Belvedere F1 Car?

[Liz]

I have just come across a picture of a Formula One car sponsored by Belvedere Extra Mild Cigarettes, which is a Canadian brand. The car in the picture has no other advertising on it. Was there ever such a car that anyone knows about?

[angst]

What sort of era are we looking at?

[Liz]

The date on the picture is September 8, 1981.

[Dino IV]

September 8 1981 is a Tuesday so that must be testing. Sunday 13th was the Monza GP but more logically - because of the sponsor - it would be testing for the Canadian GP which was held at (how appropriate for Gilles ) September 27th. I couldn't find a Belvedere sponsored car anywhere so could you publish the picture here, Liz? Or, if not, tell us something more like:

• the colour(s) of the car
• the number
• any other decalls
• the driver's helmet
• the shape of the front-wing: table-top or regular left right from the nosecone
• any flaps featured in front of the rear wheels
• shape and size of the wingendplates: none, small or huge uprights
• anything!

[Speed Demon]

Assuming that this is a 1981 car and not one racing in something like the Aurora GP series (which I think had finished by 1981 anyway), I would assume that it was from one of the smaller teams that had different sponsors from race to race. This would narrow it down to Ensign, Theodore, Fittipaldi, Tyrrell. My best bet suggestion would be that as a Canadian brand, they may have sponsored Gilles brother Jacques Villeneuve, who was unsuccessfully trying to qualify for the Arrows team in Canada, having replaced Siegfried Stohr.

[Liz]

the colour(s) of the car: The picture is black & white, but I think the car is blue.

the number: 8

any other decalls: no. The name "Belvedere" is across the front of the front wing, not large but around the airscoop; there is a Belvedere logo on the part of the car right in front of the pilot, and the name is on the rear wing. Other than the number, the car is plain except for those.

the driver's helmet: the top is plain; there is a three-coloured band visible on the left side - dark/light/dark, that is as wide as the faceplate and tapers back.

the shape of the front-wing: table-top or regular left right from the nosecone: the front wing is not a tabletop, it's almost like a scoop shape, with a narrow skirt at the bottom that is a lighter colour.

any flaps featured in front of the rear wheels: no.

shape and size of the wingendplates: none, small or huge uprights: small rear wing with very tall endplates.

anything! The wing meirrors are different sizes; the right side mirror is larger than the left. The roll hoop goes well over the pilot's head, but there's no airbox or other structure behind him. The picture was apparently taken at Mosport; there is a tintop with the same logos and the number 98A, in a picture at the top of the page.

[Speed Demon]

If it is a Formula 1 car, it's not in a World Championship race, as the 1981 GP was held at Montreal, not Mosport.

Also, car no 8 was Niki Lauda's McLaren, which was very definitely still in Marlboro red and white in the Canadian GP (and the rest of them, for that matter).

I'm not aware of their being an F1 series in North America, so my guess is that it isn't an F1 car at all. It could, however, be a Formula Atlantic car, as these looked similar - although a little smaller - to a contemporary F1 car. As to who it is, though, it's still a mystery!

[Liz]

Thanks, maybe it is an Atlantic car. I'll see what else I can dig up on it. Now I am intrigued!

[robert2000]

I found out that Belvedere is a Canadian company so you could be right that it is an Atlantic car.