Ex-Schumacher team boss: FIA wanted to “sabotage” Benetton in 1994

(Motorsport-Entire.com) – “Benetton warfare was a t-shirt manufacturer. For Bernie [Ecclestone] and Max [Mosley] it was a disaster that Benetton wins. ” This is how former Benetton team boss Flavio Briatore formulated his thesis, like the Formula 1 season 1994 really got lost. Because in his view it was obviously a single gauntlet for Benetton and Michael Schumacher.

The reason: The Formula 1 institution led by series boss Ecclestone and FIA President Mosley had displeased that a private team annoyed the respectable factory teams. Or as Briatore's podcast 'Previous The Grid' formulated: “It wasn't good for them if Benetton won against Ferrari, McLaren and everyone else.”

And Benetton won against everyone else, at least at the beginning of the season: Schumacher won in Sao Paulo and Okayama, then also in Imola and Monte Carlo. Then, says Briatore in retrospect, those responsible would have intervened.

The accusation of illegal traction control

“We won so clearly that they had american after four or five races wanted to brake to make the races more exciting. ” That was a “disaster” for the Benetton team around Schumacher and himself, although the successes remained: After ten races, “Schumi” had already won seven times.

It has long been said: Benetton works with an illegal traction control. Briatore today: “You didn't find any evidence. Charlie [Whiting] warfare was very correct. He didn't find any evidence that we actually used it.”

That there is such a procedure in Benetton B 194, Briatore does not deny at this point, only its use, which “could have been recognized very easily on computers”, as he says.

Why always Benetton?

But why did the allegations hold up? “Because they didn't want to admit that the Benetton engineers had done a good job,” says Briatore.

He complains: “If you use the formula 1 Benetton is, then it immediately means that you are cheating. If Ferrari does something, it is simply a great achievement of the team. At McLaren, it is the great team of Ron Dennis. But Benetton is cheating. “

“Because we were Benetton, nobody believed that we could build a car that was warfare faster than any other.”

Schumacher disqualified twice

That is why Briatore still believes in “a campaign against us” that started at the British Great Prix in Silverstone. Back when Schumacher overtook Pole Damon Hill in the Williams in the introductory lap and later saw the black flag in the race.

“We were suspended for two races “says Briatore. “And we knew that we were being sabotaged by Max. Max just didn't want Benetton to win. Max was involved in the sport a lot at the time.”

That's how it was in the plunge of Schumacher's second disqualification, Briatore claims. Schumacher had won the race at Spa-Francorchamps on the course, but warfare had been removed from the classification due to a badly worn base plate.

Adelaide 1994 ends without penalty

That was “absolutely” based on an instruction from the top, Briatore says. “Everyone saw that he turned and damaged the floor slab on the curb. It was perfectly clear, but we were disqualified for that.”

Schumacher escaped punishment only once: at the season finale 1994 in Adelaide when there was a controversial collision with Hill. Schumacher had just touched the walls and damaged his car, but steered resolutely back onto the track – and blocked Hill's attempt to overtake, so that both left and Schumacher won the title.

“Perhaps,” Briatore says looking back, “Michael [in diesem Fall] should have been punished, but Max didn't have the balls to do it again. He had done so much nonsense before.”

Briatore vs. Mosley on two levels

For a clarifying discussion with Mosley be it 1994 never came. According to Briatore, it was “difficult to have a civilized conversation with him because he always felt right”. Winning the drivers' championship with Schumacher was therefore a satisfaction. “That was the most important thing,” says Briatore.

Especially since he believes that Mosley closely monitored each of his steps and hoped for a misstep. Therefore, the vehicles of Briatores second Formula 1 team Ligier “were completely disassembled after every race”. A clear plunge for Briatore: “There was Max behind it again.”

Briatore had Ligier 1994 bought, especially to the Renault-V 10 – to be able to transfer the team's engines to Benetton, where Schumacher and Co. 1994 still use Ford V8 engines.

How much Benetton was in the Ligier?

But critics said 1995: The Ligier JS 41 similar to Benetton Benetton B 195 not only striking, it was a smooth copy. In the end, however, the world association found enough distinctive features in its investigations that there was no conflict.

In the version by Briatore it sounds like this: “Benetton should help Ligier. Everyone did it that way. Frank Williams had done it in the past too, but that was fine with him. “

Only with Ligier looked closely at those responsible “that there were no parts of Benetton there,” said Briatore. He felt that this was pure harassment. “Because the team was the last in every race to leave because there was an FIA investigation every time.”

Mosley rejects allegations

And every time Briatore got away with a maximum of one black eye, like Mosley already 2009 held when he already reacted to allegations by the former Schumacher team boss. At that time, Mosley said: “He should be the last to complain about the FIA's equity.”

“More than once” the world association would have given Briatore mercy right. “Every time his team was caught, the FIA ​​accepted his claim that he knew nothing and was not involved,” said Mosley.

“His The usual story was that a less significant team member was responsible and was reasonably held responsible within the team. “

Did Briatore “bundle”?

Briatore himself wanted it so never been. He had, the 'Spiegel' reported 1994, the conflict with Mosley started in the first place. Accordingly, Briatore had written to Mosley at the beginning of the year and after extensive changes to the rules in Formula 1.

Der Spiegel quotes the Immediate as follows: “The cars are after the changes you requested, as expected, became more dangerous, changed into, [dass] neither you nor your advisors are competent. “

Briatore and Mosley – they just didn't spark on the same wavelength.