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Tuesday, February 27
Preview: Benetton
Reuters

LONDON -- Following are facts and figures about the Benetton team heading into the 2001 Formula One season:

	2001 Outlook
	Young Briton Jenson Button, on loan from Williams, may act as a spur for Italian Giancarlo Fisichella but the new Renault V10 may suffer teething problems. Reliability likely to be a worry early on but team expect to grow stronger. Michelin tires could give an advantage on some tracks. Likely to be a transitional year before the team becomes Renault in 2002.

Based: Enstone, England.

Team principal: Flavio Briatore, 50 (Born April 12, 1950)

Drivers:
Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy), 28 (January 14, 1973)
Jenson Button (Britain), 21 (January 19, 1980)

Test driver: Mark Webber (Australia) 24 (Aug 27, 1976).

Car: Benetton B201, powered by Renault Sport RS21 V10.
Tires: Michelin.
Technical director: Mike Gascoyne.

Formula One record:
300 entered, poles 16, wins 27
Constructors' titles: One - 1995.
Drivers' titles: two - Michael Schumacher (Germany) 1994, 1995.
First GP entered: Brazil, 1986.
First GP win: Mexico 1986, Gerhard Berger (Austria).

2000 season (Fisichella/Alex Wurz) - 20 points, fourth. no wins. second x1, third x2, fifth x3, seventh x3, ninth x6, 10th x3, 11th x3, 12th x1, 13th 1, 14th x1, retired x10.

Team history
1983 - Benetton enters Grand Prix racing with one-year sponsorship deal with Tyrrell.
1986 - Benetton Formula Limited established as team based on Toleman set-up. First win by Berger in Mexico.
1989 - Briatore takes charge of running the team, despite lack of motor sport experience.
1990 - First one-two finish at Japanese Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet leading fellow-Brazilian Roberto Moreno.
1991 - Benetton sign Michael Schumacher after his impressive grand prix debut from Jordan.
1992 - Team moves to new base at Enstone.
1994 - Michael Schumacher wins team's first drivers' title. Team second in constructors' championship.
1995 - Benetton wins first constructors' title with Schumacher claiming second drivers' title.
1996 - Schumacher joins Ferrari.
1997 - Briatore leaves.
2000 - Benetton bought by French carmaker Renault in March. Italian Briatore returns to head the team.

Season by season (year, standing, points, drivers):
1986 - sixth, 19, 1 (Gerhard Berger/Teo Fabi).
1987 - fifth, 28, 0 (Thierry Boutsen/Fabi)
1988 - third, 39, 0 (Boutsen/Alessandro Nannini)
1989 - fourth, 39, 1 (Nannini/Johnny Herbert/Emanuele Pirro)
1990 - third, 71, 2 (Nannini/Nelson Piquet/Roberto Moreno)
1991 - fourth, 38.5, 1 (Piquet/Moreno/Michael Schumacher).
1992 - third, 91, 1 (Schumacher/Martin Brundle)
1993 - third, 72, 1 (Schumacher/Riccardo Patrese)
1994 - second, 103, 8 (Schumacher/Jos Verstappen/JJ Lehto/Herbert)
1995 - first, 137, 11 (Schumacher/Herbert).
1996 - third, 68, 0 (Berger/Jean Alesi).
1997 - third, 67, 1 (Berger/Alesi/Alexander Wurz).
1998 - fifth, 33, 0 (Wurz/Giancarlo Fisichella).
1999 - sixth, 16, 0 (Wurz/Fisichella)

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