Japanese GP - 13 October 1996
Red Bull Sauber-Ford Press Release

I could not help feeling that it was a bit of a case of "if only" after the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix. It was one of those races for me where, if I had been able to start from a much better grid position, I might have scored some points for the Red Bull Sauber-Ford team in the final race of the season and my last outing with Ford power.

Unfortunately, it was not to be, and I had one of those days where I was really able to enjoy the race but could not do much about the result! It was pretty straightforward for me but I was delighted to see Damon Hill finally win the Drivers' Championship.

I have known Damon a long time and he is a perfect example to younger drivers of the rewards of hard work. He has stuck at it throughout his career and, especially after what happened to him at Williams this season, I can understand the way he must have felt - I've been through something similar myself.

I am sure the Championship win will be good for him, but I think that going to race for Tom Walkinshaw's TWR Arrows team next year is quite another thing. I think Tom might get it right in future, but it won't happen next year, so maybe we shall have to wait until the year after to see if he can be a winner again.

To have Damon as champion is good for F1, but I did not think there was much of a threat to him - only from Jacques Villeneuve his team-mate really. Damon has done a good job, but of course he should have wrapped it up at Monza. Jacques has done well but not had an outstanding year. Damon has outqualified him most of the time and had most victories, so he deserved the title.

I have really enjoyed my first year with Sauber and it will be sad not to have a Ford engine behind me next year. The benefits of all the progress we have made with the power curve will now go to someone else!

As usual, I came out to Japan early on the previous Sunday to try and get over the jet lag. I came out with David Coulthard and we went to Tokyo for a couple of days. We went out for dinner at a few places I remembered from the old days when I used to race here and. met up one night with a few of the other drivers.

Quite a lot of us have driven in Japanese F3 or F3000, so we know our way around, and for me it was a bit of a trip down memory lane. One evening we met up in a small Irish bar with Eddie Irvine, Jacques Villeneuve and Mika Salo and had a bit of fun. We also went to the Hard Rock Cafe a couple of times and a few other places that I know, but most of the time we were just trying to get our sleep patterns sorted out!

I like Tokyo. It is different from anywhere else. David and I went to see a baseball match one evening with the Nagoya Dragons playing but it was completely boring and we both fell asleep! We watched it for an hour and there were only two innings. When they hit a home run it is great, but there was not much else to look at.

On a trip like the one to Japan, it can be difficult to keep fit and train. You feel tired from the time difference and there are not always the best facilities at the hotels, but if they have a gym then it is okay.

At Suzuka itself it is more difficult, and of course I cannot go for runs or anything so I have to miss it. Luckily, I know the circuit well so that makes it a bit more relaxing for me and less demanding physically. I find Estoril physically harder. Suzuka has much more "flow" thanks to the way it was designed as a test track. I know a lot of people complain, but I like it.

I don't find eating in Japan a problem either. I get what I want and I am used to it. I especially like Tenppanyaki, which involves dipping the meat into hot water. It cooks it in 20 seconds. I am not so keen, however, on the raw fish.

The fans, of course, are very enthusiastic in Japan and this can lead to problems, particularly in Tokyo, if you go out shopping for the latest electronic gizmos and things. That said, I managed to get away without any real bother this year.

In fact, most of my problems came at the circuit. I got there on Thursday, and on Friday, during practice, everything seemed to be generally okay except that my engine stalled in the afternoon and I didn't get out in the last part of the session when it was drier.

I felt the car had potential in it, and on Saturday I felt pretty happy with the balance of the car and was confident of qualifying well. Unfortunately, I went off almost straightaway at the 130R, a fast corner named after its right-hand angle. That, of course, not only wrecked the car a bit but also wrecked my session.

The spare car was set up for Heinz-Harald Frentzen and there were a few things which were different, like the differential pedal settings. We tried to change them and put my pedal settings on to it, but it proved difficult.

Some of the stuff was right, but not all of it. It seemed to be all over the place and that made my job that much more difficult. If that had nor happened, I think I would have been there or thereabouts. I don't know exactly what happened to cause the accident, but the conditions were changing a bit and I think I went over a kerb and I just lost the back end.

It meant I had to rely on a good start in the race to make up a lot of places, but that did not work out and I was left to run in the traffic. The fact that Heinz-Harald got a point in his last race for the team was nice, but it also showed me what might have been!

It was that kind of weekend with changeable weather, wet and then dry, lots of problems here and there, but nothing too serious. Now we have 1997 to look forward to and after getting my first season with Sauber out of the way I can say I am confident about next year and looking forward to it.

I cannot say much more about the car or the package yet, but I am sure it will all be announced in the next few weeks. It should be a good one.

With thanks to Johnny, Red Bull Sauber Ford and Bob Herbert.
A special thanks to Red Bull Sauber-Ford for the photo of Johnny at Suzuka.
This page prepared 18 October 1996. All rights reserved.