The Mechanic’s Tale

by Steve Matchett

  Hill, Damon (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Hitco, composite racing brakes (i)

  Hockenheim GP (Budapest): 1990 (i); 1995 (ii); 1997 (iii)

  1994 pit-lane fire (i), (ii), (iii)

  holidays (i), (ii)

  Honda engines (i), (ii), (iii)

  Hotel Hoff, Frankfurt Book Fair (i)

  Hotel Pastis (Mayle) (i)

  Howard, Paul (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Howlett’s of Loughborough (Terry Howlett) (i), (ii)

  Hunt, James (i), (ii)

  hydraulics (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  identification

  car numbers: (i); during race (ii)

  components (i), (ii)

  FOCA passes (i)

  metals in storeroom (i)

  race car seats (i)

  image and marketing (i), (ii), (iii)

  litter bins (i), (ii)

  logos; emblems, Benetton (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  show cars (i), (ii)

  Imola

  San Marino GP: 1989 (i); 1990 (ii), (iii), (iv); 1991, (v), (vi); 1994, accidents (vii), (viii), (ix), (x)

  intercom system, during race (i)

  Intertechnique (i)

  interviews

  Benetton (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Onyx (i), (ii), (iii)

  Irvine, Eddie (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Italian GP (Monza): 1988 (i), (ii); 1995 (iii), (iv)

  Italy, Ferrari (i), (ii)

  jacking plates (hooks) (i), (ii)

  James, Paul (gearbox mechanic) (i), (ii)

  Japan, Aida, celebration (i)

  Japanese GP (Aida: Suzuka): 1989 (i); 1990 (ii); 1992 (iii); 1993 (iv), (v); 1995 (vi)

  Jerez (i), (ii)

  Jordan Grand Prix (Eddie Jordan) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  1995 season (i)

  pit-stop fire (i), (ii)

  Josh (pub landlord) (i), (ii), (iii)

  journalism; journalists (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  press releases (i)

  Tony Dodgins (i), (ii), (iii)

  Just Another Day at the Office (i), (ii)

  see also Life in the Fast Lane

  Kane, Pat (i)

  Keefe, Martin (i)

  Kimball, Gordon (i), (ii)

  Larrousse (i)

  Lauda, Niki (i)

  Lefield, near Witney (i)

  Letho, J.J. (i)

  Lewis, Peter, Alf Francis – Racing Mechanic (i)

  Life in the Fast Lane (i), (ii), (iii)

  finding a publisher (i), (ii), (iii)

  public reaction (i), (ii)

  lifting (of components) (i)

  Ligier team (i), (ii), (iii)

  Lista cabinets (i), (ii)

  drawer dividers (i)

  literary agents (i), (ii)

  litter bins (i), (ii)

  logos; emblems, Benetton (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  lollipop (‘brakes on’ board; car-control board) (i), (ii)

  Lotus (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  Loughborough, Cooper-BMW dealership (i)

  Mach (i): Louise Goodman (ii)

  McLaren team (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  proposed new building (i)

  seasons 1988 (i), (ii); 1989 (iii), (iv); 1990 (v), (vi); 1991 (vii); 1992 (viii), (ix); 1993 (x); 1995 (xi); 1998 (xii)

  Magny Cours (i)

  Mansell, Nigel (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  seasons 1989 (i), (ii); 1990 (iii); 1991 (iv); 1992 (v), (vi), (vii); 1994 (viii)

  Maranello (Italy), Ferrari (i), (ii), (iii)

  March team (Portugal) (i)

  Marlborough, (i)th Duke of (ii)

  Mars bar munching petrol station man (i)

  Martin see Brundle, Martin

  Maserati (i)

  Matchett, Steve

  accidents: back injury (i), (ii); Hockenheim (iii), (iv), (v)

  choosing F1 career (i), (ii), (iii)

  CV: (i), (ii), (iii); presentation (iv), (v), (vi)

  ending career (i), (ii), (iii)

  leaving home (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  pay (wages; salary): (i), (ii), (iii); at Benetton (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii)

  see also writing

  Mayle, Peter, Hotel Pastis (i)

  Mazda cars (i), (ii)

  mechanics

  education and training (i), (ii), (iii)

  see also race mechanics

  Mechanics of a Championship, The (i), (ii)

  see also Life in the Fast Lane

  Melbourne, Australian GP 1996 (i), (ii)

  Mercedes (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Message, Gordon (Benetton team manager) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  Mexico, seasons: 1990 (i); 1991 (ii); 1992 (iii)

  Middle Barton (i)

  Midweek (i), (ii)

  Milton Keynes (i)

  Minardi (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Modena (Italy), Ferrari (i)

  Monaco (i)

  Monaco GP: 1990 (i); 1991 (ii), (iii); 1994 (iv); 1995 (v); 1998 (vi), (vii)

  Moneytron, Onyx sponsors (i)

  Monte Carlo Hermitage (i)

  Montreal, Canadian GP: 1990 (i); 1991 (ii), (iii); 1992 (iv); 1995 (v); 1998 (vi)

  Monza

  Italian GP: 1988 (i), (ii); 1995 (iii), (iv)

  SM meets Schumacher (i), (ii)

  tests (i), (ii)

  Moog valves (i)

  Moreno, Roberto (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Moreton Bay bugs (i)

  Morrumbi Novotel (i), (ii)

  mounting-bells (i)

  Mozart (i), (ii)

  Muir, Ingrid (i), (ii)

  Murray (Walker) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Nannini, Alessandro (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  helicopter accident (i), (ii)

  natural aptitude (i)

  Nelson see Piquet, Nelson

  Nigel see Mansell, Nigel; Stepney, Nigel

  Northampton, Silverstone circuit (i)

  nose catches on B191s and B190s (i)

  Nuñes, Carlos (i), (ii)

  Olympia hotel, Beausoleil (i)

  Onyx factory (i), (ii), (iii)

  Onyx Grand Prix, SM application (i), (ii)

  Orion Publishing (i)

  Orwell, George (i), (ii)

  Ottakar’s (bookshop) (i)

  Oxford (i)

  Oxfordshire (i)

  Woodstock flat (i), (ii)

  see also Witney

  Palmer, Jonathan (i), (ii)

  passive suspension (i)

  Patrese, Riccardo (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  1992 season (i), (ii), (iii)

  Belgian GP 1993 (i); San Marino GP 1990 (ii)

  Pear Tree (pub) (i)

  Penguin Books (i)

  Phoenix (i), (ii)

  Piquet, Nelson (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  GPs: 1990 (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); 1991 (v), (vi), (vii)

  his last race (i)

  SM promoted to Piquet’s race car (i)

  Pirelli, B191 tyres (i)

  pit-boards (i), (ii), (iii)

  pit-stop

  accidents: (i), (ii), (iii); Hockenheim (iv); Spa (v), (vi)

  reversing in pit-lane (i)

  SM leaves pit-stop work (i)

  SM on left-rear wheel (i)

  SM on rear jack (i), (ii)

  speed limit (i)

  speed of work (i), (ii), (iii)

  watching other teams (i)

  Porsche (i)

  Port Douglas (i), (ii)

  Portuguese GP (Estoril), 1989 (i); 1993 (ii), (iii)

  Postlethwaite, John (i)

  practice and qualifying sessions, SM’s first (i)

  press officers; press releases (i)

  Prost, Alain (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  seasons: 1988 (i), (ii); 1989 (iii), (iv); 1991 (v); 1993 (vi)

  Quantrill, Celia (i)

  Queensland holiday (i)

  race cars (i), (ii), (iii)
, (iv)

  advancement of technology (i)

  cost (i), (ii), (iii)

  of the future (i), (ii), (iii)

  phasing in new cars (i), (ii)

  scrap at end of season (i)

  seats (i)

  SM becomes ‘front-end’ mechanic (i)

  watching other teams’ operations (i)

  see also spare cars

  race mechanics (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  education and training (i), (ii)

  natural aptitude (i)

  SM joins race team (i), (ii)

  SM in spare car crew; and pit-stop crew (i)

  see also working hours

  race points (i)

  race shop (i), (ii)

  Onyx (i)

  race team vocabulary (i)

  race trucks (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Race Without End (Hamilton) (i)

  radiator side-pods (i)

  radio, BBC, Midweek (i), (ii)

  Ratzenberger, Roland, death crash (i), (ii)

  rear and front jack work in pit-stop (i)

  rear steering (i), (ii)

  refuelling in pit-stop (i), (ii), (iii)

  1994 fire (i)

  Renault engines (i), (ii)

  reversing, manual gear changes (i)

  reversing in pit-lane, FIA rules (i)

  Reynard (i), (ii)

  Riva Boat Services, Monaco (i)

  road cars (i), (ii)

  Graypaul Motors (i), (ii)

  Howlett’s of Loughborough (Terry Howlett) (i), (ii)

  see also BMW

  road tests, Ferrari 288 GTO (i)

  Rossem, Jean-Pierre van (i)

  Rothley, Cooper-BMV dealership (i)

  Russ, Jorg (i), (ii), (iii)

  San Marino GP (Imola) 1989 (i); 1990 (ii), (iii), (iv); 1991 (v), (vi)

  1994 accidents (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Sandro see Nanninni, Alessandro

  São Paulo (i)

  Brazilian GP: 1990 (i); 1991 (ii); 1992 (iii); 1993 (iv); 1995 (v); 1996 (vi), (vii)

  Sauber (i)

  Schumacher, Michael (i), (ii), (iii)

  abilities (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  at Ferrari (i), (ii), (iii)

  Benetton appointment: (i); leaves

  Benetton (i), (ii)

  seasons: 1991 (i), (ii); 1992 (iii); 1993 (iv); 1944 (v), (vi); 1995 (vii), (viii), (ix); 1998 (x), (xi)

  Scuderia Ferrari see Ferrari team Scuderia Italia (i)

  seats, in race cars (i)

  security (i), (ii), (iii)

  semi-automatic transmissions (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Senna da Silva, Ayrton (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  death crash (i), (ii), (iii)

  seasons: 1988 (i), (ii); 1989 (iii), (iv); 1990 (v); 1991 (vi); 1992 (vii); 1993 (viii)

  Sheraton hotel, Buenos Aires (i)

  Sheraton Mirage hotel, Port Douglas (i)

  Short Walk from Harrods, A (Bogarde) (i)

  show cars (i), (ii)

  Sicily, B196 launched (i)

  side-pods (i)

  Silverstone (i), (ii)

  seasons: 1990 (i); 1994 (ii); 1995 (iii)

  ‘sketch’ (i)

  sleep and fatigue (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  South Africa (i), (ii)

  Spa, Belgian GP: 1990 (i); 1991 (ii); 1992 (iii); 1993 (iv); 1994 (v), (vi); 1995 (vii), (viii); 1998 (ix)

  Spanish GP 1995 (Barcelona)

  accident (i)

  Benetton one-two finish (i)

  spare cars (i), (ii)

  SM joins spare car crew (i)

  used by Piquet (i)

  used by Schumacher (i), (ii)

  Spinelli, Patrizia (i), (ii)

  Spires, Stewart (i)

  sponsorship (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  start-control (i)

  start-finish line (i), (ii)

  Stepney, Nigel (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  with Ferrari (i), (ii)

  SM application (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); appointment (v)

  SMs work (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Stewart Grand Prix (i), (ii)

  stranded cars, FIA rules (i)

  street circuit, effect on brakes (i)

  sub-assembly operations (i), (ii), (iii)

  at Onyx (i)

  Sunday times, SM articles (i), (ii)

  Super Performance Competition Engineering (Supertee Sports) (i)

  Surrey (i), (ii), (iii)

  suspension

  active cf passive (i), (ii), (iii)

  rear suspension replaced before each race (i)

  Suzuka, Japanese GP: 1989 (i); 1990 (ii); 1992 (iii); 1993 (iv), (v); 1995 (vi)

  Symonds, Pat (i)

  Tamburello, crashes (i)

  Tats (Steve Cook) (i), (ii), (iii)

  Taylor (Queensland farmer) (i), (ii)

  team effort (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  see also Constructors’ Championship

  team kit (i), (ii), (iii)

  Timberland shoes (i), (ii)

  team vocabulary (i)

  teams, books about (i)

  television coverage (i), (ii), (iii)

  viewers: (i), (ii); Matchett (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  tessa-tape as bandage (i)

  test teams

  cars (i)

  SM work as test team mechanic (i)

  ‘tipping’ (i)

  titanium drawer dividers (i)

  Tivey, Ron (i)

  Toet, Willem (i)

  Toleman team (i)

  tools (i), (ii)

  traction control (i), (ii), (iii)

  tractor-brakes (i)

  transmission

  manual (i), (ii)

  semi-automatic (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  travel: Australian holidays (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); in Formula One team (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x)

  travelling parts co-ordinator (i)

  truckies job (i)

  TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  TWR Arrows (i), (ii)

  tyres (i), (ii)

  at the circuit (i), (ii)

  Tyrrell team (Ken Tyrrell) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Villadelprat (i), (ii)

  uprights (i), (ii)

  US Indy-cars: Mansell (i), (ii)

  Vauxhall family saloons (i)

  Verstappen, Jos (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Villadelprat, Joan (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  vocabulary, team (i)

  Walker, Murray (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Walkinshaw, Tom (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  see also TWR

  Watkins, Professor (i)

  Weidenfeld & Nicolson (i), (ii)

  Wendlinger, Karl (i)

  Weston, Andrew (Cooper-BMW) (i), (ii)

  wheel pressure, tractor-brakes (i)

  wheel speed sensors (i)

  wheels, pit-stop work (i), (ii)

  Williams

  FW (i)Bs (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  FW (i)s (ii)

  nose bolts (i)

  Williams factory (i)

  Williams team (Frank Williams) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  FW14s (i), (ii); FW14Bs (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii)

  FW15s (i)

  seasons: 1988 (i); 1990 (ii), (iii); 1991 (iv); 1992 (v), (vi); 1993 (vii); 1994 (viii), (ix); 1995 (x), (xi)

  wings (i), (ii), (iii)

  in-car adjustable wings ban (i), (ii)

  wishbones; bearings (i), (ii)

  Witney (i), (ii), (iii)

  Benetton factory (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); storemen

  John and Alec (i)

  Woking, Surrey (i), (ii)

  Woodstock, Oxfordshire flat (i), (ii)

  working hours (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Grand Prix meetings (i), (ii), (iii)