Formula One Features — June 1997

Four-time World Champion Alain Prost has been a team owner for less than five months - but already he has made his mark on the sport he once dominated as a driver. On the race tracks Prost driver Olivier Panis has been competitive. In Brazil he finished third; in Spain he was second behind Jacques Villeneuve, putting himself third in the Drivers' World Championship.

On the morning of the 16th December 1982, a small group of Team Lotus engineers and mechanics huddled inside their anoraks in the Pits at Snetterton. With nothing to stop the wind as it blows in across the North Sea straight from the Arctic, Snetterton has always been one of the least hospitable testing circuits, especially in the middle of winter, but it does provide a measure of secrecy. On that day the first Active Suspension racing car was due to be given it's initial test run, and Chapman was expected to attend the test later in the day.

In July 1988 Johnny Herbert signed to drive for the Benetton Formula 1 team. He was competing in Formula 3000 at the time and this was his big chance. A few days later Johnny was involved in a huge multi-car accident during the F3000 race at Brands Hatch. He suffered multiple fractures of his lower legs, ankles and feet. Seven months later, despite being unable to walk without sticks, Johnny made his F1 debut for Benetton in Rio de Janeiro and finished fourth in the race. It was a high point but in the months which followed Johnny was unable to reproduce the performance and he was dropped by the team at mid-season because his legs were not strong enough to enable him to drive competitively.