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Records - there's only a handful that will probably never be broken. Surtees and his two- and four-wheel world championships, schuey's seven world titles... Hamilton anyone?

But Stefan Bellof's lap record at the Nürburgring is unlikely to ever fall. He lapped the circuit in six minutes 11.13secs. The figures just beggar belief - 13 miles around the world's most challenging track at an average of 125mph. And this was in a Rothmans Porsche 956, in 1983, when cars were seriously hairy and barriers were seriously inconsequential.

Jochen Mass, himself no slouch, could only manage a time five seconds slower in a similar 956. No F1 car, the supposed pinnacle of motorsport, has ever been round there quicker than Niki Lauda's six minutes 58 seconds. And now 'Quick Nick' Heidfeld has proved that perhaps none ever will, after his BMW F1 car lapped in eight minutes 34. Wuss.

Bellof didn't even look particularly excited when he stepped out of the car - if you think Kimi is the Ice Man, you should have seen how relaxed Bellof was that day.

There's a blessed contrast here with Heidfeld's BMW PR stunt. We all know Heidfeld would've been in serious trouble from his bosses if he'd taken many risks round the Nordschleife, but Bellof's raw edge is more appealing. No marketing, just sheer pace. And the fact he didn't seem to care afterwards is even more impressive.

But to talk solely of Bellof for this lap record is unfair. He was one of those guys who would've probably made F1 World Champion if his life wasn't cut short. Proof of that comes from the 1984 Monaco GP, when it bucketed down during the race.

Bellof, in an underpowered tyrrell that was still running a naturally-aspirated engine about 150bhp down on the others, climbed from the rear of the field to third. And he was catching Senna, on a track the Brazilian made his own.

The final CAMRRAD moment? The crash at Spa which so tragically ended his life. He was in a non-works Porsche 956, desperate not to let Jacky Ickx, the sports-car master, get away from him. The ultimate never-give-up attitude.