Been wanting to launch my own alternate F1 history series for a while and worked through ideas to start from different time period of F1 before settling on 1996. I will be putting the results from my own mind to enable the story can be as interesting as possible, this is not planned to be a 1 season and done project.
Driver/Team Preview
Benetton Renault
1.Michael Schumacher 2.Rubens Barrichello T- Alex Wurz
Benetton head into 1996 after retaining the services of the 1994 and 1995 world champion Michael Schumacher alongside signing young brazlian prospect Rubens Barrichello who brings youth and sponsorship money to the team.
3.Jean Alesi 4.Martin Brundle T- Jean Christophe Boullion
With the backing of Renualt Williams have signed Jean Alesi to lead thier campaign into 1996, the second seat proved harder tofill after the failure to sign 1995 Indycar Champion Jacques Villeunve who decided to stay stateside.
Williams then turned to trying to get 1995 Williams driver David Coulthard out of his 1996 contract with McLaren but failed and instead turned to Martin Brundle who brings a bundle of experieance and is a cheap 1 year deal as Williams looks towards another run at getting Jacques Villenuve for 1997
Ferrari have taken the gutsy step in 1996 to replace outbound Jean Alesi with a rookie the young Italian Giancarlo Fischella joins the vastly experienced Gerhard Berger at Ferrari eager to learn and grow as a Ferrari driver.
McLaren Mercedes
7.Mika Hakkinen 8.David Coulthard T- Jan Magnusson
McLaren have signed David Coulthard the winner of the 1995 Portuguese Grand Prix and have retained Mika Hakkinen even though some are questioning if he has gotten over the injuries suffered at the end of 1995
Liger Mugan Honda
9.Oliver Panis 10.Gil De Ferran T- Shinji Nakano
Liger retain French youngster Olvier Panis to lead thier campaign in 1996 and bring in the talented younger Brazilian rookie from Indycar Gil De Ferran he was not the youngster expected by many to be making his F1 debut in 1996 but Liger have high hopes for him in 96 and beyond
Jordan Pegueot
11.Damon Hill 12.Eddie Irvine T- Gianni Morbidelli
Unhappy with Frank Williams for signing Jean Alesi for 1996 as number 1 driver Damon Hill quit the team and after a range of offers down the pitlane he decided to join Jordan for 1996 alongside Eddie Irvine who stay at the team for another season
Sauber Ford
14.Heinz Harold Frenzen 15.Mark Blundell T- Jorg Muller
Sauber retained Heinz Harold Frenzen for a third season in 1996 alongside him is Mark Blundell joining from McLaren, this is a big season for Frenzen with big team rumoured to be considering him for a drive in 1997.
Footwork Hart
16.Johnny Herbert 17.Pedro Diniz T- Kenny Brack
Footwork have got a bit of a coup for 1996 signing the winner of the 1995 British and Italian Grand Prix Johnny Herbert and they have paired him up with the well-resourced Pedro Diniz who is bringing vital sponsorship money to the team.
Tyrell Yamahma
18.Mika Salo 19.Jos Verstrappen T- Emmanuel Collerd
Tyrell retain Mika Salo for 1996 and bring in the former Benneton and Simtek Driver Jos Verstrappen to partner up with him in 1996, Tyrell will be hoping to climb back up the grid in 1996 and this young dynamic partnership might just have the tools to do it.
Minardi Ford
20.Pedro Lamy 21.Ukyo Katyama T- Tarso Marques
Minardi are looking forward to another season of struggle this season they have signed Pedro Lamy and Ukyo Katyama to pilot the car on a crazy day they may get points but both drivers are expecting a long season ahead.
Forti Ford
22.Luca Badoer 23.Andrea Monetermini T- TBA
Forti have signed Badoer and Montermini for 1996 but the big question around the pitlane is if they have the finance to complete the 1996 season
F1 1996 Calender
10th March- Australia 24th March- Brazil 31st March- Argentina 13th April- Pacifc 5th May- San Marino 19th May- Monaco 2nd June- Spain 16th June- Canada 30th June- France 7th July- Britian 4th August- Germany 18th August- Hungary 1st September- Belgiun 15th September- Italy 29th September- Europe 13th October- Portugal 27th October- Japan
Last edited by Matt Classic on 19 Nov 2013, 13:06, edited 2 times in total.
Looks very interesting, although some of the decicions are not very realistic(f.e. Fisichella(a rookie with no F1 experience, not even testing) at Ferrari!). All in all i think this will be an entertaining story! Hopefully you will start soon!
Personal question. Is this story being produced in your head or on a computer? Hope it goes well.
Check out the position of the sun on 2 August at 20:08 in my garden
Allard Kalff in 1994 wrote:OH!! Schumacher in the wall! Right in front of us, Michael Schumacher is in the wall! He's hit the pitwall, he c... Ah, it's Jos Verstappen.
Hermann95 wrote:Looks very interesting, although some of the decicions are not very realistic(f.e. Fisichella(a rookie with no F1 experience, not even testing) at Ferrari!).
This. And why would Williams sign Brundle when they had Villeneuve, Frentzen, Barrichello and Bouillon on their wishlist in 1995? Ok, Benetton grabbed Barrichello, but Villeneuve and Frentzen were still available and both of them had more potential than Brundle who was beaten by Panis regularly in Ligier and by Hakkinen in McLaren int he last two seasons... I'm alps questioning De Ferran's place at Ligier...
Right first all of this is going to be scripted by me instead of using computer software to simulate the results, I think I can create a better story that way personally. Most of my thinking on driver moves was based on rumors that were around going around in the 1995 season which I pretty much found through Grand Prix.com archive feature.
Onto the Williams seat As I explained in the season preview, Villeneuve decided to stay in Indycar so he was not available to Williams, Barrichello was signed by Benneton, I kept Sauber taking their option on Frenzen which happened in real life in my alternate history, thus Frank Williams decided to take a cheap number 2 driver for 1996 on a 1 year deal whilst going again for Villeneuve in 1997 so that were Brundle comes into play and in a shootout between him and Boulion I would take his experience any day of the week.
The Ferrari number 2 came about thanks to a rumor I found that linked Fischella with the number 2 seat at Ferrari in 1996 thanks to having backing from Marlboro Italy, it seemed an interesting dynamic having a very young Italian driver for Ferrari and so I am going to run with it.
Gil De Feran also based on a rumor I found that Liger were considering putting a young buck from Indycar in the car for 96 but De Feran and Robbie Gordan in real life both decided to stay stateside in real life so I deiced it would be interesting to see De Ferran at Liger in 1996.
Jean Alesi put his Williams on pole for the first race of 1996 after being over half a second faster than the driver and team he left behind for 1996 Gerhard Berger at Ferrari.
94 and 95 World Champion Michael Schumacher put his Benneton 3rd on the grid being joined on the second row by Mika Hakkinen who put in a great drive to qualify 4th after being hurt at the end of last season.
Down the grid F1 rookies Giancarlo Fischella and Gil De Ferran struggled only starting from 13th and 17th on the grid and both will be hoping from a stronger race performance.
Forti put in a shocking performance and have failed to qualify for the race and with rumours around the paddock that they have not got a budget to last the season F1 insiders are wondering if they will make the European part of this season.
The weather forecast for Sunday's race is dry and Jean Alesi will be hoping to turn his pole into his second ever race win and the start of a potential championship campaign this season with Gerhard Berger and Michael Schumacher expected to push him hard in race.
1996 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying Results
1. Jean Alesi (Williams Renault) 1.32.456 2. Gerhard Berger (Ferrari) 1.32.967 3. Michael Schumacher (Benetton Renault) 1.32.256 4. Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes) 1.33.654 5. Martin Brundle (Williams Renault) 1.33.777 6. David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes) 1.33.984 7. Rubens Barrichello (Benetton Renault) 1.34.212 8. Heinz Harold Frenzen (Sauber Ford) 1.34.654 9. Mark Blundell (Sauber Ford) 1.34.721 10. Damon Hill (Jordan Peugeot) 1.34.820 11. Oliver Panis (Liger Mugan Honda) 1.35.111 12. Mika Salo (Tyrell Yamaha) 1.35.223 13. Giancarlo Fischella (Ferrari) 1.35.345 14. Eddie Irvine (Jordan Peugeot) 1.35.432 15. Jos Verstrappen (Tyrell Yamaha) 1.35.477 16. Johnny Herbert (Footwork Hart) 1.35. 566 17. Gil De Ferran (Liger Mugan Honda) 1.35.754 18. Ukyo Katayma (Minardi Ford) 1.36.112 19. Pedro Lamy (Minardi Ford) 1.36.343 20. Pedro Diniz (Footwork Hart) 1.36.555
