02.7.91 - F1Italian team Ferrari say they will use their brand new 643 cars in the French Grand Prix at Magny Course on Sunday. The new model has a modified body and wings and a more powerful engine, according to team sources. "Tests show the new car is competitive. We must take some risks if we want to improve," said Claudio Lombardi, the newly-appointed general manager of the Ferrari team.
JOHN WATSON ON THE FRENCH GP
It is all change as the Formula 1 world championship returns to Europe for the seventh round deep in the heart of the French countryside. After several years of the sweeping wide-open curves of Paul Ricard on the Mediterranean coast the cars will now have to learn to cope with the cramped confines of twisting Magny Cours. The drivers consider the circuit bland and the continuous stream of corners make overtaking difficult - imagine 26 Grand Prix cars on that type of track! The one positive factor is the billiard smooth surface.
Magny Cours may be in the middle of nowhere but the organisers have spent œ1.7 million ensuring the facilities are top class. The fact remains the circuit was chosen for political reasons not motor racing ones. But the deal has been done now and F1 will be at Magny Cours for the next five years. However, I would not rule out changes over the next few years. Magny Cours follows the fashion of purpose-built tracks like Hungary and the new Nurburgring. Let's hope the new Barcelona track is something different.
On the track all eyes will be on the Williams-Renault team - their car is undoubtedly the fastest in Grand Prix racing at the moment. And the man that is setting the pace is a re-vitalised Riccardo Patrese - who has started from pole for the last two races and won in Mexico. For Nigel Mansell this race presents an ideal opportunity to break his duck. And nothing would please him more than a win in France as an ideal aperitif for the British Grand Prix he loves so much one week later.
Do not imagine that McLaren and Honda have been sitting on their hands and wondering where all their speed advantage has gone. If history has taught us nothing else it has shown that they fight harder when the chips are down. Ayrton Senna has stated that the area where his machine is lacking is in horse-power and Honda are currently testing major revisions to the current V12 power unit. And the fact remains that even if they lag behind in performance terms Senna has a healthy lead in the championship.
Like Williams, Ferrari have the special qualifying engines that McLaren lacks - but high grid positions are not helping Prost and Alesi that much at the moment. The problem for the prancing horse cars has been to translate the undoubted power of their V12 engine into grip. To that end they have followed the F1 trend and tested a "raised nose" car in Italy. If it works they may use it for the first time at Magny Cours. In recent years the French GP has been a Prost benefit, whether at McLaren or Ferrari, but I do not believe either he or Alesi will win their 'home' race.
Some teams in Formula 1, namely Tyrrell and Benetton, are still recuperating from the departure of their technical directors Harvey Postlethwaite and John Barnard. And with the technical complexity of the current F1 cars that can cause a temporary performance drop off. That should open the door for teams like Dallara and Jordan to scoop up a few more points. Dallara have been spectacular on occasions this season and Jordan, too, have been a revelation considering it is their first season in Formula One.
Away from the limelight the clock is quickly ticking away for Brabham-Yamaha and Footwork-Porsche. For Footwork-Porsche delete Porsche V12 and insert Ford DFR V8. The shock announcement of a temporary Porsche withdrawal may turn out to be a bonus for Jackie Oliver's team. The down side is they will have to use last year's chassis with as many modifications as time permits. But at long last they have a package of proven speed and reliability that gives them the chance of qualifying - and perhaps escaping pre-qualifying.
LOMBARD RAC RALLY:- The longest running sponsorship deal in European motor sport will end in two years when finance company Lombard pull out of the RAC Rally. Lombard, owned by the NatWest Bank, have backed the event sine 1974 but made the decision to end sponsorship after carrying out market research. RAC official John Quenby said: "Our partnership with Lombard over the years has been very successful."
05.7.91 FIA WORLD FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: Friday practice times: mins secs 1 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:16.557 2 N Mansell GB Williams 1:17.095 3 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:17.303 4 A Prost Fr Ferrari 1:17.386 5 R Patrese It Williams 1:17.742 6 G Berger Aut McLaren 1:18.087 7 T Boutsen Bel Ligier 1:19.187 8 P Martini It Minardi 1:19.426 9 S Modena It Tyrrell 1:19.530 10 I Capelli It Leyton Hse 1:19.555 11 R Moreno Brz Benetton 1:19.111 12 M Gugelmin Brz Leyton Hse 1:19.728 13 A de Cesaris It Jordan 1:20.097 14 B Gachot Bel Jordan 1:20.374 15 E Comas Fr Ligier 1:20.427 16 N Piquet Brz Benetton 1:20.449 17 G M'delli It Minardi 1:20.365 18 O Gr'llard Fr Fomet-Ford 1:20.640 19 M Brundle GB Brabham 1:20.599 20 S Nakajima Jpn Tyrrell 1:21.020 21 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:21.230 22 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara-Fd 1:21.323 23 E Bernard Fr Lola-Ford 1:21.613 24 M Alboreto It Footwork 1:21.966 25 A Suzuki Jap Lola-Ford 1:22.058 26 M Hakkinen Fin Lotus-Judd 1:22.274 NON-QUALIFIERS 27 M Blundell GB Brabham 1:22.277 28 F Barbazza It AGS-Ford 1:22.319 29 G Tarquini It AGS-Ford 1:22.327 30 S Johansson Swe Footwork 1:24.114 FIA WORLD FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP Pre-qualifying times from Magny Cours: 1 A de Cesaris It Jordan-Fd 1:19.729 2 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara 1:20.172 3 O Grouillard Fr Fomet-Ford 1:20.227 4 B Gachot Bel Jordan-Fd 1:20.309 NON-QUALIFIERS 5 E Pirro It Dallara 1:20.539 6 N Larini It Lamborgh'i 1:20.628 7 E v d Poele Bel Lamborgh'i 1:21.304 8 P Chaves Por Coloni 1:22.229Runaway Championship leader Ayrton Senna was again fastest as he clocked 1 min 16.557 secs in Friday's first practice session at Magny Cours. The Brazilian ace said: "Everything was working well both on the engine and the chassis side. We must now do some more work to find the right balance."
Nigel Mansell, second fastest, praised his Williams team, saying: "They changed all the settings and the car's balance for me. I am reasonably happy. I am sure there is a lot more to come on Saturday."
Grand Prix driver Alex Caffi took the Footwork Porsche team to court in France on Friday in a bid to get his Formula One seat back. The team replaced Caffi with Stefan Johansson for four races while the Italian recovered after a car accident. With two of the four races over Caffi believes he is fit enough to race again but his team would not allow him back in the car at Magny Cours. The court ruled that his contract is drawn up under English law and will have to be dealt with in England.
KAYEL GRAPHICS RALLY:- Hideaki Miyoshi, the current leader of the Mintex National Rally Championship, will head the 100-starter field in this weekend's sixth round in South Wales. Miyoshi, driving his Mitsubishi Galant, has an eight point lead over Peugeot 205 driver Johnny Milner in the contest after five rounds. Group N showroom category leader Steve Hill will be intent on improving on his overall position of third and extending his Group N championship lead. The action starts in Swansea at 9.30am this morning.
06.7.91 - F1Grand Prix ace Nigel Mansell has been offered the chance to race in America next year. "Obviously he has had several offers because he has a house over there now," said a spokesman for the Canon Williams driver. Mansell is moving to Florida. "But contractually he will not consider anything until he knows where he stands in Formula One." Mansell had the chance to race abroad last year before he signed a one-year contact with William for 1991. So far they have not renewed that contract.
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 R Patrese It Williams 1:14.559 2 A Prost Fr Ferrari 1:14.789 3 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:14.857 4 N Mansell GB Williams 1:14.895 5 G Berger Aut McLaren 1:15.376 6 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:15.877 7 N Piquet Brz Benetton 1:16.816 8 R Moreno Brz Benetton 1:16.961 9 M Gugelmin Brz Leyton Hse 1:17.015 10 G Morbidelli It Minardi 1:17.020 11 S Modena It Tyrrell 1:17.114 12 P Martini It Minardi 1:17.149 13 A de Cesaris It Jordan 1:17.163 14 E Comas Fr Ligier 1:17.504 15 I Capelli It Leyton Hse 1:17.533 16 T Boutsen Bel Ligier 1:17.775 17 M Blundell GB Brabham 1:17.836 18 S Nakajima Jpn Tyrrell 1:18.144 19 B Gachot Bel Jordan 1:18.150 20 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:18.185 21 O Gr'llard Fr Fomet-Ford 1:18.210 22 A Suzuki Jap Lola-Ford 1:18.224 23 E Bernard Fr Lola-Ford 1:18.540 24 M Brundle GB Brabham 1:18.826 25 M Alboreto It Footwork 1:18.846 26 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara-Fd 1:19.267 NON-QUALIFIERS 27 M Hakkinen Fin Lotus-Judd 1:19.491 28 F Barbazza It AGS-Ford 1:20.110 29 G Tarquini It AGS-Ford 1:20.262 30 S Johansson Swe Footwork 1:21.000Italian Riccardo Patrese gained his third successive pole position of the season as he dominated at Magny Cours. Patrese clocked one minute 14.559 secs in his Williams, with Alain Prost second fastest in 1:14.789. World champion Ayrton Senna will start third on the grid with Nigel Mansell one place behind. Mansell said: "I am happy with the car and I am looking forward to the race. I feel confident."
MINTEX RALLY: Kayel Graphics National Rally Result after five stages: 1 Smith/Jones Sierra Cos 69:19 2 Hill/Goff Sierra Cos 72:34 3 Milner/Wood Peug 205 GTi 72:50 4 Roberton/Taylor RS Cosworth 72:56 5 Harrison/Orrick Sierra Cos 73:39 6 Williams/Hill Sapphire Cos 75:01 7 Burns/Reid Peug 205 GTi 75:15 8 Wells/Woodhouse Escort Mk3 76:07 9 Standen/Cook Toyota Corolla 76:40 10 Mawson/Herron Toyota Cel GT4 76:41Giantkiller Jon Milner moved into the championship lead after finishing third at the Kayel Graphics National Rally. Milner overcame power steering failure on their Peugeot 205 to finish behind winner Trevor Smith and second-placed Steve Hill, both in Sierra Cosworths. Smith led from start to finish on the five special stages to win by three minutes 15 seconds. Championship leader Hideaki Miyoshi had a fraught day in his Mitsubishi Galant, dropping time in the early stages before retiring on the final stage.
07.7.91 FIA WORLD FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP French Grand Prix, Magny-Cours Result after 72 laps: hrs mins secs 1 N Mansell GB Williams 1:38.056 2 A Prost Fr Ferrari 5.003 3 A Senna Brz McLaren 34.934 4 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 35.920 5 R Patrese It Williams one lap 6 A DeCesaris It Jordan one lap 7 M Gugelmin Brz L House two laps 8 N Piquet Brz Benetton two laps 9 P Martini It Minardi two laps 10 J Herbert GB Lotus-Judd two laps DNF: M Blundell (36 laps) M Brundle (21) FIA WORLD F1 DRIVERS STANDINGS 1 A Senna Brz McLaren 48 points 2 N Mansell GB Williams 23 3 R Patrese It Williams 22 4 A Prost Fr Ferrari 17 5 N Piquet Brz Benetton 16 6 G Berger Aut McLaren 10 7 S Modena It Tyrrell 9 8 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 8 9 A DeCesaris It Jordan-Fd 7 10 R Moreno Brz Benetton 5 11 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara 4 12 P Martini It Minardi 3 FIA WORLD F1 CONSTRUCTORS TABLE 1 McLaren 58 points 2 Williams 45 3 Ferrari 25 4 Benetton 21 5 Tyrrell 11 6 Jordan 9 7 Dallara 5 8 Minardi 3 = Lotus 3 10 Lola 2Nigel Mansell roared to a glorious victory in France as he became the most successful English driver in history with his first win of the season. Mansell, desperately unlucky to miss out in Canada, Monaco and Mexico, clocked up his 17th GP victory to pass Stirling Moss's 30-year-old record. It was a brilliant drive in the V-10 engined Williams Renault as he triumphed in a one-on-one battle with French favourite Alain Prost. Mansell is second in the championship behind Ayrton Senna, who finished third.
Nigel Mansell perfectly set the scene for next week's British Grand Prix at Silverstone after pulling off his first win of the season. Mansell was locked in a battle with six-times French GP winner Alain Prost for most of the race - with Prost taking command early on. But the battling Brit showed marvellous opportunism on lap 22 to grab the lead on the inside at the Adelaide hairpin. Mansell lost it after a 10.51 secs tyre change but muscled his way back in front, catching Prost on lap 55.
Nigel Mansell found it hard to believe he had become the greatest English GP driver after his Magny-Cours triumph. He said: "I feel a sense of shock even after all these years. It is something special to get 17 Grands Prix wins as an Englishman. I am very happy - with my car, with the team and the track. It is a fantastic feeling. It is a great and special day for me. This win is a milestone. I just hope it all happens again with the same result next week at Silverstone."
Championship leader Ayrton Senna failed to dominate at Magny-Cours - but made sure he did enough to stretch his runaway lead in the championship. The brilliant Brazilian realised he had little chance of winning after Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell's tearaway start and simply settled for third. It extended his lead to 25 points over Mansell going into next week's British Grand Prix. Riccardo Patrese, looking for his second win of the season after starting on pole, was 5th after gearbox trouble.
Alain Prost was disappointed not to have been able to take the Ferrari 643 to victory on its GP debut but was happy with car's performance. Prost, ultimately second-best to Nigel Mansell, said: "My team have made a very good car in a short space of time and done a good job under pressure." Ayrton Senna, a long way back in third, said: "I made a poor start and knew I could not go with Prost or Mansell. We know we do not have the engine or chassis performance to match them at the moment."
Brabham duo Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell had another disappointing afternoon as they were forced to retire at Magny-Cours. Brundle lost third gear on lap 24 but never looked happy on the Pirelli tyres, not best suited to the cool cloudy conditions. Blundell, who also failed to finish in Mexico, smashed his car into a fence after hitting the kerb after losing rear traction but escaped unhurt. Johnny Herbert, in the Lotus-Judd, claimed an impressive 10th place.
Leyton House driver Mauricio Gugelmin was fined $10,000 for blocking winner Nigel Mansell at Magny-Cours. The Brazilian was also given a 10-second penalty for the "dangerous manoeuvre" two laps from the end. Gugelmin said: "Mansell had plenty of room to get through on the inside. If I had gone any wider I would have been on the grass. The fine was a shock."
Circuit chiefs were hit with a $20,000 fine on Saturday for starting qualifying half an hour late because of a strike by circuit doctors.
F3000:- Italian Emanuele Naspetti won Sunday's European Formula 3000 race in Pergusa, Sicily in a Reynard. Highest British finisher was Allan McNish in eighth spot. Damon Hill came 11th.
GM LOTUS:- Pedro Lamy powered to his fourth GM Lotus Euroseries win in the seventh round at Magny-Cours to extend his lead in the championship to 40 points.
F.FORD:- Richard Ingall just pipped fellow-Australian Neil Cunningham at Donington to win round 10 of the Motocraft Formula Ford Championship. Ingall now shares the series lead with Marc Goosens, who slid out of the action early on.
08.7.91 - F1Nigel Mansell looked ahead to next Sunday's British Grand Prix at Silverstone after his French GP triumph and said: "Let's do it all again". Mansell, who goes to the new-look Silverstone circuit as England's most successful GP driver, is raring to go in front of his home fans. He said: "I expect both Senna and Prost will make a great effort and it will be very tough but we have proved what we can do now. It was a fantastic race." Mansell revealed he had breaking problems towards the end at Magny-Cours.
10.7.91F1:- JOHN WATSON ON THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Silverstone's dream came true with Nigel Mansell's victory in the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours last week. What better preparation could Silverstone have than a brand new race track for Mansell to follow-up his Magny-Cours success? It is the first time Grand Prix cars will race on the revised circuit. Like the sportscars two months ago, the physical demands on the drivers and technical demands on the teams are very much greater than in previous years.
The changes to the Silverstone circuit occur at almost every corner - and spectators are in for a treat at this weekend's British Grand Prix. Having watched the world sportscars I personally can recommend the corners at Becketts, Bridge and Copse as being truly spectacular. At these bends you can fully appreciate just how fast a GP car can corner. Just imagine the effect of the G-forces over 59 laps. Spectators will have an unprecedented experience of F1 cars with greatly improved views all around the area.
Undoubtedly Nigel Mansell will be the focus of attention this weekend. The quality of his drive at the French GP has got to be a taste of what we can expect on Sunday - Mansell becomes Super Nige when he races at Silverstone. The home crowd and his home circuit will probably be worth an additional second per lap over his normal speed. The self-confidence he displays at Silverstone at times is truly awesome. My only wish is that his performance is rewarded by total reliability from his Williams-Renault. Should that happen I can't see anybody getting close to him.
On current form it is Nigel Mansell's teammate Riccardo Patrese who I consider to be Mansell's biggest threat. Patrese has shown superb form during the season and in many respects Williams-Renault must be considered the strongest team line-up in Formula One. Ferrari provided me with a surprise with the speed of their new 643 in France - but remember Magny-Cours is billiard-table smooth. What we have not yet seen is the new Ferrari performing at Silverstone. Also Prost is buoyed up in France as Mansell is in Britain...
The man with the most on his mind undoubtedly will be Ayrton Senna, the current drivers' championship leader. The lack of form shown by his Honda engine has been apparent since the Canadian Grand Prix. I feel the prospect of any significant change at Silverstone is a little premature but Senna is the best driver in F1 and will make the most of the performance with which he is provided. While it seems unlikely he can win from the front it wouldn't surprise me if he took the chequered flag.
Remember this is Silverstone 1991 where car reliability and driver stamina are going to be key issues. Outside the top three teams the rest of the field is wide open. Benetton-Ford, who race on Pirelli tyres, have not been as consistent as a team of that quality should be. The temperature-sensitive Pirellis rely upon hot weather to function competitively. If we have high temperatures on Saturday, expect Moreno and Piquet to be right up there. But if it is cool and overcast, forget it...
Yet again the fledgling 7-Up Jordan-Ford team picked up championship points in France. This delightful little car, driven by a reformed Andrea De Cesaris and hard-charging Belgian Bertrand Gachot, could gather yet more points at Silverstone. The Jordan team is Silverstone-based and rumour has it that half of Ireland will be coming over to support their newest folk-hero Eddie Jordan. My final thought is with the 26 drivers who will set out on what I believe will be the most physical and testing race of the season.
JAGUAR:- Sixteen XJR-15 cars will form a multi-million pound grid for the second round of the JaguarSport Intercontinental Challenge, a support race this weekend. Two 30-minute practice sessions will allow the drivers to learn the new 3.2-mile Silverstone circuit. The 20-lap race follows Sunday's F1 GP. Derek Warwick and Bob Wollek lead the drivers' standings after round one in Monaco, with the final of the three-round series at Spa on August 25. The owner of the winning car overall will receive a cheque for $1 million.
F3:- Scot David Coulthard will be hoping to impress in front of his home crowd in probably the most important round ofthe British Formula Three Championship. Coulthard is currently second in the standings just two points adrift of Brazilian Rubens Barichello. "The season is going well for me," says the Paul Stewart Racing driver. "I would like to have been Championship leader coming up to the Grand Prix but the points are very close. It's especially important to do well in front of the Grand Prix circus."
11.7.91 - F1:- THE BRITISH GPNigel Mansell will be discussing a new contract with the Williams-Renault team a few days after the British GP, says commercial director Sheridan Thynne. The announcement was made at the Silverstone circuit where Mansell, preparing for Sunday's race, promised: "I have no plans to retire." Mansell, bidding to add to his two wins and three runner-up places in his home GP, said the Williams would be very competitive this weekend. He said: "We are going to every race as a contender and, in a few races, could be challenging for the Championship."
Nigel Mansell starts favourite for this weekend's Formula One race on the track he describes as "the most magnificent GP circuit in the world today". Mansell poured praise on the new Silverstone circuit and claimed: "It's going to be outstanding for spectators" Mansell, the most successful English driver ever with win number 17 in the French GP, said he had now named the new Becketts corner as 'the corkscrew'. "The G-forces here are phenomenal - 26G lateral in one corner," he said. "The circuit is fast and it's slow. There are also opportunities to overtake."
12.7.91 F1:- The British Grand Prix Friday official qualifying: mins secs 1 N Mansell GB Williams 1:22.644 2 G Berger Aut McLaren 1:23.045 3 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:23.227 4 R Patrese It Williams 1:23.436 5 A De Cesaris It Jordan 1:24.169 6 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:24.520 7 A Prost Fr Ferrari 1:24.726 8 S Modena It Tyrrell 1:24.925 9 J Lehto Fin Dallara 1:24.997 10 N Piquet Brz Benetton 1:25.107 11 E Pirro It Dallara 1:25.136 12 B Gachot Bel Jordan 1:25.323 13 T Boutsen Bel Ligier 1:25.530 14 R Moreno Brz Benetton 1:25.715 15 M Brundle GB Brabham 1:25.803 16 M Gugelmin Brz Leyton Hse 1:25.834 17 I Capelli It Leyton Hse 1:25.951 18 M Blundell GB Brabham 1:26.117 19 S Nakajima Jpn Tyrrell 1:26.229 20 E Bernard Fr Lola 1:26.235 21 A Suzuki Jpn Lola 1:26.438 22 E Comas Fr Ligier 1:26.468 23 M Hakkinen Fin Lotus 1:26.936 24 M Alboreto It Footwork 1:27.193 25 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:27.207 26 P Martini It Minardi 1:27.279 27 G Morbidelli It Minardi 1:27.367 28 S Johansson Swe Footwork 1:28.204 29 G Tarquini It AGS 1:31.130 30 F Barbazza It AGS 1:31.697 Pre-qualifying from Silverstone: 1 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara 1:24.825 2 A de Cesaris It Jordan-Fd 1:25.508 3 E Pirro It Dallara 1:25.726 4 B Gachot Bel Jordan-Fd 1:25.931 NON-QUALIFIERS 5 O Grouillard Fr Fomet-Ford 1:26.299 6 N Larini It Lamborg'ni 1:28.042 7 E v d Poele Bel Lamborg'ni 1:28.827 8 P Chaves Por Coloni 1:29.735Nigel Mansell roared into provisional pole to thrill his home fans at Silverstone. Mansell, on a real high after his French GP triumph, could afford to sit back and relax after clocking 1 min 22.644 secs in his Williams. Hot on his heels was Gerhard Berger who was second fastest, bouncing back in the spare McLaren after suffering a blown engine, to clock 1:23.045. Andrea De Cesaris gave another boost to the Jordan-Ford team as he claimed fifth spot with a superb 1:24.169.
Confident Nigel Mansell looked forward to Saturday's final qualifying with relish after claiming provisional pole at Silverstone. He said: "If it's dry or wet on Saturday it will not make any difference because I know I can go quicker if I have to. I set my time on my first run and I could have gone quicker but I got badly held up. It was very hard to find a good balance in the morning. The grip was changing all the time."
World champion Ayrton Senna got in just one flying lap - his McLaren-Honda's 1m 23.227 was only third fastest. Next up was Italian Riccardo Patrese, who for the first time this year ended an official practice session behind his teammate Nigel Mansell. There were good showings by Brabham duo Martin Brundle (15th) and Mark Blundell (18th) with Johnny Herbert's Lotus 25th. Teammate Mika Hakkinen had a troubled session when his Lotus gearbox seized, causing a small fire.
Brabham duo Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell both predicted better things to come after Friday's first qualifying session at Silverstone. Brundle, 15th fastest, said: "I'm happy with the progress we've made but there is a lot more to come. We showed in Magny-Cours that we had a positive development and that has been confirmed here." Blundell, 18th fastest, added: "I had a problem with the engine and I know we'll be quicker on Saturday."
Britain's Johnny Herbert is to be replaced in the Lotus-Judd team for four races, starting from the German Grand Prix in two weeks' time. The 27-year-old Le Mans winner, with just three F1 races under his belt this season, gives way to Michael Bartels. Herbert, who put in a fighting performance in the French GP at Magny Cours, has commitments in the Japanese F3 Championship. Bartels is best-known on the F3 and F3000 circuit.
Flying Finn JJ Lehto got to grips with the new Silverstone circuit as he headed pre-qualifying. His Dallara-Judd clocked 1m 24.825 ahead of Andrea de Cesaris's Jordan. Lehto's teammate Emanuele Pirro and Bernard Gachot, in the second Jordan, also comfortably qualified on an overcast morning at Silverstone. It boosted both teams' hopes of avoiding future pre-qualifying, when the teams which have to undergo the Friday morning ordeal are re-assessed after Sunday's result.
Silverstone's tough new circuit was causing almost all drivers and teams problems as they had their first taste of it in unofficial practice. Many reported difficulty in setting suspension on a circuit they felt was bumpier than the old track. Ivan Capelli's Leyton House mechanics adjusted almost all the car's suspension in a bid to stiffen it and Andrea De Cesaris had similar trouble. Nigel Mansell, quickest in the session, has already driven on the new circuit in tests two weeks ago.
Benetton F1 team is to transfer 35% of its share to Tom Walkinshaw's TWR company, which is behind Jaguar's world sportscar team. Walkinshaw will be responsible for Benetton's liaison with Ford over engine development.
Lotus have received a sponsorship boost from Leicestershire firm Swithland Motors, who stepped in with a deal believed to be worth more than œ200,000 after a German group pulled out. Tyrrell have revealed a new sponsorship deal with computer-design firm Autodesk.
F3:- qualifying times: mins secs 1 G de Ferran Reyn' 913 Mugen 1:46.74 2 R Rydell Toms 031F Toy' 1:46.80 3 R B'chello Ralt RT35 Mugen 1:47.00 4 D Coulthard Ralt RT35 Mugen 1:47.19 5 J Gene Ralt RT35 Mugen 1:47.34 6 M Albers Ralt RT35 Mugen 1:47.79 GM Lotus Euroseries first qualifying: 1 D S-Castro Opel Lotus 1:52.29 2 S Nakano Opel Lotus 1:52.41 3 J McGall Vauxhall Lotus 1:52.80 4 G Rees Vauxhall Lotus 1:52.86 5 W Hughes Vauxhall Lotus 1:52.95 6 G Salles Opel Lotus 1:53.04 Dunlop Rover GTi Ch'ship qualifying:(All Rover 216 GTi) 1 D Loudoun Pershore 2:19.27 2 C Clarke Abinger Bottom 2:19.47 3 I Taylor Hermitage 2:20.17 4 A Mackenzie Brighton 2:20.20 5 P Baldwin Hauxton 2:20.22 6 M Short St Ives 2:20.55 JaguarSport Int' Challenge 1st qual:(All Jaguar XJR-15) 1 C Eusur Hol 1:56.49 2 D Warwick GB 1:57.10 3 I Flux GB 1:57.21 4 A Hahne Ger 1:57.79 5 D Leslie GB 1:58.05 6 D Brabham Aus 1:58.10 Esso British Touring Car 1st qual: 1 J Clelland Cavalier GSi 2:12.02 2 S Soper BMW M3 2:12.17 3 W Hoy BMW M3 2:14.86 4 J Palmer BMW M3 2:15.61 5 R Gravett Ford Sapphire 2:16.69 6 J Allam Cavalier GSi 2:16.72 Porsche Carrera Cup first qualifying: 1 R Asch Ger 2:07.10 2 O Manthey Ger 2:07.81 3 P Aslung Sp 2:07.92 4 O Larrauri RA 2:07.98 5 M Hezemans Hol 2:08.18 6 W Land Ger 2:08.33 13.7.91F3:- Brazilian star Gil de Ferran spoiled David Coulthard's bid for Silverstone glory as he eased to victory in round 10 of the British F3 Championship. De Ferran, who drove the Edenbridge Racing Reynard Mugen to victory at Brands Hatch in May, led from start to finish to close on the series leaders. Scotsman Coulthard, vying for the championship lead with Rubens Barrichello before Silverstone, never got going and had to settle for sixth. Barrichello, known for his spirited driving, retired late on when only 7th.
F3 round 10 result: mins secs 1 G de Ferran Reyn' 913 Mugen 27:11.76 2 J Gene Ralt RT35 Mugen 27:13.60 3 R Rydell Toms 031F Toy' 27:14.16 4 M Albers Ralt RT35 Mugen 27:16.17 5 H Noda Ralt RT35 Mugen 27:23.64 6 D Coulthard Ralt RT35 Mugen 27:24.79 GM Lotus Euroseries final qualifying: 1 D S-Castro Opel Lotus 1:52.29 2 J McGall Vauxhall Lotus 1:52.29 3 S Nakano Opel Lotus 1:52.41 4 G Rees Vauxhall Lotus 1:52.64 5 B Aguiar Opel Lotus 1:52.77 6 M Johansson Opel Lotus 1:52.84 Dunlop Rover GTi Championship result: 1 C Clarke Abinger Bottom 23:40.19 2 D Loudoun Pershore 23:40.60 3 M Humphrey Bray 23:41.67 4 R Schirle GB 23:49.44 5 P Baldwin Hauxton 23:50.78 6 D G'anders Aberdeen 23:53.21 JaguarSport Challenge final qualifying:(All Jaguar XJR-15) 1 D Warwick GB 1:55.50 2 D Brabham Aus 1:56.16 3 C Eusur Hol 1:56.49 4 I Flux GB 1:56.57 5 B Wollek Fr 1:56.74 6 J Fangio II RA 1:56.75 Esso British Touring Car final qualifying: mins secs 1 S Soper BMW M3 2:02.99 2 W Hoy BMW M3 2:03.10 3 T Harvey BMW M3 2:03.57 4 J Clelland Cavalier GSi 2:03.61 5 J Palmer BMW M3 2:03.78 6 R Bellm BMW M3 2:03.92 Porsche Carrera Cup final qualifying: 1 R Asch Ger 2:05.62 2 W Land Ger 2:05.76 3 O Manthey Ger 2:05.81 4 J v Gartzen Ger 2:05.91 5 P Aslund Sp 2:05.96 6 H Grohs Ger 2:06.30F.RENAULT:- Britain's Jason Plato is on pole position for Sunday's final of the German Formula Renault international at Nurburgring after winning the first race in a two-part international.
F1:- BRITISH GRAND PRIX Final qualifying from Silverstone: mins secs 1 N Mansell GB Williams 1:20.939 2 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:21.618 3 R Patrese It Williams 1:22.109 4 G Berger Aut McLaren 1:22.476 5 A Prost Fr Ferrari 1:22.478 6 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:22.881 7 R Moreno Brz Benetton 1:23.265 8 N Piquet Brz Benetton 1:23.626 9 M Gugelmin Brz Leyton-H 1:24.044 10 S Modena It Tyrrell 1:24.069 11 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara 1:24.141 12 M Blundell GB Brabham 1:24.165 13 A De Cesaris It Jordan 1:24.169 14 M Brundle GB Brabham 1:24.345 15 S Nakajima Jpn Tyrrell 1:24.560 16 I Capelli It Leyton-H 1:24.587 17 B Gachot Bel Jordan 1:24.592 18 E Pirro It Dallara 1:24.654 19 T Boutsen Bel Ligier 1:25.174 20 G Morbidelli It Minardi 1:25.222 21 E Bernard Fr Lola 1:25.537 22 A Suzuki Jap Lola 1:25.583 23 P Martini It Minardi 1:25.583 24 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:25.689 25 M Hakkinen Fin Lotus 1:25.872 26 M Alboreto It Footwork 1:26.192 NON-QUALIFIERS 27 E Comas Fr Ligier 1:26.392 28 S Johansson Swe Footwork 1:26.987 29 F Barbazza It AGS 1:28.122 30 G Tarquini It AGS 1:28.136Nigel Mansell gave the Silverstone fans what they wanted, edging out World Championship leader Ayrton Senna to take pole spot in his Williams-Renault. Mansell, fastest in every session so far, was ousted from provisional pole by the McLaren-Honda driver 10 minutes before qualifying ended - but Mansell immediately replied with a 1 min 20.939. The other Williams of Riccardo Patrese shares row two with the second McLaren of Gerhard Berger, who left his flying lap until just three minutes before the end of the session.
The new Ferraris failed to repeat their French form, ending up on the third row with Alain Prost and Jean Alesi. Alesi had a troubled day, blowing an engine in a new car in early practice leaving him only an older model. Next were the Benettons with number two driver Roberto Moreno making the biggest improvement - to 7th after being 15th overnight. Other good showings came from JJ Lehto (Dallara) and the Tyrrell of Satoru Nakajima - twice in the top six at British GPs at the "old" Silverstone.
Mark Blundell marked his first British Grand Prix with the best grid position in his seven-race F1 career - 12th. His Brabham starts a row ahead of his King's Lynn teammate Martin Brundle. Johnny Herbert scraped on to the star in 23rd place, two ahead of Lotus team-mate Mika Hakkinen, who was wearing a neck-brace to counteract G-force strain. But it was a disappointing last session for the new 7-Up Jordan team; Andrea de Cesaris was the only man not to better his Friday time, slipping to 13th place as he concentrated on his spare car.
Nigel Mansell was thrilled with the lap that gave him pole position for Sunday's Silverstone showdown. Mansell, who stormed to his first pole of the season, said: "That time was very special. It was almost a perfect lap apart from a little lapse. It was a fantastic lap and I'm sure we are in for a great race on Sunday. You can take the winner from the first five on the grid. The circuit is one of the best in the world. The sequence of corners in some parts is truly spectacular."
Nigel Mansell eagerly looked forward to Sunday's big race - with every confidence in his Williams-Renault car and team. Mansell said: "The team have done a great job with the car. We are seeing how fast the Renault engine can be. Sunday's race will be won and lost on the morning warm-up. We've got a difficult decision to make on tyres, depending on the weather." Ayrton Senna, pipped by Mansell, said: "I did my best but Nigel really deserves to be on pole."
Dynamic Brabham duo Mark Blundell and Martin Brundle did exactly what they said they would by producing storming runs in final qualifying. Blundell, 12th fastest, said: "The boys did a fantastic job to change my engine after warm-up. We've worked hard and have been rewarded. I think everyone can see that Brabham-Yamaha are capable of running around the top 10 now." Brundle added: "It's by far our best result of the year and we are truly looking forward now."
SCOTTISH RALLY:- Murray Grierson snatched victory in his Metro in the sixth round of the Esso Scottish Rally Championship over 50 miles of stages around Kielder Forest. Long time leader Stewart Robertson slipped to third behind Donald Milne, the current series leader.
14.7.91GM LOTUS:- Irishman Jonathan McGall stormed to victory in round eight of the GM Lotus Euroseries with a commanding display at Silverstone. McGall, the only home-grown talent to appear in the top 10 before the last round, led from start to finish to pull off his second win of the series. He held off a strong challenge from Formula Vauxhall Lotus regular Diogo Castro-Santos who ultimately did enough to claim second spot. Bath's Gareth Rees was third and Kelvin Burt hung on to fifth.
GM Lotus Euroseries round 8 result: 1 J McGall Vauxhall Lotus 1:52.88 2 D S-Castro Opel Lotus @ 1.08s 3 G Rees Vauxhall Lotus @ 9.12 4 M Johansson Opel Lotus @ 16.16 5 K Burt Vauxhall Lotus @ 19.59 6 B Aguiar Opel Lotus @ 20.27JAGUAR:- Juan Fangio took the chequered flag in front of Frenchman Bob Wollek to win the JaguarSport Intercontinental challenge second round at Silverstone. Britain's Ian Flux was third, with Dave Leslie fourth and Tiff Needall sixth.
JaguarSport Int' Challenge result:(All Jaguar XJR-15) 1 J Fangio II RA 39:46.74 2 B Wollek Fr 39:50.05 3 I Flux GB 39:56.32 4 D Leslie GB 40:05.68 5 A Hahne Ger 40:15.50 6 T Needell GB 40:19.92F.RENAULT:- Britain's Jason Plato was crowned the first European Formula Renault champion after winning the second race in the three-event series at Nurburging. The 23-year-old had to drive in pain after his fire extinguisher went off by accident, freezing his legs.
TOURING CAR:- Steve Soper, in a BMW, completed his second win in seven rounds of the Esso Touring Car Championship at Silverstone. Soper snatched first place on the third of 15 laps from championship leader Will Hoy and held on until the end. Hoy retained his lead over Jeff Allem.
FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Result after 59 laps: hrs mins secs 1 N Mansell GB Williams 1:27'35.479 2 G Berger Aut McLaren 1:28'17.772 3 A Prost Fr Ferrari 1:28'35.629 4 A Senna Brz McLaren 58 laps 5 N Piquet Brz Benetton 58 laps 6 B Gachot Bel Jordan 58 laps 7 S Modena It Tyrrell 58 laps 8 S Nakajima Jpn Tyrrell 58 laps 9 P Martini It Minardi 58 laps 10 E Pirro It Dallara 57 laps 11 G M'delli It Minardi 57 laps 12 M Hakkinen Fin Lotus 57 laps 13 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara 56 laps 14 J Herbert GB Lotus 55 laps 15 M Blundell GB Brabham 52 laps 16 A De C'ris It Jordan 41 laps 17 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 31 laps 18 A Suzuki Jpn Lola 29 laps 19 T Boutsen Bel Ligier 29 laps 20 M Brundle GB Brabham 28 laps 21 M Alboreto It Footwork 25 laps 22 M Gugelmin Brz Leyton H 24 laps 23 R Moreno Brz Benetton 21 laps 24 E Bernard Fr Lola 21 laps 25 I Capelli It Leyton H 16 laps 26 R Patrese It Williams 1 lap FIA WORLD F1 DRIVERS STANDINGS 1 A Senna Brz McLaren 51 points 2 N Mansell GB Williams 33 3 R Patrese It Williams 22 4 A Prost Fr Ferrari 21 5 N Piquet Brz Benetton 18 6 G Berger Aut McLaren 16 7 S Modena It Tyrrell 9 8 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 8 9 A DeCesaris It Jordan-Fd 7 10 R Moreno Brz Benetton 5 11 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara 4 12 P Martini It Minardi 3 == B Gachot Bel Jordan 3 FIA WORLD F1 CONSTRUCTORS TABLE 1 McLaren 67 points 2 Williams 55 3 Ferrari 29 4 Benetton 23 5 Tyrrell 11 6 Jordan 10 7 Dallara 5 8 Minardi 3 = Lotus 3 10 Lola 2Nigel Mansell stormed to a fabulous victory to thrill his thousands of fans as he totally dominated at Silverstone. Mansell, on a real high after last week's French GP triumph, pulled off his third British win and his first victory on home soil for four years. Championship leader Ayrton Senna was always set for second place but dramatically stopped on the final lap and was finally fourth. McLaren teammate Gerhard Berger snatched second while Bernard Gachot gave Jordan a superb sixth.
Nigel Mansell roared to an emphatic 42-second victory in front of around 150,000 fans at Silverstone - and then sportingly helped out Ayrton Senna. Senna, still well ahead in the championship, was left stranded on the track after his McLaren packed up on the final lap. Mansell, already on his victory lap, stopped to give the Brazilian a lift back to the pits. It was a superb victory by Mansell, who gleefully showered an ecstatic crowd with gallons of champagne.
Nigel Mansell revealed that his British Grand Prix triumph was almost wrecked on the last two laps by mechanical trouble with the Williams. Mansell, denied at the death in Montreal, said: "I went round the last two laps with just one gear. My heart was in my mouth."
"I had big problems with the gears but I'm here so I'm happy. The crowd were quite incredible, just fantastic. It feels great. I salute them all and I dedicate this race to them." British GP winner Nigel Mansell admitted he was caught napping at the start - when he lost the lead briefly to arch-rival Ayrton Senna. Mansell, starting on pole, was overhauled by the championship leader but hit the front by the end of the first lap - and never looked back. He said: "I wasn't ready for the start. When the lights changed I was a split second too late and I got too much wheelspin trying to get going. That was probably my only mistake, but I was determined to go out and win."
Nigel Mansell was physically shattered after winning the British Grand Prix - but boosted by a hero's welcome from his elated fans. He said: "I have never been on a winning podium like that before. I am so tired but what a response from the crowd. It was unbelievable. They were cheering me every single lap during the race and I was doing my best to ignore them so I could concentrate on the next corner." Mansell waved to the crowd on his final lap despite car trouble.
Nigel Mansell showed his mastery of the new tougher Silverstone circuit while his rivals fell by the wayside in an incident-packed Grand Prix. Mansell, who intended running the whole race on the same tyres, was finally forced into the pits on lap 37 when he lost a wall weight. By then he was already more than 20 seconds ahead of Ayrton Senna and stretched that even further on fresh tyres, including a record 1:26.379 lap. Mansell took no risks - he simply drove the opposition into the ground.
Championship leader Ayrton Senna saw second place disappear on the last lap as he ran out of fuel and had to settle for fourth - and only three points. Until then the Brazilian drove an almost identical race to last week's French Grand Prix, where he was always second best to Nigel Mansell. Senna led at Silverstone only once, at the very start, but once passed it was clear he was happy to consolidate his championship lead. Fourth place means he leads Mansell by 18 points going into the German GP.
Gerhard Berger took second place but was far from happy after a tangle with Riccardo Patrese. The hard-charging Austrian, who had failed to finish in the last three races, was hit at the start of the race on the first corner. Patrese appeared to veer across Berger's line and the McLaren driver said: "He gave me a hard time. He just turned in." Patrese badly damaged his Williams in the clash and was forced to retire after just one lap.
Brabham duo Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell both failed to finish after both running in the top 10 - and now must continue to pre-qualify. They needed seventh to avoid it but were both hit by mechanical trouble. Brundle raced in the T-car after his race car expired before the start, and a broken throttle cable ended his GP. Blundell, at one stage eighth, was in 11th when his engine blew six laps from the finish and he smashed into a fence but was unhurt.
Eddie Jordan's fledgling 7-Up Jordan Ford team had a bitter-sweet Grand Prix as they were cheered on by a mass of Irish fans. Ebullient Belgian Bernard Gachot took sixth spot to give Jordan successive championship points in the last four races - and Gachot almost took fifth. Gachot's success came as a big boost after the Jordan team watched Andrea De Cesaris crash out after 41 laps. He spun across the track at Abbey and smashed into a wall, narrowly missing Satoru Nakajima on the way.
Alain Prost was happy with third spot in the new Ferrari - although he might have finished higher after a lapse in concentration. The flying Frenchman, winner of the last two British GPs, spun coming into Vale and hit the kerb on lap 30 after a battle with teammate Jean Alesi. Alesi charged up to third spot early on, ahead of his countryman, but paid the price for being too impetuous and spun out soon after. Johnny Herbert, set for a four-race rest, battled to finally finish 14th.
Japanase Lola driver Aguiri Suzuki has been fined $10,000 as the international FISA stewards continue their crackdown on dangerous driving. Suzuki was found guilty of "dangerous manoeuvring" after colliding with Jean Alesi's Ferrari on lap 31, when the Frenchman was in third position. Stewards also looked at the crash on lap one between Gerhard Berger and Ricardo Patrese, but placed no blame with either party. Allegations that Andreas De Cesaris held up Ayrton Senna were not proven.
Flying Frenchman Jean Alesi has confirmed that he is to stay with Ferrari next season. The ambitious 27-year-old had a meeting with team chiefs before the British Grand Prix, along with teammate Alain Prost. Alesi said: "I can see no reason for me leaving the team at the moment. In the beginning there were problems but the new car has changed that." Alesi added: "I am not interested in driving for Williams again after last year's problems negotiating with them."
17.7.91 Formula One testing times from Hockenheim, Germany (Wednesday):min secs 1 R Patrese Williams 1:43.86 2 G Berger McLaren 1:45.34 3 A Senna McLaren 1:45.35 4 T Boutsen Ligier 1:45.57 5 S Modena Tyrrell 1:45.96 6 E Comas Ligier 1:46.34 7 N Piquet Benetton 1:46.39 8 A Prost Ferrari 1:46.55 9 M Gugelmin Leyton House 1:46.72 10 E Pirro Dallara 1:47.82 11 M Blundell Brabham 1:47.82 12 M Bartels Lotus 1:48.15 13 M Hakkinen Lotus 1:48.59 14 J Alesi Ferrari 1:48.64Nigel Mansell's Formula One title challenge continued on course as his team dominated the first day of testing at Hockenheim in Germany. Riccardo Patrese was over a second faster than the two McLaren drivers who were carrying out further testing on a Honda V12 engine, which has more mid-range power. Patrese was testing a new nose and undertray and a development of the Renault V10 engine and Mansell takes over testing for the team on Friday for the German Grand Prix on July 28.
18.7.91 - RALLYCROSSReigning British rallycross champion Steve Palmer ends a three-month absence from the sport when he competes in the MNS Supaprix at Kent's Lydden circuit on July 27/28.
Formula One testing times from Hockenheim, Germany (Thursday):min secs 1 J Alesi Ferrari 1:39.53 2 R Moreno Benetton 1:41.72 3 A Prost Ferrari 1:42.44 4 E Pirro Dallara 1:42.55 5 R Patrese Williams 1:42.61 6 S Modena Tyrrell 1:43.37 7 G Berger McLaren 1:43.54 8 A Senna McLaren 1:44.08 9 T Boutsen Ligier 1:44.20 10 A De Cesaris Jordan 1:44.25 11 N Larini Lamborghini 1:44.36 12 E Comas Ligier 1:45.18 13 M Gugelmin Leyton House 1:45.29 14 M Alboreto Footwork 1:45.84Alex Caffi is unlikely to make his Formula One comeback as expected at next week's German Grand Prix. The Italian was replaced by Stefan Johansson at Footwork after injuring himself in a car accident in May. He took the team to court in France a fortnight ago to get his seat back but the judge refused to make a decision. The team has made an offer to get Caffi back in the car but he is said to be unhappy with the terms.
19.7.91 - F3000Richard Dean was fastest in Friday morning testing for Sunday's Oulton Park Gold Cup, clocking 1:19.09 in the Superpower Racing Lola-Mugen. British Formula 3000 Championship leader Paul Warwick suffered minor engine trouble in his Mobil Madgwick Mansell Reynard. Nigel Mansell will be at Oulton on Saturday.
F1:- Championship leader Ayrton Senna has been treated in hospital after a 150 mph accident during Formula 1 testing at Hockenheim in Germany. While he was being treated for bruising and whiplash, he told driver Mauricio Gugelmin that the accident may have been caused by a punctured tyre. Eye witnesses said the car leapt five metres in the air and somersaulted, 10 minutes before the end of the session. Senna is being treated overnight in hospital an is almost certain to be fit for next weeks German Grand Prix.
Nigel Mansell left Hockenehim testing with a broad smile on his face after dominating Friday testing at Hockenheim circuit in Germany. Mansell has won the last two races in his Canon Williams, but there were fears that Ayrton Senna's Honda powered McLaren would be superior in Germany. But the winner of last weekend's British GP was one second faster than the Braziian in testing on Friday. And that means he heads for the German GP hot favourite to cut Senna's 18 point championship lead even further.
Formula One testing times from Hockenheim, Germany (Friday pm): min secs 1 N Mansell Williams 1:38.96 2 A Senna McLaren 1:39.93 3 G Berger McLaren 1:40.63 4 A De Cesaris Jordan 1:43.38 5 M Gugelmin Leyton House 1:43.44 6 S Nakajima Tyrrell 1:43.53 7 O Grouillard Fomet-Ford 1:44.15 8 T Boutsen Ligier 1:44.22 9 M Brundle Brabham 1:44.66 10 J Alesi Ferrari 1:44.73 11 N Piquet Benetton 1:44.85 12 E Pirro Dallara 1:45.22 13 M Bartels Lotus 1:45.67 14 G Tarquini AGS-Ford 1:46.03 20.7.91 - F1Ayrton Senna left hospital after recovering from his high speed crash and said he was "very lucky". The McLaren driver is expected to be fit for next weekends race at Hockenheim.
21.7.91F3000:- British F3000 Championship leader Paul Warwick has died after crashing at 140mph while leading the Oulton Park Gold Cup race. Paul, 22-year-old brother of ex-Formula One star Derek, had won the last four F3000 races and was awarded the Oulton result posthumuously because he was leading when the race was stopped. He had been 7.3 seconds in the lead when he went off at Knickerbrook on the 24th lap. He was airlifted to North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary where he died later.
BRANDS HATCH:- Jerry Mahoney and Lawrence Bristow in a turbocharged Ford Sierra won the 42 lap Thundersaloons race by less than seconds from Pete Stevens and Chris Millard.
24.7.91 - ARGENTINE RALLY Leaderboard after 5th stage: (end of first day) mins.secs 1 D Auriol Fr Lancia 55.04 2 M Biasion It Lancia 55.18 3 J Kankkunen Fin Lancia 55.32 4 M Ericsson Swe Toyota 55.59 5 C Sainz Sp Toyota 56.57 6 J Recalde Arg Lancia 56.58Spainiard Carlos Sainz suffered a puncture on the third stage and was forced to finish on the wheel rim, losing half a minute on the leaders. Carlos Menem jr, son of the Argentine President, suffered a broken gearbox in his Ford Sierra Cosworth and is 28th.
25.7.91 - ARGENTINE RALLY Leaderboard after 9th stage:hrs:mins.secs 1 D Auriol Fr Lancia 1:44.27 2 M Biasion It Lancia 34 secs bh 3 M Ericsson Swe Toyota 1.29 bh 4 C Sainz Sp Toyota 1.35 bh 5 J Kankkunen Fin Lancia 2.02 bh 6 J Recalde Arg Lancia 3.27 bhFinland's Juha Kankkunen slipped from third to fifth when he lost over a minute due to loose bolts in his car's power steering system.
F1:- Tyrrell-Honda driver Satoru Nakajima has announced he will retire from F1 racing at the end of the season. "I've been in this business for 20 years," said the 38-year-old Japanese veteran. "And that's enough reason to leave now." Team boss Ken Tyrrell said he had "no doubt" that the team's other driver, Stefano Modena, would be driving for the team in 1992. And he quoshed rumours that Indy driver Michael Andretti would be driving for the team next year after the American had indicated he wanted to join McLaren.
World champion Ayrton Senna is pressing for changes at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany following his 180 mph crash last Friday. He escaped without serious injury despite his McLaren somersaulting after hitting a kerb at the chicane. Senna says the kerbs are too high and should be removed but he insisted it would not affect his performance in practice for Sunday's race. "You either go full throttle at that point of the circuit or you don't get into the car," he added.
McLaren/Tag are to build a œ50 million testing circuit in Kent, which will create up to 600 jobs. The team, currently spearheaded by F1 world champion Ayrton Senna, are to redevelop the Lydden rallycross track. Villagers have voiced opposition to the scheme but the Dept of Environment have decided not to hold a public inquiry. A Dover council spokesman said: "McLaren have taken extreme steps to avoid disturbing local people. The track will be sunk down in the ground, creating an effective sound barrier."
Ken Tyrrell has confirmed that although contracts had not yet been exchanged he expected his team to be using the V10 Honda engine next season.
Italy's Alex Caffi makes his return to F1 racing on Friday after an absence of two months, following an injury and wrangles with his Footwork-Porsche team. Caffi was involved in a car accident and considered taking legal action when his team would not allow him to race.
JOHN WATSON ON THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX
Hockenheim is the start of the second half of the 1991 season and what a start it promises to be. Nigel Mansell is 18 points behind Ayrton Senna in the championship race and, in my opinion, Frank Williams must now implement team orders to assist Nigel's challenge for the championship. As Riccardo Patrese is the team's number two he may have to sacrifice a win or a place to ensure Nigel scores the maximum points possible. It is also vital for Nigel that no-one else should win as this will dissipate his championship challenge on Senna.
Ayrton Senna is recovering this week from the enormous accident he had in testing at Hockenheim last Friday. It was the third major accident for the Brazilian in the last month and was undoubtedly the one that could have had the most serious consequences. Along with his recent misfortunes he has to face the prospect of the still improving Williams-Renault machines. Williams, and I, certainly have no illusions that they will gain any benefit from Ayrton Senna's misfortune. McLaren will be on the pace.
After a shunt of the magnitutude of Senna's it would be quite natural for it to play on a driver's mind. Ayrton Senna, however, is no ordinary driver. He is the most remarkable driver of his generation. The way he rationalises danger and therefore protects himself emotionally is like no other driver in Formula One. We will have to wait until Sunday to see if the Honda-engined McLarens have regained the position they enjoyed in the first four races. I have no doubt Senna will be at 100 per cent.
A number of changes will emerge at the German Grand Prix. The most important of which is Tom Walkinshaw's role at Benetton-Ford. At last Benetton will have proper management and direction from where it counts. For many years the team has lacked the quality of leadership a man like Walkinshaw can bring. Simply put, he is a winner. Undoubtedly it is too much to expect a win from Benetton on Sunday but with this new management role, a cohesion will develop and success will follow.
At last things are going right for Nigel Mansell. Two wins on the trot and all those positive thoughts flowing freely make Mansell the man to beat on Sunday in Hockenheim. Nothing buoys up a driver more than success and to Nigel it adds that little bit of sparkle which sets him apart and makes him so special. As well as the latest development of the Renault V10 engine and Elf fuel he has a chassis that is the best in F1. It is 15 years since a British driver last won the German Grand Prix, but who will bet against Mansell this weekend?
For the pre-qualifying 8am club it is "all change" in Germany. Up go Dallara-Judd, 7UP Jordan-Ford and Lamborghini and down go AGS, Brabham-Yamaha and Footwork-Porsche. Lambo have got through by the skin of their teeth but that's the way it is with the current system. The resulting pre-qualifying battle always proves fascinating. I expect to see the Fomet-Ford of Olivier Grouillard cruising through easily but the remaining three slots are going to cause a few surprises.
Lotus star Johnny Herbert is competing in Japan this weekend and German driver Michael Bartels will deputise for him. Herbert has prior commitments to the All-Japan Formula 3000 championship and he will miss the next four Grands Prix. Bartels drove the Lotus for the first time at the recent Hockenheim test and appears to be a suitable replacement for Herbert - not least because he knows his "home" track intimately. He is the only German driver competing this weekend and that will be something for the home crowd to cheer for.
26.7.91 - ARGENTINE RALLY Leaderboard after 21 stages:hrs:mins.secs 1 M Biasion It Lancia 5:00.52 2 C Sainz Sp Toyota 5:00.56 3 D Auriol Fr Lancia 5:01.07 4 J Kankkunen Fin Lancia 5:03.54 5 M Ericsson Swe Toyota 5:07.45Didier Auriol lost his lead on the 17th stage when a pipe came off his turbo, costing him two minutes.
BRITISH MIDLAND ULSTER RALLY Leaderboard after stage 9 of 20:mins secs 1 C McRae Subaru Legacy 45:59 2 R Brookes Sapph Cos 4x4 46:36 3 B Fisher Sapph Cos 4x4 46:48 4 B Connolly BMW M3 48:44 5 R Head Sapph Cos 4x4 49:09 6 K McKinstry Sapph Cos 4x4 49:55 7 R Smyth Sapph Cos 4x4 50:22 8 B Fowden Sapph Cos 4x4 50:34 9 D Greer Sierra Cos 4x4 51:18 10 D Maslen Sapph Cos 4x4 51:54TOURING CAR:- Donington Park stages the eighth round of the Esso British Touring Car Championship this weekend with a new format of two televised 25-lap races.
SPORTS COUPE:- Former Formula One driver Bernd Schneider was fastest in testing for the Interserie Sports Coupe meeting at Brands Hatch this weekend, clocking 39.21 secs in his Porsche 962.
FORMULA 3000 INTERNATIONAL CH'SHIP Friday practice, Hockenheim: 1 A Montermini It Ralt 1:54.327 2 K Wendlinger Aut Reynard 1:54.445 3 J Gounon Fr Ralt 1:54.696 4 A Zanardi It Reynard 1:54.802 5 V Sospiri It Lola 1:55.221 6 A McNish GB Lola 1:55.449 7 D Hill GB Lola 1:55.514 8 E Naspetti It Reynard 1:55.714 9 C Fittipaldi Brz Reynard 1:55.750 10 A Tamburini It Reynard 1:55.762F1, The German GP:- Nigel Mansell kept up his superb run of form as he took provisional pole for Sunday's German Grand Prix. Mansell, aiming for a hat-trick of GP wins in the Williams-Renault, edged out Austrian Gerhard Berger with a time of 1 min 37.467 secs in wet conditions. Mansell's teammate Riccardo Patrese was third fastest ahead of championship leader Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian improved his time slightly on his second run just before the session ended.
World champion Ayrton Senna was forced to admit again that Nigel Mansell was calling all the shots after Friday's opening practice session. Senna could manage only fourth fastest to Mansell's provisional pole and said: "We are just not quick enough to compete with the Williams."
"It was the same at Silverstone and that is our major problem. It was still a bit wet during practice and I was a little concerned at the chicane." Mansell said: "I am sure we can go faster on Saturday if it is warmer."
FIA WORLD FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: Friday practice times: mins secs 1 N Mansell GB Williams 1:37.467 2 G Berger Aut McLaren 1:37.946 3 R Patrese It Williams 1:38.146 4 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:38.208 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:39.391 6 A Prost Fr Ferrari 1:39.422 7 A De Cesaris It Jordan 1:40.387 8 N Piquet Brz Benetton 1:40.560 9 P Martini It Minardi 1:40.998 10 B Gachot Bel Jordan 1:41.443 11 S Nakajima Jpn Tyrrell 1:41.515 12 S Modena It Tyrrell 1:41.566 13 T Boutsen Bel Ligier 1:41.823 14 R Moreno Brz Benetton 1:41.968 15 E Pirro It Dallara 1:42.021 16 I Capelli It Leyton Hse 1:42.025 17 G Morbidelli It Minardi 1:42.132 18 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara 1:42.171 19 M Brundle GB Brabham 1:42.294 20 M Blundell GB Brabham 1:43.414 21 G Tarquini It AGS-Ford 1:43.787 22 E Bernard Fr Lola-Ford 1:43.797 23 E Comas Fr Ligier 1:43.803 24 M Alboreto It Footwork 1:44.362 25 E vd Poele Bel Lamb'ghini 1:44.489 26 N Larini It Lamb'ghini 1:44.596 27 M Hakkinen Fin Lotus-Judd 1:44.816 28 A Suzuki Jpn Lola-Ford 1:45.037 29 M Bartels Ger Lotus-Judd 1:46.409 * M Gugelmin (1:41.200) discounted for incorrectly-shaped ballast box FIA WORLD FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP Pre-qualifying times (four go through): 1 M Brundle GB Brabham 1:42.810 2 G Tarquini It AGS Ford 1:43.939 3 M Alboreto It Footwork 1:44.034 4 M Blundell GB Brabham 1:44.257 NON-QUALIFIERS 5 O Grouillard Fr Fomet-Ford 1:44.645 6 A Caffi It Footwork 1:45.282 7 F Barbazza It AGS Ford 1:46.604 8 P Chaves Por Coloni 1:47.546 27.7.91F1:- GERMAN GRAND PRIX
Nigel Mansell stayed on course for a hat-trick of Grand Prix wins as he took pole for Sunday's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim with a record 1:37.087. Mansell, with French and British victories under his belt, totally dominated again, improving Friday's time in the dryer conditions. Mansell had an angry exchange with Eric Comas after the Frenchman hit the Williams at the third chicane. Championship leader Ayrton Senna produced a storming lap of 1:37.274 to claim second spot on the grid.
Frenchman Eric Comas was taken to hospital on Saturday after crashing heavily in his Ligier during free practice for Sunday's race. Comas appeared to lose control of his car at the second chicane on the high speed Hockenheim circuit. He struck the kerb and a tyre-barrier before taking off and barrel-rolling away in flames but managed to crawl away from the wreckage. Comas was later passed fit to drive and chose to carry on in final practice despite being advised not to.
FIA WORLD FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday's final practice times:mins secs 1 N Mansell GB Williams 1:37.087 2 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:37.274 3 G Berger Aut McLaren 1:37.393 4 R Patrese It Williams 1:37.435 5 A Prost Fr Ferrari 1:39.034 6 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:39.042 7 A De Cesaris It Jordan 1:40.239 8 N Piquet Brz Benetton 1:40.560 9 R Moreno Brz Benetton 1:40.957 10 P Martini It Minardi 1:40.998 11 B Gachot Bel Jordan 1:41.308 12 I Capelli It Leyton Hse 1:41.330 13 S Nakajima Jpn Tyrrell 1:41.390 14 S Modena It Tyrrell 1:41.556 15 M Brundle GB Brabham 1:41.615 16 M Gugelmin Brz Leyton Hse 1:41.735 17 T Boutsen Bel Ligier 1:41.823 18 E Pirro It Dallara 1:42.021 19 G Morbidelli It Minardi 1:42.058 20 JJ Lehto Fin Dallara 1:42.171 21 M Blundell GB Brabham 1:42.216 22 A Suzuki Jpn Lola-Ford 1:42.474 23 M Hakkinen Fin Lotus-Judd 1:42.726 24 N Larini It Lamb'ghini 1:43.035 25 E Bernard Fr Lola-Ford 1:43.321 26 E Comas Fr Ligier 1:43.364 NON-QUALIFIERS 27 M Alboreto It Footwork 1:43.409 28 M Bartels Ger Lotus-Judd 1:43.624 29 G Tarquini It AGS-Ford 1:43.787 30 E vd Poele Bel Lamb'ghini 1:44.207 ARGENTINE RALLY:- World champion Carlos Sainz stretched his lead in the championship by hanging on for victory in a thrilling finish to round eight in Cordoba. Sainz, who held the lead overnight, guided the works Toyota safely home but was closley followed by three-times Argentine winner Miki Biasion. Biasion finished just eight seconds behind Sainz in the Lancia Delta Martini, with Didier Auriol third and Juha Kankkunen fourth. Mikael Ericsson overturned his Toyota on stage 27 to give Jorge Recalde fifth.
Final result from Cordoba: hrs mins secs 1 C Sainz Sp Toyota 6:37.31 2 M Biasion It Lancia @ 8 secs 3 D Auriol Fr Lancia @ 1.05 4 J Kankkunen Fin Lancia @ 6.03 5 J Recalde Arg Lancia @ 11.59 BRITISH ULSTER RALLY Final positions after stage 20:mins secs 1 B Fisher Sapph Cos 4x4 2:48:56 2 R Brookes Sapph Cos 4x4 2:51:55 3 R Smyth Sapph Cos 4x4 3:00:57 4 D Greer Sierra Cos 4x4 3:02:00 5 R Head Sapph Cos 4x4 3:03:55 6 D Maslen Sapph Cos 4x4 3:04:45Bertie Fisher held on for victory after a heart-stopping moment when a driveshaft broke at the end of stage 19.
Positions after 5 rounds: Brookes 65 points, C McRae 60, Fisher 35.
TOURING CAR:- Donington Park stages the eighth round of the Esso British Touring Car Championship this weekend with a new format of two televised 25-lap races.
INTERSERIES CUP:- Bernd Schneider and John Winter, both in Porsche 962C turbos, claimed the front row for Sunday's Interserie Cup race at Brands Hatch.
28.7.91 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP German Grand Prix, Hockenheim Result after 45 laps: hrs mins secs 1 N Mansell GB Williams 1:19.29.661 2 R Patrese It Williams 1:19.43.430 3 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:19.47.279 4 G Berger Aut McLaren 1:20.02.312 5 De Cesaris It Jordan 1:20.47.198 6 B Gachot Fr Jordan 1:21.10.266 7 A Senna Brz McLaren 1 lap behind 8 R Moreno Brz Benetton 1 lap 9 T Boutsen Bel Ligier 1 lap 10 E Pirro It Dallara 1 lap 11 M Brundle GB Brabham 2 laps 12 M Blundell GB Brabham 2 laps 13 S Modena It Tyrrell 4 laps FIA WORLD F1 DRIVERS' STANDINGS 1 A Senna Brz McLaren 51 points 2 N Mansell GB Williams 43 3 R Patrese It Williams 28 4 A Prost Fr Ferrari 21 5 G Berger Aut McLaren 19 6 N Piquet Brz Benetton 18 FIA WORLD F1 CONSTRUCTORS TABLE 1 Williams 71 points 2 McLaren 70 3 Ferrari 33 4 Benetton 23 5 Jordan 13 6 Tyrrell 11Nigel Mansell completed a magnificent hat-trick of victories as he cruised home at Hockenheim to really put the pressure on world champion Ayrton Senna. Mansell, in a Williams, drove superbly from pole position and never looked in trouble, only handing over the lead to Jean Alesi during a pit stop. Teammate Riccardo Patrese made it a Williams one-two as he followed Mansell over the line, 13.7 seconds behind. Alesi took third for Ferrari while Senna failed to pick up any points, going out on the last lap when fourth.
Nigel Mansell dominated the Hockenheim circuit with supreme ease as he closed the gap on championship leader Ayrton Senna to just eight points. Senna, in a McLaren, was forced to battle throughout the race with Alain Prost as they jockeyed for position Mansell and Riccardo Patrese. Eight laps from the end Prost tried to outbrake Senna but struck a cone at the first chicane and his Ferrari went out. But Senna ran out of fuel at the same spot on the final lap - a repeat of the Brazilian's Silverstone nightmare.
Britain's Nigel Mansell was thrilled to have added the German Grand Prix to his French and British triumphs this season. "I'm very happy, it's the first time I've won three on the trot," he said. "I wasn't aware Senna had gone out. I was concentrating on the race." Mansell appeared to have a faultless drive over the 45 laps but he admitted not everything was perfect. "I had a few problems with the car but I don't wish to talk about that now," said Mansell. "The team have done a fantastic job."
Nigel Mansell knows the pressure on him to maintain his form at the next Grand Prix in Hungary will be immense. "Every race will get tougher and tougher," said Mansell. "You can't do any better except to try and win the next one," he added. Williams now lead the constructor's table from McLaren and Ferrari and Mansell realises the next race on August 13 could change things. "I know both McLaren and Ferrari will go faster in Hungary and will be very tough opposition," he said.
The Williams-Renault team took over the lead in the constructor's table as their dynamic duo of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese took first and second. Williams has 71 points, one ahead of McLaren who find themselves off the the top of the standings for the first time since the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix. "It's been a great season so far," said Patrese. "The team deserve to be in the lead, they have worked so hard. I had a good race. I had to start in sixth place so there were a few people to overtake," he added.
Frenchman Jean Alesi's ploy to complete the race without a tyre stop nearly paid dividends as he finished in third place in his Ferrari. Alesi chose to drive on harder tyres, B compound, instead of the generally preferred softer tyres that need changing at least once a race. He led for a short time as Nigel Mansell relinquished a 17 second lead for his tyre change. But Mansell soon resumed control and Alesi was tailed by Riccardo Patrese and was finally forced to give way.
Angry Alain Prost claimed Ayrton Senna should be fined for dangerous driving after they clashed at Hockenheim. The Frenchman went off the circuit trying to pass the world champion, who he blamed for his retirement. Prost said: "He did everything to stop me passing him. He weaved, braked early and then drove across me. If other drivers can be fined for minor things, then he should be fined too. If he gets in my way again like that at Hungary I shall just have to push him off."
GM LOTUS:- Jonathan McGall won the ninth round of the GM Lotus Euroseries at Hockenheim to cut Pedro Lamy's championship lead from 36 to 28 points.
INTERSERIE CUP:- Bernd Schneider and John Winter took one victory each in the Joest Porsche 962 turbo in the Interserie Cup race at Brands Hatch. Schneider earned overall honours with a faster combined time.
TOURING CAR:- Andy Rouse won both races in round eight of the Esso Touring Car Championship at Donington Park in his Toyota Carina. Will Hoy, out of the top three in both races, retains his lead in the championship.
VAUXHALL LOTUS:- Sunderland's Warren Hughes claimed his third Vauxhall Lotus win of the year with victory in Round 10 at Donington. He now leads Piers Hunnisett by 38 points at the top of the championship.
SNETTERTON:- Brian Robinson increased the pressure on Championship leader Carl Jarvis with victory in round 10 of the Champion of Snetterton series.
29.7.91 - F1World champion Ayrton Senna admits Nigel Mansell could be poised to win his first ever Formula One title after his third successive Grand Prix victory in Germany on Sunday. Senna ran out of fuel on the final lap for the second successive race as his championship lead was whittled down to just eight points by the Englishman. "Williams deserved to win and they will be favourites again in Hungary. The championship could be over a long time before the end of the year this time," suggested a disappointed Senna.