For the rubric of History of Formula 1, let's talk today about a great runner. A pilot that, however, it has not never won any GP of F1: Chris Ammon.
The origins
Christopher Arthur”Chris” Amon, new Zealander including Bruce mclaren which we told you about last week, was born in Bulls on July 20 1943. The father is a wealthy owner of a farm. Chris begins in motorsport alone su Austin A40 Special. The Next Year (1961) his father buys him a Cooper-Climax T41, but at the end of the year they will replace it with nothing less than one Maserati 250 F. At this point, the New Zealand Association “A Driver for Europe” notices him and in 1963 Chris is already a Formula 1 driver.
Chris Amon in F1 (history of several GPs)
Il 1963 it turns out to be a nice test bed: at the end of the F1 championship, Amon immense has any rainbow point. Ma on 52 riders who like him attempted the Formula 1 feat that year, he turns out 18°, the first of the drivers without points. The best placement, twice, is the seventh place, a position which in 1963 was the first to be held out of the points. We will have to wait for the 2003 before it begins to be rainbow. Car of almost all season is a not brilliant Lola, And a no better Lotus-BRM 24 but only for the Mexican GP. In the 1964 things are better thanks to a more competitive one Lotus-BRM 25 and so they arrive first two points valid for the world championship in the Netherlands (5° place).
The test pilot phase
Despite having shone on the toughest circuits in 1964, the 1965 brings no obvious evolutions, so in 1966 Chris doesn't have a seat. He is then hired by a McLaren becomes a manufacturer, but what has few means to tune up your cars. So it comes to him Amon to the rescue, became its test pilot, Which can get a Cooper powered by Maserati. Unfortunately, however, every time Chris is in a good position, this fails due to mechanical failures. However, Amon's talent is legendary to the point of telling two anecdotes. They have in common the fact that in both cases the mechanics made him do two tests with the same set of tyres, telling him, however, that the ones they had refitted were new... Except that both times unmasked from the champion!
1966: the turning point year
In 1966 the unexpected call arrives: it comes from Maranello. It is theFerrari engineer in person who he wants it to support another failed champion, Lorenzo Bandini, following Surtees' departure after an argument with Dragoni. In particular, Amon is called upon to run both in the F1 World Championship with Ferrari 312, both in World Marche Championship on Sport Prototipo 330 P4. This also happens following the extraordinary victory of the 24 hours of Le Mans from Chris amon and bruce McLaren on the mythical Ford GT40.
Once he became Bandini's teammate, in 1967 the two Ferrari drivers win the 24 Hours of Daytona, 1000 km of Monza , 6 Hours of Brands Hatch. But unfortunately the 7 May 1967 Bandini has a tragic accident. What, three days later, will prove fatal. Therefore, at just 23 years old, Chris Amon finds itself being the first drive of Ferrari and to compete in the prestigious championship of Sports Prototypes of the World Marche Championship. Ferrari managed to make a fundamental contribution to the victory of the World Championship... Something that will never happen in Formula 1.
1969: farewell to Ferrari
Despite the excellent results on covered wheels, Chris Amon never manages to win any Formula 1 Grand Prix, almost always for failures. In three-year period 1967-1969 he only manages to take it home some podium, then in the 1970, disappointed, after having abandoned Ferrari, tries the feat again with the March. But he can't win this time either. In his place at Ferrari there is now Jacky Ickx, which gets three wins, But the world va to the memory of his companion of stable Jochen Rindt. The Austrian dies in an accident in Monza and is declared champion immediately afterwards…
Some years after, Amon will confess his regret for left Ferrari too early.Ironically, in 1971 on Matra will win a non-world GP, that ofArgentina, two years after winning the Tasman Cup su dinosaur 246! The Tasman Cup was an oceanic competition single-seater with F1 chassis, equipped with an engine of up to 2,5 liters of displacement. It took place in the New Zealand and Australian summers, during F1's "winter rest".
Chris Amon's subsequent years in F1: the last GPs
Il 1972 follows 1971 in photocopy: same car, same trend as the F1 World Championship and Chris is once again focused on the World Championship for Makes. In the 1973 la Matra abandons F1 and so amon moves on to the newly formed team Tecno. Previously this team had built excellent Formulas 3 and 2, but the transition to Formula 1 proved to be a failure. Tyrell, however, once he left the Tecno project, become a builder autonomous e hires Stewart, Cévert and Amon. Chris races in Canada, then in the USA, a Watkins glen, the twenty-nine year old dies Cévert and so the Tyrrell withdraws due to bereavement.
In 1974, the New Zealander tries to evolve into a driver-builder, but the Amon AF101 turns out to be a guy disaster that Chris is the first to harshly criticize her. She then tries a no better BRM, and, the following year, she passes in Ensign, with which manages to qualify back to a GP only in 1976. We are in Austria, day of Niki Lauda's terrible accident. At the second restart, for safety reasons, Chris Amon refuses to continue this GP of F1. Result? L'Ensign fires him. And this time too Jacky Ickx will take his place. Chris Amon concludes so the season and his Formula 1 career that same year, on a non-competitive one Williams.
A very… safe driver
We also mention an experience similar to that in F1: similar results were found in Chris Amon's performances not only in GPs, but also on Can-Am. A constant in all competitions of Chris Amon is that this great driver he never took excessive risks. Furthermore, it was one of the first to equip himself with seat belts. It was believed lucky to have never had any serious accidents, having only took a big risk once and having seen many friends die. He, however, was able to retire from racing dedicating himself to his father's company, in his land, where he passed away in 2016, for a tumor.
Source: www.automobilismo.it
