A winning team doesn’t get changed, and so in 1993 the team managed by Flavio Briatore presented the same technical staff as the previous year. Ross Brawn continued as technical director, Rory Byrne as chief designer, Pat Symonds headed the research and development department, Willem Toet was in charge of aerodynamics, and Geoff Goddard oversaw on-track development of the Ford-Cosworth HB V8 engine. The car used in the previous season, which lacked any electronic driver aids, was now considered outdated despite its good performance. Given the new technical regulations, Benetton decided to introduce an updated version of their car from the very start of the 1993 season, called the B193. As was typical for the Enstone-based team, this version was only used in the first two races of the season.
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| BENETTON B193B, Michael Schumacher Montréal, Canadian GP 1993 |
The B193 was essentially a hybrid between the old B192 and the definitive version of the new car, which would debut at the third race of the season, the European Grand Prix at Donington Park. Although named B193, it is likely that the three units built were actually B192 chassis fitted with updated technology such as a semi-automatic gearbox, traction control, and active suspension, systems that had been absent in 1992. The car was solid and performed well but had major issues adapting to the new narrower rear tires, which led to underwhelming results: three retirements and a third place for Schumacher in Brazil being the only noteworthy finish. A clear improvement came with the introduction of the B193B.
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| BENETTON B193B, Michael Schumacher Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1993 |
Designed by the well-established duo of Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn, the B193B was a direct evolution of the earlier version, improved in every aspect. The sidepods were less sharply cut near the radiators, the nose was raised and more rounded, and the front wing had a straight configuration instead of the arrow shape seen on the B192. Notably, mid-season, the B193B introduced flow diverters, features that would become standard on 1990s Formula One cars. The rear bodywork was also reworked to be longer and flatter to ensure a cleaner airflow to the rear wing. The rear wing itself was redesigned with a horizontal central profile instead of an inclined one and gained an additional protruding flap used on high-downforce tracks from mid-season onwards.
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| BENETTON B193B, Michael Schumacher Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 1993 |
Cosworth continued to supply Benetton with the Ford HB V8 engine, now upgraded to the A8 spec, which offered more power than the A7 version used in 1992 and now handed to McLaren, although McLaren only gained access to the A8 from mid-season. As previously mentioned, the real novelty of the B193B lay in its sophisticated electronics. Alongside the now well-established German driver Michael Schumacher, Benetton hired Italian driver Riccardo Patrese, a significant addition for the Anglo-Treviso team. Patrese was specifically chosen for his two years of experience developing electronic systems at Williams with the FW14. The combination of Schumacher's talent, Patrese’s experience, and the car’s capabilities made Benetton the third strongest team in the championship. Schumacher earned one victory and eight podiums, finishing fourth in the standings with 52 points. Patrese, in what would be the final season of his long career, secured respectable results and ended fifth overall with 20 points.
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| BENETTON B193B, Riccardo Patrese Montréal, Canadian GP 1993 |
Behind the dominant Williams, Benetton and McLaren were the most competitive teams in the field, and the time seemed ripe for a championship challenge, especially considering that electronic driver aids would be banned starting in 1994. A final note concerns a version of the car equipped with an innovative four-wheel steering system, referred to by some sources as the B193C, which was used at the Portuguese Grand Prix. The two drivers had differing opinions: Patrese found the car’s responses slower, while Schumacher saw promising potential. The system was installed on Schumacher’s car and used in the final two races of the 1993 season, both of which ended in retirements unrelated to the 4WS system. These would be the only races for this version, as the system, like many others, was banned by the 1994 technical regulations.
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