The Man from Sao Paulo - Senna to Williams in 1992

[FickleCrossroad]

So I've decided on a couple changes:
First, I plan on tweaking the format of my race updates for the 1994 seasons, it will be more like a news article than before. Trying to write it as some sort of hybrid has been fairly taxing, and I want to hone quality while increasing quantity.

Second, the F1 points system will be slightly different than present OTL, I was a bit inspired by the 2003-2009 format, so the points will not change to present OTL as mentioned in the last offseason, but second will count for 20 points. Thus, 25-20-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1. From what I recall looking over my standings from 1993 ITTL, Hakkinen would surpass Mansell for second, and Alesi would jump both Berger and Hill. I had not progged farther down than Patrese, though, and did not touch the constructors.

Currently I'm working on a series of large posts, but am shooting to introduce a few snippets in the meanwhile. Plans are to get things going full blast in a couple weeks.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Due to certain circumstances, I've been able to do a lot of writing over the past couple days, if I can continue the pace, the offseason will be done easily by the end of the month. Already I have enough to match the length of my 1993 Indy 500 post, but it's not particularly in the order I'd prefer. I actually wrote up a rating scale in my notes regarding team strength for the F1 season, every team, mind you. '94 is the leap into the butterfly swarm.

I plan on posting a couple small bits by the end of the week, but will hold off on the larger posts until right before the season starts.

 

[RAKtheUndead]

Second, the F1 points system will be slightly different than present OTL, I was a bit inspired by the 2003-2009 format, so the points will not change to present OTL as mentioned in the last offseason, but second will count for 20 points. Thus, 25-20-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1. From what I recall looking over my standings from 1993 ITTL, Hakkinen would surpass Mansell for second, and Alesi would jump both Berger and Hill. I had not progged farther down than Patrese, though, and did not touch the constructors.

I'm just thinking that one of the major reasons that I saw for the substantial change in the points system in OTL was the greater reliability of cars in the present day compared to OTL 1993. I wouldn't be surprised if there was quite a bit of backlash for changing the points system at this point in time for a perception of "cheapening" a points position.

 

[TheMann]

I'm just thinking that one of the major reasons that I saw for the substantial change in the points system in OTL was the greater reliability of cars in the present day compared to OTL 1993. I wouldn't be surprised if there was quite a bit of backlash for changing the points system at this point in time for a perception of "cheapening" a points position.

After what happened in 1993 IOTL, there might actually be more support for the idea simply because of how much of a beating that Williams laid on everyone during the season. The other teams might like to claim that they were able to score some points during the season. That was why the points were changed in the World Rally Championship IOTL, don't forget.

 

[Geordie]

Good stuff, spdoyle.

Benetton will probably be looking to improve reliability next season, even with all the other changes. They definitely had the second best car, have two cracking drivers, and neither of them could make use of the four race free run to chase down the moustache for second place. It was a nice move of Senna's to let Patrese have a final moment in the sun. Very classy

I'm interested to see how the close season will pan out. Some of the teams slightly lower down the pecking order may be thinking of how to get that promising young Scot out of Frank Williams' number three seat. Whether Sir Frank or Coulthard himself would be tempted is a different matter entirely.

The new more mature Michael Andretti will be interesting to watch in the FW16. Actually, at this point, Coulthard's probably been in the FW16 more than anybody else, so Frank may be very keen to keep hold of him. Also, I can't wait to see the Benetton rivalry next season - assuming both drivers stay put!

 

[FickleCrossroad]

I'm just thinking that one of the major reasons that I saw for the substantial change in the points system in OTL was the greater reliability of cars in the present day compared to OTL 1993. I wouldn't be surprised if there was quite a bit of backlash for changing the points system at this point in time for a perception of "cheapening" a points position.

After what happened in 1993 IOTL, there might actually be more support for the idea simply because of how much of a beating that Williams laid on everyone during the season. The other teams might like to claim that they were able to score some points during the season. That was why the points were changed in the World Rally Championship IOTL, don't forget.

Sorry for the belated reply, whenever I hit my stride, real life hits the fan. Yeah, TheMann has my logic here down to a tee.

Good stuff, spdoyle.

Benetton will probably be looking to improve reliability next season, even with all the other changes. They definitely had the second best car, have two cracking drivers, and neither of them could make use of the four race free run to chase down the moustache for second place. It was a nice move of Senna's to let Patrese have a final moment in the sun. Very classy

I'm interested to see how the close season will pan out. Some of the teams slightly lower down the pecking order may be thinking of how to get that promising young Scot out of Frank Williams' number three seat. Whether Sir Frank or Coulthard himself would be tempted is a different matter entirely.

The new more mature Michael Andretti will be interesting to watch in the FW16. Actually, at this point, Coulthard's probably been in the FW16 more than anybody else, so Frank may be very keen to keep hold of him. Also, I can't wait to see the Benetton rivalry next season - assuming both drivers stay put!

Coulthard will be like Hakkinen in '93, only don't expect a few races when Andretti gets sacked, because that's not in the cards. The B194 will be strong, with the best combined lineup by a thread. Remember all, this is Mika pre-IOTL '95 Adelaide, when he was very aggressive, and only needed a car that matched his strengths to be a powerhouse. With a car balanced between the two strongest drivers of the IOTL Post-Senna '90's, don't discount Benetton, at all.

I had to go to the pond because of work, and am still sorting out the backlog. The plan is to be done the offseason before the end of the month. This means things will be condensed and I'm getting rid of most of the sidestories.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

From this point through the remainder of the offseason, there may be some continuity errors, but I'm still hoping to have this knocked out by the end of the week.

IndyCar Offseason 1993-1994 - 10 December 1993 – Portland, Oregon

With team owners Kenny Berenstein, Gerry Forsythe, Rick Galles, Jim Hall, and Chip Ganassi flanking her, Portland mayor Vera Katz announced that the city would permit owners from several IndyCar teams to purchase a stake in Portland International Raceway. To slight chagrin of the owners, Katz had demanded that their part of the upgrade costs would also include an efficient means of transit between the track itself and an eventual line of light rail that the Katz administration was trying to secure extending to the Expo Center.file:///C:/Users/Sean/Documents/TMF...- Chapter 04 - 1993-1994 Offseason.docx#_edn1 Mayor Katz knew that an increased presence by IndyCar and NHRA would bring revenue into the city, and sought to use the public pressure on her opponents in the city council to speed up the expansion of MAX, as well as other mass-transit initiatives. As a balm to the added price, the investing team owners would be permitted discounts for their sponsors during IndyCar season on a trial, limited basis. However, with the location of the likely station being very close to the track, their enhanced pedestrian & bicyclist access from the station would still not be as pricey as the modest reconfiguration planned for Portland International Raceway.

For PIR, the new ownership partners would alter each end of the backstretch slightly, as well as reverse the direction from clockwise to anticlockwise during all IndyCar sanctioned events. The old turn twelve and eleven would be bypassed by a 100ft lengthening of the front straight, and by keeping it on the drag strip until the entry to the new turn one. As “New 1” would have a slightly wider radius (as well as paved area), the blast down the now chicane-free front straight would have a turn that was both demanding and forgiving at the same time, with plenty of paved runoff before the sandtrap and tire barriers. “New 2” would follow shortly thereafter, with the intent being opportunities for a successful over-under defense followed by another attack, a fleeting opportunity for drivers in a duel to get by as turns two through five were a series of esses linking the straightaways. The backstretch now was to have its kink deleted, with only the left-handed bowing sweep just past halfway through. Hall and Ganassi in particular thought this reconfiguration provided a chance at IndyCar having its own 130R, which set up an overtaking zone before a hard 110-degree left. “New 7” would require as much effort into safety as “New 1,” but the owners agreed that the investment would be worthwhile, especially as they intended to slowly improve the seating in that area of the track as funds allowed. The following corner adopted much of the old track, however widened it to tighten the radius of the apex and send the course down into a right-left S section which immediately would flow into the final double-apex sweeper of the course. Construction would begin after the new year, and it was expected to be completed before the 1994 race. They were all optimistic the track would work, it was only a matter of time before they could fill even more seats.

file:///C:/Users/Sean/Documents/TMF...hapter 04 - 1993-1994 Offseason.docx#_ednref1 IOTL’s Yellow Line Delta Park/Vanport Station. Investment by the teams will result in the station opening as per OTL, but with a covered trail to gates on the east end of the track.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Two Post Tuesdays? - Bottom is ITTL 1993 using ITTL 1994's points

Formula One Offseason 1993-1994 – Random Notes/Refreshers

Rule Changes for 1994:

-Ban on all electronic aides save semi-automatic transmission.

-All wings are to be single-element, endplates permitted.

-Ride height to be governed by attachment of a plank along the lower bodywork, while wear violations will be progressively penalized.

-Refueling reintroduced.

-Cars are to have dorsal centerline airbox replaced by a crash-resistant rollhoop, with the sub-hoop car height dictating the mandatory minimum height behind the driver.

-Overall width to 210cm.

-Points to be awarded on a 25-20-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 basis, with all finishes being valued equally.

-Car numbers to be ordered via previous finish in the Constructor’s Standings, aside from the previous Driver’s Champion and teammate, who will use #1 and #2 respectively. The number 13 is available, however not mandatory for any team.[ii]

file:///C:/Users/Sean/Documents/TMF...hapter 04 - 1993-1994 Offseason.docx#_ednref1 The Weickershof Protocol did not exist ITTL due to stronger Williams pairing butterflying changes into a more ad-hoc agreement.

[ii] One year earlier than OTL.

Apologies for the formatting error, I'm in a hurry and need to post-and-run.

 

[HesitatedEye]

Thanks for a update on the rules that was my only nitpick with F1 changing the historic numbers although did always confuse the hell outta me why Tyrrell was numbers 3 & 4 growing up.

 

[TheMann]

Interesting changes to Portland, but the last section in your redesign would be too narrow through the esses to be anything more than chicanes or mickey-mouse corners and the last turn would get in the way of dragstrip installations.

I don't think there honestly is a way of substantially changing the track at Portland without doing something radical. I had the thought of the track owners buying up the packaging plant and warehouses between the golf course and the Columbia River to the north, the track owners effectively paying for Portland to move a handful of not-well-placed industries and turning the whole area into parkland in return for a new section of the track. to double up the benefit, a new bridge over the waterway south of the track would be built with a gate to the track and to the golf course at the west end of the circuit. The facility looks something like this:

Now, the last left-right combination of this track was tightened up, while the long backstretch was straightened somewhat to turn that combination into a real passing zone. It and the first corner would in this layout be very, very wide pavement sections, preferably to avoid the first-corner pileups which Portland was once infamous for. Along with this, the place would get the full treatment - permanent pit garages (with grandstands on top) on the inside of the front straightaway, a real race control tower (where the Chicane used to be), paved runoff, gravel and golf course-quality grass where appropriate and SAFER barriers put up where big hits at likely, particularly at the end of the longer straightaways. As this is Oregon, it's also highly advisable that one keep the natural beauty of the area as untouched as possible. Green nuts will hate the race a lot less that way.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Interesting changes to Portland, but the last section in your redesign would be too narrow through the esses to be anything more than chicanes or mickey-mouse corners and the last turn would get in the way of dragstrip installations.

How would it get in the way of dragstrip installations? The last turn here is identical to the first post-chicane turn as the OTL track. Deleting the chicane also provides the opportunity to shift the pitlane more towards the center of the front straight, which could permit the esses to become less Mickey Mouse or chicane-like.

If you meant that "New 1" gets in the way of the drag strip installations, I still must ask "how?" I'd just be paving over some area that was grass, everything else there looks either undisturbed or temporary, so the NHRA/IndyCar would only need to put in perhaps 10-20 man-hours of work to transition at the very most between events, from how this appears.

I don't think there honestly is a way of substantially changing the track at Portland without doing something radical.

The goal here was not to go too radical. The team owners are getting <20% a stake in the track, which means, after improvements, no matter how awesome they make it, mulitple owners are splitting a small pie of ticket revenue. ITTL, there's no incentive to go big, but a smaller set of changes that promotes better racing (which was my goal here), seemed to be the realm of the plausible.

I had the thought of the track owners buying up the packaging plant and warehouses between the golf course and the Columbia River to the north, the track owners effectively paying for Portland to move a handful of not-well-placed industries and turning the whole area into parkland in return for a new section of the track. to double up the benefit, a new bridge over the waterway south of the track would be built with a gate to the track and to the golf course at the west end of the circuit. The facility looks something like...

Now, the last left-right combination of this track was tightened up, while the long backstretch was straightened somewhat to turn that combination into a real passing zone. It and the first corner would in this layout be very, very wide pavement sections, preferably to avoid the first-corner pileups which Portland was once infamous for. Along with this, the place would get the full treatment - permanent pit garages (with grandstands on top) on the inside of the front straightaway, a real race control tower (where the Chicane used to be), paved runoff, gravel and golf course-quality grass where appropriate and SAFER barriers put up where big hits at likely, particularly at the end of the longer straightaways. As this is Oregon, it's also highly advisable that one keep the natural beauty of the area as untouched as possible. Green nuts will hate the race a lot less that way.

Going whole-hog like that makes a lot of sense if IndyCar (or a coalition of teams) would be purchasing the track outright. As that's not happening ITTL, (there's no point, and Katz doubtfully would go for it as it makes too much sense for the city to retain majority possession here if the quality is improving), I don't see how such a move is plausible. There's room to play around with "New 2-5," though, and I'll get cranking on the edits there today.

I'm just shooting for "maximum investment before costs outweigh gains past the point of credibility."

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Thanks for a update on the rules that was my only nitpick with F1 changing the historic numbers although did always confuse the hell outta me why Tyrrell was numbers 3 & 4 growing up.

From how I recall, plus Wiki, it's because their last championships were from when Jackie Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi went back-and-forth between WDC's, and that's when Fittipaldi was transitioning from Lotus to McLaren, so there was a lot of number-shuffling between those three teams. As Tyrrell never won a WDC after Stewart, they were stuck with 3 & 4 after Emmo won his 2nd WDC.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Portland, Draft 3

In an attempt to improve the "PIR 2.0 design," the first few turns have been revamped (remember, ITTL it's anti-clockwise instead of OTL clockwise). If I were to have my own track-designing style through most of my designs I've made over my life, I've realized I enjoy throwing in a technical section in an otherwise fast design, hence the section between "New Turn 1" and the backstretch. The idea being I want to see the drivers struggle with a low-downforce setup and rely on skill and mechanical grip to make the most of the twisties.

I also ever-so-slightly tweaked the complex after the backstretch in an attempt to make it more counterattack friendly.

The revised pit lane is in blue. (TheMann, I'm with you on permanent garages - especially with seating above, it's just a matter of budget, so it'll be awhile.) The OTL chicane will be left unmolested for pit use, merely, a chicane is put for pit-in to keep drivers from accidentally (or by rushing it), plowing in and causing mayhem.

The MAX station and connecting path (matching OTL, only covered), is in yellow. The gate is in green.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

I wound up doing the electronic version of a tear-down on what I'd had so for. The rest will hopefully be up soon. I'm still sitting on about 17 pages with another four or so to write, there's just no coherent order to it yet.

Formula One Offseason 1993-1994 – 12 December 1993 – London

The Williams F1 Lineup, 1993 – From an Interview of Ayrton Senna and Michael Andretti – By: James Hunt – The Independent

I had the chance to sit down with reigning (and four-time) champion Ayrton Senna and his new teammate at Williams, one-time and perennial contender for the IndyCar championship, last week as the two were engaging in some advertising commitments. To say I was still shocked that Frank Williams would hire Andretti after seasoning David Coulthard over the year must have registered with the thirty-one year old American. Thankfully, I also had Ayrton in the room, whom was entertaining as always to have a conversation with.

From the ten years watching Senna on the track, it had not surprised me that he had been disappointed with only winning eight times in 1993, (outside of Japan, which brought a grin and a quick “he deserved it for helping perfect that car,” (when I called him out for the chance to have had nine). When I confronted him on the relatively intimidating reliability of the FW-15 through the first three quarters of the season, the point only made him more animated. He blamed himself for the poor start at Imola, and knew that the jackman’s error at Magny-Cours prevented him from not having to fight Mansell to mutual misfortune. “He had me cleanly in Montreal and at Spa – there was no getting by him no matter what, but those other two? I could have the record for wins in a season.” A point which again reminded me of Japan, but he beat me to the punch and sheepishly admitted, “I forgot I only had seven at the time. I just thought he earned it, he pushed himself through recovery from Estoril just to help us other drivers win eleven times. He saw from the early races how huge the gap was between us and the rest, and helped iron out the kinks on driving it under the limit when we knew we had to just bring it home in front. He earned it.”

Turning to Andretti, we discussed the differences in the atmosphere between IndyCar and Formula One, and Michael admitted that the Williams facility was far ahead of what he had access to in America. I could see the hunger in his eyes, wanting to win, but he caught me off guard when he worried about F1 already starting to fall behind on safety efforts, which after Marcelo, Piquet, and Groff’s crashes over the previous twenty months, had been on his mind. Ayrton’s face had tensed up at that, their body language showed that they’d both talked at length about the subject and had agreed – 1994 was a risk at the level of 1982. As none of us were in Formula One at the time, I decided to move on to other topics once they agreed to be interviewed on safety a couple of months down the line.

As we returned to our conversation about Michael’s adjustment at the Williams facility, he mentioned that his six year-old son Marco was a frequent guest at Grove, and to the annoyance of the father, the son had become a fan of the four-time champion Senna. Perhaps the father could hold his own, but for an IndyCar driver to come up against the only four-time champion still racing, it’s easier to assume Andretti will have a long season.

 

[HesitatedEye]

Nice update I'm glad to see Michael having a better chance can't wait for 94.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Nice update I'm glad to see Michael having a better chance can't wait for 94.

Andretti still has the deck stacked against him ITTL, but yeah, it won't be humiliating this time around. I had a LOT written as of a few weeks ago, but TheMann inspired me in his Alternate F1 Champions TL to organize what I had more coherently. So, an ass-pain later, I have to type up some quick info for each IndyCar team (the basics are already templated and ready to rock), plus something for Senna and the Benetton intra-team dynamic. Once that's set, I'm diving in to the seasons.

 

[HesitatedEye]

Andretti still has the deck stacked against him ITTL, but yeah, it won't be humiliating this time around. I had a LOT written as of a few weeks ago, but TheMann inspired me in his Alternate F1 Champions TL to organize what I had more coherently. So, an ass-pain later, I have to type up some quick info for each IndyCar team (the basics are already templated and ready to rock), plus something for Senna and the Benetton intra-team dynamic. Once that's set, I'm diving in to the seasons.

Nice can't wait I gotta ask though who's taking Mrs. Andretti shopping at Williams?


http://www.f1rejects.com/centrale/andretti/index.html



Basically the bit I'm talking about is this:


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Andretti just didn't get it. And then there was his then-wife Sandy, who by all accounts very quickly made herself a nuisance within the squad. Used to the all-access, big-stars-and-trappings approach of American motorsport, she asked for not only pit passes but also headphones to listen in on her man when he was in the car. This was a completely unprecedented request in the world of the F1 paddock, a closely-guarded sanctum where access is limited, where rights are on a needs-must basis only, and where partners and wives stand unobtrusively looking worried but never actually get involved.

Perhaps it was not only just a case of Sandy being over-anxious for her husband, but also a fact that she liked the limelight herself. Her outfits, more suited to a day at the Kentucky Derby than the F1 pits, attracted disdain. Despite her eventual divorce from Michael, the way she swooned over son Marco in front of the media scrum after he came within metres of winning the Indy 500 as a rookie perhaps gives an insight into her personality. Legend has it that Dennis especially employed someone to take her shopping to get her out of the way on race weekends.











The main point for you've managed to do beautifully is give Michael two benefits he was promised at McLaren but didn't get one was a lack of testing and the other was Ron getting Renault engines the fact that Michael has figured out that statements of [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]if the team wanted him to test, he was a phone call and a six-hour flight away is probably not a smart idea as much as I doubt he can do it ideally I'd love for him to be the first son of a World Champion to win the title instead of Damon who I have nothing but respect for but who blew it two seasons running and only lucked out in 96 because Michael had to deal with Ferrari and Frank Williams had a moment of mercy.
[/FONT]
[/FONT]

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Sandy will be a distraction, but given the nature of '94 ITTL that I have planned, OTL Sandy will be butterflied away. Once she sees what's coming, Sandy will want to be there, but think of Felipe Massa's wife OTL. There, and intent, but knowing what's to come.

Yeah, I'm planning around Hurricane Sandy ITTL.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

And so it begins...

Indianapolis, Indiana – 13 January 1994

During the winter break, the move towards the future of the sport continued with the draft of the permanent car numbers by the drivers. While many attended in person, some provided lists by proxy. Notably absent were the two primary drivers of the Andretti family in recent years, and the clan was represented only by Mario’s nephew John. After a fairly uneventful season in NASCAR, John had been persuaded by his uncle to return to open-wheelers, to partner rookie Jacques Villeneuve at Forsythe-Green Racing.

As had been decided during the 1993 season, numbers would be assigned in order of championships, followed by race wins, and followed by total starts. With five champions returning for the 1994 season, and twelve total race winners back in the fray, those twelve would have precedence. Another rumored but unconfirmed change was the switch to allow 3.0L engines limited to 30in/Hg of boost two years early, to allow for teams to switch in advance should they decide to. It was too late for all the teams outside of RHP, (who had already signed with Honda), but the other manufacturers were looking forward to an expanded window of transition…

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Another 1994 Teaser: The Final Stumbling Block Removed

Well all, I finally decided how to settle this particular butterfly. It'll be addressed again in a few days, but outside of my Excel setting-up for 1994, I'm finally done with the offseason. Enjoy!

Flashback: Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil – 27 March 1993

As a promotion for Shell wrapped up by the McLaren paddock, Adriane Galisteu walked her way through the paddock. She had been curious about the hometown hero, but he was cloistered in the Williams trailer undoubtedly discussing qualifying. She passed by the trailer a couple of times, having stopped for a drink and some food back at the McLaren trailer, and on that second time she saw Ayrton exit with Patrick Head and Nigel Mansell. The three were continuing their conversation, and Galisteu knew that it was hopeless. At the last second before she turned away, she saw Senna notice her and slipped him a wink and a smile, which, unfortunately for her, had gone unseen as Senna had already turned away. Resigned, she continued on, wondering where she next could find work.