The new year brings a major development for the Italian-British Benetton Formula team. The old headquarters in Witney, Oxfordshire, dating back to the Toleman era, is abandoned in favor of a new, more technologically advanced facility in Enstone, West Oxfordshire, England. As has become customary for Benetton, the first races of the new season are tackled with the previous year's car, the B191, only slightly updated to the “B” version, while the team of engineers managed by team principal Flavio Briatore completes the design of the new B192.
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| BENETTON B192, Martin Brundle Suzuka, Japanese GP 1992 |
As for the drivers, Benetton continues its traditional approach of pairing an experienced driver with a young talent. Following the retirement of three-time World Champion Nelson Piquet, the team signs seasoned British driver Martin Brundle to race alongside what Briatore envisions as a future champion: young German Michael Schumacher, who had already driven for Briatore in the final races of the ’91 season. In Schumacher’s hands, the B191B still shows its potential, securing a fourth-place finish in South Africa and two third-place finishes in Mexico and Brazil, while Brundle, struggling as the newcomer, suffers three retirements. For the new season, the technical direction of the team is fully entrusted to the capable Ross Brawn, a British engineer not yet forty, who began his career as a mechanic with March, then worked at Williams, and between 1989 and 1991 brought success to Jaguar by designing the XJR-14, winner of the World Sportscar Championship.
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| BENETTON B191B, Michael Schumacher Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1992 |
The first Benetton designed by Ross Brawn, the B192, is developed in collaboration with Rory Byrne, who returns to Benetton after a brief stint overseeing the failed Reynard F1 project. Having worked with Byrne during his time at Williams, Brawn brings in Frank Dernie to assist in the design of the new car, while Pat Symonds, part of the team since the Toleman days, is promoted to head of research and development. Another in-house engineer, Australian Willem Toet, is promoted to lead aerodynamicist, a role he would later hold at Ferrari and BAR-Honda, and more recently at Sauber and Alfa Romeo Racing. Also returning for the season is Geoff Goddard, chief designer of the Ford-Cosworth HB engine, who continues to lead the development of the new power unit supplied exclusively to Benetton. To close the performance gap with the Renault and Honda V10s and the Ferrari V12, Goddard further refines the HB V8 to the “Spec 7” version, capable of revving to 13,000 rpm and delivering 680 hp, about 20 more than the previous model.
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| BENETTON B192, Michael Schumacher Suzuka, Japanese GP 1992 |
The B192 is well-designed, and thanks to the new chassis by Brawn and particularly efficient aerodynamics, the car proves agile, easy to drive, but above all, competitive and very reliable. It debuts in Spain, the fourth race of the season, with a new livery, trading the blue sidepods for an all-yellow and green color scheme reflecting the main sponsor Camel and the Benetton Group. Despite lacking electronic aids like semi-automatic gearboxes, electronic suspension, and traction control, which many other teams already use, the car finishes on the podium in its debut, with Schumacher placing second behind the untouchable Williams of Mansell and ahead of Alesi’s Ferrari and Berger’s McLaren. In all of the remaining 13 races of the ’92 championship, the B192 finishes in the points, confirming the strength of the project. Especially Brundle, the consistent performer, sees the checkered flag 11 times and finishes on the podium five times. Schumacher is forced to retire on four occasions but clinches the first of his 91 career victories at Spa-Francorchamps, the very track where he had debuted 12 months earlier.
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| BENETTON B192, Martin Brundle Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1992 |
Thanks in part to the results from the first three races, Schumacher finishes third in the drivers’ standings, behind the Williams duo of Mansell and Patrese, but ahead of reigning World Champion Ayrton Senna. Right behind Senna comes Martin Brundle, whose sixth-place finish in the championship with 38 points marks the best result of his Formula One career. With 13 podium finishes and impressive reliability, Benetton secures third place in the constructors’ championship with 91 points, the best result in the team’s still-young history.
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