Gascoyne arrival boosts Benetton

Beneton's new designer should help its performance

The Benetton team have been given a boost for the 2001 season after clearing the way for their new technical director to join up.

Benetton, who are owned by Renault, signed Jordan's design chief Mike Gascoyne in April this year. He was contracted to Jordan until July next year, but Benetton have negotiated an early release.

Gascoyne started work at Benetton on Tuesday, and he will be in time to have a significant input into next year's car. The team are producing their new car later than usual next year, which will give Gascoyne extra time to work on the design.

"Normally, Benetton have their car out pretty early in the new year, but this time the car won't be running until the end of January," Gascoyne said. "I will be able to have a pretty big input."

Compromise

Jordan had initially wanted Gascoyne to stay for the duration of his contract. But Honda, who will supply them with engines in 2001, objected to his continued presence, fearing he would take their secrets to Renault.

Now Eddie Jordan and Benetton boss Flavio Briatore have reached a compromise, which is believed to have seen Benetton pay around £200,000 for the termination of Gascoyne's contract.

His arrival at Benetton will be welcome news for the team, who are now effectively a factory effort for Renault. They will still be called Benetton in 2001, but will be re-named Renault in 2002.

Benetton have struggled for the last few years. Their car has been reliable, but well off the pace, with the team not seeming to understand what exactly was wrong or how to make it more competitive.

Gascoyne has had two comparatively successful seasons with Jordan

Gascoyne has earned himself a good reputation at Jordan in the last two years. The team finished third in the constructors' world championship in 1999.

They are lying sixth this year, but although their performance has been more inconsistent from track to track, their slip has been more to do with a lack of reliability than speed.

Renault are building an all-new engine for 2001, which promises to be a revolution in F1 design.

The most successful F1 engine maker of the 1990s, are building a V10 with a much wider vee-angle than anything seen in F1 so far. The new engine will have a vee of 110 degrees - the widest in 2000 has been Ferrari's 90-degree unit.

Release

A wider vee has advantages in lowering the centre of gravity of the engine, which in theory should help the manoeuvrability of the car. But it can also cause problems with packaging of the ancillary parts of the engine, like the exhausts.

Jordan, meanwhile, are still trying to secure the release of Gascoyne's replacement, Eghbal Hamidy, from Arrows.

The two teams have not yet reached an agreement on when the Iranian-born designer can switch teams.

It is thought unlikely to be much before the new year before Hamidy joins Jordan, which will not be in time to have any significant input into the new car.