From: PHT007%SIRIUS.UKC.AC.UK@ib.rl.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport
Subject: Christmas wishes and final feelings on 1992!
Date: 15 Dec 1992 09:57:25 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

Well Merry Christmas everyone, and a prosperous New Year!!
I'm going home on Thursday so this is about my last oppertunity to post until
next year, (Also I'm bored!) so I thought I would take this oppertunity to
summarise the 1992 F1 season, from my own point of view.

Before the season started I was looking forward to a good year for Benetton,
hoping that they could be Championship contenders, aiming for 2nd in the title
race. Realistically I beleived that they would be a definate third. Of the
other contneders, Williams would be good (but just how good I had no inclin),
McLaren would struggle, and that Jordan had made the biggest mistake of his
career in going with Yamaha.

Still the season started, abismally for me. Mansell winning 4 out of 4 rounds
Martin 4 non finishes out of 4! Dispite being a Mansell hater, I began to
support him, in trying to beat the record  for wins at the start of the season,
only he didn't beat 5! That Monaco finish was exciting, but not racing I felt,
as Nigel had a clear advantage over Ayrton, but just couldn't get through. It
just reinforced my feelings that Monanco is not a good place to race. Also
Ayrton seemed to be following the tactic of holding everyone up, not good for a
world champion, especially as he was holding up the great Benetton team!!

Already by then I had realised that no-one was going to beat Mansell or
Williams and that the real fight in the Championshipsa was for 2nd place. This
was really good as we had Benetton fighting hard with the almighty McLaren. It
was from here that I felt 1992 really took off.

Most of the races seemed to blur, but as far as the constructors title, I
really felt that Benetton were going to beat McLaren, they were going far
better than even I had anticipated...and I LOVED it, I only wished that they
would win some races just to make the point. When Michael did it in Belgium, it
was so warming to see him right from seeing him out of the car and in the
interview...at last someone who was thrilled to bits to have won. Not just to
have won bye inheritance but by good mature driving tactics, I certainly
beleive that He would have held Nigel off if need be! I was just really annoyed
that I couldn't see the race live as I had to work! Travelling home I had my
Brother giving me gentle hints that I would like the result, almost to the
point of me guessing the result without seeing the race, Grrr!!

The last few races were a little dissapointing as the results were not as good
as hoped and McLaren re-took 2nd, but in all it was a very good year scoring
their highest points ever, and being only 8 points behind McLaren.

On a final note (as I have got to go to a Lecture now) I laughed so much when
Senna and Mansell went out together in Australia, as at that time I thought
that neither would be back to F1, a fitting end to careers that were linked by
conflict!!!!

Well I look forward to 1993, and hope Benetton win!

Dirk Gently.


Final standings for the Formula One World___Championship of 1992.
                                         \  \____                       ______
Micheal Schumacher : 3rd  }  53           |      \_____                /      |
Martin Brundle     : 6th  }  38           |  **3rd**   \_______       | 19,20 |
                      ____________/\______/    (91)            \___   | FORD  |
    ___________ -----/                  __________________________  -----  V8 |
   /______    /   _   \  M.Brundle     /                          /   _   \   |
  ____||__\__(   (_)   ) M.Schumacher |    BENETTON FORMULA 1    (   (_)   )__|
 /__________\_\       / ______________|__________________________ \       /
                -----          THE ONLY TEAM THAT COUNTS            -----

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