Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

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Popi_Larrauri
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Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by Popi_Larrauri »

Adding to the threads (astonoshingly made, btw) of Andrea Moda and Forti, i'll add some material, even if still quiet raw.

It's devoted to Larrouse & Calmels F1 and, more importantly to criminal/illegal aspects within the team.

1) According to wikipedia

Larrousse Formula One was a motorsports racing team founded in 1987 by Didier Calmels and former racer Gérard Larrousse, originally under the name Larrousse & Calmels. It was based in Antony, in the southern suburbs of Paris. It was renamed Larrousse after the departure of Calmels for legal reasons. The team competed in Formula One from 1987 to 1994 before succumbing to financial problems, scoring a best finish of third at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix during this time.


The subject here is Didier Calmels killing his wife (spring 1989) and being then sentenced to jail for 3 years. She was having an affair with another man.

However, Larrouse marched on without his partner.

But there's more, not ever told here in F1rejects and may have it own merit and had taken place in 1990 (end of the season):

Of greater concern was the FIA considering taking away Larrousse's points because of an alleged "false declaration" about the design of the chassis. It transpired the team had made an honest mistake by registering the car as manufactured by themselves, when in fact it was designed and built by Lola in England. Although the team officially lost their points from 1990, the team kept the travel benefits and prize money associated with their championship finish and did not have to take part in pre-qualifying.



If it only adds to the notion of jails, bars, and court sentences it's anecdotic, I know, but first race after being released for Gachot was for Larrouse.

But, the cherry on top of the cake happened in 1992

In September 1992 Venturi sold its shareholding to a group called Comstock, headed by German Rainer Walldorf. Walldorf, real name Klaus Walz, turned out to be wanted by the police of several European countries in connection with four murders. After escaping from a raid on his house in France through judicious use of a hand grenade, he was killed during a nine-hour gun battle with police in a German hotel.


Now, the footnote reference links us to this, http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ft00336.html, which has it's huge interest in itself but refers to the subjetcs (Kill-your-wife-gate & Kalutz-gate) around 75% of the article. I read it 7 years ago and I'm extremely happy that still stands on the web (it dates from 1999). It should be (or could be) updated with crash gate, and, probably, with Mosley's-gate affair with 5 sadomas.. (oops, sorry, family forum) being one of them wife to an spy. It's title its, no less, "Formula 1 and Crime".

Only references to Klaus Walz on the internet seems to be linked to a musician and this specific subject. So, if someone from germany can bring more info, it will be welcomed.

I'll leave you the article and expect you enjoy it drool the same way I did while reading it.
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Waris
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by Waris »

Wasn't Klaus Walz also involved in that shady Forti buyout, or am I mixing up names now?
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by Phoenix »

I already knew Calmels killing his wife, but that other affairs were unknown. Thanks for unravelling them!
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by watka »

Oh dear, that is rejectful in the extreme. Larrousse never did have many fans anyway.
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by P_Friesacher »

Forgive me for asking without knowing the full circumstances, but how can you get away with just 3 years in prison for killing your wife?!
I'm all in favor of leniency, even for bad crimes. But this seems a bit much...
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by SuperAguri »

Well it was the only team that managed twice to get one car through prequalifying, qualifying and into the points where as the other car failed. Special mention that one prequalifying session had both Andrea Moda's and one of them managed to prequalify and then qualify... :lol:

But they had a great 1990 season where they scored points quite regularly and Aguri Suzuki got that famous podium in Japan which probably was one of the reasons why he became so loved by the Japanese.

Plus this is the team that gave Hideki Noda and Toshio Suzuki rides, and they did have a lovely colour scheme. So I don't think you can call them a reject team.

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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by karsten »

Of greater concern was the FIA considering taking away Larrousse's points because of an alleged "false declaration" about the design of the chassis. It transpired the team had made an honest mistake by registering the car as manufactured by themselves, when in fact it was designed and built by Lola in England. Although the team officially lost their points from 1990, the team kept the travel benefits and prize money associated with their championship finish and did not have to take part in pre-qualifying.


This ties perfectly with my topic with the Andrea Moda! It's exctly what they were complaining about when they got disqualified in the first races!
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by Bleu »

SuperAguri wrote:Well it was the only team that managed twice to get one car through prequalifying, qualifying and into the points where as the other car failed. Special mention that one prequalifying session had both Andrea Moda's and one of them managed to prequalify and then qualify... :lol:


Spain 1989, Monaco 1992?

Then I have to think teams which did it once:

Onyx Portugal 1989
Dallara San Marino 1991

Coincidentally JJ Lehto was involved in both of these. In Portugal he DNPQ'd and in San Marino he was on the podium.

anyone else?
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by Debaser »

The word "Legal" in the title of the thread really is a double entendre, this team sounds like how the mafia would run a F1 team. I half expect to see Joe Pesci from Goodfellas rise up and become Gerald Larrousse from what I've read so far.
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by Cynon »

P_Friesacher wrote:Forgive me for asking without knowing the full circumstances, but how can you get away with just 3 years in prison for killing your wife?!
I'm all in favor of leniency, even for bad crimes. But this seems a bit much...


Look up OJ Simpson. I call it sexism + money in action.
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by thehemogoblin »

Cynon wrote:
P_Friesacher wrote:Forgive me for asking without knowing the full circumstances, but how can you get away with just 3 years in prison for killing your wife?!
I'm all in favor of leniency, even for bad crimes. But this seems a bit much...


Look up OJ Simpson. I call it sexism + money in action.


No, that was Johnnie Cochran... the single greatest defense lawyer in American history.
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by rffp »

I remember both incidents and indeed Gérard had a gift for choosing maniac partners for his team. He declared after the Klaus Walz shooting that he was shocked since he had the impression he was a decent person!
The team at first was making decent progress in F-1 after two challenging seasons in 1987 and 88. The 1989 Lamborgini-powered car was fast in the hands of Philippe Alliot, occasionally qualifying in the top-10 and even 6, but the reliability was awful. Thanks to that they were relegated to pre-qualifying and despite tough competition from Osella and Onyx, they most of the times made it to the grid with both cars.
The 1990 season saw the French team improve considerably their reliability and regularly finish in the points, which was a major embarassment to French national team, Ligier, which managed to end the season with 0 point.
But from there on, things started spiralling down. Larrousse's partner, Espo, was in financial troubles and pulled out of the team, but the worse was the maneuver made by Ligier to not only snatch the Lamborghini engines but also the financial aid given by FIA for the top-10 constructors. For those that regularly complained about Max, they should remember the farces promoted by Balestre, which one of them was that maneuver.
It was a shame, the team had potential, but Gerard Larrousse's awful partnerships wrecked the team.
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by midgrid »

Waris wrote:Wasn't Klaus Walz also involved in that shady Forti buyout, or am I mixing up names now?


I mentioned his name in the Forti thread as the buyer was also a dodgy German, so that's probably where you got it from. ;)
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by midgrid »

P_Friesacher wrote:Forgive me for asking without knowing the full circumstances, but how can you get away with just 3 years in prison for killing your wife?!
I'm all in favor of leniency, even for bad crimes. But this seems a bit much...


Presumably, the killing was classified as a "crime of passion", so he would have been convicted of manslaughter, which is permissible in French law.
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by Faustus »

I don't think 'permissible' is the correct term. It's certainly considered mitigating, but it doesn't make it permissible.

Odd fact - up until the early 80s, in Portugal, being drunk while commiting murder was also considered mitigating.
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by thehemogoblin »

Faustus wrote:I don't think 'permissible' is the correct term. It's certainly considered mitigating, but it doesn't make it permissible.

Odd fact - up until the early 80s, in Portugal, being drunk while commiting murder was also considered mitigating.


So what you're saying is, Carlos's parents had a shot at shooting him after shots without getting shot themselves?
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by shinji »

Faustus wrote:I don't think 'permissible' is the correct term. It's certainly considered mitigating, but it doesn't make it permissible.

Odd fact - up until the early 80s, in Portugal, being drunk while commiting murder was also considered mitigating.


I thought you were dead :shock:

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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by thehemogoblin »

shinji wrote:
Faustus wrote:I don't think 'permissible' is the correct term. It's certainly considered mitigating, but it doesn't make it permissible.

Odd fact - up until the early 80s, in Portugal, being drunk while commiting murder was also considered mitigating.


I thought you were dead :shock:

Last post was in September.


I was hopin(tun)g.
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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by Faustus »

shinji wrote:
Faustus wrote:I don't think 'permissible' is the correct term. It's certainly considered mitigating, but it doesn't make it permissible.

Odd fact - up until the early 80s, in Portugal, being drunk while commiting murder was also considered mitigating.


I thought you were dead :shock:

Last post was in September.


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Re: Larrouse F1 - Reject team by legal standards?

Post by ibsey »

thehemogoblin wrote:
Cynon wrote:
P_Friesacher wrote:Forgive me for asking without knowing the full circumstances, but how can you get away with just 3 years in prison for killing your wife?!
I'm all in favor of leniency, even for bad crimes. But this seems a bit much...


Look up OJ Simpson. I call it sexism + money in action.


No, that was Johnnie Cochran... the single greatest defense lawyer in American history.


Jonnie Cochran probably used the "Chewbacca" defense. (Watch South Park if you don't know what I mean).
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