Top 5 Worst Performing Benetton Formula drivers


Top 5 Worst Performing Benetton Formula drivers
By Brian Cotnoir

          A family known more famously for their clothing brands & stories, The Benetton family bought a Formula 1 team in the 1980’s and success followed almost instantly.  In their short time on the F1 grid, the team had some of the best staff in F1 history, such as Ross Brawn and Flavio Briatore, and won 2 drivers and 1 Constructors Championships with the great Michael Schumacher driving for the team.  Schumacher would also score 19 of the teams 27 Grand Prix Victories.  Benetton was one of those teams that weren’t ever really bad—they actually had some of the best drivers in Formula 1 drive for them—but the few drivers who were bad for the team really sticks out.  This is the Top 5 Worst performing Benetton Formula drivers.

5.)  Thierry Boutsen, 2 Seasons, 43 Total Points Scored, Best Finish 3rd (6X)

Thierry Boutsen actually had some decent races at Benetton.  In 1988 he finished 4th in the final point standings and finished 3rd place 5 times…unfortunately that was the same season Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost won 15-out-of-16 Grand Prix’s that season for McLaren.   When you competition is that dominating, finishing third that many times is actually a good consolation, and speaks volumes about how good your car was as well.


4.)  Alex Wurz, 3 Seasons, 28 Total Points Scored, Best Finish 3rd

Alexander Wurz had one podium finish at Benetton in his three seasons with the team.  In his 3rd start, subbing for his fellow countryman Gerhard Berger, Wurz would finish 3rd at the British Grand Prix.  That finish would help earn Wurz a full-time ride with the team.  Unfortunately, that would be his only finish on the podium for Benetton.  In fact his next podium finish wouldn’t be until another 8 years later, filling in for the Injured Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren for the San Marino Grand Prix where he’d finish 3rd again.


3.)  Teo Fabi, 2 Seasons, 12 Total Points Scored, Best Finish 3rd

Thierry Boutsen’s teammate at Benetton was Italian driver Teo Fabi.  Fabi didn’t have the same success as Boutsen and there was a good reason why.  In two seasons with Benetton Fabi retired from 20 of the 32 Grand Prix’s he raced for the team.

Love those Multi-Colored Wheels

2.)  Roberto Moreno, 1 season 14 Total Points Scored, Best Finish 2nd

Roberto Moreno’s short tenure at Benetton came to be because of some tragic circumstances and ended to make way for the future of motorsport.   Moreno got made his first start with Benetton after one of the teams drivers, Alessandro Nannini had his arm severed in a freak helicopter accident prior to the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix.  This race is best remembered of the first corner wreck between Championship Rivals Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, which gave Senna the World Championship that year, but after the elimination of the top 2 drivers in the field, Moreno would go on to finish second to his Benetton Teammate and fellow countryman, Nelson Piquet Sr.   However this would be the best Finish of Moreno’s career and he would be released from the Benetton team after just three-quarters of the 1991 season and replaced with a rookie driver by the name of Michael Schumacher.

Moreno (Standing Left)   With his first F1 Podium

1.)  Jenson Button, 1 Season, 2 Points Scored, Best Finish 5th

You can’t always judge a drivers talent by just one season, and fortunately for Jenson Button, he went on to have a long and prosperous F1 career.   Button’s sophomore season in F1 was also the final season Benetton ran in F1 before selling the team off to Renault.   Button’s only points finish that season was a 5th place finish at the German Grand Prix.   Button would stay with the team for one more season after they were sold to Renault before going to join BAR Racing.  After the closing of BAR, Button would go on to run for Brawn GP, and in the team’s only season of existence Button would go on to win the 2009 Drivers’ Championship.

Glad you had more success after Benetton, Jenson 


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