F1 Racing - UK (2020-07)

GP RACING JULY 2020 71

HE SWEPT TO ANOTHER

HOME WIN AT

SILVERSTONE, AND

IN HUNGARY, IN HIS

176TH RACE AND 13TH F1

CAMPAIGN, MANSELL WAS

CROWNED CHAMPION

Hillwentfromtestdriver,withoutevenanF3000

victory tohisname,toracewinnerin1993,and

wasaperfectreplacementforMansell

ride, his old prejudices long forgotten. The brute

strength in his forearms on the tiny steering

wheel helped – no power assistance back then –

but so toodid his faith. A slight delay in turn-in

feedback created a floating sensation that Patrese

couldn’t get his head around – but Mansell

would just commit, trusting his clever car to

catapult him through and out of a corner on to

the next straight. It’s here thatMansell earned

the respect some still deny him.

But for all the wonders on track, the games

off it were causing the kind of grief Frank and

Patrick just couldn’t stand. Drivers: are they

really worth the pain?

On sabbatical after his sacking from Ferrari,

Prost was working hard to get into the best F1

car on the grid for 1993 – and itdidn’ t hurt that

Frank had always been a fan. Mansell, on hisway

to a certain title and still sore from 1990, was

ruffled by Alain’s confirmation – and then Senna

threw in his oar by offering to drive for free! In

their midst, Patrese signed for Benetton, certain

he’d be left standing in the high-stakes game of

musical chairs – but at Monza was left kicking

himself when Mansell flounced, announcing his

‘retirement’ again as negotiations with Williams

broke down. Patrese had given Benetton his

word – and being a gentleman felt bound to it.

A fine five-year stint at theteam was over.

As Mansell crossed the Atlantic for a stunning

campaign in Indycars, F1 fans contemplated who

would land the most coveted drive in F1.

Prost had a veto on Senna (fairenough, given

what had passed between them)... so attention

swung to the test driver.

Damon Hill hadn’t even won a Formula 3000

race, but earned respect at Williams over his

many thousands of testing miles. Being the

son of the late Graham Hill added unwanted

attention, but the British tabloids loved it,

quickly swapping their outrage for the team that

had ‘ousted Our Nige’ to demanding Williams

‘give Our Damon the drive’. Frank and Patrick

took little notice – then hired Hill anyway. With

Prost in the other car, there waslittle to lose.

To some,canny politics bought Prost his

fourth worldtitle before he’dturned a wheel, as

Senna – who had almostsigned for Williams for

1992 – raged ina McLaren nowpowered by a

relatively humble customer Ford V8. There was

the embarrassmentof sodden Donington at the

track’s one-offEuro pean GP in April. But inan

FW15C thatsimply honed perfection, adriver of

Prost’s qualitywas always going to prevail. The

team loved working with him as hepicked his way

to sevenwins and the Renault-powered title he’d

missed out ona de cade before. Meanwhile, Hil l

led at Silverstone before his engine blew,endured

the agony of a puncture while in sight of a win at

Hockenheim... then blazed to an unlikely hat-trick

in Hungary, at Spaand at Monza Already33, the

man with a zeroon his nose had repaidthe faith.

But two ‘inevitables’ were on the horizon: with

Prost’s title assured andthe Frenchman tiring of

F1 politics, the path was clear for Frank Williams

to finally hook Senna, more than tenyear s after

he’d given the Brazilian a trial run in an FW08C

at Donington. Also his team’s hard work was

undone as the ‘gizmos’ – active suspension,

traction control, ABS – were outlawed for 1994.

But with Head and Newey, strength in depth,

awesome Renault power and the fastest racing

driver in the world Williams surely had nothing

to fear.What couldpossibly gowrong?

TenyearsafterheranAyrtonSennainaWilliams

atDonington,whentheBrazilianwasstillinBritish

F3,Frankfinallygothismanforthe1994season...

GP RACING JULY 2020 71

HE SWEPT TO ANOTHER

HOME WINAT

SILVERSTONE, AND

IN HUNGARY, IN HIS

176TH RACE AND 13TH F1

CAMPAIGN, MANSELL WAS

CROWNED CHAMPION

Hillwentfromtestdriver,withoutevenanF3000

victory tohisname,toracewinnerin1993,and

wasaperfectreplacementforMansell

ride, his old prejudices long forgotten. The brute
strength in his forearms on the tiny steering
wheel helped – no power assistance back then –
but so toodid his faith. A slight delay in turn-in
feedback created a floating sensation that Patrese
couldn’t get his head around – but Mansell
would just commit, trusting his clever car to
catapult him through and out of a corner on to
the next straight. It’s here thatMansell earned
the respect some still deny him.
But for all the wonders on track, the games
off it were causing the kind of grief Frank and
Patrick just couldn’t stand. Drivers: are they
really worth the pain?
On sabbatical after his sacking from Ferrari,
Prost was working hard to get into the best F1
car on the grid for 1993 – and itdidn’ t hurt that
Frank had always been a fan. Mansell, on hisway
to a certain title and still sore from 1990, was
ruffled by Alain’s confirmation – and then Senna
threw in his oar by offering to drive for free! In
their midst, Patrese signed for Benetton, certain
he’d be left standing in the high-stakes game of
musical chairs – but at Monza was left kicking
himself when Mansell flounced, announcing his
‘retirement’ again as negotiations with Williams
broke down. Patrese had given Benetton his
word – and being a gentleman felt bound to it.
A fine five-year stint at theteam was over.
As Mansell crossed the Atlantic for a stunning
campaign in Indycars, F1 fans contemplated who
would land the most coveted drive in F1.
Prost had a veto on Senna (fairenough, given

what had passed between them)... so attention

swung to the test driver.

Damon Hill hadn’t even won a Formula 3000

race, but earned respect at Williams over his

many thousands of testing miles. Being the

son of the late Graham Hill added unwanted

attention, but the British tabloids loved it,

quickly swapping their outrage for the team that

had ‘ousted Our Nige’ to demanding Williams

‘give Our Damon the drive’. Frank and Patrick

took little notice – then hired Hill anyway. With

Prost in the other car, there waslittle to lose.

To some,canny politics bought Prost his

fourth worldtitle before he’dturned a wheel, as

Senna – who had almostsigned for Williams for

1992 – raged ina McLaren nowpowered by a

relatively humble customer Ford V8. There was

the embarrassmentof sodden Donington at the

track’s one-offEuro pean GP in April. But inan

FW15C thatsimply honed perfection, adriver of

Prost’s qualitywas always going to prevail. The

team loved working with him as hepicked his way

to sevenwins and the Renault-powered title he’d

missed out ona de cade before. Meanwhile, Hil l

led at Silverstone before his engine blew,endured

the agony of a puncture while in sight of a win at

Hockenheim... then blazed to an unlikely hat-trick

in Hungary, at Spaand at Monza Already33, the

man with a zeroon his nose had repaidthe faith.

But two ‘inevitables’ were on the horizon: with

Prost’s title assured andthe Frenchman tiring of

F1 politics, the path was clear for Frank Williams

to finally hook Senna, more than tenyear s after

he’d given the Brazilian a trial run in an FW08C

at Donington. Also his team’s hard work was

undone as the ‘gizmos’ – active suspension,

traction control, ABS – were outlawed for 1994.

But with Head and Newey, strength in depth,

awesome Renault power and the fastest racing

driver in the world Williams surely had nothing

to fear.What couldpossibly gowrong?

TenyearsafterheranAyrtonSennainaWilliams

atDonington,whentheBrazilianwasstillinBritish

F3,Frankfinallygothismanforthe1994season...