Of far larger significance to Marc Surer than the outcomes he achieved in his on-and-off partnership with Manfred Winkelhock between 1977 and 1985 is his friendship with the thrilling German driver. The late elder brother of the no much less flamboyant ‘Smokin’ Jo’ Winkelhock shared BMW, Ford and Porsche equipment with Surer in endurance racing, most notably beating the manufacturing unit groups with their privateer Kremer-run Porsche 956 on the shortened Monza World Endurance Championship spherical in 1985.
They had been additionally team-mates in European Formulation Two, and rivals in Formulation 1, however that reality made no distinction to their congenial relationship. The selection of Winkelhock, who died in 1985, as Surer’s favorite team-mate was due to this fact by no means doubtful for the Swiss.
Surer remembers “we grew to become associates in a short time” after assembly after they joined the BMW Junior Crew in ’77 along with Eddie Cheever. Collectively, Surer and Winkelhock gained the two.0-litre class within the Nurburgring 1000km that shaped a part of the World Championship for Makes. Rising star Surer was then primarily based close to Stuttgart, close to the place Winkelhock grew up in Waiblingen, so that they socialised ceaselessly. That continued when racing in opposition to one another in F1 from 1982 onwards.
“We went out within the evenings collectively, so we hung out privately and in addition on the monitor typically we had dinner once we didn’t have an engagement with sponsors,” says Surer, who recognises that Winkelhock “was extra of a household man” following the beginning of son Markus in 1980. “However anyway,” he provides, “we had loads in widespread. We had a variety of enjoyable.”
Each drivers had been thrust into F2 for 1978 with the works March-BMW group. However in contrast to F3 graduate Surer, Winkelhock was new to single-seaters and didn’t get a second full season for 1979, when Surer gained the title earlier than making his F1 debut at Ensign.
“He had no expertise in formulation vehicles and was at all times over-driving the automobile,” says Surer. However in touring vehicles they complemented one another properly. Winkelhock was “much less delicate for the set-up of the automobile, he might drive with the automobile which was not good” in a manner Surer says he struggled to do.
Surer (left) was by no means team-mates with Winkelhock in F1, however the two had been nice associates from racing collectively in F2, touring vehicles and Group C
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“Even when I stated ‘come on, we now have an excessive amount of oversteer, I can not drive the automobile like this’, he’d exit and do the nice time anyway,” Surer notes admiringly. “He was simply over-driving [around] issues which I typically couldn’t. He simply compelled the automobile by the corners.
“We might reside at all times with the identical set-up, we by no means had an issue to say ‘I can not drive the way in which he needs it set-up’. We had been very comparable.”
Surer’s F1 profession had struggled for momentum after breaking each ankles training for the 1980 South African Grand Prix with ATS. He’d twice scored factors upon returning to Ensign for 1981, switched mid-year to Theodore, then landed at Arrows for 1982 when Winkelhock joined the grid at ATS. The identical yr, they collaborated on the Ford C100 programme within the WEC.
“Manfred had the thought and stated, ‘if we drive side-by-side, no one can overtake us’ and so we did!”
Marc Surer
The Zakspeed-run Fords had been ceaselessly unreliable, retiring inside 4 laps of one another as a result of overheating points at Le Mans, however for the Manufacturers Hatch season finale they locked out the entrance row courtesy of well-timed laps in changeable circumstances. Surer nabbed pole on intermediate tyres within the automobile he shared with Klaus Ludwig, whereas Winkelhock was second on Goodyear’s qualifying slicks with Klaus Niedzwiedz. However their half in a race that’s remembered for Jacky Ickx’s storming drive to assert the title turned out to be little greater than a footnote after “we touched barely” and Winkelhock was fired into the obstacles.
“All the time the motive force who did the perfect time in follow was allowed to do the beginning,” remembers Surer. “Peter Ashcroft got here from Ford and he stated, ‘BBC is broadcasting the race reside on TV, are you able to try to come again as 1 and a couple of within the first lap? Are you able to agree collectively assist the opposite?’ And we stated, ‘Okay, with Manfred I do know it was no drawback in any respect’.
“It began to rain earlier than the race, and I stated, ‘what are we going to do? Within the rain it’s unpredictable’. After which Manfred had the thought and stated, ‘if we drive side-by-side, no one can overtake us’ and so we did!
“There was at all times one on the surface of the nook who had the higher line, as a result of on the within was extra slippery and tighter, so the one on the surface needed to raise a little bit bit to remain side-by-side and we each did. It labored so properly, we had been nonetheless main, so we did one other lap and one other lap and the rain bought stronger and stronger…”
Surer and Winkelhock drove side-by-side of their Ford C100s for the early laps of the 1982 Manufacturers Hatch 1000km earlier than making contact
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
However the Fords didn’t have all of it their very own manner, as Hans Caught within the Sauber-BMW loomed massive within the mirrors. Autosport’s Quentin Spurring wrote: “Caught’s progress continued, and by the fifth lap, he was up with the Fords, which got here out of Surtees facet by facet once more and set off that manner in the direction of Pilgrims Drop. Within the kink only a brief manner down the straight, Surer bought his C100 out of practice, his automobile kissed Winkelhock’s, and Manfred instantly discovered himself on the grass and heading for the barrier.”
With out his dance associate, Surer couldn’t maintain off Caught, who took the lead beginning lap six. Amid worsening rain and with the guardrail broken, the race was stopped after 9 laps. Winkelhock transferred to the Surer/Ludwig automobile for the restart on a drying monitor, however it was by no means the identical aggressive proposition as Surer spun at Paddock Bend, then misplaced three minutes within the pits to a misfire on the way in which to ending fifth.
“We touched due to aquaplaning,” says Surer. “It was actually tough to place the facility down in these circumstances and so it occurred. However there was no blaming one another.”
They needed to wait till 1985 earlier than racing collectively once more as team-mates, however Surer reveals their collaboration had continued informally in F1, particularly throughout qualifying for the 1984 South African Grand Prix. ATS had BMW turbo energy from 1983, however Arrows remained a part of the dwindling group of groups utilizing the long-in-the-tooth Cosworth DFV properly into the subsequent season together with Tyrrell.
At Kyalami’s high-altitude, the normally-aspirated vehicles had been “so misplaced with out the turbo”, prompting Surer to hunt an out-of-the-box answer. He approached Winkelhock for a tow in qualifying, and the ATS man agreed.
“He stated, ‘you exit one lap after I do my quick lap, and when I’ve completed my quick lap, I do one additional lap and provide you with a tow,’” chuckles Surer. “And I used to be the quickest of those 4 drivers with [Tyrrell drivers Stefan] Bellof and [Martin] Brundle as a result of I bought this tow from Manfred!”
Out of an F1 drive for 1985, Surer joined Winkelhock in a Kremer Racing 956 for that yr’s WEC. Second within the Mugello opener, they famously gained at Monza when a tree felled by galeforce winds blocked the monitor earlier than the Lesmo brought about the race to be halted 34 laps from the top. The primary Group C win for Kremer was considerably lucky, as its automobile had been operating out of sync as a result of an early second cease triggered by contact with Mauro Baldi’s Lancia.
Winkelhock agreed to present Surer a tow in qualifying for the 1984 South African Grand Prix, serving to him to high the DFV brigade
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“It was a gift,” admits Surer, who had been due his ultimate cease shortly earlier than the stoppage. However he’s adamant “we’d have had an opportunity additionally on the finish” had the race run to its conclusion. In gentle of what occurred a couple of months later, it stands as a bittersweet reminiscence.
Fourth at Silverstone, each Winkelhock and Surer missed Le Mans as a result of clashing F1 commitments in Montreal. Winkelhock had joined RAM, whereas Surer landed a drive at Brabham rather than the disappointing Francois Hesnault. Reunited at Hockenheim, their 956 suffered a gas leak that resulted in one other dramatic pit fireplace, mere hours after the works Porsche group’s personal incident. However what adopted at Mosport was far more severe.
“We might reside at all times with the identical set-up, we by no means had an issue to say ‘I can not drive the way in which he needs it set-up’. We had been very comparable”
Marc Surer
Winkelhock was gravely injured when a puncture brought about his automobile to go away the highway and crash closely on the quick downhill Flip 2 left-hander. Surer accompanied his co-driver to hospital in Toronto, however nothing may very well be carried out. Winkelhock died of head accidents the next day. It was left to Surer to inform his spouse and supervisor of the unhappy information.
“Even now once I give it some thought, it’s horrible,” he says. However Surer has joyful reminiscences of Winkelhock, describing their friendship as “distinctive”.
“Perhaps there have been another drivers having that,” he provides, “however it was very uncommon. Even combating one another, it was at all times with no drawback as a result of you’ll be able to belief the opposite one.”
Victory collectively of their Kremer Porsche at Monza in 1985 is a bittersweet reminiscence for Surer
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
