Engineer Jean Claude Migeot, former head of aerodynamics at Ferrari, will move to Tyrrell from September. This was announced on Friday, July 29th, 1988, by the British team from its headquarters in the county of Surrey. The French designer, who is 35 years old, has worked for the Maranello team for three seasons, having started in Formula 1 with Renault. The right-hand man of Harvey Postlethwaite, Migeot, a wind-tunnel specialist, follows him to Tyrrell, where the designer will move on to direct the creation of the new cars. As was to be expected, after being appointed to another position, Migeot preferred to move away from John Barnard, with whom he had never gotten along. By a strange coincidence, both he, Postlethwaite and His made official notice of their decision to leave Ferrari on Friday. Since the divorce was almost a foregone conclusion, a couple of considerations come up. Tyrrell is looking for a major revival after a few troubled years of mediocre results. It is likely that the British team has found a competitive engine for 1989, otherwise one would not understand such a deployment of forces. Ken Tyrrell has always had backing from Ford, and so it is likely that the American company next year will provide him with the powerplant now exclusive to Benetton. A prestigious team, then, ready for a revival. The shift of the Postlethwaite-Migeot pairing to the British team could hint at a further turnover, with Michele Alboreto moving to Tyrrell. But this should be for the Italian driver a backup eventuality. In fact, it seems that Williams already obtained an option from this team last year and asked him until the end of the month to decide, after getting the approval of Renault, which has already imposed the French-speaking Belgian Thierry Boutsen. Michele Alboreto says he is thinking. It is clear, however, that he feels sorry for Riccardo Patrese, with whom he has a very good relationship, even one of friendship and esteem.
The drama consists of the fact that, beyond the contingent situation of rivalry, Riccardo Patrese and Michele Alboreto are great friends. So much so that next Tuesday they are supposed to go on vacation together, to Sardinia, with their families. The two, and this is the hallucinating side of the whole affair, talk to each other about everything but transfers. Not a hint, not a request for clarification. They discuss more and less, pretending nothing is going on. The compatriot may lose his job. However, it seems that Frank Williams himself, together with Bernie Ecclestone, a great admirer of Patrese, is working to secure Riccardo a suitable accommodation. Perhaps at Tyrrell. It is an intense eve for the Hungarian Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday, August 7th, 1988. While Ayrton Senna is preparing to attack Alain Prost to snatch from him the leadership of the Formula 1 World Championship, news arrives from England that is of interest to Italian fans: Michele Albereto, left free by Ferrari, which has hired Nigel Mansell in his place, would have signed in the last few hours for Williams. The news, not yet official, is, however, almost certain as it was divulged by a driver who, however, preferred to remain anonymous. For Alboreto this is an excellent opportunity as the British team will have the new ten-cylinder engine from Renault next year. Unfortunately, on the other hand, a difficult period opens for the blameless Riccardo Patrese, who will have to look for a suitable accommodation after Frank Williams himself had assured him a contract renewal, at least in words. On the championship front, which has reached its crucial stage, an interesting duel between the two McLaren drivers is on the horizon in the upcoming Budapest race. The Brazilian wants to beat his teammate to move to the top of the World Drivers' Championship standings. The auspicious opportunity will come at the tenth race of the World Championship. The slow and winding Magyar circuit lends itself to the characteristics of the South American, who already has a tactic ready, somewhat obvious and simple, but also easy to implement.
"The game is this: I absolutely must take the pole position. When I am in front at the start, I challenge Prost to overtake me. He is good, but on that track it will be an almost impossible feat, since we have identical cars".
The plan does not make a wrinkle. Not least because Ayrton has statistics, the numbers, on his side. So far out of nine races, he has been the fastest in qualifying seven times, beaten by Alain Prost only at Le Castellet and Gerhard Berger - and Michele Alboreto - at Silverstone. And the Frenchman himself admits that the situation for him has become critical, that the season continues uphill.
"Last year McLaren was not as superior to the other cars as it currently is. I had to fight against different opponents and it was also possible to set up tactical races, just to take points. Now only wins count, we fight each other for first and second place. And whoever comes in behind is defeated. On a psychological level it's terrible. It is no longer a car race, but a boxing match, a grueling head-to-head".
In this sense, one wonders, since the World Championship offers nothing else, in a climate of absolute supremacy of McLaren, how far the duel between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna will go. The Brazilian in his still short career never spared himself. He always raced to the limit, taking impossible risks even when driving inferior cars. Now that he drives a perfect car, he is pushing hard to break the Frenchman's resistance. The two esteem each other, they even manage to talk to each other, but the battle is fierce on the track and may well have further unpredictable developments. Everything depends on Alain Prost, on his ability to adapt. The two time World Champion has never backed down. If the Frenchman manages once again to transform himself, to become an attacker rather than a defender, perhaps he will prevail. But it will be an incredible fight, not only against his rival, but also and above all against himself. His eventual success will consecrate him as the best of all time. And the road to ultimate glory passes right through Budapest: another Ayrton Senna victory would mean a major blow for Alain Prost. For almost two years Formula One had passed unscathed through bad weather. Now there have been two races, the last ones, at Silverstone and Hockenheim under water, and a third one is on the horizon. There is indeed the threat of rain over the Hungarian Grand Prix, the tenth round of the World Championship. On Wednesday, 3rd August 1988, during the night, the area around the Hungarian capital is devastated by a furious downpour. Thursday 4th August 1988 the roads are wet at times during the day. And the forecast for the weekend is bad, also heralded by black clouds and a noticeable drop in temperature. The Brazilian, who has already been called the king of races in the rain (four races run, three victories and one second place), in an impromptu face-to-face with team-mate and rival Alain Prost, he is self-evident. The Brazilian, smiling, or rather showing his teeth, with an expression somewhere between enigmatic and pouting, says:
"Rain is the same for everyone".
So if he feels under pressure, given that in the Hungarian race he could join Prost at the top of the world championship standings or even overtake him if he wins and the Frenchman does not place second?
"Actually, I was much more so at the beginning of the season. There were, then, many unknowns to face. And I knew that in front of the two-time world champion, I would be tested. Now I won't say that I am relaxed, because that would be stupid, but I am much more relaxed. After all, I have nothing to lose".
That is also true. But we know very well that Ayrton Senna dreams day and night of the title. Above all to prove that he is the best. And the World Championship is an obligatory frieze to be won as pole positions, fastest laps and victories are not enough.
"The championship is still long, Prost always has arrows in his bow, as I have mine. Of course another win in Budapest would be good for me, because I would go six against four. And we all know, given the superiority of our McLarens, that in the end, if we can only add up to 11 results, it will be the first places that count heavily".
Alain Prost, at close quarters, nods. A strange friendship binds the two opponents. Perhaps it is just great esteem, respect for each other's abilities. Off the track, however, there seems to be a declaration of non-belligerence between the two. As if one is defending the other to prepare for the final result, so that the loser can one day say: a great champion beat me, the best. As a defensive tactic, it's not bad.
But the public would like relentless hatred better. Alain Prost says:
"It is clear. There are no tactics here. You have to finish first, the rest doesn't count. Let's hope that this malicious storm that has been following us for a month will go somewhere else. All I ask is to be able to race regularly. Budapest is not my favourite track, but under normal conditions there are no problems".
Faced with such a shameless ability to conceal feelings and situations, the naughty question emerges: but if you had to start over again, would you take Senna back in the team?
"Yes, of course. I mainly think about the interests of the team. And Ayrton was the best driver McLaren could hire".
And so, while the Hungarian Grand Prix also presents the usual scenario, with the predictable McLaren monologue and the family fight between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, the other drivers are fighting it out to take the last available places in the teams for next year. It is an underground battle of waiting, where sponsors often have the final say. Having closed the door of McLaren itself, which had previously taken care to reconfirm its champions, and closed that of Ferrari, where next to Gerhard Berger, Nigel Mansell has been recruited, the only really desirable steering wheel has remained that of Williams, for which Riccardo Patrese and Michele Alboreto are apparently in preference. Piquet should have stayed at Lotus when Michele Alboreto arrived on the scene, free of Ferrari commitments, and the situation precipitated. The English manufacturer has always had an excellent relationship with the Italian driver and in addition, Renault would have also given its approval for a racer who, for better or worse, is always in the top five of the World Championship standings. Hence the talk became nebulous. Riccardo Patrese, who had also been in charge of testing and development of the cars, was replaced: Williams, the other week, called in Englishman Martin Brundle, currently engaged in the endurance championship with Jaguar, to do some testing. An alarming sign for the Italian driver. Michele Alboreto says he is very sorry, but that he cannot do anything, that he is forced to wait for someone to call him. The Italian driver claims that he has not yet spoken to Williams, but radio-box takes the agreement for granted. There is also talk of Tyrrell, which has reinforced itself by taking former Ferrari technicians, Postlethwalte and Mlgeot, and of Lotus, since Patrese and Piquet had already been together at Brabham. On Friday, August 5th, 1988, at the end of the first day of practice split in two by rain, Alain Prost takes provisional pole position, followed by Alessandro Nannini, Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese. Ayrton Senna is fifth.
A turbocharged car, three aspirated cars, a turbocharged car. In the morning a lot of water falls on the circuit and there are numerous spins (at least fifty), while in the afternoon the track is perfectly dry only at the end. A finale that reserves a series of thrilling twists and turns. And to say that this time there were the prerequisites, at least for one day, to beat the impregnable British cars. Nigel Mansell was the fastest with the track flooded during the hour and a half of free testing, and when the stopwatches started running a few seconds from the end there were Alessandro Nannini and Nigel Mansell in the lead together with Riccardo Patrese. It was Alain Prost who put everyone in agreement, on the very last lap available. The Frenchman, having stopped on the track due to an electrical problem, takes the reserve car, which is, however, undrivable due to excessive understeer. Alain, however, manages to tune it up and, after risking a clamorous collision with his teammate, who moves to let him pass, but re-enters the trajectory too early, putting the wheels of his car between those of the Frenchman's car, he scores a time of 1'29"589 which takes him ahead of Alessandro Nannini and his Benetton by 0.190 seconds. Ayrton Senna complains about the traffic on the track, threatening to make up for it on Saturday, as pole position will be too important on a track where overtaking is prohibitive. But he may have to watch out for the unbridled Williams and Benetton drivers, although with the asphalt perfectly dry, the turbo engines will still have considerable advantages, at least in qualifying. Alessandro Nannini, however, proves his worth on a circuit where driving counts for a lot. And Nigel Mansell, despite coming back from an attack of measles transmitted by his son Leo, shows his skills as soon as the car becomes competitive again. Ferrari is in trouble. Problems with set-up, grip and traction.
It is clear that at this point the Maranello team thinks above all about next year, so much so that John Bernard is not present and will perhaps only arrive on Saturday, as he is busy with his aspirated engine car. Gerhard Berger, who was stuck on the track after a spin in the morning, asks for the reserve car that Michele Alboreto is using. So in order to fine-tune two cars, both drivers remain stationary for a long time. The Austrian eventually gets angry with the young engineer in charge of his car, Giorgio Ascanelli, who is perhaps guilty of having tried too many solutions all at once as he is, in essence, the team's technical manager in the absence of the English designer. A few words were exchanged in the pits, but honestly it is not known who may have been right. As mentioned, there were several incidents, fortunately without consequences. Ghinzani, after colliding with Nigel Mansell, ended up a few laps later against a guardrail, tearing two wheels off his Zakspeed. Piquet, struggling with a undriveable Lotus, was only 22nd. De Cesaris is not qualified for the moment: he was stopped four times on the track due to electrical problems. Quite a record. The Formula 1 bookmakers are agitated this time. After ten races dominated by the McLarens, for the first time since the start of the season they are receiving substantial bets on the cars with naturally aspirated engines, namely the Williams of Mansell and Patrese and the Benettons of Nannini and Boutsen. The characteristics of the circuit, very slow and winding, on which the Hungarian Grand Prix will be contested, in fact allow forbidden dreams to the drivers who until now have been relegated to the back positions. However, Alessandro Nannini with great honesty says:
"I do not have too many illusions, as the potential of the McLarens, together with the skill of Senna and Prost, is always enormous. Here, however, there are two factors that have to be taken into account. The track, even when it is dry, it is very slippery and could create unforeseen problems for those with too much power. In addition, there is always the sword of Damocles of fuel consumption because, given the very low average hourly rate planned for the race, we will be racing for two hours. We hang on to these hopes".
Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna are also cautious in their predictions. The Frenchman says:
"Our team is used to solving difficulties in a short time. That is why I believe that tomorrow in the race, whatever the starting positions, we will have very balanced cars, as always. However, the statistical factor has to be taken into account: so far everything has always gone well for us and we could also have a bad day. Yesterday at the start of practice I had a car that wasn't on the track. But I really believe that only if we have big troubles, it will make the way clear for our rivals: in this battle of words, faults in the road holding, difficult traction".
Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto have no illusions. On this slow and winding circuit, no one puts Ferrari in the predictions. In the first qualifying session, with Gerhard Berger seventh and Michele Alboreto eighth, the Maranello cars still showed those problems that had already appeared on the not-so-fast tracks: lack of grip, difficult traction. Unlikely to find valid solutions at the last minute, also taking into account the petrol consumption that in recent races has always slowed down the red Modenese cars. The one who seems to have regained the fighting spirit of last year is Nigel Mansell. The Englishman, who showed up in Hungary pale and emaciated, with a long beard, after having been ill for a week due to an attack of measles transmitted to him by his little son Leo, nevertheless managed to push hard.
"Without the active suspension our Williams are back to being competitive, well-balanced cars. From here to say that we will be able to attack the McLarens, it goes a long way. But, at least, I can assure you that if an opportunity to win arises, I won't let it slip away. I believe I am a driver capable of getting the most out of the car".
The whole of Formula 1, therefore, awaits the tenth round of the World Championship to see if anyone will be able to interrupt the positive series of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. But above all it is once again the two McLaren drivers who are the candidates for success.
The Brazilian has managed in the last two races, at Silverstone and Hockenheim, to overturn the odds in favour of his team mate, who is very good on fast circuits, helped also by the rain. Who knows whether the Frenchman, with a surprise stroke, might not be able to do the same on a track unanimously considered to be suited to Ayrton Senna's characteristics. In the meantime, the market for engineers and drivers could have sensational implications within a short time. Indeed, it seems that Lotus, in an attempt to relaunch itself after a disastrous season, has contacted engineer Steve Nichols, the McLaren designer who designed the current car, for next year. The latter might even accept the offer as he would not be very happy to be at the beck and call of Gordon Murray, who is in absolute charge of the British team that is dominating the season. March, too, under pressure from the Japanese (as the sponsor Leyton House), would have ambitious plans. It would like to field two teams, with different names, as the regulations do not allow more than two cars from the same manufacturer to be on the track. And it would have the supply of Toyota engines with Yamaha cylinder heads equipped with five valves per cylinder. Ivan Capelli and Mauricio Gugelmin would be confirmed in one team, and the Italian Paolo Barilla (son of the pasta industrialist) and the young Japanese driver Aguri Suzuka, the most promising racer from the Rising Sun, would be recruited for the other. The Austrian Gustav Brunner, already known to have been at Ferrari (he is the designer of the current turbocharged car), leaves Rial after a clamorous quarrel during free practice of the German Grand Prix with the German team owner, Schmidt. The Austrian designer switched to Zakspeed, and began working for the new team on Monday, August 8th, 1988.
This move puts Andrea De Cesaris, who is very close to Gustav Brunner, in a difficult position. The Italian driver has an offer from Zakspeed, but Scuderia Italia would also like him, where perhaps an old friend of his, the French Gerard Ducarouge, will end up. And in the meantime, Michele Alboreto continues to deny having defined his plans for 1989, although he admits contacts with Williams. But perhaps the British team has asked Michele to keep quiet until it has found an arrangement for the blameless Riccardo Patrese. Saturday, August 6th, 1988, between perestroika and glasnost, red no longer seemed to be so fashionable even in the East. Even in motor racing this blood-color, unfortunately, is in decline: the Hungarian Grand Prix sees Ferrari's classic red start far behind, with very little hope of achieving a result, not necessarily brilliant, but at least acceptable. On Saturday, in fact, the Maranello team records the most disastrous result in qualifying of the season and perhaps also for many years: Gerhard Berger is ninth, Michele Alboreto fifteenth. In perhaps one of the most difficult days for McLaren, saved only by a flicker from Ayrton Senna, Scuderia Ferrari almost hit rock bottom, six cars with naturally aspirated engines ahead of the Austrian, Alboreto trapped in the middle of the grid, preceded not only by the daring Dallara of Scuderia Italia driven by the talented Alex Caffi, but also by the Minardi of the Spaniard Luis Pérez-Sala. One can go through delicate periods, one can experience a contingent difficult moment, but such a negative result goes beyond even the most pessimistic predictions. There is, however, an explanation that comes from afar: the team's technical management is paying for years of mistakes, a lack of planning that has led the team and drivers to have a very limited car and engine at their disposal. Today's turbocharged Ferrari car is a single-seater that doesn't go well with corners. Wrong power delivery of the engine, difficult aerodynamic set-up, it is Michele Alboreto himself, in a natural and justified outburst, who makes the point with very harsh words, dictated by a deep bitterness:
"I'm fed up, I'm fed up with these poor figures. I was 3.5 seconds behind Senna and I assure you that it's not just my fault. I've been saying since December 1983 that you don't need power only at the top. But they never listened to me: 600 horsepower is good enough to look good in press releases, not to win races. And from now on, except in a few cases, we'll get worse and worse, like in Spain and Portugal at circuits similar to this one".
And Gerhard Berger, with a smile on his face, lays it on thick:
"It's incredible, we are fighting with small teams, born yesterday. My car was like a bar of soap. In the race, however, Ferrari can also win, if Nigel Mansell finishes first".
Two disappointed drivers; and how can you not be? The Austrian, by dint of risking to set a barely decent time, spins out and returns to the pit lane in Mansell's Williams. The Italian, after having struggled for a long time with a crackling engine and draws its last breath in the final minutes, rushes into the reserve car. With the engine cold, the clutch sticks and Michele Alboreto remains stationary before going out onto the track. In short, it was an authentic disaster, with the engineers, including John Barnard, running around in intricate attempts to turn the cars around to find competitiveness. But the Maranello cars do not go beyond the best straight-line speeds, which are really useless in Budapest. Fortunately, the other Italian drivers put on a show, taking three places in the top six, behind the best, namely in order Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Thierry Boutsen. Fourth was Ivan Capelli in the March, fifth Alessandro Nannini in the Benetton, and sixth Riccardo Patrese in the Williams, a small consolation to which was the tenth place of Alex Caffi, driving a perfectly balanced Dallara. In the course of practice there was a close fight between Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell with several reversals of the front. The Englishman is very competitive, and could even have set the best time if he wasn't a little unlucky, not having found a clean lap. But if in the end the Brazilian prevails (pole position number 24, like Nelson Piquet and Niki Lauda, behind Juan Manuel Fanglo with 28 and Jim Clark first at 33) this time the naturally aspirated cars could also provide the first big surprise of the season, thanks to Williams, March and Benetton. Also because Professor Prost, blocked by traffic on the track, will only start in seventh place and has already lost part of the challenge to his teammate, barring any bravura outburst. McLaren is still favourite but will have to win tenth with more difficulty than usual. There are many ways to set a fast lap in qualifying. Ayrton Senna, for example, has a secret: he leaves nothing to chance. Over the radio he lets himself know how many cars are on the track, if his opponents improve their times, where there is a gap between one car and the next so that there are no obstacles, that is slower cars. In addition, there is his natural talent for overcoming even the limits of the car.
"It's a training I did in Formula 3 in England at the beginning of my career. Back then there were many of us on the track, a swarm of cars, and there was only a quarter of an hour available. If you didn't go fast right away and find the right lap you risked not qualifying. That's how I learnt to be a perfectionist".
But there are also those who give themselves over to improvisation and hit the target. This is the case of Stefano Modena who, with his Eurobrun, was out with just a few minutes to go. The young Italian driver's engine was overheating, he had broken the nose and hit a stone halfway down the track. He stormed back into the pits and demanded that they remove his engine cover to let it cool down. And he returned to the winding track, unleashed in a feat that no one thought possible at that point. A breathtaking lap and by 0.3 seconds he excluded his team-mate, Oscar Larrauri, from the starting grid. The latter, in the morning, had been the protagonist of a sensational incident. A misunderstanding with Yannick Dalmas. The Frenchman arrived in his Lola, tried to pass on the inside and the Argentine's Eurobrun closed the door, touching the other car with a wheel. Dalmas took off: two authentic laps over his rival's car and capsizing on the grass. Car destroyed, driver unharmed. A miracle. On Sunday, August 7th, 1988, at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix Ayrton Senna is good at keeping his first position, despite an immediate attack by the unrestrained Nigel Mansell. Alain Prost, on the other hand, gets off to a bad start, slipping from seventh to ninth position, overtaken by Mauricio Gugelmin's March and the very good Gerhard Berger who takes advantage of an uncertainty of Ivan Capelli who was in front. In the back of the field Luis Pérez-Sala collides with Yannick Dalmas, immediately falling behind, while Nelson Piquet crashes into the Minardi of Pierluigi Martini, who was having trouble braking, and Philippe Streiff hits the Lotus of Satoru Nakajlma. The two Lotus drivers remain in the race, but with damaged cars (the Brazilian is forced to stop in the pits to change his wing), the Italian's Minardi is damaged enough to force the driver to retire, and the Frenchman's Ags loses a wheel. Nor did Ivan Capelli's race last long. He was unlucky, as the petrol pump of his March jammed, putting the engine out of action.
It was thought that Ayrton Senna would start his solo carousel. Instead, the Williams, Benetton and Ferrari drivers manage to keep pace with the Brazilian McLaren driver. From the group, meanwhile, emerges Alain Prost who manages to pass, in order, Gerhard Berger and Alessandro Nannini. The Austrian and the Tuscan also performed a double overtaking move at the end of the straight, very similar to the one the two McLaren drivers would later take part in. Alessandro Nannini manages to get past, but shortly afterwards is forced to retire due to an engine failure after losing water from the cooling system. Earlier, however, the fans witnessed a great maneuver by Nigel Mansell on lap 11: the Englishman approached Ayrton Senna's McLaren and attempted a thrilling overtaking move. Coming out of his slipstream, however, his car becomes aerodynamically unbalanced, tumbles over the kerb, hits the bottom and ends up in a double spin at full speed, which by a miracle does not result in a serious accident, with the following cars engaged in desperate braking to avoid hitting it. Nigel Mansell loses two positions, then stops in the pits to change his tires. The Briton attempts a recovery, but when he is in fifth position his body, debilitated by the illness of the past few days, gives up to fatigue forcing him to abandon the race at the end of lap 60. Riccardo Patrese was also forced to slow down due to his engine losing power and had to settle for sixth place overall. During lap 42, Michele Alboreto, who had started fifteenth and finished eighth, also retires. On the Italian driver's car, a sensor that controls the engine timing fails. From this moment on, the duel between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost begins. Immediately after passing Thierry Boutsen, the Frenchman reaches his teammate and attempts to overtake.
But the maneuver does not succeed and the Brazilian, playing skillfully with the overtaking and without trying to force too much, wins the Hungarian Grand Prix, beating his teammate to the finish line. Behind the two McLarens Thierry Boutsen crossed the line in third place, followed by Gerhard Berger, Mauricio Gugelmin and Riccardo Patrese. Ferrari, after the disastrous qualifying, went even better than expected. And according to the Austrian, the car was perfect. But, once again, consumption problems weighed on its performance. Gerhard Berger might not have been able to attack the McLarens, but he certainly would have been able to animate the race even more, had he not been restricted in his action by the very computer that warned him that he could not maintain a high pace. The McLaren-Honda armada continues its victorious march. Ten races, as many victories, the Anglo-Japanese team, despite everything and everyone, seems to be on its way to a resounding en plein, never achieved by anyone, winning all the races of the season. And in fact, if in the Hungarian Grand Prix, on a track that has relaunched the aspirated engine cars, no one managed to take advantage of this opportunity, it is hard to see who, in the tests that still remain to be contested, will be able to interrupt this impressive positive series. In addition to travelling fast, the two red and white cars are demonstrating incredible reliability. A robustness that the various Benettons, Williams and so on do not have, always blocked in the decisive moments by various troubles, as well as the Ferraris, still slowed down by fuel consumption, at least as far as Gerhard Berger is concerned, fourth at the finish line, behind Thierry Boutsen. After the race, during television interviews, talking about the attempted overtaking of Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna says:
"We are teammates and I couldn't close the door on him. I saw that he was faster because he had taken the slipstream of two cars, mine and Tarquini's Coloni, which was behind me. Then he went wide in the corner and I was able to pass him again".
While Alain Prost admits to being mocked:
"I was surprised by Ayrton. He decelerated a lot, I thought he would resist me more. So I accelerated to the maximum and went long, ending up in the dirty part of the track off the line. The car partially spun and it was easy for Ayrton, unfortunately. Afterwards it was too difficult to catch him. Also because my car had vibrations at one wheel and was no longer well balanced".
Ayrton Senna is not an easy character. He is always in a hurry, it is difficult to interview him. The Brazilian comes into the press room, after the TV linkups, sits down at the table and remains for a moment in suspense, while the journalists crowd around, not yet ready for questions. The Brazilian gets up and leaves, saying:
"If no one has anything to ask me, I'll leave because I have to catch a plane".
Then he leaves, leaving everyone stunned, pursued by a group of his compatriots. They stop him on the stairs, and the Brazilian gives a few minutes. Then he shoves away a fan who offers a pen and paper for an autograph. At that instant he is joined by the reporter of an Italian sports daily:
"Ayrton, stop".
But Senna replies:
"You weren't in the press room, what do you want now?"
The Italian journalist replies:
"An interview".
The Brazilian replies:
"No, I have to leave".
And insults fly. Then Senna tries to hit the journalist, who is held back, however, by the Brazilians and others present. Almost a scuffle. Certainly not the best way to end a triumphant day.
It is, however, a very eventful post-race for several protagonists. Michele Alboreto leaves before the end, but finds time to say:
"The car was going well, but I was stopped by a similar problem to the one I had in the past few days and also this morning in the warm-up".
In fact, the Italian driver raced in the spare car, Berger's. But why had the gearbox gears been changed on his car and the Austrian's?
"I didn't get it".
A few hours earlier, Michele Alboreto had appeared very demoralized. He had said:
"Fortunately, there are six days to go before dawn. If the race goes badly, I hope to retire immediately".
The interpretation of these words raises the usual argument, the hypothesis that the two Ferrari drivers have different materials at their disposal. As for the six days to dawn joke, the Italian is probably referring to the six races that remain to be run or to the forthcoming long-awaited announcement of his 1989 move to Williams. In any case, Scuderia Ferrari's sporting director, Marco Piccinini, categorically denies that the two drivers will be treated differently. And on the subject of Michele Alboreto's transfer to Williams, comes Riccardo Patrese's reply, saying:
"I am satisfied with this result. I want to see if they will now have the courage to say thank you and give me the sack".
Gerhard Berger, on the other hand, is quite satisfied:
"My car was very good. I have to thank Giorgio Ascanelli who helped me to set it up after the difficulties of the past few days. I could have kept the pace of the best, but there wasn't enough fuel, the problem is always in the engine, which is very powerful but also thirsty for fuel. Too bad, it could have been a good race and I only finished fourth".
Ferrari unites and divides. On Friday, many flags with the Maranello team logo were still flying in the stands at the Hungaroring. A feat, a victory, was enough to unleash new enthusiasm. As mentioned, Gerhard Berger finished fourth behind Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Thierry Boutsen in the Hungarian Grand Prix. And Michele Alboreto had to retire eliminated by the failure of a very small piece of metal, a sensor placed on the crankshaft that gives very important electronic signals to the six-cylinder turbo. But even Gerhard Berger is not singing at the end of the race for a result that was, all things considered, unexpected, after the very poor qualifying practice. Referring to the now chronic difficulty of making the 150 litres of fuel available suffice, the Austrian says:
"Good chassis, good engine, the consumption was disastrous".
It's the usual story. Is it possible that there are no improvements in sight, that we have to wait for John Barnard's V12-engined car, or at any rate the car that will come out of Maranello? Dr Pier Giorgio Cappelli, head of sports management, does not give much hope:
"The engine is what it is in its structure, you can't change it now. We are working on it, you can sacrifice a little power in favour of driveability. But there are honestly no big margins. And then every time we make a leap, the others make a real leap".
A merciless but honest analysis. Like the one, perhaps biased but certainly not malicious, of Harvey Postlethwaite who made his debut as Tyrrell's chief designer on Friday.
"Seven years and ten days at Ferrari. A period that I will never forget, an experience that was in any case positive. I chose Tyrrell because I couldn't continue doing Formula 1 in Italy, for obvious reasons. However, I left behind many friends and, I hope, good relationships. Now I have a clear programme, we have to bring a prestigious team back to the top. We are 60, maybe we will get reinforcements. Migeot came to us on the phone an hour later, saying that he had resigned from Ferrari".
By the way, did you expect such a bad performance, especially in the Budapest test?
"No. According to my calculations, the Maranello cars should have been fine here. Last year we had started our comeback at this track and had managed to get the engine and chassis right".
You went away leaving the idea of an anti-Barnard car. Will you build this car?
"No, because I am working on an eight-cylinder engine, not a 12-cylinder engine like in Maranello".
What did you find different at Tyrrell?
"Total absence of politics. Everyone here just wants to make racing cars. Besides, I'm in charge here, I'm in a better position. There is no room, as there was at Ferrari, for passengers. We all have to sweat to defend our seats. Well, I can say that in these years at Maranello, I have felt a lack. That of a manager, perhaps an English manager...".
What do you think of John Barnard's car?
"It looks like a clean car to me, there are some new things. It could also be good, but it would have to have a gearbox that works, because the electronically controlled one is difficult to fine tune".
According to you, since you have got to know the environment well from the inside, what’s in Ferrari's future?
"I don't know in depth the men who are running the team now. My impression is that they are working for the future, that they are trying to rebuild the team from the ground up. But it is a difficult and long commitment, I believe that Ferrari will be strong again, the strongest, not before 1991".
If you had to choose two drivers, who would you take?
"Senna and Prost, it's obvious. Or Senna and Berger. No, maybe together this pair could not work, it would take Prost and Berger. The Austrian has few faults, he's very fast, but he needs to have a good technician by his side, one who can help him make certain choices".
A great driver, then, the Austrian, but without the typical sensitivity of a test driver. Postlethwaite goes no further. But some conclusions can be drawn from his words. In his opinion, Ferrari in recent years has not had a team capable of fully exploiting its potential, while internal disagreements have contributed to increasing confusion. And so, Scuderia Ferrari gives Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna the chance to make a spectacle of themselves on television. The two were always on excellent terms. But the Frenchman has by now understood that if he wants to win the World Championship he will have to work miracles:
"I said it was very fast. The only thing that consoles me is that theoretically I could have won. But I got caught up in qualifying and on this track starting behind means using up too much energy to recover and above all putting the car to the test. At the end I had vibrations in one wheel and it was just impossible to do any more. What can I say? I absolutely must finish first on August 28th, at Francorchamps. A track I like a lot. But I think Ayrton likes it too".
Ayrton Senna da Silva already knew at the end of the 1970s, when he left Brazil for Europe, that one day he would fight for the title of Formula One World Champion. It was not just a dream of his, but a real awareness, almost a need, which took root in his innermost being, parallel to the successes of Emerson Fittipaldi, his first idol. And since then, his entire career has been marked by the achievement of this goal. The participation - and the victories - in the world kart championship, with a long apprenticeship period in Italy, the perfectioning in the difficult English Formula 3 championships and a series of important successes allowed him to make a name for himself, very young, already laden with glory and records, preceded by the fame of a very fast, determined, combative driver. The Brazilian, born in Sao Paulo on March 21st, 1960, had a very wealthy family behind him that paved the way for him, at least at the beginning, allowing him to tackle the expensive business without financial problems. Among other things, his father owned a farm so large that he had to use a small plane for travel. But Ayrton Senna never let his extraction weigh him down. On the contrary, he lived the initial experience with great humility in order to learn everything there was to learn and to understand every aspect of the racing car, making the camper his home and spending many hours together with the mechanics. His fussiness and perfectionism, on and off the track, are almost legendary. He is so precise that he seems boring: with the same meticulousness he folds a pair of trousers and chooses the gear ratios of his car. Nobody like him turns the tires over and over before mounting them on the car, as if he could discover their secret flaws. He was considered an unfair driver, after quarrels with so many colleagues, from Nigel Mansell to Michele Alboreto. He came to McLaren like a schoolboy. One more mistake, the collision with a guardrail that caused him to miss Monte-Carlo. Then a series of successes, the seven consecutive pole positions, the sixth victory, the top of the classification with Alain Prost, incredulous and amazed. But the most beautiful things Ayrton Senna did in the race: first he humiliated Nigel Mansell, who ended up in a very dangerous spin in a futile attempt to overtake him, then the mockery against his team-mate. Two satisfactions that could constitute the entire legacy of an already good driver. But Senna is already projected towards the future, already thinking about the next race, in Belgium. And, further on, to the rainbow helmet, a goal now at hand. But watch out for Alain Prost, who before leaving the circuit, says:
"I overcame more difficult moments. I knew and know very well how fast and skillful Senna is. But just yesterday, on the day of his defeat and his third consecutive victory, I realized that I can still overtake him, be better than him. It's true, he mocked me in my overtaking attempt, he was clever, he let me go knowing that then I would be in trouble. He played me like a rookie. However, I realized that when everything goes well, even on tracks that are not my favourite, I can go fast. At the end of the day if you make the difference, considering that I started from seventh position, and given the small margin he had at the finish, I was the best".