Alex Wurst - Times Newspaper 23 April
Paul B
The following is an article from todays "Times" which may be of some
interest to Wurz/Benetton fans.
WURZ SEIZES HIS CHANCE TO TAKE OVER IN THE FAST LANE
By Kevin Eason
EDDIE IRVINE'S eyes flicked to his wing mirrors and discovered them full
of blue Benetton. This was not what the Ferrari driver, enjoying his
best race of the year and planning a cruise to the flag, was expecting.
Then again, he is not the only person to have been similarly surprised
this season. While drivers have moaned that the art of overtaking has
been destroyed by the modern Formula One car, Alexander Wurz has been
flashing past his seniors with little regard for reputation or the
complaints that the cars are too difficult to handle.
Irvine, no shrinking violet when it comes to wheel-to-wheel duels, was
one of Wurz's most high-profile victims in Argentina. Two weeks earlier
in Brazil, it was Heinz-Harald Frentzen who discovered the Austrian
streaking inside his Williams.
Wurz, 24, has produced some of the most audacious driving of the year, a
revelation in a sport apparently bogged down by its inability to turn
high-technology power and performance into exciting racing. However,
while his driving is thrilling, his explanation is more sanguine: "I am
not there just to go for a Sunday afternoon drive," he said yesterday as
he prepared for the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola this weekend.
"You have to push and push hard to get results, otherwise you will not
be in Formula One for long. I had a chance to be with the Benetton team
last year and I think we have grown up together a little bit. I have had
lots of testing and I am very happy with the car and with our
performance."
Wurz's relative inexperience and enthusiasm belie a cool calm once he is
strapped into the Benetton, a characteristic that was identified quickly
by Dave Richards, Benetton's chief executive. "We could see right away
that he was quick and mature," he said. "To place all your confidence in
a young driver could be a risk, but we have always been comfortable with
Alex as a young man who was going to improve and improve rapidly as he
gained experience."
Wurz says he is simply concentrating on the job, though the relaxed
approach of Richards - the man who helped Colin McRae to a world rally
championship - clearly suits him. Furthermore, racing is in the Wurz
lood. His father, Franz, is a three-time European rallycross champion.
At the age of 12, Alexander was world BMX bike champion and the
progression from pedal power to Formula One's 750 brake horsepower came
via karting in his native Austria, Formula Three and German Touring Cars
and a Le Mans win for Mercedes in 1996.
His chance came unexpectedly as a stand-in for Gerhard Berger last
season when his countryman was ill with a sinus condition. He grabbed
it, coming third in the British Grand Prix - only his third race. It was
a sign of things to come, as Richards decided to sign him to partner
Giancarlo Fisichella.
The Italian was supposed to be the rising star, the future world
champion, but thus far Wurz has qualified more quickly and outraced his
team-mate in two of the three races. Increasingly, he looks to be the
driver who could upset the balance of power at the front of the grid and
become the third Austrian world champion, after Jochen Rindt and Niki
Lauda.
"That is a long way ahead," he said. "For now, we have to think about
Imola, where I think the McLarens will be very strong again. They have a
clear advantage, which will be difficult to fight against."
--
Paul B
Note: reply to pa...@larkhall.co.uk if replying by Email
The Chow Chow got his blue tongue by picking up the scraps of sky that dropped
to the earth while the stars were being set in their places
- Ancient Chinese folk tale
Mark Orr
Wurtz is massively talented, no question. I really look forward to the Euro
season as he will be driving on familiar tracks. I fully expect him to win a
race this year.
Mark
Cheek Sr
Paul B wrote:
Quick! Somebody tell Porsche and Joest that Mercedes-Benz have another
victoryto go with 1952 and 1989!
Doc
> t
>
--
Fredrik B. Knutsen, MD
Director,
Cheek Racing Cars (http://home.sol.no/~kareknut)
"Scuderia Alce Rampante"
Peter Scoular
Cheek Sr writes
>Paul B wrote:
>> and a Le Mans win for Mercedes in 1996.
>
>Quick! Somebody tell Porsche and Joest that Mercedes-Benz have another
>victoryto go with 1952 and 1989!
>Doc
>
--
Peter :-) Hill is the man - Keep the faith.
Cheek Sr
Peter Scoular wrote:
At La Sarthe,they surely do.What was it last year,their twenty-fifth?
Amazing.
Cannot wait to see the GT1 98 blasting out of the Porsche Curves (Cheek
Racing Hdqts
at Le Mans!),yummy,just a few weeks now.
Doc
Peter Scoular
Cheek Sr writes
>Peter Scoular wrote:
>> Cheek Sr writes
>> >Paul B wrote:
>> >> and a Le Mans win for Mercedes in 1996.
>> >
>> >Quick! Somebody tell Porsche and Joest that Mercedes-Benz have
>> another
>> >victoryto go with 1952 and 1989!
>> >
>
>At La Sarthe,they surely do.What was it last year,their twenty-fifth?
>Amazing.
>Cannot wait to see the GT1 98 blasting out of the Porsche Curves (Cheek
>
About 1981 was the last time I was at Le Mans, when I was crewing for
the Goodyear Airship, I guess it must be about time to go again.
regards
BOY RACER
Isn't Wurst the German for sausage?- Is there something that Benetton are
keeping from us?
dab