The moment of truth has come, even for Formula 1. On Sunday at the Jacarepaguà circuit near Rio de Janeiro, the 1988 World Championship will begin with the Brazilian Grand Prix. Sixteen races to be contested, a long season under the banner of novelties, and the long-awaited challenge between cars with the 1500 cc turbo engine and those with the 3500 cc aspirated engine. But it will be the hot South American race that will unveil the cards after the winter trials, with results that are not always truthful and in any case in need of authentic verification as only the race can give. The regulations have changed. In summary let's say that supercharged single-seaters will have to use a maximum pressure of 2.5 bar, having only 150 liters of gasoline available (as opposed to 195 in 1987) and will have a minimum weight of 540 kilos. For other cars free fuel quantity, weight at 500 kilos, requirement to have control pedals behind the front wheel axle. Ferrari, which dominated winter testing especially in Rio, seems set to enjoy the favor of the odds. But the very last practice sessions held at Imola turned the tables. McLaren, already fast with the old car, unveiled a new weapon, the MP4/4, which was proved not only competitive but also reliable, traveling stronger than Ferrari both over the distance of a full race and on the lap, where it outdistanced the Maranello cars by about 2 hefty seconds. McLaren's testing has been so positive that Ron Dennis, manager of the British team, has vented a number of alarming predictions for Ferrari:
"Senna and Prost can win every race. We will not make tactics for this championship, we will just try to always finish first. That is our goal".
A rather challenging speech, evidently dictated by the conviction that they were strong, but also by very positive data at hand. Berger and Alboreto themselves, after all, have always maintained that they feared above all McLaren, considered a genuine anti-Ferrari. Says Michele Alboreto:
"The others are not very scary for us. Instead, I am convinced that Prost and Senna will have formidable cars at their disposal in all respects. Reason being, it will be difficult to beat them".
Ferrari and McLaren have set their sights on different programs. The Maranello team decided to keep the old car, with appropriate upgrades in mechanics, aerodynamics and engine. But the chassis is still the same, the one that had led to the two victories in Japan and Australia, the British team, on the other hand, has already upgraded, with a brand new chassis that takes into account the new requirements, that is, the pedal box behind the front wheel axle, a choice among other things, forced by the fact that it has switched from the Tag-Porsche engine to the Honda. At this point it seems that the challenge will live right in a head-to-head between Ferrari and McLaren, but the ambitions of others should not be forgotten. In the turbo field, we find World Champion, Nelson Piquet, driving the Lotus that was once Ayrton Senna's. The first tests did not satisfy the Brazilian driver, but knowing him, one would think that he will be able to fine-tune his car and thus insert himself into the battle. In the aspirated engine sector, Williams excels, which has been very strong in testing and, with Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese, has a homogeneous and compact lineup, capable of taking advantage of any favorable opportunities, at least on certain circuits where the turbos will be challenged by gasoline consumption. But surprises are likely to come in this field as well. There is no shortage of ambitious teams. Such is the case with the young Larrousse, which presents two new Lolas for Yannick Dalmas and Philippe Alliot. The French team that has an Italian sponsor - Elkron - and several backers from home - Bp, the Rhone-Poulenc chemical group that can help in scientific research for materials - could be one of those capable of planting a good tussle. In Rio De Janeiro, on the eve of the Brazilian Grand Prix, iI ritual is always the same: smiling and hopeful drivers in the pool, surrounded by wives, girlfriends and beautiful suitors, mechanics sweating on the track for the final touches to the cars. The Formula 1 World Championship kicks off with this almost beach vacation face, in the scorching and even lewd climate of the Brazilian summer. But behind appearances, it hides anxieties, fears, rivalries, tensions of all kinds. It was here about a month ago that the first controversy erupted during free practice.
A provocation started by Nelson Piquet, against Senna, accused, according to his compatriot, of being unmanly. The affair formally closed: the World Champion recanted and his rival withdrew the lawsuit. But there remained, unchanged, disagreements and enmities. However, the news of Ayrton Senna's alleged homosexuality has by now already gone around the world, so much so that even Brazilian homosexual organizations are making it known that they want to show up at the circuit with a large pink banner that reads:
"Ayrton we are with you against discrimination".
But the police promptly respond that such supports will not be allowed inside the racetrack. At Jacarepaguà, pressed by questions about allegations of homosexuality reported to Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet simply replied:
"But I just said it like that, as of a person who doesn't like dogs".
And it is always Ayrton Senna who is the center of attention, of every attack. It may be his air of superiority, his not always sympathetic manner, his undoubted driving skills as a very fast driver, but the young racer from São Paulo is always brought up. On Wednesday, March 30, 1988, it is Alain Prost who triggers the fuse. The Frenchman, annoyed by photographers, utters few words, but those few are all for his teammate. Asked for a prediction, Alain Prost replies dryly:
"My great opponent will be. Senna".
Not a word about Ferrari, about the duel that, at least according to the Rio tests, should animate the first race between McLaren and Mannello's team. Evidently Alain Prost is grappling with a difficult mate, one that troubles him, not least because as soon as he got into the brand new Mp 4/4 at Imola, Ayrton Senna was faster than him. This is a common evil of modern Formula 1: there is no friendship anymore, everyone thinks for himself. A situation that occurred back in the day, which has now become generalized. The battles between Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell are now part of history, just as one cannot hide the fact that not even between Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger there is a brotherly relationship, just as the coexistence between Riccardo Patrese and Nigel Mansell at Williams will not be easy. In the meantime, Alain Prost's protests against the extremely high number of competitors continue undaunted, forcing the Federation to have to organize pre-qualifications:
"Maybe we were better off when we were worse off. I mean a few years ago when the turbo had begun to crush all other engines you could hardly put together the minimum number of competitors. Formula 1 seemed destined to be reduced to a gaggle of four cats besotted with speed and danger. Now, however, here we are in over numbers thanks to the mass return of naturally aspirated engines. The confusion of thirty-one cars entered, the humiliation for many of disappearing from the scene before the race even starts, so many more dangers lurking at every corner. They wanted to make Formula 1 affordable again, and they succeeded, but I also think that many people have deluded themselves, there are too many people here who have no hope, who won't get anything done, who will only make chaos and confusion".
And, going back to Ayrton Senna, it must also be said that the Brazilian does not worry much about keeping good relations in the team, except with his own technicians and mechanics. The Brazilian is in Sao Paulo. Also asked by the local press about McLaren's chances in the Brazilian Grand Prix, he states:
"I have an outstanding car, I can win".
Ayrton Senna is careful not to say, we can win. Since Alain Prost has an identical car. On this rivalry they all play. Ron Dennis, team manager, replies:
"I care little, Prost or Senna, as long as it's a McLaren that comes first".
At Ferrari, after the impressive results of free practice at Imola, the dispute between the two drivers has become a handhold. Says Michele Alboreto, perhaps forgetting for a moment the Gerhard Berger problem:
"We hope that they will get in each other's way, that would already be an advantage for us. The new car goes like a thunderbolt, we can only hope that the human element will help us. At this point McLaren is favored, although a track test is still needed to check the reliability of the single-seater in conditions very different from those found at the Imola circuit".
The word, then, goes to the track, with the first round of qualifying. The only one who does not seem to worry much at the moment, despite the fact that his Lotus did not shine in its debut, is Nelson Piquet. Nelson is living a moment of glory: on Wednesday, the State Postal Service is issuing a 3.000 lira stamp to commemorate his exploits. And a stele is unveiled at the Jacarepaguà circuit to name the racetrack after him. Two victories in last season's finale, a series of tests resolved in a positive way over the winter. This is the ticket with which Scuderia Ferrari announces itself in Formula 1 World Championship number 39, which kicks off at the Jacarepaguà circuit with the first day of qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix. A Ferrari that continues to be the most prestigious team, holder of almost all records (it has lost only that of pole positions, detached by one statement from Lotus, which came in at 107), but in recent years has experienced moments of deep crisis, disappointing the expectations of its many fans. Will this be the season of redemption? Are the dark times over, for good? These are the questions of the eve, questions that we turn to Michele Alboreto, veteran of the team, heading into his fifth year at the court of Maranello:
"Let's say that, apart from 1985, when we started very well and got lost on the way, this is the first time we start with the right cards to aim for the title. We have worked well, at least to the best of our ability, we have a proven car that should avoid any negative surprises. That is everything. But unfortunately it does not depend only on us. In Formula 1, evolution is continuous, almost daily, so we can also be faced with the unexpected".
Is this setback called McLaren?
"The British team cannot be considered among the surprise factors. We know very well how they have been working for some time. However, there is to emphasize that the debut in Imola of the new MP4I4 was impressive. The single-seater went very strong right away".
Does this mean that for Sunday's race Prost and Senna will have an unbeatable vehicle at their disposal?
"No. We still have to see. Here for the moment we still went faster. Their car at most may have covered four to five hundred kilometers, we have covered thousands. Reliability problems may arise on the McLaren".
Alboreto goes no further. However, there are those who say that McLaren's new, smaller gearbox designed by engineer David North, with advice from Peter and Michelle Waismann, will be a weak point.
Malignants claim that in transmissions where the Wiesmann couple have had their hands, there have always been difficulties. But back to Alboreto, to his personal situation. There has been much talk about the game of couples in the various teams. Even at Ferrari this game is heavy.
"I hope Senna and Prost will create a lot of problems between them. Berger and I have already had clarifications, on the track and off. I come from a difficult season, but not as disastrous as some would like to make it seem. Among so many retirements, accidents, breakdowns, one should not forget that those few times they got to the finish line, it was always among the very first, if not on the podium. So I don't consider 1988 as a last resort. Gerhard is a driver who travels very strong, however, I do not feel inferior. At the end of the championship we will do the math, indeed we will take overall stock of five years of Ferrari. Now I feel good, I'm charged up, ready to fight".
What if any success for Ferrari should bear the signature of the Austrian driver?
"I answer honestly: better a world championship won by Berger with Ferrari than one by Prost with McLaren. I would like that, of course, but first of all comes the team; we race for the Maranello team".
Your team starts with a car designed at the time by Brunner and then updated by Harvey Postlethwaite. When will you have Barnard's?
"Granted that we are now convinced that the turbo is more competitive than the aspirated, I haven't seen John Barnard for months. And so I'm not in a position to make predictions. These are things that only Enzo Ferrari knows".
McLaren manager Ron Dennis had said after the brilliant results in the Imola trials:
"We can win every race in the World Championship".
Well, on Friday, April 1, 1988, those words find a possible confirmation in the first qualifying round of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna, with the new MP4/4, records the best time, 1'30"218, detaching quite clearly the usual, irreducible Nigel Mansell, first obviously of the drivers driving a car with a naturally aspirated engine. In third place, and this is the best news for the Italian colors, although it is not a surprise, as the value of the driver was already known, comes Alessandro Nannini in the Benetton-Ford. The Italian driver is faster than Alain Prost, who is struggling with some problems (his was the first spectacular off the track in the morning, with car against the guardrails but limited damage), but certainly with ample opportunity to recover in the second practice session. The Ferraris, disappointing for the moment, set only the sixth best time with Gerhard Berger and the seventh with Michele Alboreto, also preceded by the other Benetton of Thierry Boutsen. It is difficult to explain the pace of the Maranello team's cars, which had set the best time in mid-February on the same track turning in 1'28"8. The cars of Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger complain of a malfunction of the pop-off valve, the one that should limit turbine pressure to 2.5 bar. The Italian says he has never seen more than 2.3 bar, that he is so slow in both acceleration and top speed that he cannot overtake the less powerful single-seaters with a naturally aspirated engine even in a straight line. Scuderia Ferrari sports director Marco Piccinini explains:
"We can't figure out if the electronic wastegate control is inaccurate, or if it's really a malfunction of the pop-off. What is certain is that we are trying to get to the bottom of it".
It is surprising that Scuderia Ferrari after so many winter tests has been caught unprepared at the first test of truth, with a car that is now a year old and super-tested. While McLaren, which has redone everything, mounting among other things a new engine (it has switched from the Porsche to the Honda engine), immediately found the right way and a reliability that, at least in qualifying, is envious. However, the first indications for the race are quite interesting. It is not certain that the turbo cars have such an edge on this track that they can point to a certain victory. Williams and Benetton show that they are competitive, and should the weather remain at the same level - 39.9 °C in the shade - overturns of the odds are not excluded due to fuel consumption. For Ferrari, it seems, the start is already uphill. But the race should allow Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto to aim for at least decent placings. For the rest, there is no major news. The competitiveness of the March with Ivan Capelli and Mauricio Gugelmin is confirmed. In the shadows is Nelson Piquet, who, however, deserves an appeal as a crack occurs in the intake box on his Lotus and the pressure drops. Before the engineers can repair the fault, practice is already over. Meanwhile, the first elimination is recorded: Alex Caffi. But it was a given: he was racing an old Formula 3000. The Formula 1 World Championship kicks off under the banner of a series of challenges that will be the dominant motifs of the entire season. Turbo versus aspirated engines, Ayrton Senna versus everyone, Ferrari versus McLaren and Williams in the role of third wheel. It is precisely the British team that provides the first surprise in practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix. If on Saturday, April 2, 1988, Ayrton Senna does not fail to conquer the pole position, also marking first scratch in the morale of his teammate, Alain Prost, if Ferrari, in the grip since Friday of sudden problems with the valve that regulates the pressure of the turbines, partially disappoints, a formidable Nigel Mansell marks a second time that arouses sensation. It is true that the fairly slow Jacarepaguà circuit is among those that in theory should penalize atmospheric thrusters the least, but the Englishman, in spectacular form, performs a thrilling lap, almost overshadowing the best time obtained by Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian of McLaren scores a time of 1'28"096, turning at an average of 205.589 km/h.
Nigel Mansell, with a car that loses 30 km/h on the straightaway compared to the supercharged cars, set an incredible time of 1'28"632, preceding the turbocharged cars of Alain Prost, Gerhard Berger, Nelson Piquet and Michele Alboreto in the final standings. While Thierry Boutsen, in the Benetton, suffered a gap of 1.5 seconds. If Williams is therefore celebrating, as is McLaren, which presents an all-new car, the same cannot be said for Ferrari, which presented itself in Rio with credentials that turned out to be a tad exaggerated. Friday had been almost a disaster: on the Maranello cars the electronic turbo control system seemed to bicker with the popoff valve imposed by FISA, a valve that must limit the compressor pressure to 2.5 bar. The dismay of black days immediately descended on the Maranello team. No statements, strange maneuvers in the pits, whispers and shouts. A misunderstanding also occurs between Gerhard Berger and Harvey Postlethwaite, with the Austrian driver annoyed at a strange interpretation of one of his requests for aerodynamic tuning of the car. On Saturday, in the presence of Vittorio Ghidella, just passing through on business in Brazil, the situation improved slightly, although the result was, as the sporting director himself, Marco Piccinini, admitted, below expectations. Gerhard Berger took fourth place on the last lap and perhaps could even have done better if he had not found too much traffic on the track. Michele Alboreto, who had claimed all weekend that his engine was unprofitable, took sixth, but was quite annoyed and disappointed. In the end it is not even possible to know precisely whether the checks made with FISA technicians on the pop-off valve gave any indication, that is, whether the contraption is defective or whether the trouble is coming from the engine systems. On Sunday, however, there will be little time to think. The race, in Rio's hottest hour, looks like a roulette, where Ferrari could at least play the reliability card against rivals with cars that are too new. Alain Prost himself, although he set the third fastest time, encountered difficulties. On Friday he had ended up against a guardrail due to a too-fast corner exit. On Saturday his single-seater reported worrisome cracks in the chassis, where the front wing coupling is located, Williams could also face surprises. Riccardo Patrese, unlike Nigel Mansell, had two black days, with the car not staying on the road: constantly jumping the electronic control system of the active suspension. And the Italian driver's car's gearbox also did not work properly.
But one should not live on the misfortunes of others, not least because there are emerging forces in the rear that can give serious trouble. We're talking about the Benettons, also with Ford engine troubles, however, who had placed a splendid Alessandro Nannini in third place in the first round, then blocked by a powertrain failure and an electrical fault in the decisive second session. An excellent impression was also made by the March with Ivan Capelli, ninth, and Mauricio Gugelmin, thirteenth. Andrea De Cesaris also did well with the Rial, prepared by Brunner, a former Ferrari technician. A goal-like roar at the Maracana greeted Ayrton Senna as the Brazilian introduced himself to the crowd to receive his pole position award. Erased at once-but certainly not forgotten-the controversy with Nelson Piquet and the bitterness over certain sleazy insinuations about his private life. Intense joy on his face, no words for rivals. The Brazilian driver says:
"This McLaren was born very well. And it can still improve. Although struggling with small problems, we have shown that we are already superior to others. And we will be able to do even more. The MP4/4 will give a lot of satisfaction to the team, and also to me of course. I got this pole, the 17th of my career, with more serenity and less emotion than previous occasions. How nice to be on pole position at the circuit named after Piquet".
If the Brazilian is happy, even beaming appears Nigel Mansell:
"I shaved off my mustache, so I'm more aerodynamic, lighter and more powerful. Joking aside, I think I did the best lap of my career, risking everything. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the time".
And after receiving congratulations from Carlos Reutemann, the British driver blurts out:
"You see, a small handful of British mechanics also manage to hold their own against the Japanese Empire…".
A swipe at Honda, which wanted to leave Williams at the end of last season. Alain Prost did not seem worried about suffering the first chronometric checkmate from his teammate.
"It's okay, I had a lot of problems, even the frame flaking. We did things rather mo done things rather quickly. But the potential is huge, and I went out on track with the adjustments Senna chose because I hadn't had time to make them. Among other things, I'm still not settled well in the cockpit: the air lifts up my helmet and I'm having a terrible time keeping my head right".
A few words at Ferrari. One hopes, it is clear, in the race, for a reversal of the situation. But this was certainly not the departure that Gerhard Berger and especially Michele Alboreto desired. Explains the Italian driver:
"Let's hope we don't have the same difficulties as in practice. I didn't have top speed or even acceleration, so much so that I often couldn't pass cars that were theoretically much slower. I can't understand what happened".
And a question many are asking themselves. Meanwhile, a scandal of considerable proportions could erupt in the coming weeks in Formula 1. According to reliable reports from Rome, in fact, the Ministry of Finance, has opened an investigation into the activities of Italian sponsors. There is talk of inflated invoices: the accusation would be of illicit export of currency. In parallel, an investigation would also be opened into the tax position of the Italian pilots, almost all of whom live in Monte-Carlo.
The suspected financial mechanism (the rumor, after all, had been circulating in the environment for many years) would be to issue accounts with amounts significantly higher than those actually paid to the racing teams. This would have made it possible to have capital abroad and evade taxes by deducting the fictitious amount from financial statements. Fine weather is forecast for Sunday's race, despite a furious storm hit the circuit area on the night between Friday and Saturday. The grandstands for guests were destroyed, the buildings uncovered. The timing booth was also flooded, and the men from Olivetti and Longines had to work miracles to perform the service after overhauling all the delicate electronic equipment. On Sunday, April 3, 1988, the kisser strikes again, threatening to send Alain Prost into a crisis. It happens during the second start of the Grand Prix. The protagonist is J. Moura, nicknamed el beijoquelro, the kisser precisely, a character famous in Brazil for his constant attempts to subject stars of show business and sports to his effusions. Even Frank Sinatra is among his victims. On Sunday, Mr. Moura suddenly pops up on the track, running into the midst of cars that already had their engines running. He reaches Alain Prost's McLaren, leans over and kisses the helmet of the French driver, who is stunned by the unexpected appearance. Then, the kisser flees. Reached by the cops, he gets down on his knees and says:
"I wanted to kiss Senna, I got the wrong car".
Carried out with arms, he later reappears as a ghost in the press room, trying to perform his favorite action on the face of an Italian journalist. Again he is forcibly removed as he says:
"I love you all".
Turning to the record of the Brazilian Grand Prix, on the parade lap, the gear selector mechanism on Ayrton Senna's McLaren breaks, and the Brazilian is forced to complete the lap with the gearbox stuck in first gear. The first start is aborted, and Ayrton Senna gets out of his car, escapes to the pits, and gets into the spare car, despite instructions to the contrary from his chief mechanic Neil Trundle, and the regulations prohibiting it. At the second start, Alain Prost, with no one in front because of Ayrton Senna's absence, takes a good start and immediately distances Nigel Mansell, who at the end of the first lap is passed by Gerhard Berger. On lap 19, after running behind the Austrian driver's Ferrari, in the absence of fresh air, the temperature of the Williams' Judd engine rises and Nigel Mansell is forced to return to the pits to check for damage to the power unit. Already at the first aborted start Nigel Mansell had been forced off the track, fortunately without penalty, because of his Judd V8 that had already overheated standing still on the grid. The British driver ceded third place to Nelson Piquet. Meanwhile, Ayrton Senna is the author of a remarkable comeback from the back of the grid, climbing to twenty-first place at the end of the first lap, after nearly colliding with the March of his former roommate Maurício Gugelmin, who suffers a gearbox failure less than 50 meters from the start of his debut race and stops on the inside of the track as Ayrton Senna was exiting the pits. The Brazilian driver climbed to fifteenth place at the end of lap 4, then to eighth at the end of lap 10, entered the points zone at the end of lap 13, and on lap 20 even climbed to second after passing Nelson Piquet on the back straight. In previous years, due to the high power of the turbo engines, the Rio circuit had proven aggressive toward tires and drivers were forced to stop two or three times during the race to mount new tires. With the reduction of turbo boost in 1988, tire wear was reduced and McLaren provided only one stop for its drivers. Alain Prost pitted on lap 26 without losing the race lead, while Ayrton Senna pitted on lap 27. During the stop Ayrton Senna unintentionally shuts down the Honda engine. Therefore, the Brazilian loses several positions, dropping to sixth place. Later, on lap 31, the Brazilian driver is shown the black flag: Ayrton Senna is disqualified for changing cars after the green flag, an action that is not allowed. In the last ten laps of the race, Gerhard Berger comes within 10 seconds of race leader Alain Prost, but the Frenchman simply checks himself to make sure he finishes with the now lower fuel limit. Alain Prost wins the Brazilian Grand Prix, followed by Gerhard Berger, Nelson Piquet, Derek Warwick, Michele Alboreto and Satoru Nakajima. McLaren wins In Brazil the first Grand Prix of the 1988 World Championship, but with Alain Prost and not Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian, who had taken pole position, was disqualified for an irregular change of car.
Professor Prost and an extraordinarily effective McLaren-Honda extinguished the ambitions of the Scuderia Ferrari, which nevertheless returned to Mannello with a positive result: Gerhard Berger's second place and Michele Alboreto's fifth place were not to be underestimated. The Grand Prix confirms that the McLaren-Ferrari challenge looms as the dominant motif of the season. For now the British team laughs, and Ron Dennls, elated, fires off a heavy joke:
"I'm worried; now Ferrari is going to try to take away our designer Gordon Murray for $10.000.000".
One wonders whether in Rio Ferrari exceeded its current possibilities or whether it disappointed expectations, which were those of full success. For the first time the Maranello team admits to a state of engine inferiority. Saying this is Gerhard Berger:
"The car is fine, it's just lacking horsepower".
Piero Lardi Ferrari reiterates:
"We have a lot of work to do".
Scuderia Ferrari sports director Marco Piccinini whispers this:
"Positive result for what the powerplant can give. Considerable development of the 6-cylinder is needed".
The alarm over this lack of power had gone off on Friday in the first qualifying practice. The adoption of the FISA-imposed pop-off valve to limit the turbo pressure to 2.5 bar suddenly raised the problem. Some thought that the system was not working properly, but technicians realized that the so-called electronic engine mapping was not able to make the most of the already not high horsepower available. Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto complained of limited top speed, poor engine progression, and insufficient acceleration. And the valve was not entirely to blame. Ferrari's result was facilitated by the troubles that plagued Senna's race. Ayrton Senna recounts:
"When I tried to engage the gear at the start, I realized that the gear linkage was stuck. I raised my arms and the race was stopped. I wanted to run with my car and asked the mechanics to fix it, thinking that the whole starting procedure would be repeated, at least 15 minutes later. Instead, the starter restarted right away and I changed the single-seater".
The rules state that once the green flag is raised to begin the reconnaissance lap, the cars can no longer be substituted and that competitors in trouble must start at the rear, from the pits. McLaren made a mistake (Prost three years ago at Monza had been disqualified for the same reason) and put Senna in the reserve car. The Brazilian went on a fruitless chase, which ended on lap 31 when the stewards black-flagged him. His protests were legitimate:
"They made me take so many risks, couldn't they have made up their minds earlier?"
A gift to Alain Prost, who perhaps feared his teammate more than the Scuderia Ferrari drivers:
"The race was easy. This is the best McLaren I have ever driven. I had.problems in qualifying, away in the race everything was perfect. The tactic was to take a good lead and only change tires once. I also drove economically in the finale, so much I knew I could accelerate when I wanted to. Berger never worried me. We are strong".
Ferrari at the start of the race was losing about one second per lap. The engineers had determined to have Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto stop twice to change tires in order to increase speed A tactical choice dictated by performance, so much so that the Austrian also achieved the fastest lap. The Austrian driver said:
"I made no mistakes and pushed hard all the time, but I could not catch up with Prost. Second place was the most realistic goal to achieve. Not bad, but we need to do more and better. The mechanics were great, fantastic in the stops, the car is perfect as a setup, it lacks horsepower".
Low power was also the concern of Michele Alboreto, who was penalized even more than Gerhard Berger.
"Fifth place is better than nothing. But if we do a thorough analysis, I can say I am disappointed, also because I thought I would show up on the track much more competitive. It's time again to make a commitment".
Gerhard Berger had won the last two races of last season, and hoped to make it a resounding trio in Brazil. Instead, he had to settle for second place. The Austrian, at this point, is no longer hiding his ambitions. He wants to aim to win the World Championship, without waiting any longer. And to get to the goal, he also does not skimp on criticism of his own team. Everyone knows, after all, that Gerhard Berger, now considered among the most combative and fastest drivers, is already in demand by many teams. Bmw is courting him, hoping to have him in its ranks, next year when the German company, in all likelihood, will make its return to the Grand Prix world, with a car completely its own and no longer as a mere supplier of engines as it had done in past years. The Austrian driver speaks clearly, says what he thinks, in no uncertain terms: Ferrari must work on the engine, find the horsepower it needs to beat Honda and then McLaren. This is a technical field where the battle is fierce, where electronics and highly sophisticated materials are used, to solve a very difficult equation: having so much power with turbo pressure limited to 2.5 bar and gasoline consumption reduced to 150 liters per race. Suffice it to say that naturally aspirated engines, while having less horsepower, currently burn more fuel than supercharged engines. And the Japanese have invested heavily in this program, which sees them engaged on the engine front alone and thus focused on one area, while Ferrari builds virtually everything of the race cars. Gerhard Berger is asking for more power, and at Maranello all the specialists will be busy looking for it.
"I would like to get to Imola and be able to fight at least on par with McLaren. I'm not asking for more than that. If we want to aim for the title this is the only possible way".
The Austrian's lament is echoed by that of Michele Alboreto, who was forced into a supporting role in Brazil, even more in trouble than his teammate because of an engine that did not perform as it should.
"I was convinced that I would start the season brightly. Instead, I was forced, once again, to work miracles in order not to be overtaken by cars that should be much slower than mine. Fifth place can only be considered an encouragement, a demonstration of the car's achieved reliability. But it is not enough if you want to win. McLaren debuted a new single-seater and immediately took first place. And it could have been a one-two if Senna had not encountered so much trouble. In short, we have to make the decisive effort to take us to the top. I am willing for any sacrifice, to try night and day. But I also wish to see results".
At Ferrari these days not everything has gone smoothly. Disagreements have been noted between chassis makers and engine makers, some misunderstanding even between drivers and technicians.
It is clear that when in the winter you feed illusions, having to go back, reviewing ambitions, everything becomes more difficult. Over the next few days in Maranello, intensive work will be done on the engine, and from Tuesday, April 19 to Thursday, April 21, 1988, the team will test at Monza. The hope is to take immediate revenge at Imola. On a business trip to Belo Horizonte, Vittorio Ghidella, CEO of Fiat Auto and president of Ferrari, watched the race, trepidatious for the Maranello team.
"I am here mainly as a fan and I must say that I was emotionally involved in the race, which was conducted technically perfectly by our men We could not win, it took a stroke of luck even though the forces were quite balanced. Ferrari however started well. I think that over the course of the season we will see some good things".
What are the problems yet to be solved:
"The coexistence between the pop-off valve and the engine is still difficult. There will be a lot of work to do. However, the car is there, as indeed we expected. The result showed that the turbo choice was right. Aspirates lose an average of 2-3 seconds per lap, and I believe that until next year, when the new generation powerplants come out, there will be little room for those without superchargers, except at a few particular tracks where fuel consumption will be affected".
But can Ferrari aim to win the World Championship?
"Let's say he will be able to make a good impression. We also have two good drivers: Berger had a stupendous race and a good comeback even though it was facilitated by the fact that Prost was administering his lead well. Alboreto could also have taken fourth place if he had not had engine problems. But one can be satisfied. I repeat: it was a good start".
Turbo beats aspirated one to zero. The first technical question of the season has already been answered. Supercharged cars dominated in Brazil, relegating the atmospheric Ford of Thierry Boutsen's Benetton to seventh place. And, by the way, turbine-equipped powerplants also showed absolute reliability (no failures in eight single-seaters versus eight breakdowns in the rival field). Only nine cars were classified. Among the retirees, the first was Nigel Mansell, who was forced to stop after only 18 laps, while in third position, due to the failure of the engine of his Williams, that Judd which, as it happens, is basically a modified eight-cylinder Honda, derived from the one used in Formula 3000. The Englishman was supposed to be the carrier of the turbo-free drivers, but instead he ran out of gas.
"A pity, I had no luck. It's the third time in Brazil that it's gone wrong for me. Unfortunately, our engine has an overheating problem and we will have to solve it with deep work. When I got to the pits the temperatures were through the roof, the technicians tried to do something, but it was useless. I had no illusions of winning, but I could have had a good race, maybe finish in the points".
His teammate, Riccardo Patrese, was blocked for the same reason. The retirement of Nigel Mansell and the disqualification of Ayrton Senna, his great enemies, made Nelson Piquet's third place sweeter. The Brazilian never emerged in the race, but was rewarded by perfect tactics at the edge of Lotus' competitiveness.
"My top goal was to finish on the podium and I achieved it. The Brazilian Grand Prix showed that we have very dangerous opponents. I am not happy with this Lotus, we are too far behind. I saw that I could not fight with McLaren and Ferrari and I chose caution. To aim for the title it will be necessary to always finish among the top, so I am satisfied only with the result".
Infuriated, Andrea De Cesaris, author of the best lap time among the aspirated cars in Brunner's Rial, a former Ferrari designer, says:
"I could have achieved an outstanding finish for our ambitions. When I stopped to change tires, the mechanics messed up, mounting a wheel wrong. I had to do a slow-motion lap and the engine overheated. In any case, I have confidence for the future even though we should never throw away the opportunities that come our way".
Also very disappointed was Alessandro Nannini, who was the victim of a trivial failure: the accelerator pedal of his Benetton became enchanted and the Ford engine gave out immediately. The same mishap slowed Thierry Boutsen, who was leading a spectacular race among the leaders, forcing him to settle for seventh place. It is not certain that this result, which saw turbocharged engines outperforming aspirated engines, can be repeated at all circuits, but it is clear that the turbo's superiority in horsepower and performance already appears indisputable. The 1988 regulations would have wanted to create parity by bringing atmospherics up to 3500 cc with freedom in gasoline consumption, limiting supercharged 1500s to 2.5 bar pressure, with only 150 liters of fuel available. And the minimum weight of turbocharged cars is set at 540 pounds versus 500 pounds for the counterpart. All of these measures have been dwarfed by the vast possibilities that modern science offers in the field of supercharging. With the study of particular cylinder heads, pistons, Internal architectures, with electronics to optimize fuel consumption, with the adoption of heavy gasoline (a synthetic product with higher calorific value) the supremacy of the turbo was maintained. The only problem arose with the pop-off valve that limits pressure. Simply put, it is a cylinder with a diaphragm put between the turbos and the engine. The contraption vents when the boost pressure exceeds 2.5 bar. In reality, the valve, which is subjected to great stress and temperature changes, is sometimes inaccurate: it opens sooner and is erratic in its airflow input. Result: boredom for Ferrari, Lotus and Arrows. McLaren has reportedly adopted a special system that allows more continuous and regular use of the pop-off. The drawbacks, however, are under review and should be resolved. As far as the new cars are concerned, nothing revolutionary has been noticed, but a continuous refinement of details, both in aerodynamics and mechanics.
Williams is the only one to retain electronically controlled active suspension. The 1988 regulations, which required for single-seaters built this year (not the case for Ferrari, which uses the revised 1987 model), the placement of the control pedals behind the front wheel axle, made the cars longer and the front section narrower. In short, the snouts are even narrower and the cockpits cramped for the drivers, who have difficulty getting in and out. FISA, for safety reasons, has imposed a control test: the racer must exit the cockpit in less than 5 seconds, otherwise he cannot participate in the race. Some teams to solve the problem had to mount tiny steering wheels. At the forefront are electronics, both in car management and data collection. By now the pits are a thicket of antennas, laser instruments, and cables of sophisticated computers. Even when the cars are racing, batteries of printers emit dozens of meters of paper ribbons, with graphs and figures. Technicians know everything, even before the racer. It has already happened that a racer was called back to the pits before, that he realized that his engine. was failing. And it's not over yet: now fiber optics, special plastics in engine construction, automatic electronic gearboxes are coming. Gone is the time when with four tubes, an engine, a steering wheel and tires you could make a car. Speaking of engines, Lamborghini will introduce its own 12-cylinder naturally aspirated engine in April. The powerplant, designed by the team of engineer Mauro Forghieri, will be shown in a static version at the company's headquarters in Modena. It will run on the dyno in July and will be mounted on a car before the end of the season. Lamborghini already has a contract to supply such an engine to Lola and March.