Johnny aims to be in front again

This article, by Jon Noble, appeared in the 24th June 1998 issue of Motoring News and we are grateful for the opportunity to reproduce it here.

Consider the facts. Johnny Herbert has won as many British Grands Prix as Damon Hill, remains the only team-mate of Michael Schumacher to have tasted race victory alongside the German and gave Mika Hakkinen a good run for his money at Lotus.

But he is still fighting to establish himself among the elite of the Formula One grid. A veteran of 119 grands prix, this season has all the hallmarks of a typical Herbert year. A promising opening, fifth on the grid in Australia and a sixth-place finish, followed by a series of disappointing results. There were the accidents in South America and then the ignominy of Imola when he came into the pits with a puncture, got out of the car believing the suspension was damaged, and by the time the confusion ended it was too late to rejoin the field.

Yet despite the setbacks and heartbreak, and the fact that this season he stands little chance of adding to those two Grand Prix victories, the typical Herbert smile is not faraway. He shrugs his shoulders at his plight, accepts it, and vows to turn it around.

"Yes, it really has been up and down," he says. "Australia was a good start and then we had all the problems in South America [a huge shunt in Brazilian practice, followed by myriad mechanical difficulties in Buenos Aries] but at least Jean got a result in Argentina.

"In Imola we had problems in qualifying and the race, while in Barcelona I qualified well but didn’t get a fantastic start and lost two places – and those were points places. Then the Monaco race was ruined because I didn’t get a particularly good first lap and I got stuck behind Trulli and that was it."

Problems, problems, problems. Sauber always seems just on the verge of challenging the top four or five teams, yet is never truly on their pace. No one is very surprised if Herbert or Alesi are right up in the pecking order, but too often they are at the other end of the grid.

"Now and then the car does seem to work and goes well," says Johnny. "In terms of the pecking order we should be about seventh, but then we do fluctuate quite a bit. Some of that is down to the tyres, because there are tracks like Monaco where the Bridgestones are much better and that pushes us back. If we hadn’t had the new Goodyear in Montreal it would have happened again. That’s why it looks worse at some times."

The Sauber is not a bad car. Herbert and Alesi have, on occasion, put in some very competitive times and there is no reason why they will not, with a bit of luck, get a podium finish this year. Herbert does, however, believe that improvements need to be made.

"I think the driveability is not too bad, but we have had a lot of understeer, and that is quite a big factor," he says. "We have got to get the front tyres working. I think the aerodynamic package could be a lot better and that is something that must be improved."

Sauber, now in its sixth Formula One season, has yet to look close to winning a race in spite of having one of the most impressive sponsorship packages, a supply of fairly decent Ferrari engines- reputed to be the most expensive ‘customer’ motors in Fl- and the most experienced pair of drivers.

"Sauber always has the opportunity of popping in among the top three or four teams, which is the first six places," Herbert admits. "It has that chance if it gets the right engine package and, although we had a good one last year, this season’s is not as strong compared with everyone else.

"So we have to get the right engine package, which they are trying to look at. We also needed a few more experienced people, which the team has been getting, and that helps."

Alesi’s experience appears to have lifted the team a little. After years of appearing to support just one driver, Sauber finally has two guys able to push each other. Herbert has had to raise his game – Messrs Larini, Morbidelli and Fontana weren’t much of a worry in’97.

"It makes a difference pushing each other with two drivers further up the grid and you do need that," he says. "It would be silly to go back to having me at the front and the other guy nowhere because you are making it a one car team.

"It is good for me to have Jean because it gets more out of me. As far as the temper tantrums go he can do those as much as he wants. "I am a bit more laid-back about it, but I have my own views about things. He will rant and rave a little bit longer, but he’s always been that way."

Herbert is aware, however, that time might be running out on his hopes of getting back into the front line – with or without Sauber. He survived the demise of Lotus, but if Sauber cannot lift itself near the front, the story maybe different.

His name is never mentioned in connection with the likes of Williams, McLaren and Ferrari – and that must be galling for a man who feels he is driving better than when he was winning grands prix at Benetton in 1995.

"I would say so," he admits. "I thought my qualifying was good, but I think it is a bit more consistent now than it was then. The racing has always been good. I still want another chance. My contract runs out this year so maybe I might have an opportunity somewhere else. I only had the one chance with Benetton: it was all well and good winning two races for them, but it would have been nice to have stuck with it for another year.

"Just look at Eddie Irvine. When he first joined Ferrari he struggled, but has come to terms with it and accepted he is number two. That will probably help him get better things in the long run.

"I’ve still got some racing left in me. I am only 33, Damon is 37, so I can at the very least go on for as long as him. It is not as if I am not driving well."

Thank you to Motoring News for the article.
This page prepared 7th July 1998.