The Man from Sao Paulo - Senna to Williams in 1992

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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.

 

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Next two races.

Round Two: XV Gran Premio de Mexico – 22 March 1992 – Hermanos Rodriguez

Before the teams were set to hop across the Atlantic for the first time in the season, Michael Schumacher was enjoying a pickup game of football in his hometown of Kerpen, keeping himself training while playing midfield and striker. Occasionally, his mind would lapse at thoughts of the following races, and he was pleased with where Benetton was putting him this season. With only one race completed, it was evident that at least for the next month or two, his team would have a slight advantage over McLaren, putting him in the catbird seat should both Williams’ drivers stumble. It was an odd place to be, so near to the front, yet so far away. There was little he could do in the face of the blue and yellow dominance, yet he could start to make it plain that eventually, he would start winning, not just a race or two, but several a season. Martin Brundle was a professional. His underrated talent pushed Michael hard through the winter months, and he likely would throughout the season. He too, may become a winner over the next few years, but Michael knew he himself could be during this one.

His focus coming back to the game, he started to push himself harder. With nothing at stake but pride and bragging rights, it didn’t matter. He was playing to keep in the finest shape possible, and would need the strength and speed if he were to make the most of his slim chances to stand atop the podium.

After a dull Williams domination at the first round, hopes were that the Mexican Grand Prix would be a closer race, with the McLarens having a more respectable showing. In qualifying, the mutterings across the paddock continued as the Williams’ advantages remained daunting for the rest of the grid. Senna took his second pole of the season, with Mansell locking out the front row for Williams-Renault. Benetton showed that their rise was at McLaren’s expense, with Schumacher and Brundle both ahead of either McLaren. Worst of all, the factory Ferrari team was edged out by both customer-engined Dallaras. The Maranello men were already starting to worry about falling further behind in the early part of the season, but they still hadn’t worked out the gremlins from their engine.

On race day, the Williams drivers tore off into the distance, adding nearly a second a lap ahead of the Benettons. Before the first round of stops, Berger and Brundle dueled for fourth, with Patrese ready to pounce in case either stumbled. Neither did, however the mechanical Grim Reaper claimed Berger’s gearbox at an inopportune time, and gave Brundle a two second advantage over the pursuing Patrese. Unfortunately, this wasn’t to last the race, as his engine failed twelve laps later.

Back at the front, the Williams duel intensified after the first round of stops, with Senna barely retaining the lead after everyone cycled through, with Schumacher fifteen seconds back in third. Mansell knew that with Senna out front, he could push himself into a mistake, but he himself would be ineffective at the pushing. However, the FW14B was not the McLarens Senna was used to driving, and increased his lead to three seconds after the second round of stops, with Schumacher static at twenty seconds back. That is how the top three would finish, followed by Patrese and the two Lotuses of Hakkinen and Herbert.


Round Three: Grande Prêmo do Brasil – 05 April 1992 – Interlagos

Jean Alesi was still kicking himself over his decision against signing with Williams for the start of the last season. He would be now in a serious fight with whoever the team kept on this year, but he could already see how far off pace his F92 was, and he knew it would be a long season, with more long seasons to go until things came together at Maranello. What is a man to do but do the best with what he has on hand? Privately, Ivan Capelli had taken him aside and said he’d be shocked if they could get twenty-five points out of the year, less than half the 1991 total, and nearly as much as Jean himself could pull in. Ivan had a point, though, as the design made it horrible to drive, and the reliability was so lacking that even twenty-five points may be generous. With Williams already at thirty-two, neither driver had hope. Still, if he didn’t press on, he might be out of a seat for next year, and then where would he be? Jordan? Tyrell again? Lotus? All teams either too young to contend or slipping into the grave. No, the only way out was to succeed.

For the first time in his Formula One career, Ayrton Senna came into his home race as the venue’s defending champion. The combination of this, and the number one on the nose of his car bode poorly for the rest of the field. He set pole with eight tenths of a second to spare over Mansell, and left the track to take the easy commute to his family’s mansion after meditating in the paddock. The burdens were off his shoulders here, so, with Frank Williams’ prior approval, he left the track only minutes after the session was complete.

Throughout the entire race from lights to checkered flag, Senna gave a performance like no other; there was no challenge from even Mansell. The Grand Slam was his 5th, tying Ascari, and was his first since the 1990 race at Monza. He finished at Interlagos a lap ahead of everyone but his teammate, and over half a lap ahead of Mansell himself. Again, Schumacher rounded out the podium, his third straight on the bottom step, and the lockout by himself, Senna, and Mansell continued into April, nearly a minute behind Mansell and nearly in danger of being lapped twice, but otherwise drove a quiet, uneventful race, staying several seconds ahead of his other rivals. Patrese won a well-fought duel with Ferrari’s Jean Alesi, a race Alesi pushed to the edge again and again, however Patrese’s experience paid off, with the McLaren keeping fresher tires longer into stints, whereas the Ferrari lost grip too soon to make a move stick. Despite falling two laps down, Gianni Morbidelli was content to find himself bringing a point home for Minardi at the end of the day, having the luck to stay ahead of Hakkinen after pit stops to hold on from the young, charging Finn.

In the post race interview, his hypnotic voice and cadence, long familiar to the motorsport press, wasn’t surprised to hear him say, “Everything came together today, all I saw was the track, and the cars. It didn’t matter how the car handled a particular corner, I just felt it and reacted, and kept going. The only time I really took my mind off that was when the radio came on. They know now not to call so much when I’m focused.” Both Mansell and Schumacher were not amused.

Points after three races:
Drivers’:
Senna – 26
Mansell – 22
Schumacher - 12
Patrese – 8
Berger – 3
Hakkinen & Alesi – 2
Capelli, Herbert & Morbidelli – 1

Constructors’:
Williams – 48
Benetton - 12
McLaren - 11
Lotus & Ferrari – 3
Minardi - 1

 

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Indy Car: Round Three: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach – 12 April 1992 – Long Beach

It was just another year at Long Beach where Al Unser, Jr. was leading with the laps winding down. Six laps remained, and he was in front of his teammate, Danny Sullivan, by less than a second, six laps until he could extend his Long Beach winning streak to five. Unlike the more controlled explosions of Formula One, he knew that it was the time of the race where anything went, and he could only push as hard as possible to keep Sullivan from overtaking him. Finally, his Galmer-Chevrolet combination was out front, thanks to Michael Andretti’s transmission failing on the 44th lap. With two long straightaways followed by hard right-hand corners, Little Al knew he had his work cut out for him. As long as he led, he could make up some ground on the championship-leading Lola-Chevrolet of Bobby Rahal, who led the series , with Unser twelve points back in fifth place. If only Sullivan could keep doing him this favor and let him gain six points on Rahal and Fittipaldi going into Indy…

Danny Sullivan wanted to win, and could taste it, as he inched closer and closer to his teammate. Four laps remained, and he had a good run going into the backstretch, as Rahal and Fittipaldi closed in on his own gearbox. He was in Unser’s draft, and set him up for a dive on the inside, but no – he slammed on the brakes, as Unser took a legal but sharp line through the corner.[II] He wasn’t going to take out both himself and his teammate, not when they were running one-two. Then from his own left rear, he felt a thump and saw the black-and-yellow Lola of Rahal slowing, with Fittipaldi slipping by. He keyed his radio and called to the pits: “Rahal hit me! Check my left rear, don’t know if it’s going down yet!” Left Rear!”

“Copy! Left Rear. Will check for puncture.” The Galles-Kraco boys would try to spot the tire going down as Sullivan blasted past on Shoreline Drive. With a lap in hand over Goodyear in fifth, the team might lose the one-two, but they’d have two in the top four.

Bobby Rahal didn’t have time to react. Sullivan had pulled out of his attack at the last possible second for him, but Bobby was following Unser’s line, knowing he couldn’t take either until the hairpin or the front straight. It was too late for him when he saw the rear of the second Galmer back off and twitch back into a normal line, and he clipped Sullivan’s right wheel with his front wing. He could see most of the right half was gone, and was fairly sure he could bring it home, but his shot at a top-three had evaporated, as there was no way he could hold off Fittipaldi for one lap, let alone three and a half. He let Fittipaldi go and tried to protect his car.

Emerson Fittipaldi had just enough time to avoid getting sucked into the accordion-effect in front of him, and was able to pass Rahal into the next corner. He’d fight with Sullivan, but with Unser streaking into the horizon, he knew Sullivan would fight hard to preserve the 1-2. Time to try anyway.

“Unser takes the win! That’s five times in a row for Little Al here at Long Beach, he’s not just the king anymore, he’s the emperor!” Paul Page

IndyCar Drivers' Standings after three Races:
Emerson Fittipaldi-48 Bobby Rahal-47 Al Unser, Jr.-44 Rick Mears-29 Danny Sullivan-26 Eddie Cheever-21 John Andretti-16 Scott Goodyear-14 Paul Tracy-12 Scott Pruett-10 Mario Andretti-6 Michael Andretti-6 Scott Brayton-4 Ted Prappas-3 Eric Bachelart-2 Buddy Lazier-1


Round Four: Gran Premio Tio Pepe de España – 03 May 1992 – Catalunya

After Senna’s outright obliteration of the opposition during his Grand Slam at Interlagos, the mutterings across the paddock were louder, more profane, and starting to attract more attention from the racing media. The level of technological advancement was starting to worry the minor teams, especially with the early-season folding of Coloni. March and even the once-renowned Brabham were looking like they may not have the funds to finish out the season.. Meanwhile, McLaren were stunned by the abrupt confirmation that Honda would not be renewing their supply with the team. However, at Spain, the frustrations within the F1 community were blunted due to the Olympic atmosphere at Barcelona, the city already in full swing preparing for the Summer Games.

One spectator cared less about the upcoming Olympics than the race, and had taken time out between school and karting to attend with his father. Ten year-old Fernando Alonso soaked it all in, hoping to catch a glimpse of the drivers, wishing he was one of them. Along the fence, he watched every session, and had his chance to shake the hand of Damon Hill, who spun off in his prequalifying session in the Brabham. Fernando knew it was Hill’s first race and made sure to smile at the man who just lost his shot to start in it. He spent the rest of the weekend hoping for an autograph by one of the greats like Senna or Mansell, or even Schumacher, but he knew he was just lucky enough to make it to the race, his father could have just insisted to watch on TV, but made an exception when he saw how fascinated Fernando had come with the last few seasons of formula one.

The only surprise in qualifying was that Nigel Mansell finally outclassed his teammate, putting his car on pole ahead of Senna by a slim five-hundredths of a second. Race day saw treacherous conditions due to a downpour, and everyone was expecting a Senna charge to the front as had happened the race before. That was not the case, though, as mechanical troubles finally felled his Williams, leaving him in the garage before the first round of stops with electrical difficulties. It was Mansell’s race to win, but not before trouble with a pit stop allowed Schumacher to close to within twelve seconds by the checkered flag.

Down through the field, half of the entrants that day had spun off or outright collided with each other in a series of messy wrecks and offs, however thankfully without any injuries. McLaren finally finished on the podium, bringing a smile to a team that struggled mightily ever since Senna’s departure, with Berger making it past Capelli in the closing stages. Points were also won by Alboreto and Wendlinger, their respective fifth and sixth brought constructers points to the struggling Footwork and March teams. For the first time since Kyalami, Mansell sat atop the standings in first place, with one quarter of the season completed.

Points after four races:
Drivers’:
Mansell – 32
Senna – 26
Schumacher – 18
Patrese – 8
Berger – 7
Capelli – 4
Hakkinen, Alesi, & Alboreto – 2
Wendlinger, Herbert & Morbidelli – 1

Constructors’:
Williams – 58
Benetton - 18
McLaren - 15
Ferrari - 6 Lotus – 3
Footwork -2
Minardi & March - 1

[II] Second POD. IOTL, Sullivan completed the attack, and spun Unser out at that corner. Top four IOTL was Sullivan, Rahal, Fittipaldi, and Unser Jr. Here, Sullivan holds back. Assume all other eventa in the 1992 IndyCar season happen as OTL through race 15. If anything, Unser winning at Long Beach was routine by that point, and nothing would change going into Indy. The next IndyCar update will likely be before and during the last week of that season.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Early May 1992:

With the European Season full-swing, Ayrton Senna had more time in the Williams offices, and sat down with Adrian Newey, talking about development of the FW15 and its successor for the 1994 season. Senna was concerned about the massive target on the back of the team, after the utter domination of the first quarter of the season, and all of the attendant grumbling throughout the racing community. As Senna was a major player in the era of McLaren dominance with Prost, he knew full well that there was a limited amount of patience when it came to the level of superiority a team always at the top of the podium. Little did Ayrton know that this conversation would be prophetic, but as a driver with nearly a decade in Formula One, he trusted his instincts.
“Look, Adrian, we have a world-beater out there with the -14B. The only way anyone can beat us is if we beat ourselves. It’s three, four years ago all over again. Don’t you think the rules are going to change quickly? We’ll probably skate away with ’93, but it’s going to be rough come ’94, and we’re both still locked into the team then. Whatever happens, I want to be a winner. The FIA is going to be looking at us harder than anyone after a year like this, so we need to find other ways to win. Electronic aids? They’ll be gone. It’s going to come down to raw power and aero, everything else we’ve tried to build since the end of the turbo era is going to be taken away from us. With that, the cars are going to be pigs to drive. Mechanical grip will come into play more than ever. Renault will need to step up just in case other teams sneak electronics in under the FIA’s nose. All I ask is for you to let me help you build for not just next year, but for the one after. Things are going to change,” Senna took a long breath and looked into Newey’s eyes after voicing his concerns of the future, and wondered a bit if he said too much. However, if he said anything, he said the right anything.
“You leave McLaren for us, and McLaren falters, yet Williams runs faster than ever. Of course we wear the bull’s-eye, which happens with any success. But… I’ve heard the grumbling too. What’s it going to take?” Newey retorted, wondering what mess he got in, thinking he was on the cusp of a cakewalk.
“Assume that we’ll be looked at harder than anyone else. Assume we have to fight with teams that get to sneak aides past the stewards, yet if we tried to do the same we’d be disqualified. That’s it. Aero, power, and mechanical grip. Give me those three, ’94 will be a fight to remember.” The hesitation on Senna’s face disappeared, and raw focus returned. Adrian Newey knew his driver had a point, and wanted to press it for him. It was too obvious. Balestre was on his way out, and Ecclestone wasn’t the type to bend over for anyone he didn’t feel like. Now’s the time to get ready.


Round Five – San Marino Grand Prix – 17 May 1992 – Imola

It was standard service yet again during qualifying of the San Marino Grand Prix, with a Senna-led Williams front row and the Benettons filling the second. The race proved thrilling, but only if you cared about “Which Williams would win?” or “Who’s the best of the rest?” Senna made up for his gremlins in Spain, leading after each round of pit stops cycled through, with Mansell close behind. Behind the Williams, Brundle looked like he would finally have a shot against his teammate, but Schumacher managed to score another podium in the closing laps at Brundle’s expense. Further down, Tyrrell finally got on the board with a sixth from Groulliard, following Alboreto home to round out the top six.
Out of the points, Damon Hill picked off several positions in his second race with Brabham, including winning duels with Martini’s Dallara and Gugelmin’s Jordan. While the end of the day would see both of those drivers retire with mechanical troubles, the son of Graham proved impressive, and made teams like McLaren, Benetton, and Footwork look into hiring him full-time for the following season. Frank Williams was not surprised, and was pleased that his reserve driver could earn some experience without being a threat to the Constructors’ championship.
Sadly for Ferrari, their first race on home soil was for naught, as Capelli went off at Tamburello and Alesi’s engine blew. It was worse for McLaren, as they fell further behind Benetton in the battle for second in the Constructors Championship, with Patrese spinning off and gearbox issues for Berger. The memories of the glory years increasingly grew bitterer for the red and white of McLaren-Honda. It was only May, but the chill of winter was setting in at Woking.

IndyCar: Round Four: Carburetion Day: 76th Indianapolis 500 – 21 May 1992 – Speedway

Weather forecasts for Sunday were nothing like they should be for late May in Indiana. Expectations were for a cold and damp race, which was atypical. Not just the weather was downcast. Promising rookie Jovy Marcello had died less than a week before, and three-time Formula One champion Nelson Piquet suffered career-threatening injuries to his legs earlier in the month. Those crashes, and the weather, were heavy on the minds of the teams through Gasoline Alley. Setups would need to be overhauled, and grip would be scarce until rubber was lain down along the racing line. It would be a busy weekend, with more surprises yet to come.
Michael Andretti had taken the chance before the first practices that month to speak with Nelson Piquet, less than a year removed from Formula One and plenty experienced with the sport. The importance he stressed on spending as much time as he could working at the cars, with their complications and their radically different capabilities was pressed until Michael got the point. If he were to race at that level, he would be away from America for nearly a year, and would need to spend that year training and practicing to the utmost. Yes, he’d be waiting until 1994, he didn’t have a choice if he wanted to do this right.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Round Six – L Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco – 31 May 1992 – Monte Carlo

The scene was set for one of racing’s crown jewels, set one week after one of the most thrilling Indy 500’s in memory. Ayrton Senna was poised with the FW14B to defend his wins over the past three Monaco Grand Prix, and tie Graham Hill for five total wins at the circuit over a span of six races. Senna remembered not to get overconfident with a superior car as he had in 1988, but with the conversation with Adrian Newey still fresh in his mind, he wanted to push the car he had to its limits to overtake Mansell in the standings. Nigel Mansell, on the other hand, had never won the race, and was looking to add his name to the list of winners at the legendary venue through the streets of Monte Carlo.

For the rest of the grid, drivers were hoping the Williams would falter, and finally allow somebody, anybody a victory after five straight races of Williams’ domination. Qualifying results were nothing new on the front row, however both McLarens tucked in behind their Williams rivals, with Senna on pole ahead of Mansell, Berger, and Patrese, with the Ferraris and Benettons mixed behind them.

The race started with a pileup for the back of the field, as Johnny Herbert stalled his Lotus at the starting lights, causing the Larousse of Gachot to drive into Herbert, causing a wreck that took out Herbert, Gachot, Wendlinger, Suzuki, and Martini before any of them had even crossed the line. The survivors were informed that the race was halted, and that they would form up in the pitlane and do a formation lap before resetting the grid at the end of the second lap.

At the restart, Mansell charged, passing Senna, with Schumacher dispatching Patrese and hounding Berger up the hill. By mid-race, the top ten were Mansell, Senna, Schumacher, Berger, Alesi, Patrese, Brundle, Capelli, Alboreto, and de Cesaris.

Attrition took its toll through the latter half of the race, with gearbox issues prolific as the cars had to endure the many shifts of the street circuit. Several drivers also bungled the twisty hills, and by the final lap, Mansell and Senna were half a minute ahead of the rest of the field, picking their way through the backmarkers. Senna pipped Mansell at the exit of the tunnel, and made the move stick, to Mansell’s dismay, and Renault’s relief that their top drivers managed to keep their cars intact for yet another race. Once again, Schumacher rounded out the podium, with Capelli, Alboreto, and Comas all finishing in the points.

Monte Carlo – 01 June 1992

Departing early in the morning following the race at Monte Carlo, Mika Hakkinen was frustrated at the lack of success he’d had so far in the season, with only two points to his name after six races. He’d expected more from the Lotus, but the finishing touches to the 107 were slow coming, just to debut in time for the gearbox torture chamber of the old twisting street circuit. Mika knew that Lotus’ window for being an effective team in the mid-pack, let alone the front, was rapidly coming to an end, and this was the season in which he’d have to audition for a quicker, more secure ride. Talk of improving the active suspension was twisting the Lotus budget into knots, and there was little hope that the team would survive through the remainder of the decade. This left him in the quandary of using the next ten races as best he could, and targeted an average of a point a race, thinking that twelve points in a season dominated by the Williams and Benettons might be good enough to put him in the mix with the Ferrari drivers at the end of the season. Around and round his mind went, wondering where he should go next. McLaren was starting to struggle so mightily without Senna, that he was starting to doubt his previous desire to sign with the Woking team, but he may not have a choice in the matter . Time will only tell, but he knew it was running out.

Round Seven – Canadian Grand Prix – 14 June 1992 – Gilles Villeneuve

The return to North America brought no change from the status quo as Senna took pole ahead of Mansell. Outside of the usual presence of Benetton, McLaren, and Ferrari in the top ten slots, Lotus made a strong showing and filled the fifth row. As the lights went out, there was no repeat of the mid-pack fiasco that occurred in Monaco, and the Williams cars dueled their way through the first twenty laps. Mansell got the knack of hanging on Senna’s rear wing through the many sharp turns of Gilles Villeneuve, and thus pressured Senna into taking an earlier stop for tires, allowing Mansell to put in three flying laps and build a lead of two seconds by the time he left the pit lane.

Unfortunately for Senna, his problems were just beginning. As he attempted to close the gap to his teammate, he started to catch the backmarkers, who kept the gap static at two seconds. Further back in the field, the McLarens were best of the rest, with Berger ahead of Patrese who was in a fight for fourth with Schumacher, in a statement race after double-DNF’s in the last two races. Patrese caught a break when Schumacher encountered clutch issues, bringing the young German his first DNF of the season. Hakkinen, Brundle, and Alesi spent the closing stages of the race fighting over the two final points-paying positions, as Capelli and Herbert retired early.

With three laps to go, Senna’s championship lead was surrendered early when he went off and beached the car chasing down Mansell. The victor’s mustache was quivering in vengeful delight, as he finally surpassed his irritating former teammate Nelson Piquet, tying the great Fangio at 24 all-time wins. In his wake, McLaren rounded out the podium, followed by Brundle, Hakkinen, and Alesi.

Points after seven races:

Drivers’:
Mansell - 54
Senna – 46
Schumacher – 26
Berger - 13
Patrese – 12
Capelli – 7
Alboreto & Brundle – 6
Hakkinen - 4
Alesi – 3
Wendlinger, Herbert, Morbidelli, Groulliard, & Comas – 1

Constructors’:
Williams - 100
Benetton - 32
McLaren - 25
Ferrari - 10
Footwork - 6
Lotus - 5
Minardi, March, Tyrrell, Ligier - 1

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Btw, thanks to phx for that link. I've been perusing it.

I delayed updating yesterday because of OTL racing. If you caught the F1 race, I was trying to keep from an anti-team orders rant - which at it's peak, might have got me kicked, (I was that pissed off and moderately intoxicated.)

The IndyCar race, OTOH, made me only yell at Hildebrand. (Out of the front runners, I'm a Power fan, otherwise I have Rahal, Kimball, and Hinchcliffe biases.) Though IndyCar is looking for the female hype of a Danica Patrick through Simona de Silvestro, as a lifelong fan, I'm glad the right women stayed. (Though I wish Legge would get a ride and Fisher never went behind the pit-wall.) de Silvestro showed some game, I knew she was on options, but SCUFFED options, fighting that hard? I wish I could give her a high-five after that, after getting screwed over with the Lotus disaster last year, she has some racing karma points she deserves to cash in.

Anyway, to channel that frustration in a mature manner, I hearby open the floor on this TL to suggestions on how to realistically attack the team-orders BS that's been seen in F1. After yesterday, I'm past the point of agitation where it's an issue in the second of nineteen races. My idea is a tighter distribution of shared revenue, where a WCC ranking has far less of an impact. I don't know how to push that into a Concorde Agreement, though, but I was thinking:
90% based on race weekends contested, (to include teams who attempt and fail to qualify.)
10% based on WCC points. Take for example this season, with 1,919 total points at stake. Every point would be worth .005211...% of the pot for that year. Yeah, it'll add up, but I want EVERY team getting a nearly equal chunk, even the teams that can't crack the 107% rule, but show up anyway.

That aside... Here ya go. Depending on what I can put out over the next few days, this might be a three-update week.

FIA Headquarters – 01 July 1992 – Paris

Prior to the eighth round of the championship, the transitioning FISA/FIA leadership of Jean-Marie Balestre and Max Mosely invited Bernie Ecclestone to the FIA headquarters in Paris, looking for avenues to make the most of the transition to a F1 with long-term health. Ecclestone had mentioned the possibility of using commercial rights, to maximize revenue and spread enough to the teams to help keep them intact, however he was still unsure how much he was willing to allow so he could keep a healthy profit. Balestre, effectively a caretaker over the coming months, asked Mosley what his thoughts were on the current championship. To that, Mosley replied, “It’s not like we haven’t seen years of utter domination before, but this time, the inclusion of electronics is spiking costs across the field to the point where subsidizing the teams may be self-defeating. Are we on the precipice of operating budgets of one hundred million dollars being the cost to compete effectively? We’ll see a grid of eight teams by the end of the decade if this keeps up.”

Balestre grunted, and admitted, “This is like the turbo era on steroids, the difference between the haves and have nots is so wide you could drive a train through. What are you planning?”

“Eliminate all, or nearly all of the electronic aids, perhaps bring back refueling, and look into ways to cap spending subtly, as the big teams would balk at having to fight with six rivals rather than two or three every year for championships. I’m not against tweaking the point system either, ideally extending points to eighth or tenth, depending on what could work there. Bernie, could you see any of this working? How can we get more viewers out of this?” Mosley pivoted in his reply, hoping for an out he could use and hammer down as early as possible.

“Bringing back refueling would help, as long as fuel strategy was a big enough part of the draw that you could keep the interest of those who might just turn off after a season like this, though you know the teams, corners will be cut somewhere and fires would be unwanted attention. Adjusting the points would work, but you’d need a season where one man dominates so thoroughly that it’s locked up with two or three races to spare. I agree wholeheartedly on the matter of banning the aids, but we should ask around the paddock, especially those who’ve been around awhile. Get the big names on board, and see if we might be missing something. We’ve had a few years where everything’s started to spread out, and the transition might be rocky.” Ecclestone coughed, and then added, “If we can limit costs, we could expand, perhaps a twenty-race season in the next fifteen, twenty years would be feasible if we could pursue parity? For now, though, let’s try to make the sport so it’s not like a video game. I expect we’re talking ‘94, not next year, right? Do this too soon and you will kill off the smaller teams. Hell, I know Brabham is going under this year,” at that he paused, and was visibly saddened by the resignation, “we lost Coloni, and March may, may I add, make it to Adelaide. It’s time for adjustment, but let’s get some input from the teams and drivers. Mansell’s probably only going to be around a season or two, same with Alboreto and Patrese, so we should be talking to them no matter what, having less to lose. Senna too, and a couple of the newer drivers like Alesi and Schumacher wouldn’t hurt.”

“I’m in agreement with that. Jean-Marie, do you think it could work from a management persepective?” Mosley asked?

“I don’t see if you have a choice. I love this post, and will miss it, but I don’t envy your position right now. Pull the tail too hard, and you’ll get bitten. Bernie has a point, get input from the drivers, maybe the outgoing constructors as well. If we can keep a full grid – which won’t be easy with this recession, we need to make sure that grid can remain established, with room to maneuver if the economy dips again.” Balestre sighed, relieved this was less and less his mess, and soon to be none at all. “Yes, let’s do it that way.”

“Let’s.” Mosley said, and concluded the meeting.

Round Eight – French Grand Prix – 05 July 1992 – Magny-Cours

Returning to Europe, there was more of a surprise attempting to arrive at the track than there was through the qualifying sessions, as a truck blockade impeded teams from reaching the track with time to spare. Every team made it trackside, however the delays meant that there was less time to tweak setups, which led to a slightly jumbled qualifying order behind the Williams duo driving on Renault’s home turf. The stunned crowd in the stands on Saturday could not believe that Alesi managed to put his Ferrari on the second row, behind Mansell’s pole position. Benetton and McLaren split the following four positions, with the Lotuses, Capelli, and the Ligiers making a stronger showing at their home track.

Sunday brought a dry start with dark, ominous gray clouds overhead, and the drivers knew it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when the rain would start. Perhaps it was nerves about the weather, racing at home, or being one of the lucky ones that found a fast setup quickly, but Grouilliard stalled his Tyrrell on the grid. This time, the Mess of Monaco did not duplicate itself on its French neighbor, however it spread the field out before the rain began. The rain began gently for a couple of laps, and then rapidly picked up intensity, just at the worst possible time for Williams, as neither front-runner could see far into the spray. As they came to Grouillard, he could not see that there were two Williams behind him, not one, until too late. After making room for Mansell, he had already began to move back over before making contact with Senna, taking both drivers out for the duration, and forcing both to walk back to the paddock in a downpour.

That lap 15 collision wasn’t the only incident on the track that lap, nearly a dozen cars all went off or collided with one another. The race was red-flagged, and the remaining drivers awaited the end of the heaviest rain to go back onto the track. After an hour, racing resumed from the grid, with finishes to be scored on aggregate time. As Mansell was the only driver with a clear track from the outset, he distanced himself for the first several laps after racing resumed. Schumacher began to reel him in, but ran out of time at the end. Attrition and driver error shrinking the field further so there was only nine cars left running by the checkered flag. Mansell won from Schumacher, Hakkinen, Comas, Herbert, and Lehto.

Points after eight races:
Drivers’:
Mansell – 64
Senna - 46
Schumacher – 32
Berger - 13
Patrese - 12
Capelli – 7
Alboreto & Brundle – 6
Hakkinen – 8
Alesi – 3
Comas – 4
Herbert - 3
Wendlinger, Morbidelli, Groulliard, & Lehto – 1

Constructors'
Williams - 110
Benetton - 38
McLaren - 25
Lotus - 11
Ferrari - 10
Footwork - 6
Ligier - 4
Minardi, March, Tyrrell, & Dallara - 1

 

[FickleCrossroad]

The best idea might be a penalty on grid spots at the next race - call out a team order to not allow drivers to pass at a race, both cars lost ten qualifying positions at the next race. That would get the point across, I think. I would also narrow this to team orders that have a detrimental effect on the race - if a team wants two drivers to work together to go through the field, that should be allowed by all means.

Grid spots is one thing, and for tricky calls, I agree there. However, with the 90's comes the ability for in-time telemetry feeds to the FIA, and on-board TV can be stretched for every car. So, if anything blatant happens, it can be punished during the race.

I think the better option might be to start with a base amount that all teams that run a full-season two-car program get, then additional moneys provided for points scored, and a secondary budget that provides money to teams which run single cars or part seasons or extra cars at races.

That's pretty much what I proposed earlier, minus the difference for one-car teams. I want one-car outfits to come back, personally. Just no more than two.

The problem with spending in F1 is that it'll suck up whatever someone is willing to pour into it, and the teams always find ways of getting around limits on testing. The best idea I could give for it is the mandated durability for engines and transmissions and a luxury tax, where the FIA estimates team budgets and forces those above the average of said budgets to pay those below said budgets, on the condition that it is used in F1 racing.

Agreed, though I'd try to take the estimation out of it. Require the teams to be audited regularly, and have a hard budget cap around $200M (today's dollars.) Break the cap and lose points.

I like having refueling, because it allows teams to play strategic games and toss the races around for a loop by running on light fuel loads and soft tires...

The safety issue, plus increased ease of losing a couple seconds in a stop are a bit annoying. Now, if the gas tanks could hold over half-distance, we might be on to something here.

You won't get a tire capable of working with an F1 car that can last a full race and give F1-level grip, and if you do this you put all of the focus for finding grip on aerodynamics, which causes costs to explode. Better idea might be going the opposite route - limit aero developments but allow the tiremakers to go nuts, provided they sell tires to teams at an FIA-mandated cost which is reasonable.

Don't engines suck up half the budget? Allowing the tire makers to go nuts could go either way.

Thoughts on allowing the tire makers to compete annually, and the teams vote on which compounds to adopt for that season? So, we could have a year with Goodyear Hard, Pirelli Medium, Bridgestone Soft, etc., and the next with a different cast entirely. One thing that has to go NOW is the predetermined compounds going into a race weekend. Let the teams pick, if one's better on hards and mediums, and another prefers the mediums and softs, LET THEM. Just have all the tires available at the track for them to pick & choose.

I read it his book too. A flexing steering arm in Eau Rouge is worse than insane...

No shit. *facepalm*

If you are looking at the best commercial potential Laguna Seca wins - Watkins Glen is about a five-hour drive from New York, six hours from Philadelphia or Toronto, and both Laguna Seca and Road America are closer to major cities. Watkins Glen also would need the armco around the track removed, as most tracks have long since switched to concrete barriers but the Glen hasn't. Laguna Seca is also on the short and slow side for F1 cars. I think if you really want the best place to run an F1 car, I would recommend Road Atlanta or VIR. If you're willing to use a 1990s POD, you could also conceivably use Bridgehampton on Long Island as well. Bridgehampton would be a dream circuit for F1 - beautiful surroundings in one of the wealthiest areas of the United States, accessible from New York by public transit (yes, really) and if you are willing to spend the money, you could build a wicked facility there. I'd imagine for a nine-figure investment and F1 races you could easily get the locals to not whine about the noise.

Watkins Glen: might not be right next to a city, but it's only a few hours away from the whole Northeast Corridor. It needs a lot of upgrades, (so do all of the other tracks the two of us mentioned, minus Road America,) and it has until '97 before it's fully-owned by the France family. Any move on the Glen would need to be made quick.

VIR: Drivers' track, but looking at the layout, shitty television. Not enough straightaways, I can't imagine F1 or Indy getting much overtaking in. Same issue with upgrades making it an F1 caliber track.

Laguna Seca: Needs widened, paddock, runoff areas, probably lengthened where possible (frontstraight, add a section between current turn four and the old track, perhaps?) Great location.

Bridgehampton: Needs the most work to turn into an F1 track, plus getting rid of the noise ordinance. High-cost, high reward. Also great location.

Elkhart Lake: Not much shorter than Spa, and if current cars can lap below 1:40, the race will be over in 70min. Decent but not great location.

Road Atlanta: Looks like the complete average out of all the tracks mentioned here. Might be worth settling for.

Truly, Watkins Glen would probably be the most expensive to upgrade - it would need new pavement, gravel traps, media and pit facilities, paddock improvements, the barriers would have to be mostly if not entirely replaced, access roads improved. The cutoff for the NASCAR track would have to go, which would be a problem for the track, and remember that the France family owns the place, and they will not be keen on an F1 race being there as a rival to their facilities. Laguna Seca is hard too because it borders a military training facility and while it would be less expensive to upgrade than the Glen, it would not be the best F1 track. Road America IMO of the three you mentioned would be my pick - beautiful surroundings, Chicago and Milwaukee not too far away, a first-class facility thanks to near-constant improvements since the early 1990s and safety improvements wouldn't be all that difficult, plus it would be a fun track to race on because of its speed. I'm only recommending VIR because its probably one of a tiny number of better driver's tracks in the Americas and Road Atlanta because its almost within the borders of a major city and Don Panoz has really reworked the place since he's owned it.

Ah, buying the Corning share of the Glen, and slowly pushing the France family out would be nice. Still, that will be a problem... Road Atlanta, Road America, Laguna Seca, and Bridgehamption all look better for that reason.

I really like that idea, myself, all considered. I'd far rather see the cars much more resemble the '68 Lotus or 312 (with all the modern construction advantages, of course), plus a 2.4-2.5 liter limit (but not a ban on V12s or H16s, if anybody's crazy enough to want 'em). That would appear to have the benefit of cutting down a lot of high-cost aero testing... (So the money would go into making chassis of carven beryllium, or designing solid platinum fuel injectors, or something.)

Engines now suck up what? Half the budget? To add more flexibility in engine format, with today's technologies, you'd NEED that hard budget cap. I'm thinking something along the lines of 2.5 for a decade, 2L thereafter, with 4-12 cylinders allowed at first (years 1-5 of the 2.5L era,) then 4-8 for years 6-10, then 4-6 cylinders for the 2L era.

It also occurs to me designing cars around a spec tire would help keep cost down, where allowing more variability might defeat the purpose (or work against it). I do think it's still better than the extreme aero budgets & passing issues (not to mention the uglies).

Honestly, I think you'd see something like this season, where the drivers have to dial back to 80-85% just to balance performance and tire life.

Next update coming up!

 

[FickleCrossroad]

07 July 1992 – Grove

At the halfway point of the 1992 season, the grumbles towards Williams had become organized protests, however they mostly fell on deaf ears due to the planned reorganization of FISA into the FIA, and this season was one where the outgoing Balestre and incoming Mosley had already agreed that they were in no mood to rock the boat. The “best of the rest” teams such as McLaren, Benetton, and Ferrari, were frustrated, but they were slowly accepting that 1993 could be a walk for Williams should the trend continue. Representatives from McLaren and Benetton were in quiet talks ahead of the British Grand Prix, about how they should approach the new management on the 1994 season, knowing that results would be speaking for themselves. They didn’t want to hinder any of their own development programs, so they knew they could not afford to be too direct on the matter. With Senna locked into a contract through 1994, and Mansell likely to stay for one more year, a landslide of changes would put everyone back to square one.

Back at Grove, Senna, Mansell, and Newey were discussing the same issue bothering the other teams at their own expense. Newey recalled the conversation that he and Senna had regarding development over the next couple of years, and Mansell agreed that it was a good plan to push the 1994 project now that they had a platform to dominate the remainder of the season. CART had been luring him over a possible ride, but Mansell thought he should wait until the probable rule changes in 1994 are floated before making a decision. Without Prost in the picture, Mansell was glad he had a teammate who pushed himself harder than he pushed anyone else, and though he was initially angered that his status as #1 driver had been rescinded upon Senna’s arrival, all Senna had demanded was equality. With nearly a two-race lead in the standings so far, Senna hadn’t complained, he merely worked harder. The two got along well off the track, nearly as well as he had with Keke Rosberg. Yes, this was a good year to be with Williams. Adrian Newey, however, was faced with two separate challenges, the FW15 and the FW16. Senna had been aggressive in pushing for development on multiple fronts, and recalled hearing through the grapevine that such efforts at McLaren last year was the driving force behind his championship last season. It looked more and more like that would be the case for the next two and a half years. He was already looking towards the nose design of the Tyrrell and Benetton, and thought he could incorporate that into FW16, as any change in regulation so severe as the one Williams were expecting would require an entirely new design family of cars. Yes, the -16, not the -15. Time to focus Ayrton on the next year and a half, but maybe it could wait until this next race was over…

Round Nine – British Grand Prix – 12 July 1992 - Silverstone

Entering the second half of the season, Nigel Mansell was enough in the championship lead that he was not just the favorite son, but the prohibitive favorite at his home Grand Prix. He scored his third pole of the season in another squeaker of a qualifying session, and following Senna was Schumacher, Berger, Alesi, Brundle, Patrese, and Hakkinen. Under dry conditions, the crowd swelled to watch their hero try to climb another step closer to the championship.

In 1992, the majority of the teams were headquartered in Britain, so it was obvious everyone wanted to put on an impressive race to further credibility around the world of motorsport. Some teams, such as the cash-strapped March, decided it was time to up the ante and replace Paul Belmondo with another pay driver, Giovanni Lavaggi, in a gamble that hopefully would lead to enough funding to finish the season. Where March was teetering, Brabham was already falling to the mat. Damon Hill’s inspired drives over the last five races had zero points to show for it, but every time he finished a race, he did so in the top ten. For him, this was an audition for a team that could take him the rest of the day, and possibly provide a fast enough ride for him to score by the end of the season. There were rumors coming out of Larousse that they were willing to close the book on the troublesome Gachot, and that Hill would likely replace him.

As the parade lap cued the attendees to get ready, nerves were tense on the other side of the pitlane. This was a crown-jewel race, and even if no points were at stake, there was still pride and reputation. Red lights...green lights, and Senna was off with a shot, beating Mansell into Copse and adding three tenths by the end of the Hangar Straight. Both Williams drivers had the bit between their teeth this time around, and had lapped the field by the end of the 45th circuit, trading fastest laps eight times by the end of the day. It was more eventful in the fight for the remaining points positions, with Schumacher pushing his Benetton too hard on his out lap, nicking the left rear of Patrese’s McLaren attempting a pass into Vale, and took both cars out of the race. Alesi pounced on the other McLaren of Berger three laps later, but the move didn’t stick, with Brundle pressing past and into fourth. Alboreto fought his way into fifth by the end, with Groulliard atoning slightly for his lack of judgement at his home track to hold station in sixth with Berger’s retirement, exhausting himself for a hard-earned point fending off a spirited drive by Hill in Brabham’s final race.

The final laps kept the crowd on their feet, with Mansell and Senna swapping the lead three times in the last seven laps. Mansell won the thriller after getting a run on Senna and outbraking him into Bridge on the penultimate lap, a brilliant overtake that left the home crowd gasping as Senna couldn’t manage setting him up for a counter into Priory. After the race, Senna admitted in the press conference he had been expecting an attack into Priory, and took the corner wide to set up a block. To that, Mansell had a small smirk on his face, knowing that he’d outfought his rival.

Brundle, Hakkinen, Alboreto, and Groulliard completed the top six. It took several minutes for Mansell to make his way out of the car, the fans had swarmed the track before he could exit, cheering him wildly and nearly swept him off his feet before stewards could pick him up for the podium celebration. An exhausted Senna and Brundle were waiting there for him, showering him with champagne. The Williams crew partied hard into the night after such a stellar performance, with Senna taking pause and realizing that his championship hopes were starting to get a little blurrier, knowing that he would have to push harder than ever…


Round Ten – Grosser Mobil 1 Preis von Deutschland – 26 July 1992 - Hockenheim

For Ayrton Senna, the tenth round of the season began a do-or-die campaign to the end. He could not afford to fall any further back in the standings without risking the equal support his contract demanded, and feared that if the Constructors Championship was decided before he could close the gap, Mansell would be given the FW15, which was due to be ready by the last two races. (This was not the case, as Newey and Frank Williams decided to use the dominance of the FW14 for the remainder of the season, something that they kept to themselves for now, wanting to make a statement season now that it was nearly in the bag.) Adrian Newey had taken Ayrton aside after the festivities of the British Grand Prix, telling Senna that while he doubted there would be more than a few mechanical retirements in the team before the end of the season, it was unlikely that as he already had two, he’d have the majority of the remaining. Williams hadn’t screwed him over yet, his car still had the number one on the nose, so it was up to him. Breathe. Focus. Push.

When qualifying rolled around, Senna was back to his old form, topping Mansell on the sheets by over a quarter of a second. Schumacher managed a fourth alongside of Berger, with Patrese and Alesi on the third row, followed by Brundle and then the Ligers, with Capelli rounding out the top ten after the Saturday sessions.

The race itself was a mechanically bloody affair, with the four long straightaways of the Hockenheimring split by chicanes and the stadium section bringing torture for the engines . Behind the quick start of Senna, through the course of the race, seven engines died, including both Ferraris, Lotuses, Tyrrells, and Tarquini’s Fondmetal. Where Mansell had his fellow Britons two weeks before, Schumacher had his Germans at Hockenheim, Fresh off the error at Silverstone, Schumacher passed Berger and hounded Mansell early, yet conserved his tires enough to stay ahead after the round of stops. As determined as the man behind him was in the last race, the German wasn’t going to let his home crowd down. Mansell was having nothing of it, and looked at the young eagle ahead as not knowing that one was respect a lion. On the 37th lap, Mansell charged into the Ostkurve, but Schumacher just barely didn’t give Mansell enough room, and the Williams went just too deep into the grass to be able to avoid a clump of sod from a previous spin, which damaged his wing. Furious, he pushed on, but didn’t have the speed in the stadium section to keep up, and fell into the clutches of Berger. Both he and Patrese passed Mansell before the finish, with the final points-scorers being Senna, Schumacher, Berger, Patrese, Mansell, and Brundle. Williams was now seven points away from clinching the Constructor’s championship, and all but Mansell, Senna, Schumacher, and Berger were mathematically eliminated from the Drivers’, with six races remaining.

Points after ten races:

Drivers’:
Mansell – 76
Senna - 62
Schumacher – 38
Berger - 17
Patrese – 15
Hakinnen – 11
Brundle – 11
Alboreto - 8
Capelli – 7
Comas - 4
Alesi & Herbert – 3
Groulliard - 2
Wendlinger, Morbidelli, & Lehto – 1

Constructors’:
Williams – 138
Benetton - 49
McLaren - 32
Lotus - 14
Ferrari - 10
Footwork - 8
Ligier - 4
Tyrrell - 2
Minardi, March, Tyrrell, Dallara - 1

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Round Eleven – VIII Marlboro Magyar Nagydἣ – 16 August 1992 – Hungaroring

Late summer in Hungary was its normal, dusty and dry, but to Mika Hakkinen, it was still a bit surreal. In the first race behind the now-dead Iron Curtain, the first year after the fall of the USSR, he found it odd, the mood was more relaxed, and confused, particularly amongst the few Slovaks and Czechs arriving from their newly-separate countries. He hoped that with all the loosening, more money would be directed to this track, it was nearly as hard to pass as Monaco, with nearly insufficient length to the straightaways, and all of the tight corners, he was surprised as many fans showed up as they did. What did they say in that American movie? If you build it, they will come? This place gave off the air that a farmer plowed up his field and layed down the asphalt himself. One day, perhaps, it would be better here, and he would be driving for a car that could win on this track.

With Williams on the verge of clinching the Constructors’ Championship, a track like the Hungaroring couldn’t come at a better time for the number one team. With all of the medium speed corners followed by short straights, the Williams was destined to reign. Qualifying was a breeze for the blue and yellow machines, with a second ahead of Patrese and Schumacher on the second row, and their teammates on the third. The Ferraris were poised to make a fight of it this weekend, with less demand on the top end of the engines, but being three seconds off-pace in qualifying, they knew the amount of luck it would take would be too much to hope for. Further back, Hill made his first start for the Larrouse team, back in fourteenth place, with Hakkinen to the inside and Katayama in front. He wanted to keep his momentum up, but on a track like this, if attrition didn’t fell him, he’d be struggling for a top-ten.

Senna led from pole early on, and the characteristics of the track combined with his defensive tenacity made it impossible for Mansell to press the attack home early on, and Senna slowly faded into the distance. Patrese fought his teammate and Schumacher hard through the middle portion of the race, and eventually pulled enough of a gap through traffic that the German and Austrian were fighting amongst themselves to the checkered, with Berger getting the better. Alesi’s in the Ferrari passed Brundle’s Benetton in the closing stages to earn Ferrari a single point. With yet another one-two Williams finish, the Constructors’ Championship was clinched with five races to spare, and only Mansell, Senna, and Schumacher were left for the Drivers’.

Round Twelve – L Grand Prix de Belgique – 30 August 1992 – Spa Franchorchamps

The 1992 season had finally come to one of the scenic favorite of drivers and fans alike, Spa Franchorchamps. Between the geopolitical and racing histories of the area, and the beauty of the Ardennes, it was already an unofficial crown jewel of the Formula One calendar, after Monaco, Silverstone, and Monza. As the intrateam battle at Williams was set to continue in the valley, attention came to the meteorologists, as a summer weekend at Spa inevitably meant answering the question of when it would rain, not merely if. With a reputation stretching back to his rookie season, the Senna fans were hoping for a chance for him to shine where the sun wouldn’t, and the Mansell fans were hoping for a dry race, and rain everywhere else.

Friday brought a scare to the fans present in practice, when Erik Comas went off hard and crashed at the high-speed Blanchimont corner. file:///C:/Users/Sean/Documents/The Man from Sao Paulo - Ayrton Senna to Williams in 1992.docx Senna had only been a few corners behind, and saw the Ligier in a precarious position, with Comas motionless in the cockpit. Senna halted his Williams off the racing line and rushed over, killing the engine to prevent a fire and supporting Comas’ head until Dr. Watkins and his crew came to the scene. Comas survived intact, however the incident was enough for him to sit out the rest of the weekend as he recovered from a concussion. This tipped the scales for the Belgian fans, as Comas was the teammate of favorite son Thierry Boutsen, Senna’s actions during practice were enough to convince Alain Prost to not take the temptation of filling in for Comas, as he had been in ongoing negotiations with the team to purchase it, and had been considering using the race as a field test to see what improvements would be made.

With the moment still in Ayrton’s mind when qualifying came around, Mansell sealed pole over his distracted teammate, with a shocking second place of Schumacher breaking the tedium of the grid led by the blue, yellow, and white of the Williams’ cars with a time just hundredths faster than Senna. Beside him on the second row was his old teammate Berger, followed by Patrese’s McLaren, Boutsen’s Ligier, and the Lotuses. The start of the race brought another surprise to the fans, as Mansell hesitated with his line going into La Source, allowing Schumacher to pass and Senna to set him up on the way to Les Combes. By the end of the first lap, the order was Schumacher, Senna, Mansell, Berger, Boutsen, and Patrese in the tentative final points spot, the Lotuses and Ferraris close behind. The German’s lead was not to last, though, with Senna pouncing through the downhill esses on the second lap, slowly increasing his lead as Mansell began to duel for second.

During the first stint, the skies began their familiar mid-race darkening, and Senna knew this race could be his if he weren’t to take any unnecessary chances. Pitting for wets after the rain started to fall proved to save his race, despite a rare Williams error in the pits slowing his return to the fray and allowing Schumacher past again for second, as Mansell led from his in-lap. After the stops cycled, the order was the same as the grid, but with Senna passing both with the ease of the opening laps. Further down the order, Capelli’s Ferrari had another spectacular failure on the end of the backstretch, and Patrese’s transmission couldn’t handle the strain of the circuit. Several spun off in the rain, producing rolling chicanes in the mist as the shower tapered off.

Late in the race, Schumacher showed a skill which reminded many of Senna, handling a drying track with a tenacity which matched the aids of Mansell’s Williams, who was pressed into another error, overshooting the entry into Les Combes and having to let Schumacher by as he idled through the escape lane. The final order was Senna, followed by Schumacher and Mansell, with Berger, Hakkinen, and Boutsen rounding out the points to a cheering Belgian crowd. The podium celebration had a bemused Senna, still taking in the elation of his fourtieth victory, second all-time to Prost and only four wins behind overall. He looked to the young German as another rain warrior, and was beginning to wonder how close the race would be between them in equal cars. One day soon, he would stand atop the podium, and Senna began to realize that he likely would be that very moment had he remained at McLaren.

Points after twelve races:

Drivers’:
Mansell – 86
Senna - 82
Schumacher – 46
Berger - 23
Patrese – 19
Hakinnen – 13
Brundle – 11
Alboreto– 8
Capelli - 7
Comas & Alesi – 4
Herbert – 3
Groulliard - 2
Wendlinger, Morbidelli, Lehto, & Boutsen – 1

Constructors’:
Williams – 168
Benetton - 57
McLaren - 42
Lotus - 16
Ferrari - 10
Footwork - 8
Ligier - 5
Tyrrell - 2
Minardi, March, Tyrrell, Dallara - 1


file:///C:/Users/Sean/Documents/The...yrton Senna to Williams in 1992.docx#_ednref1 Yes, outside of changing the moment from Friday qualifying to practice, I kept this as OTL. Blanchimont is an easy corner to have an error on, and as OTL proved, it was in Senna’s nature to do such a thing. I thought the story was awesome as a 9-year old fan at the time, and decided I’d keep it, butterflies be damned.