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VIEW: Mr. Biland, I would like to start the conversation with a quote: "Rolf is a difficult person." Who said this about you once?
Rolf Biland: I suspect.
It was your long-time co-driver Kurt Waltisperg. Is he right?
Yes and no. I'm actually a sociable guy, but in sports I still wanted more. Sometimes too much. In his eyes, that wouldn't always have been necessary.
With Waltisperg you won six of your seven world titles. Nevertheless, you once said: “We never see each other in private. Nothing connects us, nothing at all. "
Those are harsh words, but in retrospect, I say that was the key to our success. Because we never saw each other in winter, we didn't hiss each other off either.
What distinguishes a good «Plampi», a passenger?
One issue is of course weight. It shouldn't be too heavy. Kurt's wife once said to me at the beginning of the year: "Now the annoying time begins again when he has to lose weight." When light carbon brakes came along, I wanted to buy them to save weight. Kurt asked me how much they would cost. I told him: "up to 10,000 francs." He replied: "Give me the money, I'll lose three kilos in return." (laughs)
But a “Plampi” has to do more than just be light, right?
The best passenger is the one you don't feel. If he doesn't take part, you'll be leaving. A good passenger is therefore the best life insurance policy. I was very lucky with Kurt.
Even so, you had some spectacular accidents. For example in Donington in 1995.
That was “en uhuere” departure. The carbon brakes had overheated and nothing worked.
What do you think at such a moment?
«Gring ache» and hope that you won't hit anywhere. It was a really violent rollover. The bike was a banana afterwards, but it didn't matter to either of us.
Several competitors were killed during your career. How did you deal with it?
I was always able to ignore the dangers and was never afraid. In 1978 on the Isle of Man, three sidecar drivers, including the Swiss Ernst Trachsel, died in a race in which we also took part. We then returned to Switzerland with his urn. That was tough.
How was that for your mother?
She has never been to a race in my entire career and has never watched it live on TV.
Her most special injury was probably the one in Zolder in 1980.
We drove there with new boots. My brake foot fell asleep during the race, which is of course a disaster. So I went to the boxes, took off my boots and drove on without it. Since the exhaust pipes come pretty close to my feet, I burned the "sheikhs". That hurt, but the most important thing: We finished third.
I spoke to Kurt Waltisperg in the run-up to this conversation. He said I had to ask you about Mugello 1981. That was «Biland live».
I was bitten by the oats. In practice, we were close to the times of the 500cc drivers. To undercut this was my big goal, even if that was of course irrelevant for the sidecar class. In addition, we had already trained in Mugello months before and were also faster there. Then I overdid it, we took off and I broke my collarbone.
This over-ambition cost you the world title.
We lost a couple of titles unlucky. Also in Brno in 1988. It was the last race of the season and a 14th place would have been enough for us to win the title. I usually did this with one hand in my pocket. After training, I told the mechanic to check the gearbox. He said it wasn't necessary. We promptly retired from the race due to a gearbox failure and the title was gone.
What did the mechanic hear from you?
Nothing, that was my lack of leadership quality. I was always able to assert myself on the slopes, apart from that it was difficult. At the time I should have simply said to him: "You are paid for it, you now control the transmission." But I couldn't.
Many experts say that you also had a great career as a racing car driver. Why did you become a sidecar pilot of all people?
Here I was able to implement my own ideas on the technical side. I always found it cool to build the chassis myself. As a solo pilot, you simply ordered a motorbike, maybe changed the footrest, and that's it. In addition, I have always been tempted to drive an asymmetrical vehicle because it is much more difficult.
Was there espionage?
I wouldn't say that. But there have been people who sneaked into an exhibition at night, removed the casing and then measured my sidecar.
I also spoke to your closest competitor, Steve Webster. He said he had some legendary nights with you.
Webbo is a sack (laughs). That was just a typical male scene. We were all single, and some mothers had beautiful daughters with us. This resulted in one or the other festival.
Do tell!
I can remember August 1st. We were in Silverstone there. We started to let off fireworks and a bale of straw burned. Suddenly the fire brigade rushed up. They thought the whole paddock was going to be torched right now. Our team boss then had to go to race management to straighten it out.
Did you also play pranks on each other?
Webbo's father was a master at it. He put crackers under the bus for us at 2 a.m., so that we hit our heads on the ceiling in shock. Or in Brazil we came up with the idea of wakeboarding in the pool with an inverted garden table.
You have won seven world titles and 81 GPs. Did you get rich?
Unfortunately no, I must have two single-family houses «s'Kämi ueglah». I always had only one goal: to get faster. That's why I put all the money in again and again and always went “all in”. Especially at the beginning we hardly had any money.
How was it?
In 1975 at Le Castellet we couldn't qualify for the race, so there was no entry fee. We then drove back home on Saturday evening. We ran out of coal in front of the last toll booth before Geneva. Then I just said: “We have to see where a truck is coming and the barrier goes up. Then we rush after it before the barrier closes again. "
Did it work?
Yes, it flashed and made noises "like a carrot", but nothing more. But sometimes there was simply not enough money for the fuel.
So what?
How am I supposed to say that now? Let's put it this way: there should have been drivers who tapped diesel from the other teams' trucks with a fuel pump on the racing field.
Speaking of confession, Waltisperg said that I really had to talk to you about a bridge in England.
(Laughs) We were on our way to a race in Sweden. When we came to a bridge in England with our truck, I wasn't sure we would pass. I asked Kurt if he could quickly convert the figure from feet to meters. But he calculated a little slowly, so I just tried it. It was just like a racing situation. At first I couldn't do the math and wait.
And did it work?
No, we have fully attached. There was a nasty damage and afterwards it was like a convertible. When we arrived in Sweden, word of that had already got around in the scene. Therefore, the organizers set up a large military tent for us in which we could sleep.
There is one more awkward thing I have to do. In 1985, you and your father were charged with insurance fraud.
It was a tough time, even if it wasn't my fault.
Your father was eventually convicted, but you acquitted. How was your relationship with him afterwards?
I broke up with him. As an athlete you are always in public. Headlines like this get around faster than a world title. That's why it cost me some sponsorship money.
Did you later make up with your father?
No, I never saw him again and then I wasn't at his funeral. Anyone who fooled me once died for me. That was always the case in sports too.
Last topic. In 1988 you said: "To me, being old is a horrible idea." You are now 69. How does it feel?
When I turned 50, I had big problems with it. Then I realized: there is no turning back. Today I know: it doesn't hurt to be retired. Last year I had a serious accident and broke my pelvis. Since then, I've made up my mind to shift down a gear.
Nevertheless, you still occasionally take part in racing events with Kurt Waltisperg. He told me you were still ambitious about it.
That's right, we still don't have to hide. The condition is no longer the best, but I don't want to curve around like a «Grossätti». There are people there who have paid admission. I want to offer them something.