Ayrton Senna will not race for Ferrari in 1994. The Maranello drivers in the 1994 season will be Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger. Despite the interest recently shown by the Brazilian champion for the Italian team, it was decided to confirm the current line-up which enjoys the esteem of the team's top management. President Montezemolo himself broke the delay and dispelled all shadows, who on Tuesday, 22 June 1993, invited the new general manager Jean Todt (in office since 1 July 1993) to sign the contract with the Frenchman for two years, therefore until the end of 1995, while the Austrian already had a two-year agreement. Ferrari remains flattered by Senna's approaches and, obviously, regretfully renounces to enter into negotiations with the Brazilian driver, leaving him open for the future, when the cars will be more competitive and the presence of a champion could make the difference against rivals. It must also be said that the behaviour of Ayrton, who always shrewdly tries to exploit situations in his favour (for two years he flirted with Williams, always opting for McLaren in exchange for economic advantages) has found not very fertile ground this time. His requests (25.000.000 dollars per season, five months of winter vacation) are considered too onerous at a time when the most pressing investments are reserved for technology. Furthermore Jean Alesi with his commitment, with the courage and skill shown, which opened a great breach in the hearts of the fans, deserved a confirmation. This completes another piece in the plan that will have to bring Ferrari back to the positions of prominence that have formed its history. On Tuesday 22 June 1993, among other things, Nicola Larini tests positively at Fiorano the new active suspension designed by John Barnard, which will be tested in Barcelona on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 June 1993. An innovation that should bring positive results in the second part of the championship. The tests for Ferrari also continue on Monday 28 June 1993: Nicola Larini, engaged at Mugello in his role as test driver for Ferrari, and Jean Alesi at Fiorano, will still be busy preparing for the Maranello team's trip to Magny. Cours, for the eighth round of the World Championship.
While waiting for Jean Todt's debut as general director of the team, Ferrari will bring to France the new active suspension designed by Barnard which should allow the cars to rise to the level of Benetton and McLaren. Williams is still a long way off, but a further sign of progress would already be positive. In the following days, Formula 1 arrives in France amid controversy and normal work schedules. In the foreground is the story of the irregular single-seaters: an extraordinary FIA world council will assess the technical non-compliance of twenty-four of the twenty-six cars participating in the World Championship. The meeting should be held on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 July 1993, in Paris. After the report by technical commissioner Charlie Whiting, who in Montreal on the occasion of the Canadian Grand Prix declared illegal the cars equipped with active suspension and/or electronically controlled systems (i.e. all cars except the two Lolas), the FIA decided to speed up time. The board will listen to stakeholders and managers of each team. Meanwhile, at Mugello on Tuesday, 29 June 1993, the attempt by the Ferrari team to simulate a Grand Prix was completed. Nicola Larini completes 57 consecutive laps with a car powered by a 5-valve-per-cylinder engine and equipped with TTs (the modified telescopic trumpets). It is a test of the car's reliability that seems to have given the technicians of the Maranello team comforting indications. Even if reliability was the objective of the tests, the best time recorded by Larini, without forcing it, is considered interesting: 1'28"5, at an average speed of 213 km/h. Subsequently, a new engine was fitted to carry out further tests that could provide useful indications for the French Grand Prix. Finally, McLaren denies its intention to release Ayrton Senna and replace the Brazilian in France with Mika Hakkinen. These are, according to McLaren, imaginative hypotheses: Senna will stay. On the eve of the French Grand Prix, the next general manager of the Scuderia Ferrari, the Frenchman Jean Todt, answers questions from journalists, curious to know the future of the new manager of the Maranello team.
Mr. Todt, why did you accept to manage Scuderia Ferrari in such a difficult moment?
"I am a man who lives with a passion for motor sport. Becoming manager of the most prestigious Formula 1 team in the world represents a unique opportunity for me and a challenge that I don't want to miss".
Do you realise that the Maranello team is a difficult object to control, which has been subject to a thousand problems and changes in recent years?
"I think Ferrari can solve all its problems. What must be done is a fantastic job. My role is to bring men together. But it will only be possible to truly change course with the results".
They say you're tough, sometimes even a little cynical...
"I don't think I'm tough in the strict sense of the word. I always do my best and therefore expect a lot from others. And I am cynical with cynics, therefore with many people".
By the way: Lauda, Berger, Alesi, Postlethwaite, Barnard, there is a corporation l to manage.
"Ferrari is a team of enormous international fame. There are no problems in this sense. We have 300 people working in Maranello and 40 in England. I feel like an orchestra conductor who has many excellent soloists".
Yes, but generally a conductor has all his musicians in sight. What will you do with Barnard who works in London?
"This is another of my tasks. England is the Silicon Valley of Formula 1 technology. For Ferrari, being divided into two sections can be an advantage and a disadvantage. I will try to exploit only the positive aspects with continuous contacts, amalgamating the two forces".
In your first approach, did you understand what doesn't work at Ferrari?
"I can't give a precise answer. So far I have met many people. Good morning, good evening. It will take time to get to know the environment and the men better".
It was said that you would bring some technicians from Peugeot with him.
"I read too. This claim is not founded. How can I think of making new entries if I don't know the current reality thoroughly? In any case, given that engines have been discussed above all, I want to underline that moderate progress has been made in recent times. I spoke with Claudio Lombardi, head of the sector. We will make grafts only if they are necessary".
What role did you play in Alesi's reconfirmation? And will Senna remain a dream?
"I participated in the definition of the Alesi contract. And since Jean will stay at Ferrari until 1995 and Berger has a contract for 1994, it seems premature to me to talk about other drivers".
Don't you think that with your arrival, Lauda's contribution will disappear?
"I've always had great admiration for Niki. He is a man who knows the sport inside out. He has been hired to be a counsellor and we need good advice".
Ferrari has mortified an experienced sporting director such as Fiorio. Are you afraid of ending up the same way?
"I'm always scared, but I try not to show it. I have known Fiorio for many years. It's not for me to talk about it. I can only say that my way of working is very different from his".
Will we soon see you directing the team from the pits? And when will Ferrari win a Grand Prix again?
"First I want to understand, then if it will be useful I will. I'd be crazy to take certain responsibilities on the first day. As for victories, I'm not a fortune teller. But we have to work so that the successes arrive as soon as possible".
Finally, the French manager talks about his first resolutions as new leader of the Maranello team:
"I don't want to kick anyone out, on the contrary, I want to give everyone serenity. Ferrari needs it. But I know, I've known it for some time, that Ferrari is a great team, known and appreciated all over the world. It has technicians, managers and mechanics of great value but they need to rediscover security and serenity. I still don't know all the 350 people who work in sports management. And then? What does it mean to get to know each other? I have already said good morning to many of them, I have shaken many hands, I've seen so many smiles. But does this mean really getting to know each other? No. Starting today I want to learn to get to know everyone, one by one, well, in depth".
There has been a fear, ever since rumours of his arrival began, that his presence in Maranello could transform Ferrari into a battalion of the Foreign Legion where the leader snaps orders to issue any order, and the others carry out. A journalist takes the microphone and asks the French manager, but to sweeten the question diplomatically, he uses somewhat tortuous words. Asking: Do you think others are willing to trot? Todt doesn't even finish it. He raises a finger menacingly, interrupting him:
"If trotting means the same as it does here, don't use that word. I don't like it. Nobody has to trot beside me. We use the word collaborate. Well, the others, all the others are my collaborators".
With this direct answer, Todt immediately makes it clear what must be expected of him: clarity. He won't tell lies, but when he can't answer, he just won't.
"From today I have full responsibility for everything that happens at Ferrari. Theoretically, I could start giving orders right away. I have the right to, but I'm not crazy. I'll just watch for now, so don't expect anything special. To work with the likes of Barnard, Postlethwaite, Lombardi and others is an honour for me. But I answer only to the lawyer Montezemolo. In recent times, there has been considerable progress in the motor sector as in other sectors. I don't know if there will be a need for reinforcements. I see myself more as a conductor than a general. And the orchestra is there, it's of international value, it's up to me to conduct it well".
Someone says that Jean Todt is the Napoleon of motoring, referring not only to his predisposition for leadership, but also to his small stature. But so far the 47-year-old French manager, a former co-driver in Rallying and responsible for Peugeot's sporting activities for twelve years, has not known defeats like Waterloo. Indeed, as a team manager, he passed from success to success, last in order of time the one in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Thursday, 1 July 1993, Jean Todt (he was born in PierreFort, in the Cantal department, is married and has a son) officially takes over the reins of the Ferrari racing team.
On Friday he will make his debut on the first day of practice for the French Grand Prix in which Senna also participates, who, at the last moment, signs another one-race contract with McLaren. Jean Todt shows up with the team uniform. Just to extinguish a controversy triggered in recent days, on the fact that he would have signed a personal contract with a sponsor other than the one that usually supplies the clothing to the Italian team. Jean Todt will have almost full powers ("I'm everyone's boss, but I too have a boss, President Montezemolo, who moved me this morning by sending me a Prancing Horse stamped with my name and the date") and a difficult task to carry ahead: to lift the Maranello team out of the crisis that has gripped it for years. The French manager spoke for an hour, without revealing any secrets, saying that his plan involved an enormous amount of work and stating that he was convinced that Ferrari could recover. Todt makes an effort to answer the questions in Italian, a language he does not know well yet, demonstrating however a certain courage, given the commitment he has made. Diplomatic, at times he expresses grit and replies with courage. The Frenchman says he accepted the proposal out of enthusiasm ("I only spoke to Avvocato Agnelli once, by telephone"), that he likes the challenge and that from Monday he will live in Maranello and work twenty-four hours a day. It was Bernie Ecclestone who brought Jean Todt to Maranello, as he was interested in bringing Ferrari back to the top of Formula 1. In fact, Jean Todt would say several years later:
"Bernie introduced me to Ferrari, it's true. He told me that Montezemolo was waiting for my call. In July 1992 I could not go to the Maranello factory. So I arrived at his house in Bologna in a Mercedes. In October he came to my house, before the Paris Salon. We then signed in March 1993".
And Bernie Ecclestone will say:
"We went with Luca Montezemolo to Cesare Romiti in Milan. Romiti was against it. He said he wasn't Italian... I cut it short, and said: I assure you that if he wins the World Championship it will take you a second to find him a Sicilian grandfather".
Adding:
"Helping Ferrari has always been the smartest thing to do. And it's always, always been done through technical regulations".
And to those who think that the technical regulations are made by the FIA, Ecclestone will answer, laughing:
"Not at all. The teams are important for Formula 1, but Ferrari is more important. For this reason, many things have been done over the years that have helped the Maranello team to win".
The fans themselves will accuse Charlie Whiting, the future race director, of helping the British teams. Is this also true?
"No way. Charlie always did what he had to. Instead, Max Mosley often helped Ferrari. And so did I. We all wanted Ferrari to win. A season won by Ferrari is more valuable than a season won by others. But also the teams have an interest in challenging a competitive Ferrari. It's one thing to win against Sauber, it's one thing to do it against Ferrari".
Life needs luck too. And Jean Todt must be a guy to whom luck often gives a little present. Nothing transcendental, but on Friday, 2 July 1993, the first day of practice for the French Grand Prix, gave a positive signal, a confirmation that the right path had been taken in Maranello, that of recovery.
If the times once again prove Williams right (with Hill author of the provisional pole position, ahead of a very angry Alain Prost), it must immediately be said that Alesi, although placed in P5, for the first time since the beginning of the season is very close to Schumacher and to Senna. That is to Benetton and McLaren. Indeed, there are five drivers within 0.1 seconds: the German, the Brazilian, the French, plus Blundell and Brundle with the two Ligiers, who race here on their home track and know all its secrets. At the end of the tests, Jean Alesi, smiling also for having renewed his contract for two years with Ferrari, told reporters:
"I am very satisfied, as we obtained this performance with a single-seater that had many new features and was fitted with the old engine. I don't want to exaggerate, but this time the second row at the start is, in theory, within our reach".
In fact, Ferrari debuts the new suspension designed by Barnard, front wing and modified nose, a new flat bottom and instead has the standard engine, the one from the beginning of the season. The latest version of the engine will be used on Saturday, equipped with variable intake trumpets which should allow for greater speed on the straights, with more horsepower available. Many innovations, however, also bring some problems. In fact, Berger suffered a problem with the steering box, and was unable to fine-tune the set-up of his car, resulting in only P18 at the end of practice. But this is a contingent situation, on Saturday he should improve, because the different suspension system (it is less sophisticated than the previous one and also has springs) remains to be discovered. This consideration is also made by Todt, who uses his first commitment on the track to observe, check and understand.
"A normal day at work. I felt at home, at ease".
Says the head of sports management, always making notes in his notebook. A kind of omnipresent elf, so much so that Jean Alesi, with a joke, comments on Jean Todt's activity, saying:
"I don't know if it's just one or three. I saw it everywhere, in the pits, at telemetry, on the track".
The day is still full and interesting. And not just at Ferrari. Senna, during the morning, let it be known that he had put an end to the story that sees him as a protagonist from the beginning of the championship, by signing a contract that binds him to McLaren until the end of the season:
"I made an agreement with McLaren until the end of the season. Now we can work harder. For the World Championship it is very hard, but we will try. I got what I wanted and I also have to confess that the whole story involving me was a bit mixed with Ron Dennis. We needed it to achieve certain goals".
A statement, the last of the Brazilian, that is a bit sibylline. But it is known thatSenna is someone who knows how to play with words and has also left an open door to get to Ferrari in the future. And after all, in Formula 1, who doesn't try a few bluffs? Even the Federation cheats the cards. In fact, in France the scrutineers once again declared twenty-four of the twenty-six cars present to be illegal, due to the electronic devices that modify the aerodynamic set-up in motion and the traction management systems that take control of their cars away from the drivers. During a long press conference, the FIA president, Max Mosley, pledged to say that when the World Council meets on Wednesday 14 July, measures could be taken, ranging from a fine to lifelong exclusion from the championship. It is clear that this is a pressure tool to get the teams to accept without conditions the imposition of the abolition from 1994 of all electronics. Max Mosley says:
"We just want to make the races more balanced and therefore more spectacular and reduce costs".
But the challenge is open and it is hoped that it will not turn into a catastrophe for all of Formula 1. As if these problems present in Formula 1 were not enough, on Friday the lawyers of the Anti-Tobacco League visit the circuit to check that all smoking advertisements were removed as required by French law. Almost simultaneously, Camel, part of the powerful Reynolds group, one of the major sponsors of Formula 1 (Williams and Benetton), announces that it will abandon racing at the end of the year. But it must be said that for one who leaves, another arrives: Williams lets it be known that next year it will bring the colours of Rothmans, another cigarette giant, also owner of Cartier and Dunhill, with an enormous investment: 30 billion lire per season. And Benetton has also found a replacement sponsor who will be announced in a couple of weeks. Crisis, therefore, but there are always those who are willing to ride the advertising vehicle. On the other hand, Fabrizio Barbazza, the hero from Monza who has not found the money needed to continue racing, has brought precious points to Minardi. The Italian driver has finished his budget and the Faenza team will have to take another driver with his suitcase, bringing Pierluigi Martini back. At the halfway point of the season, however, other riders are also at risk: for example Brundle in the Ligier (Dalmas waiting in wait). And there are even those who say that Riccardo Patrese could be released by Benetton. But, in all honesty, it seems like one of those rumours that is a bit too risky. Even if everything is possible in this world and the Italian-English team does not deny the hypothesis with great conviction. Saturday, 3 July 1993, Damon Hill, disrespectfully, plays a bad joke on his teammate Alain Prost by conquering the first pole position of his short career in the French Grand Prix. A mockery for the three-times World Champion, who wanted to start in front of everyone on his home track. And what's more, the son of art - his father Graham had obtained the fastest lap thirteen times in qualifying - interrupts the Professor's record series, which stops at seven: now, if Alain Prost wants to improve his palmares, he will have to start again from the British Grand Prix. Hill performs a fine feat, setting an extraordinary time in 1'14"382, at an average speed of 205.695 km/h (the circuit record however remains with Nigel Mansell, who set a time of 1'13"864, but the cars in 1992 were different). Alain Prost is at 0.142 seconds. The French driver, to tell the truth, could theoretically have gone better. A failure on Friday morning in his car's ABS system slowed him down, and too sharp braking right at the last corner in the last attempt made at the end of Saturday's practice, despite being slightly ahead in the partials just before. Prost, however, soon calms down and takes advantage of the situation, telling the press:
"This shows you that there are no team orders at Williams. I'm not worried. I started from pole seven times, well in four cases at the first corner I was no longer in the lead. So that's no problem. And then it's better to have Damon in front of you, rather than another one".
Prost knows very well that Hill is a promising young man, aggressive and fast, but less experienced in the long run. Damon himself, for the race, leaves cautious:
"I'm very happy with my performance, but the Grand Prix will be difficult".
Hard for everyone, as the track puts the brakes, engines and tires in crisis. So there are many dangers lurking. If Prost partially betrays his fans and the whole France (but it can be done again in the race, conquering another margin in the standings over Senna), the same cannot be said with Renault which scores en plein: four engines from the French company in the first four places, with two Williams and the two Ligiers of Brundle and Blundell. It had never happened before. Every now and then someone manages to be a prophet in his homeland. Step back for Ferrari who loses a place with Alesi (P6) and gained too little with Berger (P14). More was expected, given the premises of the day before and the adoption of the new engine. Instead the cars, once again, are partially renewed. And the modified engines impress much less than expected. In short, a disappointment for the Maranello team, under the watchful eyes of Jean Todt, who prefers to keep quiet.
"I did my best, but these are the car's current limits”.
It is clear that even the French manager expected something more. Not to mention Berger, whose car never went well in two days, with major set-up problems. But not only Prost and Ferrari were disappointed: Ayrton Senna also scored the fifth fastest time (also due to too hard braking at the last corner), and for Benetton this is the worst qualifying of the year, with Schumacher in P7 and Patrese in P12. A mistake in choosing the tires - the team says - but the Italian driver also had many small problems. The Brazilian champion from McLaren, however, is not a driver who gives up, under any circumstances. Senna, drawn for a press conference (normally he was among those officially invited because he was in the first three places), said many things:
"Now I'm calm until the end of the season. There is time to think about the next one. If the Frenchman (Prost, ed) wins the title and decides to leave, he could leave a place free for Williams".
On Sunday, 4 July 1993, at the start of the French Grand Prix, the first five drivers maintain their position, while Michael Schumacher passes Jean Alesi. Damon Hill leads the race followed by Alain Prost, Martin Brundle, Mark Blundell, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. In the following laps, the two Williams moved away from the group, while Martin Brundle created a distance from Mark Blundell, busy defending himself from the attacks of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. However, this duel ended when Blundell was pushed off the road and retired on lap 21 while lapping Andrea de Cesaris. Subsequently, Alain Prost took advantage of the tire change and with a stroke of cunning managed to get back on track ahead of his teammate, Damon Hill. Free from the presence of Blundell, retired, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher approach Martin Brundle. During the series of second stops, Alain Prost stays ahead of his teammate, Damon Hill, by just 0.2 seconds, while Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher manage to get back on track ahead of Martin Brundle. At this point the third step of the podium is contested by Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, with the Brazilian leading the duo. But Ayrton, usually very attentive to tactics, was surprised by the German who, 9 laps from the end, after a very quick tire change, overtook him without hesitation. Right at the end, crowning a beautiful chase, Michael Andretti took away the sixth position from the young Rubens Barrichello, who had run a regular and courageous race. Never in the race was Riccardo Patrese with his Benetton, which, unlike that of Michael Schumacher, reports numerous problems.
The Paduan even bumps into Christian Fittipaldi's Minardi when he misses a gear by slowing down too much. There is not much to say about Ferrari. It was immediately understood that it was a negative day: Alesi, as mentioned, was overtaken by Schumacher on the first lap, then by Barrichello, then by Suzuki and Comas. Berger started in P14 and so arrived at the finish line. Such a disheartening result that during the evening it will be decided to stay at Magny-Cours, with the Austrian engaged in a day of testing on Monday. At the end of the scheduled 72 laps, Alain Prost won the French Grand Prix, ahead of Damon Hill by just 0.3 seconds. Michael Schumacher finishes in third place, ahead of Ayrton Senna, Martin Brundle, forced to slow down because the car has become unstable, forcing the English driver to settle for fifth place, and Michael Andretti. Thus, in the middle of the season, Prost leads the World Championship with 57 points, followed by Ayrton Senna, second, 12 points behind (45 points), Damon Hill (third, with 28 points, Michael Schumacher (fourth, with 24 points), Martin Brundle (fifth with 9 points), Mark Blundell (sixth, with 6 points, Johnny Herbert (seventh with 6 points) and JJ Lehto (eighth, with 5 points). The Constructors' Championship sees Williams comfortably leading with 85 points, followed by McLaren (48 points), Benetton (third, with 29 points) and Ligier (fourth with 15 points). After the death of former World Champion James Hunt, British ex-driver Jonathan Palmer steps from pit lane reporter to take Hunt's place in the BBC commentary booth. Palmer would continue to collaborate with Murray Walker on the stand until the end of the 1996 season. By winning the race, Alain Prost becomes the first Formula 1 driver to achieve 100 podiums in his career. Molière's Miser compared to Alain Prost would have been a wasteful spendthrift.
But the savings tactic pays off: the Williams driver achieved all the goals he set for himself. He won the French Grand Prix for the sixth time, achieved his victory at number 49, and consolidated his position as leader of the championship standings. He could not get more. All without risking anything. Not an overtaking, given that he overtook teammate Hill during the tire changes and then - perhaps - strained his eyes a bit by keeping an eye in the rear-view mirror, so as to check that the Englishman wasn't playing him a bad joke. Assuming team orders allowed the squire to attempt to outdo his mercenary captain. Prost wins, long live Prost. But the race was one of the most boring and inconsistent of the season. For the clear superiority of the Williams or because the rivals are too weak? This is how it is. The clearest demonstration of the fact that the race did not give any emotion comes from Andretti's result, the hero of the day because he started in P16 and finished in P6. The American was the only one to make thrilling overtakings, who put on a show, who tried to do more than his McLaren and lack of knowledge of the circuit allowed him. But who saw it? For the rest, the Ligiers betrayed expectations a bit, having to settle for fifth place with Brundle, while Senna was more presumptuous than usual this time - not wanting to change tires a second time, he left the third step of the podium to Michael Schumacher and at Benetton. In fact, thanks to fresher tyres, the German was able to slip past his rival in the final stages and even take away two points. Good performance by Barrichello on Jordan and Fittipaldi on Minardi, respectively in P7 and P8, considering the limits of their cars.
It can also be said that even Andrea de Cesaris' race was commendable, finishing in P15 with four laps behind him: with an uncompetitive Tyrrell, the Roman had the strength to go on until the end, instead of taking his car and slamming it - gently so as not to get hurt - against a wall. But let's get to the painful notes, that is, Ferrari. The Maranello team experienced the most disastrous day of the season, perhaps in recent years: Alesi retired due to a progressive engine failure, Berger in P14 over two laps behind the winner, after three pit stops to change tyres. However, it is not the negative result that is frightening. It would have been more dignified if the two Italian cars had been forced to leave due to some mechanical problem, due to going off the track. Ridiculous lap times, Alesi and Berger forced to suffer lightning overtaking even from cars that are usually deep behind. All in an inexplicable way, after the premises of the eve hadn't been bad. Even in the morning warm-up, the half hour dedicated to the last tests, the Frenchman had obtained the fourth time in 1'20"020. His fastest lap in the race was1'22" 917. And let's not talk about Berger. The Austrian ended a weekend to forget, never competitive, partly because he was out of condition and partly because he was not supported by the car, fighting and losing to rivals he was not even used to seeing. In short, a real debacle, given that we are in France. Sunday, 11th July 1993, the race will take place at Silverstone. There is too little time to hope for a Ferrari recovery. Instead Prost, on a very fast track, will have another opportunity to increase his lead of 12 points over Senna and fly towards his fourth title. After his retirement, Jean Alesi waited half an hour before speaking. Because if he had made some immediate considerations, he probably would not have been kind to Ferrari. When the Frenchman opens his mouth, in a bad mood, he says:
"I chose to start with harder tires because the high ambient temperature made me fear excessive wear. This decision could have put me in trouble at the start, but gave me some advantages in the second part of the race. However, it wasn't the tires that caused the problems, given that they were the same ones used by Schumacher. The car didn't go well and, to make matters worse, the engine started to lose power because a valve was bending. I preferred to go back to the pits before breaking it completely".
Berger arrives in the motorhome with a strange smile on his lips:
"I even enjoyed battling with Warwick and Herbert. No, joking aside, Ferrari hasn't done well here since Friday. I've always had problems. And to think that in Barcelona, with the heat, the new active suspensions went well. Thankfully, in disgrace, we probably figured out what's wrong. It is not the mechanical system but the program that is inserted into the computer. We hope to find a solution soon".
The Austrian is the only one who gives a plausible explanation for the lack of competitiveness of the single-seaters from Maranello. The other technicians slip away, while the new team manager, Jean Todt, is forced to stick to general topics:
"I'll be in the workshop on Monday. There's a lot of work to do. I have to talk to the technicians. There were too many novelties not to expect problems. After Silverstone we will have to do a lot of testing. After all, it was known that Ferrari was behind and miracles are not done".
The face of a happy, radiant man? Prost's. Fifth success of the season, another triumph in France, opponents on their knees and Hill at his service. However, the professor does not want to diminish the value of his victory:
"It was a tough race, like all of them. And there were no risks. Try running 72 laps with another car glued in front of your nose or following you like a shadow. I've never had a moment's rest. Among other things, I chose the reserve Williams at the last moment, because it seemed more balanced to me. It was perfect. But practically for three days I had never tried it thoroughly. How did I win? When Hill entered the pits to make the first tire change, I forced the pace to gain a few hundred metres of advantage. It was the right move because when I stopped, I restarted in front. In any case, I had decided that I was going to attack Damon after the half-time. The championship? I'm in good shape…".
Quite a different atmosphere at Senna's stand, accused of having made a mistake in not making the second pit stop for tyres. But the Brazilian rejects all charges:
"I don't know if it would have helped, it would have been a lottery. Benetton was faster".
Someone points out that at Silverstone McLaren will have the new Ford engine, similar to that of Schumacher's team.
"Yes, but there's another difference with Benetton. And it will turn out to be a mess, even if I can't talk about it".
Evidently Senna is referring to Elf petrol, which has been talked about a lot in recent days. Senna's inference is not liked by Flavio Briatore, manager of Benetton, who replies:
"We also have another difference from McLaren. The pilot: ours speaks little and pushes hard on the accelerator. And we are happy: we finished in front of Senna".
On Monday 5 July 1993, Ferrari remained on the track looking for remedies, while the local newspapers praised Emperor Prost, conqueror of victories and primates. But the Frenchman, although happy with his fifth success of the season and firmly at the top of the World Championship standings, is not sleeping peacefully. In fact, an authentic storm is looming over Formula 1 which could, in the worst case scenario, upset the entire championship. The story of the cars deemed illegal by the commissioners of the last two races (Canada and France) needs to be resolved, and then the rumour that irregular fuels were discovered during some checks. On Wednesday 14 July 1993, after the British Grand Prix, the FIA World Council will meet and decide on the matter. The technical question is quite simple: the vast majority of single-seaters are under accusation because with the electronic systems they contravene one of the strictest regulations, the one that prevents the use of mobile aerodynamic appendages. With the active suspension that continuously modifies the set-ups - the commissioners say - the same effect is obtained as one would have by mounting a wing that moves up and down. The story of fuels is more complex.
This year's regulation states that petrols must contain at least a percentage of components that are used or will be used commercially. Evidently in the laboratory tests it turned out that some products are unknown. But the supplier companies claim that the same will be used in the future. The law therefore lends itself to interpretations. The truth that hides under these diatribes, however, is another. Max Mosley, president of the FIA, makes it clear, not being able to say it openly, that it is a coercive method to force some recalcitrant teams to accept important regulatory changes for 1994. That is, the abolition of the electronic systems which by now more than partially replace the tasks of the driver, helping him in braking, in acceleration, in the change of gears and in the various adjustments. In essence, it is an action against Williams who does not want to change course, thanks to her supremacy. An understandable attitude in some respects, for the investments and sacrifices made, but certainly short-sighted as with races like the one seen in France, Formula 1 will not be able to go on for long. Obviously Ayrton Senna, author of a sensational mistake in the French Grand Prix, in deciding not to change tires, which made him lose a place, not being able to attack Prost at this moment, takes it out on Schumacher. The Brazilian let journalists understand, using the right words, without exposing himself too much, that Benetton not only has a better Ford engine than McLaren's, but would also use irregular petrol. Even his car is not in order because it has active suspension: if the FIA confirms the allegations next week, the World Championship could even be cancelled. But maybe that is exactly what the Brazilian would like to strike a blow at his enemy Alain Prost.