A 40-year-old concoction and the winning formula

And to make the point, Benetton has come out with a magnificent, informative tome, edited by Pino Allievi. The tome recalls the heady days of speed and adrenaline, of Michael Schumacher, Nelson Piquet, Johnny Herbert, Jean Alesi, two world titles and the pain and pique on the burning tracks. It’s a pleasant feeling, too, that even almost six years after the Benetton team was sold, the Benetton family remains proud of their product, even if it’s now called Renault. Renault’s back-to-back world titles confirm this.

That’s probably why the company has brought out this splendid collection of experiences, as related by the principal characters — son Alessandro, Team Principal Flavio Briatotre (now guiding Renault), Schumacher, Ross Brawn (now technical director at Ferrari) and more. Fond memories of the child who grew up into a strapping youth, stepped out, and won the world.

The book is organised in interviews interleaved with memories in brilliant pictures of Benetton Formula One’s halcyon days, of the Ludwig van Beethoven look-alike Luciano Benetton spreading charm in words: “One can do business in the vulgar sense of the term or produce publicity for one’s name, one’s brand in a more gratifying manner,” he says.

That is the philosophy that drives Benetton, those controversial ads of the eighties with photographer Oliviero Toscani, the splash of colours, the sheer involvement of passion. It morphed onto the tracks: “Winning is an almost chemical affair, all the elements must be matched: driver, car, tyres, engine, the rest.”

The best thing about the book is pride sans baroque display. It’s when Luciano gushes: “In 1992, Giovanni came towards me smiling and whispered: ‘I’ve told the chaps at Ferrari that we can’t let Benetton make better cars than us. It’s as though Fiat were to start making pullovers and knitted them better than Benetton!” The humility shows.

It reflects in Schumacher’s words: “When Benetton took me on, I was a boy who didn’t know much about big races. Then everything changed rapidly. I owe Benetton a debt of affection and gratitude. I’ve tried to repay this with my commitment, my professionalism, my risks.”

There was also pride in the technical angle. And why not? Sweaters and T-shirts are far removed from wind tunnels and horsepower. They lay the ‘blame’ for that at Pat Symond’s feet, the man who was the point of reference in all of Benetton’s history and now with Renault. And engineer par excellence. It is sheer childish glee, when they claim how the “Rory Byrne designed chassis was combined with the very powerful BMW4 cylinder turbo engine and Austria’s new star Gerhard Berger joined the Whitney-based team partnered by Teo Tabi.”

It was an escapade for Luciano, a great one, tales of which are still told, and retold. Forty years of Benetton is a good milestone, but the book could well have come earlier.

Finally, there is this small surprise. Kingfisher was one of the sponsors of Benetton! To have an Indian angle, why that makes you comfortable.

One more reminder, a coffee table reminder, really. In case you decide to keep it lying around, have somebody near the corner keeping an eye on it. You don’t want to lose a good collection.