Career 1996>> (Driving for the 'Worst Teams' )

Hi, I have decided to start my own little career on GP3 that does the 1996 season and onward. I will be driving for the team that finished last in that years constructors championship, this I think will make it more of a challenge.

I'm not going to do qualifying just a race.

These will be 10% races with a pitstop in the middle to liven things up!

I'll let you guys know how it goes on

Wish me luck driving for Forti-Ford in 1996!


All the best,
Nathan

So all the teams went off to Melbourne , Australia for Round 1 of the Championship .

News is that Forti-Ford have signed new boy Nathan Turner to drive as number 2 alongside Luca Badoer. Time will tell if it was worth ditching Andrea Montermini just days before the Australian GP.


After a cracking start Turner is up to 6th by Turn 1.

3 laps in he is the only one in the field to make a pit stop and returns the race in 16th place.

Following a brilliant drive through the field and several key drivers falling out with mechanical problems, the result is:


1st - Damon Hill (GBR) Williams-Renault FW18
2nd - Gerhard Berger (AUT) Benetton-Renault B196
3rd - Jean Alesi (FRA) Benetton-Renault B196
4th - NATHAN TURNER (GBR) Forti-Ford FG01B
5th - Mika Hakkinen (FIN) McLaren-Mercedes MP4-11
6th - Olivier Panis (FRA) Ligier-Mugen Honda JS43



4th place and 3 points on Turner's debut impresses the Forti bosses and alerts everyone down the pitlane.


The Driver's Championship standings after Round 1:

1. Hill 10pts
2. Berger 6pts
3. Alesi 4pts
4. TURNER 3pts
5. Hakkinen 2pts
6. Panis 1pt

The Constructors standings after Round 1:
1. Williams 10pts
2. Benetton 10pts
3. FORTI 3pts
4. McLaren 2pts
5. Ligier 1pt



see you next time for Round 2 in Interlagos!

A cool debut in F-1 Hope you're gonna keep this one up. However, I know it can be difficult with underdogs like Forti. I drove Simtek for one year and 4th position was all I could earn in the final standings.

---

Following a cracking performance in Melbourne, Turner comes to Brazil looking to better the 4th place he achieved on the Albert Park street circuit.

Elsewhere in the paddock Hill will want another win to stretch his lead in the drivers championship race.



After another brilliant start from the back of the grid Turner shoots up to 5th place and shortly takes the lead! A first for the Forti-Ford team.

However after his pit stop he drops to dead last (21st due to Hill's retirement with engine problems)

this leads to another decent drive through the field to 9th

so a reality check for Turner in Interlagos with no points.

Villeneuve's win and Hill's retirement puts them dead level in the championship however!



So the final result of the 1996 Brazilian GP is :

1st - Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) Williams-Renault FW18
2nd - David Coulthard (GBR) McLaren-Mercedes MP4-11
3rd - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari-Ferrari F310
4th - Gerhard Berger (AUT) Benetton-Renault B196
5th - Heinz-Harald Frentzen (GER) Sauber-Ford C15
6th - Mika Salo (FIN) Tyrrell-Yamaha 024
9th - NATHAN TURNER (GBR) Forti-Ford FG01B


This means the driver's table now looks like this :


1. Hill 10pts
2. Villeneuve 10pts
3. Berger 9pts
4. Coulthard 6pts
5. Alesi 4pts
6. Schumacher 4pts
7. TURNER 3pts
8. Hakkinen 2pts
9. Frentzen 2pts
10. Panis 1pt
11. Salo 1pt

and this leaves the constructors table looking like this:

1. Williams 20pts
2. Benetton 13pts
3. McLaren 8pts
4. Ferrari 4pts
5. Forti 3pts
6. Sauber 2pts
7. Ligier 1pt
8. Tyrrell 1pt




all set then for the next race at Buenos Aires in Argentina!

See you there!

have you installed the Belini Grip patch? THis is surreal :p

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If in doubt, Flat out."

Next up is the 1996 Argentine GP at Buenos Aires, it was a cracker.


As has become the usual these days Turner was the only person to make a mid race pitstop

this seems to be to overcome the FG01B's lack of speed with full tanks , also it means he can get fresh tyres on where others have had theirs on for the full race.

the one downside of this tactic is pretty much every race Turner is dropped to the back of the field after the stop.


So the race in Argentina : Turner has his pit stop and returns down in 12th place but fights back to take Alesi on the very last corner of the last lap to get 2nd!

A giant killing performance and a great confidence boost after the 9th place in Brazil.


Final result from Argentina:

1st - Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) Williams-Renault FW18
2nd - NATHAN TURNER (GBR) Forti-Ford FG01B
3rd - Jean Alesi (FRA) Benetton-Renault B196
4th - Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Jordan-Peugeot 196
5th - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari-Ferrari F310
6th - Eddie Irvine (GBR) Ferrari-Ferrari F310

The driver's championship table looks like this:

1. Villeneuve 20pts
2. Hill 10pts
3. Berger 9pts
4. TURNER 9pts
5. Alesi 8pts
6. Coulthard 6pts
7. Schumacher 6pts
8. Barrichello 3pts
9. Hakkinen 2pts
10. Frentzen 2pts
11. Panis 1pt
12. Salo 1pt
13. Irvine 1pt

Stay tuned for the next round at the Nurburgring!