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#593 1996 Hungarian Grand Prix

2023-01-01 00:00

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#1996, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Francesca Zamparini,

#593 1996 Hungarian Grand Prix

Another troubled day for the Ferrari and Schumacher. Tuesday 6 August 1996, busy with the specific test to the set up of the car for the Italian Grand

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Another troubled day for Ferrari and Schumacher. Tuesday, August 6th, 1996, while busy with the specific set-up test for the Italian Grand Prix, the German fails to complete his program. During the morning, the World Champion must stop the simulation of the race after ten laps for an engine problem. He noticed that, perhaps due to a failure of the rev limiter, there was a drawback and preferred to stop before breaking the V10, ending in the sand at the second Lesmo turn. After replacing the engine, in the afternoon, the pilot gives it another go, but already in the first lap he must return to the pits with the engine switched off. The reason behind the stop: an air bubble on the cooling system, which raises temperatures. Once fixed this problem, too, Schumacher restarts but goes straight at the first variant, damaging the car and bringing it back with a broken front wing. In general, Schumacher still manages to complete 48 laps, always with the 7-gears gearbox that had already covered about 350 kilometres on the car driven by Irvine, on Monday. The best time of the morning is 1'25"60, while in the afternoon is 1'26"76. The difference can be explained by the fact that after changing the height of the kerbs, the circuit managers noticed that the drivers (on track also Frentzen with the Sauber) cut the chicanes. For that reason, they put pins to avoid strange excursion.

 

"We had few problems, but these are things that happen these days. The off-track was my fault, I’ve braked too late. We will try to run the distance of a race again today, hoping it gets better. In any case, the gearbox is working fine".

 

To whom asks him if he is positive for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, he answers:

 

"I was positive in Hockenheim, and we were not brilliant. So now I have to say that I’m negative".

 

Ferrari, meanwhile, officially confirms that they exercised the option they had on Irvine. So the Northern-Irish driver will drive for the team of Maranello with Michael Schumacher also during the 1997 Championship.

 

"Here there’s nothing left to do, now we know everything about the track. The race of Budapest is waiting for us, but I only have a prediction: a family battle between the two Williams drivers".

 

Wednesday, August 7th, 1996, Michael Schumacher completes the Ferrari tests at the Monza circuit, where on Sunday, September 8th, the Italian Grand Prix will be hosted and as already anticipated on Thursday, he does not say too much on the possibilities of the Maranello cars at the Hungaroring. The German opts out of the simulation of a race because the special engine for this type of tests is not available. Schumacher is working again on the set-up and on aerodynamics, exploring every possibility of the car on the verge of braking, which causes a couple of harmless off-tracks. In total, the Ferrari driver still completes 52 laps, the fastest in 1'26"08. From the three days of commitment by Ferrari, apart from the development of the F310, there is a positive note: the new gearbox with 7 gear is promoted, and it will be taken to Spa, for the Belgian Grand Prix. In the meantime, the very same Schumacher is giving an interview for a German weekly about his new home in Switzerland. He will live in Vufflens Les Château, a town of 450 people in the French area: the house (15 rooms and 6 bathrooms) rented was estimated at a figure equal to 6.000.000.000 lire. Maybe Michael will host, in Switzerland, his young brother Ralf who on Thursday, if everything is okay, will make his debut with a Formula 1 single-seater at Silverstone. The test was organized by Mercedes and McLaren, and the young Schumacher trained for two days on a Formula 3000.

 

"Fingers crossed".

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The World Champion said when they asked him what he thought about the try-out. In the meantime, from England arrive the news that Tyrrell has confirmed the promising Finnish Mika Salo also for next year. The driver market is waiting to have information about the future of Damon Hill. The leader of the standings is negotiating to stay at the Williams with a double hiring, but he also contacted McLaren and Jordan. Meanwhile, McLaren gives permission to his test-driver, the Danish Jan Magnussen, to go to the United States to take part in at least two races with the Penske-Mercedes, as a replacement for the injured Emerson Fittipaldi. Driving the Mercedes left free by Magnussen, at the International Touring Championship, will be the Italian Gianni Morbidelli. And Minardi, after the push of Montezemolo, entrust to Giancarlo Fisichella the reserve role for the Italian Grand Prix. It is not much, but definitely a step forward for the driver from Rome, who was without a seat in Formula 1. Formula 1 drivers always compare themselves based on their single-lap times. Especially teammates. The only real measuring stick. As a package deal (at Ferrari and now in Benetton), Alesi and Berger in this sense have always shown a great rivalry since the beginning. So much so that, during the private practice, they tend to stop at the track over the time allowed to get a better time. On Thursday, August 8th, 1996, when the French comes at the Hungaroring in the afternoon, the Austrian jokes with him:

 

"You thought that you were the fastest in the tests at Silverstone. Well, I stopped for ten minutes more the other night and I beat you".

 

Such an affront that would usually make Jean angry. But this time Alesi laughs out loud:

 

"Actually, I screwed you over. While you were lapping at the circuit, I told the world that I will soon have a baby. So, also in this area, we’ll at least be equal. For the races, we are going to see, I’ll keep beating you as before".

 

It is a happy moment for Alesi. The Benetton is growing. At Hockenheim they got close to the Williams cars and the French reached the second place after Berger - two laps from the end - broke the engine while in first place. Nonetheless, the joy of these hours for the 32 years old French driver of Sicilian origins, these hours comes from his private life. His girlfriend, Kumiko Goto, 22 years old, is six months pregnant and will give birth in November. The story could be one of those that could create several episodes for a romance novel. Alesi, after a marriage misadventure (he married Laurence, a girl from Avignone who he had known since forever, but with whom, already at the birth of a daughter, Charlotte, he broke up and inevitably divorced), was sent to Japan for a few promotional press conferences for his sponsor. Right in Japan, he met Kumiko, a girl with delicate features and quite tiny. She is famous: one of the best paid television actresses and fashion models in Japan. A popular hero who enjoys a very good consideration and is requested also for romantic films. It was a love at first sight. Since then, the two are in love, compatibly with their professional commitments, they lived together. But it had been a while since Kumiko made an appearance. The evil ones claimed that the girl had been sent away from the pit by Briatore because she could have disturbed the driver. So, miss Goto was hounded by the Japanese press that was investigating her disappearance. On Thursday, the girl sent by fax a handwritten letter later released to journals, magazines, and major television chains. And a press conference is even convened to read the letter, which arouses great emotions: 

 

"I’m happy, because I’ve found the love of my life. Now I’m pregnant, after three years that I’m with Jean. I didn’t forget my fans. But for now, I must leave behind my job to be a mom. But I will come back soon, and I will show you the baby".

 

Jean Alesi answer: 

 

"Everything it’s true, we’re having a baby. And we don’t want to know if it will be a boy or a girl, we want to keep it as a surprise. We both wanted to seal our union, I love Kumiko. And a baby will be the perfect representation of our love".

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So in the ruthless world of the Formula 1, also this happens. There is the space for love, for a sentimental story. Nothing to do with the five children by three different women of Nelson Piquet, incurable womanizer and a little distracted. But the others do not miss anything: the same Berger has a 17-year-old daughter, Cristina, from his first wife and another one from the second, the Portuguese Anna Corbu. Also Niki Lauda has two children with the beautiful Marlene, but he is the father of other children, too. It is generally said: women and engines, joys, and pains. But the drivers do not seem to care. And, especially when it comes to driving, Michael Schumacher does not back down. On a track as the one of the Hungaroring, where style, ability, and technology matter, the German comes back. Nothing spectacular. We know the practice of the Friday has a relative value. So much so that they are thinking to change the rules and go back to the official qualifying divided in two days in the 1997 season. But using an obvious and rhetorical expression, a good day starts in the morning. And to be second by only 0.022 seconds from Damon Hill is a good performance for Ferrari, ahead of the race.

 

"I can make get pole position, even if the target is the one of starting from the first row. The truth is that our F130 is good on the slow circuits. We made the best lap in Montecarlo, we can also repeat here in Hungary. When the aerodynamic pressure is at maximum, the Ferrari is very good. I’m even surprised".

 

By taking out all the possible wings (something that, after all, all the other teams already did), the technicians of the team of Maranello are preparing a set-up for the cars that has to be very efficient. To the point that Eddie Irvine, at the moment, seems to make miracles, in the fourth place of the standings, behind Jacques Villeneuve, Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher. On a track with poor conditions, dirty, full of sand, slippery, which makes the first practice session useless and bores the numerous spectators present, Ferrari finally shows its best side. Something that cannot be said for Benetton, with Berger and Alesi facing difficulties with grip and road holding. Everything could change on Saturday, because the asphalt gets cleaned and thus adjustments must be made. Jacques Villeneuve is a boy that goes against the tide. That is because he is not acquainted with diplomacy. To whom is asking him if he really thinks that he can fight for the Championship, the Canadian driver answer:

 

"Hill has a significant advantage, but there’s always the hope that he will make mistakes".

 

Another question: how has it become so difficult to overtake in Formula 1?

 

"I don’t know how it was before, maybe the cars have changed a lot. But, in any case, also the bravery of the drivers is less. That means that who dares to do it is considered a fool. The teams are asking us to arrive at the end of the race, to take at home a few points. And that does not help to make a show".

 

The long stops at the pits allow talking of matters outside the race. As for example, the good test made by Ralf Schumacher on Thursday with the McLaren in Silverstone. The younger brother of the champion, 21 years old, has set excellent times. 1'29"002 is the best one, with that he could have fit into the P9 of the grid of the British Grand Prix. The performance is considerable, even keeping in mind that these try-outs are what they are (for example they can drive an underweight car) and that they are needed to attract sponsors and suppliers (something that McLaren needs at the moment). Michael Schumacher says, talking about the brother:

 

"I’m proud, because he’s been very fast. I hope that soon Ralf can be seen for his value and not for being the brother of Schumacher. But honestly, I think that neither of us would like to be in the same team, because one of us would always lose. I don’t believe that he is thinking of Ferrari. Now it’s his time to decide about his future".

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We will soon see if it was only a publicity stunt or if the practice will have concrete consequences. In any case, Willy Weber, manager of the Schumacher brothers and of Claudia Schiffer, begins to prepare for the future. It is not a coincidence that people call him Mister 20%. And a good proportion of many billions is always a big deal. Meanwhile, Damon Hill jokes:

 

"If another Schumacher comes, it will be a problem for everyone, next year. But, maybe, for me, it won’t be, since someone said that in 1997 I will only play golf. Jokes apart, I was rather surprised by Villeneuve and Ferrari, being so close. However, I’m pretty serene. The important thing will be to start ahead and not only get the fastest lap in qualifying. I got pole in Hockenheim and at the first turn I was in third position. I want to avoid this. If I manage to do that, I won’t have any more problems".

 

The English, as most of the drivers, loves this track where the driving style means something. But he spares no criticism:

 

"There are beautiful turns, interesting ones. The bad thing is that, actually, there isn’t a real straight. The top speed doesn’t go beyond 275 km/h. That means that it’s not enough fast to make the difference and there’s no special point to overtake. It’s the only circuit where you have the impression to be on the seashore, for the sand on the asphalt. And it’s dangerous to get out of the trajectories. That’s why the traffic is one of the most important elements of tomorrow race".

 

Back to the Hungarian Grand Prix, who would have thought that Ferrari will start on pole position? On Saturday, August 10th, 1996, reborn from its ashes, the team from Maranello regains the lost competitiveness. Credit to a circuit particularly favourable as the Hungaroring and the quality of Michael Schumacher, but also of a team that, despite everything, manages to react to adversity. Because if the best time achieved by the German were an isolated episode, we should talk about one of his masterclasses. But now, in the second row in P4, there’s also Eddie Irvine. The best qualifying of the year, overall. It is the sign that the car does not go bad. A result that impresses, the very same Ferrari and its rivals. And at the end of practice, Michael Schumacher says, smiling also with the eyes:

 

"I’m surprised and happy for the team. We needed this boost. That’s the best answer to whom, rightly or unfairly, buried us with criticism. We have shown that Ferrari is not dead".

 

At this point you would expect the usual prudence: best time on the lap but call for calm ahead of the race. But no, this time Michael makes a statement:

 

"It’s good to be on pole, but it would be even more beautiful to win. A hard fight, but we will try, we will definitely try".

 

During the hour available to qualify, the fight has already been very close. Michael Schumacher immediately showed, starting with the first attempt, that he had serious intentions. And he detached Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve, the only ones who are able to trouble him, by more than 0.5 seconds. Then Jacques and Damon, with the knife between their teeth, literally threw themselves on track to do better. The Canadian succeeded, for 0.010 seconds. It seemed to be made, the beginning of yet another mockery at the last minute. But no. Schumacher took the track and lapped in 1'17"129, ending with an average speed of 185.129 km/h. The two Williams drivers, more possessed than ever, go back on track, but this time only to minimize the gaps: 0.053 seconds for the English, 0.130 seconds for the young teammate. For the German, is the fourth pole of the season, the fourteenth of his career. At the end, the circuit is practically painted in red, in a riot of German and Ferrari flags that explode in a roar, with applause, firecrackers, horns and shouts that recall a sold-out football stadium. Luca Montezem, arrived in Budapest with Edwin’s Fenech and left suffering at the pit wall the whole day, comments:

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"It seemed to be in Monza. This incredible cheer gives us the idea of what is our responsibility towards the people. So many Germans, I’ve never seen so many. It was important for us to return on the right path. But in fact, we started again from scratch, before the trouble we had in Canada, at Magny-Cours and Silverstone. It’s a pole sought and desired. I was afraid that it would end up as in Hockenheim when Hill overtook us in the end. And I’m also happy for Irvine".

 

About the race in Germany, we discover an incredible fact related to it. In the press conference, Michael Schumacher reveals that he raced both in Silverstone and in Hockenheim with a cracked rib. A blow suffered playing football with the mechanics at Imola during the private tests. And this explains, at least in part, the safe race of two weeks ago, when Schumacher was fourth also because the set-up of the car was not the right one.

 

"Now the pain is gone, we hope to inflict some to our rivals".

 

Montezemolo cuddles his Champion, then he calls Avvocato Agnelli to give him the good news and, before taking the airplane to go back to Italy, he comments again:

 

"The talent of a champion as Michael Schumacher was decisive, he is very calm in every situation, but of course also the performance of the car was good. But this is not enough to win. I have discussed this with Prost and Lauda: reliability is very important. As for this year, after all, we’ve never been so bad in terms of time. The truth is, with a cold mind, that I don’t care about pole position: to think that we could win is not crazy. It would require what we never had this year: a great start".

 

Well, indeed. Most wins are based on the start. The clutch of the Ferrari seems to be better, but there is no guarantee. Then the pit-stop for refuelling will count, as well as tyre wear and reliability. Ideally, the battle is only between Ferrari and Williams, with Hill and Villeneuve being once again the favourites. There are some who do not believe in this, but this time the superstition seems to have proved right to Montezemolo. The Ferrari president, who already in Silverstone showed up with a small croissant in his pocket, this time at the Hungaroring increased the dose: a red coral amulet, with a gold handle about ten centimetres long.

 

"A friend of mine from Naples gave it to me, a Ferrari fan".

 

He explains, laughing while repeatedly stroking the horn, exhibiting it without hesitation. At the end, luck arrived in the shape of Michael Schumacher’s pole. In the Formula 1 World, superstition is of the house: rituals repeated at each Grand Prix, special clothing, or small lucky objects, such as the coin that Lauda always put inside his gloves before each race. But everything is possible. We should exclude Benetton and McLaren from the battle, far behind. Briatore, despite hoping that Alesi and Berger perform a miracle, takes comfort in buying the 15% of what he needed to be the only owner of Ligier. But he suffers from observing his former driver. Good news for Italians: Giovanni Lavaggi, 38 years old, count and engineer, the only Italian driver of the Circus, manages to qualify with the Minardi.

 

"For me, it’s like a victory. I managed to enter the grid for a tenth of a second".

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Lavaggi, that had to bring 1.500.000 lire of sponsor to compete in the last five race, he gets back the first 300.000.000 lire. Sunday, August 11th, 1996, at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix Michael Schumacher keeps the first position, while Damon Hill, who started on the dirty side of the track, was overtaken by his teammate Jacques Villeneuve and from Jean Alesi who had a good start from the fifth position. The French blocks the Williams driver, while Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve fly away, and the Canadian tries to put pressure on the rival; the German does not make mistakes and Villeneuve can overtake him only after the first few pit stops. Instead, the move fails to his teammate, he finds traffic during the last lap before refuelling and remains behind Jean Alesi; the French driver made a big mistake during lap 27 and Damon Hill took advantage of it, passing him and starting to recover very quickly on Michael Schumacher. While Villeneuve merely administers the advantage, Hill continues to set the fastest laps, passing Schumacher during the second set of pit stops and starting to chase his teammate. Jacques Villeneuve can handle the situation, even if there was a problem with the fixing of a rear wheel in the third and final stop at the pits; the Canadian gets his third victory of the season with a small advantage on Damon Hill, of only 0.771 seconds. Michael Schumacher, instead, retires at seven laps from the end, with the accelerator of his Ferrari blocked; Jean Alesi, after he took advantage of the retirement of his teammate Gerhard Berger (for an engine failure), gets the third place. Fourth is Mika Häkkinen, one lap behind with his McLaren-Mercedes, while in fifth and sixth position are Olivier Panis, with the Ligier-Mugen Honda, and Rubens Barrichello with the Jordan-Peugeot. Being the fastest during the practice of the qualification is already a step ahead. But that is not enough. And Ferrari, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, had to once again bow to Williams' evident superiority in racing. Nothing to do for Michal Schumacher and Eddie Irvine, once again forced to retire, the German champion in the end while he was, without any problem, in third position. The reliability of the cars of Maranello has not been found yet, problems continue.

 

"I dreamed for a recovery at the end of the season and, at least, be a judge of the title fight between Hill and Villeneuve. Now, instead, given how things are going, it’s even hard to think I can win a second race before the end of the Championship".

 

Sure, it would take a nice dose of presumption, at this point, to believe that you can somehow bother the strongest couple, the one formed by the English and the Canadian, which proved to be the undisputed protagonist of the title challenge. Instead, the one having warlike intentions is the young Jaques Villeneuve, who obtained the third victory in Formula 1, two in the last three races. Jacques, without reverential fears towards the team-mate and helped by the situation at Williams of not favouring the poor Damon (who is struggling with a problematic contract renewal because he wants to earn more money), gave another proof of his potential and great talent. Although it is clear that the quality of the car, driven by the twenty-five-year-old Canadian driver, is amazing - Williams takes home his eight Constructor World Title well in advance – it is also true that Jacques Villeneuve knows how to interpret it and drive it in the best possible way. The Canadian driver won the race thanks to a great start (even if Michael Schumacher kept the pole position with a brilliant start after the recent problems), he attacked without ever making a mistake and then in the end he defended himself very well from the furious return of Damon Hill, who remained in second place. Jacques Villeneuve’s concentration was not even disturbed by a little problem at the box during the last refuelling, which made him lose precious seconds. But what is surprising is his calmness and the absolute confidence related to its target. And at the end of the race, with an evil smile directed at Damon Hill, the Canadian says:

 

"You can do the math. Now my teammate has 17 points of advantage. There are only four races before the end of the Championship. So I have to win them all and hope that he, at least once, doesn’t arrive in second place. It will not be easy, you understand, but it’s not impossible. When I arrived in Formula 1, I didn’t make precise plans. But I didn’t even come here to be an arm candy. Because once I’m close to the finish line, be sure I’ll always try. I’m not the type of guy to give up. I have nothing to lose while Damon is gambling a part of his credibility".

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The one of the Hungaroring is a cursed track for Ferrari. Except for the victory in 1989 with Nigel Mansell (on that occasion he started from P13), the team from Maranello, here, only experienced great bitterness, and also this time Michael Schumacher, after a good start and still safe as third behind Jaques Villeneuve and Damon Hill, had to retire with seven laps to go, giving up a podium that seemed to be his. So a wicked track for Ferrari, but exactly the opposite for Williams, which won six times out of the eleven editions of the race. The last, as we said, with Jacques Villeneuve: a victory that has brought to the English team the eight Constructors World Title. Now that the team took away the title from Benetton, they have the same number of titles as Ferrari, that alone held the record of World Championship victories. But with results obtained in much shorter times, given that the Maranello team is present since the 1950, while Frank Williams made his debut in the 1973, when it carried the name ‘Iso’, matching with the Italian Iso-Rivolta that built grand touring cars with powerful American engines. To get the trophy, for Williams a fifth place would have been enough, two points, even if Benetton had conquered the first and the second place. Enough to justify even a prudent tactic. Instead, no: full attack mode, without saving energy, to give a show. As Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill did until the last moment, fastest lap after fastest lap, engaging in a duel that was the dominant motive of the race. Admits the British manufacturer, speaking from his wheelchair, without hiding emotions:

 

"I’m very happy. For the team and for Renault. Eight titles are a lot. But it’s not the end: there is a long future ahead for Williams, I can assure you that, I live for that".

 

Then, Frank Williams says that the show offered by his driver was great, that there were no team orders, Hill and Villeneuve were free to race.

 

"About Damon, there’s no hurry to talk about the contract, we can even do it next year. Now we think about the Drivers’ title, then we will see". 

 

Cryptic words, which might sound also as a warning addressed to the thirty-five-year-old driver from London, beaten by his team-mate without any excuse, on a track that the Canadian had never seen before Thursday. At the end, the manufacturer also spends a word of comfort for Ferrari:

 

"They remain the second force of the season, I think that Schumacher is always more competitive and the car is getting better".

 

Diplomacy is never too much, in the long run it can be useful. And, in any case, if the rivals are strong, most of the merits are of who wins. Damon Hill appeared extremely sad and with sunken eyes, he lost the race at the start. He was in second place next to Michael Schumacher, he started bad - or too cautious - and was overtaken by the same Jacques Villeneuve and by Jean Alesi, who took advantage of the passage opened by the Ferrari of the German. Strange fact: the English - for a misunderstanding - had not been warned by his engineer that he had to do two pit stops and not three, as they had earlier decided. But this did not change the situation much. Behind Jean Alesi which was slower, Damon Hill lost, little by little, about twenty seconds. The time that prevented him from fighting for the victory. Useless, therefore, a nice overtaking on the Frenchman, struggling with a lapped car and arriving too along at the next corner, useless was also a fantastic chase that led him to break several times the lap record. Now, with an advantage of 17 points, ideally Hill could be calm, also because the next races should be particularly favourable to him, especially in two weeks in Spa, a circuit that, once again, his rival-mate does not know. But the Canadian does not seem to want to back down:

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"We all know what the defects of Hill are. He can’t stand the pressure on the race. If he is in the lead alone, away from the chasers, he is almost uncatchable and if he chases, he’s strong. But, since we have the same car, it won’t be easy to keep me behind. So yes, I had lots of fun here in Budapest and I believe that the end of the Championship will be very interesting, also for the fans".

 

Amazing performances on Saturday, the best time with over 0.6 seconds of advantage in the morning during the warm-up, then the disaster. Irvine soon out for another failure of the gearbox, Schumacher forced to retire, too, for a failure of the hydraulic system that blocked the throttle. For the first time the German, always very positive also in the most difficult moments, shows some signs of discouragement. The overall balance for the German, since he is in Ferrari, except for the victory in Spain under the rain, is very poor. Out of twelve races, he scored points only five times. And he cannot even complain because his team-mate, Eddie Irvine, did even worse. The Northern-Irish retired for the ninth time, the fifth in a row. Another disappointment for the team of Maranello, that hoped to have found reliability. The trip to the East, however, brought only two positive notes: the pole position, also obtained thanks to the characteristics of the slow circuit, and the start that, this time, was perfect, thanks to the changes made on the clutch. Apart from this, the race unveiled a series of problems. The breakage of the gearbox on the car of Irvine is the exact copy of what left him on foot only fifteen days ago, at Hockenheim. So, those who hoped to have found the right solution were wrong, the trouble is there and there remains. It is completely new, instead, the inconvenience that, seven laps to the end, stopped Schumacher, it is even difficult to understand. Basically, the control unit that controls the operation of the electronic gearbox went on tilt.

 

"I felt the first negative signals three laps before stopping. The accelerator had hardened and was almost stuck. To avoid an off-track at the entrance of some corners, I had to turn off the engine with the emergency button we have in the cockpit. Then I turned it back on. At some point, I got it wrong, and pushed the button that sends the gearbox in neutral. And the engine was silent".

 

 More frustrated than usual to have lost a third place at hand?

 

"Not much. I already said and repeated many times, I’ve never thought this year to fight for the title. And so, everything else just counts a little".

 

 Worried?

 

"I’d be more if we broke a suspension or a wing. From Canada onwards, we worked a lot on reliability, but a new problem showed up".

 

And in two weeks you are going to race in Spa, a difficult track. 

 

"It’s a circuit that I really like, the most challenging of the Championship, where I made my debut and some of my most beautiful races, winning a few. I hope that at least in the next race some problems can be avoided, and that the car is competitive. We don’t give up".

 

The F310 went strong in timed practice, but during the race it was not competitive.

 

"It’s true. Finally, I made a great start, and I’m glad for that. But in the end, however, I would have never gone further than third place. With fresh tires the car was doing well, but when they wore out it was hard to keep it on track. The Williams cars were also much faster because they did not wear out their tires. Unfortunately, once again, our car is too sensitive to the differences between a track and the other. And this makes it difficult to work to the set-up of the car. For example, during the test in Monza, we didn’t have any problem with the tires".

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From Wednesday 14tht to Friday 16th of August 1996, Michael Schumacher will be busy in Barcelona in a series of tests wanted by Goodyear, with the drivers of the Williams and Ligier, as well. At home, instead, Eddie Irvine will be busy practising in Fiorano. At the end of the race, the Northern-Irish driver is not sweaty:

 

"I race so poorly that I can’t get tired. Do you want to know how do I feel to not see the chequered flag on the finish line any more? Well, now I’m almost accustomed. And I have to say that the car was not so bad. Then I lost oil from the gearbox, the liquid ended up on the rear wheels and I did quite a spin".

 

So the Ferrari gets back to Maranello without having resolved their doubts. But that does not mean giving up. During the four races that remain, it will be seen something new on the F130, little changes that could be decisive. But they are working especially on the engine: the V10 for his setting features is an ugly beast, difficult to tame. The Maranello team has already made half of the work by making it powerful and competitive, it is now a matter of eliminating its defects, not least that of vibrations, which could be one of the main causes of so many misfortunes.

 

"It’s a negative period, that puts me and the team’s spirit in crisis. We must overcome it. I have to admit that this season is presenting more problems than what we were expecting. It’s difficult to find a logic reason. We improved in many sectors of the car, then some things happen, and we have to start again".

 

The Hungarian Grand Prix seems to have put an end to certain optimism, even if in Ferrari they hope they can win another race before the end of the Championship. There are four races left. And it could be everything at the reach of the F310 if there was not the question mark of reliability and above all this unbeatable Williams.

 

"With four pole positions and a victory in Spain, we are the only ones that gave Hill and Villeneuve headaches since the start of the championship".

 

We could have won in Monte Carlo, where Michael unfortunately ran off track during the first lap, but it is clear that the merits of the driver far outweigh his understandable mistakes. Being the best of the seconds (a data not even relieved by the rankings, since Ferrari risks the third place with the attack of McLaren, behind of a point, and Schumacher is threatened in fourth position by Häkkinen) is hardly of any use. The true problem is that the little consistency of the car not only disappears very easily, but also performs as an alternate current. In Germany, there was a general impression that to get to the finish, they decided not to push to the limit. Then there was also the revelation of Michael Schumacher, who said he cracked a rib a while back. So he was not in the best shape. But the most disturbing aspect, apart from the failures - as has been repeatedly explained due to the car being totally new (95% of the pieces), is represented by the performances at alternate current. Fast for a few laps, the F310 has become impossible to drive in most races. In Budapest, Schumacher obtained his best time during the second lap when he had fresh tires, but with enough fuel in the tank. After that, the tires were always in crisis, while Williams turned like a train on the tracks. Unbalanced aerodynamics, but also suspension arrangements that do not behave regularly. It seemed like those last changes with the high nose and the new configuration of the rear had solved part of the trouble. Instead, the rear continues to be light. Unfortunately, there is no certain medicine to cure Ferrari. Calling for radical changes in the team right now could be a deadly blow. The fans showed already so much patience, too much, maybe. But any heavy-handed intervention could mean losing the only certain values that are represented by Schumacher and the desire of the team to find the right path. At this point you can only wait, hope, remember that Ferrari had anticipated that it would be an adjustment season. 

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It is hard to accept, but there is no other option. In the meantime, while Williams celebrate the eight title and is about to conquer the Drivers’ title, too, a little controversy breaks out about Renault engines. Gerhard Berger, two times forced to retire because of the engine while he was in the head positions, warns:

 

"At the French company they have to work, otherwise next year we’ll be in trouble".

 

Strange: Renault also equips Williams, which is not bad at all. And yet, seeing the face of Jean Alesi, you understand everything. If the French is happy for an unexpected third place, for sure he is upset for a decision that was imposed by the team at his expenses. An episode occurred during lap 58, when the team told him to switch with Berger, who followed. To whom asks him how the overtaking happened, Jean replies:

 

"I don’t know, ask the team".

 

A type of orders, this, that the fiery driver of Sicilian origin never liked. Last year, when Jean Todt asked him to do the same thing (always with Berger…) Alesi became a fury. Apart from this, the French consolidated his third place on the rankings, which he does not mind. But certainly, he hoped for a much more brilliant season.

 

"Getting on the podium in Hungary, in a circuit that I hate, when at the start I didn’t think I had no hope for a placement, it’s a good result. But I hope that this is the last race on this track".

 

At the moment, we do not know if he will be heard, it seems that the race will happen again in the coming years, changing the day. The success in terms of attendance was big, well beyond the most optimistic predictions, with 160.000 visitors. Back to Alesi, the Briatore-cure did him good. Jean learned to drive even as an accountant, to collect as much as possible when he cannot fight for the top. Nonetheless, for him this is a coercion because he is a born lineman, who makes of heart and courage his best weapons. He always shows this with exceptional starts.

 

"And I hope I can still race as I want, with the foot always on the throttle and not on the brake".


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