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Former Mercedes senior Niki Lauda, along with many other F1 drivers, were furious with the sport's governing body back in 1982, so much so that they went on a strike and refused to take part in a race.
It all started when Lauda saw shocking rules imposed on his and every driver's super license. The solidarity during the strike that followed was so strong that the dissenters even decided to sleep in the same room, so that their unity was not shaken.
Here is everything to know about the time when every F1 driver went on strike against the FISA (the former governing body of F1 before the FIA) in 1982.
The 1982 F1 driver strike: Former Mercedes senior and other drivers refusing to race due to unacceptable super license rules
The entire debacle started when FISA (Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile) quietly imposed certain clauses on drivers' super licenses without their consent or discussion. In an effort to gain a bit more control over the drivers, the governing body added two parts: any negative comments from drivers against the FISA was deemed illegal, and drivers were no longer allowed to negotiate contracts with other teams themselves. The second clause was particularly what enraged drivers.
Former Mercedes senior Niki Lauda was about to return to F1 in 1982 after his brief sabbatical. He was the first one to notice the new changes in his super license application. Lauda was furious and quickly contacted Didier Pironi, who was Ferrari's driver and the president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association at the time.
Both Lauda and Pironi went to FISA and FOCA (Formula One Constructors' Association) to protest against the changes. However, they realised that both the governing bodies of the sport were united on approving the new clauses.
Hence, Lauda and Pironi decided to go on a strike. On Thursday, before the first practice session of the race in Kyalami, the duo arranged a bus on which drivers were asked to climb to join the strike. The drivers all joined in, since they were not ready to accept FISA's transfer negotiation clause on their super license. The only exception was Jochen Mass, who came to the track late and was confused as to where the other drivers went.
The striking drivers stayed in the Sunnyside Park Hotel while Pironi, being the head of the GPDA, was at the track, negotiating with the seniors. He came back with an ultimatum from FISA that either every driver should return to the track for the race or get banned for life.
Despite that, drivers continued to stay in the hotel and even planned to stay in the same room all night. During the night, they kept themselves entertained, with Gilles Villeneuve playing the piano, Niki Lauda performing a stand-up comedy routine, and Bruno Giacomelli showing how to dismantle an AK-47 with the help of diagrams.
The drivers woke up to a call from Pironi, who informed them that the strike had worked and that the FISA had agreed to a temporary truce with the drivers. Finally, the 1982 South African Grand Prix race went on as normal, with Alain Prost winning it.
The F1 drivers who took part in the strike received a fine of $10,000 as well as suspended race bans from FISA. When the matter was taken to the FIA Court of Appeal, FISA's head, Jean-Marie Balestre, was criticized for both the new clauses. Eventually, both controversial parts of the super license application were removed, proving the strike to be a success.
