18 replies to this topic

[Ali_G]

Can anyone give me the background on why Ferrari fired Prost in 91. At the time I would only watch the occassional GP and I can't remember.

Niall

[MrAerodynamicist]

He called the car a truck, so they fired him. Although I think that was just the last in a long period of unhappyness between Prost and Ferrari. However I think most people will agree it was a pretty stupid thing to do, morbidelli was hardy a worthwhile replacement (for the last GP of '91.)

[Ali_G]

Wasn't the 96 Ferrari also Christened the "Truck"

Niall

[kartman]

Irvine called it a brick!!

[MrAerodynamicist]

Originally posted by Ali_G
Wasn't the 96 Ferrari also Christened the "Truck"

But then Team Ferrari of '96 weren't such a joke as Team Ferrari '91. [And as 1st impressions are so important, when you say Ferrari, I always associate Ferrari of '91 rather than its better times]

[Ali_G]

Quite true. I could never stand that Fiorio. What a ********.

Niall

[argos]

I seem to recall that drivers at Ferrari would routinely "lose favor" after a couple of seasons of not winning the WDC or WCC. Of course this never happened because the car was uncompetitive.

[argos]

********? ********? Niall, I'm shocked, SHOCKED that you would use such harsh language in this forum, and especially about someone associated with Ferrari.

By the way, who was Fiorio? Was he really a ********?

[rallen]

Does anyone have more information on why Prost was fired? we all know he called it a truck and that was the the last straw but their must have been a lot more to it than that.

Was Prost actually looking to be fired?

[KWSN - DSM]

The 'Truck' did end as 3rd in the WCC and were able of taking podiums all season. So I think that there must have been something more brewing under the surface, and that it was not the comment which was the reason, but just a convenient explanation. We saw when Ferrari and Kimi parted that they were willing to get rid of a driver, who was and still is considered quite good at pedalling a F1 car. Exactly as Prost were in 1991, and later.

What I take from this is that Ferrari then would not allow a driver to become bigger than the team, arguably that is why Schumacher retired when he did as well with him not wanting to be teamed with Kimi.

Were there not something about Prost having an affair with a Ferrari managers wife as well?

[Collombin]

Were there not something about Prost having an affair with a Ferrari managers wife as well?

Not another one

[RStock]

The only car I recall Prost "screwing" himself out of is the Renault.

I think what happened at Ferrari was, they were generally tired of Prost's carping, and Prost was equally tired of being at Ferrari. I would imagine Ferrari felt Prost was expendable with Alesi being on board, plus it was a time of general overhaul at Ferrari, with Luca coming in around that time as well.

[chr1s]

********? ********? Niall, I'm shocked, SHOCKED that you would use such harsh language in this forum, and especially about someone associated with Ferrari.

By the way, who was Fiorio? Was he really a ********?

No, he was the man that made the Lancia Stratos happen and thats good enough for me!

[911]

Can anyone give me the background on why Ferrari fired Prost in 91. At the time I would only watch the occassional GP and I can't remember.

Niall

I thought it was because he was blaming the car for the team's poor results.

[Arjan de Roos]

No, he was the man that made the Lancia Stratos happen and thats good enough for me!

Parkesi? And the all others...?

[Arjan de Roos]

When you look at the results it is easy to see that Prost really lifted the Scuderia and the development of the cars. Coming through a rough period with the 640 and its gearbox, the team really needed direction. Mansell and Berger weren't the drivers for that. Prost did eventually get frustrated. Also after the flak he got after sliding of in the San Marino GP warm-up. He did perform, as did he cars on a rare occasion, but the 642 and 643 were not enough to make him champion.
What exactly happened at Maranello, and also why great designers left is not always clearly stated by the house of Maranello...

[RS2000]

By the way, who was Fiorio? Was he really a ********?

Arguably he was the most successful rally team manager at the highest level - ever.

That's not to say a Stuart Turner wouldn't have done even better - but could one such as he have survived long in the world of Italian manufacturer politics?

Fiorio was occasionally a ********. Sacking Waldegard before the 76 RAC Rally and relying too much on Munari probably lost him a Stratos walkover. His image was that of a playboy as interested in his powerboats as his day job with cars.

He was almost certainly out of his depth at Ferrari (and maybe with Lancia in sports car racing) but, from Fulvia HF days onwards, there are plenty of examples that show he did know how to motivate. The Italianate tones of Finn Marku Alen shouting across the service area: "Eh, eh, Cesare!" could have him running to attend because he often did realise when he should listen to demands.

[KWSN - DSM]

Sounds like some of the more knowledgeable Nostalgians should start a Cesare Fiorio thread.

[chr1s]

Parkesi? And the all others...?

Yes, many people played a part in the design, production and development, but the concept was Fiorios' and it was he who had to persuad Lancia design cheif, Piero Gobbato, to go ahead with the project in the first place.