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Alain Prost has not had too quiet nights in recent times, although Williams and Renault, jointly, after the defeat at Donington, hurried to confirm their trust to the French driver that someone had criticised for the wrong tactic in the tyre changes of the European Grand Prix. But to disturb the Professor, probably, it was not so much the thought of what happened in the first three races of the season, as the fact that Ayrton Senna managed, for better or for worse, to grab two victories and a second place, a much better result than expected. The situation in the Formula 1 World Championship, on the eve of the San Marino Grand Prix that from Friday, 23 April 1993, will animate the Imola circuit, in the most traditional of the spring motorsport events, remains very strange. On the one hand Alain Prost has the best car, which in theory can win all the races still to be disputed. And Alain knows very well that this time he will have to arrive first not to be forced to practise a long and uncertain chase. Surely he will use the fast track to stop the Brazilian from escaping. On the other hand, his rival, always more mysterious, is still poised between continuing or leaving the business. A controversial attitude, that of the current leader of the world championship standings. Senna asks McLaren for more money, backed by his results, and at the same time mistreats Ford, because he would like the best engines of the American company, those that for the moment are supplied exclusively to Benetton. However, in the story of Ayrton there is only one certainty: Formula 1 cannot afford to lose him because without him the championship would be almost over. Therefore, the parties will have to accept his whims and desires. Alain Prost himself, absurdly, should do something to restrain Ayrton because a title won without the South American champion would have very little value. As usual Senna will announce the eventual participation in Imola at the last moment. And maybe he will also hope to find another rainy Sunday. For now Ayrton, apart from the obvious need to have a more competitive McLaren, has no other solution with winning chances. But it is not just the Prost-Senna story that is coming alive this week. Fans continue to wonder what Ferrari will do. The prediction cannot be very different from the previous ones: at most, the Maranello team will be able to place in the points. Even Gerhard Berger, who from Monday, April 19, 1993 will carry out a series of tests on the track in Fiorano (and Wednesday will be joined by Alesi) is aware of the situation.
"We have made progress in terms of performance. But until we have the reliability and above all a consistency of return everything will be possible, in the sense that we cannot delude ourselves and disappoint. Our problem is to be able to do many laps in practice to fine-tune the car that is still almost all to be discovered, strong and weak points. If something positive comes to Imola it will be a reward for the commitment that we have all, indistinctly, lavished".
Gerhard Berger, who does not give Senna any chance to win the World Championship if the balance of power between Williams and McLaren is not changed, returns to Imola as a Ferrari driver four years after his terrible accident in 1989. Any fear?
"No, in our business there is no room for such memories. Certain episodes must be removed, otherwise better to stay at home. In Brazil I went off the track twice in qualifying and in the race. And it was not pleasant. But it’s part of the game, even if it’s better not to live certain experiences. The problem, however, lies not in my mind and in my desire to race, but in the car that I will have available. I can assure you that Jean and I, if we have the chance, will try to give Ferrari and its fans at least some satisfaction. Finishing the race on the podium would be already beautiful. But it will not be easy".
The San Marino Grand Prix will also be a testing ground for Benetton’s ambitions, which so far has not achieved the objectives it had set itself. The new car that debuted at Donington should guarantee Schumacher and Patrese to be the first rivals for Prost and Hill with Williams. Benetton, in the days leading up to the San Marino Grand Prix, studies the counterattack. Is McLaren trying to take away the exclusive right to use the latest generation Ford engines? Then the Italian team tries to take Ayrton Senna away from the English team. It may seem like science fiction or pure fantasy. Instead it is reality. On the eve of the San Marino Grand Prix, the rumour goes around in the circles of Formula 1.
And it comes from those who could not be better informed, that is, from Luciano Benetton, the president of the powerful industrial-financial group of Treviso. On balance, the story, resounding in its development, is not too far-fetched. Senna has long said he wants American engines fitted to the cars of Schumacher and Patrese, which in his opinion are much more powerful than those that Ford provides (for a fee) to McLaren, being last year’s engines, less developed than those used by Benetton. To please the Brazilian, the simplest step would be just to tell him: sit down, we will give you everything you want. Ayrton would bring as a dowry the points already won at the time of the passage - which does not have to happen necessarily in the very short term - and would receive in addition to the engines that Ron Dennis does not seem willing to pay at the moment. The demand - remember - should be $23 million per season. A huge amount. But considering that the Italian company has spent about 20 billion lire to have Rusconi and has invested 30 billion lire for Kukoc in his basketball team, no wonder. The figure is staggering, considering the economic moment, but the advertising and image return would still be impressive. Benetton’s courtship, on the other hand, can play into Senna’s hands, who is putting McLaren on the spot. And it could also be useful to Ford, which would solve all its problems by meeting the wishes of the driver, without breaking the contract with the Italian team. Undoubtedly, on a practical level, the difficulties to bring a similar market coup to a successful conclusion are several: above all there is an intricate situation of sponsors that would discourage even the most skilled of lawyers. But in Formula 1 there is nothing impossible. McLaren, among other things, is still working to race a third car to be entrusted to the Finn Mika Hakkinen, hired and left on foot. And the fact of having another obstacle would be considered a negative fact on the part of Ayrton, who absolutely does not like compromises and ambiguous situations. To return to the birth of this situation that is about to start in any case discussions in the motorsport Circus, as it has been said comes from Luciano Benetton himself, who during a dinner in a famous location on the Côte d'Azur a few days ago, has personally confided his intention to contact Ayrton Senna to a famous Italian fashion designer. Asked about the issue, Flavio Briatore, general manager of Benetton Formula 1, did not deny or confirm, remaining vague.
"We have our programs going on. And we hope to make a good impression in the race scheduled for Sunday in Imola".
Unlike previous races, McLaren has not yet announced who will drive the #8 alongside Michael Andretti. There should be no immediate surprises: the Brazilian will race with McLaren to defend his lead in the standings from the expected assault of Alain Prost and Williams. But if Benetton were to stay ahead of him, proving to be a competitive car, in the longer term he could also be tempted by the offers. Also because Ferrari is waiting for too long. The Imola circuit, named after Dino and Enzo Ferrari, that is, the Modena manufacturer and his son, who died prematurely from a serious illness, will be the scene of the San Marino Grand Prix from Friday, fourth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. A new confrontation between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost is expected as part of the challenge that has so far animated the season and that has seen the Brazilian prevail over the Frenchman. But on Wednesday, April 21, 1993, there is an aura of mystery, yet, around the presence of Senna with McLaren, since the English team continues not to communicate its official formation. But it looks like things are settling down between the São Paulo driver and the Woking team. At least according to reports from Brazil, where a local Ford executive said that McLaren and Benetton had entered into negotiations to share the latest generation engines of the American company. In exchange for his approval the Italian team would receive the electronic technology that Tag has developed on behalf of the team of Ron Dennis. In short, Ayrton would have been satisfied and Benetton may have renounced the purpose, which has been talked about in recent days, and that is to try to remove the South American champion from rivals. The silence of the last few hours may be due to the fact that a new situation is maturing. Surprises are not excluded. Meanwhile, Ferrari is still on the Fiorano track where Gerhard Berger and the team’s technicians work in forced stages to present themselves at Imola with cars less fragile in terms of reliability, if not more competitive. The Austrian, who offers the team his most complete collaboration, is the man who in the past knew how to stop the longest negative series of missed successes in the history of Ferrari: 37 races without successes, a negative series that the team has matched at Donington.
Winning the Japanese Grand Prix in autumn 1987, Berger ended a fast that began on Sunday, August 4, 1985, after Michele Alboreto won the German Grand Prix. There are those who point to the Kabbalah and who make themselves superstitious so that it is still the good Gerhard who performs the miracle. For now, however, history has been repeated. The latest success is by Alain Prost, in Spain, in 1990, then a gap that has led McLaren to threaten the record of Ferrari that has won 103 races since 1950, since the British team has risen to 101. But it is not so much the question of records as the technical impasse in which the Maranello team has found itself in the last few years to worry. If Ferrari can get back to the top, trouble will soon be forgotten. Ferrari’s people are unique. Fans do not live by passion alone, but by an incredible faith. Even on Wednesday, for example, things are not going well. The active suspension does not work properly and Berger ends up long in a corner, fortunately without consequences for himself and the car. However, the technicians are preparing four cars for the race. And a positive result at Imola will be enough to revive ancient hopes and enthusiasm. All the more so, after what will probably be yet another radical change, a theoretical arrangement of many problems. If the Frenchman Jean Todt (and John Barnard is not against the solution) arrives with full powers in the racing team, if the engine department is reinforced so that we can produce an effort in a short time, Ferrari can resume its leading role. The plans should also include a confirmation of Jean Alesi for the next two years (Gerhard Berger has a contract that expires at the end of 1994). The Frenchman of Sicilian origin at this point deserves complete trust. In addition, the Maranello team will look around: there is the twenty-year-old Brazilian Rubens Barrichello to keep an eye on as future champion, if the dream of taking the compatriot three times World Champion - Ayrton Senna - will not come true even in the longer term. On Thursday, April 22, 1993, all Formula 1 - apart from Alain Prost who does not want to be seen interested in the story - browse the daisy.
"Is it coming or not? Is it running or not?"
People are playing in the pits, while the mechanics prepare the cars that will take to the track on the first day of the San Marino Grand Prix. Subject of discussion, Ayrton Senna, protagonist of yet another story. The rumours about the three-time World Champion, in fact, mix and change with every breath of wind.
"He’s still in Brazil".
They support the well-informed.
"He landed in Bologna, but he doesn’t want to be seen".
They replicate those who always know something more than others. Fortunately there is a precise term beyond which one could not have gone. Article 44 of the Sports Code requires competitors to designate the drivers participating in the race by 6:00 p.m. So the mystery is solved a few minutes before the set moment, when McLaren presents the entries of Michael Andretti and Ayrton Senna. But the Brazilian driver will probably not be able to make it to Imola in time for the start of free practice, at 9:30 a.m. on Friday. The capricious South American, in fact, departs from Sao Paulo on Thursday afternoon with flight AZ583 that will land in Rome on Friday morning, at 8:30 a.m. McLaren organises a bridge-plane (fast car from Fiumicino, private jet from Ciampino to Bologna, then helicopter to Imola: cost fifty million lire) to get it to the circuit as quickly as possible. A situation that is almost ridiculous and certainly does not help to keep the image of Formula 1 high. How did it get to this point? It is known that the Brazilian driver signed a race-by-race deal. These days the challenge between the South American champion and McLaren must have reached almost the breaking point. A challenge, the French would say, à bout de soufflé, to the last breath. Senna asks for money, Ron Dennis replies that he has offered him a winning car, which should be enough for him. But, officially, the two sides give a different explanation. Ayrton Senna informs through a spokesman:
"Until a few hours earlier, Ford did not want to agree to providing McLaren with the latest version of its engines. Then the American company gave in and opened a negotiation that will continue with Benetton, which has an exclusive contract for the most advanced engines".
Is it true? Who knows. There are more important questions about this story: after such a journey, in what physical condition will Senna be? Is it right to allow him to act in this way? And if, unfortunately, something bad happens to him in the race, who will take responsibility? Ayrton had every right to decide to race or retire at the end of the season. But such a mainspring is not worthy of a character who has always claimed to drive racing cars for fun and passion. If everyone behaved like this, one car would go down on the track, the best one. But there are also those who can play down. On Thursday evening Flavio Briatore, manager of Benetton, after reiterating that his team is ready to negotiate for the engines, but that only if he has certain guarantees will dissolve the exclusive contract with Ford, which expires at the end of 1994, satirises:
"Michael Schumacher will not compete here in San Marino: our driver said he wants the engines of Prost’s Williams, otherwise he does not compete".
A good joke, but following the mood of Ayrton Senna could also lead to other tantrums of the kind. Meanwhile, Jean Alesi is very loaded. The Frenchman appears optimistic for the San Marino Grand Prix.
"The car is improving. And we’ve also made some small progress with the engines. In addition, this track, for its characteristics, is among those that could be favourable. Our engines do not lack high speed horses: we could also qualify in the second or third row".
The Avignon driver, however, in unbalancing himself in this way, is perhaps influenced by his favourable moment: the French driver, in fact, admits to having begun a negotiation to remain at Ferrari. Less positive news, however, comes from Fiorano where Gerhard Berger remains on track until 8:00 p.m. to try to solve some trouble. It seems that the problems are many and the reliability precarious. Meanwhile, however, the usual yellow around Senna caused some problems for the organisers of the Grand Prix. Without him and with a Ferrari that doesn’t go, ticket sales have fallen to levels never reached in the history of this event. Ferrari, in fact, simply has an internal organisation to rebuild from scratch. An example? After a day of intense work, at 2:00 a.m., in Maranello the technicians start the latest version of a super powerful engine, but this time not even the great love of Emilia Romagna for engines and Ferrari helped them. The neighbours, annoyed by the noise, call the police and the trials end immediately. But let’s go back to the Senna case. Friday, April 23, 1993 the Brazilian is coming to Rome, so Ron Dennis orders Jo Ramirez to pick up Senna and take him to Imola with the private plane of the team, differently from what initially assumed, with the various stops, recommending the Mexican:
"Either you get back with Ayrton in time for practice or don’t show me your face again".
So, Jo takes off with the private plane in the direction of Fiumicino. However, once in the vicinity the pilot of the plane discovers that in this airport is not allowed to land with private planes, so they have to use the nearby military aerodrome, and then stop in a nearby hotel waiting for the arrival of Ayrton Senna, planned for the morning. Friday, April 23, 1993, early, Jo Ramirez is found in Fiumicino, where Ayrton, with the plane still moving, as a VIP is escorted out of the airport. But when Jo and Ayrton arrive in the parking lot, the taxi driver who was held up on purpose is gone:
"Forget it, we’ll take another cab".
Ayrton exclaims, but Jo has on the taxi his briefcase with tickets, team documents, passports, diary, money; but the Brazilian insists:
"Who cares about your briefcase, I have to go to Imola".
Despite a short wait, Jo Ramirez eventually succumbs to Ayrton Senna’s wishes, then the two take another taxi and go to the military airfield where the team’s private plane was parked, ready to take off. But the surprises are not over. The two passengers, arriving at the plane and almost on the point of taking off, see the taxi driver arrive in a hurry, who transfused returns the briefcase to Ramirez, for his joy and that of Ayrton, who was sorry for the behaviour he had had a few minutes before apologising to the McLaren Sports Director. Arrived in Bologna, the two take a helicopter, which was already ready to welcome them, to bring them into the circuit of Imola, and once arrived, Senna gets on board a scooter that the team had already prepared to allow him to get to the pits just two minutes in advance, to start qualifying. Qualifications are also affected by the grotesque situation that has just arisen. In fact, because of fatigue, anxiety, nervousness and jet-lag, after a few laps Ayrton Senna goes straight into the Tosa embankment. But despite this, he qualified in P4. Damon Hill got the provisional pole position in the San Marino Grand Prix. The 31-year-old Englishman, son of the famous and charming Graham Hill (World Champion twice, in 1962 and 1968), with a time of 1'22"540 is the fastest of the twenty-six competitors and finishes 0.248 seconds behind his teammate, Alain Prost. A good hit for a driver who was forced to choose the number 0 on his car and who should have the task of doing only the cavalier servant of the French. But a careful examination of the first qualifying round reveals that Alain Prost himself, in what should have been his best lap, already had 0.5 seconds ahead of his team-mate at mid-track, when he was forced to slow down to overtake three cars ahead of him. And, in fact, Alain makes no drama:
"The car wasn’t ready yet, because I hadn’t tried enough in the morning and I improvised the set-up. Saturday I hope to improve. No problem, at least I hope so".
The Frenchman had not been able to prepare his Williams, because in the morning he had been hit, after just a couple of laps, by Jean Alesi’s Ferrari. The student against the teacher:
"I was driving fast and noticed a slow car in the middle of the Mineral Waters variant. I thought he saw me, but he didn’t. I hit him because there are two cars that don’t fit. I realised then that it was Alain, when I recognized the helmet. It was my fault, I apologised, it was a misunderstanding. We got back together arm in arm. Then they called me the stewards. I explained what had happened. A few minutes later I was informed that I had been cautioned. This means that at the first small infraction I will have to pay a heavy fine or I will be disqualified. Maybe they did not understand me. There was no impropriety".
The accident between Prost and Alesi put in difficulty the young Ferrari driver, who then failed to qualify as he wanted, as he had also remained stationary. Gerhard Berger gets P5, his co-driver gets P6. But in the afternoon the classification is revised, as Michael Schumacher (P3) is disqualified for having used tyres that cannot be used in qualifying. So Senna gets back to P3 and all the other drivers make a leap forward, including the two Ferrari drivers. Senna, therefore, arrived and drove regularly. The airlift from Brazil worked. The Paulista arrived at the circuit by helicopter and in the pits with a scooter, a few minutes before 9:30 a.m. Shortly after, he is on the track with his McLaren. At 10:19 a.m. he crashed into a low wall on the climb after the Tosa, severely damaging the car.
In the afternoon, in qualifying, on the last lap, Ayrton again finished against a low wall, in front of the pits, resulting in a spectacular spin (just before Andretti with the other McLaren had slammed). The Brazilian had never made two mistakes in such a short time, because these were mistakes, since he came out too far from the corners. Fatigue and stress must have played a trick on him. But Ayrton does not admit it:
"The car was low and nervous".
And then Ayrton says that with Ron Dennis things are now settled, that they only have to discuss some technical details before signing the agreement until the end of the season. Senna heavily accuses Benetton of having suddenly changed its mind about the sale of Ford engines, and that it was the Italian team’s fault if he thought of not showing up at Imola. Obviously the Benetton team responds hard:
"Senna was supposed to come with us when we offered him a contract if he wanted Ford engines. And then McLaren, when they had the most powerful Honda engines, never came looking for us. Now it is time to end it: you could even end up in a court".
However, there is a good chance that the fight has a follow-up. Meanwhile, those who expected a challenge against Ferrari are disappointed: the faith of the fans of the Maranello team is superior to any imagination. So from the stands in front of the pits, during practice, there was only applause for Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi, when they showed up. The clubs, indeed, are updated and among the many banners of encouragement there is also one in English:
"Barnard, we want to dream again".
An incentive for the designer who directs the technical sector of the Maranello team. The poster brings a smile to Luca Montezemolo, who for the first time since the beginning of the season follows the team in a race. The president of Ferrari, chased by cameras, photographers and reporters, stops at the pits, talks at length with the drivers and with the faithful Lauda and then gives himself to the crowd of journalists, with whom he is lost in a dense and articulate speech.
"We have made some progress, but I will be happy only if we get to the end of the race with at least one car in a good position. We are doing a huge amount of work, I think that for half the championship, as we pretty much predicted, we will be more competitive. I can confirm that we are looking for someone to lead the team, without taking anything away from Barnard, Postlethwaite and Lombardi who are responsible for the three main sectors. We want a manager who works round the clock, who talks to the pilots, who administers, who manages the staff. I can not do it myself, for me the priority is the factory where we are going through a difficult time for the restructuring in progress, for market conditions".
Montezemolo says that this character could be the Frenchman Jean Todt, of whom we have spoken in recent times, or even an Italian. Another problem to be solved is the technical regulations for 1994.
"I met with Ron Dennis and Frank Williams just to try to define the programs. The crux of the matter is active suspensions. There are those who want to abolish them, those who seek a compromise, those who want to move forward in this area. It will have to be decided within fifteen days in order to carry out projects. The 8-cylinder engine? It will depend on the technical choices that will be made".
As for Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi, Luca Montezemolo reiterates that he is on the way to a global reconfirmation.
"It’s early to sign, but we think we have an excellent formation. Jean and Gerhard are two complementary drivers, well-matched and close-knit. Alesi is in love with Ferrari, he is generous and fast. We could keep him for several years".
The people of Ferrari should not delude themselves. On Sunday it would take an earthquake or a miracle to win the cars of Maranello. And, since there are no magic wands, it will be inevitable to submit to the ineluctable fact that Ferrari will beat its record of 37 races without success, reaching 38. No one expected to see the negative series stop. It was hoped, however, for a result at least positive, in a placement in the tests capable of dreaming. The premises are pessimistic: Saturday, April 24, 1993, Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi in qualifying, despite their commitment, play the part of the shrimp, relegated to P8 and P9. From their cars they got more than they could at the moment. The usual problems: precarious reliability and active suspensions that are resistant to any care. There is no need to push on the accelerator, trying to take advantage of the 12-cylinder engine that at Imola makes it clear that it is among the most powerful. Every time Alesi and Berger tried to force it, the F93A went into the field. It may be that in the race the situation improves, but they really have to rely on the phrase:
"Tomorrow is another day".
With which Harvey Postlethwaite, head of the Maranello team, closes his analysis. This being the Imola Grand Prix for Ferrari, it is inevitable to speak first of all about the most beloved team in the world. But the prediction of the fourth round of the World Championship concerns as usual Williams, Benetton and McLaren. The main themes are the rematch of Alain Prost; the role of his teammate Damon Hill; the attempts of Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna to undermine the victory of the Frenchman; the challenge now direct and tight between the Brazilian and the German, between McLaren and Benetton. As expected Alain Prost, in regular weather conditions, won pole position. The Professor drives on a magnetic track: his Williams looks radio-controlled. Not a smudge, he crossed chicanes and variants as if he were on a straight (while the Ferraris seem engaged in the rapids of a river in flood). Alain Prost takes Damon Hill off by just 0.098 seconds, a trifle. Let’s be clear: Damon Hill is certainly a very fast driver but if he did not have a Williams he would struggle to qualify. And Alain Prost, turning in 1'22"070 gets the pole position number 24 of his career, the fourth since the beginning of the season, reaching Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet in the poleman ranking. However, he still remains behind Ayrton Senna (61), Jim Clark (33), Nigel Mansell (31) and Juan Manuel Fangio (28).
"Half the work is done, now I have to complete the other part, that is, win".
Says Alain Prost, who is asked what he will do in case of rain (not a serious threat but not excluded altogether) and if the recent criticism about his inability to drive well in the wet has disturbed him.
"This year, the controversies are made by others. I’m quiet".
In Formula 1, indeed, there has to be someone having a big fight every day. Saturday is the last episode of the Senna story (by the way, the Brazilian is the author of another crash against a wall). McLaren is fitted with a 7-series Ford engine in Ayrton, which Benetton should have had exclusively. Of course, this becomes known and the engine is removed and replaced by a standard one. Ayrton Senna once again accuses Benetton of being afraid of him.
The Italian team reiterates that going forward at this rate, he will end up hindering any negotiations. But it is not enough. McLaren is appealing against the commissioner’s decision to reinstate Michael Schumacher on Friday after it was discovered that the German had used tyres not allowed in qualifying, at least according to an interpretation of the rules. A pure position, so to be annoying, since Saturday Michael Schumacher qualifies in P3. Ferrari also dislikes the action of the commissioners, as it believes that Benetton has circumvented the technical rules. But the Maranello team has other things to think about, and soon after they prefer to withdraw the protest. Last tip: after the rumours that Senna wanted to be contacted by Benetton, on Saturday Nigel Mansell could be used by the team for some races already this year. Flavio Briatore, General Manager of Benetton, asked to answer:
"I have not contacted anyone. There are only many people who call me to make the most diverse proposals".
Clever, isn’t it?
"Alesi, the Drake loves you up there".
And also:
"Jean, tiger to scratch again".
On Rivazza and Tosa, the traditional hills of passion, the banners are almost all for Jean Alesi. It is a matter of heart, not head. Ferrari fans know that Alesi will not be able to do miracles, with this Ferrari that limps still, after 37 consecutive defeats. But they also know that Jean, French with Sicilian blood, is as much in love with Ferrari as they are. Inside, he has his own fire. Luca Montezemolo says:
"I feel like a thirsty person in the middle of the Sahara: a few drops of water would be enough and I would be happy".
At the table of the rich, the legendary Ferrari, with Gerhard Berger in fourth row and Jean Alesi in fifth, continues to be an intruder in his house: he looks down upwards, like a lion in a cage. If it is sunny, Alain Prost wins; if it rains, Ayrton Senna wins: almost everyone thinks so, even the diehard Ferrari fans, because this is not a lottery, Williams is the queen of Formula 1 and Ayrton Senna is the king of the rain. But logic and passion fight. Woe betide, if logic always wins: Rivazza and Tosa would be two almost empty shrines. Gerhard Berger is blond, handsome and cold: he is pleasing but does not give warmth. Jean Alesi, on the other hand, is the symbol of Ferrari struggling to heal: he is full of anger and a desire to take risks, he feels indebted to the fans. But there’s more, isn’t there, Alesi?
"Yes. I talked to Montezemolo. He said: I would like you to stay at Ferrari, Jean. I want that too. He is a winning man, Barnard is the best designer. The conditions to go back are there. I believe".
Between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, who is the strongest?
"Senna: although Prost will almost certainly win the title, because Williams is a step above all. In Formula 1 it takes a bit of madness: Senna still has it, Prost can no longer risk it at once. Maybe because he doesn’t need it. But maybe he feels a little satisfied".
Honestly, Alesi, as a driver, do you think you’re up to them?
"If I said yes, I’d be presumptuous. They’ve won world titles, I haven’t even won a Grand Prix yet, and I’m already in my fifth year in Formula 1. To try to become a real champion, I have to risk everything. But I’m not afraid: I'm instinctive".
And when will Ferrari fight for victory again?
"At the end of the year. Now we must try to beat McLaren and Benetton: and it is not easy. Williams is on another planet".
What do you promise the fans for the race?
"I can’t promise the impossible, even though I know I owe them: they gave me a lot, I paid little back. Getting on the podium would be a success. But let’s not talk about the top step: even if winning here at Imola would give me more joy than winning two more Grands Prix".
How are your relationships with Berger now? Are you friends?
"Friends is a big word: I would say no. We are rivals on the track, but we get along well. There was a difficult moment at the beginning. When Berger told me that he had signed with Ferrari as the first driver, I was disappointed: I felt betrayed by the team and screwed by him. But now everything is clarified".
So far, Senna has demanded from McLaren about $1.000.000 per race. And for you, Alesi, is money important?
"Of course: because a driver knows that his career can last at most ten years, but it can also end the next day. But I am not a mercenary: I have Ferrari in my heart. I would remain a fan of Cavallino even if I had to change teams".
On Sunday, April 25, 1993, after the warm-up, the reporter of the Italian national television, Ezio Zermiani, asks Ayrton Senna why the agreement on the supply of Spec engines. 8, which now seemed done, is apparently skipped. Senna comments ironically:
"We don’t need the engine now, what we have is good enough. So it’s fine, the car is fine, the engine is fine, there is no problem".
Zermiani then goes to Benetton’s general manager, Flavio Briatore, and informs him of Ayrton Senna’s statements, to which the Italian manager reacts equally ironically:
"Ah, you don’t want it anymore? Well, I don’t know what happened but I’m glad you don’t want it anymore, we solved the Brazilian soap opera. If he is also happy not to have it, think what good news".
Meanwhile, in the paddock, Jo Ramirez tries to convince the coffee company Segafredo to sponsor McLaren, putting his brand on the nose of Ayrton’s car and suit, in exchange for $1.500.000, but Ron Dennis interrupts any kind of deal with a lunch that drives investors away. Stunned and sorry for what happened, Jo apologises to the company spokesmen. In the meantime, before the race on the Romagna circuit a downpour falls; it stops raining before the start, but the track remains wet. At the start of the San Marino Grand Prix Damon Hill and Ayrton Senna overtake Alain Prost, who slides into P3 ahead of Michael Schumacher and Gerhard Berger. The first to retire were Mark Blundell and Riccardo Patrese, both by accident.
On lap 7, Alain Prost’s Williams-Renault got the better of Ayrton Senna’s McLaren-Ford, taking second place; shortly after, the leading drivers returned to the pits to fit dry tyres, an operation in which Damon Hill lost a lot of time, while keeping the lead of the race ahead of Ayrton Senna and his teammate. Alain Prost then is first with a double overtaking at Tosa against Ayrton Senna and Damon Hill, who is also overtaken by the Brazilian; the Englishman then retired on lap 21, when he leaves the track for brake problems. On lap 32 also Michael Andretti, back in P5, has the same problem, and retires for brake problems, while on lap 40 Jean Alesi, in P5 thanks to the withdrawal of the American, has to give up for clutch problems. The French driver comes out of the cockpit, takes a few steps, then raises his arms to greet the fans, once again struck to the heart by this Ferrari. Three laps later also Ayrton Senna is forced to retire due to hydraulic problems, leaving the second place to Michael Schumacher, while Karl Wendlinger retires thirteen laps before the finish due to engine problems; Alain Prost with the Williams-Renault won ahead of the Benetton Ford driven by Michael Schumacher, the Ligier-Renault driven by Martin Brundle, the Sauber-Ilmor driven by J.J. Lehto (fourth despite engine failure two laps from the end), the Larousse-Lamborghini driven by Philippe Alliot and the Minardi-Ford driven by Fabrizio Barbazza, sixth for the second time in a row. For the first and only time in the history of Formula 1, a Minardi driver scored points in two consecutive Grands Prix. Ayrton Senna tried. But this time Alain Prost was stronger, even than the rain. For the fourth time (but in 1985 he was disqualified because his McLaren was too light at the technical tests) the Frenchman won the San Marino Grand Prix, while the South American ran out of money, victim of one of those breakdowns that are increasingly frequent in Formula 1, breaking the active suspension. Senna had invoked water, a threatening and liberating storm. But the sky has satisfied him in half: a few drops and the semi-wet track were not enough to beat the Professor. So, after four performances, the World Championship finds Alain Prost in great recovery: two small points now divide him from the divine South American. Alain took 10, Senna 0. It is clear that under normal conditions Williams is always unbeatable. Alain Prost can only lose the title if he is targeted by a series of inconceivable misfortunes.
He cannot be bothered by his rival from São Paulo, because McLaren has a lower engine, nor can he be bothered by teammate Damon Hill, fast but rough, victim of an off track. The race was good for about ten laps at the beginning. Then it went off little by little, when Prost, stretching, took off: a walk to the finish line. The French driver set his pace, he did not risk too much in the dubbing (many because only Schumacher, second, managed to avoid the humiliation of being given a lap), he looked ahead. For the survivors of the past glories (50.000 spectators present, semi-empty grandstands, especially those of 350.000 lire) there is not much left to see. Ferrari, as was unfortunately predictable, did not go far and won the unenviable record of 38 Grands Prix without a victory. If Berger (author of an excellent start that led him from P8 to P5 on the first lap) and Alesi, who also occupied P4, are optimistic, the final result is bleak. The Austrian retired to the pits on lap 9 due to the gearbox failure, and the Frenchman abandoned along the track on lap 41 with the clutch out of action. The F93A is not competitive yet. And you can not be satisfied with futile impressions: it is true that Jean was sailing in the top positions but after the tire changes (the track had immediately dried) on lap 12 had already 26 seconds behind the head of the race and when he had to stop, on lap 41, he was doubled by about ten minutes. Unreliability does not allow constant performance. And when the rain started to fall down, the set-up of the Ferrari was precarious because the technicians did not yet have enough data to improvise in an emergency. In short, the road is always uphill and only days and days of testing can lead to an effective improvement. With a Patrese off the register (and off the track at the first corner), with the teams struggling with non-competitive cars, the Italy of engines lives on small things, which maybe become big as they develop. Italians thank the daring P6 of Fabrizio Barbazza with the Minardi, for the P7 of Luca Badoer with a BMS Lola that could run in a vintage car race, and for the feats of Alessandro Zanardi, surrendered along the circuit with his Lotus on fire and without a wheel, after an exit at the entrance to the pits, while in the final he attacked the Finn J.J. Lehto to snatch him fourth place. It is always said that better times will come, but the wait begins to get too long. The crisis of Riccardo Paese is also seen in sport: as for Formula 1, Italy is in a phase of confused recession. In Imola only Benetton is saved with Michael Schumacher, who on the podium finds on one side Alain Prost and on the other the revived Martin Brundle.
"I’m happy. Not so much for the victory itself, but for having shown that even with the wet track I can go fast. After Donington I lived two bad weeks, with a lot of pressure on me, targeted by heavy and unpleasant criticism. Now I think the championship will be on the right track for me".
Alain Prost could not ask for more at the San Marino Grand Prix: full success for him and total defeat of Ayrton Senna who, for the first time since the beginning of the season, did not get any points.
"I think I deserved this victory. The car as a road holding was perfect, both on the wet and on the dry track. At the start I had a problem with the clutch, I had to brake to not start early and risk being penalised. So I found myself third. I passed the McLaren of Senna at the exit of the Tosa on lap seven. Then, when we changed the tyres, I came back in third. After two steps I put Ayrton and Hill who was in charge".
In fact, Damon Hill had managed to take a certain advantage in the first few minutes. But Prost - as eyewitnesses say - accomplished his masterpiece passing the two rivals in a single blow, always at the exit of the Tosa.
"Senna was behind Hill and trying to get past him. Both of them widened the curve and I managed to keep the ideal line and I was able to face the climb in first position".
A truly spectacular action was that of Alain, who at that moment deserved his first place. The positive and joyful day does not, however, take away all the poison in Prost, which with the passage of time does not change. Alain turns his back on French radio reporters when they ask him soft questions about his wet attitude (in recent days, as he had done when he was at Ferrari with Italian reporters, he had insulted the Transalpine press with a vulgar “presse de m…”). Then the Professor talks about a problem on his car at the end of the race, but specifies:
"Ask the Williams technicians, because if I say so someone will end up saying that it is an excuse".
Looks like it has been an accelerator failure since lap 52. From that moment on, Alain could no longer squeeze the pedal that was partially blocked. The heavy setback does not seem to have affected Ayrton Senna too much, who accepts the verdict of the race with philosophy.
"I was already happy with the second place I could conquer, but the hydraulic system of the active suspension failed. The oil came out of the ducts and ended up on the wheels. I was also lucky not to have an accident. As you could see, Williams' Renault engine was too powerful for us. I fought as hard as I could".
The engine is now the fixed thought of the moment for the Brazilian. He seems to want to return to São Paulo because he doesn’t seem to want to participate in the McLaren tests. The agreement with the team to run throughout the season has been reached, but the contract still lacks the signature.
"We were not good, but lucky".
Giancarlo Minardi admitted at the end of the race, commenting on the sixth place of Fabrizio Barbazza.
The fact remains that for the second consecutive time the Monzese driver wins a point and that his team is at 5, seventh in the standings, largely ahead of Ferrari, ninth and last with a point. The race of Barbazza was nothing short of an adventure. Minardi was not competitive and Fabrizio had set a test on regularity. At some point the driver heard on the helmet intercom a radio communication that said:
"Stop the engine".
These messages are normally sent from the pits when telemetry technicians notice that a powertrain is breaking. Barbazza returned to the pits and nodded his arm to the mechanics to see if he should get out of the car. Instead the team quickly changed the tyres and he understood that it was an interference, a communication addressed to another driver.
"What a fright, though. But it wasn’t enough: the car slipped a lot and I did three different spins during the race. When I got to the finish line, my head was spinning".
Many compliments also for Luca Badoer, the young Venetian driver of Scuderia Italia who, despite being three laps behind, managed to finish seventh. Congratulations, of course, especially from the team that did not expect the result, since his Lola is disastrous. Just as the balance of the Formula Indy champion, Michael Andretti, is disastrous for now. Four races and four accidents, not counting the practice ones. The American was doing well, struggling to take Wendlinger out of fourth. He had already passed the Austrian of Sauber, but he had a reaction of pride and was back in front. Andretti again tried to go ahead and the action was fatal: he found himself straight in the meadow. Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi were also out of the race, but with heads held high: the Frenchman was fourth, determined to fight for the podium. But his car betrayed him. People understand and applaud him. A fan shouts at him:
"Alesi, we love you".
He tries to smile, but he only manages to make a face. The race continues, the two Ferraris are gone. Another bad day. On the Rivazza and the Tosa, cradles of supporters, silence descends. Ferrari sows but never reaps: it is the consecutive defeat number 38, a heavy burden. Alesi goes back to the pits and says that those applauses hurt his heart:
"My debt to the public increases. I know, it’s not my fault: this time it was the clutch that betrayed me. I had done the reconnaissance lap with the Ferrari flag: it was a way to tell the fans that I was with them, that I felt like one of them. I fought with all my strength. The result? Nothing, still nothing".
He sits down, bites an orange, almost angrily. He had left in the fifth row, he had said:
"How do I go up so many places?"
He was worried, tense. But then, seeing that some rain was beginning to fall, he was refreshed:
"Here, in the wet it is better. The driver counts more than the car. I’m not afraid to take risks".
But it’s all over now.
"At first, with a full tank of fuel, my Ferrari was difficult to control. I said to myself: Jean, the race is long, if you go crazy you ruin everything. So I started with caution, biting the brake. Then, as the car lightened, the situation improved. I decided to attack. I climbed up to fourth place. I thought: maybe this time I can do it, maybe I will really get on the podium. But from the great dream I went to the big disappointment".
Alesi wants to be left alone: he is too embittered, the wound burns. Journalists return to visit him after half an hour. Now, the French driver is more relaxed, and reveals:
"I had decided to leave the Ferrari. I hadn’t told anyone, but now for me divorce was inevitable. Why? Because I felt lonely, isolated. I began to feel this feeling when Berger told me he had signed on as the first guide. Then I kept hearing rumours about Senna’s possible arrival. I thought: sooner or later I get fired, why do I have to wait for them to kick me out? I was determined to leave".
When did you change your mind?
"Only a week ago, after talking to Montezemolo. But it wasn’t just him who convinced me. I’ve been thinking, I thought fans like this won’t find them anymore. I have other offers, I haven’t signed yet, it’s too early to put it on paper: but if Ferrari really still wants me, I’m ready to stay".
From Alesi to Berger. The race of the Austrian lasted about a quarter of an hour: he stopped at the pits for the change of the tires and has not left again. A real disaster.
"The gearbox broke. Too bad: I had started well, I had already tried on a couple of occasions to attack Schumacher’s Benetton. I decided to wait for the tire change to try again. I’m bitter, but not too bitter: after the black day of Saturday’s qualifying, Ferrari responded much better. It means that we are working in the right direction. When we find reliability, we can aim for the podium".
Yeah, but when? At the same time, Frank Williams watches racing from the pits, stuck in front of the video and timekeeping monitors. The hat lowered on the forehead, the headphones of the service radios on the ears. Emotions rarely shine from his face, at most a broken smile. But the eyes are very lively, mobile, and they look sharp. The British manager is perhaps the most attentive man to what is happening in the world of Formula 1, even if he has been in a wheelchair for years. In fact, his condition, perhaps, has turned Frank Williams from the action man he was before, into a very keen observer. And it allows him to think, understand, evaluate, program, and study every move as a great strategist. No one better than him, therefore, can make the point of the championship, arriving at the silo first quarter of the path. Two wins by Alain Prost and two by Ayrton Senna. The rivals of all time at the top of the standings separated by two points. Is the balance for Williams positive or negative?
"It depends on how you judge it. We could have done better. But car races always reserve surprises, even to opponents, fortunately. We know we have a competitive car, with the best engine, the Renault. And our goal is to win the title".
Alain Prost redeemed himself with the victory in the San Marino Grand Prix, but before that he was subject to heavy criticism.
"Not from his team. We know exactly what the Frenchman is worth. At Donington he had a problem with the gearbox. Prost is a driver with extraordinary talent who draws from himself the minimum necessary. He always has a reserve. I have a theory about his aversion to rain. It is not a problem of driving, his, with the sensitivity he possesses can get by better than everyone else. Perhaps what bothers him is the reduced visibility: being a thinking champion, he does not think he should throw himself into a cloud of water without knowing what is ahead. Don’t forget the Hockenheim accident in 1982, when Pironi hit him hard during a thunderstorm. That may be the key to his doubts. In any case, with Alain on the team I go to work with great pleasure".
Why did you hire Damon Hill?
"Damon’s choice was our engineers. He’s done at least 15.000 miles of testing on the car, he knows it better than anyone. Do you want to know why we didn’t take Prost and Senna together? Because if Ron Dennis couldn’t handle them, I don’t see how we could have done it".
So you don’t miss Mansell?
"In a way, yes. He in the cockpit is an extraordinary driver, more aggressive than Prost. Outside, in life he is a difficult man. I watch Indy races on television. I consider it my defeat that he did not stay in Formula 1. But we know that on Williams today about ten drivers could win. And I’m sorry I can’t give everyone a chance".
But don’t you think that the excessive superiority of just one team can kill Formula 1?
"We must reduce costs, but this does not mean blocking technological research as we would like to do to bring everyone on a hypothetical level playing field. A compromise must be reached".
The motor circus is in crisis. In Imola there were few spectators. You met with Luca Montezemolo and Ron Dennis in Maranello. Any chance of a deal?
"Montezemolo was very clear. Our teams have pretty much the same needs. Formula 1 needs a competitive Ferrari. We all hope that he returns to the top. He has a very strong and very fast driver like Alesi, one who knows how to attack, at Villeneuve. He should recover. But we must now think about winning the next race, in Barcelona".