From: lms@rle-vlsi.mit.edu (Luis Miguel Silveira)
Subject: Re: Mansell and Senna
Reply-To: lms@rle-vlsi.mit.edu
Organization: Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of
	Technology
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 22:31:07 GMT



   In article <1dlmjuINN3ic@bHARs12c.bnr.co.uk>
   irw@bharh58.bnr.co.uk (Ian Woollard) writes:

   Explanations:

   a) Senna deliberately running into the back of Mansell
   b) Mansell 'brake testing' Senna
   c) Mansell and Senna jointly making a mistake
   d) Problem with either car

What about a possible:

e) Senna running into the back of Mansell (not deliberately, let us
call it brain fade)

This is what most Senna-haters (and most TV commentators) are claiming
as most likely)

   We might rule out d) since Mansell complained to the authorities,
   he had little to gain by doing so, if there was a failure in his car.
   There was a report in one newspaper that Mansells traction control
   system failed, but as far as I know this has not been substantiated.
   Senna didn't report a failure to his car either. 

I would believe that Mansell would would complain no matter what.  In
Canada he complained and seemingly he had no reason to.

   a) seems unlikely: Senna could only lose in the points by such a manouevre.

That takes away the "deliberate" but it still may have been a mistake.

   I'm alot less sure.

   The options b), c) remain likely, lets look at b).

   Facts:

[several observations that who lend to believe that Mansell
premeditated the whole thing]

I sincerely doubt that any of the two drivers made a mistake on
purpose.  Simply because they had nothing to gain and a lot to loose.

Senna wanted the points/victory to try and be second in the standings.
He knew that he would most likely not come out of such an incident.

Mansell no doubt wanted to win his last F1 race (just in case he
actually ends up in Indy cars).  He had a lot more to gain by actually
winning the race and retiring as an "untouchable" driver+winner.

Besides, I doubt that at those speeds, after several laps, any of them
had the mental concentration to perform such a manoeuver on purpose
(yes, I know Senna did it on Japan once but that was different, he did
right at the start when he knew he was going to be very close to
Prost).

So my vote goes for either mechanical failure or brain-fade (from
either or both drivers).

-Miguel


ps - who really cares ?  Senna haters will be Senna-haters forever and
Mansell/Senna lovers see nothing else anyway...


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Luis Miguel Silveira                            e-mail : lms@rle-vlsi.mit.edu
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