Why did Williams sack Thierry Boutsen rather than Patrese after 1990?

[rjbetty]

Seems that Boutsen was way the better performer. He also won 2 races in 1989 compared to Paterse's 0! Maybe it was because Williams wanted a weaker team-mate to appease Mansell?

[D-Type]

There wasn't that much between Boutsen and Patrese.

If you compare their relative performances in 1989 (Boutsen first) we get:
Wins: 2-0
Qualifying: 4-12
Races where they both finished: 4-2
Championship points: 37-40

Looking at their whole career performances, it's difficult to get any meaningful comparison as Patrese's career was so much longer, but here's the stats (Boutsen first):
Years: 11-17
Races: 163-256
Points: 132-281
Poles: 1-8
FL: 1-13
Wins: 3-6
2nd: 2-17
3rd: 10-14

However, I don't think the decision for 1990 was solely down to how Williams viewed there two drivers. Mansell would have expected to come to Williams as Number 1 driver and perhaps Boutsen was not prepared to accept Number 2 status whereas Patrese was.

[FAL]

Wasn't it as simple as one was out of contract at the end of the year and the other wasn't. "W*nker Williams", to give him his much earlier widely used title, didn't miss financial situations like that?

[rjbetty]

[quote="FAL"]Wasn't it as simple as one was out of contract at the end of the year and the other wasn't? [quote]

Ah that must explain it. I didn't know cos I wasn't watching F1 really till 1997. It just seems from the stats that in 1990 Boutsen really outperformed Patrese and I couldn't understand why he would then be dropped but Patrese kept on.

[D-Type]

I've just realised that the comparison I gave was incomplete. Here's a fuller set (Boutsen first)

1989
Wins: 2-0
Qualifying: 4-12
Races where they both finished: 4-2
Championship points: 37-40

1990
Wins: 1-1
Qualifying: 8-8
Races where they both finished: 7-2
Championship points: 34-23

Whole career
Years: 11-17
Races: 163-256
Points: 132-281
Poles: 1-8
FL: 1-13
Wins: 3-6
2nd: 2-17
3rd: 10-14

[djparky]

from memory I don't think that Williams thought that either driver was quite good enough to be No1 (they were both very good no2's)-although the reasons why Patrese stayed escape me at the moment

[Rollo]

The only thing I can find was from "Motor Racing Yearbook" by Chevron publishing which says in the 1989/90 edition.
"Patrese would be joined by Thierry Boutsen (who came from Benetton) for two years"

Bear in mind that this would have been published in March as they do every year; so in March 1990 Boutsen would have sill been driving for Williams. Occam's Razor suggests that Boutsen had a two year contract and it wasn't renewed, because we was either after more money, or Patrese was good enough according to Sir Frank.

[Bruce D]

In the official review video for 1990, Boutsen says he had signed with Ligier (about 3/4 of the way through the season) because they offered him more testing duties and more involvement in developing the car, which he claims was what he wanted and wasn't getting at Williams.

Maybe he had already put 2 and 2 together and worked out that Mansell would be back in Williams in '91 and decided to leave while he could still get a "good" deal rather than wait to get thrown out and lose some good options. Remember Mansell had already said he was retiring at Silverstone in July and I think he started negotiating with Williams and Renault pretty soon after that, so Boutsen just jumped before he was thrown out.

Personally I don't think Mansell dominated Patrese that much in '91, certainly in the first half Patrese had him covered in both qualifying and race situations, it was only from about France onwards that Mansell stepped up and went for it. I have read in places that Patrese never got on with the physical side involved with the active suspension system and Mansell did everything he could to hide his settings.

[keysersoze]

In 1990, Thierry outscored Riccardo but the Italian suffered from his usual lousy luck, while Boutsen had an uncanny way of finding himself in the right place at the right time.

Boutsen's win in the wet at Canada in '89 was superb, but somewhat tempered by the fact that Riccardo, who comfortably outqualified his teammate, had a major aerodynamic failure (loose floor tray) and fell back.

His win in the '89 season finale in the farcical conditions Adelaide was earned, yes, but the horrendous conditions eliminated the frontrunners. Patrese was on the podium in 3rd.

Patrese and Williams had Hungary absolutely dialed in over the years, but IIRC in 1990 Boutsen was on as well and took a narrow win over Senna. It's a shame Riccardo never won at the Hungaroring because he was quite good there.

Overall, I think they were about even, but it seems, from the outside anyway, that RP was favored by Frank and Patrick.

[rjbetty]

Thanks for the answers.
@Bruce Yeah I'm pleased to see Riccardo had the measure of Mansell in '91 till the gizmos came on song and rewarded his bravery (which is to be commended) over Patrese's natural talent.