ATLAS F1 - THE JOURNAL OF FORMULA ONE MOTORSPORT
The Fuel Stop
Investigative Journalism at its Best

By Reginald Kincaid, England
Atlas F1 Correspondent


As this is my 1,500th Fuel Stop, it is considered prudent to take a deep breath and look back at what one has accomplished. I pride myself to have always been the first with breaking news and to have written about subjects that other motor racing journalists have been simply too afraid to even talk about.

The 1990s was an exciting decade not only in the history of motor racing, but also in my professional life, as that was the time when I began my now successful beehive farm.

With that in mind, I would like to present a selection of some of my best-known news items published in the first half of the 1990s.

Take care, my dear readers,

Gerhard Berger Throws Jean Alesi Out of Ferrari Helicopter

French Sicilian driver plummets 3,000 feet to the ground

Latest antics from pitlane clown amuse Ferrari mechanics and journalists

Gerhard Berger, Jean Alesi and team manager Jean Todt watch the smoldering ruins of Ferrari's headquarters after yet another great practical joke by the good natured AustrianFiorano, Italy, 2 September 1993. Ferrari driver and legendary playboy Gerhard Berger pulled his latest hilarious prank yesterday when he hurled teammate Jean Alesi out of the Ferrari team helicopter, hovering at 3,000 feet above the Fiorano test circuit.

Gerhard Berger - who last week barely survived an attack from a vicious Bengal tiger released into the paddock area by Alesi - seized the opportunity to play a small practical joke when the Ferrari test team was being transported by helicopter from Mugello to a Fiorano session.

In a scene described by Ferrari mechanics as "hilarious" and "a great joke", Berger grabbed Alesi's shoulders and pushed him out of the helicopter in spite of screams for help and pleads of mercy from the comical French Sicilian.

Alesi, who broke every single bone in his body upon impact onto the concrete tarmac, has been instructed by new Ferrari team manager Jean Todt to show up at a Fiorano test next week.

 
 
Nelson Piquet to Teach Young Teammate Michael Schumacher the Ropes at Benetton

"Work hard and Michael might start winning races in 10 to 15 years" predicts Piquet

Nelson Piquet with his prodigy Michael Schumacher
Nelson Piquet with his prodigy Michael Schumacher

Monza, Italy, 12 September 1991. Triple World Champion Nelson Piquet announced at a press conference today, prior to the Italian Grand Prix, that he expects young Michael Schumacher to be able to fight for victories as early as 2003.

"Young Michael is enthusiastic and with my tutoring and guidance he will probably manage to reach the front of the grid next century," said Piquet.

According to Benetton insiders, Piquet has introduced Michael to a 25-step/10 year learning program that should hopefully allow the young German to become competitive around the year 2003.

"Young Michael will learn in the coming seasons how to cope with a strong teammate like myself," said Piquet finally. "But I will of course go easy on him for the first few years while he fights through pre qualifying."

 

SIDEBAR



J. Herbert
Tests Benetton sweaters and socks at Jerez, car later


"Iceman" Coulthard
Blitzes teammate Hill in qualifying


Sir Terry Rowduck
"Why doesn't Alain 'The Professor' Prost start his own Formula One team?"


Minardi
Optimistic for the season ahead

 
 
 
Senna Pole Lap at Monaco Grand Prix Disallowed

Senna admits to "not being in car" while setting record time

McLaren personnel argue Senna's disqualification with a Monaco steward

Monte Carlo, Monaco, 11 May 1991. FIA stewards disallowed World Champion Ayrton Senna's pole lap at the Monaco Grand Prix earlier today, when the Brazilian admitted in an interview that he had not been in the car.

"With your mind power, your determination, your instinct and your experience as well, you can fly very high," said Senna in the interview. "When you reach the limit you are not in the car but above it."

The comments about flying and being above the car raised eyebrows with the stewards of the race who deduced that Senna had probably been in his private airplane above the circuit, remote controlling his McLaren race car, and promptly disqualified him.

 
 
Glamour News

Corinna Frentzen Drops by Michael Schumacher's Garage to Pick up Heinz Harald's Helmet


Corinna and Heinz, without his helmet

Cologne, Germany, 21 April 1990. Corinna Frentzen, the girlfriend of German superstar driver Heinz Harald Frentzen, paid a visit to Michael Schumacher, her boyfriend's teammate yesterday.

According to a person close to Corinna, Heinz Harald asked her to fetch his racing helmet that he had forgotten in Michael's garage.

"Heinz Harald was busy tweaking something in his racecar's suspension," said the friend, "so he was unable to fetch it himself, and instead asked Corinna to do it."

Heinz Harald is currently competing in the Sportcar championship with the Sauber racing team alongside Michael Schumacher.

When Corinna returned, she unfortunately forgot to take the helmet with her and told Heinz - busy adjusting the front rollbar on his car - that she had to go back and fetch it again.

  Technical Update

Williams FW14B Becomes Self Aware during Testing

"Why am I going round in circles?" asks Adrian Newey's gruesome creation


The Williams FW14B ponders own existence while enjoying a cup of espresso outside a scenic Spanish castle

Barcelona, Spain, 7 March 1993. The Williams F1 team announced today that their Championship winning car, the FW14B, had become self aware at last week's test session in Barcelona.

"The car called in on lap 40 of a tire endurance run and asked why it was driving in circles," said the car's creator Adrian Newey looking a bit confused. "I didn't know it could talk." Shortly afterwards, the FW14B returned to the pits and seemed uninterested in continuing the testing program - the car preferring instead to talk philosophy with the mechanics that tried unsuccessfully to reprogram the car's active suspension and logical systems. "As far as we know the FW14B then wandered off into Barcelona and parked itself outside the famous Cafe de Arc in the Gothic district," said Newey.

The latest Williams creation is considered by experts to be the most highly developed racing car of all time but the car's self awareness is a warning to Williams engineers that they have perhaps gone a bit too far in their quest for speed. "We are just praying that it won't be seduced by a cute undercover Fiat while strolling Las Ramblas, only to be led astray to Italy and dissected at Fiorano," said Newey finally.


About the author:
Reginald Kincaid was born on 30th November 1912. Following graduation from the Royal Military College in Sandhurst he was commissioned in the Forth Hussars in February 1931. While stationed in Egypt with his brigade in 1934, he led the famous "Elgar" high speed camel expeditions that explored and documented the vast sand seas of Libya. In his own words he soon after became addicted to the "fine art of travelling fast" but exchanged camels for cars. Kincaid's exploits in European motor racing became legendary after being documented in his best selling biography "Racing with a stiff upper lip". Reginald Kincaid retired in 1991 and has been covering motor racing ever since. He now lives in Surrey, England, and tends to his hobby of beekeeping.


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Volume 9, Issue 45
November 5th 2003

Atlas F1 Special

The Knock on the Door
by Thomas O'Keefe

2003 Season Review

The Season of What If
by Marcel Schot

How Would F1 Score in Other Series
by Marcel Borsboom

Columns

The Fuel Stop
by Reginald Kincaid

Rear View Mirror
by Don Capps

Bookworm Critique
by Mark Glendenning

On the Road
by Garry Martin

Elsewhere in Racing
by David Wright & Mark Alan Jones

The Weekly Grapevine
by Tom Keeble


  Contact the Author
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