Sabotage

Sorry, but that story about the lady assembling the Moog valves is just not credible, especially in light of Barnard's own recollection of the problem being traced back to thrown alternator belts:

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-2005/70/ferrari-640

Also, the automated gearbox was not a Barnard invention, as many believe, but the application of design and research Ferrari had been carrying out since the Villeneuve days (Drive Tribe):

https://**********.com/p/sequential-sorrow-1989-ferrari-U9zAMNPcScu0UqBZ4NZGPg?iid=V9Rn7SjdTsSQ4eK68VA3pg

 

No need to apologise, I wasn't there so can only repeat what I read. Its true the main failure was down to alternator belts being thrown due to the engine distorting at high revs, but early failures, as reported, was down to fluid loss which was traced to assembly errors in the o-rings being damaged. Who knows what the truth is.

Personally I would prefer to take note of the people who were their rather than the media or press office spilling out rumours and innuendos, or indeed articles written years after the event.

I guess any story you want to believe will be the truth!

Best

Tony

 

Not if he was on the grassy knoll.....

Monza 1989 - what a great day that was! I was there with my friend Chris. I had my FIA credential from 88, so we made a copy for him, and went to the track and walked right in - then into the Paddock and got to the Marlboro hospitality tent - had breakfast all was going great! was talking to a couple of the hostess girls I knew, and then about 7:45 - in walks Senna, his brother and manager, along with Steve Nichols and a tech from Honda. so they were sitting about 3 - 4 ft away from us, and just as Senna gets up to get a water, my friend Chris asks him to sign an autograph which he did. but then the McLaren Marlboro people started to look at who were we? passes etc. I could see it on the other side of the tent... so we scrammed & split up. I went over to Ligier where I knew a bunch of people and hung out there for about 30 - 40 min. finally caught up with Chris - he was at the Minardi truck - talking to these two beautiful girls in leather pants ... so we hung out there for a while. in the end we watched the beginning of the race from the Ligier truck, and then from the back of the garage ( you could not see much at all ) then decided to walk over to Ascari, we got there right wen Senna dropped out!

 

I think the early unreliability was down to vibrations that started the alternator belt to fail. the engine would twist at high RPM. they did have some early testing failures in hydraulics but the pumps were electrically run... you can see that on top of the gear box each gear has its own electro valve.