Saturday Excitement in San Marino
Saturday Excitement in San Marino
by Robert C. Balling, Jr.
U. S. A.
Now that we are five races into the season, and with the big show in
Monaco just around the corner, the time is right to analyze the
qualifying efforts on a team by team basis:
Ferrari
San Marino Saturday may have marked the re-emergence of the
ever-popular Ferrari squad. Only a few weeks ago, we all wondered if
Schumacher et al. would re-surface at the front of the Grand Prix grid.
A few months ago, Michael Schumacher was looking at the back of Irvine's
Ferrari when the grid was set, and since that time, Michael has regained
his dominance on the Ferrari team. At Imola, Michael whipped Eddie
Irvine by an impressive 1.315 seconds, and in case you spent last
Saturday in a cave, Schumacher gained his first pole in the Ferrari.
Schumacher is now widening the gap over Irvine, and the trend will likely
continue into Monaco.
Williams
This week, Damon Hill out-qualified Jacques Villeneuve by only
0.015 seconds. After Australia, Damon has won all the qualifying tests -- but the gaps are
closing fast. Based on the ongoing trend for this team, do not be
surprised if Jacques sits on the pole in Monaco, or at least starts ahead
of Damon Hill. San Marino was a low point for Williams so far this
Saturday season, but I did notice that they started two and three, and
ultimately won the Sunday race.
McLaren
What's going on in the McLaren stables. Early in the year,
Mika Hakkinen was running away from David Coulthard, but at Imola,
Coulthard dominated Hakkinen by an amazing 1.391 seconds. Over the first
five races, a complete reversal has occurred at McLaren, and Coulthard is
emerging as the dominant driver on the team. The early Coulthard lead in
the Sunday race may be the sign of big things in the immediate future.
Benetton
Saturday at Imola brought no good news to a slumping Gerhard
Berger (Sunday wasn't too bad, however). Once again, Jean Alesi
out-qualified Berger, and the streak has lasted all season. Alesi whips
Berger by 0.25 to 0.50 seconds race in and race out, and I like Alesi's
chances to continue into Monaco.
Jordan
The Jordan team must wonder why they selected Martin Brundle to
join Rubens Barrichello. The facts of 1996 show us that Rubens has
out-qualified Martin in every race this year, including a 0.467
differential at Imola. The differential at San Marino is consistent with
the results of the other four races, and the Jordon camp must be
pressuring Brundle to show some speed in the qualifying efforts coming up.
Sauber
Last week, Johnny Herbert came close to the qualifying time of
Heinz-Harald Frentzen. At San Marino, Frentzen found his continued
dominance and out-qualified Herbert by another 0.756 seconds. Sauber is
arguably a team with one upcoming superstar and one journeyman at the
wheel of their equipment.
Ligier
This is easy. Olivier Panis is so much better than Pedro Diniz
that the 0.517 differential in Imola is completely expected.
Footwork
Are these guys really at every race? Footwork has been
invisible so far, but a descent story is emerging here. Jos
Verstappen has totally dominated Ricardo Rosset all year, and in Imola,
the differential was an alarming 1.777 seconds. Mr. Rosset better start
watching the 107 percent times in the future; I predict upcoming races
with Mr. Rosset sitting somewhere near me in the grandstands.
Minardi
Bored yet? Pedro Lamy beat Glancario Fisichella this week by
0.343 seconds, but no one seems to have noticed. Lamy celebrates his
second Saturday intra-team win this season, but his various teammates
still hold the surprising edge. Minardi simply does not have any magic
so far this year.
Forti
Luca Badoer is the king at this end of the grid. For some
reason, possibly the fact that he was riding in the '95 car this time, Andrea Montermini has become
the Forti dog of Saturday action. Not only was he beaten by 1.648 seconds this week by his teammate in the
'96 chassis, but he once again lost big-time to the 107 percent rule.
Monaco is the race of the year, and the trends identified through San
Marino should give us all a clue about the grid. In Monaco, watch for a
Schumacher, Villeneuve, Hill line-up on the grid. Stay tuned to Atlas
for the immediate results.
Robert C. Balling, Jr.
Send comments to: robert.balling@asu.edu