Elf Scan 22: Alpine Renault Formula 3

This amazing shot of Patrick Depailler in action is our penultimate Elf Scan. Notice the faint whiff of blue smoke from his right front tire, which is juuuust at the threshold point of lockup! Click to enlarge this awesome shot!Obviously, the Alpine team was more well known for their A110 Rally program as well as their assaults on Le Mans in their own sports prototypes. But under the generous financial umbrella of Renault, Alpine also ran a successful Formula 3 program throughout the mid to late 1960s.  Alpine eventually even designed and constructed a Formula 1 car, but sadly it never raced.

Elf Scan 20: Patrick Depailler

This is one of my favorite photos in the entire Elf Scan series.  A 25 year old Depailler looks past the camera with a gaze of intensity and focus.  Born in 1944, Patrick Depailler was one of the few drivers whose parents fully supported his interest in racing, and encouraged it.  He began by racing motorcycles, but after meeting Alpine boss Jean Rédélé, he transitioned to 4 wheels.  He began at Alpine as a mechanic, then a test driver, and finally a works racing driver.  At the time of this photo, his F1 career was still ahead of him.  His talent was never fully rewarded with a top-line drive, but he did manage 2 wins and 19 podiums in his 95 races in F1 -- most of them for Tyrell and Ligier.  Tragically he was killed in 1980, at age 35 during a test session at Hockenheim.