Preview Britain 2000

by Formula-1.co.uk

Silverstone in spring, and not summer? Strange, but true - as this weekend proves.

Only once in the 50-year history of the British Grand Prix has the event not been held in July, and that was way back in 1950 – when the race marked the start of Formula One as we know it.

That grand prix, the first-ever world championship race, was run on May 13 over a distance of 329 kilometres, and saw 21 starters. Exactly 50 years on – give or take three weeks – the 2000 edition sees 22 starters battling over 308 kilometres…

So why the change to April – traditionally a period of transient weather; one in which snow on Easter Sunday is not unknown – when Silverstone in summer holds such strong tradition?

Moderates argue that the FIA and its Commercial Rights Holder, Formula One Administration, took note of last year, when wet events kept television audiences enthralled; cynics argue that Ayrton Senna’s sublime performance on that Easter Sunday in 1993 at Donington (dubbed the European Grand Prix) - when the Brazilian went from fifth on the line to first next time around and kept that place to the end – is still remembered as an all-time classic requiring replay; whilst radicals argue that FOA boss Bernie Ecclestone wished to teach feuding British circuit owners a lesson, and allocated the date accordingly.

Still others argue that this a personal test for Ecclestone; a check on whether he truly does control all – including Britain’s weather. Whatever, come shine, fog, sleet, rain or snow, this Sunday it is for the great British institution.

At times rain has made British Grands Prix grander, as in 1988 when Nigel Mansell - then as always the underdog, even if only in his mind – threw his underpowered Williams-Judd around as though it were a kart to finish third behind the McLaren and Benetton of Senna and Alessandro Nannini respectively.

Ten years on, Michael Schumacher displayed his mastery of the slippery stuff before taking the chequered flag in the pitlane after Stewards botched his Stop-‘n-Go. That was the race Mika Hakkinen slid off, lost the lead and sailed for 350 metres before recovering take second. ‘It took a long time to slow down,’ was his subsequent deadpan comment…

That race, too, saw the making of Ralf Schumacher. Baby Schu had gathered a reputation as car-breaker, as a rapid fellow going off rapidly wherever the circus took him, but matured in that race like few before him.

Relegated to the back through no fault of his own, the youngster powered through in teeming conditions to take sixth and Jordan’s first point of 1998.

Even without rain the old World War airfield in Northampton has produced memorable events. 1969 saw Jackie Stewart and Jochen Rindt on knife-edge for the duration of the race; the ’73 race brought wrath and wrecks when Jody Scheckter ‘made a mistake’ - as he later sheepishly admitted - and lost it at the end of the opening lap.

His ricocheting McLaren took out half the field, and reduced the restart grid to 19 from the original 28. Miraculously, only Andrea de Adamich was injured, although John Surtees’ team was almost bankrupted by that display of impetuosity from the then-rookie South African.

1986 saw the fastest-ever lap of a road race circuit by an F1 car when Keke Rosberg consolidated pole position in the dying moments of qualifying. The swashbuckling Finn – already at the sharp point of the grid – just had to have another go. And go he did – he turned up the turbo boost on his Williams-Honda and threw his all at the kerbs to clock 160,938 miles per hour (259,005 km/h), then complained of previously absent oversteer. As he lit a celebratory Marlboro the last air hissed out of his left rear tyre…

Who can forget the scenes in 1987 when Mansell fed team mate Nelson Piquet a dummy at Stowe and powered his Williams-Honda past the Brazilian in true ‘FU’ style, or that momentous victory in 1992, after which the Brit, patriotic moustache bristling, lifted a stricken Senna on his slow-down lap?

And last year, of course, marked the turning point of Ferrari’s season when Michael Schumacher slid, all locked up and with nowhere to go except into the tyre barriers at Stowe, after a suggested brake nipple failure.

Over the years the British Grand Prix has moved between circuits. Almost a fixture in Northampton, 1955, 1957, 1959 and 1961/2 saw it hosted at Aintree on the perimeter of that horse track, it has alternated with Brands Hatch (1964/6/8, 1970/2/4/6/8, 1980/2/4/6), whilst European Grands Prix have run on British soil: at Brands Hatch (1985) and said Donington.

But, save for 1950, the British Grand Prix was always held in July…

Over the years Silverstone’s architecture has changed. Where once oil barrels marked right-angled bends out of disused runways, today’s circuit contains twists and turns and chicanes to slow the cars. Since 1950 the circuit has undergone seven layouts, with its lap distance changing progressively from 2,889 miles (4,648 kms) to 3,194 miles (5,140 kms).

Its future as the self-proclaimed ‘Home of British Motor Racing’ is also under siege. From 2002 Brands Hatch Leisure has a contract with FOA to stage the race, and is seeking planning permission to upgrade its Kent track. With such approval ungranted and seemingly slim, talk now is of Donington hosting the race in two years’ time. The negotiations have split Silverstone’s proprietor – the British Racing Drivers Club – although the circuit is hopeful of retaining the fixture.

But enough of recent and not-so-recent history. The 2000 British Grand Prix, or ‘BGP 2000’ as memorabilia will will us to call it on Sunday, will, probably come down, as it has in the last two years, to a straight scrap between Red Car and Grey Missile; to a dogfight between Michael and Mika, with David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello sharing side-billing – regardless of weather.

On recent form, what with the Schumacher/Ferrari combination scoring a full house in the opening three races and McLaren faltering in two-thirds, a fourth victory would seem on the cards. That, however, reckons without the tremendous resilience down Woking way and the secure knowledge that McLaren cannot let another race, let alone a clear one-two, slip. Second for Mika behind the German would place him on 12 points against Michael’s 40, whilst a Big Mac Meal (Hakkinen first; Coulthard second) would reduce that deficit to 16 : 34 - a lot more manageable, as Ron Dennis darn well knows…

A Schumacher shout, though, overlooks the fact that Silverstone is far from Ferrari’s home track in terms of geography, layout and history. Although Ferrari tested there last week as part of Bridgestone’s programme, it is nonetheless a circuit on which Maranello has traditionally suffered. And, although Schumacher last week denied it, memories of a certain Stowe - in which he sustained the only injuries worth talking of in his career - may just cause his elemetry to spike involuntarily.

DC and Barrichello cannot be discounted, either, as events last year proved so vividly. The Scot drove arguably the race of his life after the Schumacher incident, and pounced when Hakkinen lost a wheel. In the process the Scot kept a focused Eddie Irvine at bay to score a home win.

Brazilian Barrichello knows Silverstone better than Fiorano, having spent his formative years pounding around in all weather, and needs to prove his mettle to the tifosi – even if this is the track at which their fervour is conspicuous through absence – as they will, no doubt, be scrutinising his every move on Italian television.

With a factory across the rural road that leads to Silverstone, Jordan cannot be discounted in the victory stakes, either. But proximity to the circuit is not what drives Eddie’s men – the yellow team is anxious to maintain its place as the third-best team, anxious to get back on winning track; above all, anxious to persuade Honda that it is worthy of its engines in 2001.

Victory at Silverstone would aid the team no end in its objectives – it presently lies just one point ahead of BAR- Honda in the constructors’ league, and could vault to second behind Ferrari, and a point ahead of McLaren.

In Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli, Eddie has two drivers of equal speed – one who has tasted victory, the other hungry for its spoils – so could provide an upset if the weather scuppers the top teams: as happened at Magny- Cours last year.

Whilst Ford President Jac Nasser hopes for a ‘Sea of Green’ at Silverstone to cheer for his Jaguar team, it seems, based on present form, that the surrounding fields may just be wetter and greener than his wish. Rudderless and captainless after Jackie Stewart’s retirement and his son Paul’s recent diagnosis with cancer, the team has hardly covered itself with patriotic pride so far.

Already there is talk of Johnny Herbert being put out to (green?) grass, and the distinct lack of reliable performance seems to have got to Irvine. At Imola team boss Neil Ressler seemed pleased that his cars finished – in seventh and 11th position…

Williams can never ever be discounted. Just when it seems the chips are down, up pop the results. Last year, with an underpowered, overweight engine, Schumacher (R) kept apace and others honest. What it lacks this year in a developed, reliable BMW, the team makes up for with a depth and breadth of engineering experience, and an easy car.

Sure, Imola saw a double retirement, but, forget not, Ralf’s third in Melbourne and fourth at Interlagos, whilst Jenson Button’s sixth in Brazil makes him the youngest points scorer – ever. Tied fourth with Jordan in the constructors’ championship, Sir Frank would love to move ahead of Benetton and nudge McLaren.

Whilst a fresh wind blows through Benetton after the Renault take-over, the team still blows hot and cold. Second in Brazil, it was, literally, nowhere at Imola. The team has scored a single, fortuitous British Grand Prix victory – in 1995 with Herbert, and seems unlikely to so again in the short term.

Giancarlo Fisichella has tested at the Northampton circuit about as often as he shaves, whilst Alex Wurz did nothing else during his 1998 test season, so top six placings could be on the cards – if the car suits its home circuit.

Prost-Peugeot, too, seemingly has no chance of silverware. Constant unreliability has dogged the blue team, and insiders wonder how much longer Jean Alesi can keep his cheerful demeanour. Team mate Nick Heidfeld has struggled, despite abundant talent – as his F3000 successes attest – and the lack of race and practice distance must be getting to him, too.

If Sauber’s technical personnel re-arrangement has solved its crises – illegality in Melbourne and fragility at Interlagos cost it dear – and, based upon its sixth at Imola, it may have, then it should challenge confidently in the lower echelons of the points. Mika Salo is a fine wet weather driver, whilst Pedro Diniz knows the circuits’ vagaries well from his Arrows seasons.

Talking of which, Arrows has been the revelation of the season. Scorned when it ran Damon Hill, spurned by sponsors last year, and spurred by Supertec this year, the orange and black cars have shown decent turns of speed in the hands of Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen – so much so that they were suspected of running ‘light’ in pre-season testing.

Not so, as numerous mixings with Williams, Benettons and Jaguars have proved. But victory? Not yet, Tom…

Minardi? Well, likeable, colourful Minardi. Not much chance of a point; even less of victory – regardless of the weather –I’m afraid. The Fondmetal (nee Ford) engine is a touch rough and a touch less tough, whilst its driver pairing is not in the Schumacher league. But, again, it could spring a few surprises, as it did during that sodden Nurburgring last year – when Luca Badoer ran a convincing fourth for a while, and Marc Gene finished sixth.

Gaston Mezzacane, who replaced Badoer, needs to come to terms with an F1 car in the rain, and soon – he has experienced hardly any wet weather running at this level.

Whilst BAR’s turnaround has been better than that of Arrows, no less is expected. The team has the budget, the drivers, the facilities, the engine and, now, reliability. When the winds of arrogance were blown away by zero success last year – taking with them the most Disney livery ever seen on a grid – a quiet breeze of confidence crept in and brought results.

Fourth and sixth in Australia, plus a fifth at Imola give a 50% points record, and, in Jacques Villeneuve the team has a driver who feels the electricity disappear from the start lights before they extinguish. He is a determined fellow, is Jacques, and capable of landing on the podium. Ricardo Zonta now has zeal since his first point in Australia, plus Craig Pollock is determined to keep that Honda engine to himself…

So, regardless of wet or dry, regardless of internicine fighting or planning permission in Kent, regardless of Brands Hatch or Donington, Silverstone on this springy Easter Sunday is GO. As they say: ‘When the flag drops, bullshit stops.’

British Grand Prix Weekend