#415 1985 Netherlands Grand Prix

As has been said recently, based solely on the numbers, Michele Alboreto and Ferrari have no chance of overtaking Alain Prost and McLaren in the fight for the Formula 1 world title. The Frenchman has won every other race this year. It's hard to imagine that he won't win at least half of the next six races. But will there really be six races, considering the last round is scheduled in South Africa? The Federation should make an immediate decision to avoid controversy at the last moment. The winning pairing will either have a resounding collapse or Ferrari will manage to turn things around. Fortunately, however, motorsport is subject to the rule of the imponderable. You can have the best car, get pole position, be the fastest in the race, and stay in the lead until the last lap, only to lose a race you had already won because of a puncture 300 meters from the finish line, for example. Therefore, with both drivers now tied on points (50), Michele Alboreto can still hope to beat his direct opponent. It's a difficult but not impossible feat. Outsiders will play an important role, tipping the scales for or against the two title contenders. In Austria, Ayrton Senna took second place behind Alain Prost, unintentionally taking two points away from Michele Alboreto. Prost complained that Lotus, Brabham, and Williams, who are usually strong in qualifying, became much less dangerous during the race, which allowed Ferrari to limit the damage on several occasions. The downside is the unreliability of the Maranello cars. In ten races, there were only two retirements due to mechanical failure and two due to accidents (Johansson alone). McLaren, on the other hand, had two off-the-track incidents and one disqualification (Prost) out of twenty participations, as well as eight retirements (all by Lauda).

This is not a fact to be underestimated. Ferrari's biggest problems arose in qualifying, often forcing Alboreto and Johansson to make miraculous recoveries. The Maranello team should work in this direction. It is now clear that the difficulties encountered during practice are due to the car-engine complex. A lot of aerodynamic pressure is required to achieve good grip, so a lot of horsepower is needed from the engine. Using it to the maximum risks breakage. This does not happen during the race, especially on slow circuits, where Ferrari's six-cylinder engine's extraordinary acceleration gets the better of its opponents. If the Maranello team can solve this problem in the few days they have left before the next race, Alboreto will have a better chance of competing with Prost on equal terms. Sand dunes, a steel-colored sea, and a sun that comes and goes, alternately hot and cold. The setting for the Dutch Grand Prix is the same as always. Although the reception for the circus is little more than lukewarm in every sense of the word—there is an air of crisis in these parts, perhaps because the best tickets are expensive—there is an air of great tension in the Formula 1 circle. On Sunday, August 25, 1985, the world title will be decided, and it has essentially become a competition between Alain Prost and Michele Alboreto, and between McLaren and Ferrari. Any challenge could be decisive. Furthermore, we are in the final stages of the drivers' market, at least for the top spots. On Thursday, August 22, 1985, McLaren officially announced the hiring of Keke Rosberg for the following year. The news had already become public, so it was better to come clean now and dispel any lingering suspicions.

"After four seasons at Williams, I'm moving to McLaren with a world title behind me. I have new motivation and I'm joining another very competitive team. But don't think I'm willing to hand over any gifts in the remaining races. If opportunities arise, I will take them without hesitation. First, I like to win. Second, I am a professional, and I am tied to Williams and its interests until the last day".

In other news, while we wait for the first round of timed practice to determine the cars' performance, Andrea De Cesaris will be on the track. The Italian driver, who was released by Guy Ligier, will be on the track. At the last minute, the Ligier people reconsidered and set him up with a single-seater with no backup car. However, there is trouble ahead. The French manufacturer sent a letter to the Italian driver. Ligier is informing De Cesaris that, as compensation for the damage he caused to the team in the spectacular Zeltweg accident, he will be fined. They will take money away from him. De Cesaris does not stand by the joke:

"I may have made a mistake, but I certainly didn't fly through the air for my own pleasure. I'm doing this race because they asked me to, but after that, I'm leaving them".

There is an explanation for his intransigent attitude. Andrea De Cesaris will drive the Brabham at the Italian Grand Prix, which would leave Marc Surer free. Why would Bernie Ecclestone's team make such a move? It's simple. Having lost Nelson Piquet to Williams, there aren't many top drivers left. It's better to secure a driver right away who, all things considered, has the reputation of being one of the fastest.

Of course, the risk is considerable on both sides - the Brabham is not an easy car to drive at the moment - but in Formula 1, whoever stops is lost. There are many rumors, some of which concern Ferrari. Many names have been mentioned around the Maranello team in the past and present, both possible and impossible, from Ayrton Senna to Andrea De Cesaris himself. On Thursday, however, Piero Lardi Ferrari said:

"We are happy with our own".

He speaks highly of Stefan Johansson, who is not yet performing at his best in practice but is excellent in the race. There is a lot of concentration inside the Maranello team. At Fiorano, work is being done during the August holiday season, and some technical innovations are being prepared. One interesting innovation will be tested at Zandvoort, and others will be tested at Monza on Wednesday and Thursday, August 28 and 29, 1985. At Zandvoort, a wing is visible under the fairing chute at the lower rear of the car. This aerodynamic solution is intended to increase the depression under the Maranello single-seaters and create a ground effect similar to what Toleman found with its triplane wing. In short, everything is being done to put Michele Alboreto in a position to compete with Alain Prost on equal terms. This circuit is said to favor Ferrari; Alain Prost won here last year, ahead of his teammate Niki Lauda. The Italian driver retired due to engine problems, and René Arnoux finished 13th, five laps behind, due to electrical problems.

The tradition is positive but needs to be confirmed. On Friday, August 23, 1985, Nelson Piquet's Brabham set a new circuit record of 1'11"074 at an average speed of 215.370 km/h. McLaren performed well, with the Frenchman finishing third (behind Keke Rosberg). After the first day of practice for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, all the top teams, with thirteen drivers under the old limit, are more or less at the top of the rankings. Only Ferrari was absent. Unfortunately, the Maranello team is in one of the most serious crises in recent years. This is a real blow to their ambitions of winning the world title. Anything could happen in the race, and the balance could be restored, as has happened on other occasions. However, reality indicates an abysmal gap between the Maranello team's cars and their closest rivals. Michele Alboreto is in sixteenth place, 2.651 seconds behind Nelson Piquet. Stefan Johansson is in seventeenth place. It was a dramatic day for the Maranello team. The cars were not fast during free practice and were even slower during qualifying. Apart from the fact that Alboreto broke an engine immediately, it's clear that the drivers are in trouble. Road holding, grip, and traction appear insufficient. The powerplant is by no means at fault: both in the morning and in the afternoon, the two Ferraris recorded the highest top speed at the finish line - 309 km/h for Johansson and 329 km/h for Alboreto. So what? Alboreto assesses the situation in a way that leaves little room for optimism. Immediately after presumably speaking with Enzo Ferrari on the phone, the Italian driver said:

"I am ready for a second washout. This is a minor crisis, but a major disaster. I thought I would do much better at Zandvoort. This result calls into question all the talk we've had about how adaptable the different cars are to the circuits we'll race on in the next races. In short, we can no longer talk about winning the title".

What caused this meltdown?

"McLaren has progressed, as have the others. Not only in suspension, but also in engines. Our powertrain and top speeds are very good, but that's not enough. The car jumps too much, and that doesn't depend on the track. With only one day left, I don't think we'll be able to improve enough to avoid starting with a serious handicap. Maybe we paid the price for not testing in Holland a month ago, like many other teams did. But we were busy in Imola solving other problems".

Antonio Tomaini, Ferrari's on-track technical manager, offered this explanation:

"We lose a lot in the corners; that's the truth. We have four chronometric surveys that show us that. Now, we're trying to compile the data to see if we can find a solution, even a partial one".

Ferrari's setback makes Alain Prost even more confident. The Frenchman does not seem worried about being ahead of Nelson Piquet and Keke Rosberg for now.

"We can't put too much pressure on the turbos in practice, but I'm optimistic for the race, as long as we take all the necessary precautions".

In fact, he has a point. Piquet in the Brabham is not a big danger in race trim (the Brazilian driver also broke an engine at the end of practice), Williams has not seemed very reliable lately, and Niki Lauda is not very competitive on this circuit. So far, Ayrton Senna, Teo Fabi, and Patrick Tambay (in order, behind the top three) have made much smoke and little fire. In short, the scales are tipped toward McLaren. Yesterday, meanwhile, we saw how this track has become dangerous with the increase in power. Braking at Tarzan Corner with cars ending the straight at 340 km/h is deadly. The lap average has increased by about 8 km/h since last year. What was once considered a medium-slow circuit is now fast, which may explain some of Ferrari's difficulties. During the first few laps, Nelson Piquet went off the track (no damage), and then Derek Warwick crashed violently into Riccardo Patrese, losing a front wheel. The competition will be even tighter on Friday. Aside from Ferrari's sudden failure, two topics are on the agenda for Friday, August 23, 1985: First: First, Ayrton Senna and his incredible performance, and second, the drivers' market. Andrea De Cesaris is particularly implicated in a strange case. But let's go in order. The Brazilian Lotus driver performed a stoic, courageous, and foolish act that could have endangered many lives if everything had not gone smoothly by some miracle. While testing the circuit, a turbine on Senna's car breaks down. Senna stopped at the side of the track in the Hugenholz corner as high flames rose from the thruster. He waits a few moments for firefighters or service workers to put out the fire.

When Senna realizes that no one is coming, he squeezes through an exit of the circuit. Risking running over people trying to stop him at the barriers and crossing the inner roads of the circuit, he rushes to the paddocks (behind the pits) with the fire still burning. He jumps to the ground, and this time, the fire extinguishers are put into action before the flames can spread to areas containing gasoline or other incendiary materials that could trigger explosions or disastrous fires. The stewards then summon Ayrton Senna, who, according to the rules, could have been excluded from the race for this incident, as stopping outside the track fences is prohibited. However, given that help did not arrive quickly and that the driver entered the paddock to save the car, he is only fined $5,000. Now, on to the case involving Andrea De Cesaris. The Italian driver is in real danger of being sidelined. His move to Brabham for the next race, which seemed certain, now seems unlikely. BMW has reportedly objected to Marc Surer's replacement, reasoning that the British team's Italian sponsors, Pirelli and Olivetti, have been forced to maintain a positive relationship with them, while reserving the right to intervene next year in favor of the same driver or possibly Andrea De Angelis or Riccardo Patrese. Either Brabham will field a third car, which is unlikely because advance notice is required, or De Cesaris may be without a car this time since he has fallen out with Guy Ligier.

However, it must be said that the French team does not know who to replace him with, reasoning that everything could remain as it is. Speaking of market drivers. We are almost in the realm of science fiction now. We hear a lot of wild fantasies. There's everything from Ayrton Senna and Gérard Ducarouge at Ferrari (given the crisis in Maranello) to Nelson Piquet, who is still free to decide (although he should be at Williams), to events that are almost unbelievable. There is also room for jokes, such as the $5,000,000 that Beatrice offered Lauda to change his mind about quitting racing. Clearly, someone is interested in spreading certain news to create smokescreens and provoke interest from sponsors. This is why Bernie Ecclestone would like to delay announcing Nelson Piquet's move to Williams for as long as possible. What is certain is that Ferrari will have a hard time at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Maranello cars seem artificially burdened by negative performances. They carry the burden of a lack of competitiveness, evidenced by a disadvantage of nearly three seconds per lap compared to the best. This gap was not closed in the second practice session due to rain. Therefore, the starting grid always sees Nelson Piquet with his Brabham in pole position. This is the Brazilian's 18th pole position and his second on Pirelli tires this season. He is ahead of Keke Rosberg, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Teo Fabi, and Patrick Tambay. Michele Alboreto is on the eighth row with the 16th time and Stefan Johansson is in ninth. You cannot ask the Italian driver to perform miracles with a car that is not up to the task. On other occasions, Alboreto has had to start from far back due to circumstances beyond his control. Now, there are no excuses; the 156/85 has clearly shown its limitations. If there is a positive outcome, it will be due to the driver's dedication, luck, the engine's quality, other people's troubles, or the reliability that has been the Maranello team's most effective weapon until now. On Saturday, Alain Prost tested the two single-seaters at his disposal; they perform well on wet and dry tracks. McLaren mechanics spent part of the day polishing the cars while Prost, extremely confident and calm, joked about Ferrari's situation:

"I feel sorry for them. I'm really worried".

Michele Alboreto remained in the motorhome, calmly analyzing the situation, though certainly not in high spirits.

"It's one thing to be a span away from McLaren and another to be 100 meters away. Unfortunately, we have fallen behind. Theoretically, we have no hope here. We have to think about the future and try to make up for it in the next races." We had made a test program: I will be at Brands Hatch and Johansson will be at Monza. However, it has been changed. I will go to the Monza racetrack on Wednesday and Thursday to test all the new equipment we have prepared. This is our last hope. Either we recover immediately, or there's no point in continuing to talk about fighting for the title".

The suspension will be new. Both the front and rear suspensions will be changed. It has been established that this is a sore point for Ferrari. On rough roads, cars jump around. Instead of cushioning blows, the suspension multiplies them, causing the car to pitch. Thus, Ferraris also break down aerodynamically, losing trim. Chronometric measurements were taken at a corner in Zandvoort. Alboreto passed in 7.4 seconds, Johansson in 7.6 seconds, and the slower Alfa Romeos in 6.9 seconds. 0.5 seconds faster over a short distance. At the exit of Slotemaker Bocht, another corner, the Toleman, McLaren, and Williams cars are, on average, 20 km/h faster. The suspension is under scrutiny, partly because it does not allow the tires to perform optimally. Starting on the eighth row is an objective difficulty for Michele Alboreto. There are 91 meters between Nelson Piquet and the Italian driver, which, at an average speed of 200 km/h, could be covered in 1.6 seconds. Assuming the car becomes more competitive in race trim, Michele Alboreto will have to battle Piercarlo Ghinzani, Gerhard Berger, Jacques Laffite, and Derek Warwick before he sees the tail end of Elio De Angelis's Lotus in 11th position. There is also the danger of rain, although the forecast is not bad. If the track were wet, the situation would be worse. Predictions are difficult to make. Everyone from Ayrton Senna to Nelson Piquet and from Keke Rosberg to Teo Fabi could win, but Alain Prost is the number one candidate. Niki Lauda does not stand much of a chance.

He's starting in tenth place. The track doesn't excite him, especially if the race is held in the rain. He doesn't seem to have the grit he showed at Zeltweg.

"I don't consider myself beaten at the start, but it will be difficult. Prost is in great shape and has a seemingly unbridgeable lead".

Having spent four years at Ferrari, where he won two of his three world titles, the Austrian is perhaps the best driver to speak consciously about the Maranello team's current crisis.

"For Ferrari, there is little to be done. The car doesn't run well. The engine is good; it consumes less fuel than ours. But the grip is poor. In my opinion, the problem is not just the suspension, but also the aerodynamics. Not the external one that you can see, but the internal one, the hidden one. McLaren is a masterpiece in this field. When aerodynamics matter a lot, like at Zeltweg, we're unbeatable. Here, it's less important, but we're still competitive".

How do you explain Ferrari's step backward?

"I can only guess. I think there are too many people involved in decision-making. Teamwork is fine, but there should only be one person making decisions. In terms of the technical setup of the cars, of course".

Do you think the Maranello team will be able to overcome these difficulties?

"I believe so. But it may be too late to win the World Championship".

Here's the latest driver-market news: It appears that Andrea De Cesaris may indeed race at Monza with Brabham, but the announcement will not be made until next week. There are also rumors that Ecclestone's team is interested in the Ducarouge-Senna pair, who have a symbiotic contract with Lotus. If the French engineer leaves, the South American driver could be freed up as well. On Sunday, August 25, 1985, Patrick Tambay went off the track at Tarzan during the warm-up, destroying the front end of his car. The reserve car has engine problems, forcing the Frenchman to start from the pit lane. At the start of the Dutch Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet and Thierry Boutsen remain stationary on the grid. The other drivers manage to avoid contact, and the race continues smoothly. Keke Rosberg takes the lead at the first corner, followed by Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Teo Fabi. Behind Fabi comes Niki Lauda, who started in tenth position. On the first lap, Fabi passes Prost. Both Boutsen and Piquet managed to start; the Brazilian was also helped by the marshals after being stationary on the grid for about a minute. On the second lap, Prost retakes third place from Fabi. Pierluigi Martini goes off the track at high speed at one of the chicanes. His single-seater is destroyed, but he is unharmed. On the same lap, both Alfa Romeos abandon the race due to turbo failure. On the fifth lap, Fabi is forced to give up fourth place to Lauda. Meanwhile, Michele Alboreto rises from the rear, passing Marc Surer and placing ninth. Patrick Tambay, who started from the pits, also makes an extraordinary comeback; after ten laps, he is in thirteenth place. On lap ten, Rosberg has a 2.5-second lead over Senna, who is under pressure from Prost. Lauda is more than five seconds behind the race leader. Fabi is in fifth place, battling with Mansell, Warwick, and De Angelis. The two McLarens pass Senna on lap 14 and close in on race leader Rosberg. On lap 18, Elio De Angelis was forced to return to the pits due to a puncture in his left front tire. The Italian driver returned to the track in fourteenth position. Meanwhile, Senna unsuccessfully attacks Lauda while Fabi notices a problem with his rear tire, which seems not to be fixed properly.

The Toleman driver must return to the pits for a check. Rosberg's race ends on lap 20 when his Williams engine explodes. Alain Prost takes the lead of the race, with Ayrton Senna behind him instead of Niki Lauda, who has returned to the pits for a tire change. Behind Senna is Derek Warwick, followed by Patrick Tambay in the other Renault and Nigel Mansell. Michele Alboreto and Marc Surer follow. Tambay's race ends on lap 23 due to a transmission failure. During the same lap, Alboreto surpassed Mansell, putting him in fourth place. The Briton waits one more lap to stop at the pits and change tires. Senna waits until lap 27 to switch to soft tires. Senna returned to the track in sixth position, just ahead of Lauda. The Austrian took advantage of his warmer tires to pass Senna on the outside of the Tarzan corner. At the same time, Alboreto passes Warwick and moves up to second place. Warwick is also forced out of the race on lap 27 due to a gearbox problem. On the same lap, Lauda passes Surer. After 31 laps, Prost is in first place with a 24.7-second lead over Alboreto and a lead of almost 29 seconds over Lauda. He is followed by Senna, who has just passed Surer. Alboreto stopped in the pits to change tires on lap 30 and returned to the track in seventh place. However, on lap 31, the Italian driver was forced to give up his position to Nigel Mansell. Shortly afterwards, Prost also returned to the pits. The long stop of 18 seconds for the tire change cost him first place. The Frenchman re-entered the track in third place behind Senna. On lap 37, Marc Surer relinquished fourth position to Elio De Angelis due to a turbocharging problem. Three laps later, Surer also lets Michele Alboreto pass him. Meanwhile, Nigel Mansell was forced to make a second pit stop to change tires. On lap 45, De Angelis gave up fourth place to Alboreto. After pressuring Senna for a few laps, Prost passes him on the straight after taking his slipstream at the last corner. Also on lap 48, Mansell passed Surer. With twenty laps to go, Niki Lauda had a lead of more than eight seconds over Alain Prost, fourteen seconds over Ayrton Senna, nearly thirty-nine seconds over Michele Alboreto, and forty-four seconds over Elio De Angelis. At this point, Prost attempts to catch up to his teammate by increasing the turbo pressure on his car. The Frenchman reduces the gap to five seconds at the end of lap 54 and to less than three at the end of lap 60.

Prost takes advantage of Lauda's lapping difficulties, first with Nelson Piquet and then with Elio de Angelis. Prost tries to pass Lauda on lap 68 at the Marlboro chicane, but Lauda defends his position. Alboreto also tries to pass Senna on the final lap, lightly rear-ending him, but he does not succeed. Niki Lauda wins the Austrian Grand Prix, followed by Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. Michele Alboreto finishes fourth, followed by Elio De Angelis and Nigel Mansell. Lauda, Prost, and McLaren honored motorsports and Formula 1, a world where business interests often prevail over sporting ones, in the best way possible. Although their rivalry could have been risky and benefited Alboreto, Lauda and Prost put on a show until the end without playing team games. Niki Lauda won, beating Alain Prost by 0.232 seconds at the finish line. This victory marks the Austrian driver's 25th win in Formula 1, putting him within two victories of the all-time record holder, Scotsman Jackie Stewart. Lauda now has a chance to catch up to or surpass Stewart before his retirement at the end of the season. With his second-place finish, Prost passed Alboreto by three points in the World Drivers' Championship standings. This was a minimal but significant advantage, given the difficult circumstances the Italian faced. The result exceeded expectations for Ferrari, as practice sessions in recent days had revealed challenges for the Maranello team. However, during the race, Alboreto and his car consistently performed second only to the McLaren. The race was beautiful and emotional, full of duels and animated, at least in the beginning, not only by McLaren, but also by Williams and Lotus. On the podium, Niki Lauda and Alain Prost shook hands. There were only compliments and smiles for them. They acted like two old friends, though just moments before, they had been battling each other on the track, perhaps even jeopardizing the team's success. Lauda and Prost showed no acrimony about what had happened. In fact, their extremely sportsmanlike conduct elicits a round of applause from the sparse audience. Niki Lauda doesn't say much. But one can see his happiness in his eyes. After crossing the finish line, the Austrian driver banged his fist on the car body several times, as if to say…

"I did it".

This is his explanation for what happened in the race.

"Maybe I should have changed tires six or seven laps later. But I wanted to gain an advantage over my rivals with an early change. That was probably the right move. Then again, maybe that caused my difficulties in the finale. Of course, in the last laps, I wasn't taking it easy; I gave it my all. My tires were more deteriorated than Prost's, and I struggled to contain him. However, during the final head-to-head laps, I remained calm. I knew he would catch up to me but not pass me".

Was it hard?

"It was so hard. Having Prost behind you is dangerous for everyone. He is a true champion".

How many more races do you expect to win before the end of the season?

"All of them. Goodbye".

"But won't you give your teammate a helping hand?

"Only in the last race. I have a contract with McLaren until the end of the season, but I haven't committed to working for the team. I only race for myself. I was also told that I helped Alboreto. That is absolutely not true; I only sought victory".

Prost also seems particularly serene, as if he has freed himself from a burden.

"I wanted to start with four harder tires, but I let myself be talked into it. Maybe I made a mistake. From the point of view of sportsmanship and team serenity, Niki's victory is important. It's better that Lauda was able to find his victory. We agreed not to do each other any favors. In fact, I didn't expect anything from him".

What do you think of Alboreto's fourth-place finish?

"Good for me. It was important to put it behind me before the Monza race. I hope there are no excesses at that track. The Italian fans don't want to accept that we're faster than Ferrari, so they boo me. But Michele is also in danger of being jeered. Anyone who drives a Ferrari and isn't competitive certainly won't please the Monza fans".

Do you think the World Championship victory is in the bag now?

"Definitely not. Ferrari has some problems with the suspension; that has been seen. If they don't solve them, they're in big trouble. We can still win at Monza; free practice has shown that. In theory, the Maranello team could only beat us in the Australian Grand Prix, on a track that no one knows. By then, in November, I hope to have already won the title and be on vacation in Adelaide".

Should the last race in South Africa not be held?

The sixteenth race of the championship is scheduled in Kyalami. I consider myself a worker. If the race is organized, we will go there.

There was no celebration at Ferrari for Michele Alboreto's fourth-place finish, and there was some regret over Stefan Johansson's retirement, which compromised the Constructors' World Championship standings. However, the Maranello team is still five points ahead of McLaren. Sporting director Marco Piccinini says laconically:

"The ranking of the Dutch Grand Prix reflects the overall values seen on the track".

Michele Alboreto, who was loudly supported by many fans and received a long round of applause, is serene and calm, but also certainly disappointed.

"It was a very tiring race. We did our best. Getting some points was important, but I don't know if I'll need them. Fourth place overall is better than could be expected after practice. However, I am not happy because I could have at least passed Senna. If I hadn't run into him on the last lap, I definitely would have passed him a few minutes earlier. We touched; I hit the rear of his Lotus, which broke the nose of my car. He wouldn't let me pass and was zigzagging. This is certainly not the way to behave".

What was the most critical moment of this race?

"Definitely the start. Once again, a car stopped, and we all risked a pileup. Fortunately, it went well. The best moment, however, was when I changed tires. With the new tires, the car was performing really well. We still have to catch up with McLaren because they are clearly ahead of us".

What about the World Championship?

"I don't even think about it. It's best left alone. I will do everything I can to counter Prost's march, but it will be difficult. As I said before, this week's tests at the Monza circuit on Wednesday and Thursday are very important. We will test some new suspensions and hopefully figure out which direction to work in to try to close the gap with McLaren. Unfortunately, we were unable to take full advantage of the favorable moments at the beginning of the season, and now we are behind the British team again".

Did Niki Lauda do Prost a favor by beating him?

"I think Niki raced as he always has throughout his career. I am convinced that he did not want to do me a favor. However, he indirectly helped me by taking points away from his teammate".

Stuck with engine failure from the start, Stefan Johansson could not do much for the team or Michele Alboreto.

"It's a shame because I was really counting on a positive result. We suffered a lot in the past few days, but the car improved in the morning during testing, thanks to the work on the shock absorbers and the aerodynamics. I'm not saying we could have beaten McLaren, but putting both of us behind Prost and Lauda was possible. For me, it's been a mixed season. I was fortunate to join Ferrari, but I haven't had much luck with the results. Now, we're going to Monza, and I hope to win the hearts of the Italian fans with a good race".

Renault's announcement that they will withdraw at the end of the season does not come as a surprise to Formula 1. Numerous warnings in recent days predicted such a decision. There is tension in the team and embarrassment among the management. The French team has not confirmed its drivers, Tambay and Warwick, nor sought others. Everyone is commenting negatively on the affair; it's obvious that the renunciation of a major car company takes prestige away from the World Championship. However, it seems that the French company's place may be replaced by the imminent arrival of other major names: Ford, which has been a Beatrice engine supplier since 1986 (and later to other teams as well); Toyota; and Porsche, which may make its own car within a couple of seasons. While Renault is the topic of the day, the fight for the world title, the beautiful race of Prost and Lauda, and the crisis of Ferrari—mitigated only partially by Alboreto's fourth place—are always at the center of the comments. The Maranello team is not hiding their difficulties, even though some are content with Maranello cars always being behind the English team. However, the difficulties they have encountered, especially during qualifying, have prompted a series of interventions to overcome the disadvantage. The Italian driver, who was supposed to go to Brands Hatch, will now go to Monza, where the car will be thoroughly analyzed. Meanwhile, the Swede will test in England.

"If we don't find a solution soon, we're finished. In Monza, I will try a new suspension. Hopefully, it will help us regain competitiveness. McLaren has improved since the beginning of the championship, but we have not. We have a lot of work to do in the hope that we are going in the right direction".

But what is wrong with the 156/85? The Ferrari is the car that has finished the most races so far. It has finished seventeen out of twenty-two. McLaren, for example, has only finished twelve times, but with better results (only Lauda retired in seven races). There should be no consumption problems. Apart from the Imola episode, which was caused by a supercharger failure, Ferrari has always finished races with plenty of gasoline in the tanks. However, we need to see how much power is being used. The engine is certainly one of the best: elastic, progressive, and with unparalleled acceleration. However, the Maranello team does not have qualifying thrusters, so they struggle in time trials. This would also cause certain unexpected breakdowns. The drivers say the chassis is neither outstanding nor bad. It is rigid, strong, and safe. However, it is difficult to modify at this point. The front section of the aerodynamics is good, but the rear section is problematic. Cooling radiators and heat exchangers is a problem for all teams, but McLaren and Toleman have solved the problem better than anyone else. Therefore, the suspension is under indictment. On undulating tracks, such as Zeltweg and Zandvoort, the suspension breaks down the cars. Instead of absorbing and making good use of the tires, the suspension sends drivers into crisis and causes the tires to deteriorate abnormally. They will be changed at Monza, both in the rear and front. If the revised calculations are correct, the 156/95 should improve its performance, putting Alboreto back in a position to compete with Prost. Prost now has a three-point lead in the standings.