In Memoriam: "Fon" de Portago

Thanks for the post.

If anyone like to read a fantastic written portrait of de Portago, try to find the article that Ken Purdy wrote. It's wonderful.

--Matt

 

I found it here:
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=9016&page_number=1

 

Looks like a great read. Thanks!

 

You know who stepped in and "comforted" his grieving actress mistress after the accident.... right? Set her up in an apartment and apparently gave her very "special" attention.....




Terry

 

Wasn´t this also the occassion where Enzo briefly expressed his sympathy and informed about the condition of the car immediatly there after?

 

I don't... Who?

 

I'm guessing mr Ferrari himself.

 

****tinfoil hat joke******"'m guessing mr Ferrari himself."

And their child was later named Luca de montazomolo.....

 

It was Enzo Ferrari and yes, he did inquire as to the condition of the car basically in the same sentence expressing regret as to Portagos death.

Enzo was a classic Italian horn-dog. Its said the only thing he chased more than winning races was skirts. His bastard son Piero Ferrari only took his name after Enzo's wife Laura died. Enzo maintained his primary mistress Ms. Lardi, Piero's mother, for something like 40 years.

Ahhhhh the life of an Italian businessman.....



Terry

 

I thought that it was Castellotti's fatality where he asked about the car... Maybe it was both.

Something along the lines of "Castelloti il morto? Que dispache. E la macchina?"

It was my sig line for a while.

 

And you guys are aware (I assume) that the accident was caused by some spectators removing a warning sign for the dangerous corner ... to make their viewing more interesting (I guess).

Idiots ... I wonder if they were ever charged?
Pete

 

I didn´t know that. Since Enzo and the tyremanufacturer (Englebert I believe) wère charged, I thought it was mechanical failure.

 

Hmmm ... I might have the wrong accident then.

I remember reading somewhere that one of the horific accidents was caused (debateably) by spectators removing a warning sign for a tricky corner ... I'll have to do some research

Pete

 

What I found especially interesting in the article was de Portago's contempt for autombiles of all kinds...the cars he drove fetch millions now and they were merely disposable means to an end for him.

Also interesting was the story about Enzo and de Portago's mistress.

A very colorful account--thanx for posting!

 

Pete,

I got this from grandprix.com

 

Another note of color: after Kristianstad GP in Sweden Portago followed along to Karslkoga Kanonloppet (he raced Picard's 0568M there), where a Spanish flag was quickly looked and put up. Portago rose an eye brow when he saw the flag and only then it turned out it was a Spanish communist flag...

 

The incidents famously resulting from spectators removing road signs were from the Carrera Panamericana for the most part. Apparently it was considered good sport. I have read accounts from Phil Hill talking about how the experienced drivers would recognize danger when they saw a crowd gathered ahead while in the middle of nowhere and where normally there would be no crowd. It often indicated that someone had removed a warning sign and lots of people had gathered to watch the resulting carnage. Apparently in some instances 5-6 cars would be piled up at the same location!

Portago's accident was caused by tire failure, but the tire failed because it was rubbing on slightly damaged bodywork and that compromised the tire. At his last stop, Portago was informed that the tire may be damaged and of the danger but he chose to not have the tire changed because of the time he would lose. Of course the tire blew...... The accident can only be attributed to his well known disregard for danger.

A great racing driver knows when to push and when to be careful. Fangio would never have chosen to push on with a questionable tire. Neither would Moss. Portago never became a great racing driver because his poor judgement resulted in death before he was able to build the experience required to gain good judgement.

As Ted Turner once said, the key to success is in making good decisions. The way you make good decisions is through experience. Experience is gained by making bad decisions!

That was the rub in racing back then. Today, many top drivers have lots of bad accidents during their career. They walk away, gain experience through the process and progress to being great drivers. Both Senna and Schumacher are good examples of this. Think about some of the accidents both suffered during their careers. Consider their somewhat reckless driving styles early in their careers. I remember watching Senna when he first came to F1 with Lotus. He was a wild man. Everyone said at first that he would die young. Think about Schumachers accident in '99 at Silverstone. That accident in 1958 would have been fatal. So would some of his earlier accidents. Stuff like deliberatly taking out your opponent at the first corner in order to clinch a championship (both Senna and Schumacher were guilty of this...) could have brought death to one or both competitors back in the day.

Back in the 1950s and 1960s drivers didnt have the luxury of the experience gained through bad decisions and mistakes that they have now. You were either extremely good, or you were dead. Often you were dead even if you were extremely good! Jim Clark and Jochen Rindt come to mind. Colin Chapman built fast cars, but also cars lightweight to the point of breaking. Mechanical failure on the car probably killed both of those drivers.

Anyhow, if Portago had come on the scene in todays world he very well may have been a world champion. But in the 1950s, he ended up exactly as most of the top drivers predicted he would end up: Dead.



Terry

 

Was this in the Purdy article? I didn't see it.

Dale

 

Post #3 on this thread--in that article.

 

It was???

 

Rindt had a front driveshaft (for the internal brakes) break I believe ... but he chose not to wear the crutch belts and thus submarined in the cockpit when he hit whatever it was.

Safety was getting better but the attitude took a look longer to change.
Pete

 

I couldn't find it either. Glad I wasn't the only one...

 

Great points. This is why comparing drivers from the past to the current ones is just mental masturbation. What was, was. What is, is.

Dale