Fast and slow circuits, circuits at sea level and at altitude. But even reversing the order of factors, the result does not change: it is always McLaren that dictates the law in Formula 1. Even on Friday, May 27, 1988, in the first qualifying round of the Mexican Grand Prix, the fourth round of the World Championship, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost put on a family show, fighting on the edge of seconds but ahead of everyone. And as has been the case since the beginning of the season, the Brazilian is ahead of his teammate. Scuderia Ferrari held its own as the only possible antagonist, getting the third time with Gerhard Berger and the fourth with Michele Alboreto. There was some small progress at the engine level, although in the end the gap to the impregnable British cars remains, as before, over two seconds, that is, an abyss. Especially with respect to the formidable Ayrton Senna, who improves with a time of 1'17"468, marked at an average of 205.447 km/h, the time that last year had put Nigel Mansell in pole position with a Williams that had about 1200 HP, as opposed to the current 700 HP. The circuit at 2200 meters confirms all the predictions. Turbo engines advantaged, aspirated engines vastly inferior. Only one driver, Alessandro Nannini, manages by bravura to insert himself in the very first positions, bypassing even three cars with the supercharged power unit, namely the two Arrows of Derek Warwick and Eddie Cheever and the Lotus of Satoru Nakajima. Sixth place for the Italian Benetton driver, about 1.5 seconds faster than his teammate, Thierry Boutsen, demonstrating the skills that everyone now recognizes in him. Returning to the top, it must be said that Ferrari in the morning's free practice had hinted at an almost miraculous recovery, being only 1.5 seconds behind the McLarens. But in reality the fantastic Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost only had to fine-tune the set-ups of their cars. The Maranello team brought something new, quantifiable in this official statement by the sports director, Marco Piccinini, quite nebulous as usual:
"Aside from the larger turbines and heat exchangers for adaptation to the altitude, we have modified elements in the engine and the intake box without butterflies".
The general impression is that the results of these changes fell short of expectations, although both Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger admit to engine improvements. Perhaps it will be necessary to wait a few more races for the transformation at Fiorano to be completed, not least so as not to then fall into reliability problems. So the theme for the race is the usual: battle between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost and pursuit of the Ferraris. For the rest, only consolation prizes are up for grabs, with Alessandro Nannini ready to seize the opportunity, Ivan Capelli well placed and the Williams, on the other hand, in great difficulty if they fail to solve the active suspension problem that on the Mexican track full of jumps and bumps literally goes haywire. However, it will be a race that can also live on the unexpected and surprises. During practice Gerhard Berger, taking a curb, is the author of a spin and hit a guardrail ruining a suspension. Michele Alboreto remains stationary on the track due to the failure of a turbine. And there occur several exits from the road without damage fortunately. In short, McLarens aside, a Mexican Grand Prix in which those who know how to get to the end with regularity will perhaps be able to collect unhoped-for points. Saturday, May 28, 1988, the two McLarens are confirmed on the front row, but Scuderia Ferrari is closer. Ayrton Senna will start on pole position - his fourth consecutive since the beginning of the season - in the Mexican Grand Prix, an atypical race, held at a circuit that is 2200 meters above sea level. Scaserà at his side his teammate, Alain Prost. The two dominators of this first part of the championship are threatened more consistently than in the first three races by Gerhard Berger. The Austrian of Ferrari is the author of a capital performance and of a recovery, chronometrically, almost miraculous. In Friday's practice Ayrton Senna (1'17"468) and Alain Prost (1'18"097) had already mortgaged the front row. The Brazilian, always very fast, had inflicted a 2.3-second gap on Gerhard Berger. On Saturday, however, neither of the two McLaren drivers managed to improve, while Gerhard Berger dropped to 1'18"120. being even faster than the Frenchman in the second session. It is a day of great tension, not only on the competitive level. It came close to drama. Frenchman Philippe Alliot escapes a terrible accident, emerging almost unharmed after crashing into the pit wall, destroying his Larrousse.
The incident occurs about ten minutes before the end of the qualifying hour, at 1:50 p.m. Alliot comes out of a very fast corner, which is taken in full fifth gear at over 250 km/h, that precedes the long finishing straight. The car climbs the massive external curb and takes off, possibly due to a broken suspension. This is followed by a couple of spins and an impact against the wall, right in front of the Ferrari post, then an explosion, like a bomb. People throw themselves to the ground. Fortunately, the protection is a very solid wall about a 1.20 meters high, three meters thick. The impact is terrible: the engine detaches and remains in place. The chassis flies through the air, makes three loopings and stops on the opposite side, a hundred meters ahead. Philippe Alliot. to the applause of the crowd, unhooks himself from the belts that probably saved him from certain death and with a half stunt exits the smoking wreckage. Rescue is very quick. The Frenchman, after lying on the grass, is taken by ambulance to the circuit hospital. Doctors, after an initial series of examinations, judge him to be in good condition. The accident, which confirms the robustness of the current cars, causes a delay in the conclusion of practice, in which, however, nothing changes. Nelson Piquet, recovering, slots into fourth place. Michele Alboreto, who was fourth on Friday, while improving considerably, drops to fifth place. Behind the turbocharged cars follow two very good Italian drivers in search of glory and a few points. Alessandro Nannini in a Benetton and Ivan Capelli in a March turn out to be the quickest of the racers with naturally aspirated cars and promise to put on a show. In Formula 1 racing has become the small tip of a submerged iceberg that conceals battles without quarter under the banner of enormous economic, commercial and industrial interests. If once there was a battle for prestige and money, exploiting skills, imagination and intuition, for the past few years the goals, with the entry of the big car companies, have become, much more focused. On the one hand, real research work, on the other hand, building a winning image on the technological level.
The advent first of Porsche, which, however, got its strategy wrong by focusing only on business with engines at McLaren, and then of Honda radically changed the situation. The Japanese have made massive investments, introducing new ways of working. Multi-year planning that is bearing much fruit. Continuous evolution on the track and advanced study in the research centers, with insertions into the folds of the regulations, thanks to interpretations that may perhaps even violate their spirit but cannot be considered irregular. In 1987 when turbo pressure was limited to 4 bar, Honda had found a way to exceed that without incurring an infraction. This year with the limit at 2.5 bar, the Japanese have apparently found another way out. There is talk of special methods (there are several different inferences and explanations) that, in simple terms, would allow the right pressure where this is controlled by the Pop-off valve, and then increase it with undeniable advantages for power increase. Thus the cassette war broke out. It is known that somehow in the metal lung where the air passes something strange happens. There has been talk of bulkheads that would accelerate the flow, increasing the vacuum, rumors of mysterious valves. The reality is that on Friday, carefully checking the Honda engine of Senna's McLaren, the stewards found nothing strange or irregular. The trick is there but you can't see it when you consider that the very McLarens have increased, for example here in Mexico, their performance by about 1 second per lap while the Ferrari, with the pressure from 4 to 2.5 bar, is about the same time slower. Now what will the Maranello team do to try to catch up? Something has been done on the engine, but much remains to be done. Says Harvey Postlethwalte:
"We can still develop both the powertrain and the car, and we will probably be ready in Le Castellet for the French Grand Prix".
For the first time, the Maranello team's engineer admits that even on the chassis and aerodynamic level the McLarens are superior. It seems, however, that at Ferrari, while engaged in the difficult recovery, there is a lot of uncertainty about the future. There is always the shadow of John Barnard and his aspirated engine car looming over the engineers running the turbocharged single-seater. Indeed, in this regard, rumors are disparate. Radio-box launches conflicting rumors.
First hypothesis: John Barnard regains total control of the situation and the others are deputized. Second hypothesis: John Barnard, displeased with the continued delays, breaks his three-year contract and leaves Scuderia Ferrari. In between there is also another possibility: that the current aspirated car with automatic transmission would have to be modified because the system would not give the hoped-for benefits. Marco Piccinini, Scuderia Ferrari's sports director of proven dialectical skills, denies everything.
"The programs go on, there is nothing new. For the moment I have not had any provision to change drivers. We will get the aspirated car on the track after the North American transfers".
To guess the truth or the future is always difficult, but with Scuderia Ferrari it becomes impossible. Of course, this does not seem the best method to bar Honda's way. The Japanese continue to churn out new engines, study the regulations, and prepare ahead of time, forcing their opponents to struggle to catch up. Sunday, May 29, 1988 Harvey Postlethwaite, Scuderia Ferrari's technical manager, is robbed at 8:00 a.m. as he enters the circuit in the company of journalist Giorgio Piola. The Englishman and his guest are in their car, lined up in front of the racetrack door, when they are approached by two men, dressed in police uniforms, and one of them asks for their driver's license. Once he has the document in his hand, he says abruptly:
"Give me $200".
Postlethwaite stutters and says he has committed no offense but the officer, or alleged officer, immediately takes an even harsher tone, threatening detention. Meanwhile, another policeman approaches from the opposite side of the car and says:
"Give me $60 right now".
Postlethwaite, now convinced he got off cheaply, pulls out the bills, trying to hand them out the window, but the officer says:
"Keep them low, don't let me see you…".
A real extortion. However, like a true Briton, the good. Harvey does not, after the adventure, prey on a sense of humor:
"The only thing I regret is that they didn't give me a receipt".
A few hours later, at the start of the Mexican Grand Prix, delayed by five minutes after the reconnaissance lap since the engine of Alesandro Nannini's car had died, Alain Prost got off to a good start while Ayrton Senna, struggling, was passed by the Lotuses of Nelson Piquet and Satoru Nakajima. But after one lap, the two McLarens are already in the lead with Alan Prost ahead of Ayrton Senna, who in turn precedes Nelson Piquet and Satoru Nakajima. Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto, stranded by Ayrton Senna's poor start, bring the Ferraris up behind the leaders. The Austrian on the third lap passed Satoru Nakajima and then approached Nelson Piquet's Lotus engaging in a good duel with the Brazilian. After a couple of passes Nelson Piquet gives up. Alain Prost, meanwhile, continues to string together fast laps. His superiority is evident. As early as the end of lap 13, the Frenchman begins the series of lapped cars. And after only 21 minutes the race becomes monotonous. Monotony that is broken only by Gerhard Berger's Ferrari. The Austrian makes the most of the car and by lap 23 is within 5 seconds of Ayrton Senna. That Gerhard Berger's car is competitive becomes clear at the end of lap 28, when the Austrian sets the fastest lap and gets even closer to Ayrton Senna. Michele Alboreto, Meanwhile, fixed in fifth place, engages in his own duel for fourth with Nelson Piquet while Satoru Nakajima gives up sixth place, due to a broken turbine, to Derek Warwick after about thirty laps.
Halfway through the race the McLarens pick up the pace. Up front Alain Prost improves the lap record three times while Ayrton Senna continues quietly, keeping within eight seconds of his teammate. The pace of the leading group is so high that Derek Warwick, in sixth position, is already lapped after 40 laps. Small flashes to increase the interest of the race. But Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and their McLarens really race themselves. When they tire of the skirmishes behind them and decide to increase the pace they do so. Case in point. Michele Alboreto, fifth after 42 laps, is already 50 seconds behind the Frenchman while Gerhard Berger, third is 23 seconds behind. It should be noted that the Ferraris in the middle of the race report major tire management and consumption problems, the latter caused by the initial rush to overtake the Lotuses. On lap 48 Alain Prost once again takes the satisfaction of improving the fastest lap series. In fact, the Frenchman even breaks the 1987 record. And there it should be noted that the turbo then was at 4 bar versus 2.5 today. Near the end of the race Nelson Piquet, struggling with a worn-out engine, is forced to stop and let Michele Alboreto pass. The Italian driver thus finishes behind Gerhard Berger but one lap behind Alain Prost, who wins the Mexican Grand Prix, preceding Ayrton Senna across the finish line. Derek Warwick and Eddie Cheever come in fifth and sixth, respectively. the story, in short, is always the same: McLaren-Honda unreachable, Scuderia Ferrari progressing but too far behind.
And the Frenchman consolidates his record: 33 points against Gerhard Berger's 18 and Ayrton Senna's 15. Three wins out of four races: for Alain Prost, the start of the Formula 1 World Championship was dazzling. Ayrton Senna, in the other McLaren, finished second. And Ferrari? Well, it lost the duel again: third Gerhard Berger and fourth Michele Alboreto. The Maranello team is the best, in short, of the beaten. A clear victory, achieved with exceptional grit, leading the race from the first to the last lap. The French champion got off to a perfect start and, taking advantage of an uncertainty on the part of Ayrton Senna, his teammate and number one rival, climbed to first position from the very first corner, never giving up, not even for a single moment, the lead of the race. Alain Prost achieved success with incredible ease. The scene repeated itself: the Marseillaise sounded, and Alain Prost washed down rivals in the lower steps of the podium with champagne. It is the thirty-first time the Frenchman has won a victory. He should be used to it, but each time is a new, different joy. One has to wait for the McLaren driver at least twenty minutes so that he can get rid of the very long TV interviews. Alain Prost looks tired, but not destroyed by the fatigue - and perhaps even disappointment - of his teammate.
"It was a very hard race, because it was very tight and also physically demanding because of the 2,200 meters of altitude. The difference between Senna and me was all made at the start. After getting two disastrous starts at Imola and Monte-Carlo, I finally got it right and that was the secret of success. I always pulled hard, at the limit of fuel consumption as the Brazilian never gave up on me and there was certainly no teamwork".
The French driver complains about lapping:
"Too many slow cars, many dangers of going off track for a stupid thing. The championship? Sure 18 points lead after four races is a nice margin. But I don't think this will be a downhill world championship for me. I may have only one opponent in Senna, but he is also a rival who is going strong and has the same car as me. I will not be able to afford any distractions".
Ayrton Senna, slumped on a sofa, admits that he did not have a chance to attack his teammate.
"I was defeated at the start. When I engaged second gear by crushing to the maximum, the pop-off valve opened and I was practically in surplace, so much so that even Piquet and Berger passed me. I caught up immediately, before the first lap was over, but it was already late to catch Prost, who marched at a perfect pace. Only if he had made a mistake could I have caught up with him. However, I don't get down, I will fight until the end. After all, we each got a clear victory, he in Brazil, I in Imola. Here and in Monte-Carlo the results were conditioned by luck".
No joy is evident in the faces of the Scuderia Ferrari men after taking third place with Gerhard Berger and fourth with Michele Alboreto. The Austrian driver is disappointed:
"I thought I could at least get close to Senna, but instead from the middle of the race I realized that the fuel consumption was out of the norm and so I lowered the pace, trying to keep the position. And that worries me a lot because on this track there shouldn't have been any of that. Who knows what can happen in Montreal, where normally the fuel consumption is very high and decisive".
Gerhard Berger's anger increased when, during post-race checks, technicians discovered that there was still plenty of gasoline in his car's tanks. The on-board computer that reports consumption did not work properly, and Gerhard Berger was forced to slow down when he could have maintained the pace of the initial laps.
"Not much has changed, I was lapped, Gerard despite struggling further ahead lost almost a lap. The truth is that McLarens are always uncatchable. Maybe I could have done something better, but at the start I was forced to slow down to avoid what could have been a mega crash, as someone tried to pass me on the outside. Left behind the two Lotuses I struggled a lot to catch up. Fortunately, I was able to keep pressure on Piquet. I also had a few little problems with my brakes and tires, now deteriorated from the long chase. But if I had known there was still fuel left, I certainly wouldn't have just settled for this third place".
There was a repeat of a glitch that had caused trouble before, and not only at Ferrari. The special sensor that normally calculates with great accuracy the passage of gasoline from the tank to the engine failed. The sensor transmitted erroneous data both to the on-board computer, which is continuously controlled by the driver, and to the more sophisticated processors located in the pits. where the Information needed to understand what is happening is transmitted by the telemetry system. The figures indicated that Gerhard Berger. continuing at a certain pace, would not be able to finish the race, and the Austrian driver had no choice but to slow down. And that explains it all, particularly the abrupt shift in just a few laps from 33 to 40, from a gap of about 3 seconds to a dozen from Ayrton Senna. Here is the highlight of the Mexican Grand Prix, the dominant secret motif that opens a series of speeches, of ifs and buts. Facts. After getting a late start, overtaken by the two Lotus cars of Nelson Piquet and Satoru Nakajima, Gerhard Berger went from a disadvantage of more than 13 seconds until he almost caught up with the Brazilian of McLaren, who was also pulling hard. Would this mean that Ferrari has recovered part of the gap with val British car? Apparently, at least in the race. because in qualifying the engine made by Honda still possesses considerable margins. But if at the level of speed performance (it must be said, however, that McLarens in order to maintain good road holding and strong traction mount ailerons of prohibitive dimensions for other cars) Ferrari seems to have recovered something, the chronometric differences on the lap are still evident. Even putting Senna and Berger on the same level, there remains a clear aerodynamic and mechanical superiority of the Anglo-Japanese cars. Ferrari, on the other hand, runs better than the Lotuses, which theoretically have the same Honda engines as McLaren. Assuming that the Ducarouge-designed cars are not up to the task this year, the efficiency of Prost and Senna's single-seaters remains incredible. Now in this area Ferrari will have to do something While it will be able to refine the innovations (supercharging system and changes in the engine) that have apparently made up for power, it seems to us difficult for the engineers in Maranello to make much progress at the chassis level. Under the regulations, in fact, the Maranello team has agreed to keep the same chassis used last year. A chassis on which not much can be operated. McLaren, on the other hand, having made a completely new single-seater with pedals behind the front wheel axle, will have the opportunity to make further improvements. The problem seems irresolvable. Ferrari is catching up on the one hand in breathlessness, and McLaren on the other is moving up a notch each time.
So Maranello will have to make short-term decisions Within two-three races at most in order not to lose the entire current season and not jeopardize the next one. If at the limit at Le Castellet. French Grand Prix, the hoped-for results will not have arrived (i.e., if it will not struggle to the pan with McLaren) it may be better to bet on Jorh Barnard's aspirated-engine car to have it ready in 1989. The shadow of the British technician looms large. Meanwhile, the Maranello team's sporting director, Marco Piccinini, justifies the fuel problems with the forced pursuit. But it is clear that the problems are still there and will not be solved anytime soon. The Italian manager also denies the rumor regarding an immediate interest in Alessandro Nannini:
"Neither contacts nor contracts".
But he says the Maranello team always stands ready for all eventualities. It seems, however, that Gerhard Berger is leaning toward accepting a reappointment. Perhaps it is just a matter of money, as his price has gone up quite a bit in recent times and there is talk of $4.000.000 a year. Gerhard Berger would have said:
"Better than Ferrari is only McLaren".
As for Michele Alboreto. he has reportedly asked to sign, but has not yet been given an answer, although Piero Ferrari, acting on behalf of his father, has officially let it be known through Marco Piccinini that he has not thought of changing drivers. There is always talk of a possible swap with Williams, with Michele Alboreto in the English team and Nigel Manseli in the Italian one. Speaking of Williams. Apparently the British manufacturer plans to personally go to the United States at the end of the week to contact Michael Andretti. the 23-year-old son of the Italo-American driver. Also in total crisis is one of the most emblazoned teams, Williams. Bad in qualifying, the cars of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese did not even make it to the finish line, stranded by engine troubles. Too bad: the Williams on some slow tracks could also have given McLaren some trouble. Instead, the choice of active suspension once again proved to be a difficult road ahead, fraught with difficulties. Says Riccardo Patrese:
"I never get one right. I go from one team to another: first they are winners, when I arrive they become a disaster. It takes incredible perseverance not to hang up my helmet. I must admit that a great passion sustains me, otherwise I would be better off farming by now. In any case, I have not lost faith. I am convinced that we will recover and before the end of the season we will take some satisfaction".
The successes don't come, McLaren keeps winning, the future looks uncertain. For Ferrari, these are bitter days that anticipate profound changes in the team structure. Changes at the managerial, technical and sporting levels. Nothing official, for the moment, but based on reports from reliable sources, one can trace the outline of this revolution, which is also a snapshot of a team in crisis, torn by internal controversy, in the grip of discord. First point. There is a divergence of ideas between Enzo Ferrari, head of Scuderia Ferrari for all intents and purposes. The team's goalkeeper, as he likes to call himself borrowing a soccer figure, and his son Piero Lardi, general manager. Conflicts evidently arose in recent times, with the team practically divided into two factions: on the one hand the supporters of the supercharged-engine car (run by British engineer Harvey Postlethwaite) and on the other those in favor of John Barnard. The designer, in the past at the center of lively controversy in Maranello, is finishing tuning the single-seater equipped with the new atmospheric-type engine. These disagreements provoked an argument between Enzo Ferrari and his son. Result: Piero Laidi Ferrari has resigned from the position. For him - as far as is known - the doors of the other Ferrari, the one that produces the granturismo berllnettes, were opened wide for him, with a high-level task in the commercial and industrial fields. No more racing, then. But, second point, the revolution consists not only of this change at the top of the team.
Postlethwaite himself, followed by French specialists His and Midgeot (responsible for engines and computer calculations, respectively), reportedly threatened resignation, fearing a total return of Barnard from the gilded exile of Guilford. in Britain, to lead the team by his own methods. Barnard replacing Piero Lardi Ferrari, it is clear, means a different way of running Scuderia Ferrari. A very different way in terms of mentality, temperament and experience. Third point: the situation becomes even more complicated, because the divisions do not stop with the technicians. Even the drivers - and this has been known for a long time - have different opinions: Michele Albereto likes the current management, Gerhard Berger would like John Barnard's return to power. Now at the driver-market there are rumors that Alboreto is leaving Ferrari and the Austrian is staying. Barnard's return would lead to the abandonment of the turbocharged car and the Beginning of the new era of the naturally aspirated engine. There is no hiding the fact that there is alarming news in this regard as well: the project (especially with regard to the new and sophisticated electronically controlled gearbox) is still far from being really operational. Thus, it seems that under the pressure of the results in the field and the short- and medium-term prospects, Enzo Ferrari has prepared one of those blows that have contributed to his fame in the past, the most recent being the departure of Mauro Forghieri.