15 replies to this topic

[bukusuma]

Do you remember Steve Nichols? He designed the 1988 Mclaren that won 15 out of 16 that year. I think he moved to Ferrari in 1991 ? Am I right? Where is he now?

Bram

[MacFan]

You are right about the 1988 McLaren and the subsequent stint at Ferrari. He went to Sauber in 1992 or 1993, apparently he is back at McLaren now, although obviously not as Technical Director.

[norfolk's tear]

I also think he's been working for the McLaren the past few years. Might be wrong, but i thought he is mikas 1'st engineer.

[bukusuma]

Thanks for the answers...

I thought that with the success he's had he would be more in demand, especially, if I'm not mistaken, with aerodynamics as his main strength.

Wonder how well he got on with Newey.

BTW, wasn't Gustav Brunner of Minardi was with Ferrari? I think just before the Prost/Mansell years (before Barnard moves there... )

Bram

[Peeko]

He went to Ferrari with Prost in 1990. He revamped Barnard's 640 that became the 641, and almost took Prost to the title.

[Piquet_1]

I believe his wife was involved in a fatal car accident a few years ago.

[bukusuma]

Sorry to hear about that...

I'm interested to know about what designers do after their time in F1.

Gordon Murray I think is still with Mclaren after leaving Brabham. And I think he only design their road cars. I believe that he doesn't want to do F1 cars since de Angelis' death in the ultra low Brabham (BT49/51?)

What about Gerard Ducarouge? What happened to him? He was quite successful with Lotus. He was with Larrousse next. Is he still in F1?

Regards,

Bram

[Piquet_1]

Murray has said the current rules are too constricting. He was able to have more freedom while working on the McLaren F1.

Ducarouge's reputation went into the toilet after the Lotus-Honda 100T in 1988.

[bukusuma]

Ah, the Lotus 100T. Is that the one Piquet and Nakajima drove?

[MrAerodynamicist]

I can answer this one!!! Not so long ago (Two weeks after the Spa GP) I went to Spa. I hitched a lift with a friend of my sister who does club racing preperation. One of his 'customers' is a certain Steve. He was racing an old F3 car.
I didn't chat to him about where we was working but I know he still at McLaren because he got his laptop out and the desktop picture was of 'McLaren Composites' & Logo. Unfortunately I had to sleep 3 nights in the back of a lorry so he, his son and nanny could use the campervan

[FlagMan]

I think the car Steve Nichol races is actually an FF2000 Van Diemen - possibly even the one that Senna drove early in his career. I was talking to Steve about the car about 2 years ago after he stuffed it into the barrier at Oulton Park, incidentally at almost the same point that Senna stuffed it years ago.

[MrAerodynamicist]

I think you're correct, he does normally race F2000 IIRC. But he was definately racing a F3 car when I went to spa.

[Piquet_1]

bukusuma,

Yes, it had the same Honda engine as the McLaren MP4/4, and was found to have huge problems in its rigidity. Considering the power it had, yet was still not capable of challenging for one race against the Macs, with a triple WC in the seat, it was really bad.

[Dudley]

and if you check this I did for another thread...



Even if McLaren had never been in 1988

Even if Lotus were the only people with that dominant engine

EVEN with a triple world champ in the car

That's how bad the 100T was.

[Piquet_1]

THAT is incredible, Dudley. Thanks.

On the plus side however, I thought it was a great looking car... Doesn't go too far, particularly since it always seems hard to find pictures of the thing. Besides, Ducarouge's cars were always the best looking on the grid, IMO: The 79 Ligier, the 82 Alfa, each Lotus from the 94t on, and even the Larouses all look fantastic.

[bukusuma]

Dudley, thanks!

Yes, it was that bad. Did he got fired by Lotus? I think his move to Larrousse was the start of Lotus' decline in F1. Who replaced him?

Bram