Speed not confined to track

Press, 21 July 1989, Page 31

Speed not confined to track

By

GEORGE TANNER

It would seem that speed in Formula One . racing is not confined to the track. Just days after Alain Prost, of France, confirmed motor-racing’s worstkept secret of the year . — that he was vacating the most sought-after . seat in grand prix racing — the Marlboro t McLaren Honda team announced that Gerhard Berger, of Austria, 1 would replace the . Frenchman next season, j Berger must have an- t ticipated Prost’s deci- i sion and wasted no time t informing the powers that be at Maranello [ that he would not be i part of the Ferrari i

team’s plans for 1990. The gamble that he would be snapped up by the McLaren team, where he will drive alongside Ayrton Senna, of Brazil, certainly paid off. When the hard-charg-ing Austrian joined Ferrari in 1987, he was hopeful of emulating the deeds of his fellow countryman, Niki Lauda, who won two world championship titles with the Italian team in 1975 and 1977. However, sadly for Berger, Ferrari is not the dominant force it was more than a decade ago. Lauda’s third championship crown was won with the McLaren team in 1984.

Berger may at last receive the machinery necessary to realise his ambition. * »■ * In the world of motorracing nothing is certain, even if a signed contract should suggest the contrary. Two cases in point involve Michele Alboreto, of Italy, and Johnny Herbert, of Britain. Alboreto made a hasty departure from the Tyrrell team before the French Grand Prix, a fortnight ago, and was replaced by Jean Alesi, of France. Conflicting sponsorship interests were cited as the reason for Albereto’s departure. The Tyrrell team has

obtained financial support from the R. J. Reynolds tobacco company. Because Alboreto is personally sponsored by a rival tobacco firm, it was considered in the best interests of all concerned that the Italian relinquish his position at Tyrrell. Herbert’s equally sudden departure from his regular position within the Benetton team is the result of his slower than expected return to fitness after his horrific accident in a Formula 3000 race at Brands Hatch last year. His replacement is Emanuele Pirro, a former McLaren test driver.