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There are fast and slow circuits, as well as circuits at sea level and at altitude. Reversing the order of factors does not change the result: McLaren always dictates the law in Formula 1. 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 quite a show. They were neck and neck, but ahead of everyone else. As has been the case since the beginning of the season, Senna is ahead of his teammate. Scuderia Ferrari was the only possible antagonist, achieving third place with Gerhard Berger and fourth place with Michele Alboreto. There was some progress with the engines, though the gap to the impregnable British cars remained over two seconds, an abyss. This is especially true with respect to Ayrton Senna, who improved with a time of 1'17"468, averaging 205.447 km/h. Last year, this time would have put Nigel Mansell in pole position with his Williams, which had about 1200 HP, as opposed to the current 700 HP. The 2.200-meter circuit confirmed all predictions. Turbo engines are advantaged and aspirated engines are vastly inferior. Only one driver, Alessandro Nannini, managed to insert himself into the top positions with bravura, bypassing three cars with supercharged power units: the two Arrows of Derek Warwick and Eddie Cheever, and the Lotus of Satoru Nakajima. The Italian Benetton driver took sixth place, finishing about 1.5 seconds ahead of his teammate, Thierry Boutsen. This result demonstrates the skills that everyone now recognizes in him. Returning to the top, Ferrari hinted at an almost miraculous recovery in the morning's free practice, finishing only 1.5 seconds behind the McLarens. However, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost only needed to fine-tune their car setups. The Maranello team introduced something new, as evidenced by this official statement from sports director Marco Piccinini:
"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, though both Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger acknowledge engine improvements. Perhaps we will need to wait a few more races for the transformation at Fiorano to be completed, so as to avoid reliability issues. The theme of the race remains the same: the battle between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, and the pursuit of the Ferraris. For everyone else, only consolation prizes are up for grabs. Alessandro Nannini is ready to seize the opportunity. Ivan Capelli is also well-placed. On the other hand, the Williams team is in great difficulty if they fail to solve the active suspension problem. On the Mexican track, which is full of jumps and bumps, the suspension literally goes haywire. However, it will be a race full of unexpected events and surprises. During practice, Gerhard Berger took a curb, spun out, and hit a guardrail, ruining a suspension. Michele Alboreto stalled on the track due to turbine failure. Fortunately, there are several exits from the road without damage. In short, aside from the McLarens, the Mexican Grand Prix will be one in which those who can finish consistently may be able to collect unexpected points. On Saturday, May 28, 1988, the two McLarens were confirmed on the front row, but Scuderia Ferrari was close behind. Ayrton Senna will start in pole position - his fourth consecutive pole of the season - in the atypical Mexican Grand Prix, held at a 2.200-meter-high circuit. His teammate, Alain Prost, will start next to him. The two dominators of the first part of the championship are more consistently threatened by Gerhard Berger than in the first three races. The Ferrari driver from Austria is responsible for a stellar performance and a nearly miraculous recovery. During Friday's practice, Ayrton Senna (1'17"468) and Alain Prost (1'18"097) secured the front row. Senna, who is always very fast, left Berger 2.3 seconds behind. However, on Saturday, neither of the two McLaren drivers managed to improve. Meanwhile, Gerhard Berger dropped to 1'18"120, which was even faster than the Frenchman's time in the second session. It was a day of great tension, not only competitively, but also emotionally. There was almost a dramatic incident. The Frenchman Philippe Alliot escaped a terrible accident, emerging almost unharmed after crashing into the pit wall and destroying his Larrousse.
The incident occurred about ten minutes before the end of the qualifying hour, at 1:50 p.m. Alliot came out of a very fast corner, taken in full fifth gear at over 250 km/h, which precedes the long finishing straight. The car climbed the massive external curb and took off, possibly due to a broken suspension. This is followed by a couple of spins, an impact against the wall right in front of the Ferrari post, and an explosion like a bomb. People throw themselves to the ground. Fortunately, the wall is very solid, about 1.2 meters high and three meters thick. The impact is terrible; the engine detaches but remains in place. The chassis flies through the air, does three somersaults, and lands on the opposite side, a hundred meters ahead. To the applause of the crowd, Philippe Alliot unhooks himself from the belts that probably saved him from certain death. With a half-stunt, he exits the smoking wreckage. The rescue is quick. After lying on the grass, the Frenchman is taken by ambulance to the circuit hospital. After an initial series of examinations, doctors judge him to be in good condition. The accident confirms the durability of the current cars and causes a delay in the conclusion of practice, but nothing else changes. Nelson Piquet recovers and slots into fourth place. Michele Alboreto, who was fourth on Friday and improved considerably, drops to fifth place. Behind the turbocharged cars are two excellent Italian drivers seeking glory and points. Alessandro Nannini, driving a Benetton, and Ivan Capelli, driving a March, are the fastest of the racers with naturally aspirated cars and promise to put on a show. Formula 1 racing has become the tip of a submerged iceberg, concealing battles under the banner of enormous economic, commercial, and industrial interests. While there used to be a battle for prestige and money, exploiting skills, imagination, and intuition, the goals have become much more focused with the entry of the big car companies. On the one hand, there is real research work; on the other hand, there is building a winning image on the technological level.
First, the arrival of Porsche - which, however, made a misstep by focusing solely on engine business with McLaren - and then Honda radically changed the situation. The Japanese made massive investments and introduced new ways of working. Their multi-year planning is bearing much fruit. There has been continuous evolution on the track and advanced study in the research centers, with insertions into the folds of the regulations. These insertions may perhaps violate the spirit of the regulations, but they cannot be considered irregular. In 1987, when turbo pressure was limited to four bar, Honda found a way to exceed that limit without committing an infraction. This year, with the limit at 2.5 bar, Honda has apparently found another way. There is talk of special methods that would allow the right pressure where the pop-off valve controls it and then increase it, providing undeniable advantages for increased power. Thus, the cassette war broke out. It is known that something strange happens in the metal lung where the air passes. There has been talk of bulkheads that accelerate the flow and increase the vacuum, as well as rumors of mysterious valves. In reality, on Friday, the stewards carefully checked Senna's McLaren Honda engine and found nothing strange or irregular. The trick is there, but it's not visible. Consider that the McLarens have increased their performance by about one second per lap here in Mexico, while the Ferrari, with pressure from four to 2.5 bar, is about one second slower. What will the Maranello team do to catch up? They have made some changes to the engine, but there is still much to be done. Harvey Postlethwalte says:
"We can still develop the powertrain and the car. We will probably be ready in Le Castellet for the French Grand Prix".
For the first time, a Maranello team engineer admits that the McLarens are superior, even in terms of the chassis and aerodynamics. However, it seems that at Ferrari, amid the difficult recovery, there is a lot of uncertainty about the future. The shadow of John Barnard and his aspirated engine car always looms over the engineers running the turbocharged single-seater. In this regard, rumors are disparate. Radiobox launches conflicting rumors.
The first hypothesis is that: John Barnard regains total control of the situation, deputizing the others. The second hypothesis is that: John Barnard, displeased with the continued delays, breaks his three-year contract with Scuderia Ferrari and leaves. Another possibility is that the current aspirated car with automatic transmission would need to be modified because the system would not provide the expected benefits. Marco Piccinini, Scuderia Ferrari's sports director with proven dialectical skills, denies everything:
"The programs are still running; there's nothing new. For now, I haven't made any provisions to change drivers. We will put the aspirated car on the track after the North American transfers".
Guessing the truth or the future is always difficult, but with Scuderia Ferrari, it's impossible. Of course, this does not seem to be the best way to block Honda's path. The Japanese continue to produce new engines, study the regulations, and prepare ahead of time, forcing their opponents to struggle to catch up. On Sunday, May 29, 1988, at 8:00 a.m., Harvey Postlethwaite, Scuderia Ferrari's technical manager, was robbed as he entered the circuit with journalist Giorgio Piola. Postlethwaite and Piola are in their car, lined up in front of the racetrack door, when two men dressed in police uniforms approach them. One of the men asks for Postlethwaite's driver's license. Once he has the document in his hand, he abruptly says:
"Give me $200".
Postlethwaite stammers that he has done nothing wrong, but the officer immediately takes an even harsher tone and threatens to detain him. Meanwhile, another policeman approached from the opposite side of the car and said:
"Give me $60 right now".
Convinced he has gotten off cheaply, Postlethwaite pulls out the bills and tries to hand them out the window. However, the officer says:
"Keep them low. Don't let me see you".
It's a real extortion. However, like a true Brit, Postlethwaite takes it in stride. Harvey does not, after the ordeal, lose his sense of humor:
"The only thing I regret is that they didn't give me a receipt".
A few hours later, the Mexican Grand Prix began. It was delayed by five minutes because Alesandro Nannini's engine died during the reconnaissance lap. Alain Prost had a good start, but Ayrton Senna struggled and was passed by Nelson Piquet and Satoru Nakajima in their Lotuses. After one lap, the two McLarens were already in the lead, with Prost ahead of Senna, who in turn was ahead of Piquet and Nakajima. Stranded by Ayrton Senna's poor start, Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto brought the Ferraris up behind the leaders. On the third lap, the Austrian passed Satoru Nakajima and approached Nelson Piquet's Lotus, engaging in a good duel with the Brazilian. After a couple of passes, Piquet gave up. Meanwhile, Alain Prost continued to string together fast laps. His superiority is evident. As early as the end of lap 13, the Frenchman begins lapping cars. After only 21 minutes, the race became monotonous. The monotony is broken only by Gerhard Berger's Ferrari. The Austrian makes the most of his car, and by lap 23, he is within five seconds of Ayrton Senna. Gerhard Berger's competitiveness becomes clear at the end of lap 28 when he sets the fastest lap and closes in on Senna. Meanwhile, Michele Alboreto, fixed in fifth place, engages in his own duel for fourth with Nelson Piquet, and Satoru Nakajima gives up sixth place to Derek Warwick after about thirty laps due to a broken turbine.
By the halfway point, the McLarens have picked up the pace. Up front, Alain Prost broke the lap record three times, while Ayrton Senna kept within eight seconds of his teammate. The leading group's pace is so high that, after 40 laps, Derek Warwick, in sixth position, has already been lapped. These small flashes increase the race's interest. However, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, and their McLarens are really racing themselves. When they tire of the skirmishes behind them, they increase the pace. Case in point: Michele Alboreto is in fifth place, 50 seconds behind the Frenchman, while Gerhard Berger is in third place, 23 seconds behind. It should be noted that the Ferraris reported major tire management and consumption problems midway through the race, the latter of which was caused by the initial rush to overtake the Lotuses. On lap 48, Prost once again improves the fastest lap series. In fact, the Frenchman breaks the 1987 record. It should be noted that the turbo was at 4 bar then versus 2.5 bar today. Toward the end of the race, Nelson Piquet, who was struggling with a worn-out engine, was forced to stop and let Michele Alboreto pass. The Italian driver finishes behind Gerhard Berger, one lap behind Prost, who wins the Mexican Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Ayrton Senna. Derek Warwick and Eddie Cheever came in fifth and sixth, respectively. The story is always the same: the McLaren-Honda is unbeatable, and the Scuderia Ferrari is improving but still far behind.
The Frenchman consolidates his record: He has 33 points, compared to Gerhard Berger's 18 and Ayrton Senna's 15. With three wins out of four races, Alain Prost had a dazzling start to the Formula 1 World Championship. Ayrton Senna finished second in the other McLaren. And Ferrari? It lost the duel again, with third place going to Gerhard Berger and fourth place to Michele Alboreto. In short, the Maranello team is the best of the beaten. Prost achieved a clear victory with exceptional grit, leading the race from start to finish. The French champion got off to a perfect start. Taking advantage of Ayrton Senna's uncertainty, he climbed to first position from the very first corner. He never gave up the lead of the race for a single moment. Alain Prost achieved success with incredible ease. The scene repeated itself: the Marseillaise sounded, and Prost showered his rivals on the lower steps of the podium with champagne. This is the thirty-first time the Frenchman has won. He should be used to it by now, yet each victory brings a new joy. One must wait at least twenty minutes for the McLaren driver to finish his long TV interviews. Prost looks tired but not worn out by the fatigue - and perhaps even disappointment - of his teammate:
"It was a very hard race. It was tight, and the 2,200-meter altitude made it physically demanding. The difference between Senna and me was made at the start. After two disastrous starts at Imola and Monte Carlo, I finally got it right, and that was the key to my success. I pushed hard, right up to the fuel consumption limit, and the Brazilian never let up. There was certainly no teamwork".
The French driver complained about lapping:
"There were too many slow cars and many dangers of going off track for stupid reasons. The championship? Sure, an 18-point lead after four races is a nice margin. But I don't think this will be an easy world championship for me. I may only have one opponent, Senna, but he's a strong rival with the same car as me. I can't afford any distractions".
Slumped on a sofa, Ayrton Senna admits that he didn't have a chance to attack his teammate:
"I was defeated at the start. When I shifted into second gear, the pop-off valve opened, and I was practically standing still. Even Piquet and Berger passed me. I caught up before the first lap was over, but it was too late to catch Prost, who was marching at a perfect pace. I could have caught up with him only if he had made a mistake. However, I won't give up; I'll fight until the end. After all, we each had a clear victory: he in Brazil and me in Imola. In Monte Carlo and here, luck determined the results".
There is no joy evident on the faces of the Scuderia Ferrari men after taking third and fourth place with Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto, respectively. The Austrian driver is disappointed:
"I thought I could at least catch up to Senna. But, halfway through the race, I realized that my fuel consumption was abnormal, so I slowed down, trying to maintain my position. That worries me a lot because there shouldn't have been any of that on this track. Who knows what can happen in Montreal, where the fuel consumption is usually very high and decisive?"
Berger's anger increased when technicians discovered plenty of gasoline in his car's tanks during post-race checks. The onboard computer that reports consumption malfunctioned, forcing Berger to slow down when he could have maintained the pace of the initial laps:
"Not much has changed. I was lapped. Despite struggling further ahead, Gerard lost almost a lap. The truth is that McLarens are always unbeatable. Maybe I could have done better, but at the start, I had to slow down to avoid a massive crash when someone tried to pass me on the outside. After being left behind by the two Lotuses, I struggled to catch up. Fortunately, I was able to keep the pressure on Piquet. I also had a few minor problems with my brakes and tires, which deteriorated from the long chase. Had I known there was still fuel left, I certainly wouldn't have settled for third place".
A glitch that had caused trouble before occurred again, and not only at Ferrari. The special sensor that usually calculates the flow of gasoline from the tank to the engine with great accuracy failed. The sensor transmitted erroneous data to both the onboard computer, which the driver continuously controls, and 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 showed that, if he continued at his current pace, Gerhard Berger would not finish the race. The Austrian driver had no choice but to slow down. This explains the abrupt shift from 33 to 40 in just a few laps and the gap of about three seconds to a dozen seconds from Ayrton Senna. This is the highlight of the Mexican Grand Prix, the dominant secret motif that opens a series of speeches and questions. Facts. After getting off to a late start and being overtaken by the two Lotus cars of Nelson Piquet and Satoru Nakajima, Gerhard Berger made up for his initial disadvantage of more than 13 seconds and almost caught up with the Brazilian driver of the McLaren car, who was also pushing hard. Does this mean that Ferrari has closed the gap with the British car? Apparently so, at least in the race, because in qualifying, the Honda engine still has considerable advantages. However, even though Ferrari seems to have recovered something at the level of speed performance — it must be said, though, that McLarens, in order to maintain good road holding and strong traction, mount ailerons of prohibitive dimensions for other cars — the chronometric differences on the lap are still evident. Even when comparing Senna and Berger, the Anglo-Japanese cars have a clear aerodynamic and mechanical superiority. Ferrari, on the other hand, performs better than the Lotuses, which have the same Honda engines as McLaren, in theory. Assuming the Ducarouge-designed cars are not up to the task this year, Prost and Senna's single-seaters' efficiency remains incredible. Ferrari will have to do something in this area. While they will be able to refine the innovations (supercharging system and engine modifications) that have apparently made up for power, it seems difficult for the Maranello engineers to make much progress at the chassis level. According to the regulations, the Maranello team has agreed to use the same chassis as last year. This is a chassis on which not much can be done. McLaren, on the other hand, has the opportunity to make further improvements because they made a completely new single-seater with pedals behind the front wheel axle. The problem seems irresolvable. Ferrari is catching up, but McLaren is moving up a notch each time.
Maranello will have to make short-term decisions within two to three races at most, in order to avoid losing the entire current season and jeopardizing the next one. If they are at their limit at Le Castellet, If the hoped-for results do not arrive at the French Grand Prix (i.e., if they cannot keep up with McLaren), it may be better to bet on Gordon Murray's aspirated-engine car, which is expected to be ready in 1989. The shadow of the British technician looms large. Meanwhile, Maranello's sporting director, Marco Piccinini, justifies the fuel problems as a result of the forced pursuit. However, it's clear that the problems persist and won't be solved anytime soon. The Italian manager also denies the rumor of immediate interest in Alessandro Nannini:
"Neither contacts nor contracts".
However, he says the Maranello team is prepared for all eventualities. However, it seems that Gerhard Berger is leaning toward accepting a reappointment. Perhaps it is just a matter of money, as his price has increased quite a bit recently, with talk of $4,000,000 a year. Berger reportedly said:
"Only McLaren is better than Ferrari".
As for Michele Alboreto, he has reportedly requested a contract, but has not yet received an answer. However, Piero Ferrari, acting on behalf of his father, has officially announced through Marco Piccinini that there are no plans to change drivers. There is always talk of a possible swap with Williams, with Alboreto on the English team and Mansell on the Italian team. Speaking of Williams... Apparently, the British manufacturer plans to go to the United States at the end of the week to meet with Michael Andretti, the 23-year-old son of the Italo-American driver. Williams, one of the most emblazoned teams, is also in total crisis. Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese had trouble qualifying, and their cars did not even make it to the finish line due to engine trouble. It's unfortunate because the Williams could have given McLaren some trouble on some slow tracks. Instead, the choice of active suspension proved to be a difficult road fraught with challenges. Riccardo Patrese says:
"I never get it right. I go from one team to another. First, they are winners; then, 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 farming by now. In any case, I have not lost faith. I am convinced that we will recover, and that we will find some satisfaction before the end of the season".
Successes are elusive, McLaren keeps winning, and the future looks uncertain. These are bitter days for Ferrari, which anticipates profound changes in its team structure. There will be changes at the managerial, technical, and sporting levels. There is nothing official yet, but based on reports from reliable sources, one can discern the outlines of this revolution, which is also a reflection of a team in crisis, torn by internal controversy and discord. First point: There is a divergence of ideas between Enzo Ferrari, the de facto head of Scuderia Ferrari. Ferrari likes to call himself the team's goalkeeper, borrowing a soccer term, and his son Piero Lardi is the general manager. Evidently, conflicts arose recently, and the team is practically divided into two factions. On the one hand, there are the supporters of the supercharged-engine car, run by British engineer Harvey Postlethwaite. On the other hand, there are those in favor of John Barnard. Barnard, who was previously at the center of controversy in Maranello, is fine-tuning the single-seater equipped with the new atmospheric-type engine. These disagreements provoked an argument between Enzo Ferrari and his son. Result: Piero Lardi Ferrari resigned from his position. As far as is known, the doors to the other Ferrari, the one that produces the granturismo Berlinettes, were wide open for him, offering a high-level position in commercial and industrial fields. No more racing, then. However, the revolution consists of more than just 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.