Motorsports What Ifs Thread

F1 WI during Turbo Era naturally aspirated Teams received an earlier capacity increase from 3-litres up to around 3.5-litres - 4-litres (latter for V8s), together perhaps with an earlier introduction of the pop-off valves and reduced fuel tank sizes of only 150 litres on turbocharged cars?

The intention being of creating a scenario where front-running ATL naturally aspirated teams in 1984-1986 perform roughly as well as OTL Benetton and Tyrrell during the 1987-1988 F1 seasons (in addition to the Tyrrell Team's exploit in the 1984 Season with it's Tyrrell 012 remaining undiscovered).
 
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Ayrton Senna lives on and - as he actually wanted to do - spends his last year in Formula One, most likely in the late 1990s, racing for Minardi for free.

Combined with the above, WI Minardi managed to be a bit more successful beforehand compared to OTL by managing to score at least a point per season since their debut?

Via a scenario where Minardi was powered by Alfa Romeo engines from a 1.5 V8 turbo in 1985 to a 1.5 4-cylinder twin-turbo from 1986-1988 (after Osella switched to using Motori Moderni V6 turbos from 1985-1988) with Minardi establishing a two car team on its debut season where drivers Pierluigi Martini and Alessandro Nannini were teammates from 1985-1987.

Followed by Pierluigi Martini somehow managing to beat Ayrton Senna to win Minardi’s first and only GP at the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix (until Sebastian Vettel won the 2008 Italian Grand Prix for Minardi or Senna Toro Rosso, etc), with Senna himself later deciding to follow in the footsteps of his rival Prost by eventually attempting to form his own F1 team by buying out Minardi after ending his career there.

Within this context it would have also been interesting (if a long shot) seeing Minardi's relative ATL success compared to OTL (either pre/post-Senna or under Minardi/Senna Toro Rosso) leading them to acquire the local Faenza Calcio football team, rename it to Minardi FC and managing to eventually catapult the latter to Serie A?
 
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i was more thinking about the not be burnt inside and out in a terrible crash rather than the world championship thing!
I think he would also be happier with that. But without that crash Hunt would not have a free hand to recover his points gap, and Lauda would almost certainly win the title.
Would Hunt be more motivated and be a candidate in 77? If Hunt has a OTL 77 he will not be the legend that he is.
The Crash movie will not get made for sure.
 
F1 WI during Turbo Era naturally aspirated Teams received an earlier capacity increase from 3-litres up to around 3.5-litres - 4-litres (latter for V8s), together perhaps with an earlier introduction of the pop-off valves and reduced fuel tank sizes of only 150 litres on turbocharged cars?

The intention being of creating a scenario where front-running ATL naturally aspirated teams in 1984-1986 perform roughly as well as OTL Benetton and Tyrrell during the 1987-1988 F1 seasons (in addition to the Tyrrell Team's exploit in the 1984 Season with it's Tyrrell 012 remaining undiscovered).
The turbo age was allowed to happen to lure car makers into F1. BMW and Honda are not going to run to be beaten by a few Brit mechanics with a bolt on V8. The PTB in F1 used turbos to rise the price of wining, and made F1 the big money show it still is.
 
I don't disapprove, but that suggests Gilles doesn't sign with Ferrari, doesn't it?:eek: Does he stay with McLaren, despite the M26 & M28?:eek: Or go elsewhere?
How about Lotus?
Andretti and Gilles at Lotus for 78/79?
OTL Lotus only failed to win in 77 because the car was not reliable. In 78 Gilles, being like Ronnie a true sportsman, would probably do pretty much what Ronnie did. Then in 79 he would put on a brave fight with a now slow car. But then comes 80, and Gilles could go to Williams. Without a Jones number one rule, Gilles could be champion in 80, 81 and 82 with the Williams and stay for the Honda years...
 
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Combined with the above, WI Minardi managed to be a bit more successful beforehand compared to OTL by managing to score at least a point per season since their debut?

Via a scenario where Minardi was powered by Alfa Romeo engines from a 1.5 V8 turbo in 1985 to a 1.5 4-cylinder twin-turbo from 1986-1988 (after Osella switched to using Motori Moderni V6 turbos from 1985-1988) with Minardi establishing a two car team on its debut season where drivers Pierluigi Martini and Alessandro Nannini were teammates from 1985-1987.

Followed by Pierluigi Martini somehow managing to beat Ayrton Senna to win Minardi’s first and only GP at the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix (until Sebastian Vettel won the 2008 Italian Grand Prix for Minardi or Senna Toro Rosso, etc), with Senna himself later deciding to follow in the footsteps of his rival Prost by eventually attempting to form his own F1 team by buying out Minardi after ending his career there.

Within this context it would have also been interesting (if a long shot) seeing Minardi's relative ATL success compared to OTL (either pre/post-Senna or under Minardi/Senna Toro Rosso) leading them to acquire the local Faenza Calcio football team, rename it to Minardi FC and managing to eventually catapult the latter to Serie A?

I don't think he will rename the team - that's something that does not happen in Italy outside of outright bankruptcy - but the Minardi logo will nonetheless be quite visible on Faenza's uniforms. As for whether Faenza will be able to get to Serie A, it depends... the early to mid 2000s would be the right time for it, since the team back then was in Serie C and D, alongside Sassuolo - a team that did eventually get to Serie A.

The 2006 scandal and the 2008 recession hit Italian football hard, but Minardi's DIY ethics could actually help the football team - even in Formula 1, he's always bet on local talent and/or youth, and he'd be able to get decent results while not spending much at all, if he's able to get a good enough coach of course.
 
How about Lotus?
Andretti and Gilles at Lotus for 78/79?
OTL Lotus only failed to win in 77 because the car was not reliable. In 78 Gilles, being like Ronnie a true sportsman, would probably do pretty much what Ronnie did. Then in 79 he would put on a brave fight with a now slow car. But then comes 80, and Gilles could go to Williams. Without a Jones number one rule, Gilles could be champion in 80, 81 and 82 with the Williams and stay for the Honda years...
:cool::cool::cool: You're brilliant.;)

I suspect, given the way he drives, Gilles might break a bit more often, but the Lotus was better than the 312. Either way, he doesn't die.:cool:
 
The turbo age was allowed to happen to lure car makers into F1. BMW and Honda are not going to run to be beaten by a few Brit mechanics with a bolt on V8. The PTB in F1 used turbos to rise the price of wining, and made F1 the big money show it still is.

The Turbo teams would still be largely dominant in this ATL, just that the Naturally-Aspirated teams would not be completely out of contention in the 1984-1986 F1 seasons as was the case in OTL.

I don't think he will rename the team - that's something that does not happen in Italy outside of outright bankruptcy - but the Minardi logo will nonetheless be quite visible on Faenza's uniforms. As for whether Faenza will be able to get to Serie A, it depends... the early to mid 2000s would be the right time for it, since the team back then was in Serie C and D, alongside Sassuolo - a team that did eventually get to Serie A.

The 2006 scandal and the 2008 recession hit Italian football hard, but Minardi's DIY ethics could actually help the football team - even in Formula 1, he's always bet on local talent and/or youth, and he'd be able to get decent results while not spending much at all, if he's able to get a good enough coach of course.

Just as well, it could be said there is little to no need for Senna rename Minardi. Would it be possible for Minardi / Faenza to receive sponsorship from Red Bull?

Having visions of Football crowds chanting Minardi in stadiums, then there is both the F1 and Football Minardi branded merchandise to consider (further enhanced by the presence of Senna). Perhaps the popular legend of Minardi having the best coffee in the paddock could extend to producing their own brand of Coffee in ATL, or even a brand of thick Italian hot chocolate more commonly seen outside of Italy compared to say Cameo Ciobar (... cannot seem to get it right whether in microwave or hob).
 
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How about an unlikely one? Garlits doesn't adopt the mid-engined digger.

Or, flip that, & somebody else makes the mid-engined digger successful sooner. Say Steve Swaja's AA/Gas Wedge I in '63?
 
I think he would also be happier with that. But without that crash Hunt would not have a free hand to recover his points gap, and Lauda would almost certainly win the title.
Would Hunt be more motivated and be a candidate in 77? If Hunt has a OTL 77 he will not be the legend that he is.
The Crash movie will not get made for sure.

agreed that without the crash Hunt would not be world champion. He would be a playboy with an unfulfilled talent.
 
While it seems more likely for Eddie Irvine to become world champion in 1999, an interesting challenge would be to find a way for him to become world champion in the early/mid-2000s outside of Ferrari via a series of bad luck for the latter.

Apparently he could have either continued racing for Jaguar or considered moving to Jordan for 2003 instead of retiring, though neither was competitive and not sure how he could get a seat in a more competitive team for 2004. Is it known whether Irvine could have opted for another team instead of Jaguar in 2000 in the event him staying at Ferrari is not an option?


Additionally could Prost Grand Prix have butterflied away their ill-fated switch and decline from using Peugeot engines 1998-2000 by either sticking with Mugen-Honda / Honda or ex-Renault Mecachrome / Supertec engines, perhaps even managing to secure a engine deal with Renault as a customer team from 2001 onwards (akin to Honda with BAR and Jordan in 2001-2002)?
 
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