1982 is one of those years that, in the world of Formula 1, is remembered as one of the darkest. Too many tragedies, condensed into too short a period of time to be metabolized, or to become aware of them. There are pains that, despite the passage of time, do not fade, do not stop being felt. Above all, their presence is not lacking, they are punctual year after year, to remember the reason for so much suffering.
And this is another story of that 1982 that hurts. It tells of an unfortunate boy, at his second Grand Prix in Formula 1, on 13 June 1982. His name was Riccardo Paletti. A few months earlier, in Misano, he had tested a Formula 1 car for the first time, the Osella FA1B n°32 formerly owned by Beppe Gabbiani, used by the Turin team in the 1981 championship that had just ended.
Riccardo is a young boy from Milan. He has a handsome lean face, accompanied by a pair of large eyeglasses. He is an only child, and his parents dedicate all the love and attention possible to him. His career as a driver began late, when he was 19, because as a child he didn’t have a passion for engines, he dedicated himself to other sports such as karate, a discipline in which he became junior champion at 13, or to mountain sports, like alpine skiing. Despite a late start to the world of racing, it took Riccardo just four years to transition from Formula Super Ford to Formula 1.
Behind his student appearance, he hid a great passion for speed and a strong sense of competitiveness. He said he wanted to race in Formula 1 because he liked money and women, but in reality his desire was to become a test driver even before a driver. Through his father he benefits from substantial financial support which helps him enter that money-hungry world. At the time, it was fashionable to accessorise your car with hi-fi sound systems, and manufacturers sponsored teams and drivers.
Riccardo Paletti, Osella FA1C Ford
Picture of: Motorsport Images
Riccardo’s sponsor, after supporting him in Formula 2, informs him that he is uninterested in supporting that category again because there were too many sponsors in the same sector. And so, he receives an ultimatum: “If you want to race in Formula 1, fine, otherwise we’ll look for someone else.” “I was practically forced to race in Formula 1 next year,” he repeats, as if to justify himself. He signs a contract with Osella for one season, plus an option for the following one. “I’m in a team with a driver of the class and caliber of Jarier, I will follow him just like Cévert did with Stewart, to learn”.
Riccardo’s test with Formula 1 takes place over three consecutive days. He tries, tries again and often stops to listen to technical advice and rest. He is not very impressed by the 500 hp that push the Osella, but by the progression of the engine in taking revs and, above all, by the rigidity of the car, a wing-car that made driving incredibly complicated.
“Formula 1 cars are dangerous, very dangerous, too dangerous. It takes nothing to get very, very hurt. They are too rigid and with mockery regulations that make it hard to understand why they were made.” As he speaks, Riccardo’s face darkens. “He jumps all over the place, it’s a great physical effort.” Unfortunately, Riccardo will never finish a Grand Prix. The debut with the new single-seater in South Africa failed to qualify for the race. Same fate also in Brazil and Long Beach.
Riccardo Paletti, Osella FA1C Ford, at the San Marino Grand Prix
Picture of: Motorsport Images
Imola arrives. Here he manages to qualify, but on the seventh lap he is forced to stop due to a broken suspension. And then, comes Montreal. But Riccardo is demoralized. In those years, it was customary for journalists to stay in the same hotel as pilots. In the climate of a much more familiar and intimate Formula 1, deep, fraternal friendships were created.
In Canada, that year, the Italian press stayed at the Novotel. He is also part of that small group Giorgio Piolacorrespondent for the Gazzetta dello Sport and Autosprint. On the Friday morning of testing, before going to the circuit, Giorgio goes to the restaurant room to have breakfast. He sees Ercole Colombo, the famous Formula 1 photographer, sitting next to Riccardo, in the midst of a conversation. Giorgio decides to join them and unexpectedly becomes a listener to a speech that, over the years, he would never, ever forget.
“Ercole, if I don’t manage to qualify this time too, I’ll stop trying – Riccardo confides – Formula 1 isn’t like the smaller categories where I was at ease. Obviously I can’t manage the power of these single-seaters well. So, if I don’t manage to qualify here in Canada too, I’ll stop, even though I know full well that this could cause great disappointment to my father, who has always pushed me and supported me.”
These words of Riccardo, with hindsight, give shivers and still arouse a strong emotion in those who listened to them. A poignant memory, if we think about what would have happened a few days later. In Montreal, Riccardo manages to qualify. On Sunday 13 June he starts from the penultimate row of the starting grid, holds down the gas and shifts into gear.
The speed rises: at full acceleration he doesn’t see, he doesn’t realize that Pironi’s Ferrari, lined up in pole position, remained stopped on the grid with its engine silent. The others discard it, someone touches it, Riccardo doesn’t succeed. It travels about 150 metres: its view is covered by the other cars and it hits the rear of the red single-seater at 180 km/h. Pironi, unharmed, is the first to rush towards him. The rescue service, not very prepared in truth, tries to extract him from the sheet metal of his Osella, deformed by the impact. In an instant, the poor boy is engulfed in flames, caused by fuel leaking from his car’s tanks.
Riccardo Paletti’s single-seater, Osella FA1C-Ford, after the accident
Picture of: Motorsport Images
These are moments that last an eternity. His mother, Mrs. Gina, is in the pits. She, who out of fear followed her son’s every run from a distance, locked in the motorhome, to avoid witnessing any unexpected events. She, in desperation, wants to reach her son at all costs at the scene of the accident. A heartbreaking scene, but Riccardo is no longer there.
A tragic end for a melancholic-looking boy who was sometimes unfairly forgotten. But it will never be for those who still feel that pain from that dark day. Which promptly re-emerges stronger also in who and how Giorgio Piolaat every Formula 1 Montreal, he passes in front of the church that bid farewell to Riccardo with a lump in his throat.
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