The Formula 1 turbo and driver legends at the 2015 Austrian Grand Prix

Name: McLaren TAG-Porsche MP4-2 1984
Brand: McLaren TAG-Porsche

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Created on June 26, 2015

Text:

Daniel Reinhard

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Minardi M186-01 (1986) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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McLaren TAG-Porsche MP4-2B (1985) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Formula 1 legends in a group photo - Danner, Patrese, Berger, Lauda, Alesi, Piquet, Martini, Prost - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Group photo of the F1 legends - Danner, Patrese, Berger, Lauda, Alesi, Piquet, Martini, Prost - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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The Formula 1 legends Danner, Patrese, Berger, Lauda, Alesi, Piquet, Martini and Prost are having a good time together today - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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McLaren TAG-Porsche MP4-2 (1984) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Renault RE50-03 (1984) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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The parade of turbo F1 legends - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Oops, where's the start? - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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The legends were eagerly asked for autographs - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Didi Mateschitz in a good mood - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Didi Mateschitz with Alain Prost (from behind) and Jean Alesi - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Didi Mateschitz together with Alain Prost and Jean Alesi - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Ready for the big parade of turbo legends - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Brabham-BMW BT52 (1983) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Brabham BT52 (1983) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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The cheerful BMW squad with Flückiger, Ast, Oefner, Piquet, Voll, Rosche, Kupferschmid and Knerr - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Gerhard Berger in conversation with Nelson Piquet - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Good-humored Nelson Piquet - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Nelson Piquet with his wife and son Pedro - at the F1 Legends Parade at the 2015 Austrian GP

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Nelson Piquet with son Pedro - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Now the gloves - Nelson Piquet before the start of the parade - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Ready to go - Nelson Piquet - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Nelson Piquet takes the wheel of the Brabham-BMW - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Niki Lauda lays a friendly hand on Nelson Piquet - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Gerhard Berger would have loved to get into the Brabham-BMW - at the F1 Legends Parade at the 2015 Austrian GP

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Happy to be together again - Voll, Rosche and Wimmer - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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BMW colleagues Rosche and Voll - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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BMW engine developer Paul Rosche - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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BMW men Flückiger and Kupferschmid - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Gerhard Berger with his mechanic - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Gerhard Berger puts on his helmet - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Gerhard Berger squeezes into the cramped Ferrari cockpit - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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He still fits into the cramped Ferrari cockpit, Gerhard Berger - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Ferrari F188C (1988) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Gerhard Berger didn't get far in the 1988 Ferrari F188C - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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But that can't shake the good-humored Gerhard Berger - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Lauda makes the McLaren TAG-Porsche MP4-2 (1984) glow - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Niki Lauda with his mechanics - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Alain Prost helps Niki Lauda get dressed and says - I was the faster one after all - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Alain Prost jokes with Niki Lauda - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Niki Lauda sits in the McLaren cockpit - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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I'm about to cut your finger off, Niki Lauda, says Alain Prost - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Niki Lauda is interviewed, Alain Prost comments - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Niki Lauda concentrates before the start of the parade, later he will complain about insufficient boost pressure - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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What makes him so much faster than me, asks Niki Lauda - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Fitting - Niki Lauda in the McLaren cockpit - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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He is instantly recognizable - Niki Lauda - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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New helmet in the old design for Niki Lauda - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Now the gloves, then Niki Lauda is ready - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Almost like back then - McLaren and Brabham-BMW on the road at the Österreichring - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Alain Prost - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Pierluigi Martini with Giancarlo Minardi - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Nelson Piquet and Riccardo Patrese like to joke - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Riccardo Patrese's autographs are still in demand - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Riccardo Patrese greets his fans - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Riccardo Patrese takes a seat in the cramped Renault - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Now just put the steering wheel in and Riccardo Patrese will be ready - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Christian Danner in the Zakspeed, which unfortunately didn't want to do what it should - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Christian Danner with girlfriend - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Zakspeed 871-03 (1987) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Zakspeed 871-03 (1987) - when the (few) buttons were still next to the steering wheel - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Jean Alesi in the Sauber cockpit - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

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Formel-1-Legenden im Gruppenbild - Danner, Patrese, Berger, Lauda, Alesi, Piquet, Martini, Prost - an der F1-Legenden-Parade anlässlich des GP Österreich 2015

Gruppenbild der F1-Legenden - Danner, Patrese, Berger, Lauda, Alesi, Piquet, Martini, Prost - an der F1-Legenden-Parade anlässlich des GP Österreich 2015

Heute haben sie's gut zusammen, die Formel-1-Legenden Danner, Patrese, Berger, Lauda, Alesi, Piquet, Martini, Prost - an der F1-Legenden-Parade anlässlich des GP Österreich 2015

McLaren TAG-Porsche MP4-2B (1985) - an der F1-Legenden-Parade anlässlich des GP Österreich 2015

McLaren TAG-Porsche MP4-2 (1984) - an der F1-Legenden-Parade anlässlich des GP Österreich 2015

Renault RE50-03 (1984) - an der F1-Legenden-Parade anlässlich des GP Österreich 2015

The discussions about the current Formula 1 have become very one-sided. Unfortunately, people only talk and write about its lost appeal. A sport that required additional grandstands in Michael Schumacher's day and elicited at least one story from the media in every issue celebrating Formula 1 or its heroes.

Those days are over. While hundreds of thousands of spectators came to the first new edition of the GP in Austria a year ago, this year it was only half that number. A yawningly boring race ran over almost endless laps and in no way offered the substance for the price paid. At the highest level, people are discussing scenarios on how to get things back under control and make them much more attractive. Louder engines, new and probably even more complicated regulations and the reintroduction of refueling are being discussed.

McLaren TAG-Porsche MP4-2B (1985) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

The appeal of the old heroes

There was, however, an offside paddock which was actually even quieter than the current F1, but despite this attracted all spectators like a magnet. It consisted of just eight cars, plus their heroes, of course. Yes, they were somehow still real heroes, in contrast to the PR products of today.

Why were they given hero status? Quite simply, thanks to the action on and, above all, off the track.

Today's drivers are lost on race weekends. You only see them in their cars, hidden behind the visor. Later, the first three on the podium in overalls washed in Perwoll (noticed after the two-hour heat battle in Singapore in 2014) and finally at the press conference, where they only say what the team chews up for them every day. Regardless of whether Hamilton has a woolly on Rosberg, or the whole team, he puts on a good face and explains to the journalists that he was struggling with "graining" and was therefore unable to attack his team-mate.

Formula 1 becomes attractive again precisely at the moment when the drivers are once again allowed to say what they really want to say. The marketing people will certainly not like this at all, but it will bring F1 back to its roots and provide a lot more talking points. This could perhaps win back many of the fans who are currently dropping out.

The parade of turbo F1 legends - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

The monoposti of the turbo era ...

As already mentioned, the more attractive paddock was home to eight cars, first-generation turbos from the 1980s. Euphonious names such as Brabham-BMW, McLaren-Porsche and Renault were ready to be driven. The driver heroes were also there: Piquet, Lauda, Prost, Berger, Patrese, Danner, Martini and Alesi. The latter was the youngest and without turbo experience in the Sauber C14.

Jean Alesi in the Sauber cockpit - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

As soon as the old heroes were united in one place, the action started. There were jokes everywhere and everyone tried to play a trick on each other.

... and the heroes of yesteryear behind the wheel

Prost helped Lauda into his overall and once again tried to make the Austrian believe that he was clearly the faster man back then. Patrese remembers his crash due to a technical defect in the Texaco chicane at the time. He slid backwards over the wet grass towards a photographer. She was able to avoid the Italian, but forgot her photo bag in the hectic rush, which was then promptly run over by the Brabham's right rear wheel.

Formula 1 legends in a group photo - Danner, Patrese, Berger, Lauda, Alesi, Piquet, Martini, Prost - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

Opponents became friends over the years. Lauda coolly gave Prost the finger, whereupon the latter threatened to cut his finger off his hand for show. Berger kept getting Piquet's gloves thrown in his face during the ORF interview. Patrese tried to steal Piquet's car.

Niki Lauda is interviewed, Alain Prost comments - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

Lauda couldn't follow Prost, came back and complained that the boost pressure was set far too low at 1.8 bar. "We used to run 3 bar, I want that again now," he shouted. Danner barely managed one lap before the vulnerable Zakspeed was out of action.

Zakspeed 871-03 (1987) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

Gerhard Berger retired shortly afterwards with a major engine failure and the accompanying turbo-typical cloud of smoke.

Lauda really set the Porsche engine on fire and Martini torched the Motori-Moderni completely.

Minardi M186-01 (1986) - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

The Renault only ran to a limited extent and Alesi in the Sauber probably wanted to continue driving until he had integrated himself into the field of the current cars at 2pm. Where he certainly wouldn't have cut a bad figure ...

The cheerful BMW squad with Flückiger, Ast, Oefner, Piquet, Voll, Rosche, Kupferschmid and Knerr - at the F1 Legends Parade on the occasion of the 2015 Austrian GP

So there was a lot going on again in Spielberg. Piquet laughed with Roche about the eleven engine failures in just one day and talked about his best pit stop. The Brabham-BMW came into the pits for refueling and a tire change while leading. The car was checked in by the mechanics and allowed to continue. At that moment, Nelson got out of the car and said casually: "You really didn't need to rush like that, because the gearbox is a mess."

Short, but worth seeing spectacle

The parade only lasted a few laps, most of them didn't even make it, but one thing was immediately clear: the show of the support act was funnier and more entertaining than that of the main group. Only the spectacular accident involving Raikkonen and Alonso added a little salt to the oh-so-bland soup.