From: aghao@sersun2.essex.ac.uk (Aghanya O A)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport
Subject: F1: Silly season continues...
Date: 27 Aug 92 09:23:37 GMT
Reply-To: aghao@sersun2.essex.ac.uk (Aghanya O A)
Organization: University of Essex, Colchester, UK

Greetings.

Well, hasn't it been an interesting season? (more off the track than on, I
grant you!).  Now, the silly season is well under way, in the world of F1
as well as in the mini-universe of rec.autos.sport (you can tell - we usually
have arguments about who was the best driver, why losers lost, Senna is a bad 
driver, cross-posting wars, rec.autos.sport.pedal.car.racing.in.my.living.room 
battles, etc, etc, ad infinitum).

Before you leap to the 'R' button to send me crashing down in sheets of flame,
I was just testing to see if you were awake! [ie joke, eh?] 8-)

Anyway, rumours are flying around, announcements are being made, and the
jigsaw is falling into place.  So, what exactly do we know so far?

Well, Patrese has gone to Benetton.  This means that either Schumacher has 
joined  a team like McLaren or Williams, or Brundle is out on his ear (which is
more likely).  We have just heard that Berger has resigned for Ferrari, 
initially for 2 years, with an option for a third year.  So that's 2 drivers
settled.  Plus 2 vacancies.

It is also suggested that Mark Blundell (the McLaren chief test driver), might
well replace Berger in the team.  This would actally make sense, because Mark
is young, has driven F1 cars for a few seasons now, but more importantly, has
driven the McLaren for nearly 2 years, and was the Williams test driver before
that (helping to develop the FW14).  He is thus experienced in the way McLaren 
works, and knows the car intimately.  He will probably also be cheaper!

As far as engines for McLaren are concerned, the latest rumour is that they
will receive Mugen V10s when Honda pull out.  With Senna looking increasingly
likely to depart McLaren (he wants to anyway), old Ron might well have a hard 
time in 1993.  However, I'm sure he won't be down for long, if at all...

What about Prost?  Well, I still havent heard an official announcement about
him, but Frank Williams has a unique problem on his hands.  Three World
Champions clamouring to plant their bums in one of his cars, but he can only
provide two of them with equipment.  Someone is going to be very upset...

Who will it be?  Mansell?  Well, it would solve the problem rather neatly for 
Frank, wouldn't it?  Mansell retires as world champion, 2 vacancies, the 
top two drivers driving for his team.  There are problems though.  Mansell
will probably whinge and whine, moan and groan until he was blue in the face,
and then do it some more!  There will also be a serious backlash against the 
team over what would (rightly or wrongly) be seen as shoddy tratment of
a man who had clinched the title for an ungrateful team.  Frank would have
to think very carefully about letting Nigel go.

Prost?  Well the same advantages as above apply here.  However, I don't think
Renault and Elf would be too pleased about the ommission of the great Frenchman 
in the Williams 1993 lineup.  In fact, they might well be tempted to take their
business elsewhere (like McLaren for example?), squeezing Prost back into a 
McLaren seat.  1987/88 all over again.  You'd have Senna and Mansell driving
the best handling, but slowest car in the field.  No, I can't see Prost being 
left out...

Senna?  Well, he IS the rank outsider, trying to spoil the party for the
other drivers.  However, he IS also quite right, the choice of driver should be
based purely on competence at the wheel, and not on nationality.  He has as
much right to chase after a Williams berth as anyone else, and would be
justifiably miffed if he was prevented from having a fair crack at the 1993 
title simply because he was Brazilian.  He will also come cheap...

Erm, yes.  I think all of a sudden, being in control of a $50M operation is
rather less fun than I might have imagined earlier.  Maybe that's why Frank
always looks cold...

Personally, I think Senna will be out of luck.  Not because I don't like him, 
because I may support Mansell, but not blindly.  I admire Ayrton greatly, but
feel that he will probably have to stick with McLaren for 1 more year, then 
join Ferrari, where John Barnard will provide him with the sort of equipment
he feels he requires.  That would let Frank of the hook, and as I can't see 
Mansell lasting much longer in the sport (or Prost), he would then have the
pick of the field.  Any other course of action could have serious consequences
for the Williams team.  Still, it's just my opinion!

I'll get Autosport in a few hours, and report any exciting news I find.

Cheers,

	Obi.

===============================================================================
    .-----,   .           !    Obi Aghanya
   /     /   /        @   !    Fault Tolerant Systems Research Group
  /     /   /----,   /    !    Dept. of Comp. Sci, University of Essex
 /     /   /    /   /     !    Colchester  CO4 3SQ,  UK
(_____'   (____'   (__    !    EMAIL : aghao@essex.ac.uk
       (Waterloo in '92 - for Ayrton! :-) [Told you so! :-)]
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport