1983 F1 Long Beach Grand Prix
March 23-27, 1983
Images by Walt Ottenad
Images by Walt Ottenad
I attended this race starting on Wednesday, when I walked right into the F1 garage (without credentials - see if that would happen today!) and was able to watch all the cars being upacked after their transit from Rio. 1981 World Champion Alan Jones came out of retirement for this race and I witnessed his first sitting in the Arrows. Jones had previously broken his leg in a fall from a horse a few months prior and a pin still remained in his leg that rubbed the monococque, so a mechanic used a sledgehammer to pound in the tub(!) to gain the clearance needed - amazing. The race was historic for the fact that John Watson came from the farthest back of any race-winner in the history of Formula 1 (22nd on the grid), and I came away with memories that are still vivid 30+ years later...
I also attended a test that included the Arrows and Renault teams at Willow Springs, where I was one of maybe a dozen photographers on hand. Check out that gallery for some interesting shots of what was considered "state of the art" in 1983.
Images by Walt Ottenad
I also attended a test that included the Arrows and Renault teams at Willow Springs, where I was one of maybe a dozen photographers on hand. Check out that gallery for some interesting shots of what was considered "state of the art" in 1983.
Images by Walt Ottenad
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