He was an ordinary man from Växjö. Three days later, Stefan “Lil-Lovis” Johansson drove a Formula 1 car. Chosen by Enzo Ferrari, he was teammates with legends such as Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.
In Sportbladet’s F1 podcast, one of Sweden’s top racing drivers talks about life in F1.
– Ayrton Senna polluted my car engine overnight, he says.
Last week, the Sportbladet F1 podcast was hosted by Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic of Linköping. He is currently one of nine drivers in Ferrari’s Drivers’ Academy. This week the podcast hosts a Swedish legend. A driver who drives with the teams that everyone dreams of, but he did not get much success.
– That was probably my biggest problem at the time in Formula 1. I was very nice back then, says Stefan Johansson.
– I didn’t learn fast enough that you have to be a real badass and fight for your place even within the team. Perhaps that was the reason why I lost so many times, Stefan Johansson says.
After Enzo Ferrari’s call, Stefan “Lil-Lovis” Johansson drove a Formula 1 car
For 11 years Stefan “Lill-Lövis” Johansson drove Formula 1 racing, starting 79 times between 1980 and 1991, and in terms of his success, only Ronnie Peterson has better credentials. Stefan of Växjö is the only Swede to have driven for Ferrari and McLaren, he took twelve podium places, of which four were second and without a team order, he was also the last race winner in Sweden.
He was personally chosen by Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari and spent two seasons in the classic stable.
“What laid the foundation for it all was that, at Toliman-Hart, I fought Niki Lauda for fourth place,” says Stefan Johansson.
– Enzo Ferrari saw her, the call came and we had a secret meeting.
He is still in close contact with Piero Ferrari, son of Enzo Ferrari.
In this week’s episode of Sportbladet’s F1 podcast, Stefan Johansson shares his thoughts on this year’s WC, as well as memories and tales from his Formula One career:
He talks about when Ayrton Senna twisted his engine.
Which driver taught him more.
How he deals with the grief of losing so many close friends to the race.
Who matters most in the F1 driver’s career.
Which mostly dealt with unexpected F1 profiles with practical jokes.
The story behind how Ferrari solved this year’s problem with porpoises.
What is he doing today?
He also reveals how, as a manager, he sees Felix Rosenqvist’s future at IndyCar.
You really start with the easy questions, says Stefan Johansson and laughs.
– It looks really good for IndyCar.
Listen to the entire Plattan i Mattan podcast for more sweet talk with one of Sweden’s most successful racing drivers.
Porsche for F1
Now the path is clear for Porsche. The FIA Council has approved engine regulations planned for 2026, allowing Porsche, which is expected to partner with Red Bull, to announce its plans now. It would be a 1.6-liter V6, without the MGU-H, but a climate-smart fuel.
⚡️️ INCREDIBLE POWER
⛽️ SUSTAINABLE FUEL
💡 Leading InnovationHere’s what you need to know about the next generation of power units arriving in F1 in 2026 👇# F1 pic.twitter.com/8p9APSNAE9
– Formula 1 (@F1) August 16, 2022
Is it F1 driving on the highway? Is it the return of Kimi Räikkönen – see photos of this week’s big talk.
Now there are not many days left for F1’s tough period to end. Next weekend it’s time for the Belgium GP, after which he continues racing three weeks in a row. You can find the full calendar for F1 2022 here.