This week's Grapevine brings you information fresh from the paddock on: BAR Pulling Together Minardi Moves Ahead

BAR Pulling Together

For probably the first time since its inception, the BAR team actually seems to be pulling together and putting in something like a concerted effort at building the 2002 car. Ironically, it's due more to the attitude of the folks on the factory floor than to the leadership qualities of the team's management.

Over the course of 2001, the team have been struggling in a game of catch up against Jordan. They recognised early on that Jordan's car was very quick over a single lap, but not able to maintain the pace over a racing distance: it soon became well known in the pitlane that Jordan's cars eat their way through tyres. BAR, on the other hand, put together a car that raced relatively well once it was dialled in. The big problem, all season, was attaining that balance. But, even properly balanced, the car did not pick up much speed when the fuel was pumped out, so qualifying was always an issue.

The philosophy of designing for race performance has been well proven over the years. The concept is simple enough: first, make sure the car will make the finish. Then make it quick enough to race for points. Back in 1994 and '95, Benetton demonstrated that having a car which raced well was better than one that qualified fastest: in both years, they took Championships from Williams. It was accepted at the time that the Williams could go quicker on a hot lap, but was difficult to keep at that pace for a whole race. Michael Schumacher, on the other hand, was able to drive his Benetton to the limit all the way through the race, which offered him opportunities to close with and pass the leading Williams.

Since then, however, the balance has shifted. Passing on track, though arguably easier than last year, is still harder than it was in the early nineties: Jarno Trulli was picked out for hiring by Jordan due to his ability to qualify well, then stay in front of faster cars, and that typifies the current format. Qualify well, then make no mistakes, and the guys behind you will stay there.

However, through the season, BAR plugged away, and worked at their weaknesses. Whilst never quite being able to say they were quicker than Jordan, they produced consistently a reliable package that could produce the odd surprise; and scoring two podiums this year is certainly evidence that the team is making progress.

That said, there have been unsettling rumours for most of the season: Honda were going to pull the works engine plug, or another management buyout, or BAT would cease funding the team, or Villeneuve had finally had enough and was going to leave. It left an unsettled feeling at the office; people seemed to be turning up at work under a cloud.

The cloud has not exactly lifted, but that something rather extraordinary happened when the FIA reversed Trulli's disqualification. Initially, there was resentment that the team was demoted below their Honda powered rivals in the Championship, but this seems to have changed. The resentment has quickly turned into a resolution, and a renewed sense of purpose is permeating the place. BAR, as a team, knows it has the beating of Jordan: and, now, they are working better than ever to prove that, than they ever did on their quest to "challenge at the front."

Minardi Moves Ahead

The team that used to boast Formula One's smallest budget and claims the paddock's strongest racing spirit, is slowly, but surely, getting organised for 2002.

At this point, Minardi can no longer boast the smallest budget – that's Prost's problem – but there are still big funding issues for next year: only two thirds of the budget for a full season has been secured, though this is a far better story than at this time last year! Pending finalisation, the driver line-up for next year may, or may not, depend solely on the funds brought to the team, but things are looking well on target.

The new car is, really, just a revision of the old one: the concepts were right in 2001, but need taking further, and, anyway, the gains of starting again from scratch would not really be cost effective. But there is a whole new engine to accommodate, and that's where most of the work has gone.

Talking of new engines, it seems Paul Stoddart has done remarkably well out of the deal. In return for zero cash inflow, AMT, we are told, have revisited their engine design, and are putting together something quite respectable for 2002. It's no surprise to learn they are claiming over 800 bhp, though that mark is still over 50 bhp deficit to the front of the grid, which is worth more than half a second more on an average lap. However, in comparison to the dated three year old Ford engine that Minardi raced this year, even a heavily revised three year old Peugeot design is to be a step in the right direction.

Although the old engine wasn't too shy of grunt – it did allegedly generate up to 800 bhp peak – it suffered from being overly large and heavy. The new engine brings the centre of gravity down by some five centimetres and takes more than ten kilograms of mass clean off the unit. That's quite a saving. Indeed, in last year's chassis, it should be worth close to half a second less in its own right. In qualifying last year, that would have typically moved Alonso from 19th to 17th – but could have earned 14th in Spain.

Inside the team, there have been some interesting things said about the AMT engine. For example, it doesn't have the world's smoothest power curve, though that is easily tamed through traction control, and running flat out it gets very thirsty. On the other hand, positively, it's a better engine than the team have had for years, and there's still good development potential, should AMT pursue it: though, as Tom Walkinshaw discovered this year, that may just not happen.

Paul Stoddart has said that 2002 is a holding year, and with this package, it can be little else. The search for a manufacturer to provide works engines continues, and while that's the case, the ultimate dream of winning races – let alone a Championship – remains just that. But the package is still good enough for the paddock's most enthusiastic team to do what it loves best: go racing.