Formula One Features — March 1996

People in Formula 1 do not like to talk about deals until they are done - and even then they prefer that no-one knows the details. It is not a new phenomenon. Back in 1984 when Mansour Ojjeh became the majority shareholder of the McLaren the deals were done on the day after the final race of the 1984 season and yet were not made public until the 1985 effort was launched - six months later. Today media scrutiny in F1 is such that very little can remain a secret for long.

Tom Walkinshaw has always wanted his own Formula 1 team. Last year he took over the running of Ligier. The French team was bought from Cyril de Rouvre at the start of 1994 by Flavio Briatore although Guy Ligier retained 15% of the company. Initially Briatore put in personnel from Walkinshaw's TWR company although in July - as relationships between the two men became strained - Briatore put Cesare Fiorio in charge. Nine months later the TWR men returned and Fiorio quietly disappeared again. The F1 world was confused.

Being a fast Formula 1 driver these days takes more than just being able to drive quickly. One must be mentally strong, dedicated, intelligent, consistent and fit. One must always present the right image and one must be in the right place at the right time.

In Melbourne the Rothmans Williams Renault drivers Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve dominated completely. They qualified 1-2 on the grid and finished 1-2 in the race. It was a remarkably impressive performance, particularly given the fact that during the winter months - as the new FW18 was being designed and built - the team actually moved factories. That success is a source of great pride to team boss Frank Williams - but how easy is it going to be to stay ahead of the opposition this year?

In 1994 Formula 1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone said he was planning a revolution in the television coverage of Grand Prix racing. But what did he mean? Nobody knew. What could be done to spice up the TV show?

Damon Hill winning the Formula 1 World Championship will lead to a whole new series of disputes among race fans. Was it just the car? How does he compare to the World Champions of the past? Do the statistics give a false impression?