He was unfortunate as well . http://en.f1i.com/magazine/65278-breakfast-marc-surer.html/2 Why do you think you never really got a top drive in Formula 1? I had two chances, one was when Villeneuve died. It happened the day I was having my first race after my accident in Kyalami (the 1982 Belgian GP at Zolder). I did quite well (he finished 7th for Arrows) and Daniele Audetto who was the man responsible for sponsorship at Arrows came to me and said that Ferrari was interested in me. “I want 50% of your income and I get you to Ferrari.” “That’s a lot” I said, but he said this chance would only come once and so I agreed, even though he wanted 50% of all my income not just what Ferrari would pay me. However at Arrows we had Pirelli tyres I think, and Oliver (Jackie Oliver Arrows team boss) said that if Ferrari wanted me, they had to organise it for Arrows to get Goodyear tyres at which point Enzo Ferrari said, “No one is going to try and make a deal with me” and that was it and they took (Patrick)Tambay. It was close. But even before that, when I was driving for Theodore I had another chance with a top team and that was with McLaren. We made a secret seat fitting in the night, just four mechanics and Ron (Dennis). This was in ’81, before the Austrian Grand Prix. They wanted to get rid of (Andrea) De Cesaris. The seat fitting was to make sure I could sit in the car, because previously John Watson had a problem with his hips not fitting. I did that and I was so excited, so excited… Wednesday evening before the race they said, “sorry, we can’t get him out, his father is too strong (very influential with Marlboro). Sorry Marc.”
Baaah. Lousy attempt. Can't be Williams as that's too obvious. Maybe.... my brain is still sloshed from Christmas!
