Benetton B192
The Benetton B192 is a Formula One racing car designed by Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Willem Toet and raced by the Benetton team in the 1992 Formula One season.
.jpg.webp) The B192 of Michael Schumacher during the 2018 Festival Italia at Brands Hatch circuit | |||||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Benetton | ||||||||||
| Designer(s) | Ross Brawn (Technical Director) Rory Byrne (Chief Designer) Frank Dernie (Chief Engineer) Pat Symonds (Head of R&D) Willem Toet (Head of Aerodynamics) Geoff Goddard (Chief Engine Designer) (Ford-Cosworth) | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | B191 | ||||||||||
| Successor | B193 | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications[1] | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon fibre monocoque | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbone, pushrod | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbone, pushrod | ||||||||||
| Engine | Ford HBA5 / HBA7, 3,498 cc (213.5 cu in), 75° V8, NA, mid-engine, longitudinally-mounted | ||||||||||
| Transmission | Benetton transverse 6-speed Manual Transmission | ||||||||||
| Power | 660–680 bhp (492–507 kW; 669–689 PS) @ 12,000-13,000 rpm[2] | ||||||||||
| Fuel | Mobil | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants | Camel Benetton Ford | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers | 19.  Michael Schumacher20.  Martin Brundle | ||||||||||
| Debut | 1992 Spanish Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| First win | 1992 Belgian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last win | 1992 Belgian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last event | 1992 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
The car had a delayed start in 1992, being debuted at the Spanish Grand Prix while the team made do with an upgraded version of the B191 for the opening three rounds.
Competition history
The car was quite competitive with Michael Schumacher and Martin Brundle scoring several podiums with it. Schumacher, in his first full F1 season, came of age as a Grand Prix driver when he won the rain-affected Belgian Grand Prix after a clever pit strategy put him in the lead after dropping behind Brundle with a brief off and realizing upon seeing Brundle's tyres that the wets were blistering as the track dried. Brundle came close to a possible victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, chasing race leader Gerhard Berger until a transmission issue ended his bid at winning the race. Schumacher would finish the season third in the standings, Brundle sixth.
The car had a very well-designed, nimble chassis and it made the most of the disadvantages it inherited with the under-powered Ford V8. It did not have the sophisticated driver aids of its rivals, lacking active suspension, ABS, traction control, and a semi-automatic gearbox.
When Martin Brundle drove the B192 again in 2008 at Silverstone, he recalled that although it was slightly tail-happy, it was very comfortable to drive and said of it "...I can live with it, it's great!".[3] It was a substantial improvement over the previous year's car which Brundle described as being "very heavy on the steering", "a real challenge to drive ... and sometimes it felt like a bathtub with a loose wheel".[4]
Benetton finished third in the Constructors' Championship in 1992 after scoring points in every race of the season, with Schumacher finishing third in the Drivers' Championship with 53 points, ahead of reigning world champion Ayrton Senna, who won three races to Schumacher's one but who struggled with retirements.
Legacy
Although not held in awe like some of its more successful contemporaries, the B192 was recognised as a step forward for the Benetton team. Rory Byrne's philosophy of "evolution not revolution" meant that many of this car's features were integrated into the design of Schumacher's title-winning '94 and '95 Benettons. Schumacher's win at Belgium would also prove to be the last win for a Formula One car using a conventional manual transmission.
Complete Formula One results
(key) (results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Driver | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts. | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Camel Benetton Ford | Ford HBA5 / HBA7 V8 |
G | RSA | MEX | BRA | ESP | SMR | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | JPN | AUS | 91* | 3rd | |
| Michael Schumacher | 2 | Ret | 4 | 2 | Ret | 4 | 3 | Ret | 1 | 3 | 7 | Ret | 2 | |||||||||
| Martin Brundle | Ret | 4 | 5 | Ret | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
* 11 points scored using the Benetton B191B
References
- "Benetton B192". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- "Engine Ford Cosworth". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- Brundle, Martin (2008). ITV - Formula 1 coverage (Television). Silverstone Circuit. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
YouTube title: Brundle Drives-1992 Benetton B192
- Brundle, Martin. ITV - Formula 1 coverage (Television). Donington Park. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
YouTube title: Martin Brundle compares 1992 Benetton against 2000 Ferrari
