WHEN IT ALWAYS GOES AGAINST YOU! The Story of the Simtek Team (1994-1995)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- Computers were starting to become an integral part of F1 in the 90s. Onboard telemetry, semi auto gearshifts with auto blip, the active suspension years of 1993 and so on. And a young Nick Wirth could see how this was going to go. So he set up a team off the back of his engineering company to maybe push what can be done with the new tech. Ushering in the new era.
But it never seemed to get going. Because for every step this team made forward it seemed divine intervention would get in the way.
Let's look, then, at how a good idea with good intentions never really got off the ground and was one big struggle.
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Sad thing about Simtek is that unlike Forti and Pacific, they had a bit of actual potential.
Forti came up through the juniors and might have lasted a bit longer if Diniz hadn’t taken his Brazilian Tesco money to Ligier.
Then they got done in by that takeover in the middle of the 96 season.
Not quite. Edd Straw went into it on bring back V10s and he went into a bit of detail on how Wirth was not great at Benetton and arguably set the team backwards. There's also virgin and his random decision to not use a wind tunnel or a full sized fuel tank going against him. He might have been a bit of a Gustav Brunner type, perfectly capable of designing a lower midfield car but not a properly decent designer
@@johnyossarian1135Wirth also botched the design of the HPD ARX-04b, a car whose design was so poor that when a wind tunnel year was done with the 03b's sidepods, more performance was found.
It's single race was terrible, prompted ESM to run the 03b and then the much better Ligier JS P2 Honda before ESM's relationship with Honda broke down the year after.
@@AidanMillward The FG01 was crap but the FG03 was somewhat promising.
@@K9RacingAndStuff went on the Wikipedia page for a quick skim and that thing was bad with a capital bad. I wonder if he was a Jeff Winger type of student when he worked under Newey
Although the Simtek cars weren't exactly front of the grid quality, the livery was brilliant. One of the best looking cars in F1. Ever. Plus there's been many priceless artefacts found in pyramids.
When I got a PS1 and F1 95 for Christmas Simtek became my favourite team after Williams, solely because I thought the name and livery were cool. Managed to get them to both titles during one half term.
I just liked hearing murray say "oh my! Its... schiaterella!" 😂
I was always Bertrand Gachot,winning the championship in the Pacific PR02. Well it kept me amused for ages.
That 1995 Simtek is such a "what if..." story, Verstappen said it was one of the best cars he'd ever driven cause he could throw the thing around the track like a go-kart, which perfectly suited his style. If they had managed to get the funding and the drivetrain's reliability sorted that car could have been maybe scored points at some stage (or maybe point, singular, to be more precise). I also wonder how Jos' career who have panned out if he had gotten a full season in 1995, since the Simtek definitely would have given him the opportunity to show he could go fast AND not spin out.
Jos had a style????
These days, the Dutch themselves are overall quite content with how Jos' career played out. Jos crawled so Max could fly.
@@JohnSmithShields He honestly did. I wasn't a fangirl of his (Damon is my first and last, hence allowing me to appreciate others for their abilities), but I did want him to get the luck that Simtek needed. That one breakthrough could have made a massive difference to man and team.
Edit: I should say that I'm talking about man and team as individuals.
I was hoping you'd mention Teenage Fanclub's 1995 album, Grand Prix. The album cover features a Simtek car in a blacked out livery.
Great album.
I didn't know that Nick Wirth was younger than David Brabham and Roland Ratzenberger, the 2 Simtek drivers. That's why this channel is excellent.
I read about that interesting fact from the old F1Rejects website
I was at Imola in 1994. We moved from sitting at Tosa in the morning to Variante Alta for qualifying but we were happy to have missed Roland's accident. Both Simteks had gone off at Tosa in the morning and they both hit the high inner curb on their rejoin.
For the Sunday I was sitting at Rivazza with some Italian friends so we missed the tragic events.
On the flight home to Heathrow I sat next to one of the mechanics and we chatted about old F1 races. Before we deplaned I said that I hoped he did not mind talking and he said it was fine.
I bumped into the guy a few times at some tracks and at Spa on the Thursday he invited me into the pitlane and then into the paddock.
Thank you for using my photo of Nick Wirth in your video. Took it when I was invited to the Virgin Racing launch in 2011 at the BBC Studios
Thank _you_ for making it available! Hope you had a ton of fun that day :D
@@y_fam_goeglyd I did thanks. First and only F1 car launch I’ve been to at the BBC television studio
To sum up all the carnage that occurred at Imola in 1994, Alan Jones said on the Australian telecast that “the local hospital must think they’re a MASH unit with the amount of use that helicopter is getting”. I have to agree with him, they really were a literal MASH unit that weekend!
Except it was real life not sum silly movie.
@@F1-Passion I’m talking about the actual real life MASH units, not the TV series.
@@TrickyMario7654 ahh get you now
Mobile army surgical hospital, for those who wonder.
And... It's not that far given the number of disasters that weekend.
considering the analogy, Prof. Watkins was "series finale" Hawkeye
Even tho they had a short time in f1 and are mainly known for poor Roland, i still recreate their epic livery in racing games more than 25 after they left.
I worked at Simtek from late summer 93 to May 95. This video is an accurate account of what happened . Well done. I also worked with Nick at Leyton House along side Adrian. The Simtek team members were made up from a good number of the very experienced Leyton House team. I believe if funding could have been found the team would have just got better and better. Maybe not won races, but certainly scored regular points. Jos and David B were exceptional drivers and never had the cars to show their real talent. PS MTV sponsorship saw the 1st appearance of Davina Mcall. she came to all the races through 94. .... But thats anothe3r story !
I heard Roland may have hooked up with her. One of the guys on the Roland tribute show brought it up I think.
@@AidanMillwardI remember the "test report" that Roland submitted on his time with Davina 😂 shame he was taken too soon as he's an extremely likeable chap
Hello Cloggy !,..(Badger!)
To be fair to Wirth, Benetton weren't bad in 1996 or 1997 in terms of results, they just didn't have Herbert or the people who left for Ferrari (Brawn, Schumacher, etc.) - the B196 had been designed for Schumacher but instead Alesi and Berger got to drive it. The B197 was a race-winning car for Berger (his last win before retirement), both times getting 3rd in the Constructors Championship behind Williams and Ferrari - Wurz even got a podium in the B197 at Silverstone in 1997!
Simtek's cars were always really good-looking, too. It was a shame they could never get solid funding.
I loved the Simtek team! Was of a time when it was a little easier to enter F1. They were dealt an awful blow with Roland but they carried on and did their best into 95. Could they have lasted longer if all the bad luck hadn't of happened? Who knows, what I do know is it was short and sweet for the team but they still live long in many a memory of F1 die hard fans.
9:16 Excellent video Aidan. David Brabham wrote in the Autosport 20th anniversary of Imola issue that he retired with steering failure of all things! He was very lucky it was at the last chicane. The next corner was Tamburello!
Christ, we could have had a third death...
Omg this weekend was just beyond cursed
Sadia (pronounced "sadeea") was famous for their cooked ham and other cold cuts and meat products in Brazil. They seem to be still going relatively strong there.
But do they do Billy Bear ham?
@@AidanMillwardNot that I'm aware of!
Brazilian here,Sadia still a massive Company in the cold cuts and Frozen food section,you see their products literally everywhere oh and Fun fact they sponsor the NBA broadcast in Brazil,so...yeah they are still very strong
“That ain’t working, that’s the way you tune it! You’re driving the car on the MTV!” “You gotta install Mansell & Damon! Jean Alesi, De Cesariii-iiii-IIIIIS! You gotta beat Rob,erto Moreno, you gotta beat those damn Ferrariiiii-IIIIIIIIIS!!!”
Lol! Brilliant! Now I have that tune in my head - thanks, pal 😂
Good very good, I can hear Mark and Sting singing it.
One thing I have come to realize long after the demise of Simtek is that their 1994 s941 model must have been the pioneer of one element which is mandatory now 30 years later, namely the extremely high position of the lower front wishbones improving the airflow towards the diffuser . Greetings from Denmark
Two, as they also designed flattened aerodynamic wishbones for the suspension (not just shrouds, but carbon moulded) but couldn't get them to be strong enough.
If you see the pictures of the team launch they have a full-scale car with the aero suspension fitted.
5:00 500k? That’s Red Bulls catering* budget
(aerodynamics)
You should do a video about F1's "cult" teams. Thise little minnows that won the hearts of the fans for some reason, even though they never were competitive. Teams like Simtek here, and Minardi, Modena, Larrousse, Arrows etc..
Lots of people were trying to join F1 then. I can remember Autosport regularly carrying stories of a new team for next year in the early 90s. I think the DAMS got furthest.
Super video. Thank you and well done. F1 is missing teams like this these days...folk who try to take a different route but much of that is because the rules stifle it somewhat.
One of the errors I saw from Simtech was going at it alone with little money.
They were pretty good at simulation stuff. Their cars weren't bad with the financial limitation.
But think if you add the Simtech technical skills with something like Minardi, and more funding.
How great to see how many Simtek fans there are still out there! I always felt very much an outsider when I brought them up as my favourite team.
Broooo! You're on fire with these rapid releases.
your not broken brother.
we your fans appreciate you despite the raspberry tan.
i get a similar thing in cold weater feels Iike every skin cell hurts.
stay in the game we need you.
Nice! Good to see you'Re covering Simtek again. I really enjoy your videos, Aidan.
Great stuff!
You should do a video on Gerhard Berger. Like, was he world championship meterial?
Underrated driver.
underrated yes, but i think an excellent number 2, a little like David Coulthard.
He's one of the best to never win one.
If Murray Walker, Ben Edwards and John Watson say Skiattarella instead of Sheattarella then that's how I pronounce it.
Great driver too, Mimmo did a bit in Indycar but really made a name for himself in sportscars and GT racing.
One better tho, is multiple GT champion Andrea Montermini. Still racing now in GT Open in Europe.
Andrea's performance at Detroit in IndyCar in 93 caught Mansell's attention and he was full of praise.
Contemporary at the top of F3000 fighting for the 1992 championship after a midyear switch to Forti Corse.
Loved these teams in the 80s / 90s it’s boring now with big engine manufacturers having 2 teams
The rampant expense has really put me off grand prix racing. The lack of privateers and 26 cars is a real turn off
That statement is just outright wrong as only Red Bull owns two team but they have barely been an engine manufacturer.
Hope you're handling the Asthma and cold well! Was in Germany over winter in 2022/23 with my partner and god as Aussies we didnt realise just how difficult it gets for Asthmatics the colder it gets, she was struggling hard.
That purple colour was just beautiful. Coupled with clean aero, it really did look nice. The team deserved so much more. If only they had a proper works engine and made it a little lighter. . .
It's really interesting to hear about these back of the grid teams. Some were laughable, from the perspective of the viewer even not knowing what was going on behind the scenes, like Andrea Moda, whereas you knew that others were really in for the long haul, if only they had luck going their way. It was always a feeling that if only _something_ good happened... Simtek were definitely in the latter camp.
Seeing Jos reminded me of a certain Mr Brown from the Americas. Jos was definitely Europe's version. A very real driving talent, but also the knack for being in the wrong team at the wrong time. On a few occasions, he got to remind us of his skills, in fact he was like the human Minardi. So many people wanted him to have that bit of luck to show what he could do, and any point scored was almost like a podium, if not a win!
Given the two characters you mentioned in regards to his contract, it puts his early "extreme presence" around Max into more perspective than "just" an overprotective dad of a crazy teenager (that's no shade on Max, he was a teenager, crazy is just part of the equation! I had 4 of my own and I remember the stupid things I did 😉) He obviously wanted Max to have a secure chance at the front of the grid because he must have known that his son's talent is a generational one and he didn't want to see him having 3 years in Williams (yes, I know the dates etc, that's just illustrative.)
Great video yet again, Aidan. Many thanks!
The MTV connection is so crazy to me - MTV’s main investment backing was the company that eventually evolved into Liberty Media
Great vid. Love these looks back to previous eras. Would love more on group b and 80s turbo f1.
I visited the website of the ad that came up before the video started because it was actually something I might be interested in this time.
Mick’s Garage? Fine bunch of lads
@@AidanMillward unfortunately not. It was an ad for dartboards and darts supplies.
@@eamonahern7495 IIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNN one.
"Italian shoe maker" tho🤣🤣
Andrea Moda , the horror. Only Roberto Moreno could put an Andrea Moda in Monaco 1992.
With more work than all Hamilton's titles.
There‘s no card for the 1994 driver roulette where you mentioned it, and you told us to remind you in the comments. So, this is that reminder ❤
There is. I put it in myself
Aidan: off topic for the current video, but could you dive into the history of start procedures in F1? Warmup laps, red lights & green lights, staggered start position spacing, pole position on inside or outside of the track, etc?
The “telephone numbers” it is now…
Yah that checks out.
Me: Simtek? MTV? 1994? Wouldn't that be...?
You: Roland.
Me: Indeed it was.
Your video on Ratzenberger is one of my all time favourites, it was about time the poor bloke got some proper credit.
Brilliant as always
Gr8 video, & I loved Grand Prix Manager 😂
One of the best looking cards of the era - purple MTV livery and classic early-to-mid-90s low-nose. I like to think Jos would have scored a few points later in the year at the high-attrition races that would follow (maybe Germany and Australia).
another good livery was Jordans first, the green 7-up
I have eczema flare ups in the cold weather on my face too.
And asthma 😂
Gil de Ferran is same pronunciation as Gilles Villeneuve.
you missed the ironic sponsor with Death cigarettes before imola 94
Sorry, TH-cam did not kill Mtv. Mtv Raps and Mtv cribs and like programs where no music videos is what killed Mtv
Coolest looking paint schemes on the grid though.
10:38 the blame for the accident with Brabham and Alesi could go either way. Brabham should have let Alesi through a lot sooner but Alesi came from miles back into a gap that was always going to disappear.
Thanks
Interesting summary. Such bad luck, the story seems more suited to Simon Bates’ ‘Our Tune’.
I have asthma too. Can relate. Keep my inhaler on hand.
The $500,000 fee is true, it was raised to $24,000,000 after the Lola mess in 1997, then from there I don’t know when it went up again.
excelent video
Brazilian here! Best way I'd suggest pronouncing Gil de Ferran's name, for an anglophone, would be "jil de ferrahn" 😊
Portuguese pronunciation:
Gil de Ferran: "Jill de Fe-Han"
Sadia: "Sa-dee-a" - is a brazilian food conglomerate, their main markets are meat products and frozen food.
It certainly was a team cursed by bad luck. Even the great carnage that was the Hockenheim GP didn't help them despite only 8 cars actually finished the race. But of course the biggest tragedies where Ratzenberger's death and basically just two races later Schiattarella completley destroying another car
You pronounced Gil de Ferran's(?) name exactly like the TV broadcasters did here in the U.S.
Max Mosley: bans active suspension as a driver aid, but not semi auto gearboxes or power steering….
As you pointed out, Nick Wirth went to Benetton just as it was falling apart. He came back to F1 to design the 2010 Manor, as you also pointed out. Considering that the Benetton team went backwards during that time and also considering (at least as far as I remember) that the Manor/Virgin didn't even have a fuel tank big enough to last a race during the first post-refuelling season... All the good things you said about Simtek's prospects check out, but honestly I'd be interested to know if this post-Simtek career is more bad luck rearing its ugly head or if you're giving him too much credit as a designer. Honestly curious.
Also curious if my memory is faulty. If someone could double-check that, I'd appreciate it.
Seems mad how far out of the cockpit their heads are by today's standards! *being fully aware of the reasons why*
Also the best looking cars outside of the flying cigars of the pre-aero era imo
Wonder where the cars are now?!
Did you ever hear the myth of the 'Simtek-Mugen'? Obviously a made up story, but it was a good read when I saw it.
Also, Pacific rejected P26 on the grid for Belmondo at Imola, Gachot was already qualified and he started the race.
Another Simtek video?
As for the proposed sponsorship by the cigarette firm named "Death"........
wasnt verstappens bonfire in 1994 as well?
To paraphrase a very good youtuber, the dusty end of the grid make for great stories.
#robertomorenorules
Who is the shoe salesman mentioned?
Andrea Moda Formula.
Andrea Sassetti was the owner's name
A team that deserteurs batter
Simtek: The Bad Luck Brian of F1
Also why did Jack Brabham invest in Simtek? Couldn't he just buy back his old team?
His old team had been dead for over a year.
At the time not only had the team collapsed due to lack of funds; the lack of funds - and the team owner and lender - were wrapped up in a UK Serious Fraud Office investigation as the lender had been bribed to make the loans in the first place; which wasn't resolved until mid 1993 with the assets then sold off at auction.
Brabham too hadn't been 'Jack's' since the 70's when the ownership was sold to Bernie Ecclestone, then on to Middlebridge Engineering / financed by Landhurst Leasing, and had been so dismal in 1991/92 that there was little in the way of prestige left in having Brabham on the grid.
35 people...Ferrari's catering crew
Sadia is sah-DEE-ah, btw. Brazilian company.
What is the flag with the chainlink behind you?
That's the flag of the "Black Country", which is a region of England. The area was once home to many factories, and the dark smoke that was constantly emitted from chimneys was the inspiration for its name.
@@OboeCanAm and the coal seam that ran through as well.
Flag is black for the coal/smoke and the red is for the furnaces that lit the place up when it went dark. Black by day Red by night.
Its discalculia i have it
Is it £48Million now just to get 2 slots on the grid.
Which to be perfectly honest is a drop in the bucket when it comes to expenses to compete. As the budget cap is 3 times that.
chi = ki
Skiatarella
Spanish is my second language so whenever I see Italian I default to Spanish pronunciations
@@AidanMillward I'm portuguese, didn't know any of this until I done a basic Italian course ten years ago.
it's pronounced "Jill" de Farren
The correct pronunciation is more like "Jill" de Ferran.
Get well soon. 🙂
Sorry but. You keep going off track blabbering about why you’re not going to go into detail about something you’ve already done. Lost interest.
I do it because you’ll always get someone complaining I didn’t say x or y.
Did you fall asleep in the sun or is it the lighting? You look badly sunburned on your face.
Broooo! You're on fire with these rapid releases.