19 replies to this topic

[FRWL]

In the middle of 90th many drivers had a chance to test Benetton cars. I can remember Badoer, Alboreto and Montermini in 1993; McNish in 1994; Verstappen and Collard in 1995 (does someone have a photo of Frenchman in Benetton car?); Sospiri in 1996... But I'm looking for complete list of drivers who tested Benettons, especially in 1995.

At last I post some photos from Benetton testing in 1993:

Badoer


Montermini


Any other photos will be appreciated

[conjohn]

Paul Tracy tested the B194.

[Théodore33]

Paul Belmondo was test driver of Benetton, I suppose in 1993 with two other drivers.
Unfortunatly, pictures of these Benetton test drivers of the 90's were very hard to find. For Montermini, I only knew the one you have sent.

[Mihai]

Alessandro Nannini tested the B196.



...he was offered the chance to test Benetton's B196 F1 car, but purely as an exercise. says http://8w.forix.com

[William Hunt]

Emanuele Pirro was their test driver in the '80s. At one point Benetton even wanted to enter a third car for Pirro but they didn't get permission from all teams to enter a third car. Pirro was suppose to drive the third Benetton on Monza 1986.

Wasn't Andrea Montermini also a Benetton testdriver ?

[my_own_shadow]

I also have some photos. But I can't say precisely where was made the first one and who is the driver on the second picture.

1 (McNish; 1994; Benetton B194)



2 (1995; Benetton B195)



About Sandro's testing I remember that it was late 1996 at Estoril and he set lap time that was something 2 sec. worse than Alesi and Berger best laps.

[Paolo]

From Forix :

http://8w.forix.com/...estdrivers.html



2001: Webber
2000: Mitsusada, Pantano
1999: Redon
1998: Magnussen, Watt, Gavin
1997: Wurz
1996: Sospiri, Trulli, McNish
1995: E Collard, Verstappen
1994: Verstappen, McNish
1993: Zanardi, McNish, Montermini, Belmondo
1992: Zanardi, McCarthy
1990: Dumfries, Moreno
1989: Dumfries, Herbert
1988: Dumfries, Ga Brabham
1987: Dumfries, Pirro
1986: Barilla

[chofar]

On Collard, I remember him saying he did one or two afternoons of testing on the mainstraight at Lurcy-Levis and that was all. The most important for Flavio being his sponsor ,Flymo IIRC, which figured on the rear-wing plates. So, Collard's pictures should be VERY rare.

[William Hunt]

Johnny Dumfries was a Benetton testdriver for 4 eyars but apart from some tests in '87 I can't remember him testing that much, seems odd.

[my_own_shadow]

Does somebody know the driver on the second photo I've posted?

[Rainer Nyberg]

It is Kenny Bräck on the second pic.

[Viktor]

Originally posted by my_own_shadow

2 (1995; Benetton B195)



About Sandro's testing I remember that it was late 1996 at Estoril and he set lap time that was something 2 sec. worse than Alesi and Berger best laps.

Acording to a member on another forum this photo is fake, it was made by the Swedish version of "Auto motor & sport" back in 1995 when Kenny was in line for a full time test driver seat with Benetton (and McLaren and he chose Ligier/Arrows ).

/Viktor

[Kuwashima]

Let's not forget everyone's favourite F1 driver (OK, well, maybe not, but he's mine!) Perry McCarthy, who had a test at Silverstone in 1992, when Zanardi got ill - despite the fact that Perry was severly hungover from too much drinking the night before (the call to come and test came at the last minute).

[Ross Stonefeld]

Originally posted by Paolo
From Forix :

http://8w.forix.com/...estdrivers.html



2001: Webber
2000: Mitsusada, Pantano
1999: Redon
1998: Magnussen, Watt, Gavin
1997: Wurz
1996: Sospiri, Trulli, McNish
1995: E Collard, Verstappen
1994: Verstappen, McNish
1993: Zanardi, McNish, Montermini, Belmondo
1992: Zanardi, McCarthy
1990: Dumfries, Moreno
1989: Dumfries, Herbert
1988: Dumfries, Ga Brabham
1987: Dumfries, Pirro
1986: Barilla

Thats a somewhat weird list, as in 00 Mitsusada and Pantano werent official testers. Pantano was given a few runs early in the season having won in his debut F3 race having been in karting the season before.

Of course if you want to continue the thought, since its really the same team with different business cards

2002: Alonso (and at season's end Sebastien Bourdais)
2003: McNish (and on one occasion in official Friday tests, Franck Montagny)
2004: Montagny (Jose Maria Lopez, Heikki Kovalainen , Satoshi Motoyama all had runs pre-season)

[man]

I recall seeing a picture of Alboreto testing the Benetton in Autosport at the time. So if somebody has the correct edition of Autosport from that period, i'm sure you will find an image of Michele doing his thing.

[gilles2735]

Originally posted by William Hunt
Emanuele Pirro was their test driver in the '80s. At one point Benetton even wanted to enter a third car for Pirro but they didn't get permission from all teams to enter a third car. Pirro was suppose to drive the third Benetton on Monza 1986.

Wasn't Andrea Montermini also a Benetton testdriver ?

With reference to Pirro's 3rd Bennetton, this was due to happen at Monza I believe in 87 not 86, this was to have been a car prepared from memory by Madgewicks, in the livery of a jeans company whose name alludes me at this point, however. This all came to nought as there was a dispute I believe over powerplant, this was as The works cars were powered by Ford at that stage and the Pirro machine was to have a BMW engine.

[Ross Stonefeld]

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by gilles2735


With reference to Pirro's 3rd Bennetton, this was due to happen at Monza I believe in 87 not 86, this was to have been a car prepared from memory by Madgewicks, in the livery of a jeans company whose name alludes me at this point, however. This all came to nought as there was a dispute I believe over powerplant, this was as The works cars were powered by Ford at that stage and the Pirro machine was to have a BMW engine.

The car was a B186 to be entered by Middlebridge, and it was to have been in the black and white livery of Trussardi. They were not even allowed into the paddock, IIRC - I forget whether the rule they used to turf them out was the "every team must run a unique car" one (which is arguably not applicable here, the B186 and B187 were very different) or the "every constructor must only run one type of engine" which sort of did apply!

Anyway they were stitched up rather badly - a lot of time and money had clearly been spent on this effort and they were excluded at the last minute. It's interesting, in retrospect a healthy trade in good "secondhand" F1 cars in the late 80s would have prevented some of the appalling excesses of the "wide awake club" years - for instance, a lot of the new teams could've done worse than running something like March 881s or Benetton B188s in '89... cars that still had a bit of life in them, would at least have been put together properly, and might've scored the odd point, rather than some of the sheds we saw at the back of the grid! -- then again the depths to which some teams plunged in that era fascinate me ;)

[Pedro Rodriquez]

Originally posted by Viktor

Acording to a member on another forum this photo is fake, it was made by the Swedish version of "Auto motor & sport" back in 1995 when Kenny was in line for a full time test driver seat with Benetton (and McLaren and he chose Ligier/Arrows ).

/Viktor

I am wondering about the same as Viktor. Do anyone have som additional info about Bräck's test for the Benetton F1 team?

Best regards

[subh]

I have a list similar to that on 8W/6th gear for official test drivers, but I think quite a few others got one-off runs. I remember Giancarlo Fisichella in 1996, and I think Roberto Ravaglia in the 1980s.