wheels. He had to limp into the pits to change them; all four!"

That meant Peterson was up to fourth and in clean air after 13 of the 80 laps. He pulled away from Hulme and began his charge after Ickx, who was 11.2s down the road and catching Jo Siffert's BRM. Over the next 16 laps Peterson took an average of 0.675s out of the Ferrari and was part of the three-way fight by the end of lap 29.

Amazingly, two laps later, he was second - "Peterson passing them both under braking and making it look all too easy," said Autosport's Patrick McNally, who also described the 27-year old as the "man of the race".

Although Peterson briefly matched dominant leader Jackie Stewart's pace, the Tyrrell was uncatchable and eventually won by 25.6s. But Peterson was a clear second, scoring his first F1 podium.

"His speed and thrusting tactics were reminiscent of the late world champion Jochen Rindt," reckoned McNally.

1. 1978 Austrian GP, Osterreichring

Lotus 79
Started: 1st
Result: 1st

This is one of those races Peterson fans remember. A great driver in an iconic car at a fantastic circuit in difficult conditions.

Peterson outqualified Andretti's sister Lotus 79 by 0.05s in a disjointed practice session, with no one else within half a second, and made a much better start than his team-mate on a damp track. But Andretti made light contact with Reutemann's Ferrari and spun into retirement, while Peterson stretched away.

"As the rest of the field seemed to pussyfoot around on the greasy track, the extra downforce of the Lotus 79 was really working overtime and Peterson was able to add huge chunks to his lead every time around," wrote Jeff Hutchinson in our report.

Then the drizzle became a downpour and more and more cars skated off. Even Peterson had an off as the red flags flew.

After an hour the race restarted, with the result of the first seven laps to be added to that of the remaining 47.

Now on wet tyres, Peterson was beaten away by the impressive Depailler's Tyrrell, but retook the lead with a bold move around the outside of the Bosch Kurve.

Thereafter Peterson remained in charge, only losing the lead briefly during the tyre stops as the track dried. He took the flag to win by 47s on aggregate from Depailler, while Villeneuve's Ferrari was the only other car not to be lapped.

"Peterson drove a beautiful race in the difficult, constantly changing conditions, while most of his opposition ended up off the road," said Autosport.

It was Peterson's 10th and last GP victory, and the only time he won from pole and set fastest lap.

OUTSIDE F1

Like most of his contemporaries, Peterson raced in plenty of other series outside F1, both on his way to the top and once at the pinnacle.

Predictably, he scored plenty of success. He starred in junior single-seaters and won the Formula 2 title, scored three world sportscar championship victories, and was spectacular in bewinged BMW tin-top outings.

Here are three of Peterson's best non-F1 drives.

1969 Monaco Formula 3

Still regarded by those who witnessed it as one of the greatest of motorsport duels, the F3 race supporting the 1969 Monaco GP boiled down to a fight between Peterson and fellow Swede Reine Wisell.

The entry was split into two heats in which the two rising stars were separated. Despite low oil pressure in qualifying, Peterson's Tecno-Novamotor 69 still started his heat from pole. Once ahead of the fast-starting Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Peterson won comfortably, while Wisell's Chevron-Felday MAE B15 took a harder-fought victory in his heat.

Wisell grabbed the lead at the start of the 23-lap final, before Peterson moved to the front.

"The pair often approached corners side by side, getting through with centimetres to spare," said Justin Haler in Autosport's report. "During their battle the pair shattered the lap record consistently and put up times that put a couple of the F1 cars to shame."

Wisell started to edge away during the final third of the race until, with less than three laps to go, he ran up the escape road at the chicane, leaving Peterson to win by 8.5s, a margin that did no justice to the ferocity of the fight.

1971 BRSCC Rothmans Trophy

"A typical F2 thriller," reckoned Autosport, but really this was describing the fight for second as Peterson confirmed he had taken over the late Jochen Rindt's mantle as the king of Formula 2.

"He was consistently over a second quicker than anyone else in practice and his pole time was 1m25.6s, 0.2s under the outright circuit record," wrote Ian Phillips in our report. And this was not a weak field - joining Peterson on the three-car front row were fellow F1 drivers Graham Hill and Emerson Fittipaldi.

Peterson's works March 712M made a poor start - "and was swallowed up by the pack" - but he was back up to third at the end of lap three. He then overtook Hill and Fittipaldi to lead on lap four.

"From then on the flying Swede put on a masterly display of driving that drew him well ahead of the field," said Phillips. Peterson eventually won the 40-lap race by 14.8s.

1971 Martini International Trophy

Peterson wasn't even supposed to be at Silverstone for the UK round of the European 2-litre Sports Car Championship, but got a late call from Jo Bonnier - after practice. "I was in bed when Jo phoned me," said Peterson.

The Scuderia Filipinetti Lola T212 therefore had to start the first heat of two from the back with a 10-second penalty. Despite an early spin at Becketts, Peterson charged to fourth.

Peterson's life was made difficult in heat two when the car was reluctant to fire up and he was late to the grid. He had to start from the back, but was fourth at the end of the opening tour and ahead after just four laps.

Heat one winner Toine Hezemans in a DART-run Chevron B19 fought him initially, before concentrating on securing overall victory. Peterson won the heat by 8.4s, enough to give him second on aggregate.