On Tuesday, July 17, 1990, everything is ready at the Hockenheim racetrack, located south of Frankfurt, to host the two days of free practice reserved for Formula 1, ahead of the German Grand Prix, the eighth round of World Championship, scheduled for Sunday, July 29, 1990. Almost all the teams will take to the track, but a special eye is reserved for Ferrari and McLaren, dominators of the first half of the season. The most eagerly awaited is in fact Alain Prost, who will take to the track to study the new 037 engine, with which, in the event of positive results, the Maranello team intends to make further progress and above all increase its chances on a circuit that is normally hostile for its characteristics due to long straights interrupted by several chicanes that require hard braking. This is perhaps, at the moment, the only weak point of Maranello’s single-seaters. If the test gives the hoped-for response in terms of reliability (Prost should simulate at least one Grand Prix), the new engine can be used in the next race. Otherwise, tests will be conducted on Wednesday, August 1 and Thursday, August 2 at Monza, and the modified engine will be used later. McLaren, however, will not stand idly by either. Honda has announced that they will have a more powerful ten-cylinder available for Hockenheim, but Senna will work especially on improving his car’s set-ups and aerodynamics in an attempt to find winning solutions. The Brazilian said that several new parts will be tested. As for Williams, they should test with a new flat bottom to increase the ground effect of the cars driven by Patrese and Boutsen. Before taking to the track, Cesare Fiorio, from Turin, father of three, 51 years old, 18 world titles at the helm of Fiat Group teams in Rally and endurance, and for the past two seasons Ferrari’s sporting director, talks about the past, present and future. It is a happy time: the Maranello team has won four races since the start of the season, is leading the World Drivers’ Championship with Prost and is heading into the second half of the championship. However, will Nigel Mansell retire at the end of the year, or are there chances that he will continue to race with the Maranello team?
"I had a long telephone conversation with the driver on Monday. He repeated the reasons on the basis of which he decided to retire at the end of the season. I tried to convince him to withdraw from the intention, in vain. He told me he was convinced. He assures me that he will work hard until the last race, for the team, to help Prost with the world championship. He hopes to win a couple of races to overtake Stirling Moss and become the British racer who has won the most in Formula 1".
Does the Englishman’s departure pose a serious problem? And who will replace him?
"With Mansell and Prost, we had an ideal pair. But we have a line of drivers at Maranello’s door: we didn’t let ourselves be caught off guard. A team always has to think about the unexpected. There are negotiations and talks going on, we also have some options. I can’t say more".
Speaking of secrets, what was the recipe for getting Ferrari back to the top?
"When I arrived in Maranello I was quite serene, even though I knew I was in a difficult environment. I’ve been in racing for 30 years and the obstacles are more or less always the same. In the early days, however, I was surprised: I didn’t expect such pressure. You can’t make a mistake; you’re in the crosshairs. But this is also a positive thing. You feel empowered, you have the fans’ breath on your neck, you want to please them".
What were the most important knots to unravel?
"Ferrari on the technical level depended on John Barnard, who had created a monolithic structure. He was staying in Guildford, and in Maranello his guidance was expected. We tried to retain him; he’s certainly one of the best designers in Formula 1. But he had to come and work with us, and negotiations stalled. Fortunately I found good and prepared professionals, and I began, with collaboration of engineer Castelli, a deep restructuring. We reformed the team, created an integrated team. Then you got Enrique Scalabroni, and it went wrong even with the Argentine… We had never thought of replacing Barnard with Scalabroni. He had been called to head the technical department".
And adds:
"He was supposed to stay in Maranello and go to the races from time to time to see what the others were doing. Little by little he changed. He became a destabilising element. Now we have Steve Nichols: he has fit in very well, he’s in charge of chassis design, aerodynamics, gearboxes, on-track tuning and testing. He has a three-year contract. We’re satisfied although we have no illusions. We have given him the utmost confidence, but at the same time there have also been plans to recreate a Ferrari technical school. Sometimes, in case of need, we could be self-sufficient".
Some say that Prost has taken a prominent position in the team. What is his role? Will he have weight in the decisions you make?
"Everyone has his own functions. He’s very good at driving and tuning the cars. We always question him. But the final decisions are up to the team. Our policy is not to have a first and second driver: they have to be equal".
But what is to expect in the future?
"A lot of work. We’ll try to continue on the path that has brought us four wins out of eight races. But let’s not underestimate anyone. The next tests, Hockenheim and Budapest, will be very challenging. We have to decide whether to use the new engine, we are waiting for a reaction from McLaren and the other teams, who will not be sleeping. There’s one very positive fact, however, which goes beyond the result, beyond the competitiveness of the cars: now Ferrari is a team again, from the president Fusaro to the last mechanic".
Then, speaking about his experience in Maranello, Enrique Scalabroni says:
"I am someone who is used to going his own way, according to his own ideas. When you have to listen to too many people or when someone meddles… I am not the man who lives in a big structure. It was a very satisfying job, I had a group of young engineers with whom we worked very well, we had created several things, then something broke. It’s difficult to get along inside Ferrari, because it’s a big organisation, with a very complex structure. Ferrari is the biggest team there is in all of Formula 1, because it’s the only one that does everything, cars and engines. So everything is complicated, the structure, the hierarchy, the decision-making process. A system that is not suited to the speed and elasticity that the sport requires. Inside Ferrari, it’s not enough for a driver to be good on the track, for an engineer to be good at his drawing board. No, you have to know how to do other things as well, in short, the man is a variable, replaceable, erasable. And so you go all out and then you realise that something is broken, that it’s not air for you".
Thursday, August 19, 1990, is not a comforting test of the new engine for Ferrari. Mounted in the afternoon on the car driven by Prost, the modified 12-cylinder unit reports a drop in power soon after starting a race simulation. The unit is sent to Maranello for inspection. Testing will resume Friday afternoon, but it’s clear that if reliability is not there, the possibility of using it in the race for the German Grand Prix will be shelved. On Friday, the Frenchman will prepare the set-ups with the old engine, then he will try again - with the new one - the race pace. On Friday, August 20, 1990, the free practice challenge between McLaren and Ferrari ended in a dead heat. After setting the best time (1'41"37), Ayrton Senna is forced to stop due to the failure of the Honda power unit. Alain Prost, who during the morning sets a time of 1'41"54 with the standard engine, attempts to simulate a race with the new one in the afternoon but is still stuck, after 27 laps, by trouble with a piston. At this point, the Maranello team will be forced to revise plans, to race with the conventional 12-cylinder in the next race too, and continue testing at Monza. However, the Frenchman says that he is confident, and that the testing of the 037 has equally shown consistent progress. In this regard, Alain Prost states:
"The World Championship? It’s open and still very long. We’re well on track in the sense that Ferrari is making continuous progress. But McLaren is always a tough team, somewhat superior to us in the engine. We could have maybe gone harder, started with softer tires taking some risks. Because now our chassis is the best and allows us to use the tires well. The drivability of the car made it easier for me to make a comeback. But it wasn’t a race we were given, we earned it, suffering as always".
And returning to talk about the Grand Prix run at Silverstone, the Frenchman allows himself to make some confessions:
"I confess that I made plans. Mansell was in pole position, this was his Grand Prix. If things had gone differently, if he had managed to hold the lead, I’d have been content with second place. But I realised he was having problems and I passed him taking advantage of a favourable slipstream. I don’t think McLaren is definitely in crisis. It can still get back on the attack. They always have a good base. But we won’t be outdone either. Our car is almost perfect and has further possibilities for development, even for next year".
While Ayrton Senna, thinking back to the British Grand Prix, said:
"From the beginning, as indeed in practice, the McLaren seemed unstable to me. I found it extremely difficult to keep up with Mansell’s Ferrari, and in the end I had to let loose. Our problem is in the chassis: I wore out the rear tires frighteningly, and several times I was in danger of running off the track. The engineers are working to try to find better setups. Fortunately, the engine always runs very well, reasoning that I’m not too pessimistic. Of course, one shouldn’t leave room for certain opponents".
With testing over, there is talk of the drivers’ market, and of Nigel Mansell’s possible replacement, which could be Jean Alesi. The French driver would like to fight on equal terms with Prost and Senna, to insert himself into the great challenge. Not for the title, but to win at least one race before the end of the season. However, Jean Alesi will have to wait to find his day of glory. On Sunday, July 29, 1990, in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, the albeit competitive Tyrrell that he drives with great temperament should be no match for Ferrari and McLaren. Too little power is available to the eight-cylinder Cosworth in a very fast circuit characterized by long straightaways interrupted by chicanes, although the stadium preceding the pit entry may to some extent favor the chassis and aerodynamic qualities of the British single-seater. In reality, the fight for success should be limited precisely to the daring Ferraris of Prost and Mansell, the McLarens of Senna (author of the best time in free practice, although there was no shortage of problems) with a few chances for the Williams and Benetton. The latter, by the way, could be the surprise of the German race because they mount the new, more powerful Ford engines that did not have a chance to put themselves in the limelight much more Silverstone, after Nannini’s accident and Piquet’s last-row start (he still finished fifth despite his car being damaged and in the grip of terrible understeer). But back to the character of the day,Jean Alesi, who became the most contentious man in the driver-market: on Friday, July 27, 1990, the day of the first practice session of the German Grand Prix, the lawsuit filed by the French racer with Tyrrell to free himself from the contract binding him to the British manufacturer’s team will be heard in court in London. It is a tangled affair, for which it is difficult to predict a sure solution. The only certain thing is that the boy from Avignon no longer intends to stay with the team, no matter what. Jean Alesi tells:
"At the end of the 1988 season, while I was fighting to win the Formula 3000 championship, I was approached to compete in the final races of the Formula 1 World Championship. It was a unique opportunity, and for that reason I accepted a gig-cap, because I had nothing to lose. Tyrrell offered me a paltry contract, $5,000 a month, but I had to pay all my expenses, i.e., travel and hotels. What could I do? I had only to say yes, and I was forced to sign an option for two more years as well. Now when it came time to negotiate, Ken Tyrrell had me by the throat: we’ll give you the same money as last year, he said. Apart from the money issue, a humiliating proposal after the results I brought to the team. For this reason, despite the potential of the team, the qualities of the car and the prospect of having the ten-cylinder Honda engine that now equips McLaren, I decided to change course".
It will not be easy, however, for the Sicilian-born French driver, 26, to free himself from commitments, to go to Ferrari alongside Prost in place of Mansell as has been speculated in recent days. Aside from the problem with Tyrrell that could also be resolved by paying a penalty (£1.000.000), Alesi would also sign an option with Williams, having been pressured by Renault, which supplies engines to the team of Riccardo Patrese and Thierry Boutsen. But that is not enough: the French driver’s registration would be owned by Eddie Jordan, the British manager who had raced him in Formula 3000 and who will make his Formula 1 debut next year. In short, a real puzzle. Someone could take advantage of such an intricate situation (it must not be forgotten that Tyrrell among other things is in the area of influence of McLaren, which runs it economically, and Ron Dennis is apparently in trouble with the renewal of Ayrton Senna’s contract…) not only to put a couple of million dollars in his pocket. So, Ferrari for the time being is watching. Revealing is a phrase uttered in recent days by Cesare Fiorio:
"Let’s wait until Jean Alesi is free and shows up at Maranello. Then we’ll see".
Having passed the classic mid-season mark, with eight out of sixteen races held, the Formula 1 World Championship is heading into the second half in an atmosphere of great uncertainty. It is also time for balance sheets and forecasts for all the teams. But it is Ferrari that is under the crosshairs. After years in a limbo, the Maranello team is back on top: first in the drivers’ standings with Alain Prost, two points ahead of Senna, second in the teams’ standings ten lengths behind McLaren. An overall result that had not occurred for a long time. The recurring question heard before the start of the World Championship was: will Ferrari be able to regain competitiveness? Now, the question on many people’s minds is this: will Prost and Mansell’s team be able to maintain its position and rebound from the confident attempts of McLaren and the other rivals? The answer to the latter question can only be theoretical, as in Formula 1 each race makes its own history, situations evolve quickly and sometimes unpredictably. But there are facts that on paper offer Ferrari considerable chances of continuing on the path it has taken and aiming for the title. Four wins out of eight races held means having marched on the average of fifty percent. The projection therefore is favourable because normally with six or seven successes one can win the World Championship. At least that is what has happened in recent championships, whereas previously, when there was an even greater balance, it also happened to some drivers (see Rosberg, in 1982) to get the title with only one win and a series of placements. If one considers that at this point there are only two drivers to have hit more than one first place (four Prost, three Senna, with Patrese at one) the games would seem to be done, barring unthinkable reversals. That is, one should live in the direct challenge between the Frenchman and the Brazilian, with a slight advantage for the Maranello team driver. On the scales one has to put that except for the episodes of unreliability recorded in Phoenix and Monte-Carlo, Ferrari has proven to be competitive at different tracks and in different conditions. McLaren, by contrast, has always been very fast but has suffered a gradual decline in the road holding of its cars, so much so that in the last race (at Silverstone) Senna collected a third place thanks to the retirements of those in front of him. Says Alain Prost, on the eve of the German Grand Prix:
"On the chassis side we are certainly among the best, if not the best overall. For the engine, Honda still has some advantage, but quite limited. It’s clear that we are anxiously awaiting the availability of the most technologically advanced engines, superior to the one we adopt, but we are already in a position to fight at least on a par with our rivals, unless someone holds some surprises in store for us. But I don’t think that in such a short time we can overturn the values expressed so far".
It is clear that Prost is referring to McLaren. The British team is expected to bring some new features to tune the chassis better, but it still remains a mystery object. The engine-problem could have been overcome if Ferrari had been able to fit the new 037 in testing right away. But there were snags from using very sophisticated materials, and the power unit will not be available for the race. On the Maranello team’s side, however, there is - unbelievable to say - better use of tires in the race, which is another not inconsiderable margin. Summing up, then, Ferrari should start in the second part of the World Championship with very good prospects.
That is, if - as mentioned above - there are no technical upsets. If Mansell also helps Prost, the longed-for title. Meanwhile, the Alesi case suffers a setback as the arbitration at the High Court in London to settle the contract with Tyrrell fails. Any decision is then sent back to the civil court, which will rule no earlier than September. Otherwise, the role of outsider always falls to Williams, Leyton House and Benetton. Piquet, with the single-seater adopting the fourth generation Ford engine (a few more horsepower), was one of the fastest in the tests, setting the third fastest time (1'42"13). And if one considers that the Brazilian expresses himself very well on the Hockenheim track (three victories), that Nannini has returned, after a period of tarnish in the early part of the championship, to be that quick and aggressive driver that everyone knows, John Barnard’s Benetton (who, not to contradict himself, somehow provoked the decision of designer Rory Byrne to leave the team) could take on the role of third wheel. On Thursday, July 26, 1990, the topic of the day is not the German Grand Prix: indeed, very little is said about the race. Instead, the focus is on the driver-market that seems to have locked Formula 1 into an irreversible impasse. The questions on which insiders and experts of all kinds are pondering are mainly two: one now also somewhat stale (where will Jean Alesi go?), the other relatively new (will Ayrton Senna remain at McLaren?). These are interesting questions, but it is a pity to have to talk about this also and especially at a time when the season would offer very valid competitive insights. Many Italian newspapers go out of their way to take Alesi’s move to Ferrari, replacing Nigel Mansell, for granted. Many talks, explanations that the Frenchman still has to solve his problems to free himself from the contract that binds him to Tyrrell, then he has a half-commitment with Williams, but he would also have signed a letter of intent to race with the Maranello team. So, the 26-year-old driver from Avignon, of Sicilian origin (from Alcamo), definitely appears in some tables in the 1991 Ferrari lineup alongside Alain Prost. And it is normal at this point that foreign newspapers also followed the wave. Even L’Equipe let itself go, writing a headline on the front page with two colour photos of Alesi, thoughtful in a Tyrrell suit, smiling in a Ferrari suit: but it is not an edit, because Jean actually wore it some time ago, when he was called to drive a Ferrari F40 in the American IMSA Championship. Inside there is a long report: the driver’s whole career in pills, his dazzling appearance in Formula 1, characteristics, merits, qualities. In short, as if the deal was a done deal.
And the Italian drivers, with paper in hand, crying bitter tears, the row of the rejected, the frustrated: Patrese, Nannini, Capelli, Martini, Modena. But who knows if the story is true. The driver, for his part, is very unnerved by the affair and calls a press conference promising to clarify everything. These are tense days, however, and nervousness does not spare even the great Ayrton Senna. He is said to have demanded a very high financial amount from McLaren to renew his contract for one year. And it seems that Ron Dennis is unwilling to pay. It is a tug-of-war, in which the usual interested parties insert themselves: in fact, a conversation between the Brazilian and John Barnard is enough to make his switch to Benetton. But some go further, claiming that Honda would contact Prost to get him back to McLaren. Thus Senna would go to Ferrari, alongside Jean Alesi. Fantasy? Perhaps there is some truth to it: Alesi certainly pleases the Maranello team, but we will have to wait some more time to know if the marriage can take place. The only concrete fact is that from Friday, on the very fast Hockenheim circuit, there will be another direct clash between McLaren and Ferrari in the battle for the title. On one side there will be Prost with the retiring Mansell (who, however, will probably do his best to show that his retirement is a serious loss), and on the other side will be Senna and Berger. The former forced to chase to regain the World Championship lead, the latter still searching for his first victory. Honda has announced the use of a renewed engine, but the problem for the British team should always be the chassis. On Friday we will have the first chronometric feedback of the great challenge, thankfully from talks to action on the track. As often happens for the arrival of the Formula 1 Circus, the local media go wild with big interviews with the champions. On Thursday it is the turn of Alain Prost: a German news agency publishes an interview with the Frenchman. Translated into several languages, the report also reaches Italy. But after a few passages, some statements become much more categorical than they originally were. According to the final version, Prost would be determined to leave Formula 1 at the end of 1991 and would predict that Senna would win the title. Alain, of course, having learned of the distorted interview, appears quite angry and precise:
"I have long made it known that I might quit at the end of next season. This is not new: if I am no longer having fun I would be stupid to continue. But I haven’t decided anything yet. It’s true that after Ferrari there’s not much more to discover, and it’s true that I have had proposals like the one from Mercedes to compete in the sport-prototype world championship. But if I stop, it will be to do another job. As for Senna, if Ferrari decides to bet on the Brazilian, they will have their reasons. But I reiterate that there will never again be a team with Prost and Senna together. About the 1090 World Championship, I have never stated that he will be the one to win it. Instead, I have stated that if there is a favourite, right now it’s still Senna".
And it is clear that the Frenchman has good reason not to expose himself in a different prediction. First, because all drivers are superstitious. Secondly, one must take into consideration the fact that the Brazilian with his McLaren has almost always been in the lead in the races held so far, and if on five occasions (i.e., in the four victorious races for Ferrari and in that of Patrese’s success at Imola with Williams) he had to surrender, it was partly due to bad luck and partly due to the mistakes that the Anglo-Japanese team made compromising the final result. It is under the sign of caution, therefore, that Friday morning will kick off the weekend of the German Grand Prix, the ninth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. And in the meantime, Tini Writho, the specialist who is normally in charge of Honda’s advanced Japanese test projects, is back on track. In addition, McLaren re-hires North American Gordon Kimball, the gearbox man who worked with Barnard at Maranello for almost three years. In short, McLaren’s manager attempts to strengthen the team, and the drivers await better results. Will the McLaren crisis stop in Germany? It is too early to tell; the result of the Grand Prix will decide. Certainly, if practice should be as usual an anticipation of the race, the British team should have no problems. On Friday, July 27, 1990, in the first qualifying round, Ayrton Senna allows himself not only to get the best time: the Brazilian shreds the record of this very fast track, taking from 1'42"013 (Rosberg with the Williams-Honda turbo in 1986) to 1'40"198, at the fantastic average speed of 244.208 km/h. An achievement on the part of McLaren complemented by Berger’s second place, just 0.3 seconds off, which annihilated his rivals for the moment. Ferrari, which also did its duty on a circuit considered the most hostile of the entire World Championship, placing Prost and Mansell in P3 and P4, recover abysmal detachments: just under 1.6 seconds for the Frenchman, 2.2 seconds for the Englishman. How the Anglo-Japanese team was able to recover so quickly from the gap reported in the previous two races is quickly said. This is the explanation of McLaren team manager Ron Dennis:
"Honda has given us a new more powerful engine, the track is suitable for our cars, we have worked a lot on suspension, aerodynamics and set-ups. But let’s wait and see what will happen with a full tank of gasoline, under race conditions".
Honda lets it be known that the evolution of its ten-cylinder engine has been based on weight reduction, increased power and improved electronic management. The only unknown at this is the race, because the track puts the engines to the test precisely in terms of reliability. In any case, Senna and Berger appear very satisfied and make it clear that they could still increase their performance on Saturday. The Ferrari men, on the other hand, do not appear very concerned. Prost, Mansell and sports director Fiorio complain about the rear tires, which deteriorate before completing a lap. But there is some confidence for the race, as admitted by the French driver:
"I am content to start on the second row, then we will play our chances".
As was expected behind the two top-teams comes Benetton with Nelson Piquet. And the Brazilian even makes a couple of mistakes in his fast laps, risking ending up off the track. A danger that his partner, Alessandro Nannini, fails to avoid. The Italian, in fact, stumbles into a resounding excursion against the guardrails, suffering only a bruise below his right knee.
"On entering the third chicane I touched the curb. The car went off on a tangent, spun into the air and I crashed violently at about 200 km/h into the top of guards. My Benetton bounced off the track and fell like a stone to the asphalt, also causing a huge blaze that fortunately did not turn into a fire".
The single-seater is thrown away; in the course of the evening, a new chassis arrives in Hockenheim, and a spare car will be prepared with it. Two spectacular accidents also occur in the morning, during pre-qualifying. First Gachot with the new Coloni and Moreno with the Eurobrun leave the track. Some fear serious damage to the cars, but the drivers are unharmed. Finally, in P6, first of the drivers with Pirelli-shod cars, Jeans Alesi enters. But the French driver is the centre of attention, more than for his performance, mainly for a press conference he holds later in the day to try to explain his absurd situation. In essence, the Tyrrell driver says nothing new, apologising for the questions about him. But at the same time, Alesi provides some interesting details:
"Many teams would like me and I am flattered. I am at Tyrrell and I would like to finish the season in the best possible way. The rumours these days have upset me. It is true that I am also interested in Williams, Ferrari and McLaren (this, however, was not known, ed.) but I have not decided anything yet. The first rule you find in contracts is the one regarding the obligation of discretion, you cannot reveal secrets. I can get rid of Tyrrell, however, it is not certain that I will do so. As for the controversy that would have triggered some Italian drivers when they learned that I might go to Maranello, I’m sorry, but I think the team is free to choose who they want. After all, I don’t think Prost and Mansell are Italian. When I have defined my position I will be happy to let everyone know".
Senna is staking everything this time. And the stakes are very high: the lead in the Formula 1 World Championship standings and, most importantly, the future. If the Brazilian succeeds in winning the German Grand Prix, he will not only overtake his hated enemy Alain Prost, but will be able to discuss next year’s contract with McLaren from a position of strength. A situation that has been going on for some time now: he, the champion, is asking the Anglo-Japanese team for a huge sum, $17.000.000. And he wishes to sign a one-year only engagement, as he would like to be free to decide to change teams in 1992. Ron Dennis, the team’s manager, on the other hand, would like to impose a tie of at least two seasons, pending perhaps being able to take Jean Alesi. And he is also not willing to pay a disproportionate amount, at most half of what the driver is willing to demand, as a matter of prestige and principle.
"If I am considered the fastest, why should I not receive at least twice as much as the best?"
So it is an atmosphere of great tension that the ninth round of the championship awaits, a race that, at least in practice, has for the time being marked McLaren’s great return to the top after the two pole positions taken by Mansell and Ferrari at Le Castellet and Silverstone. But Ferrari, as mentioned, is not yet giving itself away. Say drivers and technicians of the Maranello team:
"The Hockenheim circuit is the worst for us. Long straights connected by chicanes and a very slow mixed part, where the chassis doesn’t matter too much and the engines make the difference. We would settle for a good result, a few points".
To be fair, however, Prost and Mansell do have some hope of turning things around in the race. Alain Prost affirms:
"We have won races starting from the back. Why should we feel difficult if we have to line up on the second row at the start tomorrow? This is a very difficult race, where it will be decisive to use the tires well and try not to overuse the mechanicals. We could come out, once again, in the distance".
And Nigel Mansell retorts:
"It’s exactly one year since I finished a race in Europe. Last season on this track I placed third behind Senna and Prost. But our car was in the middle of development, didn’t hold the road well, wore out the tires badly and had huge reliability problems. Now the situation has changed dramatically: we are more competitive, and I am convinced that the good day might even come".
Senna and Prost will play each other, in one of the most difficult races, for first place in the standings, the leadership of the World Championship. It is only, perhaps, a psychological question, because the season is still so long. However, whoever emerges victorious from the terrible German track will be able to launch himself with greater confidence toward the title. Even for the contending teams, Ferrari and McLaren, the German result takes on the aspect of a judgement: for the Maranello team, a defeat would not be a definitive condemnation, as it already boasts four successes against its opponent’s three. However, a victory on the most hostile circuit would be total confirmation of its newfound competitiveness. Even more important will be the response for the Anglo-Japanese team. Another setback would give the certainty of a latent crisis; a victory would erase many doubts and give new impetus to Ron Dennis’ team. That said, one must immediately take into account the fact that McLaren emerges as the compulsory favourite. Senna will start on pole position and next to him will be teammate, Gerhard Berger. The Brazilian and the Austrian have not improved on the times they set in the first qualifying round, but since they are both basically unassailable, they prefer to devote themselves to practising for the race while the others scramble under an African-type heat to try to get close to him.
The best time (1’42’’057) of the day is the one set by Nigel Mansell, but this only allows the moustached Englishman to shelter himself from the attacks of the Williams of Patrese and Boutsen, who move closer to the head of the field, bypassing Piquet’s Benetton. Basically, Ferrari maintains its positions, with Prost still in P3 and Mansell in P4, then on the second row. Chronometers in hand, barring bluffing or pretending, in race trim, the two teams should be very close in performance. The McLarens have higher top speeds, the Maranello cars are faster in the only mixed section, that is, in the Stadium preceding the pit straight. A very important role will still be played by - but this a now stable element of racing, always has been - tires. Those who choose the best solutions will have undoubted advantages. Senna and Berger should run away at the start, while Prost and Mansell should come out on top in the distance. But it should not be forgotten that this 6800-metre circuit is considered a test bed for engines, because of the long straights, the chicanes that require hard braking, the curbs that ruin the bottoms of the cars, and the narrow and difficult trajectories that often induce mistakes and thus ruinous and dangerous spins. In short, it is a McLaren-Ferrari challenge but surprises are not excluded, from Williams and Benetton, with the usual outsiders, Alesi for Tyrrell, Capelli and Gugelmin for Leyton House. But, honestly, it is difficult to think that we can get out in the prediction for victory from the top-teams, because here engine power is decisive. Says Ayrton Senna:
"We have meticulously prepared for this race. It has been very hard for us in the last few races, but I feel heartemed because we were able to improve the set-up of the cars with small changes that yielded good results".
And Alain Prost responds:
"Our car is always very good, balanced. We will see that we play well every opportunity. At the end of the day I could be content with a second place, as long as the first is not Senna".
At forty degrees in the shade, seconds suffered. And by seconds,Nigel Mansell and Gerhard Berger are intended, who, by sheer bad luck, had to accept the non-protagonist role in their respective team. And, for that matter, at this point in the championship, how could Ferrari and McLaren be condemned if they bet on Prost and Senna? Mansell and Berger have so far collected nothing but placings, while the Frenchman and the Brazilian have gone from one victory to the next, fighting at the top, until they are only 2 points behind. On Friday, the Austrian driver had set the second fastest time just 0.3 seconds behind Senna, and on his best lap he was slowed by Donnelly’s Lotus. Gerhard Berger was convinced he could snatch pole position from Ayrton Senna. But Ron Dennis forced him through the second qualifying round by trying race tires. Convinced that the high air temperature would not allow further improvement, the McLaren manager forced a decision on Gerhard that certainly did not make him happy. But the Austrian had to accept the McLaren team principal’s imposition:
"At the end of the day it was the wisest tactic because racing is more important than testing. This is the reality of the facts, to be in a team you also have to make sacrifices".
Hoping that on Sunday he will not be asked to step aside for Senna to win. Times are also hard for Nigel Mansell, who after retiring prematurely, has to accept the situation. These days, not having the spare car available, he has had qualifying in a minor tone, since having to have Ferrari mechanics each time change the engine of his single-seater between free practice and timed practice (the new 037 is used only in qualifying (he has often been forced to anticipate entering the pits and then getting into a car that he essentially had not been able to fine-tune with all the fixings. So Mansell for a day went back to being the daredevil driver he was when he absolutely had to prove himself. In the morning he stumbled into a sensational spin (with three complete pirouettes) at the entrance to the pit straight. In the afternoon he first locked the brakes too hard under braking, then scraped the bottom of the car, damaging it, on a curb. With the second set of soft tires finally, on a launch lap he obstructed first Alboreto and then Pirro. The latter went to ask for an explanation, and a half-hearted squabble ensued. In conclusion, two pieces of news. The first concerns Jean-Marie Balestre. The French executive is reportedly on the verge of leaving the presidencies of FISA and FFSA (the International and the French Automobile Sports Federation, the most likely candidate to succeed the Monegasque Michel Boeri for FISA). Balestre would retain the presidency of the FIA, the world body that groups all the world’s Automobile Clubs, and that of the French A. C. of which he recently assumed responsibility, because he cannot follow everything. The second involved Enrique Scalabroni, the designer who recently left Ferrari. The Argentine designer showed up at the circuit, saying he has four offers, will decide at the end of August, and will probably return to England. The Argentine also indulges in a couple of jokes about the Maranello team:
"There are some parts that I designed, I don’t understand why they haven’t used them yet. However, I saw that they had mounted the windshield that was rejected at Imola on Prost’s car. Maybe there is a different air here".
Speaking of the driver market, it appears that Jean Alesi may be closer to Ferrari. Although nothing leaks out about the fate of the most coveted driver of the moment, it seems that the chances of getting the young Frenchman to Maranello are increasing. In essence, for the first time in Formula 1, a negotiation between the interested teams would be underway to arrive at a solution that would please everyone. This will not be an easy task, but it is already important that they have come to the conclusion of trying to settle the complicated matter of overlapping contracts, letters of intent and wishes. It is clear that, in order to find a viable path, bucks pro quo (in money and possibly in drives) will have to be given. The singular fact at this point is that the drivers would find themselves in the strange position of not deciding personally, but it would be in a sense forced to accept acquired, however palatable, situations. It is easy to guess that Alesi could only be satisfied anyway: going to Ferrari, at the moment the most appealing, to Williams or to McLaren (the most unlikely since Berger has a contract for two more years and the team would have to give up Senna…). As a last resort he could remain at Tyrrell, but with Honda engines, and with ample guarantees on the development of the car. This game could also possibly include Nigel Mansell, who would have to change his mind about his announced retirement, however.
On Sunday, July 29, 1990, at the start of the German Grand Prix, a thrill is experienced when Emanuele Pirro, with his Dallara, plunges against the pit wall: several minutes (and four laps of the competitors) will be needed to remove the Italian driver from a very uncomfortable position. Fortunately, the good driver is not seriously injured, although he has to be admitted to the Mannheim hospital for a series of checks. The accident was caused by clutch failure on the Brabham of Stefano Modena, who did not get off the start. Emanuele Pirro and David Brabham, who were behind, had to move to the right to avoid a collision, but they touched and the Dallara smashed into the protection, while Philippe Alliot miraculously avoided crashing into him. Meanwhile, in front of the green light, a kind of procession took place. Just as Ayrton Senna left, Gerhard Berger, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Riccardo Patrese, Thierry Boutsen and Nelson Piquet lined up, one behind the other. Only Alessandro Nannini overtakes Jean Alesi, who does not seem to be competitive enough at Hockenheim. The order of the top six drivers remains the same until lap 11, when Piquet tries to overtake Patrese in the Williams, but has to take an escape route and is consequently overtaken by his teammate, Alessandro Nannini. In the meantime Mansell, in the second Ferrari, misses the braking point at the Ostkurve variant on lap 14 and breaks the front wing, also damaging his car: the British driver does not lose fourth position, but shortly afterwards he was forced to retire to the pits, on lap 16, precisely because of the damage created earlier. Alessandro Nannini took the lead after passing Riccardo Patrese, as the Williams and Benetton teams planned to run the entire race distance without making any pit stops. However, the gamble for Williams failed as the tires mounted on Patrese’s car would be badly damaged in the final stages of the race, and the Italian driver would be forced to pit. While Boutsen on the other Williams was overtaken by Alain Prost for fourth position, and by teammate Patrese for fifth, but he managed to maintain sixth position in the final laps. Alessandro Nannini’s escape lasted sixteen laps, until Senna, good but also driving a more powerful car, forcefully passed him.
And so, while the Brazilian seizes his fourth win of the season and number 24 of his career, Nannini is forced to settle for second place, ahead of Gerhard Berger who, due to a drop in power from his Honda engine, is unable to disturb the Italian driver. Alain Prost, in obvious difficulty, is saved from a recovery attempt by Riccardo Patrese, and Thierry Boutsen ends a long chase in sixth place, also setting the fastest lap. For the rest, engine death, as usual. The first driver to retire with an engine failure is Michele Alboreto on lap 11, followed by Mauricio Gugelmin and David Brabham two laps later, along with Pierluigi Martini in the only Minardi on lap 21. Nelson Piquet, in the Benetton, stopped on lap 24, and Satoru Nakajima in the Tyrrell on lap 25. At the end of the race, Philippe Alliot was disqualified because marshals helped his Ligier JS33B back into the race after being blocked by Emanuele Pirro’s Dallara 190 at the start of the race. Ayrton Senna and McLaren had in the German Grand Prix a consistent revenge. After three races of abstinence, the Brazilian driver and the Anglo-Japanese stable returned to victory. A success that totally reopened the World Championship, on a bad day for Ferrari, which had to settle for fourth place for Alain Prost, slowed down - according to the explanations of the French champion and the Maranello team’s technicians - by a wrong choice of the seventh gear ratio. Nigel Mansell, on the other hand, was forced to retire after smoothing the bottom of his car on a kerb so much that he lost control and stability. Already the tests of the past few days had highlighted McLaren’s progress, but it must be said that in Germany everything played in Senna’s favour, repaying him in part for the not-so-bright results of other races. Ferrari missed in the challenge, although the Italian team could recriminate about the final result, because in fact it could have been the only one to oppose Ron Dennis’ team. But the German race nonetheless had another hero in Alessandro Nannini, second at the finish line ahead of Gerhard Berger and the protagonist of one of the most beautiful, exciting races of his career. For the rest, little was seen, apart from Jean Alesi in almost a state of confusion (too much pressure on the French driver).
Benetton confirmed the progress that was expected, Williams showed that they did not know how to improve (fifth Patrese, sixth Boutsen, but the Italian driver and the Belgian were never able to insert themselves in the fight for the podium). The only thing that is certain is that Senna has now evened the score with Prost (four wins each), that McLaren seems to have regained the grit of the recent past, and that Ferrari still lacks something to remain stably at the top. It was an alternating current race for the Italian drivers. On the one hand Alessandro Nannini, a great protagonist of the German Grand Prix, and on the other Emanuele Pirro, who was hospitalised in Mannheim for observation due to the accident that involved the Roman driver at the beginning of the Grand Prix. For Pirro, this is a cursed circuit. Already last year he was the victim of an off-track accident when he was driving the Benetton and was in third position. Also on that occasion he had come out of the bad adventure without serious consequences, but there is a lot of apprehension. This time, however, the Scuderia Italia driver could not even make a lap. Already at the start, a few seconds after the green light came on, he was against the wall, his car smashed, unconscious. The versions given about the incident are quite conflicting. The only thing that is certain is that, since Modena remained stationary, Brabham collided, while the Italian’s car ended up with a wheel on top of the Australian’s. But while young Brabham was able to continue his race unscathed, Pirro ran into the wall and was unconscious for about a minute. Dr. Watkins, FISA doctor, recounted at the end of the race:
"I think, according to what some witnesses told me, he was hit by a tire smear on the head. We had to resuscitate him and in a fairly short time he regained consciousness. As he was able to speak his condition immediately appeared quite good. We sent him to the hospital just for some checks and to make sure there were no hidden injuries".
Scuderia Italia mechanics later wanted to check the driver’s helmet to see if it had crawled, but found no trace. It cannot be ruled out that the Roman driver suffered the classic whiplash recoil on his neck in the collision and for that reason passed out. Quite another story, that of Alessandro Nannini, who rose to the headlines with a truly extraordinary and perhaps even somewhat unexpected run. But the Tuscan is no stranger to this kind of feat and is certainly one of the most combative, as well as the nicest, drivers in the entire Formula 1.
"I had already decided in the morning to choose B-type tires, which are the hardest tires but would guarantee that I would not stop to change them. Senna could have been faster than me by about half a second a lap but I could hold the position just fine. Unfortunately at the exit of a chicane, after a lapped car I lost about ten metres and the Brazilian took the slipstream of my car and passed me with the power of the engine. However, I am very happy with this second place that comes at a decisive moment of the season. My Benetton went very well and I was also faster in the mixed part. In the final, however, as I said, I could not resist McLaren's comeback. Also the tires were now at the limit and the risk of resisting was too great. So I resigned myself to it and settled for second place, which in any case is fine with me. I made the last few passes, by the way, with a damned fear of breaking something and not being able to pick up anything also because the engine temperature had gone through the roof. So I hope I have given good publicity to my sister Gianna, who will perform at this same racetrack on August 26".
Indeed, posters all over the walls of the racetrack announce the presence of the Italian rock star along with Tina Turner by the end of next month. In the points zone, among the Italians, only Patrese in addition to Nannini. The Italian driver seems more resigned than satisfied:
"My Williams has been walking steadily, quite well, and I have no criticism to make. But we still have a lot of work to do to find ourselves among the most competitive teams. I am sure, with some small adjustments we plan to implement, that we will be much closer to the best in Hungary".
Happiness and despair are not in the same place. On one side is Senna, on the other Prost. The Brazilian is the symbol of contentment:
"Today I am really over the moon. I got a victory that I think will count for a lot in the World Championship. If I had also lost here, it would have been a disaster. But this success is no accident; I had never worked as hard as I have in recent times to get back to the top. You all know we had chassis problems. I can’t say they have all been solved, but we are on the right track".
So the Brazilian, almost with tears in his eyes, greeted reporters in the press room.
"The race was difficult. I had some understeer and I knew, for example, that the Benettons would not change tires. That’s why I had to contain my action. At the beginning I had Berger pressing behind me but I didn’t want to force it. Then, after the pit stop, I tried to attack Nannini but I realised that it was not easy to overtake him, for so many reasons. His Benetton was faster in the mixed part of the circuit and came out of the corners better. Because of this, I could never get a good lock on him to attempt an overtake. So I decided to wait for the tires on the Tuscan’s car to give out. Everything I thought in the race then came true: at the right moment I was able to pass".
But now, at the head of the World Championship, can Senna stay there for long?
"I hope so. But already in the next race in Hungary, it will be very difficult for us. I said we have solved several problems, but there are still problems. This week in Monza, August 1-3, we will try many new things on our car. The team has been busy, they have prepared even radical changes to the cars and a lot will depend on the result of the tests".
At Ferrari, very dark faces. Prost is adamant:
"Although we had mounted the longest seventh gear ratio available to the team, there were problems. In the straights I was going on the engine rev limiter. That’s why at one point I had to settle for defending the position because by putting the engine to the whip, I was in danger of permanently breaking it. In fact at the end there was also a drop in power. Unfortunately, it didn’t go well: I had said that I would also be content with a placing, a third place, but that guy wasn’t supposed to win there".
For Cesare Fiorio, the explanation is simple: a bad day. In fact, one cannot say that things went well for the Maranello team.
"Mansell stumbled off the track, so they told me because I didn’t see it, and took him out of the picture prematurely. In Prost we didn’t know what had happened, what his problem had been. This seventh gear thing came up that caught us all by surprise. But obviously something didn’t work in our accounts. Now we are going to be forced to take corrective action. I also talked to the French driver who told me that if there had not been this inconvenience he could have gone after the McLarens. This is the only positive from the day. Maybe we could have been competitive and we weren’t".
He adds:
"In the course of a season, unfortunately, in this sport you have to budget for bad days. It has happened to us and to others. The important thing is not to lose our cool and try to recover right away. We are confident that we can still fight: the performance of our cars on Sunday was not bad".
There are some, however, who blame Alain Prost, guilty of making a mistake, choosing the wrong gear ratio for the seventh gear, which turned out to be too short, and tires that required a sop that could have been avoided.
"A lot of people don’t know how much work goes into preparing for a race. Parameters changed in the race and the situation changed. According to the calculations that had been made, opting for a longer gear would not have allowed us to take full advantage of the engine power on the straights. As for the tires, I don’t think Benetton, for example, fitted harder tires as a tactic, but for a specific need. They with the C type, the same one used by the way also by McLaren, would probably have had problems. We thought we could, risking, get to the bottom well with those that had been selected and that Goodyear itself had recommended. And Mansell probably would not have stopped".
Now, however, one has to think about the future. Starting Tuesday, McLaren will be at Monza for three days with Senna to test aerodynamic and mechanical innovations. Ferrari, on the other hand, will rely on young test driver Gianni Morbidelli. Wouldn’t it be better to entrust the testing to Prost or Mansell?
"The tests McLaren claims to be planning need the presence of an experienced driver, who is more sensitive because it is about the overall behaviour of the car. We, on the other hand, need to do a reliability test on the 037 engine. Maybe we will do a few laps tomorrow and try to run the distance of a race the next day. We prefer that Prost and Mansell enjoy a few days of relaxation to show up fresh and fully fit in Budapest next week. The modifications on the powerplant are ready, we will see if it can be used in Hungary".
It went exactly as it was supposed to. As if Ayrton Senna’s 24th victory was predestined, written in the stars. A script written long before for a German Grand Prix without improvisation, except perhaps in the details. The Brazilian was obliged to win to save McLaren from crisis, and himself from Alain Prost’s broadsides. And he crossed the finish line first in a Prost-led race, the first of his career in which, showing the maturity he had achieved, he was forced to think, to wait, to be opportunistic. Sixteen laps behind Nannini’s Benetton, almost glued on the wheels of the Tuscan’s car, before he was able to storm to the top of the World Championship standings, to detach his French foe by 4 points. If a similar situation had occurred even at the end of last season, Ayrton Senna would not have waited two seconds to attempt to overtake Nannini. This time, however, he was forced to do a whole series of reasoning: I must not wear out the tires too much, I must not risk, I must not let myself get caught up in the eagerness to be in front. Calm down, Ayrton, that otherwise you might throw away an opportunity. An opportunity that Ferrari provided McLaren and its driver on a silver platter. If the Benetton with Nannini (because the experienced Piquet did it big this time, first going straight into a chicane to try to overtake Patrese’s Williams, then breaking the engine) was the surprise in positive of the German race, even if already in practice there had been warnings heralding progress for John Barnard’s cars, the performance of the Maranello team’s cars, indeed the result, was below expectations and possibilities. What is most infuriating, in fact, is not so much the fact of having collected only a fourth place with Prost 45 seconds behind Senna, but the impression of having lost a placing that could have been far better. The race at the beginning was shaping up exactly like others we had seen before: a Ferrari able to stall to come out on top in the distance. Until the tire change, in fact, starting on lap 14, Prost and Mansell had contained the gaps from the McLarens to within a couple of seconds. Then everything went wrong, as if an adverse fate had already predicted everything. The tire change on Prost’s car being over-extended by some unspecified mishap (this had not happened for centuries at Ferrari, a record-holder in this kind of fast operation), Mansell reverted to being the daredevil he once was, always straddling the curbs. It is admittedly true that the Englishman has nothing to lose, because in the championship he is now cut off from the title fight and because he announced his retirement at the end of the season. But a title less impetuosity would have allowed him to stay in the McLarens’ wake and in the end he could have beaten at least Berger (P3) as the Austrian reported an engine problem.
Then there is the strange cause that forced Prost to give up any ambitions: after three days of testing, not counting the tests of the previous week, it was discovered that the seventh gear, the most used on the German track where there is almost constant straight-line travel, was too short. When the Frenchman pushed hard, the engine’s rev limiter kicked in. And poor Alain had to settle for a modest placement. But the Frenchman was not discouraged, and issued a challenge for the next race, the Hungarian Grand Prix. That is, if McLaren and Senna do not make more progress in the meantime. In parallel, Ayrton Senna was the first to congratulate Alessandro Nannini. He did so on the podium by shaking his hand (it certainly would not have happened with Alain Prost) and later in the customary post-race press conference, in an indirect way, when he explained that the victory was suffered, that he struggled a lot to overtake the Benetton. And the Brazilian champion’s compliments please Alessandro Nannini, the great protagonist of the German Grand Prix, who says he is happy with second place anyway. So after Ivan Capelli’s exploit at Le Castellet, here is another Italian driver in the limelight. It is a strange story, that of Italian racers. They are among the best ever, they arrive in Formula 1 almost always titled (i.e., with a brilliant career in the minor categories behind them), they are the largest group, fourteen out of thirty-three drivers present, but for a long time they have only been able to obtain small partial satisfactions, such as Riccardo Patrese’s victory at Imola. It is a curse that has lasted for too long, back since 1953 whenAlberto Ascari became World Champion. Somewhat through bad luck (see Michele Alboreto in 1985, when Ferrari lost his way midway through the championship when the Milanese driver was fighting for the title) some, perhaps, through lack of planning, for a whole series of reasons that are very difficult to pinpoint. And for the time being, we do not see who will be able to interrupt what has become a negative tradition. Nannini himself, until recently, was regarded as a typical example of genius and unruliness. A very fast but sometimes erratic driver, not too skilled as a test driver. Now, at 31, he has vast experience, has matured, stopped drinking dozens of cups of coffee (also for fear of doping…), smokes truffles to be believed, tonejoy the esteem he deserves. So much so that some claim that his place in Benetton for next year is not yet assured.
There is talk of contact between Benetton and Ayrton Senna, due to the fact that for the Brazilian, among the alternatives he could give himself if he does not stay at McLaren, is Nannini’s team. Senna has great and well-placed confidence in John Barnard, Benetton’s designer, Ford could put together a very competitive 12-cylinder engine. In short, even if the story were not true, the good Ayrton has every reason to cultivate possible contacts to avoid being taken by the throat by McLaren, which does not want to accept his exorbitant economic demands. Reason being, Nannini is not having a particularly peaceful time, at least on a psychological level. But the same situation, in other terms, applies to other Italians. The fact that Ferrari finds itself with the problem of replacing Mansell has triggered a real war in the driver-market. If the first choice of the Maranello team is, as it seems, oriented on Jean Alesi, it is not excluded that in the end, given the objective difficulties to engage the Frenchman, an Italian solution will be reached. In fact, this is almost certain. Names have already been mentioned: Riccardo Patrese, Pierluigi Martini, Stefano Modena, Nicola Larini, Nannini himself, to which Ivan Capelli has also been added lately, by dint of results. The Milanese would have been contacted just in these days in Hockenheim, although just in the last hours it came out that Capelli received an interesting offer from Tyrrell. This among other things would mean that the British team has given up on keeping Alesi. But luckily there is also another possibility. Since Minardi will have Ferrari engines next year and will theoretically become more competitive, here are two seats available. Will Martini remain? Will he be joined by Gianni Morbidelli? Or will two more Italians drive the cars of the Romagna-based team? These are questions for which there will be definite answers in September. For now, Italian drivers will have to be content to wait. All they have left to do is to give their best in these races, even if some no longer have to prove anything, they have already displayed talent, determination and courage. Looking forward to the next Grand Prix, while McLaren and Ferrari run their tests, on Thursday, August 2, 1990, with the installation of Steve Nichols in the small villa located just over a kilometre from the Fiorano workshop (where the Argentine Enrique Scalabroni had lived), the past closes with the past and the future of Ferrari opens.
The American will be the sole designer of the car that will race next year under the supervision of technical manager Pier Guido Castelli. He will be in charge of tuning the current single-seater, developments and possible changes during the season. A difficult task, but also an exciting challenge for the man who is considered John Barnard’s first pupil. Even when he was at McLaren in 1988, Nichols had developed the British designer’s design, leading Ron Dennis’ team to an unmatched and perhaps unrepeatable record of success. The exit from the scene of Scalabroni, who will be free as of September 1, 1990 (it seems he already has a project ready for Lotus), was certainly painful for Ferrari, given the qualities of the South American, a very skilled designer. But two designers in one team can hardly coexist. Alongside the American, moreover, will operate a dozen young Italian engineers, who are part of the newly established project office, a kind of training school to create a self-sufficient system. Steve Nichols, born in February 1947 in Salt Lake City, Utah, an engineering graduate and expert in carbon fibre processing (he began his career at Lockheed, an aircraft and missile factory), is separated and lives with Sherry, a delightful English girl with an Indian mother, who is a lawyer in California. He is a quiet man, at least on the surface, a highly experienced technician with clear ideas and no foibles. He is not afraid to tell the truth, not ashamed to admit that his work will still be tied, for the time being, to the foundations laid by Barnard, namely on car 640, which later became 641 and then 641/2. Engineer Nichols, what are your plans and what will the Ferrari of tomorrow look like?
"If the current single-seater had turned out to be uncompetitive, I would have started from a blank sheet of paper. Instead, there is not much to change, because it is a very advanced vehicle, amenable to improvement. I will study possible evolutions, in all areas: mechanical, aerodynamic and electronic. We will work on the semi-automatic gearbox to make it a concrete advantage, try to lighten the transmission, deal with ground effect and the stability of the car".
After seven months at Ferrari, what differences have you found compared to McLaren?
"They are two top-teams. The biggest difference is in the fact that they also build engines in Maranello. It is a total activity, which is a greater stimulus for me, even though the powertrain business is not my field. Ferrari is a true racing team, where the only real goal is to win. In other teams, commercial motivations often dominate as well, because along with results there must also be a financial payoff".
Rumour has it, however, that Nichols is still being approached by McLaren for possible recovery…
"I often talk to Ron Dennis; we have remained on very good terms. His last offer, however, was three years ago, when there was talk of me being used for a project in Formula Indy. But I am more interested in Formula 1. This past year has seen many innovations in the World Championship, such as Tyrrell 019, which has developed the gull-wing nose design".
Will you follow this path?
"I don’t think so. At Ferrari I found a very similar design, signed in 1986 by Jean Claude Migeot (current head of aerodynamics at Tyrrell, ed.). I don’t see that as a problem. We, however, will go forward in the direction we have already taken".
Nichols has returned to work with Alain Prost. An assessment of the driver?
"Today, with telemetry applied to cars and continuous data collection, racers cannot bluff, but their usefulness has remained decisive. Prost is a very sensitive driver and, although he has an unspectacular driving style, he knows how to take all elements of the car, including the engine, to the limit. Let us not forget that he has used Renaults, Porsches, and turbocharged Hondas, and now drives Ferrari. No one can boast such experience. On a human level, the Frenchman is always very critical of the work of the designers, demands a lot, and thus is a constant stimulus. He is capable of pulling all-nighters to discuss a small detail. In a way, in the methodology of work he is very similar to Senna. Mansell is also a sensitive driver, although different. Overall, I am convinced that a passionate and intelligent racer, who can give answers and ask questions, is more useful than a driver-engineer".
In this sense, which players in the current championship have impressed you the most?
"Alesi, Capelli and Martini seem to me the most interesting elements. But I am not the one to decide. Personally, I have to work hard to give the drivers of the moment, and perhaps those to come, a winning car. And that’s what I hope for, because Ferrari is not only the dream of those who have to drive them, but also the point of arrival for a technician".
And since Steve Nichols comes from rocket design, Ferrari fans can only hope that the cars from Maranello will truly turn into rockets capable of hitting a target: the world title.