From: apayton@acorn.co.uk (Andrew W Payton)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport
Subject: John Watson on German GP
Date: 23 Jul 92 10:17:16 GMT
Organization: Acorn Computers Ltd, Cambridge, England


 John Watson on the German G/Prix

 Extract from BBC CEEFAX
                                        
 As usual Hockenheim is the point in the
 season when all the team wheeling and  
 dealing really starts to flow.         
                                        
 Right now, the stakes seem more crucial
 than at any time I can remember with   
 engines, drivers and designers the main
 commodities.                           
                                        
 Alain Prost looks likely to join       
 Williams and obviously Nigel Mansell is
 not delirious about the thought of this
 after their relationship at Ferrari.   
                                        
 Mansell's concerns are not about       
 Prost's speed on the race track but    
 about Prost's ability to manipulate a  
 team effort to focus upon him.         
                                         
 Ayrton Senna is uncommitted to any team
 for 1993 and McLaren, where he won his 
 three world titles, also face a Honda  
 withdrawal from Formula One.           
                                        
 Ferrari are very anxious to secure the 
 services of Senna.                     
                                        
 But, although the team currently have  
 the budget to satisfy Senna, their     
 technical level presently needs        
 strengthening.                         
                                        
 A move like this is obviously focusing 
 on 1994, since to implement the        
 technical changes would take time.     
                                        
 I believe one of the key figures for   
 next year is neither a team owner or a 
 driver.                                
                                        
 John Barnard has been one of the most  
 influential engineers in Formula One   
 over the past decade.                  
                                        
 Ferrari believe that Barnard is the key
 to Ayrton Senna.                       
                                        
 But should he rejoin the team,         
 undoubtedly a degree of relocation of  
 this mostly Italian team would be      
 essential.                             
                                        
 How about a British racing green       
 prancing horse?                        
                                        
 At the German Grand Prix this weekend, 
 speculation for the future will be to  
 the fore.                              
                                        
 To some extent this may overshadow the 
 Grand Prix itself but, in my opinion,  
 nothing will stop the remorseless      
 charge of Nigel Mansell towards his    
 first World Championship.              
                                        
 Expect to see yet another Williams one-
 two at Hockenheim on Sunday.           
                                        
 The battle behind Williams will be     
 fought between the two Benettons, the  
 two McLarens and at least one Ferrari. 
 Add both Lotus, a Ligier and a Tyrrell 
 and we could see a compelling race.    
                                        
 As far as the German public are        
 concerned there will be only one man   
 they are interested in on Sunday.      
                                        
 Michael Schumacher will be competing in
 his first German Grand Prix and the    
 expectations on him will be enormous.  
                                        
 Spicing up Schumacher's home Grand Prix
 will be the developing conflict he and 
 Ayrton Senna are embroiled in.         
                                        
 Last week they were involved in a      
 pushing and shoving match during a     
 test. I do not believe either driver is
 prepared to give way on the circuit and
 I just hope common sense prevails      
 throughout the weekend.                
                                        
 There have been a number of changes at 
 Hockenheim, principally at the Ostkurve
 at the far end of the circuit.         
                                        
 This has a much slower entry than      
 before - for safety reasons, we are    
 told. Yet driver reaction indicates it 
 is actually more dangerous than the    
 previous corner.                       
                                        
 The two chicanes remain the same but   
 one-off areas have now been            
 incorporated. A new pit complex tops   
 off the work at Hockenheim.            
                                        
 The circuit appears to be marginally   
 slower but the race distance remains at
 45 laps of the 4.226 mile circuit.     


---Andrew

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