01.04.93 - INDYCARNigel Mansell faces his first taste of oval racing on Sunday in the second round of the Indycar world championship at Phoenix. The world Formula One champion took the opening round on the street circuit of Surfers' Paradise. He said: "I have never done this before so I am going into the unknown. All I can do this weekend is do my best." Mansell has tested twice at the Arizona circuit - and has also raced on the streets in his F1 days.
02.04.93INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell was involved in a frightening aborted landing while flying to Phoenix for the Valvoline 200 Indy Car race this weekend. He was about to land his hired Lear jet in Texas for refuelling when lights indicating the landing gear was down failed to come on. Mansell had to pull out of his descent but everything worked properly at the second attempt. The race will be his first at an oval track and he said: "Basically, I am looking for a quiet weekend."
F1:- Jordan have released Italian driver Ivan Capelli from his contract with the team after just two races of the 1993 F1 World Championship. The 29-year-old crashed out on the third lap in the season-opening South African GP and failed to qualify for the race in Brazil. He joined Jordan after an unsuccessful spell with Ferrari last season. Jordan hope to name their second driver for the European Grand Prix at Donington next week.
03.04.93TOUR OF CORNWALL:- Irishman Frank O'Mahony led by 50 seconds in his Metro 6R4 after Saturday's 14 stages in the Tour of Cornwall Rally. John Price recovered from an off on stage 5 to lie second overnight.
INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell has been airlifted to hospital after crashing at high speed in practice for the Valvoline 200 in Phoenix. The reigning Formula One champion lost control of his Newman-Haas Lola-Ford at 160mph and crashed through a wall on the banked oval. Early reports suggested Mansell had suffered concussion but no other injuries during second qualifying for Sunday's 200-mile race. Mansell had set an unofficial lap record of 20.760 seconds during the first qualifying session.
Nigel Mansell was banned from taking part in Sunday's Indycar race at Phoenix by race officials after crashing in practice. The Formula One world champion suffered concussion after crashing through a wall on the banked oval. Mansell said wanted to walk out of hospital and take his place but his request was refused outright. He has since been released and flown back to his Florida home and advised to convalesce for a week. He had earlier defiantly claimed: "I am ready to race."
TOUR OF CORNWALL:- John Price claimed his third consecutive maximum score as he won the Tour of Cornwall Rally in his Metro 6R4. The favourite was handed the lead after a mistake by Frank O'Mahony which forced him to retire. O'Mahony put his Metro 6R4 off the road with only ten stages to go and the resultant broken wishbone put an end to his dreams of winning. Tim Jones scored his best ever result by steering his Sierra Cosworth into runners-up spot.
05.04.93INDYCAR:- Mario Andretti of the United States won the Valvoline 200 Indycar race ahead of Raul Boesel of Brazil. His Lola-Ford Cosworth XB averaged 123.847mph as he completed 200 laps. Nigel Mansell was banned from taking part in the race by officials after a crash in practice. The Formula One world champion suffered concussion, but was only detained in hospital briefly. Nelson Piquet has agreed to drive in next month's Indianapolis 500.
VALVOLINE 200 RESULT, Phoenix: laps 1 M Andretti US Lola Ford 200 (average speed 123.847 mph) 2 R Boesel Brz Lola Ford 199 3 J Vasser US Lola Chevy 197 4 A Unser Jnr US Lola Chevy 197 5 T Fabi It Lola Chevy 196 6 A Luyendyk Hol Lola Ford 195 7 S Pruett US Lola Chevy 194 8 D Kudrave US Lola Chevy 193 9 M Smith US Penske Chev 192 10 H M'shita Jpn Lola Ford 187F1:- Ayrton Senna will drive for McLaren in the European Grand Prix at Donington on Sunday. The Brazilian, who leads the Formula One championship after two races, has been driving for McLaren on a race-by-race basis. His teammate on Sunday will be American Michael Andretti but Senna has not indicated whether he will complete the season for McLaren. The former world champion won the Brazilian GP last month and finished second in South Africa.
SPORTSCARS:- Entries have flooded in for this year's Le Mans 24-hour race even though the world sportscar championship has been called off. The 1992 race had just 28 starters but the ACO has received 64 entries for this year's event on June 19-20. These will be reduced to 46 after qualifying for the event.
07.04.93 - F1:- JOHN WATSON ON THE EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX, DONINGTONThe Grand Prix of Europe this Easter weekend at Donington Park is the culmination of all the efforts of one man, Tom Wheatcroft. Donington Park is an historical home of GP racing, with the first grand prix event held at the track 58 years ago and the last in 1938. This final GP race was won by Tazio Nuvolari in a 3-litre V12 supercharged Auto Union. The lap record from pre-war days is held by Manfred von Brauchitsch (Mercedes-Benz) and Bernd Rosemeyer (Auto-Union), at 85.62mph.
Donington Park re-opened for motor racing in 1977 and the layout remains largely unchanged. Derek Warwick holds the record for the fastest ever lap around the circuit in 1 min 15.285 secs, at 119.546mph, set in qualifying for last year's world sportscar race. The Grand Prix of Europe will be held over 76 laps of the 2.5-mile circuit and every Formula One team races here for the first time. No one quite knows what to expect here, whether wet or dry.
Brands Hatch was the venue when Britain last hosted the Grand Prix of Europe, eight years ago. The race featured a number of major landmarks. It was the scene of Nigel Mansell's first GP victory, in his fifth full season of Formula One racing. It was Alain Prost's first Formula One world title...and, ironically, my last grand prix race. What can we expect this weekend at Donington Park?
The best news of the week is that Ayrton Senna will be driving for Marlboro McLaren at Donington Park. He currently heads the FIA World F1 Championship and must be optimistic about improving his points lead. The McLaren Ford MP4/8 in a high downforce set-up plus Senna's attacking driving style will prove the ideal combination. By contrast arch-rival Alain Prost arrives with a negative view of the circuit, plus the knowledge that the opposition will be much closer to him here.
Overtaking will not be easy during Sunday's race which could lead to bunching up by the cars, producing entertainment and excitement. Opportunities exist only at the Esses, at the end of the main straight; for the brave into the Melbourne Hairpin and, if you get a clear run, into Redgate Corner. From Redgate Corner at the end of the pit straight around to Coppice Corner leading on to the main straight, overtaking is virtually impossible. All these spots are easily defended.
Expect to see some new cars at Donington Park, most notably the Benetton B193B described by Michael Schumacher as fantastic to drive. Benetton believe their new car will match the '93 models we have seen already from Williams and McLaren. Also remember how impressive former sportscar star Schumacher has been at Donington in the past. Look out for the latest Footwork Mugen V10. This car bristles with new aerodynamics and electronics, and a revised low-line Mugen engine.
Thierry Boutsen replaces Ivan Capelli at Jordan this weekend. Jordan, for the first time in three years of F1 racing, have a GP winner racing for them which should compensate for Capelli's release. However it will be tough for Boutsen, whose last race was at the end of the 1992 season for Ligier. He must cope with all the new practice and race regulations in a car which he will not have driven until Thursday afternoon - a pretty daunting prospect.
DRIVERS' STANDINGS (after round 2, the Brazilian Grand Prix) 1 A Senna Brz 16 points 2 A Prost Fr 10 3 M Blundell GB 6 = D Hill GB 6 5 M Schumacher Ger 4 6 C Fittipaldi Brz 3 = J Herbert GB 3 8 JJ Lehto Fin 2 9 G Berger Aut 1 = A Zanardi It 1 CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS: (after round 2, Brazilian GP) 1 Williams Renault 16 points = McLaren Ford 16 3 Ligier Renault 6 4 Benetton Ford 4 = Lotus Ford 4 6 Minardi Ford 3 7 Sauber 2 8 Ferrari 1 TIMETABLE - Friday 0930-1100 Formula One free practice 1300-1400 Formula One 1st qualifying 1430-1500 Vauxhall Lotus 1st qualifying 1530-1600 Touring cars 1st qualifying 1630-1700 Formula Ford Untimed practice 1730-1800 Vauxhall Lotus 2nd qualifying Saturday 0930-1100 Formula One free practice 1300-1400 Formula One final qualifying 1430-1500 Formula Ford qualifying 1530-1600 Touring cars final qualifying 1630 VAUXHALL LOTUS EUROSERIES Sunday 0930-1000 Formula One warm-up session 1025 FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP 1115-1135 Donington pre-war racing cars 1145 VAUXHALL LOTUS EUROSERIES 1245-1330 Opening ceremony/F1 grid 1330-1345 Pit lane open 1345 British and European anthems 1400 SEGA EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX 1630 RAC BRITISH TOURING CARSSAFARI RALLY:- Three times world champion Juha Kankkunen has been installed as the firm favourite for the rally, which gets underway on Thursday. The flying Finn has set his sights on regaining his world crown and described this race as "one of the toughest on the circuit." Kankkunen spearheads the Toyota challenge and the formidable team also includes Markku Alen, Yauhiro Iwase and Ian Duncan. Leading Briton Colin McRae and Masahi Ishida expect to provide the main competition in the Subaru team.
08.04.93 - F1:- THE EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Thursday's free practice: mins secs 1 A Prost Fr Williams 1:13.182 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:13.263 3 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:14.370 4 A Senna Brz Mclaren 1:14.481 5 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:14.899 6 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:15.318 7 P Alliot Fr Larrousse 1:15.330 8 JJ Lehto Fin Sauber 1:15.432 9 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:15.504 10 M Blundell GB Ligier 1:15.845 11 J Alesi It Ferrari 1:15.930 12 R Patrese It Benetton 1:15.971 13 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi 1:16.389 14 F Barbazza It Minardi 1:16.492 15 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:16.538 16 T Boutsen Bel Jordan 1:17.549 17 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 1:17.678 18 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:17.887 19 A De Cesaris It Tyrrell 1:18.967 20 D Warwick GB Footwork 1:19.034 21 M Andretti US McLaren 1:19.128 22 L Badoer It Lola 1:19.167 23 A Zanardi Brz Lotus 1:19.511 24 M Alboreto It Lola 1:20.137 25 U Katayama Jap Tyrrell 1:23.107 26 A Suzuki Jpn Footwork 1:24.419 Conditions: damp and overcast, coldThree times world champion Ayrton Senna said he was pleased Formula One had returned to Donington Park. "I love it here," said the McLaren driver. "I won here in my early career and, later on in 1983, I did my first Formula One drive here in a private test for Williams. "This circuit has plenty of good memories for me." Senna survived a big slide during the opening free practice session and described conditions as "very unstable". "We also had technical problems with the car," he added.
Michael Schumacher made a somewhat brief outing in the new Benetton with 10 laps in free practice and declared: "It feels fantastic. The performance is very impressive but today I couldn't do as many laps as I wanted to," said the German driver who was ninth fastest. He said it was a huge improvement on the old model, with this car specifically designed for use with the active suspension system. Teammate Riccardo Patrese added: "It would be good to have steady weather but it runs well in wet."
Michael Andretti was an early casualty during Thursday's free practice for Formula One cars. The McLaren driver stopped after just three laps and then spun at Redgate. Rain early in Thursday's one-hour free practice prevented most teams from completing the set-up of their cars. Friday's one-hour unofficial session is due to start at 9.30am. Michele Alboreto (Lola) managed just three laps before trouble with his brakes. Teammate Luca Baoder suffered a slight understeer which the team were unable to put right due to the adverse conditions.
09.04.93F1:- Ayrton Senna outsmarted great rival Alain Prost to take provisional pole position for Sunday's race. Senna in his McLaren went flat out early in first official practice, using up all but one of his 12 laps in the first half of the session. Almost on cue the rain started to fall heavily once again, preventing anyone from seriously challenging his 1 min 23.976 secs leading lap. He re-appeared on the track as Prost was on a late flying lap - which proved to be slow - and then stopped with apparent problems.
Damon Hill defied appalling weather conditions to clock the second best time of first official qualifying. Hill was just 0.03 secs behind fastest man Ayrton Senna despite leaving his effort until late in session when the weather worsened. "As I was running out of laps I was feeling more confident and just went for it with a big effort," he said after his trouble-free run. Martin Brundle set the ninth best time in his Ligier before running into the back of Luca Badoer's Lola leaving both cars sidelined.
The weather caught out many drivers who waited until late-session to use up their practice allocation. Johnny Herbert, impressive in free practice, was a disappointing 12th. "I kept missing prime time between heavy rain," said the Lotus driver. Senna's teammate Michael Andretti complained of the same, admitting his mistake of coming into the pits when the rain eased. No such problem for Brazil's Rubens Barrichello, who took his Jordan to eighth. "I hope it rains even harder tomorrow!" he said later.
It was a disappointing day for three of Formula One's chargers. Germany's Michael Schumacher took his teammate's Benetton to seventh after crashing his own when he came out of Melbourne hairpin too fast. Colleague Riccardo Patrese said his 13th spot was caused by confusion between himself and the team over when he should give up his car for Schumacher to take over. Meanwhile Ferrari's Jean Alesi was complaining of nausea and breathing difficulties. "I am sure I can improve tomorrow," he predicted.
Free practice for the Formula One cars took place in atrocious conditions on Friday morning. Most of the teams concentrated on setting up their cars for the wet, with rain likely for Sunday's race. Britain's Johnny Herbert - after setting second fastest time at one point - heavily crashed his Lotus at Redgate but was unhurt. Mark Blundell, Michael Andretti and Michele Alboreto were among several other spinners but rain-expert Ayrton Senna shone as usual lapping 1.5 seconds quicker than anyone else.
FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Friday's free practice times: mins secs 1 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:26.774 2 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:28.329 3 A Prost Fr Williams 1:28.556 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:28.572 5 M Andretti US McLaren 1:28.829 6 D Warwick GB Footwork 1:29.213 7 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:29.294 8 JJ Lehto Fin Sauber 1:29.484 9 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:30.085 10 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:30.242 11 R Patrese It Benetton 1:30.642 12 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:31.467 13 F Barbazza It Minardi 1:31.544 14 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi 1:31.669 15 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 1:32.286 16 U Katayama Jap Tyrrell 1:32.466 17 L Badoer It Lola 1:32.714 18 D Hill GB Williams 1:33.466 19 T Boutsen Bel Jordan 1:33.496 20 M Alboreto It Lola 1:33.745 21 A De Cesaris It Tyrrell 1:34.044 22 A Zanardi Brz Lotus 1:34.405 23 A Suzuki Jpn Footwork 1:34.575 24 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:34.763 25 P Alliott Fr Larrousse 1:40.835 26 M Blundell GB Ligier 1:40.960 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP First official qualifying: mins secs 1 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:23.976 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:24.014 3 A Prost Fr Williams 1:24.467 4 JJ Lehto Fin Sauber 1:25.469 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:25.699 6 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:25.971 7 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:26.264 8 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:26.557 9 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:26.788 10 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 1:26.805 11 M Andretti US McLaren 1:26.859 12 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:27.173 13 R Patrese It Benetton 1:27.273 14 F Barbazza It Minardi 1:27.275 15 M Blundell GB Ligier 1:27.302 16 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi 1:28.065 17 D Warwick GB Footwork 1:28.096 18 P Alliott Fr Larrousse 1:28.648 19 T Boutsen Bel Jordan 1:28.701 20 A Zanardi Brz Lotus 1:28.782 21 A De Cesaris It Tyrrell 1:29.177 22 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:29.310 23 U Katayama Jap Tyrrell 1:29.851 24 M Alboreto It Lola 1:30.049 25 A Suzuki Jpn Footwork 1:30.107 26 L Badoer It Lola 1:31.178TOURING CARS:- Four manufactures held the top four places after first qualifying at wet and slippery Donington Park. Steve Soper's BMW pipped Robb Gravett's Peugeot to provisional pole on the final lap, while both Peugeot and Renault benefitted from Michelin's wet weather rubber. Nissan underlined their intentions too with Kieth Odor and Win Percy in the top five. Their drivers used a mix of intermediate and wet weather tyres to good effect. Vauxhall and Toyota struggled on the cold, damp track.
BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP - First qualifying 1 Steve Soper GB BMW 318i 1:50.35 2 Robb Gravett GB Peugeot 405 1:50.77 3 Keith Odor GB Nissan 1:51.00 4 Alain Menu Swi Renault 19 1:51.74 5 Win Percy GB Nissan 1:51.87 6 Jeff Alam GB Vauxhall Cv 1:51.92 7 John Cleland GB Vauxhall Cv 1:52.50 8 Tim Harvey GB Renault 19 1:52.53 9 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 318i 1:52.71 10 E O'Brien GB Peugeot 1:53.01 11 David Leslie GB Vauxhall Cv 1:53.13 12 Ian Flux GB Peugeot 405 1:53.49 FORMULA VAUXHALL EUROSERIES - Final qualifying 1 Patrick Crinelli Por 1:45.31 2 Jan Magnussen Den 1:46.41 3 Dino Morelli GB 1.46.60 4 Oliver Martini It 1:46.73 5 Vincent Radarmecker Bel 1:47.06 6 J Miguel Coletta Ven 1:47.24 Race starts 4.30pm Saturday FORMULA FORD - First qualifying 1 R Ingall Aus Van Diemen 1 55.49 2 G Smith GB Swift 1 55.71 3 F Viegas Por Swift 1:56.09 4 M Guerrero Sp Van Diemen 1 56.32 5 J Keen GB Van Diemen 1:56.84 6 J Scheckter SA Reynard 1:56.99 SAFARI RALLY Leading positions after second leg: hrs mins 1 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 30:00 2 M Alen Fin Toyota 41:00 3 I Duncan Ken Toyota 54:00 4 K Shinozuka Jpn M'bishi 1:32:00 5 Y Iwase Jpn Toyota 1:38:00 6 J Toroitich Ken Toyota 2:15:00 7 G Jack Ken Daihatsu 2:18:00 8 A Pattni Ken Daihatsu 2:23:00Colin McRae was forced to pull out of the rally as Juha Kankkunen stretched his lead to five minutes on the second leg. The Scotsman had a nightmare as he lost the suspension on his Subaru and suffered a blown turbocharger after a bump near Mombasa. Kankkunen moved further ahead of Toyota teammate Markku Alen as the cars reached Mtito Andei. Kenya's Ian Duncan was in third place, also in a Toyota, while Yasuhiro Iwase slipped to fifth.
10.04.93 - F1:- THE EUROPEAN GRAND PRIXAlain Prost and Damon Hill made it look easy as they dominated final qualifying at a dry Donington Park. The Williams Renault duo ended up well over a second faster than any other driver with the real struggle surrounding third place on the grid. Michael Schumacher's Benetton and Ayrton Senna's McLaren were the contenders, with the German winning the advantage in the final five minutes of the afternoon session. But his 1 min 12.008 secs was still well behind Prost's 1:10.458 and Hill's 1:10.752.
Dry weather was not to the liking of the McLaren team, as they saw Friday's advantages evaporating. Ayrton Senna went from provisional pole to fourth, and his US teammate Michael Andretti was sixth before a spectacular spin at MacLeans. The only other spinner was France's Jean Alesi, whose Ferrari went into the sand at Redgate after setting an improved ninth fastest time. It was a mixed day for Benetton; Schumacher was pleased with the new B193B car, but teammate Riccardo Patrese could not better 10th spot.
Alain Prost said he had set his sights on pole spot even if final qualifying had been in the wet. "The track is not bad in the wet," claimed Prost, known to hate racing in the rain. He blamed traffic and a gearbox trouble for his third place in first official qualifying. Prost took provisional pole early in Saturday's final session and was set to go again if it was bettered. "It is always difficult to overtake in GPs and pole position is even more important on this sort of circuit," said the Williams driver.
Alain Prost was delighted to be sharing the front row with teammate Damon Hill for Sunday's race. But he insisted there would be no team agreement giving either driver priority on the first bend. Prost said he had a good working relationship with his British teammate. "I know he will want to win the race, for sure," he said. The Frenchman was particularly pleased to have arch-rival Ayrton Senna back on the second row along with Benetton challenger Michael Schumacher who was third fastest.
Damon Hill admitted he had been very nervous at the start of final qualifying watched by a huge crowd at sunny Donington Park. "I made a tentative approach to the first laps. It would have been so easy to make a mistake," said the Williams Renault driver after finishing second in final practice. "We made some midday changes and were still finishing the car 20 minutes into the session... You always think you could have gone faster and taken pole but Prost is a very quick driver."
Michael Schumacher edged out Ayrton Senna to take third place in final qualifying and stated: "I think we surprised everyone today." Schumacher was in the new Benetton Ford B193B and claimed: "The set-up is nowhere near perfect yet."
"We started today with no knowledge and developed the car in 30 laps... We've reached the position we wanted - ahead of the McLarens. I'm really amazed at what we've been able to do with the new car in such a short space of time."
FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 A Prost Fr Williams 1:10.458 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:10.762 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:12.008 4 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:12.107 5 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 1:12.738 6 M Andretti US McLaren 1:12.739 7 JJ Lehto Fin Sauber 1:12.763 8 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:12.862 9 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:12.980 10 R Patrese It Benetton 1:12.982 11 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:13.328 12 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:13.514 13 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:13.560 14 D Warwick GB Footwork 1:13.664 15 P Alliot Fr Larrousse 1:13.665 16 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi 1:13.666 17 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:13.970 18 U Katayama Jap Tyrrell 1:14.121 19 T Boutsen Bel Jordan 1:14.246 20 F Barbazza It Minardi 1:14.274 21 M Blundell GB Ligier 1:14.301 22 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:14.306 23 A Suzuki Jpn Footwork 1:14.927 24 M Alboreto It Lola 1:15.322 25 A De Cesaris It Tyrrell 1:15.417 Non-qualifier 26 L Badoer It Lola 1:15.641DRIVER OPINIONS:-
KARL WENDLINGER (5th, Sauber) "I went off due to a brake problem after a few laps of the untimed session and didn't have any chance to set-up my car. I am very happy with my fifth place; it is my best result so far."
JJ LEHTO (7th, Sauber) "Qualifying was trouble-free and it is a pity I couldn't repeat my fastest lap time of free practice. We slightly changed the set-up and I suppose we worked in the wrong direction. It was difficult to get the power down...but the handling seems to be excellent."
GERHARD BERGER (8th, Ferrari) "The basic problem was, as usual, the inconsistency of the active suspension. On my quick lap I had a problem braking for the hairpin and then the active played up on my second set of tyres."
JEAN ALESI (9th, Ferrari) "I did one good lap in 1:13.1 and was sure I could do at least 1:12.5. Then, on the pit straight, when I tried to lift off the throttle I got my foot stuck under the brake. I tried to change down but couldn't find a gear and went off. It's a shame as the car was going well."
RUBENS BARRICHELLO (12th, Jordan) "The car was more in control with the smaller wing which we used after a few laps this morning. I suppose 12th is not too bad in my third GP but I'm disappointed because I tried too hard and made a mistake on my best lap."
THIERRY BOUTSEN (19th, Jordan) "My biggest problem is fitting into the car. I don't have enough space to turn the wheel properly so I cannot drive at 100 per cent. "I'm happy to be here and looking forward to having a good race."
DEREK WARWICK (14th, Footwork) "This morning was the first time we had run the car in anger in the dry and I was happy with the balance. I'm a bit sad we didn't manage the time we should have had but I'm sure we have a car that we can race for the rest of the year - and there are improvements to come..."
AGURI SUZUKI (23rd, Footwork) "I had some smoke in the cockpit this morning. We were running the car low and it was rubbing on the ground. I therefore didn't have many laps when qualifying began and I found the car a bit soft."
MARTIN BRUNDLE (22nd, Ligier) "F1 cars are more fun to drive here than I had thought and I'm looking forward to a good race."
UKYO KATAYAMA (18th, Tyrrell) "I am furious because I spun on my second set of tyres and lost about a second. I set the rideheight too high; it was totally my mistake."
ERIK COMAS (17th, Larrousse) "We made progress in the set-up during final qualifying. The balance was good enough but we are still suffering from lack of grip."
TOURING CARS:- Steve Soper in a BMW set the pace in final qualifying for Sunday's second round of the Championship. Soper, winner of round one at Silverstone and fastest in the wet at Donington during first practice, had the edge again to take pole. But, with less than a second covering the first eight drivers and four manufacturers in the first four places, the result is as wide open as ever. Mazda continued their promising start with Patrick Watts fourth fastest in the new Xedos.
BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP Combined qualifying: 1 Steve Soper GB BMW 318i 1:41.94 2 Kieth Odor GB Nissan 1:41.99 3 John Cleland GB Vauxhall Cv 1:42.32 4 Patrick Watts GB Mazda Xedos 1:42.59 5 Jeff Allam GB Vauxhall Cv 1:42.59 6 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 318i 1:42.63 7 Win Percy GB Nissan 1:42.77 8 Alain Menu Swi Renault 19 1:42.77 9 Julian Bailey GB Toyota 1:43.03 10 Will Hoy GB Toyota 1:43.11 11 B Verdon-Roe GB Peugeot 405 1:43.39 12 E O'Brien GB Peugeot 1:43.54 Race starts 4.30pm Sunday FORMULA VAUXHALL EUROSERIES Result - race one mins secs 1 Jan Magnussen Den 29:06.56 2 Patrick Crinelli Por 29:08.18 3 Dino Morelli GB 29:08.80 4 Manuel Giao Por 29:23.63 5 Oliver Martini It 29:25.05 6 Pedro Couceiro Por 29:25.30 FORMULA FORD Final qualifying 1 G Smith GB Swift 1:41.75 2 J Keen GB Van Diemen 1:41.89 3 R Ingall Aus Van Diemen 1:41.94 4 O Tichy Aut Van Diemen 1:42.04 5 F Viegas Por Swift 1:42.07 6 J Scheckter SA Reynard 1:42.10 Inquiry - grid to be confirmed SundaySAFARI RALLY:- Finland's Juha Kankkunen and his Toyota team were in command at the end of the 1094.45km third leg, filling the first four positions. Kankkunen, the pre-race favourite, headed the standings in his Toyota Celica 4WD with a penalty time of two hours eight minutes. Compatriot Markku Alen lay second, nine minutes behind, with Kenyan Ian Duncan third and Yasuhiro Iwase of Japan fourth. Kankkunen is currently third in the world championship standings but a win here would put him in the lead.
Leading positions after third leg: hrs mins 1 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 2:08.00 2 M Alen Fin Toyota 2:17.00 3 I Duncan Ken Toyota 3:33.00 4 Y Iwase Jpn Toyota 3:36.00 5 G Jack Ken Daihatsu 5:01.00 6 A Pattni Ken Daihatsu 5:48.00 7 R Stohl Aus Audi 6:00.00 8 M Brighetti Ken Daihatsu 6:07.00 = J Toroitich Ken Toyota 6:07.00 10 H Shamji Ken Subaru 6:36.00 11.04.93F1:- THE EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX
Ayrton Senna drove a brilliant tactical race to win his second successive GP in the McLaren Ford. Senna made almost all the right choices in a race dominated by tyre changes, to finish 1 min 23.1 secs clear of second-placed Damon Hill in the powerful Williams Renault. Third was Alain Prost, a further 35.8 seconds adrift in his Williams after a lot of bad luck. "Conditions were very difficult," said the Brazilian winner. "I don't know how many tyre changes we made but it must be a record."
Alain Prost took the lead at the halfway stage as Ayrton Senna was left languishing in the pits. Senna, who had delayed stopping for slicks when the sun came out, came in with a 21.7-second lead but lost it delayed by a wheel problem. But Prost gambled on a quick switch to wets soon after when a few drops of rain fell, handing Senna back the advantage with the shower never really materialising. To add to his problems, Prost's car stalled when he again stopped for slicks losing more than 40 seconds.
Ayrton Senna was soaked by rain and champagne as he celebrated one of the toughest victories of his long Formula One career. "Driving with slicks in slippery conditions was very difficult but I had to gamble on this because my car was not working well on wet tyres when the track was just damp. But I gambled well and my mechanics did a great job." Senna said his Donington win was a bit special. "It was here I had my first ever F1 drive, testing for Williams," he explained.
Young Brazilian Rubens Barrichello suffered a huge disappointment when he spun off while lying second with just four laps to go. Barrichello was among the top six almost throughout and had been looking well set for his first points for the Jordan team. Britain's Derek Warwick also went out in the closing stages, while lying sixth in his new Footwork. "The car had been fantastic up until then. Something broke on the driveshaft," he explained.
Damon Hill delighted his growing fan club with a second runner-up spot but declared: "I had no idea where I was. It was a nightmare."
"It was difficult to make the right tyre choice. It was touch-and-go on slicks when it was spitting. My pit crew were great. A couple of times I locked up as I came in but they stayed in their places like good soldiers," he said. Williams teammate Alain Prost was disappointed with third. "We have a big gearbox problem... But the Championship has a long way to go."
Result after 76 laps: 1 A Senna Brz McLaren 1 hr 50 mins 46.57 secs 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:23.199 back 3 A Prost Fr Williams 1 lap 4 J Herbert GB Lotus 1 lap 5 R Patrese It Benetton 2 laps 6 F Barbazza It Minardi 2 laps 7 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi 3 laps 8 A Zanardi It Lotus 4 laps 9 E Comas Fr Larrousse 4 laps 10 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 5 laps 11 M Alboreto It Lola 5 laps Fastest lap: Senna 1:18.029Michael Andretti (McLaren) spun off on lap 1 after collision with Karl Wendlinger (Sauber) who was also forced out of the race
Martin Brundle (Ligier) stopped on lap 8
Ukyo Katayama (Tyrrell) out lap 12
JJ Lehto (Sauber) out lap 14
Mark Blundell (Ligier) went off lap 21
Michael Schumacher (Benetton) spun into gravel on lap 22
Gerhard Berger (Ferrari) mechanical trouble on lap 19
Philippe Alliot (Larrousse) out lap 27
Aguri Suzuki (Footwork) out lap 29
Jean Alesi (Ferrari) out lap 37
Andrea de Cesaris (Tyrrell) out lap 55
Thierry Boutsen (Jordan) out lap 61
Derek Warwick (Footwork) gearbox failure on lap 67 while sixth
DRIVER COMMENTS:-
KARL WENDLINGER (Sauber) "I made a very good start but then Michael Andretti wanted to overtake me in a place where it is just impossible. He tried to pass inside but was still behind me when I went into the corner. He crashed into the rear of my car which made me spin. He apologised later but it doesn't change much for me. I'm totally frustrated about what happened."
JJ LEHTO (Sauber) "I had an electrical problem and used the spare. It was set up for Karl and impossible to drive so I stopped."
DEREK WARWICK (Footwork) "I stopped fairly early for slicks and stayed on them which I think was the right decision although my experience in endurance racing helped! At times it was quite difficult to keep going but I had built up a nice cushion over they guy behind me when suddenly the gearbox failed coming past the pits."
AGURI SUZUKI (Footwork) "My idea was to try and finish regardless of the position. I tried to drive steadily but had a small spin. Then I lost drive and all I could do was pull off and retire."
JOHNNY HERBERT (4th, Lotus) "I had a bit of a drama at the start when I thought the car was settling on to its helper springs but after that things were okay. Once I had gone on to slicks I decided to stay out and go as carefully as I could, unless it had got really wet... It all paid off."
ALESSANDRO ZANARDI (8th, Lotus) "My car was very difficult on wet tyres but it was very good on slicks. When I went on to wets near the finish I slid off on to the grass. In the conditions, I am happy with eighth."
RICCARDO PATRESE (5th, Benetton) "The new car works very well but perhaps I could have got more from it. I had to rely on others going out to get my position."
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER (Benetton) "I can only say sorry to the team for spinning off. I was shifting down to third and my rear wheels locked. I was running slicks in the wet and pushing hard and I lost the car."
MICHAEL ANDRETTI (McLaren) "When I tried to overtake Wendlinger, I suddenly realised he probably had not seen me. I braked hard but I could not avoid hitting him."
DRIVERS' STANDINGS (after round 3, the European Grand Prix, Donington) 1 A Senna Brz 26 points 2 A Prost Fr 14 3 D Hill GB 12 4 M Blundell GB 6 = J Herbert GB 6 6 M Schumacher Ger 4 7 C Fittipaldi Brz 3 8 JJ Lehto Fin 2 = R Patrese It 2 10 G Berger Aut 1 = A Zanardi It 1 = F Barbazza It 1 CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS (after round 3, GP of Europe) 1 Williams Renault 26 points = McLaren Ford 26 3 Lotus Ford 7 4 Ligier Renault 6 = Benetton Ford 6 6 Minardi Ford 4 7 Sauber 2 8 Ferrari 1TOURING CARS:- Defending champion Tim Harvey drove brilliantly in atrocious conditions to give Renault a surprise victory in round two of the Championship. Harvey and teammate Alain Menu, who have been struggling to get on the pace with their brand new cars, shone in the wet to finish one-two. Steve Soper, winner of round one, led for much of the race in his BMW but was eventually overhauled by the determined Harvey and then made a mistake to allow Menu through. He recovered to finish third just ahead of Vauxhall's John Cleland.
Race result mins secs 1 Tim Harvey GB Renault 19 34:59.94 2 Alain Menu Swi Renault 19 35:16.12 3 Steve Soper GB BMW 318i 35:18.03 4 John Cleland GB Vauxhall C 35:19.70 5 Kieth Odor GB Nissan 35:24.99 6 Jeff Allam GB Vauxhall C 35:40.10 7 Julian Bailey GB Toyota 36:46.54 8 Ian Flux GB Peugeot 1 lap 9 Ian Cantwell GB Mazda X'ds 1 lap 10 Ian Khan GB Vauxhall 1 lap Fastest lap: Harvey 1:52.34, 80.11mph Conditions: heavy rain FORMULA VAUXHALL EUROSERIES Result - race one mins secs 1 Jan Magnussen Den 29:06.56 2 Patrick Crinelli Por 29:08.18 3 Dino Morelli GB 29:08.80 4 Manuel Giao Por 29:23.63 5 Oliver Martini It 29:25.05 6 Pedro Couceiro Por 29:25.30 Result - race two 1 Dino Morelli GB 33:04.39 2 Jan Magnussen Den 33:04.93 3 Patrick Crinelli Por 33:07.07 4 J Miguel Coletta Ven 33:08.72 5 Oliver Martini It 33:16.80 6 Michael Tegerdine 33:35.54 FORMULA FORD Race result: mins secs 1 R Ingall Aus Van Diemen 15:34.30 2 G Smith GB Swift 15:37.42 3 J Keen GB Van Diemen 15:39.58 4 M Guerrero Sp Van Diemen 15:40.57 5 F Viegas Por Swift 15:45.79 6 O Tichy Aut Van Diemen 15:46.98Driver David Henderson was excluded from the race for reckless driving during Saturday qualifying. He was also fined œ525 and had his licence endorsed. Doug Poulton and Steve Reeve had their times disallowed for overtaking under yellow flags. They started from the back of the grid, with a 10s penalty.
SAFARI RALLY Leading positions after fourth leg: hrs mins 1 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 3:36.00 2 M Alen Fin Toyota 3:46.00 3 I Duncan Ken Toyota 5:02.00 4 Y Iwase Jpn Toyota 5:13.00 5 G Jack Ken Daihatsu 7:07.00 6 A Pattni Ken Daihatsu 8:06.00 7 M Brighetti Ken Daihatsu 8:18.00 8 R Stohl Aut Audi 8:37.00 9 H Shamji Ken Subaru 9:34.00 10 M Stohl Aut Audi 90 10:10.00Finland's Juha Kankkunen is poised for victory after extending his lead to ten minutes in Sunday's 927km penultimate leg. Kankkunen, the pre-race favourite, encountered no mechanical problems but the humid conditions made the going tough for the drivers. Compatriot Markku Alen remains in second place but lost ground due to brake problems and an unscheduled stop to replace a broken wing lamp. The rally ends with a 240-8km stage to Nairobi on Monday.
12.04.93SAFARI RALLY:- Juha Kankkunen has won his third Safari Rally, leading a quartet of Toyota Celicas into the first four places. The Finn, winner in 1985 and 1991, led throughout Kenya's traditional Easter marathon. Markku Alen was second with Kenyan Ian Duncan third and Yasuhiro Iwase of Japan in fourth place. This gave the coveted team prize to the Japanese manufacturer. Only 18 cars reached the finishing line in Nairobi.
Finland's Juha Kankkunen had his sights firmly set on another world title after victory in Kenya. "I'm trying my best to retain my world championship this year. The Safari is always tough and the win adds confidence to my plans. "In the fourth and final legs we went really slow and easy and we have achieved our mission," he said afterwards. "Now we shall try to build on this for both world prizes - drivers and manufactuers," he added.
Final positions: pen time hrs mins 1 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 3:54 2 M Alen Fin Toyota 4:03 3 I Duncan Ken Toyota 5:24 4 Y Iwase Jpn Toyota 5:35 5 G Jack Ken Daihatsu 7:44 6 A Pattni Ken Daihatsu 8:39 7 M Brighetti Ken Daihatsu 8:57 8 R Stohl Aut Audi 9:14 9 H Shamji Ken Subaru 10:07 10 M Stohl Aut Audi 90 10:43 DRIVERS 1 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 43 pts 2 F Delecour Fr Ford 35 3 M Biasion It Ford 27 4 M Alen Fin Toyota 25 5 D Auriol Fr Toyota 20 = M Jonsson Swe Ford 20F2:- Phillipe Adams scored a convincing win in the British Formula Two Championship race at Oulton Park, finishing 34.75 secs clear of Enrico Bertaggia.
14.04.93SPORTSCARS:- Le Mans organisers have announced that 57 entries have been accepted for the 1993 24-hour race. The number is almost double last year's total, when just 30 cars contested the race, casting doubt on the event's future. Peugeot and Toyota will contest overall victory, while Jaguar, Porsche and Lotus will battle in the new, well-supported G1 category. It is the last time that Group C sports prototypes will race at Le Mans. Next year, GT cars will comprise the whole entry.
15.04.93INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell arrived in California for this weekend's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, still "tired and sore" from his high speed crash. "I'm black and blue still," said Mansell, who was left with mild concussion and extensive bruising after his accident on the Phoenix International Raceway oval. "My shoulders and back are quite painful. The impact with the wall stopped the car dead." Mansell and teammate Mario Andretti are joint favourites for Sunday's race, with one win apiece this year.
LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON:- Chelsea Harbour will be buzzing on Saturday morning as 212 competitors from 21 countries await the start of this historic trans-global run. The event will pass through 15 countries over 30 days, finishing on the steps of Sydney Opera House. Drivers will compete over 41 timed stages, some 100 miles long, while speed limits must be observed on the rest of the 11,500-mile route. Twenty-five competitors from 1968 are back for this 25th anniversary re-run, among them winner Andrew Cowan in his Hillman Hunter.
All the cars competing in the run must be from the 1968 period. Many of them have been bought for no more than œ2,000 but will have cost in excess of œ40,000 to prepare in race trim for the event. "Don't get the idea that this is a leisurely commemorative run," says event director Nick Brittan. "It's a no-nonsense competitive event on closed road special stages."
"The 1968 event was more about stamina," he added. "The accent is on speed and skill on the 41 stages Cars are timed to the second."
Among the entries are (drivers only):
1 Andrew Cowan GB Hillman Hunter 2 Roger Clark GB Ford Escort 3 Ian Vaughan Aus Ford Falcon 4 Doug Morris GB Morgan +8 5 Jerry Lister Aus Volvo 144S 6 Alex'r Ipatenko Rus Moskvitch-Y08 7 Evan Green Aus Ford Escort 8 Victor Shavelev Rus Moskvitch-Y08 9 Paddy McLintock Ire Peugeot 404 10 Patrick Vanson Fr Peugeot 504 11 Jenny Brittan GB Ford Escort 12 Sidney Dickson US AMC Rambler 13 Freddie Preston GB Rover 2000 TC 14 Terry Hunter GB Porsche 911 15 David van Lennep Hol DAF 55 16 David Harrison GB Lotus Cortina 17 Derek Bell GB Volvo 144S 18 John Vipond GB Mercedes 220 SE 19 George Reynolds Aus Volkswagen Type 1 20 Tony Wilson GB Rolls Royce 21 Tony King GB Hillman Hunter 22 Bruce Hodgson Aus Ford Falcon XT 23 Peter Sugden GB Ford Cortina 24 Ron Rogers GB Cortina GT MKII 25 Peter Hall GB Ford Escort Entries 1-25 took part in 1968 run28 Sydney-born Pam Durham co-drives for Barry Sumner in a Morgan +4
PIRELLI INTERNATIONAL RALLY:- Malcolm Wilson starts favourite to win the tough two-day event which sets off from Chester on Saturday. Much of the rally takes place in the testing Kielder forests, widely regarded as Wilson's home ground, and the Cumbrian will be eager to make up for his first round defeat. Wilson is first away in his Ford Escort Cosworth and believes the initial technical problems with the car are now cured. His two main rivals Richard Burns and Alister McRae set off next in their Elonex Subaru Legacys.
Reading's Richard Burns has set himself a simple target for round two of the Mobil1/Top Gear British Rally Championship. "My aim is to finish the Pirelli still leading the Championship," he insisted. "If that means beating Malcolm Wilson then so be it." Ulster's Stephen Finlay, surprise third place finisher in round one, will also be competing in his Ford Sierra Cosworth. Welshman Gwyndaf Evans is set for a showdown with fellow-Escort driver Robbie Head in the production class.
Welshman David Llewellin collected a convincing first round win in the Formula 2 category of the Mobil1/Top Gear British Rally Championship. Llewellin was very quick in his Mobil Vauxhall Astra even before series rival Paul Frankland was forced to retire with a blown engine on the Peugeot 205 GTI. Brendan Crealey, who scored a shock top 10 result in Wales, bids for a œ1,250 cheque from Lombard for the British Junior Championship class. There are four long stages Saturday and four more on Sunday.
18.04.93INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell broke the Long Beach record for the second day running to take pole for the Toyota GP. The Briton lapped the 1.59-mile circuit in 108.198mph and declared: "That was probably the best (pole) of my career. That's the importance I put on it." He was pressured by Canadian Paul Tracy, who produced a 107.705mph lap which was faster than Mansell's best effort on Friday. But nine minutes before the end of the session Mansell powered the Newman-Hass Lola to another pole.
Final qualifying times Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach: mph 1 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 108.198 2 P Tracy Can Penske Chev 107.705 3 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Chev 107.548 4 S Goodyear Can Lola Chev 107.529 5 S Johansson Swe Penske Chev 107.247 6 M Andretti US Lola Ford 107.238 7 T Fabi It Lola Chev 106.875 8 A Unser jr US Lola Chev 106.505 9 R Boesel Brz Lola Ford 106.493 10 E Cheever US Penske Chev 106.464LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON:- Reading based New Zealander Graham Lorimer leads at the end of the first day by just four seconds from favourite Roger Clark. Driving a Ford Escort he covered the first of 46 high speed special timed sections over an 8kms forestry stage in 5 mins 38 secs. Clark declared his Escort "one of the best I have driven" as the drivers halted at Ypres. Australian Terry Daly is third in his Ford Mustang.
Positions at end of Day 1 (Ypres) mins:secs 1 G Lorimer NZ Ford Escort 5:38 2 R Clark GB Ford Escort 5:42 3 T Daly Aus Ford Mustang 5:47 4 C Short GB Ford Escort 5:49 5 S Dalgano GB Ford Cortina 5:52 6 F Tuthill GB Porsche 911 5:54 7 S Ashton Aus Datsun P510 5:55 8 I Vaughan Aus Ford Falcon 5:56 9 J Brittan GB Ford Escort 5:57 10 T Hunter GB Porsche 911 5:59PIRELLI INTERNATIONAL RALLY:- Richard Burns stayed cool despite transmission problems to score his second successive victory in the British Championship. He finished the event with almost six minutes in hand over Malcolm Wilson, whose Escort had engine trouble early on the final day. Alister McRae and Stephen Finlay both had spells in second place only to be forced to retire. McRae crashed out when he lost control at a left-hand junction and the engine of Finlay's Escort failed on the penultimate stage.
Final result after 8 stages: hrs:mins.secs 1 R Burns Subaru Legacy 1:55.42 2 M Wilson Ford Escort Cos 2:01.34 3 G Evans Ford Escort Cos 2:01.48 4 D Watson Ford Escort Cos 2:03.24 5 J Milner Audi Coupe S2 2:06.26 6 R Barry Ford Escort Cos 2:08.57 7 C Birkbeck Vauxhall Astra 2:09.20 8 P Stephenson Ford Sierra 2:10.26 9 B Bell Ford Sierra 2:11.00 10 K Curran Ford Sierra 2:12.04 19.04.93INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell fought off the agony of constant back pain to finish a brave third in the Long Beach Indy Car Grand Prix in California. The 39-year-old brought his Newman Haas Lola home safely after another exciting race in which he survived a collision with Al Unser Junior. Mansell twice led the race but was unable to hold off Canadian Paul Tracy after being hit from behind by Unser on lap 55. Tracy finished ahead of Bobby Rahal but Mansell's third gives him a four-point lead in the Indy series.
Result of Toyota Grand Prix at Long Beach: mph 1 P Tracy Can Penske Chev 93.089 2 B Rahal US R-H Chev 92.907 3 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 92.809 4 T Fabi It Lola Chev 92.332 5 R Guerrero US Lola Chev 6 R Buhl US Lola Chev 7 S Pruett US Lola Chev 8 D Sullivan US Lola Chev 9 E Cheever US Penske Chev 10 M Smith US Penske ChevLONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON:- Terry Hunter from Lewes, Sussex, driving a Porsche 911 took the lead on the second day. Hunter was placed 10th on the opening day but set fast times on two special stages to overtake Graham Lorimer's Escort. Still in third place is the Ford Mustang of Australia's Terry Daly. Francis Tuthill from Banbury has moved up to fourth place in his Porsche 911 despite incurring road penalties.
Positions at end of Day 2 (Ypres) mins:secs 1 T Hunter GB Porsche 911 20:00 2 G Lorimer NZ Ford Escort 20:16 3 T Daly Aus Ford Mustang 20:36 4 F Tuthill GB Porsche 911 20:37 5 R Clark GB Ford Escort 20:41 6 C Short GB Ford Escort 20:44 7 J Brittan GB Ford Escort 20:47 21.04.93 JOHN WATSON ON THE SAN MARINO GRAND PRIXImola hosts the fourth round of the FIA F1 World Championships on Sunday at the Italian circuit a long way from San Marino. The determining factor in the outcome of the race will in be the circuit layout. By tradition a power circuit it will therefore heavily favour the two Williams-Renault cars. Drivers Alain Prost and Damon Hill cannot fail to close the gap on Championship leader Ayrton Senna, already with two wins under his belt in the McLaren-Ford.
Only the changeable elements at Imola will, in my opinion, stop Williams from taking victory. Spring weather is known for being indifferent, meaning rain, though the prospect is less than at Donington two weeks ago and remains a forlorn hope for the other teams. Also, a third of the circuit is driven flat out, from the start-finish to the Tosa hairpin. The remainder of the circuit has elevation. The rise and fall confirming power as a significant factor.
McLaren and Benetton will have to make larger compromises in aerodynamics to be competitive. Low downforce set-ups maintain top speed - that's ok - but a lot less grip in corners is not. Imola is traditionally a race where mechanical unreliability tends to be high and gearbox and brakes are heavily used. Fuel consumption used to be a problem but with current engine management systems I would tend to discount it.
The burning question must be: Who is to challenge Williams-Renault over the weekend? The obvious answer would be McLaren and Benetton but do not be surprised if Ligier, who uses the same Renault engine as Williams, are more to the fore than at Donington Park. Brundle and Blundell must realise that Imola represents another golden points scoring opportunity. If they fail to do so it will be a reflection on the team itself and not the drivers.
McLaren have yet to announce whether Ayrton Senna will be driving for them at Imola. I am sure he will be on the grid on Sunday alongside regular teammate Michael Andretti. Also unknown is whether Ford have supplied McLaren with their Series Seven engine instead of the customer-based Series Five spec. Ford has an exclusive deal with Benetton for the Series Seven engine but this weekend is crucial to Benetton and the new B193B.
This GP may well re-establish Benetton as the quickest Ford-engined team as this is the second race for the B193B. I expect the Enstone-based team to be feeling considerable pressure in Imola for a dominant performance. Other teams have not been standing still, especially Lotus-Ford, who made a major breakthrough with the Lotus 107B. Driver Johnny Herbert and team manager Peter Collins were bubbling with enthusiasm over this discovery.
Silverstone-based Jordan GP also left Donington Park on Easter Sunday with the best team performance of their GP career. The new-found confidence, plus a little more power from the V10 engine will give Rubens Barrichello and Thierry Boutsen an edge. Footwork-Mugen is also making progress in Derek Warwick's hands while Sauber are becoming a more serious threat with each race. Ferrari should qualify quickly but doubts over their race reliability could see the "Tifosi" disappointed.
LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON Positions at end of Day 4 mins:secs 1 G Lorimer NZ Ford Escort 32:35 2 F Tuthill GB Porsche 911 32:51 3 T Daly Aus Ford Mustang 33:02 4 C Short GB Ford Escort 33:12 5 R Clark GB Ford Escort 33:36 6 S Dalgarno GB Ford Cortina 33:51 7 J Brittan GB Ford Escort 33:58 8 L Beacham Aus Ford Falcon 34:07 9 R Dunkerton Aus Ford Falcon 34:08 10 T Hunter GB Porsche 911 34:26Britain's Terry Hunter crashed out of the lead on the special timed stage on day four of the event, falling to 10th place. His Porsche 911 lost control on a wooden bridge, crashed through the side rails and stopped with both front wheels over the edge. "We are lucky to still be going," said Hunter. "The car was teetering on the brink." Spectators dragged the car back on the road. Co-driver Peter Bowden said: "I was terrified but worried about Terry because he cannot swim.22.04.93F1:- Ayrton Senna will drive in the free practice session for the San Marino Grand Prix just two hours after a flight from Sao Paulo. The Brazilian flies overnight to Rome after a late decision to drive for McLaren in Sunday's race. "We always felt he would race for us but certain things were not finalised until late," admitted team spokesman Norman Howell. Senna, who drives on a race-by-race agreement, has won two of this season's three Formula One races.LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON Positions at end of Day 6 (Bulgaria): mins:secs 1 G Lorimer NZ Ford Escort 53:51 2 F Tuthill GB Porsche 911 54:07 3 C Short GB Ford Escort 54:29 4 T Daly Aus Ford Mustang 54:50 5 R Clark GB Ford Escort 55:23 6 R Dunkerton Aus Ford Falcon 55:31 7 T Hunter GB Porsche 911 55:43 8 S Dalgarno GB Ford Cortina 56:05 9 L Beacham Aus Ford Falcon 56:33 10 A Jojart Hun Porsche 911 56:37New Zealander Graham Lorimer saw his lead cut to just 16 seconds on a gruelling sixth day which saw drivers at the wheel for 13 hours. The whole event might have been halted at the Romanian/Bulgaria border when the cars ran up behind a five-mile queue of trucks. But officials quickly created a 'fast lane' for the cars and they were able to progress to the overnight halt at Rousse. Former leader Terry Hunter moved back up to 7th after the fastest time on the day's tarmac stage.23.04.93F1:- SAN MARINO GRAND PRIXDamon Hill, in a Williams-Renault, claimed provisional pole for Sunday's race at Imola. The Briton's teammate Alain Prost was second, 0.286 secs behind. German Michael Schumacher in the Benetton was third fastest but his time was later annulled for using the wrong tyre compound. McLaren's Michael Andretti suffered a similar fate for failing to stop for a red light at the weighbridge. Andretti's teammate Ayrton Senna spun his car during the session but finished third fastest.
FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Friday's first oficial qualifying: mins secs 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:22.504 2 A Prost Fr Williams 1:22.788 3 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:24.042 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:24.822 5 J Alesi It Ferrari 1:24.906 6 R Patrese It Benetton 1:24.916 7 M Blundell GB Ligier 1:25.405 8 P Alliot Fr Larrousse 1:25.482 9 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:25.742 10 K W'linger Aut Sauber 1:25.789 11 JJ Lehto Fin Sauber 1:25.941 12 D Warwick GB Footwork 1:25.971 13 R Ba'chello Brz Jordan 1:26.142 14 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:26.181 15 A Zanardi Brz Lotus 1:26.465 16 A Suzuki Jpn Footwork 1:26.707 17 T Boutsen Bel Jordan 1:26.810 18 E Comas Fra Larrousse 1:26.947 19 A De Cesaris It Tyrrell 1:27.312 20 L Badoer It Lola 1:27.371 21 U Katayama Jap Tyrrell 1:27.569 22 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi 1:27.753 23 M Alboreto It Lola 1:27.801 24 F Barbazza It Minardi 1:28.032 M Schumacher Ger Benetton Excluded M Andretti US McLaren ExcludedLONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON:- Pre-race favourite Roger Clark ran out of fuel in his Ford Escort and slumped from seventh to 35th place after day seven. Clark is now eight minutes behind leader Graham Lorimer of New Zealand who was fastest over Friday's timed stages in his Ford Escort. Clark's co-driver, Tony Moy, said at the overnight halt in Istanbul: "I could not believe it when the car spluttered to a halt. The fuel gauge was showing 30 litres."Positions at end of Day 7 (Istanbul): hrs:mins:secs 1 G Lorimer NZ Ford Escort 1:04:27 2 F Tuthill GB Porsche 911 1:05:14 3 C Short GB Ford Escort 1:05:34 4 T Daly Aus Ford Mustang 1:06.14 5 T Hunter GB Porsche 911 1:06.30 6 R Dunkerton Aus Ford Falcon 1:06:32 7 S Dalgarno GB Ford Cortina 1:07:08 8 A Jojart Hun Porsche 911 1:07:32 9 L Beacham Aus Ford Falcon 1:08:02 10 N Wyzenbeek Porsche 911 1:08:17RALLY OF TUNISIA:- Saeed Al Hajri led by 78 minutes in his Rothmans Mitsubish after day four of the seven-day event. He extended his lead by more than 20 minutes on the 270km stage north from El Borma, thanks to great work by co-driver Henri Magne of France. Teammate Jean Pierre Fontenay was lying second but Bruno Saby crashed out in his Mitsubishi late on Wednesday, suffering a sore neck. Thierry Magnaldi took the lead in the motor cycle section of the cross country rally when Jordi Arcarons suffered a broken chain.24.04.93F1:- SAN MARINO GRAND PRIXAlain Prost claimed pole position for Sunday's Grand Prix at Imola, edging out Williams teammate Damon Hill who was fastest on Friday. German Michael Schumacher was third fastest in his Benetton, ahead of Ayrton Senna who managed only a few laps before crashing into the guard-rail damaging his McLaren. Both trailed Prost by almost two seconds while Hill, looking a lot more confident, was just 1/10th of a second off the pace. Conditions were dry and sunny but there is a chance of rain on Sunday.
Britain's Damon Hill was a little disappointing after being pipped for pole spot by his Williams Renault teammate Alain Prost. "The first run I did there was too much traffic... I thought I would go out again when there was less chance of traffic, knowing Alain would wait for me to go," said Hill. "I extended myself and enjoyed it and it was close." Prost was unhappy with the set-up on his car. "There are a lot of things I want to try for the race such as brakes and wing settings."
Benetton driver Michael Schumacher was delighted with his third place on the grid for Sunday's race. "I think this is good for the spectators because they like the prospect of a battle between me and Senna," commented the young German. Both Ligiers went well, with Mark Blundell seventh fastest and Martin Brundle 10th on the grid. "It is my best qualifying position ever," said Blundell. "Both our cars are in the top ten on the grid and, as the tests on full tanks were encouraging, I am optimistic."
FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Final official qualifying times: mins secs 1 A Prost Fr Williams 1:22.070 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:22.168 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:23.919 4 A Senna Brz McLaren 1:24.007 5 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 1:24.720 6 M Andretti US McLaren 1:24.793 7 M Blundell GB Ligier 1:24.804 8 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:24.822 9 J Alesi It Ferrari 1:24.829 10 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:24.893 11 R Patrese It Benetton 1:24.896 12 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:25.115 13 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:25.169 14 P Alliot Fr Larrousse 1:25.482 15 D Warwick GB Footwork 1:25.901 16 JJ Lehto Fin Sauber 1:25.941 17 E Comas Fra Larrousse 1:26.279 18 A De Cesaris It Tyrrell 1:26.429 19 T Boutsen Bel Jordan 1:26.436 20 A Zanardi Brz Lotus 1:26.465 21 A Suzuki Jpn Footwork 1:26.657 22 U Katayama Jap Tyrrell 1:26.900 23 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi 1:27.277 24 L Badoer It Lola 1:27.371 25 F Barbazza It Minardi 1:27.602 NON-QUALIFIER 26 M Alboreto It Lola 1:27.771LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON:- The Porsches of Francis Tuthill and Terry Hunter set the fastest times of the day but Graham Lorimer held on the lead in his Ford Escort. The Kiwi has a 43 second lead over Tuthill and will lead the 105 runners out of Ankara on Sunday. Colin Short's Escort remains in third with Terry Daly's Mustang in fourth despite a damaged suspension. Former leader Hunter is now up to fifth just ahead of the hard charging Australian Ross Dunkerton in the Ford Falcon.Positions at end of Day 8 (Ankara): hrs mins secs 1 G Lorimer NZ Ford Escort 1:12:28 2 F Tuthill GB Porsche 911 1:13:11 3 C Short GB Ford Escort 1:13:38 4 T Daly Aus Ford Mustang 1:14:17 5 T Hunter GB Porsche 911 1:14:31 6 R Dunkerton Aus Ford Falcon 1:14:35 7 S Dalgarno GB Ford Cortina 1:15:36 8 A Jojart Hun Porsche 911 1:15:38 9 L Beacham Aus Ford Falcon 1:16:26 10 N Wyzenbeek Aus Porsche 911 1:16:41RALLY OF TUNISIA:- Saeed Al Hajri heads for the final stage of the tough cross country event with a comfortable 10-minute lead in his Rothmans Mitsubishi. "Coming from a desert country, I know how to read the sand," he explained. "I know how hard or soft a dune will be, even whether sand under a bush is hard or not." Teammate Jean Pierre Fontenay held on to second place despite a loose steering column. His nearest rival Jean Louis Schlesser got lost again.F.OPEL LOTUS:- Italy's Patrick Crinelli took a convincing victory in round three of the Formula Opel/Vauxhall Euroseries at Imola to take the lead in the Championship. He finished four seconds clear of compatriot Sandro Spoladore with Switzerland's Johnny Hauser third.
25.04.93 - F1:- THE SAN MARINO GRAND PRIXAlain Prost coasted comfortably to victory at Imola to close the gap on championship leader Ayrton Senna to just two points. The Frenchman started on pole but Williams teammate Damon Hill pinched the lead leaving Senna and Prost to battle behind him. The young Briton opened up a 25 second lead by lap nine but Prost took over after Hill had a pit stop dropping him to third on lap 12. Hill spun off on lap 20 and when Senna retired with engine problems Prost was left with a clear run.Alain Prost collected his third San Marino Grand Prix with ease as his nearest rivals fell by the wayside. Williams teammate Damon Hill tried too hard to catch Ayrton Senna after a slow pit stop left him in third place behind the Brazilian. "I had problems with my brakes and they caught me out," said the Briton. "I was pushing hard to make an impression on Senna." Hill left the dry racing line and found a wet patch from an earlier shower and simply understeered off the track.
Michael Schumacher was the only other driver to cover the full race distance as he finished second in his Benetton. But the German was still 32 seconds behind the dominant Prost in the Williams-Renault. Britain's Martin Brundle finished third, one lap down, having seen teammate Mark Blundell spin out on only the second lap. "It has been a great day, the car was perfect," said the delighted Ligier driver. "The third good result for the team this season."
Rain during the warm-up lap and intermittent showers caught out several of the drivers round the Imola circuit. Britain's Derek Warwick, in the Footwork, had gone half-race distance and was travelling well when his mishap occurred. "It started to rain and I got it sideways in the chicane and hit the tyre wall," said a disappointed Warwick afterwards. Ayrton Senna had no problems with the weather but hydraulic problems put paid to his efforts on lap 42.
Result after 61 laps: hr:mins.secs 1 Prost Fr Williams 1:33.20 (av.speed 197.625kph) 2 Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:33.52 3 Brundle GB Ligier @ 1 lap 4 Lehto Fin Sauber @ 2 laps 5 Alliot Fr Larousse @ 2 laps 6 Barbazza It Minardi @ 2 laps 7 Badoer It Lola @ 3 laps 8 Herbert GB Lotus @ 4 laps 9 Suzuki Jpn Footwork @ 7 laps DRIVERS' STANDINGS (after round 4, the San Marino Grand Prix, Imola) 1 A Senna Brz 26 points 2 A Prost Fr 24 3 D Hill GB 12 4 M Schumacher Ger 10 5 M Blundell GB 6 = J Herbert GB 6 7 C Fittipaldi Brz 5 8 JJ Lehto Fin 5 9 M Brundle GB 4 10 P Alliot Fr 2 = R Patrese It 2 = F Barbazza It 2 13 G Berger Aut 1 = A Zanardi It 1 CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS (after round 4, San Marino GP) 1 Williams Renault 36 points 2 McLaren Ford 26 3 Benetton Ford 12 4 Ligier Renault 10 5 Lotus Ford 7 6 Minardi Ford 5 = Sauber 5 8 Larrousse 2 9 Ferrari 1 26.04.93F1:- Damon Hill has earned warm praise from his Williams team management despite failing to finish the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday. "He is doing a terrific job for the team and he only needs to get that first win and it will make all the difference to him. It will come - just you wait and see," said team boss Frank Williams. "He has handled the switch from testing to racing with us very well and remains extremely cool," added technical director Patrick Head.LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON:- Francis Tuthill recorded a dramatic time on the ninth stage near Ankara to slash Graham Lorimer's overall lead to just four seconds. Lorimer was forced to reduce speed to conserve his Escort's engine after filling up with 'bad fuel'. "I could tell by the engine note and lack of power that something was wrong," the New Zealander said. Last-placed Tony Wilson retired due to overheating problems with his Rolls Royce Corniche. "We were having to fill the radiator every 4kms," he explained.
Positions at end of Day 9 (Erzurum): hrs mins secs 1 G Lorimer NZ Ford Escort 1:24:43 2 F Tuthill GB Porsche 911 1:24:47 3 C Short GB Ford Escort 1:25:54 4 R Dunkerton Aus Ford Falcon 1:26:21 5 T Hunter GB Porsche 911 1:26:23 6 T Daly Aus Ford Mustang 1:26:27 7 A Jojart Hun Porsche 911 1:27:53 8 S Dalgarno GB Ford Cortina 1:28:44 9 L Beacham Aus Ford Falcon 1:28:48 10 J Brittan GB Ford Escort 1:28:49 27.04.93 - LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHONAustralian co-driver Brian Ginger has died after a road accident in Turkey on Tuesday afternoon. The accident happened 250kms south west of Ankara when Ginger and his driver Norman Framstad were in collision with a bus. Ginger died instantly and Framstad was released from Bolu Hospital after receiving treatment for shock and a broken wrist. The organisers of the marathon expressed their deep regret and sympathy over the death.Britain's Francis Tuthill has moved moved into a nine second lead over Kiwi Graham Lorimer at the end of the first leg from London to Turkey. Tuthill, driving a Porsche, leads 102 cars into the five day leg across India after recording his fourth fastest stage time. Lorimer, in a Ford Escort, dropped the lead for only the second time in the race but said: "I am happy to let Francis run first and face the many hazards of Indian roads!" Colin Short from St Leonards is third, almost two, minutes behind.
Positions at end of Day 11 (Ankara): hrs mins secs 1 F Tuthill GB Porsche 911 2:01:13 2 G Lorimer NZ Ford Escort 2:01:22 3 C Short GB Ford Escort 2:03:14 4 R Dunkerton Aus Ford Falcon 2:03:36 5 T Hunter GB Porsche 911 2:04:09 6 T Daly Aus Ford Mustang 2:05:12 7 S Dalgarno GB Ford Cortina 2:06:22 8 J Brittan GB Ford Escort 2:06:39 9 L Beacham Aus Ford Falcon 2:07:13 10 N Wyzenbeek Porsche 911 2:07:40 28.04.93 - INDYCARNigel Mansell underwent surgery on Wednesday in an attempt to clear up the back problem which has been troubling him. The Indycar points leader will miss this weekend's Indianapolis 500 rookie orientation but still plans to compete in the race on May 30. Mansell, 39, was injured on April 3 when he crashed in practice at Phoenix International Raceway. "X-rays have indentified the exact problem and we are going to correct it permanently," he said.