Stefan Bellof

Stefan Bellof was a German racing driver born the November 20th 1957 with Giessen (Germany) and deceased on September 1st 1985 in an accident on the circuit from Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). It was qualified with 20 resumptions in Formule 1 and registered 4 points.

Biography

Wire of a pilot of rally, Bellof launches out in karting to old 16 years in the middle of the Seventies. Having removed grinds victories, it passes to the Formula Ford 1600 in 1980 and becomes champion of Germany as of his first season with 9 successes of 14 races. The following year, it takes part in various automobile competitions, of the Cut R5 Turbo to the formulas Ford 1600 and Super VW but especially concentrates on the German F3. In the wheel of a Ralt-Toyota (TEAM Bertram Shafer Racing) it takes part in the 7 last tests of the championship, signs 5 poles, 4 records of the turn, 3 victories and finishes vice-champion behind Franck Jelinski.

This fantastic year 1981 the fact of noticing of Willy Maurer which engages it in European Formule 2 after convincing tests in Castellet to replace Mike Thackwell. This season, he faces Gabbiani, Johansson, Thackwell, which already touched of F1 but also Boutsen, Cecotto, Acheson, Fabi and Streiff which will become also pilots of F1. Bellof finishes 4th championship and signs 2 victories in this very disputed championship. It is then approached by the team ATS to climb in F1 but prefers to remain in F2 at Maurer. This second countryside will be disappointing, it marks only 9 points in spite of a pole and a third place with Pau and a second place with Jarama. It is comforted however in Endurance where it runs to Porsche and sign three victories (Silverstone, Fuji and Kyalami).

Porsche renews his confidence to him the following season and did not have to regret it: 6 victories, 5 poles, 3 better turns in race. Bellof becomes world champion but also champion of Germany where it runs in the team of Walter Brun, also on Porsche. The young German wonder thus established what remains today the fastest turn of the history of Nordschleife, with a stopwatch of 6 ' 11" 130

Stefan Bellof, which proved that it could dispute various championships simultaneously, reaches Formula 1 in 1984 thanks to Willy Maurer within the stable Tyrrell. Tyrrell has been a prestigious team, but in lose speed for several seasons. In 1984, it is besides the only team of the plate not to be profited from a turbo engine and with having to be satisfied with an engine atmospheric Cosworth. That does not prevent Stefan from being regularly emphasized for its beginnings Formulates 1 of them. Its talent bursts truly at the time of GP of Monaco, disputed under the rain. Making profitable the agility of its engine, it delivers a superb increase of the bottom of grid, 6th to the twentieth turn, 3rd to the thirtieth turn, it turns more quickly than the leaders Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna (the other great revelation of the day, author of the best turn in race) and is close on their heels (21") when the test is stopped with the red flag with the 32e turn by the director of race Jacky Ickx.

The performance of Bellof is not however reproduced on the shelves of Formula 1. A few weeks later, following GP of Strait, the Tyrrell stable is convinced of cheating (the car took the departure of the races in lower part of the legal weight, and managed to cross technical controls according to race thanks to a lead ballast added at the time of a supply in end of the road) and is excluded from the championship. All the results of its pilots are retroactively cancelled.

In 1985, always at Tyrrell, Bellof continues to be emphasized in bottom of grid. It marks its " the first truth point" in Estoril (always under the rain…) and fourth with Detroit is classified. It passes then to be one of the greatest hopes of Formula 1 and contacts prestigious stables (one will speak a time about Scuderia Ferrari).

Bellof will never on the occasion to concretize in F1 the hopes placed in him. September 1st, 1985, it disputes for Walter Brun the test of Sport-Protos of the 1000 kilometers Spa (Bellof-Boutsen crew). It leads the test to the 72e turn but, following a supply a little too long, Porsche official of Mass - Ickx takes the leadership. Bellof absolutely wishes to gain with its car deprived in front of the official machine of Jacky Ickx. With the 75e turn, Bellof, returned in the exhausts of the Belgian, tries to exceed it in the raidillon Red Water, but it hangs it. Its car is then embedded face in the angle of a platform and blazes up at once. The German pilot will not survive his wounds.

Thierry Boutsen, his friend of F2 and fellow-member saw the crash landing on line and will remain marked forever: " The death of Stefan is the worst memory of my career, and by far. This day, I lost a formidable team-member, but I especially lost a friend. It took me years for going back some. And still… "

Career

1973-1980 : Karting
1980: F.Ford 1600 Germany (Champion, 9 victories)
1981: F.Ford, F. Super VW, Cuts R5 Turbo
1981: Championship of Germany de Formule 3 (2nd of the championship, 3 victories)
1982: Championship of Europe of Formula 2 (4th, 2 victories)
1982: Endurance (on Porsche)
1983: Championship of Europe of Formula 2 (9th)
1983: Endurance Championship of the world (3 victories over Rothmans-Porsche)
1983: Formulate 1 at ATS
1984: Formulate 1 at Tyrrell
1984: Endurance World champion (6 victories over Rothmans-Porsche)
1985: Formulate 1 at Tyrrell
1985: Endurance Championship of the world (Brown Porsche)

Results in F1

See too

List of German sportsmen by discipline

Random links: