![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.doubledeclutch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/villeneuve79_1.jpg\" "\\"Giro")
<\/a>“He was the craziest devil I ever came across in Formula 1” Niki Lauda on Gilles Villeneuve<\/p><\/div>\n
It is hard to imagine that Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton will be racing on Italy’s roads in late October but some 30 years ago that is what happened. Gilles Villeneuve, Ferrari’s Grand Prix star and runner up to Jody Scheckter in the 1979 F1 World Championship took part in the Giro d’Italia that autumn.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Gilles…………..<\/p><\/div>\n
The Giro d’Italia was a madhouse event, part rally, part race held on the roads and tracks of Italy from 1973 to 1980.<\/p>\n
<\/a>I’ll have mustard with that………<\/p><\/div>\n
Italy will be celebrating 150 years of unification \u00a0in 2011, so some bright spark had the idea of reviving the Giro to add to the nation’s gaiety. How inspired. I am planning \u00a0to cover the event when it happens in late October.<\/p>\n
So when the organisers of the 2011 event put out a series of photos from the 1979 and 1980 events it seemed a good excuse to run some Group 5 goodness.<\/p>\n
Villeneuve’s co-drivers on the 1979 event were \u00a0Walter R\u00f6hrl and Christian Geistd\u00f6fer, here enjoying 70’s style hospitality.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Stratos<\/p><\/div>\n
The star trio finished top of the pile in their Lancia \u00a0but were later disqualified, the reason I am informed, is driving on a motorway!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Group 5 Madness<\/p><\/div>\n
Also disqualified was the other factory Lancia, which finished second on the road.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Lancia Battle<\/p><\/div>\n
Here is the Lancia on one of the circuits.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Patrese and Son<\/p><\/div>\n
The second car was driven by Riccardo Patrese.<\/p>\n
Patrese was driving for Arrows in F1 that year.<\/p>\n Now Maximum Attack<\/p><\/div>\n His co-drivers were Markku\u00a0Al\u00e9n and Ilkka Kivim\u00e4ki, the reigning World Rally Drivers Champion.<\/p>\n The Serious Bit<\/p><\/div>\n The Lancias were the class of the field.<\/p>\n Momo<\/p><\/div>\n After the exclusion of the Italian pair, victory fell to that great expat Italian in US Sportscar racing, Giampiero Moretti.<\/p>\n 935 K3<\/p><\/div>\n Moretti was accompanied in Italy by\u00a0Giorgio Schon and Emilio Radaelli (ITA) in his Porsche 935 TT biturbo. He is famous for winning the 1998 Daytona 24 Hours and, of course, was founder of the Momo brand of racing accessories.<\/p>\n Porsche Power<\/p><\/div>\n The 935 would have been a handful of the roads.<\/p>\n Attilio Bettega<\/p><\/div>\n Factory Fiat\/Lancia rally driver Attilio Bettega along with Maurizio Perissinot and Enzo De Vito in the\u00a0Fiat Abarth Ritmo 75 Alitalia.<\/p>\n Tour de France?<\/p><\/div>\n Another rally star, Guy Frequelin ran in a Renault 5 turbo<\/p>\n Simian?<\/p><\/div>\n F1 star, Vittorio Brambilla, also known as The Monza Gorilla, \u00a0raced in an Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV 2000.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>