1 - 1991-1992 - F1 Japan & South Africa
In an evening filled with celebration of his third World Drivers’ Championship, Ayrton Senna was jubilant on the outside, but inside he was wavering between joy, concern, and betrayal. He had been learning over the weekend that the rumors that Honda CEO Nobuhiko Kawamoto was planning on removing his company from Formula One were increasingly likely, and was annoyed that his sense of loyalty was being manipulated when he was the one about to be left in the lurch. Between the smiles, and thanks for support, he started to plan out his offseason, and where he would be in the paddock come Kyalami the next year.
Whatever he felt about the rumors, Ayrton knew that he had much to be thankful for with his time with Honda, both at Lotus and McLaren. Without those two teams and Honda engines, he would never have reached the heights he had over such a small span of time. No-one since Fangio won three titles in four years, and that legend won all four, yet Fangio won his five with four different teams, being willing to move to whoever gave him the best chance. Do they belittle him now? No. Ayrton knew he was capable of a graceful exit, even if it was towards the great rival of Williams. The only thing that worried him was how he would go from having the sort of teammate and friend that Gerhard Berger had become, to Nigel Mansell. Nigel, the man who swung at him nearly five years ago at Spa but gave him a ride back to the paddock just a few months ago. In hindsight, Spa was a purely racing incident; the two most aggressive drivers at the top of the field were bound to clash. Still, things weren’t exactly ideal between the two of them, and the following years might be a mess, better to go in ready for anything.
“It’s time for a change. McLaren and Honda were very good to me, but after four amazing years, I’m ready for something new.” – Ayrton Senna to reporters after a Williams team member leaked the signing for the 1992-1994 seasons.
“At least he’s not Prost. Where is he today, as Ferrari sacked him? Did he even get a ticket for the race?” –Nigel Mansell on hearing of Senna’s signing.
Mansell was both irritated and relieved, knowing that one of the professional nemeses in his racing career was to be his teammate instead of the disasters of Piquet and Prost. What bothered him most was that Senna’s contract demanded equal treatment amongst the team, something that he couldn’t fight as Ayrton was reigning champion, having won three of the previous four seasons – and could have swept the four had it not been for the meddling of Alain Prost. With the two best drivers on the same team, with the same world-beating car, there’d be no excuses for a lack of success. Nigel wanted to win the championship, and he wasn’t getting any younger at the age of 38, he didn’t have much time left before age dulled his abilities against a Senna in his prime.
“What the Hell?!?” Alain Prost yelled after checking his answering machine and getting the news of Senna’s three-year contract at Williams, “Where am I going to go next year? Can I get a ride anywhere?” What followed next was profane and unintelligible, and Prost could not be consoled with the fact that a three-time champion could get a ride with someone, he just wanted to be in a position to win. Maybe Benetton would have him, but Alain wasn’t content with the idea of fighting for “best of the rest,” in what would inevitably be his last season in top-tier racing. He decided to give the season a few months, but he knew his chances of getting a contract with a team that could get him another championship had just taken a shot to the heart. Unless a miracle happened with the Benetton, or McLaren somehow wanted him back, there was no room for even a three-time world champion in a competitive car.
“Okay, got it. Thanks, take care, bye.” Michael Andretti put down the phone, his face downcast as he found out the reasoning behind Ayrton Senna’s abrupt departure from McLaren. Honda was pulling out at the end of 1992, and there was no supplier lined up for 1993. With Mansell as his teammate, Williams would be dominant for at least one season, if not longer, and both of their cars were occupied. He missed his chance, and should have pressed for a ride earlier this season, but Andretti had been too busy fighting his way to an IndyCar championship to distract himself. He knew now, McLaren would likely only find a customer engine from another top team, but an update or two behind, and he didn’t want to embarrass himself or his name risking scrapping in the mid-pack. Now, his sights were set on making the most of the next two seasons in IndyCar, and deepening his network of contacts in Europe. Perhaps his father could provide some more advice, but he hadn’t raced in F1 for a decade. The turbo era had come and gone, and the technology there was several years ahead of IndyCar, and it was obvious that much had changed through the 1980’s.
“The odds-on favorite for the Constructers’ Championship for 1992 is without a doubt Williams-Renault; their lineup alone is enough eyes up and down the paddock to weep into their drinks. Rumors of the improvements made to the Williams cars further darken their mood.” –BBC Sport, 23 February 1992.
On his first day in the Williams headquarters after arriving in Grove, Ayrton Senna was given the ground tour, introducing himself to everyone from his race weekend mechanic team, down to the technicians fabricating the aerodynamic elements on Adrian Newey’s latest designs. Unlike his first days with Toleman, or even Lotus and McLaren, he came as a champion, not another challenger, and he knew he was the face of a large undertaking. The meeting which he was most apprehensive about was the one with Nigel, now that they were wearing the same colors and working out of the same garage. Ominously, he found Nigel in the corner of the garage where nobody else was at the moment. Now or never, thought Ayrton.
“The two of us, Frank, and Adrian. Who’s going to be best of the rest?” He said with a grin. “Gerhard, Riccardo, or Jean, right?”
“Between those three, it won’t be Jean, you didn’t see from the inside the decay on the walls at Ferrari in ‘90, and from what we’ve seen last year, do you really think they can come back that far by this year?” Nigel said, merely glad for a better icebreaker than a taunt. “Between McLaren, I don’t know, but they’ll be within ten points either way. What about you?”
“I’ll take Berger inside ten points, though Schumacher might be in the picture. Did you notice he’d scored in every race he finished? He’s quick.” Senna replied.
“Could he be a contender this year, maybe. If he keeps it up, he’ll be a race winner someday, I’ll give you that. So where does that leave us, scrapping over the title? I see Frank’s got you as enthusiastic about our chances as I do, eh?” Nigel matched grin for grin, no boasting yet about him, just us. If it’s going to be rocky, it ought to start soon.
“If I hadn’t pushed Honda to upgrade the engine towards the end of last year, you’d be the champion, not I. Either way, it was great watching Prost get sacked last year, and now he’s not inflicting himself on some team at all! I take it you had as good a time with him as I did, what do you think he’ll do now?” Senna’s grin grew a little wider, if there was safe ground, this would be it.
“Oh yes, the schadenfreude is rather delicious when it comes to him, no? Who knows, I heard he might want to come back here next year, but I do believe you irked him a little more than I did, so Frank won’t have to make that call as long as you’re racing for him. As far as he goes, to hell with him. If he doesn’t find a team next year, he’ll probably retire. As far as last year, we at Grove thought we had a chance, but then you found your form again, quite the tease. This year we have no-one to blame but you and I.” Nigel was less and less worried by the second, and was starting to relax a little, but now for confirmation of either hope or fear, “When I heard you demanded only equal treatment in your contract, are you set on that? I don’t want a repeat of 1990, and as long as the balance is level, it’s not ideal for me, but I can take a swing at it.”
Ayrton assumed that would be bothering him, and decided to be blunt but honest, “Yeah. I don’t want any excuses if I win, and I don’t want to have any if you do. We leave it on the track, right? We’ve both lived through Prost, why recreate it here? Let the best man win.”
“Well put. We have a deal.” Nigel extended his hand, and Senna shook it. The engineers eavesdropping from the other corner of the garage all sighed with relief.
Round One: Yellow Pages South African Grand Prix - 01 March 1992 – Kyalami
Gerhard Berger was still adjusting to life outside of the direct shadow of his former teammate, wondering how he would get on with the experienced Riccardo Patrese at McLaren. The mood was not optimistic in the garage, without Senna’s intense willpower and focus, the team knew it would have a hard fight just to reach second in the championship. He could tell that McLaren’s spot atop the order had fallen quickly, with the evolving Williams beasts and Adrian Newey’s designs. The human element was different as well. Instead of a teammate always of the appearance of clutching a live wire, Patrese was relaxed and confident, with the instincts still intact, but not the brutal intensity. There would be no conflicts as long as there was technical parity, but something would be missing. Berger wondered how that would translate over the season, watching the McLarens struggle to make it on the podium, alongside a man whom, at the surface, seemed too at peace to be bothered by reality.
As the racing media expected, what was to be a season reminiscent of the 1988-1989 seasons with the Prost-Senna pairing at McLaren kicked off with the FW14B’s debut in the hands of Mansell and Senna. Qualifying at the Kyalami track was a straightforward affair, with Senna edging Mansell for the pole by a little over a tenth, and Gerhard Berger’s McLaren had to be content with starting third with a time over a full second behind pole. Fans in South Africa were thrilled to start the season at their own track, as it was the first event in seven years due to the FIA ban in response to Apartheid. With segregation ended, the racing resumed.
Their attentions quickly shifted down the order after the start of the race. Senna and Mansell got off to a fast start, gapping the field immediately and leading by a full ten seconds by the end of the sixth lap, with the McLarens of Berger and Parties dogged by Michael Schumacher’s Benetton and Alesi’s Ferrari. As the race wore on and attrition took its toll, Mansell passed his teammate during pit stops, and managed to stay ahead due to greater familiarity with the FW14 on worn tires. Senna managed to close within five seconds by the end, but after the first round of stops, it was Mansell’s race. Schumacher proved to be a shock to all on his first start at the Kyalami track, and taking his maiden podium with third, followed by Berger, Patrese, and Capelli’s Ferrari.
Points after one race:
Drivers’: Constructors’:
Mansell – 10 Williams – 16
Senna - 6 McLaren – 5
Schumacher – 4 Benetton – 4
Berger – 3 Ferrari – 1
Patrese – 2
Capelli - 1
file:///C:/Users/Sean/Documents/The...yrton Senna to Williams in 1992.docx#_ednref1 POD in the Formula One side of this story. Senna takes the opportunity to race for Williams two years early, and the resultant changes to the lineup are: Ferrari replaces Prost with Capelli, McLaren and Williams swap Senna for Patrese, and Benetton replaces the retired Piquet with Brundle. OTL, Senna stayed with McLaren-Honda out of loyalty, wanting to take the next chance to move to Williams. Due to Prost’s return in 1993 with a No-Senna contract stipulation, Senna had to wait until 1994 to drive for Williams-Renault.
Whatever he felt about the rumors, Ayrton knew that he had much to be thankful for with his time with Honda, both at Lotus and McLaren. Without those two teams and Honda engines, he would never have reached the heights he had over such a small span of time. No-one since Fangio won three titles in four years, and that legend won all four, yet Fangio won his five with four different teams, being willing to move to whoever gave him the best chance. Do they belittle him now? No. Ayrton knew he was capable of a graceful exit, even if it was towards the great rival of Williams. The only thing that worried him was how he would go from having the sort of teammate and friend that Gerhard Berger had become, to Nigel Mansell. Nigel, the man who swung at him nearly five years ago at Spa but gave him a ride back to the paddock just a few months ago. In hindsight, Spa was a purely racing incident; the two most aggressive drivers at the top of the field were bound to clash. Still, things weren’t exactly ideal between the two of them, and the following years might be a mess, better to go in ready for anything.
“It’s time for a change. McLaren and Honda were very good to me, but after four amazing years, I’m ready for something new.” – Ayrton Senna to reporters after a Williams team member leaked the signing for the 1992-1994 seasons.
“At least he’s not Prost. Where is he today, as Ferrari sacked him? Did he even get a ticket for the race?” –Nigel Mansell on hearing of Senna’s signing.
Mansell was both irritated and relieved, knowing that one of the professional nemeses in his racing career was to be his teammate instead of the disasters of Piquet and Prost. What bothered him most was that Senna’s contract demanded equal treatment amongst the team, something that he couldn’t fight as Ayrton was reigning champion, having won three of the previous four seasons – and could have swept the four had it not been for the meddling of Alain Prost. With the two best drivers on the same team, with the same world-beating car, there’d be no excuses for a lack of success. Nigel wanted to win the championship, and he wasn’t getting any younger at the age of 38, he didn’t have much time left before age dulled his abilities against a Senna in his prime.
“What the Hell?!?” Alain Prost yelled after checking his answering machine and getting the news of Senna’s three-year contract at Williams, “Where am I going to go next year? Can I get a ride anywhere?” What followed next was profane and unintelligible, and Prost could not be consoled with the fact that a three-time champion could get a ride with someone, he just wanted to be in a position to win. Maybe Benetton would have him, but Alain wasn’t content with the idea of fighting for “best of the rest,” in what would inevitably be his last season in top-tier racing. He decided to give the season a few months, but he knew his chances of getting a contract with a team that could get him another championship had just taken a shot to the heart. Unless a miracle happened with the Benetton, or McLaren somehow wanted him back, there was no room for even a three-time world champion in a competitive car.
“Okay, got it. Thanks, take care, bye.” Michael Andretti put down the phone, his face downcast as he found out the reasoning behind Ayrton Senna’s abrupt departure from McLaren. Honda was pulling out at the end of 1992, and there was no supplier lined up for 1993. With Mansell as his teammate, Williams would be dominant for at least one season, if not longer, and both of their cars were occupied. He missed his chance, and should have pressed for a ride earlier this season, but Andretti had been too busy fighting his way to an IndyCar championship to distract himself. He knew now, McLaren would likely only find a customer engine from another top team, but an update or two behind, and he didn’t want to embarrass himself or his name risking scrapping in the mid-pack. Now, his sights were set on making the most of the next two seasons in IndyCar, and deepening his network of contacts in Europe. Perhaps his father could provide some more advice, but he hadn’t raced in F1 for a decade. The turbo era had come and gone, and the technology there was several years ahead of IndyCar, and it was obvious that much had changed through the 1980’s.
“The odds-on favorite for the Constructers’ Championship for 1992 is without a doubt Williams-Renault; their lineup alone is enough eyes up and down the paddock to weep into their drinks. Rumors of the improvements made to the Williams cars further darken their mood.” –BBC Sport, 23 February 1992.
On his first day in the Williams headquarters after arriving in Grove, Ayrton Senna was given the ground tour, introducing himself to everyone from his race weekend mechanic team, down to the technicians fabricating the aerodynamic elements on Adrian Newey’s latest designs. Unlike his first days with Toleman, or even Lotus and McLaren, he came as a champion, not another challenger, and he knew he was the face of a large undertaking. The meeting which he was most apprehensive about was the one with Nigel, now that they were wearing the same colors and working out of the same garage. Ominously, he found Nigel in the corner of the garage where nobody else was at the moment. Now or never, thought Ayrton.
“The two of us, Frank, and Adrian. Who’s going to be best of the rest?” He said with a grin. “Gerhard, Riccardo, or Jean, right?”
“Between those three, it won’t be Jean, you didn’t see from the inside the decay on the walls at Ferrari in ‘90, and from what we’ve seen last year, do you really think they can come back that far by this year?” Nigel said, merely glad for a better icebreaker than a taunt. “Between McLaren, I don’t know, but they’ll be within ten points either way. What about you?”
“I’ll take Berger inside ten points, though Schumacher might be in the picture. Did you notice he’d scored in every race he finished? He’s quick.” Senna replied.
“Could he be a contender this year, maybe. If he keeps it up, he’ll be a race winner someday, I’ll give you that. So where does that leave us, scrapping over the title? I see Frank’s got you as enthusiastic about our chances as I do, eh?” Nigel matched grin for grin, no boasting yet about him, just us. If it’s going to be rocky, it ought to start soon.
“If I hadn’t pushed Honda to upgrade the engine towards the end of last year, you’d be the champion, not I. Either way, it was great watching Prost get sacked last year, and now he’s not inflicting himself on some team at all! I take it you had as good a time with him as I did, what do you think he’ll do now?” Senna’s grin grew a little wider, if there was safe ground, this would be it.
“Oh yes, the schadenfreude is rather delicious when it comes to him, no? Who knows, I heard he might want to come back here next year, but I do believe you irked him a little more than I did, so Frank won’t have to make that call as long as you’re racing for him. As far as he goes, to hell with him. If he doesn’t find a team next year, he’ll probably retire. As far as last year, we at Grove thought we had a chance, but then you found your form again, quite the tease. This year we have no-one to blame but you and I.” Nigel was less and less worried by the second, and was starting to relax a little, but now for confirmation of either hope or fear, “When I heard you demanded only equal treatment in your contract, are you set on that? I don’t want a repeat of 1990, and as long as the balance is level, it’s not ideal for me, but I can take a swing at it.”
Ayrton assumed that would be bothering him, and decided to be blunt but honest, “Yeah. I don’t want any excuses if I win, and I don’t want to have any if you do. We leave it on the track, right? We’ve both lived through Prost, why recreate it here? Let the best man win.”
“Well put. We have a deal.” Nigel extended his hand, and Senna shook it. The engineers eavesdropping from the other corner of the garage all sighed with relief.
Round One: Yellow Pages South African Grand Prix - 01 March 1992 – Kyalami
Gerhard Berger was still adjusting to life outside of the direct shadow of his former teammate, wondering how he would get on with the experienced Riccardo Patrese at McLaren. The mood was not optimistic in the garage, without Senna’s intense willpower and focus, the team knew it would have a hard fight just to reach second in the championship. He could tell that McLaren’s spot atop the order had fallen quickly, with the evolving Williams beasts and Adrian Newey’s designs. The human element was different as well. Instead of a teammate always of the appearance of clutching a live wire, Patrese was relaxed and confident, with the instincts still intact, but not the brutal intensity. There would be no conflicts as long as there was technical parity, but something would be missing. Berger wondered how that would translate over the season, watching the McLarens struggle to make it on the podium, alongside a man whom, at the surface, seemed too at peace to be bothered by reality.
As the racing media expected, what was to be a season reminiscent of the 1988-1989 seasons with the Prost-Senna pairing at McLaren kicked off with the FW14B’s debut in the hands of Mansell and Senna. Qualifying at the Kyalami track was a straightforward affair, with Senna edging Mansell for the pole by a little over a tenth, and Gerhard Berger’s McLaren had to be content with starting third with a time over a full second behind pole. Fans in South Africa were thrilled to start the season at their own track, as it was the first event in seven years due to the FIA ban in response to Apartheid. With segregation ended, the racing resumed.
Their attentions quickly shifted down the order after the start of the race. Senna and Mansell got off to a fast start, gapping the field immediately and leading by a full ten seconds by the end of the sixth lap, with the McLarens of Berger and Parties dogged by Michael Schumacher’s Benetton and Alesi’s Ferrari. As the race wore on and attrition took its toll, Mansell passed his teammate during pit stops, and managed to stay ahead due to greater familiarity with the FW14 on worn tires. Senna managed to close within five seconds by the end, but after the first round of stops, it was Mansell’s race. Schumacher proved to be a shock to all on his first start at the Kyalami track, and taking his maiden podium with third, followed by Berger, Patrese, and Capelli’s Ferrari.
Points after one race:
Drivers’: Constructors’:
Mansell – 10 Williams – 16
Senna - 6 McLaren – 5
Schumacher – 4 Benetton – 4
Berger – 3 Ferrari – 1
Patrese – 2
Capelli - 1
file:///C:/Users/Sean/Documents/The...yrton Senna to Williams in 1992.docx#_ednref1 POD in the Formula One side of this story. Senna takes the opportunity to race for Williams two years early, and the resultant changes to the lineup are: Ferrari replaces Prost with Capelli, McLaren and Williams swap Senna for Patrese, and Benetton replaces the retired Piquet with Brundle. OTL, Senna stayed with McLaren-Honda out of loyalty, wanting to take the next chance to move to Williams. Due to Prost’s return in 1993 with a No-Senna contract stipulation, Senna had to wait until 1994 to drive for Williams-Renault.