The Final Grand Prix - Monza 1978 Ronnie in his Lotus 79 during practice for the Italian GP 1978 Ronnie Peterson is fed up with how he is treated in Team Lotus. Before the GP in Holland, he has signed a contract with McLaren for the next season and theoretically, he now could ignore Colin Chapman’s orders. To stand back for the first driver, Mario Andretti simply did not suit Ronnie and he grew increasingly irritated since he knew that he was given slower tyres for practice, heavier cars and less attention from the mechanics. Nevertheless, even if Ronnie had gone against Chapman at Monza there were two more races this season. Ronnie chose to continue to follow the contract he had signed. "I'm going to McLaren next year", he said. "It's not announced yet, but Mario knows. Some of these people," he sighed, "who say I should forget our agreement now... I don’t understand them. I had open eyes when I signed the contract, and I also gave my word. If I break it now, who will ever trust me again?" Chapman kept Ronnie on a short leash. Already during the start of the Fridays practice, the engine of the Lotus-79 breaks down. Ronnie interrupts his practice only after a few laps. During the second practice session, the -78 is available, but Ronnie does not try too hard with it, since the -79 is to be ready in the morning. After the Fridays practice Andretti and Ronnie race each other back to the hotel in the Rolls Royce’s the Italian importer had provided them with for their stay. They live at Villa d'Este in Como and Chapman gets a ride with Ronnie. Mario wins, probably because Colin shouts at Ronnie to slow down on the public roads. The mood is good, yet still tense. The new motor is ready for the -79 on Saturday, but the problems continue with faulty breaks and problems with the clutch. Ronnie does not get to drive much and does not improve his time from last day (5th best practice time : 1.38,256) and gets to start in the third row on the grid - unusual since Lotus has dominated the season. He is to start behind Jean-Pierre Jabouille«s Renault Turbo which usually is slow in the start. A bad omen. Ronnie is upset and does not want to talk to anyone. Speaking with Alistar Caldwell During the half hour warm-up, the lid of the break fluid container pops off. Without breaks, Ronnie crashes in 150 kilometres per hour in the second chicane. "The break pedal suddenly fell to the floor and I went straight through four or five safety nets and hit a tree." Ronnie explains. The Lotus 79:an is demolished and Ronnie is injured. He complaints about sore legs, but does not seem too bothered. Ronnie’s Swedish manager Staffan Svenby asks Colin Chapman if it is OK to use Andretti's spare car (The team has only produced four Lotus 79s, but Mario has crashed one in the Austrian GP and it has not yet been restored), but gets a negative answer. After some arguing in the pit, Colin gives Ronnie an ultimatum: "Sign for Lotus for the next season, you can have the car!" Ronnie already had been suggested a very lucrative contract by Chapman, but since he knew that Andretti also had been promised a contract guaranteeing him the position as first driver, there really wasn't much to think of. Ronnie chose to enter the race in his old Lotus 78. "I think the TV viewers back home will see an exciting race!" It really doesn't matter which car I drive. If only the -78 works I will be on the podium after the race..." After a weekend like this, Ronnie normally would have lost his temper. Nevertheless, he keeps getting ready for the race with a smile on his face. Ronnie has matured in this respect, but some have asked themselves if Ronnie really was fit to enter the Italian Grand Prix. No real medical examination was made after his severe crash during Sundays practice... Ronnie in the Lotus 79 before the crash. Time is short in the pit. Ronnie watches the mechanics Bobby Clark and Rex Hart change engine in the in the old Lotus 78. He is still confident that he will make a good result at Monza. Over the years, this has become something of his lucky circuit. In eight starts, he has been forced to retire in only two. He has won three times, especially in 1976 when he to everyone's surprise won in the far from competitive March 761. The other two were won in the Lotus 72 in 1973 and 1974. Ronnie was also very close to winning in a March 711 in 1971, but didn't manage to squeeze himself past Peter Gethin on the finishing line in the race know as the one with the smallest margin of victory. Ronnie is relaxed when he gives an interview on the Sunday morning after his crash. He is also given a puppy-much to the reporter Jackie Stewart’s amusement. Racing colleague and journalist Harald Ertl joins Ronnie to the spare car. Ronnie uses the warm-up laps to get the feel of the car. He has time to have the wings adjusted in the pit before he joins the starting grid and the 24 cars rolling up for the start.