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#463 1988 Belgian Grand Prix

2023-02-08 12:06

Osservatore Sportivo

#1988, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Monica Bessi,

#463 1988 Belgian Grand Prix

On Sunday, August 7, 1988, Ferrari’s single-seaters took part at the Hungarian Grand Prix. For the first time, too weak to stay awake for long, Enzo d

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On Sunday, August 7, 1988, Ferrari's single-seater cars competed in the Hungarian Grand Prix. For the first time, too weak to stay awake for long, Enzo did not watch the race. Berger ranked fourth, but the television in Largo Garibaldi's apartment remained off. Alboreto, who runs his seventy-fifth Grand Prix behind the wheel of a Ferrari, becomes the driver with the highest number of participations in World Championship races with a Maranello car; but his destiny, as well as that of Ferrari, was marked for a long time. On Wednesday, August 10, 1988, Ferrari is weak to the point of not even being able to speak on the phone with Father Erio Belloi, the priest of Maranello, who wishes him a happy name day. Dino answers the phone call, telling the priest that Ferrari is not feeling well and that it is better to let him rest. Dialysis performed on Enzo Ferrari's body is less and less tolerated. Initially, three sessions are scheduled every week, then two, but with dialysis the conditions worsen further: the engineer hardly eats anymore, struggles to get up, but still asks for a drop of champagne from time to time, to try to stimulate the appetite, to revive his body and his psyche, without getting results. Enzo Ferrari is getting worse day by day and the worsening is particularly evident in the month of August, the one he had always hated and that he wanted to delete from the calendar. Ferrari begins to complain and is tormented by a terrible itching, as well as generalised pains, related to the disease. It also increases swelling over the entire body, linked to dialysis that is unable to bring any improvement in kidney function. While Dr. Cesare Carani tries to give him some comfort with medication and a few words, with a wave of his hand Ferrari calls Dino Tagliazucchi and, in an almost whispered voice, tells him:

 

"Go to the studio, on the table there is a copy of the latest 1987 edition of Piloti, che gente..., bring it here".

 

Having had the book, he puts it on the bed, takes the pen on the bedside table, opens the first page and with his hand trembling and unsteady, evident in the original, writes:

 

"To Professor Carani. Ferrari".

 

Dr. Cesare Carani thanks him, but he cannot look Ferrari in the face; he prefers to turn to the window, because he realises that his eyes are full of tears. Ferrari, meanwhile, begs more and more often:

 

"Lasem murir, an in poss piò" ["Let me die, I can’t take it anymore", N.d.T.].

 

Since the disease is getting worse, the doctors decide to suspend dialysis: at this point, the main objective is to avoid any suffering to engineer Ferrari. With intramuscular drugs, Dr. Cesare Carani removes physical pain and itching, and makes Ferrari rest almost all day. Piero Lardi calls Father Galasso Andreoli, Ferrari's chaplain. The priest rushes in and gives Enzo Ferrari the last rites. Lina Lardi sits next to the bed and holds his hand. Piero Lardi and his wife Floriana also remain close to Ferrari, as do Carlo Benzi and Sergio Scaglietti, Dino Tagliazucchi and his wife, Giuliana. At dawn on Friday, August 12, 1988, Enzo's conditions are stationary. Doctors have no illusions: even if he is still alive, they know that this is the final crisis. Dino Tagliazucchi occasionally wets Ferrari's lips with a champagne-soaked handkerchief. Outside, the city is silent. Largo Garibaldi, normally stormed by traffic, is deserted. From August 12 to August 14, 1988, Enzo Ferrari sleeps almost continuously. On Saturday evening, the doctors inform Piero and Lina that Ferrari would not see the next day's sunrise. Throughout the night, the lamp on his bedside table remains lit. Family and friends take turns keeping him company. With them there are also the three doctors who had him treated - Baldini, Mattioli and Carani - although it is clear that their presence has no medical significance. From time to time Ferrari mutters something, words that none of those present can understand. For some reason at some point he says - or seems to say - that he wants to give Marco Piccinini a certain watch. His young sporting director had been like a third son to him in the last ten years. Lina holds his hand for the entire night, continuing to whisper words of affection and comfort. Sunday, August 14, 1988, Professor Baldini is busy, and in the morning he arrives a little earlier. The two Giulianas tell Dr. Carani that Ferrari continues to sleep and that he does not complain anymore. The doctor sits next to him, holds his hand, feels his pulse, listens to his heart from time to time, checks the pressure and realises that Ferrari is getting closer to the end. 

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Piero Lardi is mostly in the antechamber; occasionally he enters, and Dr. Carani informs him about the imminent death of his father. So he finds himself alone with Ferrari on his side, his breathing getting heavier and his pulse getting weaker. Dr. Carani listens to the heart and feels a heart rhythm called galloping, which preludes to imminent death. Then the pulse stops, accompanied by a longer breath: so, Ferrari passes away. Dr. Carani immediately calls Piero Lardi, Dino Tagliazucchi and the two Giulianas who are a few metres away, and offers his condolences to Piero for the loss of his father. Meanwhile, Lina Lardi and Floriana arrive; the doctor offers his condolences to them, too. It is hot and Dr. Carani asks to open the windows and increase the speed of the fan, so that the body cools down quite quickly. At the same time, Giuliana, wife of Dino Tagliazucchi, and Giuliana, the nurse, proceed to the composition and the dressing of the body. An elegant dark brown dress is chosen, made by Ferrari's personal tailor, Gabriele Bertazzoni. It is not necessary to close his eyes, since he passed away with his eyes closed. At the end of the dressing, Giuliana and Dino put in the right pocket of the engineer's dress the photo of his mother Adalgisa, and his wristwatch in the left pocket. The accountant Carlo Benzi calls the few people who must be informed. He calls Franco Gozzi and Marco Piccinini, who are on vacation. Then he calls Sergio Scaglietti, who spent most of the night at Ferrari's bedside, but who at the time of his death is at home. Piero in turn informs his daughter Antonella, who is at the seaside with her husband and little Enzo. A few more phone calls are made from the apartment in Largo Garibaldi. Even most of Ferrari's closest collaborators would be informed only after the funeral. Ferrari wanted an early-morning funeral, with only a few friends, and had asked that the press be informed after that. During the night, a collaborator of the mayor of Modena calls the funeral home Farri. No details are communicated on the phone, they ask for and get an immediate appointment. 

 

Less than an hour later the mayor meets with Federico Farri, the owner of the funeral home agency, and with his brother-in-law Vasco Marinelli. With their collaboration, the mayor personally chooses a light wooden coffin, identified in the catalogue as the SA model, short for Stile Arca. Benzi's instructions on Thursday night had been clear: nothing unnecessarily sophisticated, a simple thing, exactly as Ferrari would have wanted. It is only when the mayor tells Farri when and above all where he should have delivered the coffin that the owner of the funeral home agency understands for which illustrious customer the first citizen of Modena made his choice. However, since Ferrari died at 6:30 p.m. and since it takes 24 hours after the death before the burial, Dr. Carani calls the coroner, necroscope, around 8:00 p.m., when the body is almost cold. Dr. Carani tells the doctor that the engineer died at 6:30 a.m., after which the doctor observes the body from afar and, without examining it, fills out the death certificate using Dr. Carani's description. The next morning the funeral can thus be celebrated according to the engineer's wishes. The accountant Benzi gets in touch with the mayor Alfonsina Rinaldi, already informed at the time by Ferrari about his will. The mayor proceeds, through an assistant, to carry out all the necessary paperwork for the funeral and after a couple of hours, even with offices already closed, everything is regularly ready for the funeral ceremony. Also the guardian of the cemetery of San Cataldo is warned to open the gates at 7:00 a.m.. The next morning, at about 5:00 a.m., Dr. Carani goes to the house of Enzo Ferrari early. The accountant Benzi has not slept, he is very pale and when he sees the doctor, perhaps thinking back to the tragic night before, he faints on the chair in the hallway in front of Ferrari's bedroom. Promptly, with the help of Dino Tagliazucchi, the accountant is laid on the ground with his feet up and then, in the old way, quickly and effectively, is slapped. After the fourth slap, the accountant Benzi opens his eyes and says in a whisper:

 

"Stop, stop professor, I'm awake. I'm feeling better".

 

Doctor Carani leaves him lying down for another ten minutes: then, after drinking a hot coffee, the accountant Benzi is ready again. At 6:00 a.m. on Monday, August 15, 1988, the hearse and a bunch of employees of the funeral home get in the wooded courtyard of number 11 of Largo Garibaldi. In the bedroom, Enzo Ferrari is laid in the coffin. And when the coffin is sealed, Lina Lardi places a cross of white flowers on it. Shortly after 7:00 a.m., a bunch of people quietly descend the stairs and reach the courtyard. The only stranger is Giovanni Battista Razelli, Ferrari general manager, appointed by Fiat. The rest of the group is made up of family members and those, among the closest friends, who were in Modena at the time of his death. With his son, Enzo Ferrari had been clear:

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"Piero, don't bother anyone for my funeral".

 

Within two minutes the gate is closed. Giorgio Ferri, who had been Enzo Ferrari’s personal secretary for years, precedes everyone at the cemetery of San Cataldo. He had knocked on the door of the cemetery chaplain at the church of Madonna del Murazzo and had asked the priest to come immediately with him to the private chapel of the Ferrari family. Given the morning hour, Father Pier Paolo Veronesi had not understood the reason for that hurry. He was thinking of a mass for Dino; he himself had officiated one a month and a half before. The cemetery, Father Veronesi told Ferri, would not open until 8:00 a.m..

 

"No, no. You don't understand".

 

Ferri insisted:

 

"The cemetery is already open".

 

The mayor had personally phoned the caretaker at 2:00 a.m. that night, instructing him to open the gate at 7:00 a.m. for the arrival of a hearse that would show up exceptionally soon. As agreed with Benzi the previous week, the mayor had not revealed the identity of the body. Father Veronesi takes what he needs to officiate the mass and follows the frantic Ferri to the octagonal chapel of the Ferrari family. When he arrives and sees the coffin, he finally understands the reasons for all this hurry. Piero Lardi, worried that someone would notice them and make the news public while they are still at the cemetery, asks for a quick funeral service. Kind, but adamant, the priest replies that he would not have done things quickly, but well. It will take 40 minutes. At the end of the mass, the coffin containing the remains of Enzo Ferrari is buried behind a dark red marble tombstone exactly the same as the others inside the chapel. Enzo Ferrari occupies the first place to the left of the door, next to his father, surprisingly distant from Dino. On the marble slab on which the words Alfredo Ferrari and the dates 1859-1916 were already engraved, a few days later the name Enzo Ferrari and the year of birth and death would be added: 1898-1988. Only Giorgio Ferri remains in San Cataldo; he does not leave the chapel until the workers of the Municipality seal the tomb. The news will begin to spread shortly after 9:00 a.m.. Returning from the funeral, Sergio Scaglietti stops at the usual bar for a coffee. Clearly out of place as he is wearing dark and elegant clothes on the morning of August 15th, he cannot help but attract the attention of the owner. With his friend now safe in the loneliness of the cemetery, Scaglietti knows that there is no longer any need to maintain the confidentiality. With eyes full of tears, he confirms what the man had guessed: 

 

"Yes, Enzo Ferrari is dead. He was buried a while ago in San Cataldo".

 

About an hour later, Piero Ferrari publishes a press release written with Franco Gozzi, officially informing the world that his father, Enzo Ferrari, had died the day before. Dr. Carani returns home and every hour that passes, he is in deep, unforeseen pain. Watching Ferrari as he was dying, he thought he was 90 years old, that he had had an excellent quality of life and that his passing was natural. He had the task of not making him suffer, of accompanying him until his last breath. After the funeral, Dr. Carani begins to miss him more and more. In the evening, when he returns home, he dials Ferrari's phone number, because it seems impossible to him that the great Modena constructor has passed away. He dials 059-234272. No one answers the phone. And he cries. He still cries in the following days, when around 7:00 p.m. he realises that he must no longer go to the dear Commander and that he will no longer hear him say:

 

"Come on Dino, hurry up, there's Dallas".

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The granddaughter Antonellina, mother of the great-grandson Enzo, is on vacation; she arrives at the tomb at 4:30 p.m. to lay a bunch of daisies. At the late announcement of the death of Enzo Ferrari, Maranello is also taken by surprise. There is the feast of the Assumption, the band is playing in the church square, the children are screaming in front of the long charitable fishing bench. The news given by television and radio damps the enthusiasm. Shortly after, at the crossroads of the streets the first flags with the colours of Ferrari are waving as a sign of mourning. The Ferrari factory is semi-deserted: almost all on vacation, until August 23, 1988. Even the guard on duty heard at 1:00 p.m., listening to the radio, that the engineer had passed away.

 

"I've seen him so many times, coming and going. Lately, he couldn’t walk anymore. He arrived with the Thema Ferrari, and when he got off someone had to hold him up. Sometimes we even heard him on the phone. The secretary usually took care of everything, but when she needed something in particular she would call him directly. And he was always friendly, exchanging a few words with us. How do I remember him? As if he had been my dad".

 

On Thursday, February 18, 1988, the engineer turned 90.

 

"We were all there, over 1,200 people. That was a big party, even though he wasn't feeling well. I don't know, it was like having the feeling of being a whole family. And the engineer seemed happy".

 

Then, on Saturday, June 4, 1988, the Pope's visit to Maranello. In front of the red gates of the Ferrari racing department, at the end of Via Ascari, there is a small pilgrimage, in the heat looming over the countryside. Two young people from Florence, Paolo Ciappi and his girlfriend Ada Tortonese, are driving towards the Romagna Riviera. They take the road to Maranello.

 

"To come and pay tribute to him".

 

In the courtyard of a villa not far from the racing department there is a Ferrari mechanic, his name is Donato Gualmini. He seems lost: 

 

"I didn't even know Enzo Ferrari died".

 

Many others did not know it, in the lazy afternoon of August 15th.

 

"That he was sick was no secret to anyone. But you know, you always hope, even though old age is a very bad disease".

 

Donato Gualmini often spoke with his colleagues about the engineer during this last period.

 

"Sometimes even with anger, but not towards him: for the time that was taking him away. The old man is too old, we said, if he were young things would be different".

 

But he also remembers that, at his 90th birthday party, the Drake repeated:

 

"Ferrari is timeless". 

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Enzo Ferrari's father had taken away two days of his life, reporting his birth to the town hall of Modena late. The son, at the express request of his father, returned him one day, announcing his death after the funerals, a day later the actual passing of the great old man's long run. But this time it was all decided by him, the Drake (from Sir Francis Drake, English crown privateer: "I like the association, I sail and fight: it's a pity that people say Drake and think of a dragon"). His life was a corollary of decisions, of judgements, which he almost always pronounced peacefully, in litany as prayers, and occasionally with violence. He was fair and fierce, honest and cruel, cynical and soft: he was Ferrari, the best known Italian in the world, everyone listened to him even if he always spoke little. Understood by the kids, feared by adults, revered by important people, who bought a Ferrari maybe just to sleep with it, and be buried with it, or rather with her, a person and not a thing. Great silences, dry sentences like judgments of an English judge (his sadness, almost his anger of not knowing this language, of not being able to directly attack the world with it), elephantine memories, immovable judgments, merciless or late vendettas. But always as a great man, of whom it was permissible to suspect, to think, to believe vast and intense nobility of soul even if not easy and unofficial: those that led him to do much for the people affected by dystrophy, all sons of his son Dino, who died in 1956, little more than a boy, of this terrible disease, and for a long time in sentimental pole-position, if you accept the exemplification, than Piero, the other son, had with a woman who was not the wife of Enzo, the mother of Dino. And the common people, from Italy and from the world, who loved him deeply, viscerally, always saying they owed him adventures, successes, fairness, understood the character beyond all representation, beyond his own evasive will, his often unavoidable cynicism due to his work. Enzo Ferrari is now in the family tomb, in the cemetery of San Cataldo at the bottom of the city, among the trees whose leaves are moved by a light air. In the tomb of San Cataldo, a hexagonal monument with a high silver vault from which it rains an opaque light, there is the large cushion of flowers of the relatives, there is the bouquet of red roses wrapped by a yellow and blue ribbon, sent by the mayor of Modena, Alfonsina Rinaldi, there are the lilies laid by who knows who. Tucked between the irons of the gate, a single gladiolus with a note on which it is written:

 

"A dear fan of yours. Paolo".

 

Enzo Ferrari lies next to his father Alfredo, who died in 1916. In front of him there is his son Dino, who passed away in 1956 by muscular dystrophy. The workers place the portrait of Ferrari on the dark marble. What will they write on it? Only Engineer Enzo Ferrari.

 

"At 90, even a man like that can't do miracles".

 

Fiat mourns the news of the death of Ferrari, releasing a brief statement.

 

"Fiat expresses its deepest condolences for the passing of Enzo Ferrari. What distinguished him from any other character in the motorsport world was his being, always and totally absorbed by the engines and the technology. And that made him unique. A pioneer in a rapidly evolving sector, with his cars he has made an exceptional contribution to sport. His great entrepreneurial skills and above all his will and perseverance have led Ferrari to establish itself everywhere, giving an extraordinary contribution to the image of the Italian industry and becoming a symbol, at the same time, of sporting audacity and technological progress. A legacy that Ferrari will certainly carry forward along the lines of its founder. Of Enzo Ferrari, together with his work, will remain the memory of his humanity and his high moral standards".

 

Enzo Ferrari passed away, what will happen to Ferrari now, what will be its future, will it race again? The first answer comes from Maranello. The men of Ferrari say:

 

"We will respect all the technical and sporting programs already scheduled. We will be in Monza with Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger for a series of tests ahead of the Belgian and the Italian Grand Prix. The work goes on: we know that Enzo Ferrari wanted it to be that way".

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The discourse on the corporate structure of Ferrari is less clear. For now everyone is silent, it will be discussed in September, but it is obvious that Fiat will become the owner of the Maranello company. The death of Ferrari, therefore, does not cancel Ferrari's commitments. The team continues to race. The plans, in fact, had been drawn up and, in part, implemented at the end of June with the new organisation chart of the racing team, which provided for the inclusion of Fiat men at the top of the team and, above all, a takeover of responsibility also in the racing sector by Vittorio Ghidella, number one of Fiat Auto and president of Ferrari itself. A succession lucidly prepared by Ferrari. Ghidella remembers him:

 

"He himself opened the door to the future. He asked us to help him solve the problems. Now there is a direct involvement of Fiat, which I represent. Companies move forward even if the founder is not there. It's the law of life. The important thing for Ferrari is to win again. That is our primary goal".

 

The programs, in short, had been ready for two months. It all happened during a conversation between Ferrari and Ghidella in Modena, in the constructor’s house. A sort of spiritual testament by Ferrari who saw in Fiat (once again: in 1969 there was the agreement regarding the production branch that sanctioned the transformation of Ferrari from a small craft factory into a modern industry) continuity and in Ghidella (which he deeply esteemed) a sort of heir and guarantor. In this future already written, here it is then the insertion of Pier Giorgio Cappelli to the direction of Ges (in practice, the direct representative of Ghidella) and the return of John Barnard to the top of the technical department together with another man of the Fiat Group, Pier Guido Castelli. Marco Piccinini was confirmed sports director of the Maranello team. Between June and August some things changed, some technicians (including Harvey Postlethwaite) left and others arrived.

 

"But those who left us had planned everything long ago, certainly before June".

 

For the new management, the task of managing Ferrari's legacy in advance was not and is not easy. On the one hand there was the need to continue the contingent activity, that is to improve the 1988 car, not at the level of McLaren, and to prepare the 1989 one, designed by Barnard, on the other there was the need to re-found Ferrari itself in every way.

 

"Ferrari is not just any Formula 1 team. It is Ferrari, a symbol of the Made in Italy. Refounding means going back to the origins, recreating a national technical school, recreating an Italian team with Italian people. And planning the work according to modern methods".

 

It is no secret that Fiat men have faced a very delicate situation, shortcomings and various problems. The task now is to fill these gaps. A global work that includes the use of all technological means in the hands of the Fiat Group, from test tracks to research laboratories, and the use of fresh forces from various companies and companies linked to Turin. The day Barnard or anyone else leaves, Ferrari doesn't have to suffer in any way. The slogan that resonates between Turin and Maranello is only one: everything goes on, because Ferrari cannot give up racing, which is its very essence. Everything continues with great determination and no digressions or personalism are allowed. All Ferrari men know that certain controversies or diatribes of a recent past are no longer allowed. You have to work to make Ferrari great again. Like it used to be. In September - it is said in Turin - the shareholding structure of the Maranello company will also be discussed. Since 1969 Fiat controls 50% of Ferrari; the rest was divided between Enzo Ferrari (40%) and his son Piero (10%). Fiat, it was said in June, will not leave to others the participation of such a prestigious industry. The agreement between Fiat and Ferrari, according to what Ghidella said in June at the end of the shareholders’ meeting, obliges Ferrari to sell only to Fiat and Fiat to buy. The confidentiality is strict, but it is known that there is a letter and a pact between Ferrari and Turin. No confirmation, therefore, nor denial whether Enzo Ferrari's share will pass directly into the hands of his son Piero or if it will be put up for sale and, according to the agreement, turned over to Fiat. Ferrari has a net worth of 127.000.000.000 lire and a turnover of 360.000.000.000 lire. The 1987 financial statements closed with a net profit of almost 15.000.000.000 lire and a turnover growth of 15% over 1986. Some people think that the deal has already been completed in the last two months. Thousands of telegrams, the opinions of great personalities in motorsport, remember Enzo Ferrari. Gerhard Berger (Ferrari driver):

 

"I’m touched. When I agreed to race for Ferrari I wanted to do it especially for Enzo Ferrari, I had always dreamed of it. I was fascinated by his name, by his story. Now Fiat guarantees continuity, and we will do our best to honour his memory".

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Ken Tyrrell:

 

"Enzo Ferrari was unquestionably the world's number one in motorsport. His death marks the end of an era. His contribution to sport has always been cutting-edge, even in the technical field. It is a moment of great sadness for everyone".

 

Joanne Villeneuve, widow of Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve:

 

"Ferrari was the very image of Formula 1. He was always a fair and honest man. Between him and my husband there was great affection and Gilles' death had deeply shaken him. Whenever I had the opportunity to meet Ferrari, I was impressed by his exceptional lucidity despite his age".

 

John Surtees, World Champion with Ferrari in 1964:

 

"Enzo Ferrari was a living legend and will become even more so after his death. The news of his death saddened me a lot: despite his 90 years he still had a great desire to live and do, he told me himself when I last saw him. We abruptly argued in 1966, when I moved to Mercedes. He was a wonderful man but he had his own ideas, and his personality was far from easy. I realise that he had no choice, back then the competition was ruthless and someone who would also decide for others was needed, there was no other way and Enzo Ferrari had understood it. In the most recent period the results were lacking, because Ferrari is a factory that has often been managed in an emotional way, without the necessary calm. Maybe twenty years ago it didn't matter, but in today's world to be successful it takes cold blood and - I say this with all the affection I had for him - sometimes he missed just that. There has always been a great mutual esteem between us, although when I ran for him it would have been more accurate to speak of a love-hate relationship. I will always remember him as a great man, a legendary character".

 

Stirling Moss:

 

"I was very shaken up. The contribution of the Maranello constructor to the development of motorsport has been unprecedented. Twice I was on the verge of moving to Ferrari but for different reasons I never succeeded. The first was when I was 21. He wanted to meet me in Italy and I immediately went there but, when I showed up, they had entrusted the car to Piero Taruffi. I got very angry and swore to him that I would never run with him. But when he asked me again in 1961, I accepted with great joy. But this time the bad luck got in the way and the following year, I had a serious racing accident just as I was about to go to Maranello. That's when I decided to retire. However, I have competed in 11 races with non-private Ferraris in the prototypes, winning nine".

 

Luca Montezemolo, Ferrari's sports director from 1973 to 1975:

 

"This is a terrible and very sad moment for me. Enzo Ferrari has been a fundamental character in my life, as far as I could learn working alongside him and for the very deep human relationship that has always bound us. With him I spent the most beautiful days and in him I always saw a constant point of reference, generous with advice and attention, giving me confidence from the first moment when, very young, he had hired me as sports director. With Ferrari a part of my life goes away; my pain is deep, but an immense gratitude remains".

 

Jean Marie Balestre, FIA President:

 

"The legendary character of motorsport has passed away, nothing will ever be the same again".

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Olivier Gendebien, Ferrari driver in 1956:

 

"Although deeply touched by the announcement of the commander’s death, I was not surprised because, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Scuderia Ferrari, last year in Maranello, it was he who told us that it would be the last time we would see him. I am proud to have competed for such a famous team, but I cannot help thinking that Enzo Ferrari has always privileged his cars in the relationship with the drivers having the art of putting them against each other".

 

Niki Lauda, two-time World Champion with Ferrari, the most loved and hated driver by Maranello fans, writes:

 

"For me this is a very sad day, because I have worked so many years with the commander. I knew the character well. We had a difficult but unforgettable relationship. When the Ferraris were good and won, life was easy. When they lost, there was always a bit of a mess afterwards, but that's normal. We were still friends. He was an exceptional character. Because with his charisma he gave the soul to the cars. I've had so many adventures with him. When I arrived in 1973 it was very easy to talk about the contract, as I had arrived from scratch and didn't cost anything. After winning the first world championship, he wanted to keep paying little. When I made a request for three and a half million shillings, he didn't answer. He went to the phone and asked how many lire it was. Knowing the amount, normal at that time for other colleagues of mine, he said: no way. I replied that I would no longer drive for him. After a month and a half, he renewed my contract and said: you look like a Jew to me. And when he met me, he said: what’s up, Jew? How’s life?"

 

A careful man concerning business:

 

"When I lost the championship in Japan, I wanted to try in Maranello for the next championship. He replied: this is impossible because now the number one driver is Reutemann, the famous Argentine, you’re number two. I tried the brakes and Reutemann tried the important stuff. I threatened to go to McLaren. Three days later I did a second and a half less than Carlos on a lap time. I went back to the team and he said to me: that was good Niki, now everything is normal. There is no other person like him, that's the problem. He was definitely unique".

 

Also the President of the Italian Republic sends a message of condolence in which, after recalling the human and professional qualities, the figure of pioneer of motorsport, emphasises:

 

"The Ferrari name and brand have been identified all over the world with our country's ability to successfully respond to the ever new challenges of technological progress, offering an image of efficiency and unmistakable style".

 

Prime Minister Ciriaco De Mita, in a statement, says:

 

"With Enzo Ferrari, the great Italian symbol of youth, audacity, tenacity and technical progress disappears. The country that loved him for all that he represented will continue to love him in the red cars that will still race under his name".

 

The President of the Senate, Giovanni Spadolini, says:

 

"Deeply moved I participate in the mourning of Italy for the passing of Enzo Ferrari who has impressed indelible signs in the history of entrepreneurship and together with that of sport always offering an example to the country of boldness, dedication to work, courage and loyalty to his country. Tied to him by a deep and constant friendship over the last forty years, the condolences of the entire Senate are joined by my heartfelt personal participation".

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PCI General Secretary Achille Occhetto adds:

 

"I express my heartfelt condolences on the passing of Enzo Ferrari. To Enzo Ferrari goes our affectionate memory, the recognition and warm thanks of the Italian workers and communists for what he has been able to achieve in the field of sport and the automotive industry, in favour of democracy and the technological, civil and social progress of our country".

 

The President of the Chamber Nilde Lotti says:

 

"His death represents a mourning not only for the world of sport and cars: Enzo Ferrari, whose deep attachment to the ideals of democracy we do not forget, had been able to create from scratch a company that honours Italy throughout the world. And this is thanks to his technical genius, his passionate dedication to work, his ability to involve his employees in an effort that has allowed extraordinary progress in a technologically advanced sector".

 

The mayor of Modena, Alfonsina Rinaldi, concludes:

 

"Engineer Ferrari, a man who has always been caressed and targeted by the spotlight, chose to pass away on tiptoe perhaps to reaffirm his own human dimension that always emerged forcefully in the flow of his words. His city owes him a lot. He used to call himself the lover of the school-workshop union. From his experience, first as an employee then as an entrepreneur, from his Modena and Emilia with the experience of small and medium-sized enterprises and cooperatives, he derived an approach of business relations according to which different interpretations of the parties must always seek points of mutual understanding for the solution to be of good quality".

 

How many voices rise up to talk about Enzo Ferrari. The passing of the Modena constructor makes rivers of ink pour into newspapers: drivers, technicians, politicians, public figures remember the man, the sportsman, the business leader, analyse his behaviour, using magnificent adjectives and revealing known episodes or secrets of a long life spent between cars and races. An important testimony is missing in this scenario: that of Mauro Forghieri, the designer who for 27 years has been inside the Scuderia Ferrari. Forghieri's life is deeply linked to that of Ferrari and its successes. With him, the Maranello team has won four drivers' world championships, two titles in Formula 1 and six in the Endurance championships. 55 of the 93 Grand Prix victories were won by cars built by the Emilian technician and his collaborators. Born in Modena on January 13, 1935, graduated in mechanical engineering in 1959 in Bologna, Forghieri immediately arrived, the same year in which he finished his studies, at Ferrari, following in the footsteps of his father who was chief mechanic and had already contributed with his work to the extraordinary development of the Scuderia Ferrari. Exuberant, hot-tempered, but also shy, understanding and generous, Mauro Forghieri has spent a life in parallel with Ferrari, loved by the constructor, carried in the palm of his hand in the best moments, punished and even pushed away in the worst ones to be then called back during the deepest crises. A very close relationship that justifies the reserve of the 53-year-old technician, who moved to Lamborghini in May 1987 with the task of designing a 12-cylinder engine that next year should be the protagonist in Formula 1 with one or more teams. 

 

"What can I say that hasn't already been said? There is, however, a clarification that can be made, on a characteristic of the commander that in my opinion has not been emphasised with the due decision, a quality that has marked his life. He was a man of incredible courage. His choices, right or wrong, were always bold. As when he emigrated very young to Turin to find a job, leaving his hometown. And then towards me: I had been at Scuderia Ferrari for three years, I was 27 years old and he entrusted me with the responsibility of the racing department. Who would have done it in his place, who today would entrust such a difficult task to a young stranger, without great experience? He had an exceptional intuition in all his actions, he was a combative man. I'm glad I met him, I learned a lot from him. He was one of those rare characters able to manage his business in an enviable and consistent way. I think I was one of the few who could face him head-on, even argue with him. But he knew I would always tell him the truth and he appreciated it. He listened and he responded, he threatened and he flattered, he scrambled and he rewarded and in the end we were all ready to serve him to do what he wanted. I last saw Enzo Ferrari the day I left. We had a direct conversation, there were no lies between us. At the beginning of the meeting I was obviously sad and sorry, but at the same time determined, no longer willing to accept alternative solutions, I wanted to go my way. He wished me luck. I had Scuderia Ferrari and Ferrari himself in my heart. In the last few minutes we also talked about the future and he seemed full of hopes, animated by great intentions. That’s why I left Scuderia Ferrari more calmly and serene. He was the usual leader. And I want to remember him this way: a brave man who has always paid for things in person".

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Enzo Ferrari has passed away silently. Myth and legend remain, especially his works: the factory, the cars. Enzo Ferrari, Ferrari itself: the story of a great love for cars, racing and speed. The story of an Italian miracle, if with this term we want to talk about the desire to work, and to work well, of professional ability, of courage in undertaking even difficult paths, of creativity. Ferrari wrote:

 

"I found men who undoubtedly loved cars as much as I did. But perhaps I have not found others with my obstinacy, animated by this dominant passion in life that has taken away my time and enthusiasm for almost everything else".

 

A passion that Ferrari has pursued for over 60 years following two paths, one complementary to the other: that of competitions and that of the production of touring cars capable of harmoniously combining line and very high performance. Racing was a test and lifeblood in the first steps of industrial activity, this was the concrete sign of a commitment not sterile but open to progress. And the two areas intertwined over the years, the second, little by little, remaining independent of the ups and downs of the competitive events. The first Ferrari was called 125: a Sport car with a 12-cylinder engine (the most loved by Ferrari) of 1500 cc that debuted in May 1947 with Franco Cortese in the Piacenza Circuit. With two laps to go, the fuel pump jammed and Cortese, who was in the lead, had to stop. The victory was postponed to the Rome Grand Prix (25 May 1947): the first success of a Ferrari, the first of an endless series. Thus, the Ferrari era in motorsport and in industry began. In one of his books Ferrari recalled:

 

"Since the first 1500 was built, I set myself an ambitious program. I remembered joining Alfa Romeo when there was a tendency to produce a car a day and I was always flattered to get there in the future too, with my strength, at that level. Today the factory has become a remarkable unit compared to what I could have dreamed of".

 

In 1947, the first year of production, Ferrari built three cars and in 1948 five. It was difficult to sell these first Ferraris, no one knew the small factory built in Maranello, at the foot of Abetone. More than a hundred cars were sold in 1957 (113, to be precise, the cars built that year), 1000 in 1971 (1246), 2000 in 1979 (2221), 3000 in 1985 (3119). This year it will probably reach 4.000 units. In 41 years Maranello has built 45,944 dreaming touring cars. And yes, because little by little owning a Ferrari became a matter of status symbol: mechanics and handcraft jewels that ended up in the hands of princes and kings, stars of cinema and industry. In the small town they came from all over the world. Today those Ferraris of the roaring years have become collector's items. For a GTO, produced in 31 units from 1961 to 1964, billions are paid. And what about the Testarossa, the 166 Superleggera, aluminum-bodied, the 500 Mondial, the 250 Le Mans? A charm that has stood the test of time, indeed has grown and expanded. And that ended up involving everything related to the Ferrari name: books, magazines, even vehicle registrations. Ferrari said no to Ford that in 1963 wanted to buy the factory so as not to have to sell the sports sector too, but instead found the agreement with Giovanni Agnelli in 1969 because the Fiat Group left him the race management. And Ferrari continued to develop, transforming itself into a modern industry, able to combine the technologies of the future with the old traditional handcraft. Ferrari was proud of it. Enzo Ferrari, unlike that other great car character who was the German constructor Ferdinand Porsche, was neither a technician nor an engineer. He understood this, of course, but he himself said that he was above all an agitator of men and ideas and a provocateur of discussions and technical diatribes, convinced that from the contrasts, almost always heated, comes progress. What was his technical philosophy can perhaps be understood in this piece that is part of a communication prepared for the University of Bologna on the occasion of the honorary degree in engineering.

 

"Along the lines of what is required by the current formula, I see how the car should be, I dream it in detail and I formulate the theme that I give to my collaborators. The race car is not necessarily the result of a superior mind, but it is always the compendium of the common, constant and passionate work of a team of men".

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The situation, in the last years of the grand old man, had changed. The new times had changed patterns of a lifetime in motorsport. However, the influence of Enzo Ferrari and Ferrari on the technical evolution of the car was remarkable, and characterised by his deepest convictions. It is worth remembering that almost 60 years ago, in 1929, Enzo Ferrari with the creation of the Scuderia Ferrari invented practically everything that today appears to be modern: from the technical-sports organisation to the sponsorships. And with Scuderia Ferrari, the constructor from Modena created the technique of using branded components for the production of original cars, from the Alfa-Bimotore to the legendary Alfetta. But it was with the real constructor activity, which began in 1947, that Ferrari's ideas became really important. The bold choice of the 12-cylinder configuration for an engine of only 1500 cc was fundamental: this way, Ferrari could not only immediately obtain a high specific power, but gradually increase the displacement (up to double on the original monoblock) as the various conditions required. Ferrari has argued for years that the engine is more important than the rest of the car to get the best performance. He loved the voice, the sound of his creatures. In 1960, faced with evidence of the results of the British single-seaters, he agreed to place the engine in the rear. But some front-engined Ferraris have remained to document the culmination reached in the technique of the sports car: just remember the GTO and the Testarossa, two versions of the timeless 250 family. Courage and pragmatism together seem to be the synthesis of Ferrari's thinking in terms of cars, as three generations of technicians who succeeded each other in Maranello have experienced everything that was possible to experience, from the 2.5-litre twin-cylinder to the 18-cylinder on three rows of six. 

 

And a Ferrari school was formed, a symbol of Made in Italy, which was (and is) at the forefront in many fields: fuel systems, aerodynamics, engine elements. Innovation was sometimes tempered by consciousness and by a sense of saving: the result had to be reasonably commensurate with the expense. And for this reason, perhaps, Ferrari sometimes went in the same direction of others in adopting certain solutions. But the love for perfection was already clear from the first car: nuts and bolts were made expressly, with the hot-stamped Prancing Horse on the hexagonal head of each bolt. If the old Ferraris are today highly coveted collectibles, it is also due to this continuous search for the best, from the project to the finishing. Mechanical jewels, which concretely recall their creator. Formula 1 is the sport of speed and thrill. There is no time for stops, memories and commemorations. You cannot stop, you look to the future. It also happens on Tuesday, August 16, 1988 at the Monza racetrack, where Ferrari returns to the track after the death of its founder for a series of technical tests. Not a sign, a banner, a shout in the heat of the old circuit where so much Ferrari history has been made. Some applause when the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger, appear with the cars of Maranello. There are a few hundred spectators dressed in tank tops and shorts because of the heat: they prefer to be agitated for Ayrton Senna (McLaren) and Nelson Piquet (Lotus). Ferrari, who was this man? But perhaps right here the enchantment or even the bitter spell of racing lies. During the first day of testing no one seems willing to talk about the Modena constructor. Less agitation than usual, a more composed atmosphere in the box. But everyone, on track and off, wants to erase the topic from their minds: no sign of mourning, no crying, even inside the Scuderia Ferrari. In the open shops of Monza, in the stands of the circuit, there are flags, key chains, bags, t-shirts, models of Maranello cars. Precious or minor objects, symbols of a myth that does not fade away. A small bookseller says:

 

"I had to receive old volumes of Ferrari and Scuderia Ferrari and, instead, everything stopped. The market is at a standstill, perhaps the pieces will reappear in some time, at tripled prices".

 

And to think that the costs are already high: the book Le mie gioie terribili, published in November 1962 by Ferrari, cost 2,600 lire, now is worth about 1,000,000 lire. And it is almost impossible to find. Ferrari has left a name, a legend beyond his personal popularity. Scuderia Ferrari collects his tradition and continues to exist. And it is certain that when one of the Maranello cars crosses the finish line again in first place, it will find its die-hard fans ready to cheer for them like on other happy days. Those who look for a sign of failure in the faces of the Ferrari men are disappointed. Among other things, many young mechanics work at the garage, coming from the factory in Fiorano. This is a sign of the will to continue the Ferrari school. Many young people are ready to learn, to follow the tradition. The Monza circuit, the same one that saw the successes of Nuvolari, Ascari, Fangio, Lauda, Villenueve, inaugurated the post-Ferrari era. The constructor who had wanted on many occasions to put drivers and technicians in the background, putting technical values before human ones, ended up giving way to his cars. History does not stand still. The future Ferrari is confirmed by Pier Giorgio Capelli, the manager who now leads the team.

 

"Formula 1 has lost its most charismatic and representative person. Anything you want to say today seems trivial and obvious. Fiat came in at a difficult time, I received the job when Enzo Ferrari was no longer able to follow the team. It is obvious that we are confirming the company's commitment to racing. We have embarked on this adventure because we believe in Ferrari and Formula 1".

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A formal promise. And in the meantime, an initiative will start to name the Monza racetrack to Enzo Ferrari. One more hope to renew it and above all to save it from those who would like to close it. On Wednesday, August 17, 1988, in Monza, Michele Alboreto cannot hide his feelings. On his face you can clearly read love and hate, happiness and bitterness. The Milanese driver is sad, his dark eyes seem veiled. The death of Enzo Ferrari struck him. Alboreto does not want to talk. He postpones the time of the statements to the end of the practices, hoping that no one would question him again. It must be said that Michele in his long stay at Ferrari on many occasions has had violent and controversial reactions towards the team. But never has the Milanese expressed a bad word for Enzo Ferrari. His admiration and gratitude were great. In the end, he says:

 

"Five years. It would be easy to answer with banalities, with the usual rhetoric. How can I remember Enzo Ferrari in a few words? Hard to say. It is like losing a father and a friend. I wanted to give him a victory in these last days, it would have been the best way to say goodbye to him".

 

But you were abandoned by Ferrari and now you will have to race for another team.

 

"It doesn't matter. He was a tough man because he thought about the good of Ferrari. But he was great, a man who said something to all Italians, who left an important legacy of results and prestige. Now maybe the team will change, or rather it will certainly change. I can still say that if he hadn't been there, I wouldn't have stayed five years. I would have been the one to leave".

 

How was Ferrari when you last saw him?

 

"I prefer not to talk about it. He wasn't well, you could see it clearly. It is better to remember the happy moments, as on the occasion of my first victory in 1985. What a day. I talked to him on the phone after the race and then I called him back after dinner. He said: well done, you did a good, I emphasise good, race. You've made two mistakes, but they're forgiven. All we needed was the tyres. At the time, I didn't understand the last joke. I thought about it for a long time and then realised what he was talking about. He would have liked an all-Italian success: car, tyres and driver. But the tyres were American".

 

Was he very harsh with you?

 

"No, he was always understanding. Even when he had to scold me. We had arguments, it happens in all good families. But they were constructive, we worked together for the future. He gave me a lot of advice, tried to make me learn, to fill my gaps with his experience, even if he hadn’t been to a race in years. He knew everything, no detail escaped him".

 

What was his greatest skill?

 

"I have always had a direct conversation with Ferrari, even if the meetings took place in the presence of other people. He had the power to decide, if he wanted to, he could change something or everything overnight and convince everyone that it was the right path. His words were not discussed. In the end, he was almost always right".

 

Yet there are those who argue that Enzo Ferrari was ruthless with his collaborators.

 

"He sacrificed himself and demanded a lot from everyone. He knew how to make his men work hard. Those who did not appreciate him, those who spoke badly of him did so only because they had been forced to leave the stable. And then those who had denigrated him in the past are now the first to praise him. A great character who will be missed by Formula 1 and the entire motorsport".

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What will Formula 1 be like without Enzo Ferrari?

 

"The Circus will go on, the business will continue and maybe it will get bigger. But I believe that there will not be a man in the future able to make such an impression, indeed I am convinced that it will be impossible to reach him, because the world has changed, because he has taken away its golden age".

 

It is hard to get the men of Formula 1 talking about Enzo Ferrari. A person who intimidates even after death. But in the end, memories, impressions, praise come out. Gerhard Berger, after the words of the first day, remembers him like this:

 

"It was great to work with him for almost two years. I remember the first time I met him, in July 1986. Do you want to drive for me? He asked me. I just had the courage to say yes. He was a tough man, but I liked him because he was able to put everyone under pressure to beat his rivals. Hard but correct. Look at the mechanics as they work, as if nothing had happened. They know he wouldn't have been happy if they'd stopped their work to talk about him. The only thing that bothers me is that maybe this year we won't be able to give him a victory. But I will continue to race for him and for Ferrari".

 

Exes do not forget him either. Harvey Postlethwaite, the engineer who now is at Tyrrell, says:

 

"We expected it. I spent the best years of my life with him. We had such a great relationship. He was an unpredictable person, now Ferrari is going through a difficult time, but you could expect everything from him".

 

René Arnoux, who was a Ferrari driver, says:

 

"He had a wonderful life because he always did what he wanted. I was in Maranello for three seasons, going through difficult times, but basically I always had an intense relationship. I suffered and had great satisfaction. I'm sorry for his passing. I feel lucky because I was one of the few who was able to drive one of his cars and enjoy his friendship".

 

The past, the present, and perhaps the future. It is said that Stefano Modena was one of the last young drivers to attract the attention of the Modena constructor. The Emilian driver says:

 

"Really? This fills me with pride. I don't know if I'll ever be able to drive a Ferrari. But I am sure that in his name the tradition will continue".

 

In the meantime, there are no surprises in the practices and in the race: it is always a McLaren that dominates the scene. Fourteen teams with about twenty cars take to the track for a series of tests concerning the Italian Grand Prix. As always, the Formula 1 teams prepare in advance. While in England the Frenchman Alain Prost begins the development of the 1989 McLaren (a laboratory car with an old adapted chassis and the new Honda aspirated 10-cylinder engine) obtaining appreciable results, Ayrton Senna, committed only to studying valid setups, sets the best time in 1'29"13, ahead of Piquet's Lotus with a time of 1'29"66 and Alboreto's Ferrari, third with a time of 1'29"86. And it must be said that the new Ferrari is improving. Two important innovations have been brought to the track, with the tests entrusted separately to Berger and Alboreto. The Austrian only does a couple of laps. On his car there is a new suspension system, with intelligent shock absorbers, similar to the one adopted with little success by Williams. These are devices automatically adjusted by a computer: they should consistently keep the car in the right setup. A different engine was fitted on the Ferrari of Alboreto, with different adjustments. Perhaps power has been sacrificed a little to the benefit of use and consumption. The Milanese driver says:

 

"It's too early to say, but we may be on the right track. Maybe not right away in Spa, in the next race on August 28, but in the following races. It is not said that before the end of the season we cannot prepare some surprises".

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The engine fails due to the distance, but it is normal during testing. Inside Ferrari’s box there is the full technical staff, including John Barnard. There is also the engineer Pier Guido Castelli who works alongside the English designer. The engineer also talks about the new single-seater with aspirated engine, the one of 1989:

 

"The problem now lies in the electronic gearbox, as it does not resist stresses. It is a difficult complex, where the components are many and therefore it is easy for there to be problems. But we are not pessimistic. Of course, a lot of work has to be done. As for the aerodynamics of the car, someone claims that it is not valid. Maybe there's still something to do. However, the first data is not discouraging. We'll do more experiments, maybe with a normal gearbox".

 

Ferrari is fully committed. As Enzo Ferrari would have liked. There are four accidents during the day, fortunately without damage to the drivers, but to the cars that have broken suspensions. Martini, Bailey, Modena and De Cesaris go off track. The latter crashes violently at the Roggia corner, compromising the chassis of his Rial. After the accident, the Roman driver and the German patron Schmidt have a violent argument.

 

"My steering wheel came off the column, I could have died".

 

De Cesaris says harshly. The German replies:

 

"Always damage, always trouble, I can't believe the steering wheel came out of its column. We adopt a system that is the same as all other cars, very safe".

 

This time, however, it seems that the driver is right: it is impossible to go off track at that point without having a failure. The tests will continue in the following days. Among the rookies there is the young Johnny Herbert driving a Lotus, who sets the fourth time. The English team wanted him in Monza to do some tests, but also to eventually replace Nelson Piquet. The 36-year-old Brazilian is expecting a third child from his current partner Catherine and could retire. On the Williams next to Patrese there is Martin Brundle. And this only feeds the rumours about the future of the Paduan driver in the British team. If they signed Alboreto, why are they waiting to announce it?Back to Ferrari, fewer horsepower are expected to consume less fuel, but with the advantage of making better use of all the engine power. This is the path taken by Ferrari, which on Thursday, August 18, 1988 tests in Monza ahead of the Italian Grand Prix on September 11 with the major Formula 1 teams. This is explained by the engineer Pier Guido Castelli, 41 years old, from Turin, from the Fiat research centre and new technical supervisor of the Maranello team.

 

"So we have changed some parameters of the turbo engine that we are testing these days, in addition to the active suspensions".

 

The modified engine was used on Wednesday with good prospects, while the new suspensions give some encouraging results. Engineer Castelli explains that he has not found in the world of Formula 1 the technological excellence he expected.

 

"This justifies the successes of the Japanese who combine experience with a large methodological base, supported by the great development of the electronic industry that exists in their country. The Honda engine is no more technologically advanced than ours, but the Japanese constructor has understood before others that everything must work together".

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Now Ferrari is preparing to beat the Japanese constructor with the new aspirated engine.

 

"There is a lot of effort on our part to achieve this goal, although in the meantime we are trying to do everything we can to improve the current engine and the whole car".

 

Regarding the automatic transmission that will be mounted on the new aspirated engine car and that is giving negative results, Castelli confirms that it will be tested on turbocharged cars so as not to block the development of the new car created by Barnard that looks good on paper, although it must undergo some adjustments to reduce its weight.

 

"Today the Latin genius alone is no longer winning, that's why we entered Ferrari directly to bring all our experience and technology".

 

However, Ayrton Senna is still the fastest in practice after having broken an engine in the morning.

 

"The McLaren tests were simple set-up tests with no particular novelties. I like the Monza track, although I don't have a particular preference in terms of circuits. From here to the World Championship, there is still a road ahead: tomorrow I will be at Silverstone to test our new car, which is already ready".

 

Alain Prost will replace the Brazilian at the wheel of the McLaren. Gerhard Berger tests the new electronically controlled suspension. The driver is satisfied with the innovation, although the time recorded is quite high.

 

"I didn't do a lot of laps today, but these intelligent suspensions look pretty good. Tomorrow I'll try the new engine".

 

Engineer John Barnard also watches the tests from the pits. Piquet also breaks the engine, while Alboreto with the traditional Ferrari makes 37 laps in the morning and as many in the afternoon, obtaining the second time. Stefano Modena goes off track at the parabolic after a spin, fortunately without consequences. Testing will continue on Friday, and McLaren will also put Prost on track. The heart of the new Ferrari, that is the engine of the car that should interpret the dreams of rebirth of the Maranello team, will be produced in Turin. It is a resounding novelty, to which observers look with interest because it represents a turning point in tradition and confirms how quickly Fiat intends to proceed to restart the cars on the road to success. After the death of Enzo Ferrari, a man who, for his skill and later also for his age, had risen to the value of a symbol, no time is being wasted: Vittorio Ghidella has taken the moral mandate transmitted to him a few months ago by the great constructor and, corresponding to the needs of relaunch proposed by Fiat, immediately started working. Since Monday, August 22, 1988, the president of Ferrari is in Maranello, to start the work of modernization, to elaborate programs and to review what is wrong. Starting from certain technical settings that for some time, on track, seem inadequate. The problems that Ghidella will have to solve are many and also involve the direct management of the team but the first news will concern, with the disappearance of the turbo, the very heart of the 1989 car: one example of the new aspirated engine will be taken to the Fiat research centre, while another will end up at Magneti Marelli which will have to process the electronic components of the 60 valves. All this work will be carried out in close collaboration with technicians from Maranello and Turin and will be coordinated within the Fiat framework: soon it will be known if it will have given the results that everyone expects. Meanwhile, in Spa, Belgium, a bunch of red roses and yellow daisies sent from Japan arrive at the box of Scuderia Ferrari with a ticket:

 

"Thank you Enzo Ferrari for the dreams you've made us dream for so many years".

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At the bottom, the signature of the executives of a fan club based in Tokyo. This is the only tangible sign of homage for the Modena constructor who passed away last week. But in Formula 1, on the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix, the eleventh race of the World Championship, there is an understandable sense of emptiness, discomfort, and even fear. The fear that the exit of a character-symbol can make the sport - which is always on the crest of the wave, but in precarious balance - lose a part of its popularity. On Friday morning Balestre is expected, and it is not excluded that he decides to do something to honour the memory of Ferrari, already here in Francorchamps and perhaps also for the future, establishing a trophy. But what the environment wants most is to continue to offer exciting, hard-fought and uncertain races. Unfortunately, at the moment there is nothing to do, as the prospect is of yet another McLaren success. The task of giving some excitement to the show is up to the two drivers of the British team, Senna and Prost, who are fighting for the title. Last year on this very demanding track (20 corners and long straights, ups and downs) Prost prevailed, but he could not do anything against a rival of the Brazilian's calibre, moreover on an identical car. Alain Prost knows very well that everything is on the line this weekend: another success of Senna, the seventh, would put him with his back to the wall: 

 

"I have to win, otherwise I won't have a chance to fight back".

 

The clever Ayrton instead stands aside, without making predictions or proclamations. But it is clear that favourable opportunities will not be missed. Neither Ferrari can take part in this fight. Berger or Albereto will be able to stand out in the qualifying phase, but for the race the consumption makes the dream of a success prohibitive, also because the latest innovations tested in Monza (an engine with new mappings and intelligent suspensions) should not yet be ready. The Maranello staff will still be busy, including Barnard (although he is fully involved in the development of his aspirated car) and the factory's general manager, engineer Razzelli, who normally does not follow the races. This is a sign of total commitment to find the success of the past. Mansell will not be there, as he is forced to miss the race and is replaced by Martin Brundle at Williams. Mansell is still struggling with the chicken pox that had weakened him in Budapest and forced to retire, without strength. Apparently there was a relapse and the doctor recommended another two weeks of rest to avoid unpleasant consequences. Mansell's absence immediately sparked a flurry of speculations and assumptions. Somebody immediately noticed that the English driver, in recent years - victim of several accidents of which two serious ones to the spine - is physically in pieces, with his back broken, so as to have his future compromised. And since he has already been signed by Ferrari for 1989, there are those who talk about a wrong signing by the Maranello team. But these are just rumours. Piccinini, Ferrari's sporting director, says:

 

"It's useless to comment, for now he's still a Williams driver. It seems to me, however, that another witch hunt has opened up".

 

In the meantime, there is a lot of chatting about the drivers’ market. It seems that Derek Warwick, currently at Arrows with Eddie Cheever, has signed to join Nelson Piquet (reconfirmed) at Lotus. Now the available seats in the best teams are really few. There is a fight for emerging teams, such as Scuderia Italia, which will prepare two cars. Andrea De Cesaris is mentioned (also regarding Zakspeed). Concerning the teams, a revolution of small teams is in sight. Ecclestone, who will have a mobile camera mounted on each car next year, has asked the teams for a 100.000 dollars contribution to the operation. On Friday, August 19, 1988, in the final minutes of the third and last day of free practice ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, Gerhard Berger marks with Ferrari the best performance of these three days with a time of 1'27"45, ahead of Senna who on Thursday had set the best time with 1'28"33. The third performance of these tests belongs to Alboreto with a time of 1’28"77. Ferrari, McLaren and some smaller teams, which would have liked to continue testing, must conclude the tests during the evening to avoid the problems created by the traffic ban imposed on heavy traffic for the return from the holidays. Ferrari's sporting director, Marco Piccinini, explains that the reasons for these tests are two: testing the car with active suspensions and making a comparison between different engine setups.

 

"But the electronically-controlled suspension car was affected by various problems that we were unable to resolve immediately".

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Piccinini also talks about the possible arrival in Maranello of the German engineer Ralph Hahn, number two of the Porsche racing department. Friday, September 26, 1988 Ayrton Senna shocks everyone: as soon as he goes on track, he sets the time of 1’53"718, at an average speed of 219,701 km/h, very, indeed too close to the result (1'52"026) that had brought Mansell in pole position last year with the Williams-Honda, which however had almost 1200 hp compared to the current 700 hp. Prost, who desperately needs to win this Belgian Grand Prix, was left shocked and Berger and Alboreto, third and fourth, were also upset, even if their Ferraris reduced the gaps, given the length of the circuit, close to 7 kilometres.

 

"I could have done better if I hadn't been slowed down on my fastest laps by traffic and a stopped car on the track".

 

Some kind of war declaration. But Prost does not give up. The French driver did a lot of testing, set up the car and after all he cares little about not setting the best time if he manages to keep the front row, useful in the race not to lose contact with the rival. The fact remains that this McLaren is really scary. It does not miss a beat. Everyone expects some failure, a little problem that slows down the red and white cars, and these instead run as fast as lightning. During the first day of practice, among other things, Honda presented the new aspirated 10-cylinder engine, the RA 108E, which will be used next season. Few data provided, only those relating to the displacement (3493 cc, 72° V configuration), power 600 hp, weight 150 kg, length 620 mm, width 550 mm, height 540 mm. The most important data, relating to the rotation speed, are unknown, and there are also doubts about the power that could be greater. In any case this engine has already run on the McLaren MP4/4P at Silverstone, getting a time of 1'13"0, when Berger in the British Grand Prix had been the fastest in 1'10"0. For a new car with a new engine it is not a bad start. Ferrari continues to work on many fronts. Unfortunately, the news is not good. Barnard will have to review several things about the new car, and on track the one with the turbo engine continues to give problems, so much so that Berger says - at the end of practices - that if he had a good engine he could chase Senna. The usual problems with tests and improvement, which are difficult to solve now and perhaps even in the future. It seems that the news tested in Monza and announced for the Italian Grand Prix must be further delayed. It must be said, however, that the Maranello team is always under the spotlight, with a pressure on it that risks being excessive. To the evolving Mansell case, a mysterious or at least disconcerting episode is added. On a monotonous day with the usual, obvious, boring results (Senna, Prost, Berger and Alboreto) everyone looks in vain for some extra topics with which to cheer themselves up. But among so many distracted journalists, only one pays attention to the sheets, and realises that they are the printouts of a computer of some team. He grabs the pile dirting his hands and is amazed: he has in front of him the very secret electronic mappings of a turbo engine. A small crowd gathers, it says everything about consumption, number of laps, horsepower, malfunctions. In the meantime, Marco Piccinini, Ferrari's board member, passes by and his face turns white because he immediately recognizes the typical sheets used by Maranello engineers. He rushes over to the journalists, rips off their papers and asks:

 

"Where did you get them?"

 

Journalists respond:

 

"They were there, in the trash can".

 

Piccinini thinks journalists are making fun of him, thus he calls engineer Gestri.

 

"Are these our sheets?"

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Piccinini asks.

 

"Yes, doctor".

 

The engineer answers, embarrassed.

 

"And why were they in the trash can?"

 

The sporting director of Ferrari asks.

 

"Oh, well, I don't know…".

 

Engineer Gestri stutters and rushes to the trash can, where he sinks his arms and then pulls them out loaded with other sheets, notes, calculations. Dirty from head to toe, however, he leaves happy, with a package of secret cards. The mystery of how the secrets of a Ferrari that still struggles to get close to McLaren ended up there will remain. Who mistook that important stuff for waste paper? We will never know and maybe it does not even matter, but it is a symbolic episode like the hammer left inside Berger's car and other events that happened from time to time and that revived the colours on the usually sad faces of Ferrari fans. Of course, however, when it comes to electronics, Ferrari is trying to make up for it as quickly as possible. As for Mansell, there is definitely someone trying to take advantage of the situation. It is clear that the Englishman, after having broken his back several times, suffers from numerous accidents. But this time it seems that there are no such problems. So the English driver had to go to Douglas, capital of the Isle of Man, where he lives, to get a medical check-up, so he could send a certificate to clarify that his withdrawal is due to the relapse of the chickenpox attack that had hit him before Hungary. Since it is the future Ferrari driver, the fact has taken on greater relevance than its actual scope. However, it is not excluded that this is a controlled manoeuvre, also because there are those who argue that Mansell and Frank Williams have not reached an agreement and that the sudden renunciation of participating in the race is linked to internal controversies. Several accidents characterised the practice session, fortunately without damage to the drivers. Ivan Capelli was the protagonist of an off-track. When braking, the right rear suspension of his March broke. The car skidded fearfully, right at the end of the pits and the driver managed to control it miraculously, ending up in the escape route.

 

"I’m lucky that it happened at that point where there is a lot of space. But I can't blame the team: the lap before I had a puncture and I had run a few kilometres with a flat tyre, probably damaging the tie-rods that then failed".

 

There have also been fights between the Arrows and the Benettons. Boutsen crashed into Warwick due to an error of judgement by the British driver, who had not noticed the arrival of the other car and had suddenly moved to the right. Nannini with the other Benetton hit the Arrows of Cheever going wide at the Source curve. De Cesaris was also the victim of several troubles. Gearbox breakage and clutch failure in the morning. In the afternoon, after waiting a long time for the cars to be ready, the Rial mechanics forgot to put the lubricant in the transmission that seized, leaving the Roman on the track. A few minutes later, the engine of the spare car exploded. Piquet had troubles, too. Clutch and gearbox broke on his Lotus during free practice. In qualifying, he had to set up the car himself and was beaten by his teammate Nakajima. Speaking of engines, will Honda be the referee of the World Championship between Prost and Senna? In the paddock they say so. The Japanese company, according to leaked rumours at the end of the first day of practice of the Belgian Grand Prix, would not like an early conclusion of the Formula 1 World Championship, but would prefer to maintain uncertainty at least until the race scheduled in Suzuka, Sunday, October 30, 1988, the penultimate of the season before the grand final in Adelaide, Australia, fifteen days later. For this reason, the Frenchman would be helped to win the race, in order to rebalance the fight with Senna. Another success of the Brazilian, in fact, would cause problems to Alain Prost, forced to hope only in the bad luck of his teammate. The numbers are soon calculated. Senna has six first places, against his rival's four. In the standings, the two have 63 points. But the South American has collected only eight results against the nine of the Transalpine. And since the regulation provides for the possibility of accumulating only eleven results, Prost will inevitably be forced to discard one soon, considering that McLaren have now reached a reliability such as to consider impossible that they do not reach the finish line. These are obviously just hypotheses. Then on Sunday, perhaps, Senna will win and put a stop to this. But for some these are conjectures with minimal foundation, as for Honda a world championship concluded with five races to go would not be very useful in terms of advertising. On a purely theoretical level, the trick is possible, as it would be enough for Ayrton to consume the car a little more to force it to slow down. 

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In short, a Formula 1 decided in advance, taking into account that Prost has all the ability to defend himself. We will see, these are family issues. If only Ferrari had them. Instead, the only objective of the Maranello team for the moment remains to keep the positions, that is, to try to grab the third and fourth place with Berger and Alboreto. Despite the efforts, the attempt to make the turbo car more competitive has not yet been successful. There are still problems related to fuel consumption and those on the use of the engine, which is very powerful (the Italian was timed at 312 km/h at the point of maximum speed of the Francorchamps circuit), but with a slow and little progressive response in corners. In short, it is not an easy task for the technicians of the Maranello team, committed on many fronts. It will still take a lot of patience. The main theme of the Belgian Grand Prix remains, as has been said, centred on the Prost-Senna duel. Last year the Frenchman prevailed on this track (but the Brazilian was racing for Lotus), ahead of teammate Stefan Johansson. The others were all lapped, and third was De Cesaris with the Brabham BMW turbo, forced to push his car to get to the finish line because he ran out of fuel. It is to be expected that once again the race will prove to be very tough: in 1987 only ten competitors reached the finish line. There were several accidents and several failures. And it is not excluded that history can repeat itself. The track, however, is very spectacular, challenging, and able to highlight the best drivers. Who knows if there is room for an Italian. Let's make a random name: Riccardo Patrese, who would really need a prestigious result right now, since next week Williams will probably announce the composition of its team for next year. The Paduan waits to know what his destination will be, but a good placement could give him a hand. Unless - as they say - the games are already made in favour of Alboreto. In the meantime, the Porsche technician, Ralf Hahn - who is passed off as an engine specialist but is actually an engineer who has worked at Porsche for years and theoretically should still work in the delicate field of electronic mapping - already wanders around the garage of the Scuderia Ferrari, in plain clothes and even before being regularly hired. Hahn, 42 years old, tall, thin, bespectacled, is therefore not the vice of Hans Metzger, the famous designer of Porsche engines, but rather his most valuable collaborator, that is, the one who with his electronic devices has managed to build the best of the German engines making them become legendary. Ralf Hahn closely observes the work of mechanics and engineers. He tries to pretend to be a guest, asks no questions to anyone, but occasionally shakes or scratches his head. A hard job awaits him, without a doubt, and there is therefore nothing left but to give him the most heartfelt wishes.

 

The next day, imagine a beautiful track, all under a huge shower. It is here, in the heart of the Ardennes, in a hilly area between Germany and Luxembourg, where the rain comes and goes, that on Saturday, August 27, 1988 Ayrton Senna (pole number 25, more than Piquet and Lauda) and Prost are running an important race for the Formula 1 World Championship. A victory of the Brazilian in the Belgian Grand Prix and it is over, although mathematics will still grant some small margin of hope to the Frenchman, at least until the next race, in Monza. The two opponents continue to joke, to turn a blind eye. At the press conference, after a qualifying session that did not help, as the water-flooded track did not allow any change in the line-up, Senna and Prost say the usual things, giving each other great compliments. In fact, unless one of the two is not too scared, on Sunday on the track they should give a show worthy of that between Arnoux and Villeneuve in Dijon a few years ago, entered into the motorsport legends. An anticipation has already been seen in Hungary, with overtaking and counter-overtaking between the two McLaren drivers. A lot, if anything, depends on the rain. It seems that Sunday can be spared from the usual low clouds and autumn pouring rain of these days. If so, Prost will have the chance to fight on equal terms, this time starting in the front row next to his teammate-rival. Otherwise, he could have difficulties, unless the predictable superiority of the Brazilian in the wet is called into question by some trouble or by a third driver. In the second practice session, for example, with the asphalt flooded, the best time was set by Martin Brundle who precedes the Japanese Nakajima and the Brazilian Piquet. However, these lap times should not be taken into account, because the conditions of the track change every minute. The fact remains that the rain, beyond any talk, should give greater balance to the values on the field and would open the race even to a surprise result, Senna permitting. Among the outsider candidates there are obviously the Ferrari drivers, Berger and Alboreto, although still concerned by the problems of fuel consumption, both in case of dry and wet track. It seems (but there is no official confirmation) that the Austrian and the Italian will have two different engines. The less powerful one (11,500 rpm, instead of 12,500 rpm), which reduces performance but ensures less fuel waste, could be fitted on the car of Alboreto. There might be some surprises. Alboreto and Berger are also animated by different feelings. The Italian already feels a bit left out, almost a test driver, but he would love to have the chance to prove his skills. The Austrian is more disenchanted. 

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He suffers from the lack of competitiveness of the car, but at the same time he enjoys himself. On Saturday he turns 29 and celebrates in a unique way: he was getting into the car at the beginning of qualifying, when he noticed in the rear-view mirrors a beautiful girl, wavy hair, Mediterranean face. He called his manager and sent him to ask for her phone number. At the end of qualifying he had a note in his hand: Simona Cuomo, phone number... Ferrari, according to the words of its sporting director Marco Piccinini, who stigmatised the episode of the tabs ending up in the trash on Friday, calling it an oversight, let it be known that the team has a new head of the engine sector, engineer Massai. Neither he nor the other executives, however, knew his first name. He is a specialised technician who comes from Fiat Auto. Alarming news is coming from England about Nigel Mansell's illness. The driver was admitted to the hospital for a check-up and it seems that he was diagnosed with blood poisoning, caused by the medicines he ingested to treat chickenpox. His absence could be prolonged. So much so that Williams asked Martin Brundle if he will be free for the Italian Grand Prix weekend in two weeks' time. This is a sign that there is a danger of a long convalescence. Where does Formula 1 go? Definitely towards a growth crisis. In recent days, in fact, the constructors’ association and FISA officials had to meet to examine the situation, in light of numerous requests from several new teams to participate in the next World Championship. Marco Piccinini, Member of the FIA executive board, says:

 

"A problem to be solved because a greater number of cars would entail different difficulties of a sporting, organisational and safety nature. Several hypotheses have been made, such as the one that would require each team to line up two single-seaters and to exclude those who only want to try an adventure".

 

We are therefore talking about a closed number and other measures that will be decided by the October meeting. Among the proposals that, suggestive but unlikely, to create a A-series and a B-series (perhaps with Formula 3000), with promotions and relegations. In addition, constructors will also ask for financial guarantees and continuity of commitment. In short, they do not want to widen the field of participants too much so as not to create a dangerous inflation, even of names that would end up making the fans go crazy. Jean Marie Balestre, president of the FIA, also intervened unofficially on the future and openly threatened Monza.

 

"There are 21 countries that want Formula 1 and there are 16 races. England has three valid tracks, in France the Magny-Cours circuit has invested 12,000,000,000 lire to renovate the track. Environmental and green issues are everywhere, but they are intelligently overcome everywhere. I do not see why an exception should be made for Monza. Either the required work will be done or drastic and unavoidable decisions will be made. They have to decide if it's worth keeping the Grand Prix".

 

There was also a meeting of fuel suppliers, following the proposal to unify fuel. Oil companies have disagreed, for obvious reasons, although they will probably have to agree to review their products that should be closer to commercial ones, while now the fuel used in Formula 1 has nothing to do with that of road stations. On Sunday, August 28, 1988, at the green traffic light Prost has a flying start, taking advantage of an uncertainty of Senna. The Frenchman overtakes the Brazilian and drives towards the Radillon. On the starting grid all the mechanics had wrapped the tyres in the tyre warmers, but on the McLaren the rear warmers had warmed the Goodyears faster than the front ones. The pressure difference changed the expected ride height; therefore, until they reached the operating temperature, Senna is forced to fight with the nervous MP4/5 for the first five laps. Ayrton, however, does not give up, knowing that he is the strongest. The Brazilian driver pushes on the throttle and is in the slipstream of Prost; at the first chicane, Senna overtakes the rival on the inside, leaving him overwhelmed. Berger gives the impression that he can keep up with Prost. But the Austrian, on the fourth lap, with the engine that is not working properly, is forced to return to the pits for a long stop, with the mechanics frantically busy looking for the problem. The Austrian driver restarts when all the drivers have already passed three times and on lap 12 returns to the pits to get out of the car, visibly upset. While Senna continues to gain tenths and seconds on his teammate, Alboreto, as aggressive as ever, holds third position well, helped by a Ferrari that overall looks far better than the other cars. The Milanese creates a nice distance between himself and Boutsen. Even the Italian's race, however, does not end happily: on lap 35, when the podium now seems a good reality, the engine of his car begins to smoke conspicuously. Alboreto continues until the final breakage, and then parks to the side. The Italian drivers come out from the back of the group: Nannini and Capelli engage in wonderful duels, fighting the first with Piquet, the second with Patrese, after the Brazilian of Lotus has overtaken his teammate Satoru Nakajima. 

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Nannini had some initial difficulties because his Benetton with full tank showed a strong understeer. As soon as the tank has been progressively emptied, the Tuscan manages to give a test of his skills. At the end of a series of overtakes, he arrives behind Piquet and after a series of attacks passes him. Even more spectacular is the action of Capelli that starts from afar (he was thirteenth on the first lap) doing an impressive number of overtakes. He fights with Patrese, always at the hairpin. But he had already overtaken Brundle, Gugelmin (who had broken the clutch at the start and had problems with the gearbox, so much so that he went off track ruining the floor of his fast March), Warwick and Cheever. And in the last few minutes, he overtook Piquet too. Eleven consecutive wins for McLaren, the 21st victory of a Honda engine in the last 24 races, fourth consecutive success for Ayrton Senna (it had not happened since 1970, when Jochen Rindt had the same success). A series of records for the English team that - at 147 points - won the Constructors' World Championship well in advance. An overwhelming superiority, if we consider that all the other teams have altogether regrouped 128. The race, because of this incredible McLaren, was boring, animated only in the back, especially by the Italian drivers. Ferrari only made an appearance, with Berger immediately out of action for an electrical problem and with Alboreto retired due to an engine failure while he was firmly in third position. So behind Senna and Prost was Thierry Boutsen with Benetton, author of a flawless race. At the start, there was hope for a fight at the front with many attacks. But the illusion lasted very little, only thirty seconds, with the decisive episode after about 1500 metres of the 298 kilometres of the race. Professor Prost comes down from the desk handing over the chair, or rather the throne, to the student Senna, the new star of Formula 1. Seventh victory in the Belgian Grand Prix for the Brazilian champion, and a second place for Prost. But it was not so much the result that practically handed the 1988 world title to Senna, but the statements of the Frenchman after the race.

 

"Senna is the new World Champion. He is the strongest and has been the best with equal cars. I've always found it hard to beat him. This was the last chance I had, it is unthinkable that I could win four of the five races left to run. I'm happy for him, he deserves the title, the logic has been respected. Next year you will see two world champions in McLaren".

 

After retiring in the rain at Silverstone, this is the second time Prost has not delivered. He looked like a hardened driver, a man capable of reacting to difficulties, but suddenly he showed a new face. He raised a white flag in front of the emerging talent, the strength of the Brazilian. His is a crisis of conscience, perhaps even an act of courage in admitting the superiority of the rival. But at the same time a driver cannot run if he is intimately convinced that he is less good. If that minimum of presumption is missing, it is over. But Prost is obviously not of this opinion. The Frenchman continues:

 

"Now the pressure I've been under will finally decrease. I'm ready to start a new championship, a new challenge with different cars with aspirated engines. For this season I will try to help Senna win more races and McLaren to beat all the records".

 

Of course, a more fervent defence was expected, at least in words. Perhaps Prost was enchanted by Senna, by the estimate that the two racers feel for each other. And Senna returned the favour with words of hope, saying that the title is not yet his:

 

"I don't consider myself World Champion yet, I don't have the mathematical confirmation, and in Formula 1 you never know. I also owe Alain a lot, because I learned something from him. And then there's McLaren. Our cars are missiles compared to the others. The credit goes to the technicians and also, partially, to us drivers who have been able to set them up well. I can say, without fear of being contradicted, that this year many drivers could have aimed for the world title if they had our cars available. Luckily, I was driving one of the two McLarens. Lastly, for which I would not like to appear immodest: we must look for good teams. Other teams promised me many things when they knew I was free from the Lotus contract, but I knew where I wanted to go. Even if I win the Italian Grand Prix in two weeks, I won't be able to consider myself World Champion. But conquering Monza is one of my dreams, so I will arrive at the Italian racetrack ready with two goals to achieve. Of course a success in the next race will protect me from all attacks as Prost would then be forced to win all four remaining races, that are Portugal, Spain, Japan and Australia".

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But on the podium he is so happy that he even gets a rebuke from Balestre, president of the FIA, who brings him back to order while he jokes and laughs without worrying about the award ceremony. But what happened in the race? Why did Prost, who started very well in the lead, let himself be overtaken after thirty seconds without trying the slightest resistance?

 

"I had chosen a different aerodynamic solution to reduce fuel consumption, and my car was less balanced and less fast in the slow part of the circuit. I thought about attacking him at the end, but from lap 25 I had to let him go also because the tyres had deteriorated a bit".

 

A confession that increases the merits of the Brazilian, very good in setting up the car. He also showed it at Spa. In the warm up lap before the start, Senna noticed that the notorious pop-off valve, the one that limits the pressure of the turbo to 2.5 bar, was not working perfectly. In the team radio, he told it to the pits and the mechanics, together with the FISA technician, replaced it on the grid, a few minutes before the start. A significant episode.

 

"I didn't have a good start, skidding the wheels. It had never happened to me in such an obvious way. At the braking of the first corner I could have widened so as not to let Prost through, but it would have been too risky for both of us. So I preferred to let him pass. But I immediately got in his slipstream and at the first chicane I overtook him without problems. Once in the lead, I thought about saving fuel, tyres and engine. The race was too important to make mistakes".

 

It is easy for the Brazilian. Now that world title that he has dreamed of since he was a child, that role of heir to Emerson Fittipaldi and Nelson Piquet that he has been chasing since he entered Formula 1, is right at hand. The apotheosis, the official confirmation, could arrive in two weeks in Monza, in the Italian Grand Prix. Also because, otherwise, Prost should win at least four of the five races that are left, which could be possible if there is no Senna, given the superiority of the unreachable McLaren-Honda. Coldness and courage mix in Senna like an explosive cocktail, making it practically invulnerable. He is strong in the street circuits and in the very fast ones, on wet and dry asphalt, in practice and in the race, in the set up of the cars and in knowing how to extract the most out of them. That is a driver without weaknesses. Born in São Paulo twenty-eight years ago, medium height, lean body, picky to the point of boredom, Ayrton Senna has proven to have an overwhelming strength of character. He overcame the hatred of many colleagues (clamorous his controversies with Mansell and Alboreto), the envy of others, the sometimes too heavy barbs of his compatriot Piquet. So much is his charisma that he even managed to enchant Alain Prost who would have a thousand reasons to hate him and instead esteem him, indeed, now he fears him and therefore holds him in very high regard. He was able to win the sympathy of the technicians, to be friends with the mechanics, even if his ruthless judgments on some occasions have broken off previously idyllic relationships. In recent times he has even thought about his own public image. After a series of not pleasant rumours about his private life, he opened a door even in intimacy, being surprised by photographers in affectionate attitudes with beautiful girls. Nothing is left to chance. Ayrton Senna, women and engines, you might say. But above all a remarkable class in high-speed driving. As mentioned, the Italian drivers came out of the Belgian Grand Prix with their heads held high, although Riccardo Patrese had to retire with the engine water temperature very high. However, the future does not look so bright for Patrese, who awaits confirmation for next year from the British team, while radio-box claims that his place has already been taken by Michele Alboreto. No problem for Alessandro Nannini, who flies on the wave of increasing popularity, so much so that Benetton in recent days wanted to enforce the option they had also for 1990. Luciano Benetton this time must have given a good sum of money: we are talking about more than 2.000.000.000 lire. Alessandro Nannini says:

 

"I am satisfied, also because this is a demonstration of confidence. Of course, I could have waited for a possible call from Ferrari, but I do not think that next season the Maranello team will already be competitive".

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Light-hearted, cheerful, Gascon, the Sienese driver did an excellent race, although at first he had some troubles:

 

"It was a fun race, but it started off badly. Patrese and I were almost side by side on the climb looking into each other's eyes as Nakajima overtook us both running at 30 km/h higher than us. Nice fight with my friend Piquet, maybe he had problems with brakes and tyres. He would zigzag to keep me from going through in slow areas and then go away in the straights. What a fight. I'm just sorry I didn't get on the podium, but honestly my car in the first few laps was difficult to drive, and I had to start at a distance".

 

However, the technical checks carried out in the parc fermé after the chequered flag, will decree the disqualification of both Benettons because they are accused of using irregular fuel. A disappointment for the drivers of the Anglo-Italian team after a Sunday spent as protagonists and in which they had collected valuable points in the Constructors' Championship. Thanks to their exclusion, Capelli will be able to celebrate - even if only virtually - the first podium of his Formula 1 career, thanks also to the very efficient March designed by Adrian Newey.

 

"I passed Brundle in the same spot where Mansell and Senna had their accident last year. Then I attacked Patrese and passed him at the hairpin. We made contact, what a scary moment. The car was very fast, if I didn't start at the back, I could have taken third place".

 

Disappointed and disappointing Ferrari? In terms of the result, yes. A double retirement (the third of the season after Canada and the United States) was certainly not in the plans and possibilities of the Maranello cars, which could quite easily aim at least to third and fourth place. But every cloud has a silver lining: if Alboreto and Berger have been betrayed by the reliability of the Maranello cars, there are positive notes regarding performance. Apart from the platonic fastest lap of the Austrian (Senna and Prost at the end did not need to push), there was a greater competitiveness at the chronometric level. Let’s take a look at the figures: Prost's best lap time was 2'01"702, the Italian's 2'01"924. And there is more: Ferrari had no fuel consumption problems and engine performance improved, even in terms of progression. This is a sign that the work carried out in Fiorano has already achieved some objectives. Of course, the drivers are not happy at the end of the Grand Prix. Alboreto is particularly unhappy with the retirement, the useless effort, so as to give the impression of wanting to continue in a crazy race when the engine already smoked conspicuously:

 

"I was hoping to make it, but once again I was beaten by bad luck. The car was still good, even though we were even slower than McLaren, on average one second per lap".

 

Gerhard Berger is even more precise:

 

"The chassis was excellent. I even tried to pass Prost and if the engine hadn't immediately started to cause problems, maybe I would have overtaken him too. The engine is still not as I would like, but there is progress. I don't think we will be able to keep up with McLaren in Monza, but maybe in the following races, at Estoril and Jerez, we will finally be able to fight with them".

 

It seems that the Austrian was stopped by a trivial failure; there was no electricity to a cylinder. Ferrari's sporting director, Marco Piccinini, says:

 

"There is no need to talk about the post-Enzo Ferrari era, a problem much more serious, complex and greater than any speech. Let's say instead that on a negative day due to the lack of reliability there were positive notes. First of all, we had no problems with fuel consumption and took a step forward with the engines. The next objective is precisely to find an optimal functioning of the cars. This is the theme that our old and new technicians will have to face. Unfortunately, another unfavourable note is that we lost seven points to Benetton who are chasing us in the constructors' standings, but maybe we will recover".

 

What are the plans now?

 

"We continue to work on the turbo car, while we engage in parallel on the one with the aspirated engine. It is not true that everything is going badly on the new car, but we admit that there are difficulties. It is not even true that we are forced to design, build and test the parts outside and not in our factory. Engineer Ghidella is strengthening the team, it is clear that it offers the possibility of having a contribution from the Fiat group with all its resources. But the focus remains in Maranello, because Ferrari is also an advanced technological pole. We have an upgrade package in sight, maybe at the end of the season we'll take some satisfaction".

 

From Wednesday, August 31, 1988, free practices are scheduled in Imola. Almost all teams are there. Ferrari had decided not to participate, but at the last moment it was announced that, according to the needs, after a technical meeting in Maranello, a possible rethink is not excluded.


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