Ronnie Peterson would have turned 74 this year. It's difficult to imagine what he might have looked like since the Swede with the blond hair had a perpetual boyish expression, usually coupled with an innocent, slightly puzzled look.
His appearance 40 years ago at Monza was exactly that, despite having suffered the trauma of crashing during a 30-minute warm-up session on race morning.
A return of brake trouble evident during practice had sent the black and gold Lotus 79 through catch fencing at the Della Roggia chicane before hitting the barrier. The damage was severe enough to force a switch to the less competitive back-up car, a Lotus 78.