1993-1994 Silly season
Click here to see results of 1993 World Championship.
As usual 1993-94 silly season as others was a very hot time, with a heavy interest of fan's and press. There were a good number of reasons for it.
For example in McLaren team there was uncertainess with pilots almost untill the first GP of season. Mika Hakinen had reserved place since the end of 1993, but there were some talks, that he could be replaced by Johnny Herbert or even Nigel Mansell (who became in 1993 IndyCar champion). However both had contracts with their teams for 1994: Mansell with Newman-Haas Racing for 1994 and Herbert with Lotus... untill the 1997 (!). And inspit of that Team Lotus had serious finicial problems Peter Wright (team manager) said that he won't let Herbert go in any other team untill his contract ends.
Then Alain Prost four-time and 1993 World Champion told to French press that he could change his mind and race in 1994. The main candidate was of course McLaren team, thanks to Peugeot (Peugeot-Citroen PSA), because of some promotional thoughts, wanting a Frenchman in team. And Alain even did some testing for team in February, but after that he decided not to come back in races in 1994.
The official reason was that he was still on contract to Williams team and so couldn't race in other, but this as we know is not such a big problem and it could be settled with a 'small' payment from Peugeot to Williams.
As rumors say, the real reason was that Prost (who was not just an excelent driver, but a very good test-driver too) quickly understood that McLaren MP4-9 had no ponetncial for win neither a championship or neither a single race. And you should admit that, finishing 4th, 5th or 6th in championship with no wins, was not that kind of career's end which Prost, after being a champion, wanted to himself.
Next group of candidates for a McLaren seat consisted of not so known drivers. There were: Mark Blundell, Martin Brundle, Yannick Dalmas, Philippe Alliot (all four had tight connections with Peugeot or McLaren) and young rising star Jos Verstappen (1993 German F-3 champion).
Mark Blundell (who was in 1992 Mclaren tester) decided not to wait till something happens and quickly concluded a year contract with Tyrrell-Yamaha at the beginnig of 1994.
Yannick Dalmas for a long time had no racing practice in F-1 (his last perfomance was in 1990) and so his chanses to appear in McLaren were very very poor.
Philippe Alliot was the last Peugeot's protege. This Frenchman had much more racing practice than his compatriot and good racing experience - he participated in 114 Grand Prix -, but he scored only 7 points and it couldn't not to pick up Ron Dennis's (McLaren team manager) ears. And at this mode Alliot became just a test driver and Martin Brundle, who at that time remained the only strong pilot without contract (he was waiting for McLaren offer), became the second team's driver.
But where has gone young Dutch star, Jos Verstappen?
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TBFOC, 2003.