Before starting, I would like to apologise for is the lack of Benetton in the previous two posts, which I would like to rectify by beginning with the team that begat the new "100% Renault" when they were re-launched in 2002, when it was plain to see that they were still at least "85% Benetton" until they started to get race wins.
Its arguable, but to me there was never a bad looking Benetton, even in their latter years of the all-sky-blue, which was a hark back to the days of the Leyton House bedecked March cars between 1987-91 (I'm retro me), unfortunately their statistics did not do them any favours, which is probably down to the loss of the original staff that gave them the successes they (arguably) deserved, Briatore, Brawn, Byrne, Schumacher (All the Bs).
You cant beat a bit of Benetton branding, who were mild bloody seven anyway?
The B199 did not do the Late 90s F1 heirarchy any favours, with Jordan and Stewart outperforming both Benetton and Williams, but on a points decision was NOT the worst Benetton, the Podium achieved by Giancarlo Fisichella, in one of those mental-siezure races that occasionally happened around the Montreal island circuit.
The worst Benetton was, on points, the 2001 Renault Works Benetton.
I think we've all seen it back in the day, and helpfully reminded via the links from youtube in another thread, and how embarrasing it was to see Giancarlo Fisichella get to his correct grid slot like a child putting a freshly broken item back where it always was, as if nobody was looking. Jenson Button's second team in as many seasons, and a downer compared to the Honeymoon experience of F1 with BMW-Williams in 2000.
Jenson Button, Indianapolis.
The B201 was the first (I think) of the "Launch Control" cars of the decade (someone will surely correct me on this), and results did not live up to expectations (probably of Brits looking for the new Hill or the new Mansell) which was probably why the rebranding and re-Renault-ing was needed. In 2009 Renault may or may not be pulling out, or being bought out, by a former Benetton chief now in charge of ProDrive, would be nice to see the name Benetton coming back, aswell as the colour schemes of the late 80s.
Speaking of returning names, Lotus, as of 2010 they are BACK, but much like the Brabham teams of 89-92, it is merely in name.
High (Grip Level) Times, Zandvoort 1978, the last time Lotus dominated F1.
It could be easy to go way back to the start of Lotus' time in F1 in the late 50s when they achieved very little points tallies, and on the side made some rather nimble road cars. Lotus were another team with occasional iconic paint-schemes, and occasional duffers, having pioneered the ground-effect chassis, which lead them to both the 1978 Drivers Championship (Mario Andretti behind the wheel) and Constructors championship for what would later be the last time, most of the forumites wont remember the 1979 effort (or lack of), being a pioneer leads to the other teams catching up, or in 1979 being more successful than the late Colin Chapman's team.
One of Colin Chapman's lapses in concentration. I'm putting that one down to lack of JPS livery.
A decade later and Lotus are preping up the rear end of the 26 car grids, indeed if it wasnt for the Honda turbo-charged engine in 1988 they would have been even worse. Jackie Stewart on his "World of Motorsport" Mini-shows that are still circuilating on youtube, was able to test drive the 1988 season Camel-sponsored machine, with several (severe) criticisms.
Nakajima at Silverstone, but to watch Jackie at the wheel around Snetterton, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tI1eF1_LZs
The first season without Camel backing.
Further into Lotus' decline it reads like a greek tragedy, with near-fatal incidents of Martin Donelly at Jerez 1990 and Pedro Lamy in a Silverstone Test 1994. Hakkinen may have been the shining star in the reasonably priced car, but with the likes of Julian Bailey and Michael Bartels culminating in their failed qualification attempts, still not the worst year of Lotus' long-winded demise, unfortunately (yes I know I tried my best to avoid exploiting it) the 1994 season with 6 different drivers, including Lamy's underpass-bound crash, Herberts eventual up-and-leave to Ligier then Benetton, and Phillipe Adams' pathway to rejectism, they scored 0 (ZERO) points.
The usual view of a Lotus in 1994, on the side of the track, usually with someone clambering out.
Lotus would thankfully carry on making the road cars that we know and love today, and thanks to David Hunt (James' Brother) naming rights for a future F1 team would be on hold for another 15 years, Let us all hope that if 1Malaysia Lotus F1 fail, they fail royally, if they get a top ten finish, blame the new points system.
Another car company that were to dilly-dally their way around the F1 circuits of the 70s and 80s were Alfa Romeo, the form of the 1978 Brabham with an Alfa developed Flat-12 engine lead to the Italians thinking they could run their own team.
Grande Rosso
1979 was their start, but only as a full entry in the final 3 rounds, for 1980 they had signed Patrick Depailler on his road to full recovery from the injuries that kept him out of his Ligier seat in 79, his form was unfortunately poor, in the first 8 races he retired from all of them, sadly he was killed driving the car in a test session around Hockenhiem.
According to the car critics on BBC's Top Gear, Alfa Romeo road cars are plagued with reliability issues, the same can be said for their F1 entries, Insisting on acquiring Italian drivers throughout their desparing attempts, it did not help when in 1982 Giacomelli and De Cesaris crashed into eachother at the start of the Austrian GP,
As Piquet(#1) and the gang race away up the hill, De Crasheris claims another victim.
Despite the major cock-ups, there were highlights, occasional visits to the podium, especially in 1983, the year later it was assumed that a new rule was put in place so that no two teams had exactly the same colour scheme, thankfully however Alfa were hit by the Benetton bug, as the Italian clothes giant made their green seen by millions. And one of the best looking cars on the 1984 grid.
1984, an American driver, around an American track, Cheever's chance to shine after stepping out of Prost's shadow at Renault the previous year
Riccardo Patrese and Eddie Cheever were hired to get the Alfas higher up the race order in the 1984 season, the best Patrese achieved was a 3rd at Monza, Cheever the American got a 4th place at the beginning of the season at Rio, but would dissapoint for the rest of the year, their last year was indeed to be their worst (sorry).
Sticking to the catchy Benetton colour scheme, which would jump ship (jump car?) to the Toleman group who would later be renamed as Benetton F1. Alfa would supply the Osella team for 1986, but into the 90s went on to finer achievements in the four door universe of touring cars, most notably in the DTM, Nicola Larini storming away with the title in 1993.
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Its probable that Alfa's most memorable moment is at the Monaco GP, when it crashed into the back of Nelson Piquet's Brabham.
And I bet your all thinking "what a weak link to Brabham's duffers".
All bets are off.
To be continued...
