I can't claim to have known Ronnie at all well - but he was very approachable in a rather shy and diffident manner which I found very unusual and very engaging amongst such generally extrovert, or suspicious, or cliquey, or arrogant, or aggressive driver company.
What was very apparent was that many of Formula 1's contemporary glitterati were completely fazed and puzzled by the Ronnie phenomenon.
In the car he was capable of prodigious speed and lightning control right out there on the extreme edge of any car's ultimate 'stiction' - and yet out of the car was so generally quiet, slow moving, slow-speaking - well, slow.
The hyped-up, attention deficit, always impatient, 'electric' driver brigade - and a large proportion of the more shallow-minded specialist press, and certainly the national-press media and TV men - generally sniggered about Ronnie actually being 'thick' or 'dim', a real low-voltage Swedeyburger dullard... Of course this spoke volumes more about them than him.
I was aware that Ronnie - and very much Barbro - were aware of that image and that dismissive, sneering attitude (which in many driver cases was a kind of inverse compensation reaction - if he's that thick how come he's just beaten you into a cocked hat? Again?).
I don't think any of this bothered him one single iota - but for sure it irritated Barbro, who could quickly take offence on his behalf where absolutely none was ever intended.
Ronnie would just smile his slow smile - all the way to the bank, or onto the top step of the podium.
While the standard-issue media fatheads made their dismissive remarks and jokes - the serious experienced troupe were Ronnie fans, almost to a man, ditto the thinking drivers of note, and very much so the mechanics and engineers who worked most closely with him. He was unusual. But he was absolutely A Racer - and, I thought, a fine man. Many with whom I worked formed the same impression. That's why he is remembered so fondly today.
DCN
