From: koopman@fys.ruu.nl (Rob Koopman)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport
Subject: F1 Portugal--AutoSprint  summary
Summary: summary of articles in AutoSprint nr 40
Keywords: GP Portugal, F1 'news'
Date: 12 Oct 92 22:03:22 GMT
Organization: Physics Department, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands

Another summary of news from AutoSprint. Issue nr 40 was printed
after the Portugese GP (and before the Estoril tyre tests).

- Prost will probably drive the nr 1 plate in '93, just like
Peterson in '74

-Summary of '93 rules: Max wheelwidth: 15", max width of car: 200 cm 
(front track must thus be reduced), Max distance between front wing's
leading edge and front axle: 90 cm. Max height: 95 cm except roll bar (100
cm) [I wonder whether the FISA will treat the airboxes as part of the
roll bars or not], Min surface area of head rest: 400cm^2. Min height
of front wing above flat bottom: 4cm. front wing end-plates may no
longer extend behind the front axle. 

-Tyres: rear width: 15" (was 17.75) diameter 25"95 (25"88)
        front       11"88   (12"66) diameter 1.2 cm more          
-Wheels [see AS39 summary but:] optimum front wheel size unclear

-Editorial: on Berger Patrese incident; Berger violated article
133 by not raising his hand. B. made similar move across track on
previous lap. Unsympathy is expressed with regard to persons who
put the blame on Patr, especially if they have done so before with
regard to an accident in which they were involved themselves in
for example 1978, oven more so if they did so whilst speaking on
BBC television.....        Ed: Carlo Cavicchi.

-Post race interviews:  Patrese: " some drivers should stay home if they
don't know the rules. [..] At a certain point I only saw the sky
[= il cielo] and I was afraid I would land in heaven [= il cielo]"
   Alesi: "I feel that I have been abandoned by the team, they have
to explain why the car is so awful" (on another page it is explained
that Jean heard rumours that Berger would have exclusive rights to the
spare car, and that negotiations with Senna had been re-opened)
  Postlethwaite: "I understand Jean, I understand him well, when we
provide him with a good car he'll be champion"
 Alboreto: "I could not stand finishing 7th anymore, so I kept
pushing in spite of negative fuel readout. fortunately, the readout   
was incorrect"

-The French connection: It is rumoured that, if Ligier is sold to 
Dennis/Ojjeh, Peugeot want to buy the Ligier buildings at Magny Cours.

-rumour: Al Jr.--> Benetton, Patrese->Williams, Brundle + FordHB -->
Ligier.    Also: Senna and Luca de Montezemolo were negotiating by
phone on the monday after GP Port.

-Larousse: '93 Comstock-Larousse, Comstock will own 60% 
-Emerson Fittipaldi presents '93 New York City IndyCar race (up&down
West st, left trn ->Liberty st, left ->Church, left> Versey, right> West.
-Illien threatens not to supply engines to March for Japan and Australia
unless March finally pays. Next year only one team receives current v10
-Dallara engineer Stanzani (got that TVP?, I forgot to include this)
proposes very strict rules for checking fuels to FISA. e.g. splecial
tap in fuel line that allows FISA personell to rapidly take fuel
monsters.
-Fondmetal probably retires now that Oliver Beretta's father is unlikely
to buy the team.
-Minardi reconsiders Lamborghini. Just when Ford deal seemed closed,
Lambo makes new offer.
-Zanardi tests active Benetton, track debut of automatic gearbox in
November (the X-trac, not the PDK, that one is expected in '94).
-Both Oz and Speedline made offers to Williams to replace their 
Fondmetal wheels.
-Jordan possibly with Hart or Ford in '93.

-Nannini column: on Berger  "no excuses"
                 on Mansell retirement from F1  "never say never"
[his ferrari test drive is planned for october 15]

-Statistics: Alboreto finished in all races except one, Mansell is the
only driver in the all time  top three  of number of poles, fastes laps
and victories, Brundle scores in 7 consecutive races. 

-Ferrari's new GTO: Currently in Shalford, soon near Milton Keynes.
New aerodynamicist: Dominique Smith will have his own windtunnel.
Now Barnard shares the Southampton wind tunnel with McLaren.
-Ferrari 644B: Interim car [note Barnard style 644B in stead of F92B]
built by Ryton, electronics by Francia, except for active suspension:
developed by Visconti in cooperation with Magneti Marelli (oops 2 more
TVP). Week before Estoril, Larini did a 1'05".68 at Fiorano with an
F92A (not AT)  with active ride. Mid-november it will be run on an
f92AT and in december on the 644B [!].
Ferrari 645: ..will have a sequential automatic gearbox just like 
Williams (motorcycle style).

-Williams FW15:[AS observations indentical to mine in FW15 letter
except:]  *dissapearance of transmission oil cooler is not mentioned
[maybe it is hidden between the rear wing supports??]
          *trailing edge of undertray curves upward in central section
in Benetton Style. This FW15 undertray was immediately adopted by the
FW14B during GP.
At Paul Ricard, the FW 15 will be compared with the FW14B, after that
a '93 version of the FW15 will be built and compared with the already
existing FW14B'93. 

-Ferrari F92AT'93 [sorry for the mix up, it's getting really late!!]
(test version with narrower front track, lower rear wing, and modified
front wing) has new uprights which allow the use of Brembo's 6 piston
calipers.

-Jordan used Judd prepared Yamaha's for the first time, new injector
position, new (wider) airbox, more news in Japan.

-Estoril tyre tests: 
modifications:        none:    Dallara
                front wing:    Lotus
    front track,front wing:    Williams, Jordan
front track, fr and rr wing:   all others      

             
That's it
Rob Koopman
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport