Experience Will Count

Johnny Herbert knows what it takes to win in Formula One, and with him joining Rubens Barrichello in the Stewart-Ford team, the pair will be the most experienced driver line-up in Grand Prix racing. Ford Racing interviewed Johnny for an Insight feature in the February 1999 issue of F1 Racing.

Q: You made your Formula 1 debut with Ford, how does it feel to be returning to the Blue Oval?

A: In actual fact, I've probably raced most of my Formula One career with Ford engines. My first race was with Benetton in 1989 when they were the works team, and then Lotus and Benetton, and most recently Sauber. It is a very good team to work with. Everybody at Ford is so easy to get on with and very helpful. But if there is a difference between them now and my previous experiences, it's a determination to succeed. The commitment and will to win is very strong indeed, and that feels really good. I believe I'm joining the Stewart-Ford team at a very exciting time. The whole direction of Ford's motorsport campaign is changing massively. You only have to look at its rally programme to see how focused it is on winning again.

Q: What were your first impressions of last season's Ford Zetec-R V10 engine when you drove it for the first time at Barcelona in December?

A: Well I didn't think the engine was that bad at all, but to be up there with the big teams, which is where Stewart-Ford is aiming to be, we do need to find more power. And I believe that with the introduction of the Ford Cosworth V10 CR*I for 1999, we will have a 16t more power at our disposal. It is a completely new engine package - small and light. I think once we begin to start developing, along with the new Stewart-Ford SF-3, we will have a lot of opportunity and potential to come from it. Everybody is very excited about it.

Q: What knowledge and experience can you bring to the Ford Racing engine development programme?

A: A lot of what I can provide is experience of other engines, and that feedback is very important to the Ford engineers. Also the experience of driving in F1 that I have means that my feedback from the car is good, so I can help the team's development to move in the right direction quicker. As a driver you have to try and explain as much as you can to get the driveability of the engine. You are also pushing to get as much horsepower from the engine as possible. The driver always wants more power, but that's healthy and it motivates the team to push harder all the time.

Q: How do you see your role within the Stewart-Ford team developing during 1999?

A: It would be nice to see Ford racing all the way to the front of Formula One. Next year I will be 35, so for me obviously the years are counting down. But I feel now that I am in a situation where I believe we will eventually win races. I want to do this as quickly as possible, but without rushing things. There is no point in rushing into mistakes and failing to achieve anything. Everybody within Ford and Stewart-Ford wants to do this properly. I know I can be quick and I know I have the ability within me to run at the front, it's just a question of getting into the right situation. With the right car at the right time, I think that everything will start to flow and everything will happen for me. I believe that Stewart-Ford is that situation.

Q: Do you get on well with your new team mate Rubens Barrichello? How do you rate the Brazilian?

A: I like him. I have got on well with Rubens since he began racing in Formula 1. He is one of the nice guys of Grand Prix racing. He is very easy to approach. Rubens is also a tough racer which means he will be hard to beat as a team mate, which is always a good thing for a driver to have. Most importantly though, he wants to win, just like I do, and that means we will be able to motivate and push the team forward as the package develops. We have got to work together with Ford and Cosworth Racing to ensure that we find the right answers.

Q: Part of Ford's focus on winning is down to the charismatic figures at the top level like Jac Nasser and Neil Ressler. What is your impression of them?

A: I've known Neil for years. I worked with him briefly at Lotus before linking up again with him at Stewart-Ford. Ford clearly rates him very highly to make him Chairman of Cosworth Racing and for him to be appointed to the board of Stewart Grand Prix. I think he is a very intelligent guy and one that really wants to win. Having Neil in such influential positions can only help the flow of information between Ford and Stewart, and the further development of the team. It's another sign that Ford really wants to win in F1. The President of Ford Motor Company Jac Nasser, is also a very important factor because he wants the same thing as the rest of us. He wants to see Ford as a winning force in F1.

Ford Racing Insight interview from the February 1999 issue.
With thanks to F1 Racing ©. All rights reserved.
This page prepared 24th January 1999.