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On Friday, April 26, 1985, more than 2.000 spectators braved the fury of sudden bad weather and spent the whole day on the grandstands of the Imola circuit, waiting to see the new products presented by the Maranello team (in a series of free practice sessions also attended by Renault and Ligier). Cold and rain didn't make these irreducible fans give up, as they left in the first shadows of the evening without being heard. In the absence of Michele Alboreto, the Ferrari fans had to be content with seeing the new driver Stefan Johansson do his first laps on the circuit where the San Marino Grand Prix, third round of the World Championship, was held on Sunday, May 5, 1985. Much applause and only a few boos greeted the Swede as he entered the track. Those who expected a demonstration in favor of René Arnoux, who was very popular here, were disappointed. Once again, proof that Ferrari is the only thing that counts in the hearts of the fans, and that the driver is just a supplement that can be added or removed at any time. The warm welcome does not surprise Stefan Johansson, who is nevertheless impressed by the interest shown:
"It is extraordinary, it seems to be in the stadium for a football match. They told me I'd be the center of attention, but I didn't think Formula One would have such a big following. However, I'm used to certain events because until three years ago I played football as a striker for a second-division team in my country".
Stefan Johansson completed about forty laps on a wet track, setting the best time of the day in 1'50"79 (1'51"20 for Tambay and 1'53"55 for De Cesaris). At the end, under pressure, he talks about the present and the future.
"I have not been with Ferrari long enough to make any judgements. But I am convinced that there is potential to win the championship this year. And I think Michele Alboreto is capable of fighting for the title. I will do everything to help him, without losing sight of my own goal, which is to try to win some races".
Alfa Romeo should also be running on Saturday morning with Riccardo Pairese (the van carrying the car broke down and arrived at the circuit towed by an emergency vehicle). The debut of the Minardi is also expected, driven by Pierluigi Martini, with the turbo engine developed by engineer Carlo Chili. The Italian team's single-seater was ready, but it was decided to postpone the debut for one day. On Thursday, May 2, 1985, on the eve of the San Marino Grand Prix, the city of Imola is crowded, surrounded by the colorful legions of fans. Romagna offers a show within a show in anticipation of this third race of the Formula 1 World Championship. It is impossible to find a ticket for one of the 25.000 seats in the grandstands, even if you pay double the price. And even the vouchers that give you access to the vast meadows surrounding the circuit are becoming increasingly scarce. An event that presents itself with ample guarantees of an uncertain fight at a high level, a series of truly exciting cross-challenges, is the sign of interest. Thousands of spectators were present on Wednesday just to witness the arrival of the drivers and cars in the pits. And obviously, almost everyone in the Ferrari area, eagerly awaited, watched with awe and almost religious silence. The three cars for Alboreto and Johansson were unloaded and secured. They are the traditional cars already seen in Brazil and Portugal, with some adaptations for this circuit and a new front wing, arrow-shaped instead of rectangular. Michele Alboreto, leader of the World Championship, has been explicit these days:
"We are working hard because if we want to keep this position, we have to try to win. You can't think about fighting for the title just with finishes. But in my opinion, the McLarens are still the cars to beat".
His team-mate, Stefan Johansson, has bonded with the team. He likes the people, the support of the Italians and, for the moment, the pressure that surrounds him doesn't scare him:
"I am an apprentice, but at Ferrari there is the possibility to learn early".
It is clear that the Swede feels the responsibility of his position and, above all, the obligation to make René Arnoux forget. But he doesn't talk about it. His challenge is precisely not to make him regret the Frenchman who has just left Maranello. But if Ferrari is in the obligatory role of protagonist (a role that the men of the Modena team would prefer not to have), the underdogs always go to McLaren. Prost and Lauda have already forgotten the misfortunes of Estoril and want an immediate revenge linked to a recovery in the standings. The configuration of the Imola circuit forces the cars to use a lot of fuel. For this reason, last year McLaren with Prost dominated by far, while many other competitors were not even able to finish the race, because they ran out of gas. It will be interesting to see if their opponents have closed the gap that separated them from the two single-seaters with Tag-Porsche engines. Elio De Angelis puts Lotus in the role of the underdog and Senna also seems cautious. But neither of them hide their ambitions:
"I had a bit of bad luck in the first two races, who knows if my turn will come".
As if to say that he is not intimidated by his teammate's heroics. On the contrary, the Brazilian wants to show that his brief triumph in Portugal was no fluke. In terms of novelties, we must note the debut of Minardi with the turbo engine prepared by Carlo Chiti (which has performed very well in the tests of recent days), the debut of a new Osella (which has not yet completed a single lap) and the adoption by Alfa Romeo of the Bosch integral injection. The surprise of this Grand Prix could be the Italian state-owned company with Patrese and Cheever. Formula 1 is synonymous with speed. And the man who best represents it at the moment, the fastest, is Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian, back from his success in Portugal, set the fastest time in the first qualifying session of the San Marino Grand Prix on Friday, April 3, 1985. Needless to say, his black Lotus also set a new track record: 1'27"589, with an average speed of 207.149 km/h. The previous record was held by Nelson Piquet, who was beaten by almost a second last year. Which is no small thing, considering that this season's cars were built according to a regulation that was supposed to make them slower and safer. Ayrton Senna was gradually digging a hole around his compatriot Nelson Piquet, gaining respect and sympathy. But it must be said that Piquet could not defend himself as Brabham did not even push at the beginning of the season, for many reasons, in spite of having the most powerful engine tested, as demonstrated by the fifth and sixth place of the surprising Arrows of Berger and Boutsen who adopted the same. BMW engine. Lotus is therefore strong, and Senna also puts some of his talent in it, considering that last season the same driver with Toleman, on this track, was not able to qualify.
A demonstration of the importance of having a competitive car. In the race forecasts, however, assuming that the skies will spare us another rainy day like in Estoril, the second place obtained by Ferrari with Michele Alboreto is perhaps even more important. A Ferrari that seems to be growing and, above all, that hasn't complained about any shortcomings yet. Now the opponents begin to worry seriously about the heroics of the team from Maranello, even if everything can always be verified. The gap between Senna and Alboreto is less than 0.2 seconds, and if it is true that Ferrari has greater reserves in the race (Lotus uses a special, more powerful Renault engine in its qualifying cars, while the Maranello team limits itself to increasing the pressure of the turbo), we will witness a good fight. However, we have seen the results of the frenetic work carried out in these days at Fiorano: new rear suspension, which probably guarantees better grip, and very strict slimming treatments. Alboreto's single-seater was weighed and the result was 541 kilos (the limit is 540), and if you think that there must have been at least a little bit of petrol, you can understand how everything is pulled to the max. On Saturday, if it doesn't rain, it will all start again. Keke Rosberg, third, makes sure that he will be able to attack the pole position. Ayrton Senna says we can go a bit faster. Michele Alboreto pretends to settle for the front row, but it is certain that he would like to start in front of everyone, even the Ferrari fans. McLaren hides behind the barely acceptable placings for the English team (fourth Alain Prost, seventh Niki Lauda), but it remains the car to beat. For the Italian colors, apart from Ferrari and Alboreto, there is only hope for a global improvement.
Elio De Angelis broke the engine on the race car and was unable to do anything with the much less powerful spare. Andrea De Cesaris is struggling with a Ligier that lacks grip. In the middle of the group is Alfa Romeo, which is using the new Bosch electronic injection system. The sophisticated device is not yet ready and is likely to cause problems. So much so that Riccardo Patrese and Eddie Cheever had to qualify with only one car between them, equipped with the old but reliable Spica mechanical system. The debut of engineer Carlo Chiti's new turbo engine on the Minardi was excellent and without the slightest inconvenience. The young Pierluigi Martini sets the eighteenth time and this is more than encouraging. Osella, on the other hand, had not yet been able to put the new single-seater on the track. Saturday, May 4, 1985, the black man of Formula 1 really starts to inspire fear. Ayrton Senna, with his pitch-black stain and his overalls, started from pole position for the second time in a row. He is the driver to beat, the reference point for anyone with ambitions to win the San Marino Grand Prix. He is young, good and lucky. And the opponents, on a competitive level, already hate him. In practice, everyone is against him, the author of another lap record in 1'27"327, with an average speed of 207.770 km/h. It is as if he were the only danger on the road to the world title. The Brazilian won in Portugal in the Estoril storm. Should he also win at Imola, in front of the 200.000 most demanding spectators in motor sport (about 100.000 people attend the second qualifying session, 60.000 of whom pay), Senna would have the opportunity to put all his rivals in crisis, from Lauda to Prost, from Alboreto to Rosberg, to his team-mate Elio De Angelis, and he would probably become an idol of the Formula 1 fans. Ferrari aside. For this reason, weather conditions and car permitting, the motto of the race is to beat the Lotus driver. Brazilians, like everyone else, are divided into rich and poor. But in sports, Brazilians are divided into the rich, who are Formula 1 drivers, and the poor, who are soccer players. Ayrton Senna belongs to the first group. Even Milton Da Silva, his father, says it in almost Italian. Milton Da Silva, who, looking at him, denounces the fact that he has only five years more on his license than his twenty-five-year-old son:
"Honestly, I have to admit that my friend's life was made easier by my money. I thank God that it was like that. Not too much money, not sheik's money, but useful money to start this job, to drive a small car at the age of four that I had given him, to climb on a go-kart for eight years, to practice in our races, to go to England as a very young man, to be ready for the call from Lotus".
His father is a pig farmer in São Paulo.
"I have a daughter who is a psychologist, an eight-year-old son who may be kidnapped by football, which I don't love, Ayrton made me go by car, I wanted to be a driver".
Ayrton says trivial things or at least rituals submerged by journalists suddenly curious about him, his father continues to talk to the only one who listens to him:
"They say my son loves the rain, but they are lies. He loves the sun, he prefers to drive in the dry. But since the others suffer more from the rain than he does, long live the rain. I promised to follow him, to help him again, because he won a bet. In other words, he had to achieve a certain result in four races, at least two he was behind schedule, then he achieved what he had promised me, I had to give in, let him interrupt his studies, try to become a champion".
Cultivate a dream?
"My son driving a Ferrari: that's the myth. But it's okay with Lotus".
Clay Regazzoni says about Ayrton Senna:
"He already has a career behind him, thinking about small races. He's in a big car. In the wet, the superior car, like the Lotus, comes out better, and so he comes out. His enthusiasm is still fresh. In Portugal he was deconcentrated, he was just realizing what Formula 1 was, and yet he won. He's fine here, when it rains he gets excited, but it's because the rain forces the best to be the best".
And finally, Ayrton Senna says about himself:
"I can win, I can lose, I'm happy with myself. I fear the McLarens, the Ferraris, the Williams in that order. As a driver, I am afraid of Rosberg, a fighter. In Portugal I didn't want to win and I won, now I want to win and who knows what I'll do. I did everything to improve in the last hour of practice because I was afraid they would take away my pole position, which will count especially in wet weather. But be careful, I have to love the rain just because others hate it more than me, I don't limit myself to calling myself a wet rider".
He is the classic rich South American, very open, he has European ways of saying and doing. He speaks Italian, English and French and understands Spanish. He sings Portuguese. He doesn't know anything about soccer, which is quite a feat for a Brazilian. His career is extraordinary: in Formula 1 in the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix, after four national kart titles, two British Formula Ford titles, a Euroford title, an English Formula 3 title. Immediate sympathy. Many opinion leaders move from the Ferrari pit to the Lotus pit, a journey of half a meter, the thickness of a wall, in order to cultivate this Ayrton Senna who suits everyone. He is clean, cheeky, naive, self-confident and likeable at the same time, and because he also drives well, it is difficult to ask for more from him. If it's sunny and he wins, you're celebrating a champion. If it's raining and he wins, as he did in Estoril, you celebrate a kind of water nephew of everyone. But be careful, because everyone promises to attack, not to spare themselves, and this should benefit the show, in a race that promises to be hard fought, also because the performances of these days have been very close. After the period of absolute dominance of McLaren, there has been a return to a certain balance of values. Ayrton Senna will not be easy to replace. At his side is Keke Rosberg, the king of quick starts. Behind him, De Angelis and Alboreto, two mastiffs from which it is difficult to break away on equal terms. Rosberg and De Angelis look like twins and announce an identical race plan:
"If my Lotus is fine, I will attack without sparing myself. The car is running well, the engine is powerful, I don't feel beaten from the start".
The Finn is even more explicit:
"I have never finished a race. I don't care if I finish third or fourth. Attack from the first meter and then we'll see".
The second qualifying session saw Ferrari in a bit of trouble, with Alboreto dropping from second to fourth and Johansson even dropping to fifteenth. Things weren't going well for the Maranello team, although that doesn't mean it's impossible to run a good race. In fact, the McLaren men, perhaps adopting a pretactic, indicate Ferrari and Lotus as the favorites for success. In any case, Alboreto (one of the few who didn't improve his time) was slowed down by the partial failure of the turbo manifold, which reduced the engine power with the first set of tires. After a quick repair it started to drizzle, the driver waited to get back on the track and in the last minutes he was still struggling with the previous problem. Johansson, on the other hand, first complained about understeer and then about too much traffic on the track, which prevented him from taking advantage of the qualifying tires.
Naturally, when the loudspeaker announces his grid position, there are a few whistles from the grandstands and some people ask for the head of the sporting director, Marco Piccinini. But there was also a lot of applause for René Arnoux, who was in the pits as a spectator. An unfair treatment for the Swede, who still has to understand the new car and especially the new team. For Elio De Angelis, however, the recovery was more than satisfactory. The Italian improved by about 2.5 seconds and moved up to third position. For the race he will have a more powerful Renault engine and will have the opportunity to compete with the fastest at the top of the race. Fifth was the surprising Arrows BMW of Belgian Thierry Boutsen. Then came the McLarens. Alain Prost is sixth, Niki Lauda eighth. The World Champion says:
"This Ferrari worries me and the Lotus is strong. This time it will be difficult for us. It's been a long time since we've had such difficulties, even if the races are almost always different from the practice".
And the pessimism of the Austrian driver is shared by Alain Prost, who is unnerved by several problems (engine failure) that have affected the McLarens. But Michele Alboreto replies:
"I wouldn't call the cars that literally dominated last season losers. But I have to admit that we have made some progress and the Lotus is really fast. Rosberg's Williams is also a lightning rod. In short, we do not make predictions".
But at Imola, in front of the Italian public...
"We have made some progress, even if it seems like a drop compared to the previous race. Here in Imola it's not so much the grid that matters, but the race is long and difficult. I won't deny that I want to win, for many reasons: to consolidate my position at the top of the World Championship, because it must be nicer to win in Italy, for a schedule that I have set at the beginning, where I expect to collect as many points as possible at the beginning of the season. Finally, for a psychological reason: success means more stimulation, more morale, more reward for the work done. So much so that I would exchange my two second places for a victory and a retirement. I have no illusions, but I'll try".
Michele Alboreto is convinced that Stefan Johansson is also capable of a satisfying race. The Swede hopes so:
"In the last few days I have had the feeling of someone who owns a thoroughbred horse and, for one reason or another, is forced to hitch it to a carriage instead of galloping. All I ask is to race without problems and to reap what I can sow”.
But don't be fooled. It may seem counterintuitive, but the World Champion and his team-mate could be the big surprise of the day, confirming the basic qualities of two cars that so often seemed destined for defeat on the eve of the race, then created a vacuum in the race. Once again, only the Alfa Romeos, the debutant Minardi Turbo and the new Osella were tested, all of them at the back. The weather forecast was uncertain: there was talk of isolated showers in the Imola area around noon. But not even an unwelcome soaking in freezing water could dampen the enthusiasm for this third round of the World Championship. On Sunday, May 5, 1985, before the start of the San Marino Grand Prix, a downpour drenched the Imola circuit. Fortunately, the rain soon stopped and the track was able to dry before the start. Jonathan Palmer retired from the race due to engine problems with his Zakspeed. At the start, Ayrton Senna holds the first position, followed by Elio De Angelis. Instead, the author of a modest departure is Keke Rosberg, who is passed by both Michele Alboreto and Alain Prost. On the fifth lap, Nigel Mansell surrendered his position first to Niki Lauda and then to Nelson Piquet, favored by the choice of soft tires made by Pirelli.
In the following lap, Niki Lauda also managed to pass Keke Rosberg, who also had to give up his position to Nelson Piquet. On the eighth lap, Alain Prost tried to pass Michele Alboreto, first in the Villeneuve corner, then in the Tosa corner, but without success. On the eleventh lap Michele Alboreto, always closely followed by Alain Prost, successfully attacked Elio De Angelis and moved up to second place. Nelson Piquet, now with a tire crisis, was forced to pit for a tire change. The Brabham driver rejoined the race in thirteenth position. Shortly afterwards, Alain Prost also overtook Elio De Angelis, while Andrea De Cesaris retired at the Tosa corner due to a problem with the brakes, which he had forgotten to recharge after coming out of the pits. During lap 14, Stefan Johansson overtook Nigel Mansell, and a few laps later he did the same to Keke Rosberg, moving up to sixth position. Meanwhile, Alain Prost tries to overtake Michele Alboreto, still without success. Niki Lauda passes Elio De Angelis, who suffers from a drop in turbocharger. After twenty laps, Ayrton Senna leads the race, less than a second ahead of Michele Alboreto, one second ahead of Alain Prost, then Niki Lauda (more than 6 seconds behind the leader), Elio De Angelis, Stefan Johansson, Keke Rosberg and Nigel Mansell. Michele Alboreto tried to overtake Ayrton Senna without taking his position, and shortly afterwards was overtaken by Alain Prost, who managed to move up to second place. During lap 24, Keke Rosberg was forced to retire due to an accelerator failure. Michele Alboreto was also forced to pit due to an electrical problem. The Ferrari driver returned to the race far from the top six. In the following laps, Alain Prost also tried to overtake Ayrton Senna until he lost some precious seconds to Patrick Tambay. The McLaren driver decided to slow down at the signal of his car's computer in order to save fuel. At the same time, Michele Alboreto was forced to retire for good due to a generator failure. Niki Lauda lost his position to Elio De Angelis due to a spin. From now on, his race was penalized due to a malfunction in his car's control unit, so much so that he was overtaken by Stefan Johansson. On lap 39, Nigel Mansell missed a change at the Acque Minerali and lost two positions.
Ayrton Senna, despite having also slowed down, leads Alain Prost by 3.1 seconds, Elio De Angelis by 15 seconds, Stefan Johansson by 17 seconds, Niki Lauda by almost 29 seconds and Nelson Piquet by more than a minute. In the following laps Ayrton Senna extended his lead over Alain Prost, while Nelson Piquet was overtaken by Thierry Boutsen. Elio De Angelis and Stefan Johansson, fighting for third place, came up behind the lapped Thierry Boutsen and Nelson Piquet, fighting for sixth place. On lap 50, Nelson Piquet passed Thierry Boutsen as the two approached the Villeneuve corner. Slowed down by this battle, Elio De Angelis was attacked by the Swedish Ferrari driver at Tosa. Although penalized by the trajectory of Thierry Boutsen, Stefan Johansson overtook Elio De Angelis. Johansson's comeback continued a few laps later, when Alain Prost also overtook him, very attentive to consumption, to put up a real resistance. Fuel consumption would decide the race in the final laps. The first to go was Ayrton Senna on lap 57. Stefan Johansson moved up to first position, but also he had to stop the single-seater just one lap later due to lack of fuel. This allowed Alain Prost to take the lead, followed by Elio De Angelis and Nelson Piquet: the latter was also affected by the lack of fuel and had to retire from the race. Thierry Boutsen moves up to third place, followed by Patrick Tambay, who has now overtaken Niki Lauda. Alain Prost was the first to cross the finish line, always at a limited speed and with a large gap to Elio De Angelis. But the Frenchman stopped during the lap of honor, having run out of fuel. Thierry Boutsen, who finished the race in third place, also ran out of fuel at the finish line. The Belgian got off his Arrows to push it across the finish line. At the end of the race, Alain Prost's McLaren, the first to cross the finish line, weighed 536 kg, four kilos less than the limit set by the regulations (which required the car to weigh 540 kg at the start or have 200 kg of fuel). This leads to the disqualification of the French driver. All the riders classified behind him move down one position. So Elio De Angelis wins the race without leading it for even one lap. The last time this happened was to Alain Prost at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1982. Alain Prost, who had already expressed doubts about the weight of his single-seater when he arrived, complained that the stewards hadn't allowed him to weigh the car on the official scales before the race.
Thierry Boutsen was second and took the first podium of his career, while Patrick Tambay, who climbed to third, celebrated his eleventh (and last) podium. Followed by Niki Lauda, Nigel Mansell and Stefan Johansson in sixth place. Who won the San Marino Grand Prix? Not Ayrton Senna, who dominated the race at the wheel of the Lotus until almost the end, and not even Stefan Johansson, who took the lead in the Ferrari immediately afterwards. So was Alain Prosi the first to cross the finish line? Wrong answer. The winner is Elio De Angelis, second on the track with the Lotus #12, but first in the standings due to the sensational disqualification of the McLaren, which was found to be 2 kilos underweight during the technical inspection. In Imola, in the third round of the Formula 1 World Championship, everything really happened. A beautiful race, full of tension, exciting duels, twists and turns and, as if that wasn't enough, a final incident that once again changed the mourning. The race was decided above all by fuel consumption, which in the final stages eliminated some protagonists, such as the Ferrari of a great Johansson, who started from fifteenth position and found himself in the lead with four laps to go. And Ayrton Senna, who has now confirmed himself as a true talent. The fuel nightmare conditioned the performance of the test for its entire duration. Now one wonders if it is right that a sophisticated sport like Formula 1, such a risky competition, can be decided by a few drops of fuel or by the scales. But these are the rules and you have to respect them. If you make a mistake, you pay: there is nothing you can do about it. And whoever wins is right. You may feel sorry for the pilots who may be the victims of this technical situation. But they also have the opportunity to avoid unpleasant surprises by fine-tuning their cars and behaving correctly during the race. So Elio de Angelis was right when he was seen carrying the press release that placed him first in the standings, while celebrating and being interviewed for second place.
"I was considered lucky for what happened to me last year. Sure, it's an unexpected win. But that's all the more reason to celebrate. Without being presumptuous, I have to say that I deserve it. If I hadn't had some brake problems in the last laps, I would have overtaken Prost on the track".
Now the Lotus driver has taken the lead in the World Championship, overtaking Michele Alboreto in the Ferrari. Two Italian drivers at the top. De Angelis talks about the fate he has been facing. This time it was kind. But there is also an amusing back story: during the week, partly as a joke, partly out of an open form of superstition that he always takes into account, he had gone to a magician, the holy man of Rocca di Papa, near Rome, which is a gas station in the city.
"There is something holding you back, you'll see that soon you will be free and able to move forward".
By pure coincidence, the prophecy was fulfilled immediately.
"At least we entertained this wonderful crowd".
The rules are clear: 220 liters of gasoline in the tank or 540 kilos of weight. These are the minimum requirements for cars to start a Grand Prix. We already knew about the excessive fuel consumption at Imola: the same thing happened last year. It was thought that with the introduction of the new electronic control systems, everyone would have solved the problem, but this was probably not the case due to the pace of the race. The same Formula 1 technical regulations state that refueling cannot be done during pit stops. Therefore, the technicians calculate the fuel consumption before the start and adjust the pressure of the turbos accordingly. However, pilots currently have the ability to increase or decrease the pressure themselves as needed. This obviously leads to imbalances in the predictions. And it also explains why a Ferrari, a Lotus can finish the race three or four girls earlier than expected. The fact that De Angelis managed to cross the finish line and that Prost did the same can be easily explained: the Italian driver never pushed to the maximum and his engine, unlike Senna's, is more economical. As for Stefan Johansson, it was the long chase that burned the 220 liters available.
As for the weight of the cars, it may come as a surprise that a well-prepared and serious team like McLaren found itself unprepared. But this is certainly not an attempt at deception. The cars are calculated to the millimeter, including brake pad and tire wear. Maybe there was too much faith in the on-board computer that controls the turbo pressure and the fuel system of Prost's car. Already in Rio de Janeiro, the Frenchman's car had been weighed at 242 kilos with 8 liters of gasoline on board. This time, perhaps, the technicians of Tag-Porsche had calculated that they would arrive at the end of the race with a reserve that would cover the reduced weight of the car. Instead, it wasn't like that. When he thought he had won the San Marino Grand Prix, Alain Prost said:
"Between the tenth and twentieth lap, I started thinking about fuel. The computer told me that I owed a run on the tank and that it was necessary to save money. I also tried to take the lead in order to slow down the race a bit, to limit the consumption somehow. And in the end I succeeded. A few laps before the end, since I was always indebted to the computer, I decided to slow down completely. I said to myself that sooner or later others must have the same problems I had. I thought I would finish well. Let's say I was lucky, but let's also say I made an intelligent run, smarter than the others, from a tactical point of view".
Overtaking?
"Alboreto and Senna drove me crazy. They both went to the limit and to overtake them you had to take risks. I'm not talking about being wrong, no, I'm not talking about being completely right. In any case, of the two Sennas, he was the one who did better or less badly".
More on fuel:
"When I wasn't holding the car, I was a second a lap ahead of everyone. In any case, at McLaren we regulate the consumption as if it were 216 instead of 220 liters, and I think I won precisely because of this precaution, given that I did only one kilometer after the finish".
And the people, the boos?
"I don't want to talk about that. Let's say it's a lack of fair play, this sport is something else".
When he learns that he missed the San Marino Grand Prix due to the lack of weight of his car (he learned about it gradually, first the rumors, then the black and white of an official statement: 538 kilos instead of the 540 regulation), Alain Prost says:
"We will continue with the counterclaims, I think this matter will be discussed for a long time. All I'm saying is that they didn't let us weigh the car on the official scales before the race. For us, for our internal scale, everything was fine. Maybe the official scale would have alerted us, maybe it would have clarified [something]. It seems crazy to lose a race like this and maybe even the championship".
And finally, he says with a rather philosophical sadness:
"The downside of it all is that the riders do everything right, they risk their lives, they give their best, and then they are punished like this, and they feel that they are the only ones paying for regulations that are foreign to them. The same goes for the fuel regulations, which force you to drive more slowly, which in part destroys your enthusiasm and your skill: but at least everyone knows the details".
At Ferrari, despite everything, there is satisfaction. The cars ran well, there were some drawbacks, but in the end there was no lack of good performance. And Michele Alboreto has no major regrets. Sure, he would have liked to win at Imola, maybe he could have, but that's how racing is.
"It was a close and beautiful race, with a chaotic finish. If I had stayed in the race until the end, maybe I could have won because I wouldn't have had to chase like my teammate and I would have used less fuel. But there is no point in making speeches when things have already happened. I had prepared my car with a special tactic to beat McLaren. And I think I was right. I had set up the car to be very fast on the straights and a little slower on the slower sections where it was harder to overtake. So Prost couldn't pass me. Unfortunately, we had the generator problem. Stefan was good, especially when overtaking De Angelis. He kept his foot on the gas pedal and despite taking a little risk he was able to overtake. Senna pushed hard and it cost him a possible victory. I always consider McLaren to be the team to beat".
Stefan Johansson is mostly surrounded by children. For Ferrari fans he is already an idol. Smiling, signing autographs. He doesn't know if he is completely happy or a little disappointed:
"It's nice to get one point, but it would have been great to get 9. How do I see Prost's disqualification? If the car was underweight, it's only right that it was taken out of the championship. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are on the right track. Above all, I'm happy if Commendatory Ferrari enjoyed my race, which I hope he did. If I hadn't started so far back, it probably would have ended differently. But I had to pull like a desperate man and my fuel consumption was higher than expected".
And these data are confirmed by the technicians: it was thought to be a lap of 1'33"0, instead the Swede had to come close to 1'31"0 several times. And a difference of two seconds in Formula 1 is equivalent to several liters of fuel over 60 laps. Ayrton Senna almost cried at the end of the race after his sudden retirement while leading. The Brazilian can barely hold back the tears, but not the anger and bitterness:
"I had fought to the limit with Prost and Alboreto. In the meantime, I was almost sure of the second victory. That is why I reduced the turbo pressure. It didn't help. There was no part of him. His car was equipped with the new Renault F15 engine, which consumes less fuel. Because there aren't many of these engines, we have to share them. And it was his turn at Imola".
Is it true that Formula 1 is driven by fuel consumption?
"We drivers should only think about going as fast as possible. Instead, we are forced to think about fuel. Unfortunately it's part of the game, I don't know how it could be any different with the 220 liter limit. The only thing I am sure of is that the engineers have to fix this situation. It doesn't seem fair to me that someone should give himself up to win, not to damage the car, to save the tires, and then remain like an idiot at the side of the track, watching the others race towards the finish line".
Senna's opinion is shared by everyone without exception. Even Elio Da Angelis, who benefited from the retirement of Johansson and Senna, admits that he doesn't like this formula.
"Considering that if I hadn't had brake problems in the last three laps, I could have won on the track because I was able to keep a higher pace than my rivals, including Prost, I find it humiliating to run on savings. Even if tactical intelligence must be part of a champion's baggage, it is equally certain that we are not in Formula 1 to drive slowly".
Nelson Piquet, two-time world champion, fully agrees.
"I said it last year. He risks seeing two races each time. The real one, with the real values in the field, until a few laps from the end, and the victims of an absurd situation. It is a matter without rhyme or reason. The question of consumption is linked to safety and the technical challenge. Perhaps the best solution would be to shorten the race by a few laps".
A solution proposed by the Brazilian that has a double edge. On the day that the races are shortened, more fuel would be used to have more power. The truth is that the problem can only be solved by the technicians, by finding the best compromise between performance and consumption. Without forgetting that in the next few years, according to the current regulations, the limit of the tank should be increased from 220 to 195 liters, while the engines should go from 1500 cc to 1200 cc. For the people, it was the Grand Prix of pranks. Indeed, many spectators left the track convinced that they had witnessed another success of Alain Prost and McLaren. The only one who tasted the joy of a day that unexpectedly ended in triumph was Elio De Angelis, who with the first place obtained also jumped to the top of the Formula 1 World Championship. The Italian driver offers a dinner to relatives and friends (his father and brother were present at the race, his mother and sister flew in the evening from Rome) and reviewed on a television, leaning in the place of honor at the head of the table, second achievement of his career. Beyond the result and the lively controversy generated by the events that led to the disqualification of Prost and the retirement of Senna and Johansson (who ran out of fuel), it must be recognized that the San Marino Grand Prix was one of the most beautiful, fun and exciting in recent years. Johansson's overtaking was exceptional when he slipped between De Angell's Lotus and Boutsen's Arrows at the Tosa braking point. An episode noted by the Ferrari fans, who eventually surrounded the Swede and shouted at him:
"You are Gilles' heir".
In the analysis of the following day, however, many questions arise. The first and most important one concerns fuel consumption. Is it right that a sport like Formula 1, synonymous with speed and freedom, should be conditioned by a few liters of gasoline? How did this situation come about? What can be done to prevent races from being decided solely by the thirst of the engine? What can pilots do to avoid falling victim to technical regulations that limit their abilities? But above all, what does the future hold for Ferrari? The Maranello team is developing an unprecedented supercharging system using bi-turbo compressors. These are two-stage fans capable of turning at 150.000 rpm. This solution allows the air to be injected into the feed in successive phases. First from a smaller turbine and then from a second, larger one, from which it receives an even higher pressure, higher than the three relative atmospheres currently obtainable. The advantages of the two-stage turbo should be: greater usable power, quicker response and at lower rpm. A laboratory car equipped with this system has already run several times at Fiorano. It was also supposed to be tested at Imola, but Ferrari preferred to postpone it so as not to take any reliability risks. To adopt these turbines, it is not necessary to modify the electronic injection system, but special alloys must be studied for the ducts, the turbines themselves, which are stressed to levels unimaginable until now.