Brundle: I don’t agree that racing was better in the ’80s

Martin Brundle, a former Formula 1 driver and now a popular commentator on Sky Sports, took part in the Behind the Wheel podcast, hosted by his son Alex, talking about what cars were like in the 1980s and how they differed from technology of today.

Martin Brundle: “No matter what era you play in Formula 1, this period will probably always make you feel special and we can assume that this is the best time for you.

But the cars in the 1980s were intimidating and very physically difficult to drive because there was no power steering and the gearboxes were mostly manual. The suspension wasn’t perfect, so the cars literally bounced off the track, flew over the curbs, and part of the rider’s job was to just keep the car’s wheels on the track for most of the circle.

If you approached a corner with the right gear and in the right direction, and you were able to maintain a high enough speed at the top, you could already say that you have successfully negotiated this corner.

And if the rider now brakes a meter earlier before the corner, this is already perceived as a kind of failure. Tolerances are now significantly reduced and riders control much more precisely. We simply didn’t have the ability to fly that accurately because the machines were very difficult to control. If you watch videos of Ayrton Senna’s performances on the track in Monaco, you can clearly see how unstable the car is.

Of course we had turbo engines, and on Saturday morning, when we left for final practice, they were tuned to produce 800 horsepower. And after a few hours, when qualifying started, the power increased to 1250 hp! A set of special qualifying rubber was only enough for three quarters of a circle, and you had to leave the boxes very carefully for your attempt, trying not to let the tires overheat, and also trying not to be in the trajectory of another rider, which at that point could be on a fast circle.

It was necessary to gradually increase the speed only in the last corners, and the real acceleration started already at the start-finish line. At the same time, you were simply pressed into the seat – imagine the feeling on the track in Monaco, where you take off towards the Massenet corner and Casino Square, when the turbine is working at full power!

In the first few corners of the circle, the front wheels didn’t hold the track very well, while the rear wheels had already warmed up with so much force. And since it was necessary to drive quite slowly on the exit circle from the pits, the front tire did not yet have time to work normally. But then it “turned on”, while the rear tires had already warmed up well, and in the center of the circle everything went well – the tires stubbornly held the track, the engine provided excellent speed, which was very cool.

However, towards the end of the circle the rear tires already gave out and before the corners it was necessary to downshift carefully and try to avoid serious overheating of the rear tires during acceleration. I remember once in Adelaide, even at a speed of 300 km / h, the rear wheels slipped, because the rubber, with such engine power, no longer provided the necessary grip.

You actually had two cars in one: one for qualifying, the other for the race. Senna drove just great in qualifying at the time, because you had to intuitively feel where exactly in the corner there would be good grip, react quickly and keep the maximum possible speed with that crazy power of 1250-1300 hp.

Another problem was that those vehicles had to be well protected: the car, the tyres, the brakes, the drive shafts, the transmission, the engines, literally everything. To get to the end of the race in those days was almost surprising. Completing half the distance in 10th place and finishing in 10th place was almost guaranteed to earn points, although they were only awarded to the top six. And keeping in the top six for half the distance of the Grand Prix meant there was a good chance you could climb the podium.

The cars were so unreliable that it became one of the main elements influencing the outcome of the race. And if someone says that the racing was better back then, I honestly can’t agree, because the cars were so fragile. A rider on the podium can lose two laps to the winner. From a modern point of view, this is just insane!

You could say racing in the 1980s was dramatic, the cars were very different from today’s technology, but don’t get me wrong, driving back then was a very painful feeling. Cars in the 80s were good in their own way, but I definitely prefer not to them, but to modern cars.