Personal pictures from Spa 92 and Silverstone 88

One behind the Ferrari garage. Man this looked so complicated and intricate at the time. Look how simple it is compared to today.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Mika's suit. Wish I'd nicked it
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Spare March bodywork
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Odds and sods
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

And to finish a blurry Riccardo Patrese. Hey, I was just a young guy with a 35mm, not a pro. While Mansell and Patrese finished 1 & 2 in the WDC the fact that Mansell out scored PAtrese 102 to 56 and some young dude by the name of Schumacher was in 3rd with 53 points and Senna 4th with 50 shows that Mansells performance was far more than just the car.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Well as I'm not a paid member here I seem to be rapidly using up my upload allowance, but I should have enough to post Silberstone 88 as well. If not I'll switch to linking instead.

Silverstone starting in the next post.

 

So here are my pics are from the Saturday of the 1988 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

I've never bothered attending the GP itself as in the 80's 'Mansell Mania' was at its height. You think the Brit's love Hamilton now, that's nothing to the devoted worship we as a country gave Nigel Mansell at the time. In hindsight I admire him for his massive massive utter total self-belief and commitment, but recognize that his skill level was just >< far behind the Prost's and Senna's of this world. To me, today, looking back since the dawn of wings and slicks I don't think anyone has come close to Prost as the ultimate driver. He's my all time hero.

So, on to the pics. Even in 1988 tickets weren't cheap. A quick UK to US conversion then add in inflation and the Saturday general admission was around $75 with the pit lane walk an extra $20. It seemed well worth it at the time.

One more b1tch before I start. As with most of you I really don’t care much for modern circuits. Silverstone is one of the better, but for me it’s not a patch on what it used to be. In the 80’s although the circuit went through a series of changes to reduce speeds, it was still pretty much the same basic WWII aerodrome perimeter road as used for the very first Formula 1 race kicking off the then new 1950 World Championship. First the Woodcote chicane was added, then it was changed to a corner at Bridge, into the old Woodcote. None of this has any bearing on the pics, but I just want to reminisce over my coffee Just a couple of years earlier Keke Rosberg set the fastest ever single lap at an F1 event in qualifying for the 1985 race with a lap at an average of 160.9mph. Think about it. Look how crude the aerodynamics were then. That was a fast fast lap. The next year the track added the corner so the qualifying lap in 1988 was set by Gerhard Berger (The first ever sportsman to be sponsored by Red Bull BTW) at an average of 152.4mph. Another reason I’m glad I didn’t go to the race was it rained on Sunday when Senna won. Mansell in the way off form Williams (due to losing their Honda Turbo’s for 88 and having to make do with an NA Judd for the year) managed the fastest lap at ‘only’ 128.3 mph. Big big difference.

OK, I lied, there is still one more thing before I start with the pics. One of the things I really loved about F1 in the 80’s was the number and variety of cars. OK, we were way past the days of people building F1 cars in their garden sheds, but it seemed that anyone from a bright engineer to a con man with a couple of million to spare could start a team. That meant that young drivers could earn their way into F1 with little or no money. A total of 36 drivers entered a Grand Prix in 1988 amongst 18 teams from the all-conquering McLaren Hondas to the delightfully hopeless EuroBrun, Osella, Zakspeed etc. The range of cars and drivers was awesome.

Here we go at last!

 

Sorry, I need to start with McLAren, I did tell you where my allegiances lie! Prost (inside) and Senna (Outside) at I think Bridge.

As before the usual disclaimers, I was a teenager with a cheap 35mm SLR and these are scanned from photo's 29 years later
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Mansell on it. I qualifying being hampered with the NA Judd and early Williams’s active suspension he was down in 11th, behind Satoru Nakajima in the Lotus Honda turbo. While I am a big Nakajima fan (more on him in a little while), I think that really shows how hampered Williams were. From memory, I believe having said earlier in the year the FW12 couldn't be converted back from active to passive suspension they somehow managed to do just that overnight at the track. That helped Mansell, along with a wet in the race, to go on and place an outstanding 2nd come Sunday. 1988 was a total disaster for Mansell and Williams with only two finishes all year a pair of seconds here at Silverstone and another at Jerez. He had 12, yes twelve! DNF's (as well as missing two rounds due to illness, again more later on that) Think about it, how would todays petulant brats like Alonso and Mad Max react to 12 DNF's!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Oscar Larrauri in the delightfully hopeless Euro-Brun Ford. In three seasosn from 88-90 Euro-Brun never scored a single point. 1988 was actually their best year as they managed to get a car onto the grid 18 times and failed to qualify or pre-qualify 14 times!! Of those 18 times they qualified they only finished 7 times with a best placing of 12th. To be honest Oscar Larrauri wasn't ever going to set the world on fire as he never did much of anything. His career highlight was an excellent 2nd at LeMans in 1986 driving a Brun Porsche 962
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

In the second Euro-Brun was the far far better Stefano Modena who appears to have an issue here form the smoke exiting his Cosworth engine. Modena managed to piece together a decent career in a variety of mid and back markers as well as touring cars. Again a E36 M3ty pic I'm afraid. Remember this was the days of manual wind and press, not rapid fire digital.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I mentioned one of my favorite old teams in the Spa section was the old Leyton House March team.

This was the second and most successful season for Leyton House designed by a young chap by the name of Adrian Newey, wonder what ever happened to him? In 1988 they racked up 22 points and finished 6th in the Constructors championship with the great Ivan Capeli getting 17 of those and finishing 7th in the drivers championship. It's such a shame that his shot at Ferrari in 92 was such a disaster. I know he a lot of DNF's that year, but I don't recall how many were car Vs driver or accident related. I'm sure people here remember the details of that period better than I do.

Obviously this wasn't his best day as he's also missed Woodcote and was playing slalom with the tires.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

This is Doctor Johnathan Palmer in the Tyrrell Ford working his place to a respectable 17th on the grid although his engine would die in the race. His young team mate Julian Bailey would qualify 24th but finish 16th 2 laps down.

As you probably know Johnathan Palmer is the father of current Renault driver, and favorite butt of many jokes here, Joylon Palmer. What is less known is that he is a qualified MD. HE saved his own life once by giving a rescue team instructions on how to remove him from a a wreck earlier in his career where he was in danger of massive blood loss. I always thought his career never showed his true potential after dominating F2 in 83.

I wish I had a better shot, I loved this car and driver.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Everyone was getting it wrong! This is the great Satoru Nakajima, the first Japanese driver to really make a mark on F1.

When Senna moved to Lotus in 1985 he was alongside the late great Elio deAngelis who he handily outperformed. For 1986 he was supposed to have Derick Warwick as his team mate, but Senna didn't want the competition so vetoed it. That gave a shot to John Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute, styled as the 'Earl of Dumfrise'. Better known to race fans as 'Johnny Dumfries'. Quick aside. Funnily enough also while back in the UK I visited 'Cardiff Castle' which used to be owned by his family. Anyway Dumfries wasn't the best F1 driver and failed to qualify for Monaco while Senna scored 2 wins, 4 seconds and 2 more 3rds.

At the end of the year Lotus moved to the all-conquering Honda engines and with Honda money came one of my favorite underdogs Satoru Nakajima who, while outclassed comprehensively by Senna, scored a number of points and finished 12th and 16th in the drivers’ championship in 87 and 88 respectively. He carried on in F1 until 91 moving to a fast fading Tyrrell in 90, but never bettered his 1987 results. Anyway. The guy was a trier and gave it everything. Here he is getting it wrong along (along with many others)

You may have noticed, it's easier to snap a car doing 20mph than one doing 120 mph!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

More history lessons! I love this stuff.

Ted Tolman started his team in the 70's taking it from Formula Ford up to F1. He moved into F1 in 1981 at the start of that great 80's boom in entrants I keep harping on about. He's most famous for giving Ayerton Senna his start in F1 in 1984, well let me rephrase that. He is famous for accepting Senna's money and talent for a drive in 1984. Yup, there almost no such thing as a non 'pay driver' in the history of the sport. Senna managed to get three podiums that year, including his famous 2nd in the infamously wet race at Monaco which was stopped in appalling conditions giving Prost the win. That is one of the most controversial races in 'recent' (by my history it's recent) times. At the time Senna was livid and there were calls of cheating and favoritism for Prost. Most people are convinced Senna would have won. From what I've read in the intervening times though, it turns out there was a fracture in one of Senna's wishbones from brushing the Armco earlier in the race and his car would never have got to the end. Also, while Senna was undoubtable catching Prost, the outstanding talent of Stefan Belof was catching Senna even faster. While stopping the race gave Prost the win, it cost him what could have been the first of his drivers championships. With the race being stopped before 3/4 distance only half points were awarded. That meant the 4 1/2 points for first were less than the 6 points he'd have got for finishing 2nd if it had run full distance. That year Prost lost the title by 1/2 a point to the (undoubtable slower by then in his career) Lauda.

OK, enough of 84, backup to date!!

Anyway Tolman managed to pull Benetton sponsorship away from Tyrrell for 1985 and in 1986 Benetton bought the team outright. The infusion of cash and stability soon moved the technically good, but financial strapped team up the grid. In 1988 some marketing guy by the name of Flavio Briatore attended his first ever F1 in Austria and a short time later he was put in charge of the whole team. The paddock and press thought this was obviously nuts, what did a business man know about running an F1 team!!

For 1988 they had two driver who should need any introduction Alessandro Nannini and Thierry Boutsen who qualified 8th and 12th respectively. Nannini went on to finish a great 3rd scoring his first ever podium while Boutsen retired. If those drivers do need introducing to you, you're too damn young and can get off my lawn!

From his very distinctive predominantly black helmet this must be Boutsen.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

And another of my favorite perennial back markers. 'Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives' more commonly known as AGS. In their entire six year history from 86 to 91 they scored a total of two points, each for a sixth place in 87 and another in 89. That is a little harsh, as with today’s point system going down to 10th they would have had a lot more.

Anyway, for 88 they had but a single car for Philippe Streiff. Streiff was another of those journeyman drivers of the 80's who pieced together a reasonable career bouncing between mid-field and back of the grid teams. His high point came in 85 with a part time driver for Ligier (and a one off for Tyrrell) when he managed a surprise 3rd in the final round in Australia. That race will always be remembered for both Williams going out with exploding tires handing Lauda his first WDC over a gutted Mansell and the entire British nation, most of who were all awake to watch the race live in the small hours of the morning.

Oh yes, I was talking about AGS in 88 wasn’t I? opps, got a bit off topic there for a while.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

This is a fun one, I really wish I had a better picture. Ligier were an pretty much the eponymous French F1 team after Matra left. So distinctive with their classic Gitans livery for much of the time. They competed from 76 until 96 when they morphed into the ill-fated 'Prost Grand Prix' until they faded into oblivion. In the late 70's and early 80's they were a force to be record with, scoring 9 wins, most with the classic French Driver Jacques Laffite. Unfortunately Laffite never really recovered his form after a horrible turn one accident at Brands hatch where he suffered the then (very typical of the time) double smashed ankles. Back then the drivers feet were way in front to the front wheel center line to keep the weight distribution in a decent place with the huge car tanks they had. By 88 ( I think that was the first year) the drivers feet finally had to be behind the wheel center line. It was ridiculouse that as late as 87 drivers were still in that much peril in F1.
Group C had already gone there, although that was forced by IMSA going that way even earlier. In another side track that was how the Porsche 962 came about as the original 956 Goup C car was ineligable in IMSA due to the drivers feet being too far forward. The 962 was literally a 956 with the driver moved rearwards.

Anyway, by 1988 Ligier had the wildly inconsistent, but occasionally blisteringly fast ex Ferrari driver René Arnoux and perennial 'almost but not quite' ex Ferrari and McLaren driver Swede Stefan Johansson who is another favorite of mine.

This is Arnoux in the very interesting JS31. Note how the engine stacks are right behind the roll hoop rather than further back on the other cars? Ligier put the engine right behind the driver with a drive shaft passing through the middle of the fuel cell to the rear mounted transmission. It didn’t' work!!! 1988 turned out to be Ligier's worst ever season to date and really started the slide into oblivion, although they show strongly in 93 and later.

It's a pity this is such a poor pic. Go an Google some real pics of the JS31, it's a pretty car.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Another once great team who are better known for their Indy, F5000 and Sports car chassis than F1, Lola. Eric Broadley's little team built cars from 1958 until they finally closed their doors in 2012. Over the years they built some amazing race cars.

In 1988 they were solid mid pack runners hanging around 10th ish on the road, back then though points only went down to 6th, so they didn't score any points, but only failed to qualify on a couple of occasions (over 30 cars rememeber) Their drivers were solid mid field man Philip Aliot and four time LeMans overall winner Yannick Dalmas who never really did much in his on again off again F1 career. As you can see, compared with many of the cars Lola were patching together their budget from all over the places with a livary you'd expect to see today, rather than the nice clean liveries from most of the (sponsord!) cars of the era.

The blurry shot is Alliot #30 and the better shot is Dalmas #29
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Another perennial midfield team. Arrows. Arrows were formed in 1977 as a break away from Don Nichols Shadow team. Yet another quick aside. While I don't like to talk ill of the dead, here's an anecdote I heard about 20 years ago about Don Nichols. A friend of a friend had bought an old Shadows F1 car. It was complete, including an old DFV but needed to be restored to race. This was back in the mid 90's when cars like that were changing hands for money that upper middle class people could afford. We're talking for multiple tens, not hundreds of thousands of dollars. The issue was even then you needed a paper work trail to prove the car was from the period not a replica. The guy contacted Don who pretended not to be sure and told the owner he could research the car for him, but wanted what amounted to well over a year’s salary for the privilege. This was more money than the car would have been worth when restored at the time, hence it got sold on and I lost track of it.

Anyway, back to Arrows. in the mid 80's they were an 'almost' team. Almost in that they were always on the edges of success, but never quite got there. Back when they started Tony Southgate was the designer, their first car was basically a copy of the last car he designed at Shadow. Don Nichols took them to court (rightly) and sued for copyright infringement and won meaning they couldn't use their first design. Tony also designed the famous all ground effect no upper body wings at all Arrows A2. It was nearly a success, but to absolutely optimize the ground effect tunnels they placed the DFV at an angle (down at the nose, up at the flywheel) and that lead to all sorts of unexpected issues that hampered it.

Anyway, Arrows in 1988. Through the 80's they were sponsored by American Insurance company USF&G with a distinctive off white/beige and dark burgundy color scheme that always looked good to me. Their drivers were the underrated Brit Derek Warwick who's career got torpedoed by Senna and better than average but not top line American driver Eddie Cheever. Cheever grew up in Europe so came up through karts, F3, F2 and F1 before returning to the USA to compete in CART then Tony George’s open wheel death knell in America IRL (No bitterness towards that idiot here!!!!)

Warwick finished the 88 season in 8th, comprehensively beating Cheever in 12th. I told you he was underrated

Here's Warwick in Quali and then theres another of one of them, no idea who, entering the pits. Note the Jaguar's safety cars lying in wait. Also see how modest the BRDC building is compared to today's paddock club.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Yes, but I don't know if I even took any picture of him that weekend. There may be some negatives in the UK, but not in the album I scanned these from. I never was a Schumacher fan even then so my bias may have edited him out of the album!

 

No big news over here on Ferrari chat, but people complain that Ferrari hasn't won a drivers championship since 2007 as most just remember the Schumacher era, forgetting that they've had some long term dry spells in the past.

Ferrari didn't win a drivers Championship from 1979 with Scheckter until Schumacher’s first championship with them (his 3rd to date) in 2000. They were more successful in the Constructors Championship winning that in both 82 and 83, but then not getting another until 1999. There was a time in the early turbo era where they were known as 'mobile chicanes'. After the ignominy of a winless year in 1986 things got better in 1987 when they rounded out the year with back to back wins. Truth be told the 1988 car was pretty good, but it was no match for the all-conquering legendary Gordon Murray MP4/4. Ferrari scored only one victory in 88, the well known Monza 1-2 where Prost had retired and Senna was taken out while lapping the hapless Jean-Louis Schlesser who was standing it at Willaims for a sick Mansell.

Anyway, here are some Ferrari F187's driven by the late Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger.

Instead of taking to the escape road we have an actual spin here, I can't tell, but I think these are all Alboreto, the 2nd pic certainly are.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login