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| Full name | Benetton Formula Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Base | Witney, England, UK (1986–1991) Enstone, England, UK (1992–2001) |
| Noted staff | Flavio Briatore Rocco Benetton Ross Brawn Frank Dernie Mike Gascoyne Nigel Stepney Pat Symonds Steve Matchett David Richards Peter Collins Rory Byrne Nikolas Tombazis Willem Toet Pat Fry Nick Wirth John Barnard Philip J. Henderson Greg Field |
| Noted drivers |  Teo Fabi Gerhard Berger Thierry BoutsenAlessandro Nannini Johnny HerbertEmanuele Pirro Nelson PiquetRoberto Moreno Michael SchumacherMartin BrundleRiccardo Patrese Jos Verstappen JJ Lehto Jean AlesiAlexander WurzGiancarlo FisichellaJenson Button |
| Previous name | Toleman Motorsport |
| Next name | Renault F1 Team |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| First entry | 1986 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 260 |
| Engines | BMW,Ford,Renault,Playlife |
| Constructors' Championships | 1 (1995) |
| Drivers' Championships | 2 (1994,1995) |
| Race victories | 27 |
| Podiums | 102 |
| Points | 851.5 (861.5)[a] |
| Pole positions | 15 |
| Fastest laps | 36 |
| Final entry | 2001 Japanese Grand Prix |
Benetton Formula Limited., commonly referred to simply asBenetton, was aFormula One constructor that participated from1986 to2001. The team was owned by theBenetton family who run a worldwide chain of clothing stores. In 2000, the team was purchased by Renault, but competed as Benetton for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. In2002, the team becameRenault. The Benetton Formula team was chaired byAlessandro Benetton from 1988 to 1998.[2]
TheBenetton Group enteredFormula One as a sponsor company for constructorTyrrell in1983,[3] thenAlfa Romeo in1984 and1985 and finallyToleman in 1985.[4] Toleman had struggled in 1985, missing the first three races of the season and being forced to only enter one car for the following six races, as a result of a dispute with tyre suppliers.Teo Fabi had taken apole position for Toleman at theGerman Grand Prix, however the team would score no points during the season, with poor reliability causing a Toleman car to see the chequered flag only twice out of 20 total entries. Benetton Formula Limited was formed in 1985 when theToleman team was sold to theBenetton family.[5]
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Toleman had already developed the TG186, their planned chassis for the1986 season. This was renamed theBenetton B186 after the change in ownership.[6] Benetton's first season in Formula One also came with a change in engine supply, with Toleman'sHart engines being replaced with that of a large car manufacturer, the powerfulBMW M12.[5] Teo Fabi was retained as a driver andPiercarlo Ghinzani was replaced byGerhard Berger, who joined fromArrows.[7]
The B186 demonstrated its pace throughout the season, with Berger securing the team's first podium finish atImola and a front-row start inBelgium. Fabi claimed two consecutive pole positions inAustria andItaly, before Berger achieved theWitney-based team's first victory inMexico, almost half a minute ahead of his nearest competitor.[8] Despite the impressive underlying pace, the B186 suffered from severe unreliability. The team recorded nineteen retirements, with eight consecutively for Fabi (including from his two pole positions). Benetton ended the season 6th in the championship with 19 points.[9]
Berger left the team forFerrari at the end of 1986 and was replaced at Benetton by his former Arrows teammateThierry Boutsen.BMW, which had supplied three teams in 1986, scaled back its operation to supply onlyBrabham in1987. With theHaas Lola team folding at the end of 1986, Benetton was able to take over its factory supply of turbochargedFord engines. TheB187 suffered with engine trouble at the start of the season, but became more consistent mid-season after reducing the effect of the turbocharger, taking numerous 4th and 5th place finishes as well as two 3rd places inAustria andAustralia.[10] Benetton ended the season 5th in the championship with 28 points.[11]
Fabi was dropped for the1988 season in favour ofMinardi driverAlessandro Nannini, ending Fabi's Formula One career. TheB188 became the team's firstnaturally-aspirated car as Ford wished to concentrate development in light of the upcoming ban on turbocharged engines.[12] The B188 was once again an improvement on its predecessor, suffering almost half the number of retirements and claiming seven podium finishes, all 3rd places. Boutsen had finished 3rd inBelgium, however both Benettons were disqualified from the race after the season had concluded for fuel irregularities. The team finished the season 3rd in the championship with 39 points.[13]
For1989, Boutsen left Benetton to joinWilliams and was replaced by rookieJohnny Herbert. The new engine developed by Ford for theB189 was not ready for the start of the season, and the previous year's engine did not fit in the new car. The team therefore had no choice but to continue using the B188.[14] Despite this setback, the B188 still proved competitive, with Nannini claiming a podium finish atImola. Prior to making his Formula One debut, Herbert was involved in a serious crash inFormula 3000 that broke both his legs. Despite achieving some impressive results, including 4th place in his first race, he was dropped by the team after failing to qualify for theCanadian Grand Prix as it became clear he had still not fully recovered.[15] He was replaced by rookie andMcLaren test driverEmanuele Pirro.[16][17] The B189 was finally ready to compete at the following race. Nannini would go on to achieve Benetton's first victory since 1986 at theJapanese Grand Prix afterAyrton Senna was disqualified.[18] Pirro was only able to secure a single points finish in his ten races with the team, taking 5th place inAustralia. Benetton ended the season 4th in the championship with 39 points.[19]
Prior to the1990 season, the team management was fired and businessmanFlavio Briatore was appointed team manager by the Benetton family.[20] Pirro was dropped in favour of three-time world championNelson Piquet, who had left the strugglingLotus team. Benetton used a modified B189 before introducing theB190 at the third race of the season. 1990 proved to be the team's most successful to date, with Piquet winning the final two races of the season and the team achieving six other podium finishes. Tragedy would befall the team late into the season after Nannini lost his right forearm in a helicopter crash. His arm was re-attached but the injuries ended his Formula One career.[21]EuroBrun driverRoberto Moreno had become available after thebackmarker team pulled out of the sport, and so he was hired as Nannini's replacement.[22] The next race inJapan marked Benetton's first ever 1-2 finish, as well as Moreno's first and only career podium. Benetton ended the season 3rd in the championship with 71 points.[23]
A new title sponsor was acquired for1991 in the form of American cigarette brandCamel, which had previously appeared as a minor sponsor on Benetton cars.[24] The 1991 season was less successful for Benetton. An upgraded B190 was used for the first two races of the season before theB191 made its debut at theSan Marino Grand Prix. Piquet achieved an unexpected victory inCanada afterNigel Mansell retired on the final lap,[25] but two other 3rd place finishes were the only podium places the team would achieve in 1991. Benetton sought a young driver for the team's future, and believed neither Moreno nor the ageing Piquet could fill this role. AfterMichael Schumacher had impressed in his debut forJordan at theBelgian Grand Prix, he was hired by Benetton for the following race in place of Moreno. Jordan protested the move in the British courts, but they found in favour of Benetton.[26]
For the1992 season,Tom Walkinshaw Racing acquired a stake in Benetton, withTom Walkinshaw andRoss Brawn brought in to run the team's engineering operations. The team also moved its base of operations from Witney,Oxfordshire to a new factory close to the nearby village ofEnstone. Piquet had retired from Formula One, and was replaced by experiencedBrabham driverMartin Brundle. Benetton's new car was once again delayed, with the team using an upgraded B191 for the first three races of the season in which Schumacher achieved two podium finishes. The B192 was a marked improvement, with eleven more podium finishes including a victory atSpa-Francorchamps, the first of Schumacher's career.[27] Benetton ended the season 3rd in the championship with 91 points.[28]
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Brundle was unexpectedly dropped for1993 in favour of veteranRiccardo Patrese, who had left Williams. TheB193 was similar in competitiveness to its predecessor, taking a single victory in the hands of Schumacher at thePortuguese Grand Prix and finishing 3rd in the championship for the fourth time in the team's history. Benetton achieved ten other podium finishes during the season. Despite these impressive results and improvements in the team's performance in 1992 and 1993, Benetton were not able to provide Schumacher with a car to challenge for the world championship, and were outclassed by the dominant Williams team.[29]
Camel was replaced as the team's title sponsor for1994 by Japanese cigarette brandMild Seven. This meant Benetton adoptedsky blue as the main car colour. Patrese retired from Formula One, ending what was the longest career in the sport's history. He was replaced bySauber driverJJ Lehto. However, Lehto was injured whilst testing the B194 prior to the start of the season and Benetton's test driverJos Verstappen was brought up to replace him. The B194 was dominant in the hands of Schumacher, winning six of the first seven races including the tragedy-marred1994 San Marino Grand Prix and taking Benetton's first pole positions since 1986. Verstappen and Lehto were less successful. Verstappen retired from his first two races after accidents. Lehto was declared fit for theSan Marino Grand Prix, but would only score a single point in the following four races and was replaced again by Verstappen for theFrench Grand Prix onwards.
Schumacher finished 2nd at theBritish Grand Prix, but was deemed to have overtakenDamon Hill on the formation lap and then ignoredblack flags. He was disqualified from the results after the race, and later handed a two-race ban. At theGerman Grand Prix, Verstappen's B194 burst into flames after being showered with fuel during his pit stop.[30] He escaped with minor burns and returned to score two consecutive podiums at the following races, the first of his career. Another disqualification came for Schumacher after he finished 1st at theBelgian Grand Prix; his car was measured as having an illegal amount of wear on itsskid block. His two-race ban was served at the following two races, during which Lehto returned to the team as a replacement. In an attempt to win the constructors' championship, Benetton replaced Verstappen with the more experienced Johnny Herbert for the final two races of the season, marking his return to the team. This was ultimately unsuccessful after Herbert retired from both races. Despite Benetton losing the constructors' championship to Williams, Schumacher won his first world title after colliding with championship rival Hill at the final race inAustralia, taking out both drivers.
During the1994 season, some rival teams claimed Benetton had found a way to violate theFIA-imposed ban on electronic aids, includingtraction control andlaunch control. On investigation, the FIA discovered "start sequence" (launch control) software in theBenetton B194 cars, and a variety of illegal software in rival teams' cars as well. FIA had no evidence the software was ever used, so teams found with the software received little to no punishment. No traction control software was found to be in the Benetton cars, however.Flavio Briatore, Benetton's chief in 1994, said in 2001 that "Our only mistake was that at the time we were too young and people were suspicious".[31]
After eight years of Ford power, Benetton switched to full-worksRenault V10 engines for1995 and thus Ford switched allegiances to then-youngest Formula One constructorSauber. Herbert was retained alongside Schumacher, whilst test driver Verstappen was loaned to the strugglingSimtek team. Schumacher was initially critical of the newB195, claiming that it was difficult to control. The car was outclassed by theWilliams FW17 in the early season, with the team's poor performance culminating in Schumacher crashing out from pole position atImola. However, setup changes at the following race inSpain improved Schumacher's performance in the car.[32] He went on to dominate the remainder of the season, taking nine wins from seventeen races in total and claiming his second world title. Herbert took his first career podium inSpain and then went on to win theBritish andItalian Grands Prix. This combined effort won Benetton its first constructors' championship, ending Williams' three-year reign. Herbert later claimed the team failed to provide him with equal equipment and accused them of favouring Schumacher.[33]
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Benetton began racing under Italian nationality for the1996 season, but remained based in the United Kingdom. Despite being contracted to race for Benetton, Schumacher left early to join Ferrari, citing the team's actions in 1994 as his reason for opting out.[34] Herbert was dropped by the team and joined Sauber. Their replacements wereJean Alesi and the returning Gerhard Berger, both of whom had left Ferrari. Williams returned to dominance in 1996 and Schumacher's departure allowed Ferrari to compete for race wins, leaving Benetton struggling. TheB196 took ten podium finishes, but the team failed to win a race for the first time since 1988. Alesi and Berger were on course to win theMonaco andGerman Grands Prix respectively, but both retired late in the closing laps. Benetton finished the season 3rd in the championship with 68 points, less than half as many as in 1995.
By1997, technical director Ross Brawn and chief designerRory Byrne, as well as numerous other staff, had left Benetton to join Schumacher at Ferrari. Composites manager, Philip Henderson, who had been with the team since the start also left to help Dan Gurney with his Indy Car team in California. TheB197, like its predecessor, struggled to compete with Williams and Ferrari. However, the team still achieved a number of podium finishes over the season. Berger was forced to miss three races due to illness and the death of his father; his replacement was rookie test driverAlexander Wurz. Wurz scored a podium inBritain, only his third race in Formula One. Berger returned for theGerman Grand Prix, winning the race from pole position in dominant fashion. However, this would turn out to be Benetton's last victory in Formula One, as well as the 10th and final career win forGerhard Berger.[35] Alesi took pole position inItaly but lost out due to a slow pit stop, finishing 2nd. Benetton ended the season 3rd in the championship with 67 points.
1998 saw numerous changes within the Benetton team. Berger retired from Formula One, and Alesi left to join Sauber. Test driver Wurz was promoted to a full-time seat, partneringGiancarlo Fisichella who left Jordan. Renault pulled out of Formula One, leaving Benetton and Williams with a supply of Renault's 1997 engines developed byMecachrome. Benetton re-branded these engines asPlaylife, a sportswear brand owned by the Benetton family. Chief executive Flavio Briatore was removed and replaced by former World Rally Champion andProdrive bossDavid Richards. Fisichella achieved some success with theB198, achieving two consecutive 2nd places inMonaco andCanada as well as pole position inAustria. However, Benetton became uncompetitive towards the end of the season, scoring just a single point in the final seven races. The team partly blamed tyre supplierBridgestone, claiming that they had favoured the more successful McLaren team.[36] Benetton finished the season 5th in the championship with 33 points.
Chief executive Richards left Benetton after just a year in his post and was replaced byRocco Benetton for1999, due to a disagreement with the Benetton family about future strategy.[37] The Renault engines were now developed by Flavio Briatore'sSupertec company, but continued to be labelled Playlife. TheB199 was a disappointment and demonstrated the further decline of the team. The highlight of the season was Fisichella's 2nd place inCanada, however this only came after numerous retirements from other cars. The following ten races only saw a single points finish for Benetton; Wurz's 5th place inAustria. Benetton ended the season 6th in the championship with 16 points, their worst ever finish.
AfterWilliams switched to worksBMW engines, Benetton officially strengthened its partnership withSupertec. Prior to the start of the2000 season, the team was sold to Renault as the manufacturer sought a return to Formula One, however the team would retain the Benetton name.[38] As part of their restructuring, Renault brought back Flavio Briatore as team manager. TheB200 was an improvement on its predecessor, claiming three podium finishes, including 2nd place inBrazil afterDavid Coulthard was disqualified. All three of these podiums were scored by Fisichella; Wurz struggled with the car and only claimed a single points finish with 5th place inItaly. Benetton ended the season 4th in the championship with 20 points.[39]
The Renault name returned to Formula One in2001 as Benetton received a supply of full-works Renault engines. Wurz's struggles in 2000 saw him replaced with a youngJenson Button, who had been dropped by Williams. Despite these changes, Benetton suffered a dismal start to 2001 with theB201 often barely qualifying in the top 20. Only a single point was salvaged in the first eleven races, when Fisichella finished 6th inBrazil after twelve other cars failed to finish. The team's fortunes began to change at theGerman Grand Prix, when Fisichella and Button finishing 4th and 5th respectively. Continued chassis development allowed Benetton to leave Formula One on something of a high, and the cars' performance lifted. Button and Fisichella scored 10 points for the team, including an impressive podium finish for Fisichella inBelgium.
2001 was the final season featuring the Benetton name, as the team was fully re-branded as theRenault F1 Team for the2002 season. The Renault F1 Team would go on to win the drivers' and constructors' championships in both2005 and2006 withFernando Alonso andGiancarlo Fisichella. The team was sold off and becameLotus F1 Team in2012. Renault re-purchased the team and was rebranded itRenault Sport Formula One Team in2016, then becomingAlpine in2021. The team continues to operate from the site at Enstone established by Benetton in 1992.[40]
The Benetton team is today best known for its success with Michael Schumacher,[41] who accounts for 19 of the team's 27 race victories and their two World Drivers' Championships.
Benetton Team had aBritish licence from1986 to1995 and an Italian licence from1996 to2001,[42] thus becoming only the second constructor (afterShadow in1976) to officially change its nationality. TheBenetton family wanted this change of nationality to have their Formula One team flying the flag of their own country.[43][44][45] At the1997 German Grand Prix Benetton became the only constructor to have won races under more than one nationality. The team was based in the UK throughout, initially at the formerToleman factory inWitney, Oxfordshire, before moving to a new, modern, bigger factory atEnstone in1992.
(Bold indicates championships won.)
Citations
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Jordan believed that as part of Ecclestone's scheme to get Schumacher into a better car as quickly as possible, he made Schumacher's management aware of the Yamaha engine deal Ecclestone had set up for Jordan.
Bibliography
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| Preceded by | Formula One Constructors' Champion 1995 | Succeeded by |