From: cjp53999@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Cory James Padfield)
Subject: Re: F1: Silly season continues...
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 18:10:14 GMT

aghao@sersun2.essex.ac.uk (Aghanya O A) writes:

>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! :-)]

     I agree with you, Obi. Senna looks to be out of luck. Mansell isn't 
     going to another team, maybe out of racing all together though. And
     Prost's connections with Elf and Renault seem to make him a more
     secure bet than Senna. Just my $0.02.

Regards,
Cory

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