"No. We believe in the team. To be honest, now we only want to think about the present, about winning the world championship, then we’ll see about the future. But I can guarantee that we will continue to be at the top. No technician left us, they’ve all been reconfirmed. On the contrary, next year we will have an even stronger and more determined team, because the new fight will be too fantastic and significant".
Ferrari is also preparing for a 1996. The new V10 engine is almost ready to be mounted on a laboratory car and should be on track in Fiorano in a short time. In the meantime, on Wednesday, September 6th, 1995, the official announcement of the arrival of a new technical sponsor, Shell, is made, supplying petrol, lubricants, and the economical means. As anticipated, Agip leaves. Luca Montezemolo recalls:
"In November 1973 I personally worked for the cooperation agreement with Agip, which made us have such a long relationship. I’d like to thank all the managers and technicians who, over the last 22 years, have been close to us with friendship, passion, and competence, sharing happy and difficult moment with us. As a partner of Scuderia Ferrari from the very beginning, I welcome Shell back to our side on tracks and markets all over the world".
According to rumours, on Thursday, September 7th, 1995, Max Mosley, FIA president, and Bernie Ecclestone, FOCA president, will meet Ferrari president Luca Montezemolo to discuss the future of Formula One, its regulations and the possibility of a third car per team. Meanwhile, German driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen announces that he will remain at the wheel of Sauber-Ford in 1996. On Thursday, September 7th, 1995, not even the rain cooled the enthusiasm for the Grand Prix. Tickets almost sold out, while WWF and Legambiente, taking advantage as usual of the importance that this event has, announce further action to get the racetrack and even the golf course out of the park. From Friday, Formula One racing cars will be on stage on the renovated track. And everyone, it goes without saying, is wondering what Ferrari will be able to do. After all, that is always the question. And like every time, on the eve of the race, it has no precise answer: from everything to nothing. Let's just say that cautious optimism reigns in the Maranello team. Says Jean Todt, Head of Sporting Management:
"We think we're not doing too bad. During last week’s tests we worked hard on start setup, aerodynamics, and engine. There is no big advantage over the other teams because the tests only lasted four days, two of which were basically dedicated to cleaning the track. But at least we’re starting from a good base to fight with our rivals".
The French manager tackles every topic concerning Ferrari. As for Monza, he expects a great performance from Alesi and Berger:
"They’ve said that they will work hard. That until the end of the season they will feel like 100% Ferrari drivers and that it would be a dream to win in Monza. We’ll provide them with all the support we can".
But why, if the relationship is perfect, did they both leave?
"Alesi is still young. He wanted to gain experience with another top team. For him, however, there could still be an open door to the future. It wouldn't be the first time a driver comes and goes. Berger had an option to stay. It wouldn't have been easy for him to team up with Schumacher. He made a painful decision, which we respect".
In recent weeks, several interventions by Gianni Agnelli regarding Ferrari have been noted. Is there active participation by the Fiat president in the decisions made in Maranello?
"For many years, the relationship between Agnelli and Montezemolo has been like the one between a father and his son. It is clear that our boss gives him all the information. But he never interfered, he leaves us complete autonomy".
This does not seem to be the case with Niki Lauda…
"Montezemolo, when he was back at Ferrari, had asked Lauda to be his consultant because he needed to get better acquainted with the environment. For two years now, I’ve been in charge of speaking on behalf of the Ferrari racing team. Now Niki has been offered the job, to continue as a consultant and ambassador for Ferrari in the series production. He will have to reply. From now on, however, when he attends races, he will only speak on his behalf".
Regarding drivers, little news.
"Schumacher will be available after the end of the championship. We can confirm that the German didn’t come to us for money. At least two other teams had offered him more. We believe we made the best choice. For the second driver, we will see, after Nürburgring. Coulthard? I can tell you that he's good, he's strong, he's young".
In the meantime, Damon Hill, despite the downpour, makes several laps of the circuit:
"A magnificent job, we'll have fun. I aim at winning, for me, it's essential, given the situation in the standings".
Then, Damon argues again with Schumacher:
"At Spa, he was in the middle of the track. Hopefully it won't happen again. I was punished and lost the win for going 2 km/h too fast during a stop. He was pointlessly punished for something more serious. If everyone behaved in the same way, motor racing would become ridiculous and pointless".
Michael Schumacher replies with a single sentence:
"If I win again, It will be bad for him".
On Friday, September 8th, 1995, for Schumacher, the Italian Grand Prix starts with a police escort. Says Flavio Briatore:
"It protects him".
A phone call two days before, lots of threats and the fear of a kidnapping after the multibillion-dollar deal with Ferrari. Flavio Briatore goes on to say:
"No big deal, guys, let's not make a big deal out of it".
No big deal, agreed. But the fact remains that the order to protect Schumacher apparently came directly from the commissioner of Milan. This is just the chronicle of a passion, of a cold-eyed driver who has taken the World Championship and now seeks glory, and of another whose eyes light up when he speaks:
"It would be nice to make a present to Ferrari, here, at home, for the last time".
This is Jean Alesi, a sweet guy who is a bit furious. Michael Schumacher would never say that. Sentiment is not worth half a second. But for now, he will drive the Ferrari. At Monza, the Benetton pavilion is right in front of the Ferrari one. And this is no coincidence, either. Alesi wears a little hat on his head when he passes, he also wears a pout and never looks to his right and in front of him. Michael Schumacher has a baby face and cold eyes. One in front of the other, here at Monza. On the track, the boys with the flags arrive early in the morning, and lay the first banner:
"Better an Alesi today, then 100 Schumacher tomorrow".
Then another, painted red:
"If Schumacher is worth 40 billion, Alesi’s worth is immeasurable. Jean, you are one of us".
Michael Schumacher does not even see them. He does not even see Jean Alesi. The lawyer Giovanni Agnelli would have said:
"I'm half a second faster than everyone".
Alesi, on the other hand, says that where the car cannot go, sometimes the heart can. As the boys placed their banners on the grandstand in front of the pits, Schumacher was being escorted by the police and Alesi stopped by a policeman for a prohibited overtaking maneuver. He gives his licence and politely apologizes. Schumacher has never apologized in his life. No need to apologize. And so, they tease him by saying:
"Prost says you are good, but without charisma".
He is contemptuous:
"Then he comes back, with his charisma".
Besides, even charisma does not make a car go faster. Schumacher is the one who works the hardest and is not afraid of anyone. He is the one who, at the age of nine, in his first kart race, started 30th and finished first. They told him not to come back. He did not listen to them, came back, and won again. Schumacher is not afraid now, either. The four Digos men are waiting for him in the lobby of the hotel, and then again in front of the Benetton pavilion, and when there is practice, they are always there, in front of a white poster painted green:
"Schumi, not even the FIA can stop you".
Briatore runs away and only admits what cannot be denied:
"Well, of course I've seen them too. But it must be a normal precaution".
The managers of the racetrack also confirm:
"Benetton must have been threatened by a few drunks and asked for a minimum of protection".
It is just that Germans have bad memories, from Graf to Becker, and so it is better to be careful. Schumacher does not even pay attention. He is someone who usually frightens others. Even Ayrton Senna was afraid of him, and once at Hockenheim he attacked him in the pits. But why are you picking on that kid? They asked him.
"Because he has to learn how to behave on track".
It was not true, that was not the reason. Michael Schumacher was in his infancy, yet he was frightening. He had the eyes of ice and the heart of a soldier. These must be the things that are worth half a second. And, after all, it is a complicated game that of Formula One. Often the cards get mixed up, and it becomes difficult to interpret it, even if, in the race, the aces win. On Friday, the chronometer’s response in the first qualifying round of the Italian Grand Prix was surprising, to say the least. David Coulthard beats everyone, Gerhard Berger overtakes Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher, and Jean Alesi is forced to settle for fifth. In a circuit wallpapered with phrases of love, written everywhere, on flags and banners, on the walls and on the asphalt, almost always addressed to Alesi and Berger, that is to the Ferrari couple, the battle for provisional pole position takes place in silence. A strangely sleepy atmosphere, as if the first day was only a dress rehearsal for what might happen on Sunday, when everyone will be driving at full throttle. David Coulthard, the strong-jawed Scot, and Frank Williams’s protégé, meanwhile gives a good demonstration of himself. On the verge of moving to McLaren or Ferrari, the Williams driver seems to be growing day by day, after a brief period of stalemate. He immediately pushes to the limit and sets a time of 1'25"516, at an average speed of 242.901 km/h. And Monza immediately takes the title of fastest circuit in the World Championship, at least this year, with the track revised and corrected for safety. With compliments from all the drivers. Behind David Coulthard there is the old fox Gerhard Berger, who is 0.008 seconds ahead of Damon Hill, 0.186 seconds ahead of Michael Schumacher and 0.225 seconds ahead of his current and future teammate, Jean Alesi. Minimal differences, with the top five within 0.8 seconds. Which means that in the second attempt, if it does not rain, everything could change. Also because the protagonists of the first day of practice had something to complain about, from first to last. David Coulthard for an excessive oversteer, Gerhard Berger for the brakes blocking the wheels, Damon Hill because the balance of the car is not perfect yet, Michael Schumacher because he is in crisis with the aerodynamic set-up of his Benetton, Jean Alesi for an engine drop. Out of all of them, it is the Frenchman who is the unluckiest. Last week he had set a time of 1'25"79, during a race simulation. With a qualifying set-up, he should have done even better. Admits Jean Todt:
"We aren’t satisfied, because our cars should have been faster. We’re also determined to improve for the fans, who are extraordinary here, and for that we will have to do something".
Jean Alesi, with a somewhat grim face (but still a big heart: the French driver let in a little girl who had no ticket and cuddled her like a sister), uttered bitter words:
"In Italy, the public is all for Ferrari. And I fear that when I leave, they will abandon me. I’m sorry. But for this very reason, for a great farewell, I would like to win. I don’t know, it will be difficult, but I will try, despite everything. Today, with a new, fresh engine, I will try to attack. Then we’ll see for the race tomorrow".
In the Schumacher-Hill fight, which remains the predictable dominant competitive motif of the race, the very human hope of Alesi inserts itself, with the driver continuing to say that he will remain a Ferrari fan for the rest of his life. The goal obviously coincides with that of the Maranello team. Even if, honestly, half a miracle would be necessary: the 412 T2s tested here for four days the week before, but Williams is already ahead, and Benetton threatens to pass. Unless the Frenchman or the Austrian come up with a fabulous lap. And not only to the delight of the public. And, on the other hand, on Saturday, September 9th, 1995, if Ferrari fans were projected into the future by a time machine, they could go mad, given that David Coulthard will start from pole position and Michael Schumacher at his side, in the front row of the grid at the Gran Premio d'Italia: a result that represents the image of a possible line-up of the Maranello team in 1996. The reality of the moment, however, is less brilliant. The Scotsman still wears the Williams tracksuit and the German the Benetton one. To find the Ferrari drivers, the current ones, and not the virtual ones, you must go back to third place with Gerhard Berger and fifth for Jean Alesi. Not even bad placements, but we are in Monza. And everyone expected better. We can also speak of bad luck, but in sport - as in life - we must be able to help the good luck to strike. And Ferrari, always grappling with some problems, is unable to express itself to the maximum of its possibilities. After being first and second in the morning's free practice, Alesi and Berger did not repeat the times in qualifying, which would have allowed them to advance a few positions. The Frenchman still encounters some problems with the engine, the Austrian is slowed down by an electronic glitch. Reliability and consistency are not the strengths of the Maranello team. The scent of Ferrari (or of McLaren, it will depend on Prost's decision to race or not in 1996) instead gives David Coulthard wings. The young Scot beats everyone setting a time of 1'24"462, at an average speed of 245.933 km/h: over 0.5 seconds faster than Michael Schumacher, 0.9 seconds than Gerhard Berger, 1.2 seconds than Damon Hill and a little more than Jean Alesi.
"Two days in which everything went wrong for me, I was hoping to give a different kind of greeting to my fans."
And yet, Alesi gives his everything, despite only having the previous version of the engine available. Just look at the maximum speeds obtained in the three sectors of the circuit, where he goes, in the first and second sectors, 14 and 16 km/h faster than Gerhard Berger. Which simply means that he brakes much later, to seek an impossible result. Also Jean Todt, dissatisfied, affirms:
"Anyway, I think there's a chance to do well in the race".
A joke that, referring to the French driver, receives a dry response:
"Yes, but I'll do the race".
In the sense that Alesi, at this point, is not optimistic, but rather fatalistic and is afraid above all of the reliability that stopped him in the last three races. Knowing the person, we know that this time, too, he will give his everything, as will Berger, to at least score points. Five years ago, Jean Alesi was in Monza like today, and Dino Brambilla was there, as well that day, clinging to the gate like now, with his white Marlboro T-shirt and black knee-length trousers. Jean Alesi, the boy who had the Gilles Villeneuve poster hanging over his bed since he was 9, and who had already signed for Tyrrell and Williams, said:
"Either I race with Ferrari, or I stop".
If you ask the Brambilla fan, he remembers everything very well. Frank Williams summoned reporters, looked them in the eyes and spoke with a smile:
"I would like to know why Alesi doesn't want to race with my car. Do I stink?"
The story ended with Jean ending up where he wanted, his pout and those light eyes of a sad Frenchman. He remained what he was then, an unfinished hero, too unfortunate to win the challenge of fate. In five years, he has won just one Grand Prix, while Williams has won two world titles and more than forty races. Had he remained where he signed, Alesi would no longer be what he is. A wrong hero, with his Villeneuve poster in his bedroom, so close to the mechanic Dino Brambilla that the great Gilles keeps him as an icon in his workshop, so similar to his people who come here in procession simply to dream, just like he does. Now that his fans fill the stands with signs scribbled at home like the one that hangs at the top:
"Jean, call them if you want emotions".
Now that his fans are even able to cry for him, and that five years have gone by in vain, Jean Alesi says:
"This weekend everything went wrong. I wanted to give a different greeting to my fans. I wanted to give them at least pole position, and I've been dreaming about it these days. Maybe I'm a dreamer, but I dreamed it. There are those who tell me stop dreaming, but this is me, and in the end, I always pay for all my defeats".
After all, Jean Alesi and his fans are all here, in these sentences, victims of the same dream, a red car that fills people's imagination like a football team, like an idea, a passion. Alesi and Berger are – in different ways – the representation of these years of dreaming, pursued in vain. And now they are written on the boards, on the banners, before Schumacher arrives with his ice eyes.
"Jean and Gerhard forever in our hearts".
Or:
"Beyond the limit is Jean".
Again:
"Gerhard, look at the sky: it's the only thing bigger than you".
To which is added:
"Jean, like Gilles, without you the Ferrari heart won't beat any more".
And finally, his fans write:
"Jean, we will wait for you".
Because there is everything in the stands, even illusion, in the name of Ferrari. There are messages like:
"We are here for Alesi".
Tips for the drivers’ market:
"Eddie Irvine for Ferrari".
Or:
"Badoer at Ferrari".
And then reproached:
"If the car doesn't go, he can't improve".
Or insults:
"Lauda go away".
In the crowd around the drivers, there is the service order that, when they hear the crowd cheering for Berger, they tell:
"Get out of our way, Gerhard".
But now all of this is coming to an end, there are now six races left, as Jean Todt states, and then everything changes. Fearless Schumacher will arrive, who looked at Ayrton Senna and said:
"He’s an ace. I’m the only one who can beat him".
Well then, Schumacher does not bother too much about the hustle and bustle:
"People? Well, I don't know, I arrive too early in the morning and leave too late in the evening. I can't meet them, for now, the fans. But I find it right that they support their drivers in such a passionate way. They're right".
And also about threats, no worries:
"Yes, I heard about it. Angry Alesi fans called Benetton. All normal. I don't worry, the escort doesn't bother me, and I laugh about the danger of kidnapping".
Five years later, Jean Alesi just finished speaking:
"I have nothing more to say to my fans. I had two important days, and it went wrong. And about Sunday, I don't know".
But the Williams are faster, and Coulthard at Spa, before retiring (gearbox), was also very fast. However, as usual, there will be a game of strategies, stops for fuel and tire changes, in which Michael Schumacher has so far been a master, with Benetton. And, to complicate the Grand Prix, there is also the heat, with engines in danger and the problem of the brakes being heavily used. During practice, Luca Badoer, with the Minardi, attempted to brake very late and ended up against the barriers with the rear of his car. Then, the car ended up in the sand, flipped over and on three wheels. Fear, shock for the driver, taken to the medical center for checks: luckily, he had no problems, apart from the semi-destroyed car. David Coulthard, among other things, must also consider the position of Damon Hill in the World Championship fight. And he could be given special instructions from Williams to give way to his teammate if the situation is favourable. There is plenty of unknowns. Also for Michael Schumacher: the German, as is well known, runs sub judice. After the zigzags at Spa, he has a race suspension with conditional pending, should he repeat the behaviour. So, Michael will have to be careful. On Sunday, September 10th, 1995, during the warm-up lap of the Italian Grand Prix, poleman David Coulthard goes wide at the Ascari curve and ends up in the sand: the Scottish driver will be able to rejoin the race but will have to start in last position. At the start, Michael Schumacher is first and holds the position on Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi, who passes Damon Hill. But at the exit of the Ascari curve there was a lot of sand left by the Williams and the cars of Max Papis, Andrea Montermini, Pedro Lamy and Roberto Moreno spun. The race direction suspends the race at the beginning of the second lap, just as Gerhard Berger overtakes Michael Schumacher: the starting procedure will have to be repeated, and David Coulthard can regain his first position. It starts again and this time the Scot starts well and keeps the lead. Gerhard Berger passes Michael Schumacher, who is ahead of Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, and Jean Alesi. However, the Frenchman overtook Herbert at the Parabolica and stuck to Hill; the British Benetton driver, in the following laps, was also overtaken by Rubens Barrichello and Mika Häkkinen.
David Coulthard tries to escape, but the four men behind him manage to keep the gap small: Berger is close, while the trio Hill-Schumacher-Alesi is 1.5 seconds behind the Austrian. During lap 13, David Coulthard loses the rear of his Williams at the Roggia and ends up in the gravel: he will be able to get back on track in sixth position, but his car is too damaged, and he is thus forced to retire. Gerhard Berger then takes the lead and pushes to increase the gap from the duo of Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher: on lap 22, his lead is around 4 seconds. The following lap, however, the two great rivals of the previous season were forced to abandon the race: while lapping Taki Inoue's Footwork-Hart at the Biassono, Damon Hill broke late and hit Michael Schumacher, ending the race for both. Now completing the podium, in addition to the Austrian from Ferrari, are his teammate Jean Alesi and Rubens Barrichello. The series of pit stops begins: Gerhard Berger is the first to stop and his pit-stop, which lasted 16 seconds, puts him in the fight with Eddie Irvine and Mark Blundell, who pass him. Jean Alesi pitted a lap later and managed to rejoin the track ahead of the other Ferrari. Johnny Herbert, who was in fifth position up until now, delayed his pit-stop and, thanks to this move, overtook Mika Häkkinen and Rubens Barrichello. Now Alesi is first, ahead of Berger, Herbert, Häkkinen, Barrichello's Jordan and Frentzen's Sauber. During lap 26, at the second turn of Lesmo, Luca Badoer's Minardi goes sideways and spins; the car hits the guardrail, but fortunately the Italian driver manages to get out of the car without major problems. The probable Ferrari one-two fades away on lap 32, due to one of the strangest retirements ever seen in Formula 1: the camera car detaches from the rear wing of Jean Alesi's car and slams into the front left suspension of Gerhard Berger's car, breaking it.
While the Austrian was forced to retire, Eddie Irvine's Jordan climbed into the points; however, the Northern Irishman stopped on lap 40 due to engine failure, a fate shared also by teammate Rubens Barrichello three laps later. In the finale, Jean Alesi was keeping first position, also thanks to his 7-second advantage over Johnny Herbert, who in turn has a completely safe gap between himself and Mika Häkkinen. When there are 10 laps left to go, smoke is noticed coming out of the right rear tire of Jean Alesi's Ferrari: two laps later, the Frenchman must return to the pits, where he discovers that a bearing caught fire. Johnny Herbert thus wins the second Grand Prix of his career; behind him comes Mika Häkkinen, who gives McLaren the first podium of 1995; third is Heinz-Harald Frentzen, on with his first career podium, with Sauber-Ford. Rounding out the points zone are Mark Blundell, with the other McLaren-Mercedes, Mika Salo with the Tyrrell-Yamaha, and Jean-Christophe Bouillon, who with his Sauber-Ford starts a duel with Max Papis in the closing laps to get the last points finish. We need to light candles in church, because Ferrari no longer knows which saint to turn to. They had dominated the Italian Grand Prix for a long time, clearly giving the feeling of being able to win, and then nothing. In motor racing, it is forbidden to talk about bad luck. You reap what you sow, but this time it went really wrong for the Maranello team: two cars in the lead, the racetrack ready to explode with happiness. Instead, we go from enthusiasm to despair. Alesi is leading the race ahead of teammate Berger when the game is almost already done.
But a sort of missile coming from the Frenchman's car hits the Austrian's. Who, after a near-explosion, with the brakes locked, has to show all his skill and coolness in order not to crash off the track. Broken suspension and retirement. What happened? A unique case in the history of Formula 1. One of the cameras used for live video footage during the race detached from Alesi's car after being involuntarily hit by a mechanic during the last pit-stop. Two were installed on the Frenchman's car. One on the left bonnet, the second on the right rear wing. It was the latter that broke. It is a wing-shaped object, therefore very aerodynamic, made of a special aluminium alloy. Its weight is exactly one kilogram. These camera cars are assembled directly by FOCA TV technicians, the special television team that depends on Bernie Ecclestone, to distribute the images to the director who takes care of the broadcasts. While the two Ferraris were travelling at around 300 km/h, the camera first hung from its electric cable, then was probably shot backwards from the rear wheel, like from a slingshot. The small fireball hit the toe-in arm of Berger's car, right in front of the left-hand wheel. The driver basically lost steering wheel direction and, under tremendous braking, the suspension bent. The episode, due to an incredible fatality, also had dramatic implications. Apart from the Austrian's risk of going off the track at full speed, there was a greater danger. Still shocked, Gerhard Berger recounts:
"I saw that silver missile thing coming. A shocking thing. But I can say that I was lucky. If it had hit me on the face, even with the helmet on, I would have been dead. 100%".
This is what happened on lap 33, before the Ascari chicane, when Alesi and Berger were first and second, with a good margin of advantage over the only pursuer still validly in the race, Johnny Herbert. But Ferrari's misfortunes were not over yet. Alesi remained in the lead, alone, for another 16 laps. Quiet, with just the right pace to finish and win triumphantly. But no. Suddenly, the right rear wheel of the car began to dance. And Herbert immediately gained ground. The evil ones immediately thought, as clouds of smoke were puffing out behind the Ferrari, of an engine failure. But in the meantime, the brake disc caught fire and Jean had to go back to the pits. Reason for withdrawal: the hub holder bearing seized. What to say? This is also new. For the Frenchman, it is the fourth consecutive retirement. So, the blond and lucky Johnny Herbert went on to win the second race of his career, after Silverstone. And he moved up to third place in the World Championship, overtaking Jean Alesi himself. Further up, the standings have not changed. Damon Hill had rear-ended Michael Schumacher in the first part of the race, both remained in the same positions in the standings. In any case, the German has an advantage because now the Englishman has one race less at his disposal to make up for the 15-point disadvantage. David Coulthard, already out on the warm-up lap, then fished out by a carom on lap two that forced the race direction to restart, ended up in the sand on lap 14. In the end, a podium with consolation prize for Mika Häkkinen and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
"I was already happy with second place. Imagine the surprise when Alesi stopped. I can’t contain myself! I've been very unlucky in the past in my career. But in a short time, I made up for it. I won at home at Silverstone. And now Monza, one of the temples of motorsport. I could almost stop racing. But no, even if Benetton leaves me at home next year, I will try to get behind another steering wheel".
Johnny Herbert is the picture of happiness. Forget everything, even the controversy he had aroused last week in a column he wrote in an English newspaper, in which he accused the team of treating him like a second-class driver. Now he hopes he can help Michael Schumacher win the title. Not before, however, taking revenge on his employer by telling him to f*** off live worldwide, as he will tell a few years later:
"I was lapping well, my lap times were good, but I certainly couldn't compete with Ferrari who were going very fast. At one point, they tell me I'm first, I control the race and win. It's incredible to see all those people applauding, even if I wasn't a Ferrari driver. I get on the podium and look down. Wonderful feeling until I see two Schumacher fans who boo me and give me the middle finger. I couldn't resist, I raise my hands and answer with the double middle finger and there I'm going to fuck off. Briatore is next to me and looks at me angrily. He tells me: what the fuck are you doing, are you stupid? And since he had just fired me to take Alesi, I turn around, take the cup, give him my middle finger, and send him to fuck off in turn. If I had done it today, they would have banned me for at least six months. But at the time we were freer to act, to see two men give you the middle finger after you risked your life in a race and gave your all, it made me angry. And instinctively I reacted and then with Briatore, he had always penalized me throughout the year, he had made it of all colours, and so I sent him to hell too. I did it as a winner, not as a loser, so it was worth it".
Regrets?
"No, not at all, in fact, if I catch some journalist who reminds me of those times, I'll tell him to fuck off".
But not all the British left the national racetrack happy. Martin Brundle walked away with an official warning and the threat of heavy penalties. After a flat tire, the Ligier-Mugen Honda driver did a complete lap of the circuit on a wheel rim, leaving pieces of his car almost everywhere. Reckless behaviour given that he had no chance of rejoining the race, given that the distance from the pits was enormous. Among other things, the tough Martin almost caused big trouble for poor Gerhard Berger, the most targeted of the day in the true sense of the word. In fact, one of the debris from the Ligier-Mugen Honda body hit the Austrian's Ferrari on the right side, at the level of the passenger compartment. And it caused a collapse of the structure and a hole about thirty centimetres in diameter. The side protection bars of the car were also blown, and the driver would have risked if an accident occurred. It was not his day. The day also went wrong for Massimiliano Papis. The 25-year-old from Varese, who arrived in Formula 1 after mid-season, taking over Gianni Morbidelli’s place at Footwork-Hart, had a dream: to take a point in Monza once, the track he considers home. And he came very close: he finished in P7, 0.9 seconds behind the Frenchman Jean-Christophe Boullion who, with the Sauber-Ford, overtook him during the penultimate lap. But the incredible thing happened in the pits, during the refuelling stop. The Footwork mechanics put fuel in the tank but did not proceed to change the tyres. For what reason? We do not know, maybe to save money. So Papis, who was already driving the badly adjusted reserve car (after the accident at the first start involving Roberto Moreno, Pedro Paulo Diniz, Andrea Montermini, Jean-Christophe Boullion, and the Italian driver himself) found himself skidding across the track, with excessively worn tyres. It could have been the opportunity of a lifetime for him, too, but instead it was the most burning delusion since the start of his career. The clash between Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher continues. At Monza, the Englishman rear-ended the German driver's Benetton-Renault, and both ended up in the sand, out of the race, on lap 23. The two were teasing each other behind Gerhard Berger, who was leading the race, with an advantage of about 4 seconds.
At the Ascari variant, they reached the Footwork-Hart of the Japanese Taci Inoue. The latter moved to the left to pave the way. Michael braked in extremis and Damon, evidently disturbed by the presence of the third car, was unable to do the same. And with a masterful stroke, he pushed his rival off the road, stopping as well. The two, frowning, returned together to the pits on a bus besieged by fans. In the crowd, a Red Cross nurse was slightly injured.
"Damon even apologized to me. But that's not acceptable. It's the second time he hits me after Silverstone. He had to be more careful. You don't drive like that".
Hill's reply does not take long:
"It's ridiculous. A lapped car, Inoue, changed trajectory twice in front of me. He let Schumacher pass and then blocked me, moving further. I have no responsibility for this accident. No one can think that I did it on purpose. My car was working very well, and I was watchful, waiting to attack at the end. And I'm sure I could have won. If Michael is disappointed and angry, I'm more".
The Englishman's explanation does not convince neither the German driver nor Flavio Briatore. So, Benetton lodges a complaint and the stewards inflict a conditional suspension on Damon Hill for one race. That is, if he were to repeat a manoeuvre of the same type in Estoril, in two weeks, he would be disqualified. Michael Schumacher, after the zigzag at Spa, had received the same penalty, but he will still have to be careful during the next three races. To Flavio Briatore, already happy and favoured by Johnny Herbert's victory, it doesn't seem real to finally be able to accuse Damon Hill, between one joke and another:
"It was like in fairy tales, our Cinderella won. Herbert is trying to show us that we were wrong in not confirming him for next year (Johnny was practically fired to make room for Alesi and Berger, ed): let's hope he behaves in the same way until the end of the season. We were also happy with a second place after Schumacher's exit, I would have applauded a victory of Jean and Ferrari, but it went much differently".
Then, the Benetton manager adds:
"You've all seen what happened. With us, the judges have always been very hard, inflexible. It's time they do the same thing with others. Damon doesn't practice motor racing, but boxing, it’s not even a sport the one he does. Anyway, if he does so until the last race of the championship, it could go well for us. Michael continues to lead, and we are gaining valuable points in the constructors' championship. We have created an even bigger gap to Williams".
David Coulthard's speech was less fiery, a hero in qualifying and a great disappointment in the race. An incredible exit from the track during the warm-up lap, then a spin due to a technical problem like the one that stopped Alesi. But the Scotsman does not admit that he made both mistakes:
"When I arrived first at the Ascari corner, there was something slippery on the asphalt, maybe some oil. And the car spun without warning. Then I was lucky because the start was repeated, and I was able to retake the pole position. But it wasn't meant today. I was leading without problems when I started feeling a vibration in the right front wheel. I went back on track, but the technicians found that a bearing had broken. Too bad, I think I could have easily fought for the win. But I can make a promise: before the end of the year, I'll be able to get on the top step of the podium".
They say the worst defeat is the one you do not expect. Jean Alesi expected to lose before the start and dreamed of winning an hour later. Yet, he learned that:
"The ugliest defeat is the one that takes away a piece of you, because life matters more than anything and now, I'm a bit dead inside".
A particular day, a Sunday with pale sun and a full moon, in his dreams, in a red Ferrari with the number #27. And at 5:00 p.m., Monza is like a circus that takes off its tents because the season is now over, and when it comes back here again, everything will be so different, and even the actors will have changed, all the acrobats, the dwarfs, and the dancers, and even the party will no longer be this. Jean is right, with a sad face:
"I will remember it for all my life".
The show goes on, but this Sunday is really over forever, and next time there won't be these flags any more, and the embrace of the people, and there won't even be any more boos for Michael Schumacher, the German who will take his place. Jean, who loses and who leaves, now confesses that he cried:
"I grew up in these five years, and year after year with these people, surrounded by this passion. And I told Kumiko, who was crying seeing all this. It has become my life. Et alors, vous comprenez…".
It was the last chance and to the French reporters, the day he loses and leaves, Jean also confesses to having disobeyed Ferrari:
"When I noticed that the right rear wheel was moving, I warned the team, and they told me on the radio to continue, not to stop. But I didn't want to, because it was no longer needed, and you couldn't risk".
He went into the pits, and slipped slowly as the flags went down. It was 4:34 p.m. of a particular day. And when he got off the car, Jean saw his mechanics cry, he saw the massive Benassi bent over his ulcer and Claudio Bisi, the blond, who looked at him as if he was attending a funeral. And then, he saw his brother with his hands on his bald head and everyone around who did not know what to do, what to say.
"What's up, guys, this is sport. It's like getting to the final and losing on penalties".
For him, there is also something more, and he confesses it later, when he says:
"These people are like me, and I owed them something, as one owes a son, or a father, one of your family".
Too bad it ended like this. With this hymn to bad luck, the people clapping, Jean Alesi leaving among the flags and his mechanics bowing their heads, while the speaker Luigi Vignando screams like a madman:
"Look at him, Jean: he put his heart into it, and it wasn't enough, bad luck took away a victory that already seemed ours".
He did not say his, he said ours, of the Italians, and this is perhaps somewhat true.
Now, there are helicopters circling in the sky, and there is the silence of defeat on the notes of Beethoven greeting the crowd of Monza. Gerhard Berger is also disconsolate:
"This time it was just bad luck".
The cars that worked well, the track, favourable to 12-cylinder engines as Jean Alesi recalls, and then two cursed accidents that destroyed the dream. A piece of the French driver’s camera detaches and makes Berger go off. 4:15 pm, lap 32. And after, with 7 laps to go, Alesi’s accident:
"The suspension, like in Spa. But this time the causes seemed different to me. I must have touched something, I don't know, some fragment on the road".
But one can joke about it, as Jean Alesi tries to do:
"Berger? I unhooked the camera to get him out of my face".
Jean remembers:
"And to think that at first, I was also going to laugh. When I saw Hill and Schumacher take themselves out, I wanted to take a pen and erase their names: two short".
It was 4:01 p.m., lap 23. At 3:47 p.m., accompanied by a roar of joy, David Coulthard had gone out, ending up in the sand of a chicane. It is not sporting spirit to wave flags in the face of other people's misfortunes, but it was one of those days, a bit special. It had begun in the morning, when the stadium chants had welcomed Michael Schumacher and Jean Alesi. Whistles and applause.
"Alesi yes, Schumacher no".
Now, when a reporter asks him what he thinks, Jean replies angrily:
"I don’t care".
And if the reporter insists, he repeats it for good:
"I don't care at all whether the fans love him or not. This will be his problem. My problem today was another, that I wanted to win for them".
And when a French journalist tells him that he came close to a second victory, Jean almost stops him:
"For me it would not have been the second victory. If it had happened, this would have been a unique one".
No result, however. When the circus closes, the layout of a huge red heart also appears among the crowd.
"We had prepared it because we believed in the result".
The fans say:
"We really thought Alesi would have won".
Maybe that was it. It does not matter if, rereading this particular day, one wants to think that Jean Alesi would have lost anyway, even if it had not ended like this, even if he really had beaten everyone. In the Monza circus, the Frenchman who dreamed of Ferrari #27 had already lost his race. But in the most messy and worst organized Formula 1 Grand Prix, it also happens that a Red Cross volunteer is beaten up by fans who want to stop a bus taking Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher to the pits, as well as brawls, scams, and thefts. In the morning, it also happens that the guys from the security service, who are supposed to control the access of the crowd to the park and to the stands, become scalpers by selling passes for seats behind the pits and permits for parking near the stands. They approach the cars queuing and give away everything in exchange for 10.000 lire. The result is that already at 10:00 a.m., the parking lots are full and there is no more room for those who have to work. There are 70.000 paying visitors, far from sold out, but the crowd is incredible. After all, Bernie Ecclestone is right, the boss of Formula 1, who bursts out against the organizers of the Monza circuit and this disorder:
"What is going on here is truly inconceivable. All kinds of things are happening, things we can’t accept, ranging from illegal traffic inside the racetrack, to thefts, to the absolute lack of control over who enters and who leaves the circuit. So, as far as I'm concerned, the day the contract expires, if they can't demonstrate that they're capable of taking things seriously, I could seriously consider racing at Mugello".
On Monday, September 11th, 1995, Flavio Briatore, the winner, and Jean Todt, the loser, clashed during the morning by telephone, in a debate carried out through the Italian sports broadcast of Rai 1. To tell the truth, fortunately, they are far apart, otherwise they would have kissed and hugged each other. A diplomatic attitude with an exchange of compliments, amid questions from fans and onlookers. Briatore, would you go to Ferrari?
"Todt is already here, let him work. Next year he will have Schumacher. Fortunately, at Benetton, we can stay calm. We’ll try to show that we don’t depend on Michael, and we will try to make Alesi and Berger win. A good challenge. In any case, I'm sorry that Ferrari didn't win".
And what do you think of Hill?
"I think he's out of his mind. He realizes that he can't finish first, and then he messes up".
Todt, why yet another disappointment?
"What we have seen in Monza doesn’t represent the real Ferrari. This is called bad luck. We had to be first and second. The bearing that broke, for example. We had replaced it earlier than necessary compared to the expected life span".
Let's talk about the future. Why did you let Berger and Alesi go to change everything?
"The contracts were expiring. We opted for Schumacher. This is part of Formula 1 life".
But when Enzo Ferrari was there, the Maranello team built the champions by itself.
"Times have changed".
The many mistakes in the pits, why would you not replace the mechanics?
"It wouldn't be fair; they are very good. Sunday, everything happened in an instant. If we had won, we would have been heroes, now we are the worst".
And now you are still betting on Coulthard?
"I can only give my opinion. In the first run, he made a mistake, but it had also happened to some World Champions. During the second, he had a breakdown on the car".
In 1994 there were some problems, this year there were more, what are the predictions for 1996?
"We had to rebuild the team. In the next season, we’ll have everything we need, and we’ll work together. As far as breakdowns are concerned, we try to solve every problem quickly and in the best way possible".
Why is Barnard not in the pits any more?
"He's planning the car for 1996".
The conflicts with Lauda?
"We have clarified the situation".
Florio was fired with nine victories. And you only got two...
"Ask Montezemolo".
In the meantime, the bitter taste does not pass for Jean Alesi, after the great disillusionment, despite the consoling presence of Kumiko, his beautiful and sweet Japanese companion. It is a different Alesi compared to the other times. At first, he looked like Samson: he fell and always got up full of energy. Now it seems that they have cut his hair, like the strong giant. He seems to be without strength, especially psychological. So much so that he even gave up going to Mugello to carry out a series of scheduled tests. Indeed, he asks Ferrari to be excluded from this kind of activity from now on (Nicola Larini and Gerhard Berger will take care of it). It could also be the discouragement of the moment, given the shocking character of the boy of Sicilian origin. But now the crisis is deeper, perhaps irreversible. Why?
"The reason is simple. I don't believe it, any more. I’ve always convinced myself that things would change, that sooner or later we would really make a leap in quality. Even after the decision to go to Benetton, I was determined to give my best for my current team. Now I will continue to work on the track, but it seems useless to work if it is good for nothing. I spoke on the phone with Montezemolo. But I didn't have much to tell him, also because he was more disappointed than me".
Do you really think that Ferrari won't be able to grab a victory or valid results before the end of the season?
"I don't know, as things are now, no. We probably also had bad luck on Sunday in Monza. But unfavourable fate is only the consequence of what one builds. We had an important advantage in the Italian Grand Prix, that of having been able to test the cars for four days and having prepared them well. We’ve not been able to exploit it. For many reasons. Let me give you an example: Williams and Benetton use two engines per car every weekend. One for practice and the other for the race. Except of course when unforeseen problems arise. Four engines were changed on my car in three days, because there were always issues. Then, on Sunday, the maximum was reached: Berger was not happy with his latest version V12. Then the one that was on my car was removed and put on Gerhard's spare car. I took his. Nothing wrong. But when you work in a hurry, and cars are built and rebuilt, the risk of having problems is always higher".
It has been seen that the problem of the detached (and already unstable) camera may have been caused by an involuntary collision with a wheel while they were being replaced during the pit-stop…
"This is of little importance. One time it's the engine, another time the camera, then a wire, then a bearing. But can’t go on like this, it's negative".
Ferrari's performance in Monza, especially in the race, was brilliant...
"Even that doesn't make count much. Our team prepares the Monza race almost as if it was the only commitment of the year. We had to be strong. But above all we had to take 16 points. What did we do instead? Zero points, zero. This is the real result. This is not pessimism, it’s realism".
Aerodynamic changes have been announced for the next race in two Sundays in Portugal.
"We’ll see. Meanwhile, we already know that Williams will bring an almost totally renovated car. They're already going faster and if they take another step forward, who's going to stop them any more? In fact, maybe we can do it. If it rains".
Alesi's goal of finishing at least third in the Drivers' World Championship, however, is still within reach, even if Herbert now occupies the position behind Schumacher and Hill.
"I don't want to have any more illusions. And I don't think it will be easy to recover anyway. Do you know what I've been doing for the past two months? Four consecutive DNFs".
At this point, Alesi may not even be interested in the future of Ferrari any more. But is there a cure for healing the Maranello team?
“They took all the best, including Schumacher. Evidently, if they don't win or won't win, someone will need to take the blame".
Whose names, let's make names...
"Well no. This no. You think about this. I don't think it's a very difficult guessing game…".
The Frenchman asks to be exempt from track tests.
"This work serves no purpose any more”.