A Return to March and Victory in 1976 Italian GP
Ronnie Peterson began the 1976 season with Lotus but quickly switched to March. Lotus had a new car, the type 77, with innovative suspension. The set-up of the 77 was extremely adjustable but difficult to master. The highlight of Peterson’s year came at Monza, a circuit he loved, where he won the Italian Grand Prix in a March. Nevertheless, at season’s end, he was only 11th in the World Championship.
Peterson Moves to Tyrrell
Throughout 1976 Tyrrell had campaigned their outlandish P34 six-wheeler, and the car had been competitive in the hands of Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler. Peterson signed with Tyrrell for 1977, when they would again be racing the P34. Unfortunately, the unique small front tyres used on the P34 had not been developed, while the conventional tyres used by all the other teams had. In a frustrating season Peterson failed to score any victories.
F1 with Lotus and Andretti
After his brief hiatus from Lotus, Peterson was back in one of the British team’s black and gold JPS sponsored machines for 1978. The type 79 featured radical technology, with road-hugging skirts attached to the bottom of its side-pods. These channelled the air under the car and produced a phenomenon known as “ground-effect”, effectively sucking the car to the track. Throughout the season the cars were near unbeatable, but Peterson was in no position to challenge for the title. He had signed on as clear number two to American driver Mario Andretti.
Peterson Killed at Monza
Andretti could clinch the title at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, but the race would be remembered for a startline tragedy which claimed Peterson’s life. As the cars accelerated away from the line the Monza track narrowed, causing cars to squeeze in from the side. A multiple pile-up was triggered and Peterson (driving an old type 78 after he’d crashed his race-car in practice) was propelled into the barriers. Fire broke out and Peterson, stuck in his car with broken legs, was rescued by fellow driver James Hunt .
Peterson’s injuries meant he would be out of racing for a while but did not appear life threatening. During the night after the crash complications set in and by the morning the great driver was dead. Andretti did win the title, even after being penalised for a jump start, but there was no joy for the veteran American. In his 1994 autobiography, “Andretti”, published by Collins, he recalled the Monza weekend;
“So I lose one of my best buddies, they take the race away from me, and I win the World Championship. There wasn’t much justice in that… I won the World Championship, but it came at a price, a helluva price.”
For 1979 Peterson had signed a contract to drive for the McLaren team, and it may well have been his final Formula 1 season. He had ambitions to run his own Formula 3 team. In the years that followed Peterson’s widow Barbro struggled to deal with his loss. For a while she dated another Formula 1 driver, John Watson, but in 1987 she committed suicide.
Peterson’s father, who had helped so much in the early days, died in 1999. His mother, May-Britt, passed away a year later. Peterson’s brother Tommy still lives in Orebro and works as an optician. Peterson’s daughter Nina married and has two children. In Orebro there is a statue commemorating the town’s most famous son and there are plans to open a Ronnie Peterson museum
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