Aerodynamicist and sage Norbert Singer recalls how every new Porsche boss was keen to make their mark as quickly as possible

Aerodynamicist and sage Norbert Singer recalls how every new Porsche boss was keen to make their mark as quickly as possible. When the ambitious Ulrich Bez returned to Porsche as head of engineering, changes were expected. And changes there were: Porsche’s limited motorsport budget would henceforth concentrate on F1. 

From his vantage point at BMW, Ulrich had been impressed by Porsche’s collaboration with McLaren, which had resulted in two manufacturers’ and three drivers’ championships. Porsche, he reasoned, could build another competitive GP engine, find an F1 partner and repeat its earlier success.

Porsche Moment Total 911 recounts the story behind a famous picture from Porsche’s past…

To finance this, Ulrich abandoned the company’s three-year participation on the American CART series, which was led by Helmut Flegl. Ulrich assumed that Weissach’s expertise could again make an impact in GP racing. But F1 technology moves fast. For the new, naturally aspirated formula, the prestigious teams had all secured engines that left Porsche with only a second-division candidate: the Arrows team run by Jackie Oliver. And Porsche’s strength was in turbocharging, not non-turbo.

Predictably, it ended in tears. Jackie was dubious about the weight and power-output of the Hans Mezger-designed V12, and testing revealed critical oil starvation and aerodynamic problems. Meanwhile, Arrows’ own transverse gearbox was an engineering mismatch with the V12. The Arrows proved not just slow, but fundamentally unreliable. These were faults that a proper testing period might have resolved, but Ulrich was in a hurry. However, after a series of embarrassing retirements – and much to the derision of German media – Porsche threw in the towel before the 1991 season was finished, though not before Ulrich had been fired.

Taken at Weissach early that year, the photograph shows Ulrich, right, attempting to assuage a concerned Jackie after yet another disastrous test session. Between them stands Wataru Ohashi, Arrows’ sponsor. His look suggests he already fears that this venture would be more expensive than he bargained. It eventually cost him over five million pounds. On Jackie’s right is a reluctant-looking Helmut. Burned by his CART experience, he was involved only because Ulrich was his boss. On the left is Hans, whose grim look implies what he later confirmed in his memoirs: with such limited time and resources Ulrich’s hasty gamble was never going to work.