FW09 wrote:
Sometimes...I actually find myself wishing for ground effects cars...I loved those stubby, wingless-nosed, small rear winged rockets with full length sidepods, shuddering around the track like they were on rails...I know they were far less safe than today's cars, but I still love that era. And I can't help but think that it would have been extremely difficult for a 20-year old to step into one of those cars and immediately become a winner...I think those cars took a combination of skill, experience, bravery, and brute force. Love seeing the work that drivers put in when watching on-board cameras from that era...round wheel, fighting opposite lock, and hand off the wheel to shift...sometimes I wonder how they did it. Great era..IMO.
if i remember correctly, lauda said that those cars were not compareable to anything else... he made his comeback after 2 years of absence and basically couldn't drive it anymore... he said something like "you wouldn't know when you reached the limits of the car - there was no feedback because it behaved all the same at any time - until you lost it"
i don't think they were nice to drive...