Pre-qualifying 1992
#1
Posted 11 January 2010 - 09:15
At the start of 1992, according to that logic, Fondmetal, Footwork and the farcial Andrea Moda teams should've been the pre-qualifiers.
However, come the 3rd round of 1992 at Brazil (the first event Moda showed up), the pre-qualifiers were:
Gachot (Larrousse)
Alboreto (Footwork)
Chisea (Fondmetal)
Katayama (Larrousse)
Moreno (Moda)
McCarthy (Moda)
2 Things are confusing me:
1) What are Larrousse doing in pre-qualifying after scoring 2 points in 1991 and thus placing 11 in the constructors?
2) Why do Chisea & Alboreto have to pre-qualify, whilst their teammates Tarquini & Suzuki do not?
Any answers, anyone? Thanks!
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#2
Posted 11 January 2010 - 09:37
Back in the dark days of pre-qualifying, it is my understanding that the top 13 teams from the previous season would be given automatic entry into real qualifying, with the remaining teams competing for the 4 remaining qualifying slots.
At the start of 1992, according to that logic, Fondmetal, Footwork and the farcial Andrea Moda teams should've been the pre-qualifiers.
However, come the 3rd round of 1992 at Brazil (the first event Moda showed up), the pre-qualifiers were:
Gachot (Larrousse)
Alboreto (Footwork)
Chisea (Fondmetal)
Katayama (Larrousse)
Moreno (Moda)
McCarthy (Moda)
2 Things are confusing me:
1) What are Larrousse doing in pre-qualifying after scoring 2 points in 1991 and thus placing 11 in the constructors?
2) Why do Chisea & Alboreto have to pre-qualify, whilst their teammates Tarquini & Suzuki do not?
Any answers, anyone? Thanks!
Did Larrousse's situation have something to do with them switching from Lolas to their own in-house chassis for 1992?
#3
Posted 11 January 2010 - 11:38
#4
Posted 11 January 2010 - 12:32
2) Fondmetal had only one car on the grid in '91, so that qualified only one car for official practice, but why Footwork escapes me now!
#5
Posted 11 January 2010 - 17:54
2) Fondmetal had only one car on the grid in '91, so that qualified only one car for official practice, but why Footwork escapes me now!
Fondmetal's only qualifying one car meant that the last team on the list (Footwork) could also only qualify one car - their entries would have been the 26th and 27th on the rankings. Alboreto got the pre-qualifying gig because a) he was considered more likely to make it / b) Suzuki was paying the bills ;)
#7
Posted 11 January 2010 - 19:34
1) was a bit ugly, with Guy Ligier apparently pulling strings in high places. The official reason was, iirc, that Larrousse had made a formal mistake in not acknowledging that the chassis wasn't built in-house. Anyway, it was poppycock.
So, were Larrousse considered a new entrant for 1992? And if that was the case why were they allowed to continue with Nos. 29 & 30?
More to the point, why should Guy Ligier care when both his cars would've escaped pre-qualifying anyway on countback against Fondmetal & Footwork?
Edited by bluevulcansix, 11 January 2010 - 19:34.
#8
Posted 11 January 2010 - 22:44
And why not 29 and 30 for Larrousse? Both numbers were free...
I think the number system was only kind of unwritten rule rather than a hard reglementation.
#9
Posted 11 January 2010 - 22:46
More to the point, why should Guy Ligier care when both his cars would've escaped pre-qualifying anyway on countback against Fondmetal & Footwork?
Of course each position further up in the team ranking meant also more financial backing from FOCA.