A slight illness, probably due to fatigue, that on Tuesday, April 27, 1993 hit at noon Alain Prost, did not prevent the French Williams-Renault to continue the free practice in Imola and to get the best time among the five teams on track, with 1'24"15. The treatment of Doctor Piana, head of the emergency department of the circuit, put him back on his feet in a few minutes. Riccardo Patrese, with Benetton-Ford, scores the second best time turning in 1'24"59, despite completing only eight laps because of the broken gearbox. Behind the Italian, Barrichello (Jordan), 1'25"68, Lehto (Sauber), 1'25"96, Boutsen (Jordan), 1'27"16. As for Ferrari, Jean Alesi tests the two cars available. With the spare car, equipped with active gas suspension actuators, the French driver completes 21 laps with the best time of 1'26"34 and works on the clutch to discover the cause of the fault found during the Grand Prix of San Marino. With the single-seater that had been damaged in Brazil by Gerhard Berger, Jean Alesi completed sixteen laps, of which the best in 1'27'11, and in addition to testing new front actuators, also made tests for the electronic strategy of the gearbox. The following day, the Frenchman will be replaced by his team-mate, Gerhard Berger, to continue with the final day of practice that will also see Michele Alboreto work with Lola of Scuderia Italia, engaged in testing some changes. No specific news on the Ford-Benetton case. From London, team principal Flavio Briatore says that there will be no meetings to supply the engines to McLaren, which is waiting for the English team. Senna, meanwhile, does not seem to worry too much: the Brazilian tries an offshore in Riccione, without thinking too much about Formula 1 and the rival Alain Prost.
But he says that in the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix, which will be held in Barcelona, on Sunday 9 May 1993, engines should have less influence on performance. The fifth act of the Formula 1 World Championship. It is held on the Montmeló circuit, about twenty kilometres north-east of the capital of Catalonia. A beautiful structure, but little attended. Strange relationship, the one between Spain and the motoring. This year the 80th birthday of the race is celebrated, since the first edition dates back to 1913 on a 90-kilometre road in Guadarrama. Carlos de Salamanca won on Rolls-Royce. Since then, passing on many different tracks and also through the tragedy of 1975 (Rolf Stommelen flew into the crowd with his Lola, killing five people), on the Iberian Peninsula almost exclusively authentic champions of the steering whee have won, including Varzi, Fagioli, Caracciola, Fangio, Hawthorn, Clark, Hill, Stewart, Fittipaldi, Lauda, Hunt, Andretti, Jones, Villeneuve, Senna, Prost and Mansell. And always in Spain, in Jerez, Sunday, November 30, 1990 Alain Prost brought for the last time Ferrari to victory. Then the great wait, which lasts from 38 races. Last year, in a Grand Prix in the rain that saw the success of Nigel Mansell, the most exciting show was offered by Jean Alesi, who finished third, behind Michael Schumacher, between a spin and another, with a thousand acrobatics. Alesi is the protagonist of the eve of the Grand Prix, in a day of tension and relaxation, denials and confirmations. The subject of the discussions was Jean’s stay in the Maranello team. Drivers' market issues, a story that has lasted fifteen days. At Imola, President Montezemolo had said that Ferrari was close to reconfirming Alesi for two years, and he had made statements of passion and cheering:
"This team is my only love".
Meanwhile, the French newspapers were talking about a strong interest on the part of Williams, Benetton and even McLaren for Alesi, while from Brazil the story of a new interest of the Italian team for Ayrton Senna bounced. A beautiful confusion. Thursday, May 6, 1993, in the morning, at the departure from Bologna to Barcelona, Jean clarifies everything:
"I talked again with Luca Montezemolo, we agreed on everything, even on money (he will take more, ed), just missing the details. When we get home I sign the contract".
In the afternoon, however, black clouds loom on the horizon: Alesi is no longer so calm and safe. What happened?
Nothing serious: he learned that only on Gerhard Berger’s car the mechanics are mounting the active suspension equipped with a gas actuator (the standard one contains a special aeronautical liquid). And the French driver has some doubts, as if he had heard a lie. The truth is that Alesi, golden boy with an exuberant and fiery character, always wants to be put on par with his teammate. And the episode of suspension upsets and annoys him. Shortly after, the team’s executives explained to Alesi that Berger will have the most advanced system available in the first qualifying round, and that if it goes well, on Saturday it will also be mounted on the Frenchman’s car. So, tempers calm down and therefore there should be no second thoughts, even if the pressures, especially of Williams, are very strong. No decisive news, not even regarding Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian is in Portugal; only on Friday morning he should show up to run (tests from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., qualifying from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.). This is what McLaren says. Ayrton will not have the super-engine Ford because at the moment the negotiation with Benetton remains blocked. Among other things, the Italian team, tired of the continuous changes of ideas about the future, Wednesday, May 5, 1993 sends a letter to the World Council of the FIA in which it calls for implementation of the proposals to eliminate - since 1994 - all electronic control systems on cars enunciated by Max Mosley before the start of the World Championship. If they try to change direction again, Benetton will take legal action and demand that Williams be excluded from the World Championship (due to the late registration).
The team was admitted to the Formula One World Championship in exchange for accepting future technical changes. Back to Ayrton Senna, the Rio de Janeiro newspaper O Dia writes that the Brazilian driver would be about to become the father of a beautiful carioca girl, Marcela Prado, who should come into the world in November. The two would have met in Portugal at the beginning of the season. The model has already been married to a speaker of the Brazilian news network Globo but now lives alone. The Brazilian newspaper O Dia claims to have learned the news from a friend of Prado that the unexpected maternity will be completed. To escape the reporters, Prado would take refuge in a fazenda in the hinterland of Rio. Also according to the newspaper, Senna a few days ago, while leaving a cinema in São Paulo with the model Adriana Galisteu, would have punched a reporter who asked him about his alleged paternity. On Friday, 7th May 1993, Alain Prost flies with his Williams and marks the best performance on the lap, lowering the time (1'19"599 against 1'20"190) that last year led Mansell to take pole position. Senna in playboy version has fun, arrives at the last moment, gets in the car and brings McLaren to the second position. For Ferrari, however, there is no limit to the worst: P10 Alesi, P16 Berger, no progress. The Maranello team, despite the efforts, cannot come out of a bend that brings it lower and lower. Four seconds behind Williams, 1.2 seconds slower than last year, when the performance of the F92A was defined as disastrous. The active suspension continues not to work, the cars are undamaged. Thus, Berger loses all diplomacy and blurts out in heavy criticism:
"The chassis is terrible, the engine is dead. In the last ten days I have worked like crazy to develop the new actuators and I got positive feedback at Imola and Fiorano. I wanted to mount the same system here and I didn’t do a good lap. In qualifying I used the old ones and it didn’t go well. On the second day I want to try the more sophisticated ones again, whatever the cost".
The Austrian also assumes the role of engineer, since he is able to impose his choices on technicians. A sign of weakness on the part of the team that left behind John Barnard, who has to design the car for 1994 and has recycled Harvey Postlethwaite as manager on the track. And good Harvey hides behind obvious statements:
"On the Barcelona track it is crucial to have a perfect car, because the difference between a good chassis and a less good one results in large chronometric gaps. Currently our active suspension does not act correctly: that’s why we went so wrong".
This so-called intelligent suspension is a damnation.
It does not work mechanically (actuators are basically cylinders that replace springs and shock absorbers) and also its electronic management creates huge problems. Basically, nobody at Ferrari has yet figured out how to develop a good program. And there is no going back, because this car is not built to accommodate traditional suspension. The only one to go against the trend is Jean Alesi who, in addition to being happy because he precedes his teammate, reiterates that he is close to signing a contract that will bind him for another two years to the Maranello team:
"The deal is done, just the details are missing, and I’m ready to sign. The truth is that we cannot judge this car, because if the suspension does not work you can not push the maximum. The engine is not a problem. Just find a way to adjust the set-up a bit to improve a lot".
Maybe the Frenchman has a different way of driving than Berger. The fact remains that the cars of Maranello will have to fight not to start, in the race, in the latest rows.
"Guys, there’s little to do. Williams is unbeatable. Otherwise it will be just a matter between Prost and Hill".
With these words Ayrton Senna presents the Spanish Grand Prix. And, honestly, his prediction makes no difference. Skill, courage and commitment are not enough when one car travels two seconds faster than all the others in one lap. At most a family battle can be witnessed. And, on Saturday, May 8, 1993, Prost must do his best just to overtake his teammate. Strong of his experience, the Frenchman at the last lap is right of the still unleashed Damon Hill: fifth consecutive pole position, the number 25 of his career and circuit record in 1'17"809 (the previous record was by Berger, with McLaren, in 1991 with a time of 1'18"751) at the respectable average speed of 219.630 km/h. So much for the changes made this year to reduce the speed of Formula 1 cars.
"It was tough, because there are many jumps on this track and it’s hard to keep the car in the right trajectory. But you have to admit that the Williams-Renault is fantastic: you can always overcome the limits you think you cannot reach. The race? We can win it, but first we have to go without problems all the 308 kilometres that await us to get to the finish line of this Grand Prix".
The Frenchman is cautious, but he is also right: he can expect some bad surprises from Damon Hill who is scrambling to show how good he is. And within the team (English), for someone, a different result (or rather inverse) from what everyone waits for would not even be too bad. Alain Prost and Damon Hill engaged in a personal challenge, Ayrton Senna resigned to wait for miraculous events (another rain dance?), Michael Schumacher and Riccardo Patrese are looking for points together with the combative Karl Wendlinger with the Swiss Sauber, while Michael Andretti prays good luck not to go out at the first corner. The Ferrari of Jean Alesi follows far away. P8 for the Frenchman, P11 for Gerhard Berger. A small step forward from Friday’s disaster. But, as usual, there is little to be fooled, the goals are very limited. It would be enough for the Maranello team to get to the bottom of the race, to find the reliability lost for some time. Jean Alesi explains very calmly:
"There is little to rejoice when you start in the fourth row, just under 4 seconds from Williams of Prost. Let’s hope that in the race the gap is less heavy. The only positive thing of these first two days comes from the fact that in the last qualifying laps we tried a computer program that controls the active suspension with which the car behaves a little better in the corners. But it is not said that having a full tank of petrol things go in the same way. You have to suffer and you can only guarantee our maximum commitment, with the hope of being a little luckier and get in the points".
Gerhard Berger also appears less nervous. The Austrian opts to run with the active suspension equipped with gas actuators, thus motivating his choice:
"There has been little progress, but I want to continue on this path because it represents the future. On Friday I was disappointed, depressed, furious and I was taken at the moment when I was boiling at 200 degrees. I was in a difficult moment, after a terrible day, the car was unworkable. And every word of mine was taken literally to use against me and against Ferrari. I just wanted the situation to be understood. I don’t care much, those aren’t the things that matter. I continue to work and hope that what is being done in Maranello will be useful to improve performance. On this circuit unfortunately our engine is not very suitable, as the track favours 8 and 10 cylinders".
On Sunday, May 9, 1993, at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix, which begins curiously with a flashing orange light instead of the usual green light, Damon Hill precedes Alain Prost. The two Williams drivers were followed by Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Riccardo Patrese and Karl Wendlinger. Damon Hill and Alain Prost soon pulled away from their pursuers, with the Frenchman taking the lead on lap 11. Later in the race, Prost’s car begins to behave strangely and Hill approaches him, attempting to overtake him again, before retiring when his engine shuts down on lap 41. Towards the end of the race, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna both stopped at the pits to replace the tyres. Senna stopped late and lost almost all of his lead over Schumacher, who scored a series of fast laps to close the gap. This challenge ended when Michael Schumacher left the track at the last corner, after being forced to go out of trajectory to overtake the steaming Lotus of Alessandro Zanardi, forced to retire in lap 60 due to engine failure. Thus, Alain Prost wins the Spanish Grand Prix, followed by Ayrton Senna, the two Benetton-Ford drivers, Michael Schumacher and Riccardo Patrese, Michael Andretti with the second McLaren and Gerhard Berger, with the only Ferrari reaching the finish line after Jean Alesi was forced to retire during lap 40 due to the engine failure. Only one overtaking, on lap 11, on teammate Damon Hill who had surprised him at the start, then dozens of cautious lappings: so Alain Prost won the Spanish Grand Prix and took the lead in the Formula 1 World Championship standings. Senna is behind him and the Frenchman is thrown into his fourth world title. It is only at fifth stage of the championship and it might seem premature to make these considerations. But the superiority of Williams-Renault is such that real earthquakes should happen to change the values on track. The Professor, who drove with the usual skill, won the Grand Prix number 47 of his career and the third of the season.
He is only two points ahead of his Brazilian rival, but the road appears downhill. Senna instead had to fight to get a P2 that was the maximum result he could achieve. The Brazilian had to defend himself from the final attacks of a wild Schumacher who climbed on the podium, ahead of a regular Riccardo Patrese, Michael Andretti (first points in Formula 1) and Gerhard Berger. For Ferrari, therefore, a modest placement, the P6, which however went beyond the most optimistic forecasts. But there is absolutely nothing to get excited about, it was only thanks to the Austrian driver who drove with his head, taking care more not to risk breaking anything than to look for the result. The figures speak for themselves and are merciless: Gerhard Berger was lapped on lap 27 of the 65 scheduled and ended the race with more than two laps behind (indeed almost three), about 10 kilometres out of 308 total, by the winner. And only on lap 62 Gerhard managed to overtake Blundell’s Ligier who was ahead of him. Not to mention that some drivers who stood in front of him (after a change of tires necessary because they were deteriorated) retired five and others had some problems. It is distressing, if all this is combined with the fact that poor Alesi was forced once again to abandon (for the fourth time out of five races) with a sharp engine failure, when a few seconds before had jumped to sixth position for the retirement of Damon Hill. The race was not good and could not be good, since the rain fell only early in the morning and the track was dry. The audience (30,000 spectators) on the circuit did not have much fun. And maybe even those who managed to stay until the end of the race in front of the television without sleep - thanks to a stupid Spanish director - must not have had more fun. The protagonists, however, at the end of the Grand Prix say that the Spanish race was one of the most difficult races of their career. Each one satisfied with his result, but how many problems, how many recriminations. Starting with Alain Prost:
"It was perhaps the toughest race, on the physical level of my career. A huge pressure. At the start the gearbox that needs to automatically snap got stuck in the first and I had to put the second manually. So Hill put me on the whip when I was in front of him and then when he was behind. There are no stable orders to follow. We’re free. Only imposition: we cannot attack in the last ten laps not to compromise the work of the team. Who is in the lead at that time we remain. My car was perfect at the beginning. Halfway through, however, it started jumping like a grasshopper. So I earned it. this success, even if in the last laps I limited myself to check: no one threatened me closely. This is an important victory because it comes on the eve of Monte Carlo, where I believe my rivals can give me battle with more chances. Anyway I don’t want to talk about rankings, it’s too soon".
Ayrton Senna, dark in his face (during the award ceremony avoids celebrating Alain Prost) just makes a couple of considerations:
"That’s all I could do. In fact, second place is already better than I expected, because I could never reach Damon Hill. In the next races if we are not able to make progress there will not be many chances".
Then he adds:
"For me it was terrible as the engines of several cars exploded in front of me. I had a visor full of oil and I saw nothing".
He continues to explain:
"There are drivers, like Zanardi, who are reckless, who don’t look at safety and regulations. Commissioners should punish them. They break everything and sprinkle the track with oil, remaining in trajectory, when it is now useless".
The Brazilian is right on the formal level. But perhaps he does not remember when he himself was willing to run on three wheels to make an extra lap. The same applies to Michael Schumacher, who gave a speech similar to that of Ayrton Senna. Alessandro Zanardi, however, replies:
"We don’t have their missile cars. And when we’re fighting for seventh place, it’s like getting to the finish line first. However, nobody does it on purpose: sometimes the engines explode without warning and it takes a moment before getting out of the way. It is easy to criticise when speaking from the pedestal and forgetting what has been done before".
Riccardo Patrese, happy with the P4, is the only one to leave the Circuit of Catalonia serene:
"The car was vibrating and I had a problem with the left front wheel. But it is the first time in the season that I run with a good feeling, I can only improve in the next races".
Ferrari is not celebrating Berger’s P6. Aware of the lack of competitiveness of their cars, the men of the Maranello team put away the household goods and walk their way back home. They wanted to stay for two days of testing at this circuit, but it was not possible, as the tests will resume soon in Fiorano, perhaps in Imola or Mugello. Barnard is working to make some changes to the details of the active suspension but actually there is not much optimism for the short and medium term future. Jean Alesi admits:
"It’s hard for a driver to always walk back to the pits. I couldn’t run an attack race, but I could at least hold the position, repel Lehto’s attacks with Sauber. Then the engine collapsed suddenly, without warning. I’m disappointed, but not down. In Monte-Carlo I will fight as always, as it is in my temperament. I am convinced that we will come out of this very bad moment".
Gerhard Berger, who in his role as test driver wanted to drive the car with the active suspension equipped with a gas actuator, makes a serene analysis:
"The result is not exciting, but at least we have accumulated miles and experience. At the beginning, with a full tank of petrol, the car was difficult to drive and the tyres deteriorated quickly. So I decided to change them and in the end I could attack. The road to becoming competitive, however, is still long".
While Ferrari resumes the route for Italy, Michael Andretti, smiling, leaves for the United States. McLaren’s American could participate in the qualifying of the Indy 500, where he would like to raise morale. On Tuesday, Nigel Mansell will decide whether to race in the fastest race in the world. If the Englishman gives up, because he is not yet in perfect shape, he may be replaced with the young Andretti who can still return in time for the Monaco Grand Prix. Monday, May 10, 1993, Ferrari immediately returns to work. In the afternoon a car with Alesi should go on track at Mugello. Subsequently, the Frenchman will also try in Fiorano and his place will be taken over by Gerhard Berger. The Maranello team tries to force the time for the tuning of the suspension in view of the Monaco Grand Prix, where a slightly modified engine for the characteristics of the Principality circuit could also be brought. The appointment of the Frenchman Jean Todt as General Manager of the Scuderia Ferrari is also expected to be imminent, even if the latter will not be able to take actual service before the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 20 June 1993, being still engaged with Peugeot. Also on Monday, May 10, 1993, the Maranello team, about the discussions on electronics in Formula 1, issued a statement:
"In order to avoid misunderstandings about its position in the debate on the regulation to be adopted in the 1994 Formula 1 World Championship, Ferrari reiterates its opposition to all that, making costs intolerable at a time of global economic recession, damages the sporting balance between large and small teams, it weakens the role of the driver and at the same time it has little to do with technological research aimed at the production of series cars. With the single aim of facilitating the achievement of a unanimous agreement that avoids dangerous fractures and allows to define the regulation for next year in a very short time, Ferrari has nevertheless expressed its willingness to maintain only active suspension, linking it to the indispensable condition of a drastic reduction in costs obtained by other measures".