May
2002
Johnny
slams Schumacher and Ferrari
BBC,
21st May: Johnny Herbert has slammed former team-mate Michael
Schumacher over the tactics that gave the world champion victory
in the Austrian Grand Prix. Herbert has condemned Ferrari's
decision to order number two driver Rubens Barrichello to move
over on the last lap at Zeltweg and allow Schumacher to cross
the finish line first.
"I
know what it's like to be Michael's team-mate," Herbert said.
"In Michael's position I would never behave as he does because
I would never feel that I had properly won the world title.
I don't know how Michael can feel he's really world champion
Johnny Herbert "At least three of his four world titles have
been won with help. I don't remember Ayrton Senna or Alain
Prost ever needing anything like that."
Herbert
also hit out at Ferrari's tactics, which he said went against
the grain of racing.
"The
whole point of racing is that the best man wins," Herbert
told the London Evening Standard newspaper's website.
The
Briton also criticised Schumacher for cheapening what would
be his fifth world title should the German be successful again
this year.
"I
don't know how he can feel he's really world champion, although
I'm sure he will be champion again this year. He has won by
batting down his own team-mate, and it's not the first time
he's done it.
"This
year at the San Marino Grand Prix he took Rubens' car when
Rubens was quicker than him before qualifying."
Herbert
pointed to his time as Schumacher's team-mate when he felt the
odds were stacked in favour of the German. But he admitted there
was little he could do then and felt that Barrichello was in
the same position now at Ferrari. Herbert added:
"Ordering
Rubens to give way wasn't fair. If he'd refused, I'm sure
they'd have got rid of him."
Full
story...
Johnny
will attempt both Bump Day and Sears Point
Press
Release, 17th May: Johnny Herbert faces an amazing high-octane,
high-pressure weekend in America. The 37-year-old former Grand
Prix winner will attempt to qualify for the legendary Indianapolis
500 and then try to snatch the lead of the American Le Mans
Series.
Brentwood-born
Herbert today (Friday) tests his ADT Champion Racing Audi R8
sportscar at Sears Point in California along with co-drivers
Andy Wallace, from Oxford and triple Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen
having spent the past two days practicing at Indianapolis. He
will then make the 2,000-mile journey back to Indiana on Saturday
in time for Sunday’s final Indy 500 qualifying session around
the famous 2.5-mile oval at the wheel of a Western Union Dallara.
The
plan is then to immediately climb aboard the Learjet of Champion
Racing’s Dave Maraj to arrive at Sears, north of San Francisco,
in time to take the wheel of the Audi in the closing stages.
"I
lapped at over 227mph at Indy last Saturday but preferred
to bid for a place on the grid the following day but the day’s
session was washed out with continuous rain," confirmed
Johnny. "I want to do the Sears race because I can take
the championship lead but also need to get on to the Indy
grid - it’s a dream I want to fulfil.
"There
are nine places left on the 33-car Indy grid for the race
on 26 May and I’m confident I can claim one of them on Sunday.
If I achieve that and things go well for Andy and Tom in the
Sears race before I arrive to take over the Audi, I’ve a great
chance of taking the lead in the ALMS championship having
won the first round at Sebring in March. It’s going to be
an interesting few days."
Johnny
and team-mates quickest in Le Mans practice
Audi
Sport UK Press Release, 5th May: Britain’s Johnny Herbert
and the Audi team warmed-up for next month’s Le Mans 24 Hours
in fine style by blitzing the opposition at trials in France
today (Sunday) - recording a time almost two seconds quicker
than their closest rival.
German manufacturer Audi has won the annual round-the-clock
endurance sportscar race for the past two years while ex-Formula
One ace Herbert (37) will be bidding to repeat his 1991 Le Mans
triumph.
The
Infineon Audi R8 of Herbert and his Italian co-drivers Rinaldo
Capello plus Christian Pescatori clocked the quickest time around
the revised 8.62-mile Le Sarthe track after two, four hour time
trials. Capello ultimately beat Herbert’s quickest lap with
just 10 minutes remaining when the Italian set a 3mins 30.296secs
- an average speed of over 135mph.
The
similar 200mph Audi of Frank Biela (D), Tom Kristensen (Den)
and Emanuele Pirro (It) claimed the third fastest time (3:32.578).
A third consecutive victory for the trio will re-write the motor
racing history books as never before has the same three drivers
won three consecutive Le Mans races.
The
third, latest specification "factory" entered Audi
of Michael Krumm (D)/Philipp Peter (A)/Marco Werner (D) were
fourth quickest (3:33.180). Meanwhile the Audi Sport Japan Team
Goh 2001-spec R8 of Seiji Ara (Jap)/Yannick Dalmas (F)/Hiroki
Katoh (Jap) clocked a 3:36.074.
A
52-car entry contested the tests in overcast and cool conditions,
the only opportunity to race around the circuit made up of public
roads before this year’s event on 15-16 June.
1
J Herbert/R Capello/C Pescatori (Audi R8) 3min 30.296secs
2 F Montagny/S Sarrazin/S Johansson (Oreca Dallara) 3:32.168
3 F Biela/T Kristensen/E Pirro (Audi R8) 3:32.578
4 M Werner/P Peter/M Krumm (Audi R8) 3:33.160
5 M Blundell/J Bailey (MG) 3:33.414
6 A Wallace/E van de Poele/B Leitzinger (Bentley) 3:34.556
Every
effort is made to ensure factual accuracy but no
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