May 1993


01.05.93 - TOUR OF CORSICA
Didier Auriol and Francois Delecour head the entry list for the Tour of Corsica, starting on Sunday. Auriol hopes to follow his Monte Carlo triumph in January by winning the only all-tarmac event in the calendar for a fifth time. But Delecour won in Portugal last month in the new Ford Escort and lies second to Juha Kankkunen in the overall standings. Kankkunen has shunned the three-day event but Carlos Sainz, Andrea Agini and Miki Biasion should push the leading duo hard.

Britain's Colin McRae is looking to gain valuable tarmac experience when he drives the Subaru Legacy RS Turbo in the Corsican Rally. "My style of driving has been described as a bit too flamboyant for the long tarmac stages. So I've spent time during testing to develop a more conservative approach for this event," he said. "The Legacy is a proven car on the gravel stages and we are now starting to develop for asphalt rallies," added McRae, who will be partnered by Derek Ringer.





02.05.93

TOURING CARS
Final practice times for Monday's race:
                             mins secs
 1 P Watts      Mazda Xedos    1:14.26
 2 J Winkelhock BMW 318s       1:14.34
 3 D Leslie     Vauxhall Cav   1:14.47
 4 S Soper      BMW 318s       1:14.52
 5 W Hoy        Toyota Carina  1:14.65
 6 J Cleland    Vauxhall Cav   1:15.72
 7 J Allam      Vauxhall Cav   1:14.79
 8 K Odor       Nissan         1:14.80
 9 J Bailey     Toyota Carina  1:14.85
10 W Percy      Nissan         1:14.97

F3000:- Olivier Beretta took pole position for Monday's opening round of the FIA International Formula 3000 championship at Donington with a lap of 1 min 19.55 secs. Last year's British F3 champion Gil de Ferran and Britain's Paul Stewart filled the next two places on the grid.

F3:- Warren Hughes snatched provisional pole for Monday's British Formula 3 race at Donnington with a 98.60mph lap in the Dallara Fiat. But he was just 0.01 quicker than series leader Kelvin Burt.

F.VAUXHALL LOTUS:- Dario Franchitti led from pole to win the second round of the Vauxhall Lotus Championships at Snetterton. The 19-year-old Scot brought his Paul Stewart Racing car home four seconds ahead of second place man Jason Plato, with Miguel Coletta finishing third.


LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON
Positions at end of Day 16 (Delhi)
                              hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911  2:23:24
 2 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort  2:23:47
 3 C Short     GB  Ford Escort  2:25:37
 4 J Britten   GB  Ford Escort  2:28:39
 5 S Dalgarno  GB  Ford Cortina 2:29:44
 6 L Beacham   Aus Ford Falcon  2:30:20
 7 M Harvey    Aus Porsche 911  2:30:49
 8 N Wyzenbeek Aus Porsche 911  2:31:20
 9 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon  2:31:37
10 S Ashton    Aus Datsun P510  2:32:21


TOUR OF CORSICA:- Francois Delecour put last year's winner Didier Auriol in the shade with a dominant drive on the first day of the Tour of Corsica. He was quickest on seven of the day's eight stages in his Ford Escort to build a 1 min 5 secs advantage over his French rival. It was a tremendous performance by Delecour, who drove in pain after cricking his neck on stage one. Miki Biasion was penalised 11 minutes for arriving late at the final control and has dropped back from fifth to 12th place.


Positions after 8 of 24 stages:
                             hrs:mins.secs
 1 F Delecour  Fr  Ford Escort 1:56.01
 2 D Auriol    Fr  Toyota      1:57.06
 3 C Sainz     Sp  Lancia      1:57.17
 4 F Chatriot  Fr  Toyota      1:57.35
 5 A Aghini    It  Lancia      1:57.57
 6 Y Loubet    Fr  Toyota      1:58.54
 7 C McRae     GB  Subaru      1:59.24
 8 B Beguin    Fr  Ford Escort 2:03.07
 9 J Ragnotti  Fr  Renault     2:03.57




03.05.93
TOURING CARS:- Steve Soper won an incident-packed third round to extend his lead in the championship. Soper's BMW emerged unscathed from a startline incident which destroyed five cars within seconds of the green light. Jeff Allan's Vauxhall was pushed into a spin, starting a chain reaction. No-one was hurt but the race had to be re-started. Soper now stands 34 points clear of teammate Joachim Winkelhock, who finished fifth. Julian Bailey steered his Toyota into second.


Race 10 result:              mins secs
 1 S Soper      BMW 318s      21:36.08
 2 J Bailey     Toyota Carina 21:37.72
 3 D Leslie     Vauxhall Cav  21:38.07
 4 W Hoy        Toyota Carina 21:38.79
 5 J Winkelhock BMW 318s      21:41.81
 6 B Verdon-Roe Toyota Carina 21:42.59
 7 R Gravett    Peugeot 405   21:42.65
 8 W Percy      Nissan        21:51.40
 9 J Kaye       Toyota Carina 21:53.34
10 J Cleland    Vauxhall Cav  21:56.10

F3000:- Olivier Beretta comfortably won the opening round of the International Formula 3000 championship at Donington, finishing six seconds clear of Portugal's Pedro Lamy. David Coulthard was heading for fifth place but stopped on the last lap, leaving Paul Stewart the top British finisher in fifth.

F3:- Kelvin Burt chalked up his third win in four starts this season in the British Formula 3 Championship. He led throughout with Oliver Gavin coming in second and Pedro de la Rosa third.

F.VAUXHALL LOTUS:- Scotland's Dario Franchitti won round three of the Vauxhall Lotus Championship at Snetterton and now heads the championship table.

LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON:- Graham Lorimer closed the gap on Britain's Francis Tuthill as the rally moved across India from Delhi to Jodphur on its 17th day. The New Zealander, driving a Ford Escort, reduced the deficit to 19 seconds on Tuthill's Porsche in blistering heat. Lorimer said: " We were certainly roasting. I managed to drink 12 bottles of water." Third placed Colin Short had brake problems with his Escort and fell over two minutes behind Lorimer.


Positions at end of Day 17 (Jodphur)
                             hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911  2:28:22
 2 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort  2:28:41
 3 C Short     GB  Ford Escort  2:30:40
 4 J Britten   GB  Ford Escort  2:33:36
 5 S Dalgarno  GB  Ford Cortina 2:35:01
 6 L Beacham   Aus Ford Falcon  2:35:26
 7 M Harvey    Aus Porsche 911  2:35:52
 8 N Wyzenbeek Aus Porsche 911  2:36:25
 9 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon  2:36:38
10 S Ashton    Aus Datsun P510  2:37:29

TOUR OF CORSICA:- Francois Delecour regained the initiative in contention in Monday's last four stages as he resisted Didier Auriol's challenge. Auriol, driving a Toyota Celica, had seriously threatened his fellow Frenchman's lead earlier in the day as he whittled the gap down from 65 to 24 seconds. But Delecour's team changed the turbo of his Ford Escort at the midway point and he roared back to win three of the last four stages. He now holds a lead of 51 seconds going into the final day.


Positions after end of second day:
                            hrs:mins.secs
 1 F Delecour  Fr  Ford Escort 4:16.18
 2 D Auriol    Fr  Toyota      4:17.09
 3 F Chatriot  Fr  Toyota      4:17.48
 4 C Sainz     Sp  Lancia      4:18.53
 5 C McRae     GB  Subaru      4:22.44
 6 B Beguin    Fr  Ford Escort 4:28.50
 7 J Ragnotti  Fr  Renault     4:31.01
 8 A Oreille   Fr  Renault     4:32.37
 9 M Biasion   It  Ford Escort 4:33.34
10 S Jordan    Fr  Renault     4:45.07




05.05.93 - F1:- JOHN WATSON ON THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX
The Circuit de Catalunya represents another chance for the Ford-engined McLaren and Benetton teams to take on the dominance of Williams. But, in reality, the Spanish Grand Prix should be another race-winning opportunity at little more than a canter for Williams Renault. There is no track in 1993 that does not offer Williams the prospect for victory, regardless of conditions. This may seem depressing to many F1 teams, but thanks to nature we've seen some truly stunning driving from Ayrton Senna in a McLaren.

To be fair to the Williams Renault team, they would certainly win in wet conditions if Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher drove for them. Undoubtedly though, at some point, Alain Prost will get enough wet weather practice to overcome his apprehension of these conditions. In all four Grands Prix so far, the weather has played its part and in last year's Spanish GP the circuit was saturated for the whole race. For the sake of Formula One's world-wide audience, rain would be a most welcome element all weekend!

The circuit layout in Barcelona won't penalise Ford-engined cars as much as in Imola two weeks ago. The penalty is only by degree but, in my opinion, will offer Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna some degree of hope. The track isn't especially hard mechanically but represents a tough challenge for drivers and engineers due to the nature of the corners. There are lots of long looping corners interconnected by short straights with the premium on balance and grip.

Nowhere on the track is more important than the final bend onto the long main pit staright, the key part of the circuit for overtaking. You need downforce and balance to get through it flat-out, but not to the detriment of vital top speed. This section of the circuit illustrates what is becoming a dying art, namely overtaking. The skill in positioning yourself correctly to enable the manoeuvre to be successful is vital here.

Interest for British drivers once again falls on the ever-broadening shoulders of Damon Hill. And how long is it before we see Damon on the winners' podium? Ligier's Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell have got all the power of Damon's Renault engine but lack the finesse in the chassis department. Johnny Herbert will beaver away madly in his Lotus Ford and is a good outside bet for points, while Derek Warwick in his Footwork has banged on the door twice this year. Will it open for him in Spain?

Elsewhere in Barcelona this week the battle for the lower points will be fought out between the Ligier, Lotus and Sauber teams. However, as the season goes on, in truth the championship points are likely to be tied up by Williams, McLaren and Benetton. If all six cars finish they will scoop all points available and that is bad news for everyone else. If the weather is fair it will be "Adios amigos" to Williams Renault. If not, we might have a great race!



LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON
Positions at end of Day 19 (Bombay)
                             hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911  2:38:36
 2 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort  2:38:44
 3 C Short     GB  Ford Escort  2:41:13
 4 J Brittan   GB  Ford Escort  2:43:41
 5 S Dalgarno  GB  Ford Cortina 2:45:27
 6 N Wyzenbeek Aus Porsche 911  2:47:01
 7 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon  2:47:09
 8 M Harvey    Aus Porsche 911  2:47:12
 9 S Ashton    Aus Datsun P510  2:48:03
10 R Quill     Aus Ford Falcon  2:48:39
Crews reached Bombay to complete the 6,000 miles leg of their 30-day journey to Sydney. The 560-mile run to the Indian port was a non-competitive transport section, giving the crews a well-earned rest. Britons Frances Tuthill and Anthony Showell have held the lead in their Porsche 911. They have been sharing the driving over the 21 stages. Of the 106 crews that started from London's Chelsea Harbour on April 17, 97 are still running.

TOUR OF CORSICA:- Frenchman Francois Delecour gained sweet revenge over compatriot Didier Auriol with a stylish performance to win in Corsica. Delecour mastered the twisting mountain roads to win over half the 24 stages of the three-day rally. At the finish his Ford Escort was 62 seconds ahead of Auriol's Toyota with Francois Chatriot taking third to make it a French clean sweep. At one point Auriol, who beat Delecour in the Monte Carlo rally, was closing fast, but Delecour kept his composure to pull away again.


Final positions after 24 stages:
                            hrs:mins.secs
 1 F Delecour  Fr  Ford Escort 6:14.41
 2 D Auriol    Fr  Toyota      6:15.43
 3 F Chatriot  Fr  Toyota      6:17.23
 4 C Sainz     Sp  Lancia      6:18.29
 5 C McRae     GB  Subaru      6:23.44
 6 B Beguin    Fr  Ford Escort 6:31.12
 7 M Biasion   It  Ford Escort 6:33.39
 8 J Ragnotti  Fr  Renault     6:36.11
 9 A Oreille   Fr  Renault     6:38 48
10 G Manfri'to It  Ford Escort 6:55.30


After Tour of Corsica rally:

DRIVERS
1 F Delecour  Fr   Ford    55 pts
2 J Kankkunen Fin  Toyota  43
3 D Auriol    Fr   Toyota  35
4 M Biaision  It   Ford    31
5 M Alen      Fin  Toyota  25
= C McRae     GB   Subaru  24

MANUFACTURERS
1 Toyota                   77 pts
2 Ford                     57
3 Subaru                   36
4 Mitsubishi               33
5 Lancia                   26



06.05.93 - F1
Mercedes will quit Formula One at the end of the season, ending speculation that they were planning a full return to GP racing. The German motor manufacturers have been backing Sauber, the team with which they won the 1989 and '90 world sportscar titles and the 1990 Le Mans 24-Hour race. Their year's development budget is believed to be around $30 million. Team owner Peter Sauber said they had expected to go-it-alone in '94. "We will have new engines from Ilmor," he explained.





07.05.93 - F1:- THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX
Frenchman Alain Prost continued to show the form which helped him dominate in San Marino, as he took provisional pole in Spain. Prost, in his Williams, clocked one minute 19.599 seconds to leave him six-tenths of a second clear of Ayrton Senna's McLaren. Britain's Damon Hill was third fastest in the other Williams and Michael Schumacher managed to put his Benetton into fourth place. The session was run in perfect conditions on the twisting, high speed Catalunya circuit.

Alain Prost maintained there was plenty of room for improvement despite claiming provisional pole for Sunday's 65-lap race. "The track has changed since the last time I was here and I think there are some very small bumps which affected our car," he said. Williams teammate Damon Hill expressed concern about the handling of his car despite setting the third fastest time. "The traffic is a problem on this circuit, particularly around the corners out the back," he added.

Ferrari are set to extend the contract of Jean Alesi until 1995 even though he is still waiting to register his first Grand Prix win. Alesi confirmed he had reached a verbal agreement with team supremo Luca di Montezemolo after setting the 10th best time in practice. "It is true that I haven't yet got the results expected of me, but I'm confident in the work being done by the team. I'm not going to leave now, just when I can see better times around the corner," he commented.


FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday's qualifying times:    mins secs
 1 A Prost      Fr  Williams   1:19.599
 2 A Senna      Brz McLaren    1:20.221
 3 D Hill       GB  Williams   1:20.400
 4 M Schumacher Ger Benetton   1:21.148
 5 R Patrese    It  Benetton   1:21.880
 6 M Andretti   US  McLaren    1:22.286
 7 JJ Lehto     Fin Sauber     1:22.801
 8 J Herbert    GB  Lotus      1:23.541
 9 A Zanardi    It  Lotus      1:23.579
10 J Alesi      It  Ferrari    1:23.614
11 K W'linger   Aut Sauber     1:23.696
12 D Warwick    GB  Footwork   1:23.971
13 M Blundell   GB  Ligier     1:24.107
14 A Suzuki     Jpn Footwork   1:24.158
15 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi    1:24.304
16 G Berger     Aut Ferrari    1:24.346
17 T Boutsen    Bel Jordan     1:24.476
18 R B'chello   Brz Jordan     1:24.708
19 M Brundle    GB  Ligier     1:24.748
20 E Comas      Fr  Larrousse  1:24.995
21 U Katayama   Jpn Tyrrell    1:25.607
22 F Barbazza   It  Minardi    1:25.616
23 P Alliot     Fr  Larrousse  1:26.698
24 M Alboreto   It  Lola       1:26.813
25 L Badoer     It  Lola       1:26.851
26 A De Cesaris It  Tyrrell    1:27.724

Benetton have denied reports that F1 world champion Nigel Mansell is considering joining them this year. "We would take him any time, but how can we when he is with Indycar," said team managing director Flavio Briatore. "It is all speculation." The rumours started after a private meeting between Flavio, the FOCA president Bernie Ecclestone and Mansell's adviser Sheridan Thynne. It is thought Mansell, currently with the Newman-Haas Indycar team, is more likely to be contemplating a return to Formula One in 1994.





08.05.93
F1:- THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX

Frenchman Alain Prost produced a scorching lap late in the final practice session to deny Damon Hill pole position for Sunday's race. Hill clocked 1 min 18.346 but then saw his teammate eclipse his time with a superb 1:17.809. It is the the three-times world champion's fifth successive pole and the 25th of his career. Ayrton Senna (1:19.722) will start on the second row with Johnny Herbert the second-best Briton in tenth place on the grid.

Britain's Damon Hill was once again forced to settle for second place on the grid alongside Williams teammate Alain Prost. "You cannot underestimate him," said Hill, who had been quickest in the morning's unofficial practice. "I got a good time on my first run which probably fired Alain up a bit. I think I made him reach out a bit more for it than in the past and I'm satisfied with that." Prost admitted: "It was obvious Damon could be on pole... I will not be able to relax in the race."

Derek Warwick left his big effort until the last 10 minutes of final practice, only to be thwarted by a mystery problem with his Footwork. The safety valve and fuel cut-off activated for an unknown reason on the last corner of his first flying lap, leaving him 16th on the grid. Johnny Herbert was 10th in a Lotus, Mark Blundell 12th in a Ligier and Martin Brundle, with his cold, 18th. "We must find the best possible set-up on full tanks in warm-up. The race will doubtless have surprises in store," said Blundell.


FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Final qualifying times:       mins secs
 1 A Prost      Fr  Williams   1:17.809
 2 D Hill       GB  Williams   1:18.346
 3 A Senna      Brz McLaren    1:19.722
 4 M Schumacher Ger Benetton   1:20.520
 5 R Patrese    It  Benetton   1:20.600
 6 K W'linger   Aut Sauber     1:21.203
 7 M Andretti   US  McLaren    1:21.360
 8 J Alesi      It  Ferrari    1:21.767
 9 JJ Lehto     Fin Sauber     1:22.047
10 J Herbert    GB  Lotus      1:22.470
11 G Berger     Aut Ferrari    1:22.655
12 M Blundell   GB  Ligier     1:22.706
13 P Alliot     Fr  Larrousse  1:22.887
14 E Comas      Fr  Larrousse  1:22.904
15 A Zanardi    It  Lotus      1:23.026
16 D Warwick    GB  Footwork   1:23.086
17 R B'chello   Brz Jordan     1:23.232
18 M Brundle    GB  Ligier     1:23.357
19 A Suzuki     Jpn Footwork   1:23.432
20 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi    1:23.449
21 T Boutsen    Bel Jordan     1:23.464
22 L Badoer     It  Lola       1:24.268
23 U Katayama   Jpn Tyrrell    1:24.291
24 A De Cesaris It  Tyrrell    1:24.358
25 F Barbazza   It  Minardi    1:24.399
NON-QUALIFIER
26 M Alboreto   It  Lola       1:25.396

F3000:- Gil de Ferran in a Reynard will start from pole spot for round two of the FIA Formula 3000 series at Silverstone on Sunday. He lapped at 1 min 33.20 secs, with Michael Bartels second fastest in 1:34.08 ahead of Paul Stewart who lapped in 1:34.19.





09.05.93 - F1:- THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX
Alain Prost recorded his third win of the season after a bold effort by Williams teammate Damon Hill ended with a blown engine. The Frenchman took the lead on lap ten after being outpaced off the grid by Hill but the inexperienced Briton hung on tenaciously. He was right on Prost's tail when his bid to emulate his late father Graham's 1968 Spanish win ended in disappointment on the 41st lap. His retirement enabled Ayrton Senna to pick up six points by holding off Michael Schumacher for second.

Alain Prost was a relieved man after securing his 47th Grand Prix win to move back to the top of the drivers' points table. "Physically, it was one of the hardest races I have ever done," the 38-year-old Frenchman said. He was given a terrific battle by Damon Hill until the Briton retired with a blown engine and then had to nurse his tyres to the finish.

"If he had been able to keep going like that it would have been very difficult for me to stay ahead," Prost admitted. Victorious Alain Prost predicted a much tougher challenge from Ayrton Senna at Monaco in two weeks time after his third Spanish triumph. The pair have dominated the race in the principality over the last decade but Prost has been eclipsed by the Brazilian since 1988. "I think it is going to be very difficult. I'm sure Ayrton is going to push very hard at Monaco. The difference (in power) we have with the engine is going to be less important at Monaco," he said.

Damon Hill was left to reflect on his cruel luck after a blown engine ended his bid for a maiden Grand Prix victory. "There was a lot of oil and steam around. It just made a terrible noise and that was the end of it. It's very disappointing. We've not had many engine failures at all. The engine has been fantastic," a disconsolate Hill commented. Mark Blundell and Derek Warwick were seventh and 13th but Johnny Herbert and 'flu victim Martin Brundle both failed to finish.

Ayrton Senna endured some anxious moments in the closing laps before securing the runner-up spot behind arch-rival Alain Prost. His McLaren-Ford was unable to live with the power of the Williams but he looked secure in second place. A late pit-stop to change tyres allowed German Michael Schumacher to mount a challenge and he put in a series of flying laps. His charge ended when he went onto the dirt after Alessandro Zanardi's engine blew in front of him and he had to settle for third place.

Ice-cool Ayrton Senna kept his head in adversity to keep Benetton ace Michael Schumacher at bay and take second place behind Alain Prost. "After my pit-stop we were pushing each other quite hard and it was a question for me of just getting a clear circuit," he said. "I had several big moments in traffic when engines blew in front of me two or three times. My visor got covered with oil and even when I tried to clean it, I couldn't get clear visibility any more," Senna added.


FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Final result after 65 laps:
                             hrs:mins.secs
 1 A Prost      Fr  Williams   1:32.276
 2 A Senna      Brz McLaren    @16.873s
 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton   @27.125s
 4 R Patrese    It  Benetton   1 lap bh
 5 M Andretti   US  McLaren    1 lap bh
 6 G Berger     Aut Ferrari   2 laps bh
 7 M Blundell   GB  Ligier    2 laps bh
 8 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi   2 laps bh
 9 E Comas      Fr  Larrousse 2 laps bh
10 A Suzuki     Jpn Footwork  2 laps bh
13 D Warwick    GB  Footwork  3 laps bh

DRIVERS' STANDINGS
 1 A Prost      Fr     34 points
 2 A Senna      Brz    32
 3 M Schumacher Ger    14
 4 D Hill       GB     12
 5 M Blundell   GB      6
 = J Herbert    GB      6
 7 JJ Lehto     Fin     5
 = R Patrese    It      5
 9 M Brundle    GB      4
10 C Fittipaldi Brz     3
11 P Alliot     Fr      2
 = F Barbazza   It      2
 = G Berger     Aut     2
 = M Andretti   US      2


CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS
1 Williams Renault    46 points
2 McLaren Ford        34
3 Benetton Ford       19
4 Ligier Renault      10
5 Lotus Ford           7
6 Minardi Ford         5
= Sauber               5
8 Larrousse            2
= Ferrari              2

F3000:- Gil de Ferran in a Reynard will start from pole spot for round two of the FIA Formula 3000 series at Silverstone on Sunday. He lapped at 1 min 33.20 secs, with Michael Bartels second fastest in 1:34.08 ahead of Paul Stewart who lapped in 1:34.19.

INDYCAR:- Mario Andretti and son Jeff were fastest in the opening practice for the Indianapolis 500, which takes place on May 30. Nigel Mansell is start his build-up on Wednesday after recovering from surgery on his lower back.

F2:- Belgian Phillipe Adams completed a hat-trick of British Formula Two Championship wins with a commanding display at Brands Hatch. Nigel Smith of Britain finished second.


LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON
Positions at end of Day 23 (Esperance)
                             hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911  3:50:07
 2 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort  3:51:32
 3 C Short     GB  Ford Escort  3:56:05
 4 J Brittan   GB  Ford Escort  3:57:38
 5 N Wyzenbeek Aus Porsche 911  4:01:34
 6 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon  4:01:52
 7 S Ashton    Aus Datsun P510  4:02:14
 8 L Beacham   Aus Ford Falcon  4:02:36
 9 R Quill     Aus Ford Falcon  4:03:23
10 S Dalgarno  GB  Ford Cortina 4:03:25
Leader Francis Tuthill has ninety seconds in hand after a tough opening day in Australia. He was quickest on two of the day's three tests which covered 102 kms of dirt tracks between Fremantle and Espereance. But the day was not trouble-free with his car having to be hauled out of a waterhole by a TV crew. Second-placed Graham Lorimer also had probolems and arrived late at the final control after stopping to change a blown head gasket.





11.05.93

LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON
Positions at end of Day 25 (Esperance)
                             hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911  7:06:45
 2 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort  7:09:01
 3 S Ashton    Aus Datsun P510  7:20:13
 4 C Short     GB  Ford Escort  7:20:43
 5 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon  7:21:01
 6 L Beacham   Aus Ford Falcon  7:23:27
 7 R Anderson  Aus Alfa Romeo   7:28:14
 8 D Horsey    Ken Peugeot 504  7:28:41
 9 M Kirkland  Ken Peugeot 504  7:28:52
10 R Clark     GB  Ford Escort  7:30:43
Francis Tuthill and Graham Lorimer were separated by just five seconds at the end of day of dramas. Tuthill in the Porsche had lost his lead due to a puncture on the long 168km stage on day 25 but regained it when Lorimer's Escort suffered a puncture and a failed starter motor. Third-placed David Thomas crashed his Escort and lost 38 minutes, slipping to 20th while Steve Ashton drove steadily into third place. "We eased off to avoid the rocks and tree roots and it paid off," said the Datsun driver.


TOURING CARS
Unofficial testing at Donington for Sunday's race:
                              mins secs
 1 J Allam      Vauxhall Cav   1:41.36
 2 W Hoy        Toyota Carina  1:41.56
 3 S Soper      BMW 318s       1:41.65
 4 J Winkelhock BMW 318s       1:41.78
 5 K Odor       Nissan Primera 1:41.80
 6 J Cleland    Vauxhall Cav   1:41.97
 7 P Watts      Mazda Xedos    1:41.99
 8 W Percy      Nissan Primera 1:42.08
 9 D Leslie     Vauxhall Cav   1:42.45
10 B Verdon-Roe Toyota Carina  1:42.77




12.05.93
INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell undergoes his rookie test for the Indianapolis 500 later today just two weeks after surgery on his lower back. He will be trying to get to know the Motor Speedway track prior to qualifying on Saturday. Mansell was in pain when he sat in his Newman-Haas Lola on Tuesday and admitted he had "a big mountain to climb" this week. Brazilian Nelson Piquet has slammed organisers of the event for giving Mansell special treatment.


LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON
Positions after Day 26 (Port Augusta)
                             hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911  7:51:19
 2 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort  7:53:20
 3 S Ashton    Aus Datsun P510  8:05:35
 4 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon  8:06:28
 5 L Beacham   Aus Ford Falcon  8:08:39
 6 M Kirkland  Ken Peugeot 504  8:13:25
 7 D Horsey    Ken Peugeot 504  8:13:31
 8 R Clark     GB  Ford Escort  8:15:21
 9 C Short     GB  Ford Escort  8:19:20
10 D Rainsford Aus Ford Mustang 8:20:46
Graham Lorimer is lucky to be still holding second place after the steering on his Ford Escort broke. The Kiwi driver reported: "I first thought that it was a tyre deflating but then I turned the wheel and nothing happened. We nosed off the road and third placed driver Steve Ashton came to our rescue and provided a replacement bolt." Leader Francis Tuthill is two minutes clear of Lorimer despite relaxing the pace in his Porsche.





13.05.93
INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell has passed his rookie test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with flying colours. The 39-year-old Briton, recovering from recent back surgery, produced a fast lap of 218.547mph in his Newman Haas Lola-Ford. But he eclipsed that in practice following the test when he turned in a lap of 222.855mph, the fourth fastest of the day. "It was a bit hair-raising for me. I've never been used to entering corners at these kinds of speed," said the F1 world champion.

F1:- British drivers Perry McCarthy and David Coulthard may be in the running to replace Damon Hill as Canon Williams' test driver. Both have tested for the team. Coulthard did 71 laps at Silverstone today in place of championship leader Alain Prost. "We are not actively looking for a test driver but when we do David will be considered," said team boss Frank Williams. "I have used Perry in testing before and I have every intention of doing so again," he added.



LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON
Positions after Day 27 (Broken Hill):
                             hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911  9:31:05
 2 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon  9:46:34
 3 L Beacham   Aus Ford Falcon  9:46:53
 4 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort  9:46:54
 5 M Kirkland  Ken Peugeot 504  9:53:11
 6 R Clark     GB  Ford Escort  9:59:09
 7 D Horsey    Ken Peugeot 504  9:59:18
 8 C Short     GB  Ford Escort 10:02:02
 9 B Hodgson   Aus Ford Falcon 10:03:39
10 D Rainsford Aus Mustang     10:05:31
Graham Lorimer saw his hopes of catching Britain's Francis Tuthill disappear on the rough road stages from Port Augusta to Broken Hill. The New Zealander dropped from 2nd to 4th leaving Tuthill with a commanding 15-minute advantage over Ian Vaughan's Ford Falcon. Lorimer had electrical and oil pressure problems and described his day as "character building."

"I think we can now control the pace from the front providing there are no hitches," said Tuthill.





14.05.93

LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON
Positions after Day 28 (Wangaratta):
                             hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911 10:44:30
 2 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon 10:55:34
 3 L Beacham   Aus Ford Falcon 10:55.59
 4 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort 10:58.30
 5 M Kirkland  Ken Peugeot 504 10:59.26
 6 R Clark     GB  Ford Escort 11:05:50
 7 D Horsey    Ken Peugeot 504 11:14:19
 8 C Short     GB  Ford Escort 11:15:03
 9 B Hodgson   Aus Ford Falcon 11:15:32
10 D Rainsford Aus Mustang     11:21:05
Britain's Francis Tuthill survived a nightmare in the Killawara Forest with his lead intact just two days from the finish of the event. The Porsche driver took a wrong turning and lost nearly 4.5 minutes to his rivals. "It was a narrow, twisty forest stage with tracks everywhere and in the dark we obviously turned too early at a junction. "It was not until we had covered some 2kms that we realised our mistake," said Tuthill's co-driver Anthony Showell.





15.05.93
INDY CAR:- Nigel Mansell made a successful qualifying run for the Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average speed of 220.255mph. He aborted one attempt after three laps at under 219mph but returned later to earn the right to take part in the race on May 30. "You push as hard as you can, but you can only regressively do what the car will allow you to do on a track like this," Mansell said. "It's a new education, but it's a great one," he added.


Leading qualifiers for the Indianapolis 500 after
Saturday's opening session:      mph
 1 A Luydendyk Hol Lola Ford   223.967
 2 M Andretti  US  Lola Ford   223.414
 3 R Boesel    Brz Lola Ford   223.379
 4 S Goodyear  Can Lola Chev   222.344
 5 A Unser jr  US  Lola Chev   221.773
 6 S Johansson Swe Penske Chev 220.824
 7 P Tracy     Can Penske Chev 220.298
 8 N Mansell   GB  Lola Ford   220.255
 9 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Chev 220.150
10 R Guerrero  US  Lola Chev   219.645
11 S Brayton   US  Lola Chev   219.637
12 D Sullivan  US  Lola Chev   219.428


LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON
Positions after Day 29 (Canberra)
                             hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911 13:12:22
 2 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon 13:24:56
 3 M Kirkland  Ken Peugeot 504 13:32:23
 4 R Clark     GB  Ford Escort 13:36:11
 5 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort 13:36:34
 6 C Short     GB  Ford Escort 13:45:42
 7 D Horsey    Ken Peugeot 504 13:47:08
 8 B Hodgson   Aus Ford Falcon 13:49:47
 9 D Rainsford Aus Mustang     13:54:05
10 S Ashton    Aus Datsun      13:55:59
Britain's Roger Clark produced a brilliant drive in snowy conditions to record three fastest stage times on the penultimate day of the race. The snow covered 70 per cent of the longest stage of the 13 hour leg from Wangaratta to Canberra. Clark passed six of the front runners with his attacking style and joked: "I guessed the only experience the Aussies would have of ice is when it is in drinks!" Clark consolidated his fourth place and Francis Tuthill stayed in front overall with a more cautious drive.

MANX NATIONAL RALLY:- Result
1 Rowe/Wood Escort 109:35
2 Mann/Wray Celica 109:54
3 W-Clark/Connelly Escort 111.42
4 Doughty/Freeman Sierra 112.43
5 Mellors/Smith Sierra 113.10
Martin Rowe from Onchan, driving a Ford Escort Cosworth, became the youngest ever driver and the first Manx resident to win the event. David Mann from Suffolk was second with Dougie Watson-Clark from Carlisle in third place.

TOURING CARS:- Joachim Winkelhock in a BMW is on pole position for Round 5 of the British Touring Car Championship at Donington on Sunday. The first nine on the grid were all inside the lap record of 1 minute 42.05 seconds.





16.05.93
LONDON-SYDNEY MARATHON

Britain's Francis Tuthill and Anthony Showell driving a Porsche 911 cruised through the last of the 41 timed stages to take victory. They finished with a winning margin of over 14 minutes after the 10,500 mile trip over Australian veteran Ian Vaughan. Britain's Roger Clark in his Ford Escort made a gallant attempt on the final stage to move up into third but was held off by Kenyan Mike Kirkland in a Peugeot 504. "I cannot believe it yet," said Tuthill. "Its been so tough."


Final placings at Sydney after 30 days:
                             hrs mins secs
 1 F Tuthill   GB  Porsche 911 13:36:11
 2 I Vaughan   Aus Ford Falcon 13:50:31
 3 M Kirkland  Ken Peugeot 504 13:58:10
 4 R Clark     GB  Ford Escort 13:58:42
 5 G Lorimer   NZ  Ford Escort 13:59:32
 6 C Short     GB  Ford Escort 14:10:45
 7 D Horsey    Ken Peugeot 504 14:11:28
 8 B Hodgson   Aus Ford Falcon 14:14:23
 9 D Rainsford Aus Mustang     14:18:10
10 S Ashton    Aus Datsun      14:21:35

TOURING CARS:- Joachim Winkelhock in a BMW won Round 4 of the British Touring Car at Donington by four seconds from Jeff Allam in a Cavalier. Championship leader Steve Soper finished third less than half a second adrift of Allam.

F3:- Kelvin Burt made it four wins from five races as he took the chequered flag at Brands Hatch in the British Formula Three championship.





19.05.93
F1:- JOHN WATSON ON THE MONACO GRAND PRIX

Grand Prix racing returns to the streets of Monte Carlo this weekend with the sixth round of the FIA F1 world championships. The principle focus will naturally be on the battle between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna - a definite case of deja-vu. Since 1984 only Prost and Senna have won in Monte Carlo. Although Alain Prost has regained the initiative in the championship, by two points, Monaco represents the best opportunity for Senna to retake the lead.

The nature of the Monaco circuit, coupled with Ayrton Senna's driving style and mental approach, indicate the Brazilian will be hard to beat. But, in all honesty, Frenchman Alain Prost still has the quickest car/engine package out there. The character of the circuit helps Senna in that his own personal commitment is so high no inch of the race track is spared. To watch the contrasting styles of Prost and Senna in qualifying will be an education for any spectator.

In my mind Alain Prost ought to be the winner in Monte Carlo due to the superiority of his equipment. But the key to the race will be determined by qualifying on Thursday and Saturday afternoons. It is paramount to secure pole position in Monaco because even with the slightly smaller cars we see in 1993 the reality is the Grand Prix is a procession. While the battle is taking place there will be 24 other drivers attempting to overturn the traditional stranglehold.

Leading the charge of chasing pack will undoubtably be German Michael Schumacher in the Benetton. And there will be a continuing battle among the Ford HB engine users as to who will be quickest. Interestingly in the Benetton engine department, the HB Ford will be very similar in specification to the customer Ford HB McLaren use. Benetton will have traction control available for the first time this weekend - something of a necessity with so many first and second gear corners on the circuit.

One man who will be the focus of many people's attention is Damon Hill whose father Graham won an unprecedented five GPs at Monaco. It is a big burden for Damon to carry on top of being a member of the Williams-Renault team. But as we have witnessed throughout the '93 season his confidence rises every race. It will undoubtably be a most emotional occasion if Damon's maiden Grand Prix victory happened in Monaco.

Beyond the top three teams my recommendation is to approach the weekend in two parts - attack in qualifying then consolidate. There are no points for qualifying but easy points in the lower order positions for those who restrain their enthusiasm in the race. Kindness to your equipment and prudence to opponents inevitably leads to a trouble-free race. And this could lead to possible points at the end of the 78 laps.

Among the drivers making their Monaco debuts are Michael Andretti, Alessandro Zanardi, Luca Badoer and Rubens Barrichello. The American will be praying for a clear race in the McLaren-Ford while Zanardi must curb his exuberance in the Lotus and respect the limitations the circuit imposes. Barrichello, I believe, will shine at Monaco and his V10 Hart engine may prove to be a top 10 runner. Badoer will face a difficult task in the uncompetitive Lola Ferrari but will move forward in the future.

ATLAS RALLY:- Mitsubishi's Saeed al Hajri starts among the favourites for round one of the World Cup for cross country rallies which starts on Thursday. Al Hajri, winner in Tunisia, faces a major challenge from teammates Bruno Saby and Erwin Weber. There is also a strong entry from Citreon, with Pierre Latigue, Hubert Auriol and Alain Ambrosino joined by former world rally champion Timo Salonen from Finland. Ex-world sportscar star Jean-Louis Schlesser heads the two-car team of Schlesser Original Buggies.

Competitors face a major task just to complete the course in the first World Cup cross country event. About 60 cars and 60 motor cycles are entered in the rally which gets underway from the French town of Bezier on Thursday and finishes in Marrakesh on May 28. The route includes a number of high speed special stages over twisty hill tracks, dry river beds, desert sands and rocky mountain roads. It is kept secret up to five days before the start of each leg and competitors are not to practise.





20.05.93
NEWS:- Nigel Mansell has been awarded the Segrave Trophy - given to the Briton who accomplishes the most outstanding achievement by land, air or water.

F1:- THE MONACO GRAND PRIX

Damon Hill rose to the occasion on the street circuit where his father Graham won five times to lead the way in the first practice session. The Briton mastered difficult wet conditions to clock 1 min 38.963 secs, with Williams teammate Alain Prost second fastest. Ayrton Senna's 1:42.327 after an earlier shunt was only fifth best behind Michael Schumacher and Gerhard Berger's Ferrari. Mark Blundell produced a lap of 1:43.449 in his Ligier to claim a place in the top ten.

Ayrton Senna crashed heavily in his McLaren during unofficial practice for Sunday's race in Monte Carlo. The 33-year-old Brazilian, who set the fastest lap early in the session, hit the barriers on the left side of the street circuit on Ste Devote corner at around 120mph. The three times world champion was helped from the car, looking badly shaken and was taken to the circuit medical centre for treatment. Both the left wheels of his Ford-powered MP4/8 car had been ripped off as it skidded across the track.


FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Thursday's qualifying times:  mins secs
 1 D Hill       GB  Williams   1:38.963
 2 A Prost      Fr  Williams   1:39.649
 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton   1:40.780
 4 G Berger     Aut Ferrari    1:40.853
 5 A Senna      Brz Mclaren    1:42.127
 6 R Patrese    It  Benetton   1:42.136
 7 J Alesi      It  Ferrari    1:42.160
 8 P Alliot     Fr  Larrousse  1:43.031
 9 M Blundell   GB  Ligier     1:43.449
10 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi    1:43.829
11 J Herbert    GB  Lotus      1:43.898
12 A De Cesaris It  Tyrrell    1:44.193
13 R B'chello   Brz Jordan     1:44.310
14 E Comas      Fr  Larrousse  1:44.483
15 F Barbazza   It  Minardi    1:44.524
16 D Warwick    GB  Footwork   1:44.884
17 K W'linger   Aut Sauber     1:45.439
18 T Boutsen    Bel Jordan     1:45.512
19 M Andretti   US  McLaren    1:45.993
20 M Brundle    GB  Ligier     1:46.446
21 L Badoer     It  Lola       1:46.745
22 A Zanardi    Brz Lotus      1:46.935
23 M Alboreto   It  Lola       1:47.082
24 JJ Lehto     Fin Sauber     1:48.526
25 U Katayama   Jap Tyrrell    1:49.210
26 A Suzuki     Jpn Footwork  10:06.384




22.05.93

FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Final qualifying times:       mins secs
 1 A Prost      Fr  Williams   1:20.557
 2 M Schumacher Ger Benetton   1:21.190
 3 A Senna      Brz Mclaren    1:21.552
 4 D Hill       GB  Williams   1:21.825
 5 J Alesi      It  Ferrari    1:21.948
 6 R Patrese    It  Benetton   1:22.117
 7 G Berger     Aut Ferrari    1:22.394
 8 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber     1:22.477
 9 M Andretti   US  McLaren    1:22.994
10 E Comas      Fr  Larrousse  1:23.246
11 JJ Lehto     Fin Sauber     1:23.715
12 D Warwick    GB  Footwork   1:23.749
13 M Brundle    GB  Ligier     1:23.786
14 J Herbert    GB  Lotus      1:23.812
15 P Alliot     Fr  Larrousse  1:23.907
16 R B'richello Brz Jordan     1:24.086
17 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi    1:24.298
18 A Suzuki     Jpn Footwork   1:24.524
19 A De Cesaris It  Tyrrell    1:24.544
20 A Zanardi    Brz Lotus      1:24.888
21 M Blundle    GB  Ligier     1:24.972
22 U Katayama   Jap Tyrrell    1:25.236
23 T Boutsen    Bel Jordan     1:25.267
24 M Alboreto   It  Lola       1:26.444
25 F Barbazza   It  Minardi    1:26.582
NON QUALIFIER
-- L Badoer     It  Lola       1:29.613
INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell, recovering well from his back injury, claims he has little chance of winning next weekend's Indianapolis 500. He said qualifying for the race, just days after back surgery after his Indycar crash, was the toughest thing he had ever done. He claimed a place in the middle of row three. Mansell said he hated the politics of F1 which saw him "blown out of the water" despite winning 14 races in two years and the world title. He said his move to Indycar racing had cost him almost $15 million.

ATLAS RALLY:- Bruno Saby attacked the second stage with vigour to take the overall lead in his Mitsubishi. The rally favourite conquered the tight, twisty early section before heading into the valleys and dry riverbeds and onto desert-like scrub covering a total of 220km. Citroen's Pierre Lartigue held onto second place while Saby's teammate Saeed Al Hajri moved into third. The demanding stage claimed Erwin Weber's new Parejo and Timo Salonen dropped down with two punctures and a faulty throttle.




23.05.93
F1:- THE MONACO GRAND PRIX

Ayrton Senna won a record sixth Monaco Grand Prix on the streets of of Monte Carlo. The Brazilian went back to the top of the drivers' championship after rival Alain Prost suffered a double setback while leading the race. The Frenchman was given a 10 second penalty for a jump start but as he tried to leave the pits, stalled the Williams twice, dropping him to 22nd place. But Prost drove an incredible race to force his way back into fourth place to stay in touch.

Ayrton Senna took victory in Monte Carlo after a clever tactical race by the Brazilian saw his rivals fall by the wayside. Britain's Damon Hill finished in the runners-up spot for the third time this season in the Williams, despite a run-in with Gerhard Berger at the Loews corner. Berger's Ferrari teammate Jean Alesi was third after failing to overhaul Hill. Martin Brundle collected another championship point with sixth place in the Ligier.

Ayrton Senna was overwhelmed by his sixth victory in the Monaco Grand Prix, eclipsing Graham Hill's record of five wins in the race. "I thought after Thursday's crash it was all over. Starting on the second row it was always going to be difficult," he said. The Brazilian said he suffered pain from the injuries sustained in his practice crash but was "very happy". "The victories here in different conditions, different cars speak for themselves. It continues to be very special," he added.

Ayrton Senna shrugged off the pain from the injuries he received in Thursday's practice to continue his dominance of the Monaco Grand Prix. The Brazilian was badly bruised and shaken after a 160 mph crash but bided his time in the McLaren before making his bid for victory. Senna took the lead after Michael Schumacher dropped out and Alain Prost was penalised and had built a 30 second lead by the 44th lap. This enabled him to change tyres on lap 51 and still maintain a lead over the dwindling chasing pack.

German Michael Schumacher suffered heartbreak in Monte Carlo as a 15 second lead by lap 33 evaporated when his Benetton engine blew up. Starting second on the grid he took over the lead on lap 13 while Alain Prost was taking an enforced pit stop for a jump start. The 24-year-old looked comfortable as he led the procession round the twisty streets of Monte Carlo but a suspected hydraulic leak brought him grinding to a halt. Schumacher's retirement dropped him to fourth in the overall standings.

Damon Hill survived a 71st lap encounter with Gerhard Berger to finish second in his first Monaco Grand Prix. The Williams driver was under pressure from the Ferrari duo of Berger and Jean Alesi for much of the race but had warded them off until the Loews on lap 71. The Austrian and Hill overtook Alessandro Zanardi but Berger then harpooned into the side of Hill as he tried to take the inside line. The Ferrari came off worse and retired but Hill gamely battled on.

Britain's Damon Hill was very pleased with his second place finish - almost 30 years since his father Graham's first win in Monaco. "If you can't win second is a good place to start," he said of his first race in the pricipality. "My biggest problem was traffic. Gerhard tried to come through and I had to shut the door. Fortunately reverse gear worked and I managed to keep going. I'm very pleased. I went for a finish. I drove conservatively and it paid off," he added.


FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Result after 78 laps:	   hr:mins:secs
 1 A Senna      Brz McLaren  1:52:10.947 (average speed 138.837 kph)
 2 D Hill       GB  Williams 1:53:03.065
 3 J Alesi      It  Ferrari  1:53:14.309
 4 A Prost      Fr  Williams  @ 1 lap
 5 C Fittipaldi Brz Minardi   @ 2 laps
 6 M Brundle    GB  Ligier    @ 2 laps
 7 A Zanardi    It  Lotus     @ 2 laps
 8 M Andretti   US  McLaren   @ 2 laps
 9 R B'richello Brz Jordan    @ 2 laps
10 A De Cesaris It  Tyrrell   @ 2 laps
11 F Barbazza   It  Minardi   @ 3 laps
12 P Alliot     Fr  Larrousse @ 3 laps
13 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber    @ 4 laps
14 G Berger     Aut Ferrari   @ 8 laps

DRIVERS' STANDINGS (after round 6, the Monaco GP at Monte Carlo)
 1 A Senna      Brz    42 points
 2 A Prost      Fr     37
 3 D Hill       GB     18
 4 M Schumacher Ger    14
 5 M Blundell   GB      6
 = J Herbert    GB      6
 7 JJ Lehto     Fin     5
 = R Patrese    It      5
 = M Brundle    GB      5
 = C Fittipaldi Brz     5
11 J Alesi      Fr      4
12 P Alliot     Fr      2
 = F Barbazza   It      2
 = G Berger     Aut     2
 = M Andretti   US      2
16 A Zanardi    It      1

CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS (after round 6, Monaco GP)
1 Williams Renault    55 points
2 McLaren Ford        44
3 Benetton Ford       19
4 Ligier Renault      11
5 Lotus Ford           7
= Minardi Ford         7
7 Ferrari              6
8 Sauber               5
9 Larrousse            2

ATLAS RALLY:- Pierre Lartigue, driving a Citroen, won the gruelling 350 kms third stage to take the overall lead. The Frenchman overhauled Bruno Saby after 150 kms but the Mitsubishi driver said he was quite happy with his position for Monday's stage. "I am very happy to be second. I prefer to be behind Lartigue to see his tracks and where he is braking," said Saby.





24.05.93 - ATLAS RALLY
Rothmans driver Bruno Saby, driving a Mitsubishi Pajero, closed to within one second of leader Pierre Lartigue after the fourth stage. Saby started the day one and a half minutes behind his rival but Lartigue's right rear tyre flew off and took a large section of side panel with it. The 371-km stage crossed wide desert plains and took the drivers to the overnight stop in Tinerhir, Morocco. "The fight goes on. It is very close now," said Saby.





26.05.93
F1/INDYCAR:- Australia is set to stage a special race between Formula One and Indy cars later this year. South Australian tourism minister Mike Rann says F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has indicated by letter his approval for the race. It would be staged in Adelaide on November 6, the day before the Australian GP, if IndyCar chief William Stokkan is agreeable. Rann hopes three or four drivers from each side will take part for a prize of œ2.3 million.

ATLAS RALLY:- Frenchman Bruno Saby took over in the lead after compatriot Pierre Lartigue's Citroen crashed into a desert sand-trap. Lartigue dropped to fifth place after damaging the front suspension and a team spokesman admitted: "It was nearly finished for him." The 309km stage from Tinerhir to Mhamid caused problems for many drivers with Hubert Auriol hit by three separate punctures. But Saby negotiated the hazards safely and finished the day 36 mins clear of Timo Salonen.





27.05.93 - INDYCAR
Nigel Mansell boosted his chances in Sunday's Indianapolis 500 by being second fastest in Thursday's final practice session. Mansell, just returned from his Florida home where he had further treatment on his back, was clocked at 222.497 mph on his fastest circuit of the 2.5-mile oval. Scott Brayton was fastest in the two-hour session that was watched by nearly 100,000 fans. His best lap was 223.547 mph with Raul Boesel clocking 222.255 back in third place.





29.05.93
INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell reckons his horrific 180mph crash in April may have taught him a lesson - just in time for Sunday's Indianapolis 500. The 39-year-old has admitted that being badly injured and having to recover from surgery forced him to keep still - and be patient. "My injury hurt me, but it helped in some ways," he said. "I laid still for five days."

"I learned some patience and I hope to get more and more confidence now I am healing fast and feeling stronger and better," he added.

TOURING CAR:- Television presenter and racing driver Tiff Needell has confirmed that he will drive a Nissan eGT at the fifth round of the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park this weekend. Needell agreed to step in at short notice follwing Win Percy's injury in a spectacular 115mph crash at the Cheshire circuit in testing on Wednesday afternoon.

ATLAS RALLY:- Frenchman Bruno Saby remained in total control of the race after the penultimate leg between between Tazenakht and Marrakesh. Saby steered his Mitsubishi into fifth place but retained his overall lead and now looks to be virtually unassailable. Going into the final leg around Marrakesh he is 54 mins, 07 secs ahead of Timo Salonen, who said: "There is nothing we can do now." Pierre Lartigue won the leg, with fellow Citreon drivers filling the top four places.

TRUCK RACING:- Three times European champion Richard Walker unleashes a new Russian built Zil truck at the French Truck Grand Prix at the Paul Ricard circuit on Sunday.





30.05.93
INDYCAR:- Emerson Fittipaldi took advantage of an inexperienced Nigel Mansell on a restart with 16 laps to go, to win his second Indy 500 race. Mansell, the reigning Formula One champion but a rookie at Indy, was leading when a yellow flag slowed the field and allowed Fittipaldi to close on the Englishman. Fittipaldi was quicker off the mark when the green flag dropped and he beat Mansell to the corner. Mansell tried in vain to close the gap but in the end had to settle for third place.

Nigel Mansell was a disapponted man after finishing third in his first Indianapolis 500 behind Emerson Fittipaldi and Arie Luyendyk. Mansell, a rookie at Indy, lost the lead on a flag change. Mansell said: "I've never been here before and on the restart I just couldn't believe the ground that Emerson and Luyendyk made up on me. And everybody, like, cheats on the restart and I'm trying to do it by the rules because I don't want to infringe. I lost the lead. Then there's no way back."


Result at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 200 Laps
 1 E Fittipaldi Bra Penske-Chevy
 2 A Luyendyk   Hol Lola Ford
 3 N Mansell    GB  Lola Ford
 4 R Boesel     Bra Lola Ford
 5 M Andretti   US  Lola Ford
 6 S Brayton    US  Lola Ford
 7 S Goodyear   Can Lola Ford
 8 Al Unser jnr US  Lola-Chevy
 9 T Fabi       It  Lola-Chevy
10 J Andretti   US  Lola Ford
Margin of victory: 2.8 secs
Time : 3 hours, 10 min, 49.860
Fastest lap: E Fittipaldi-214,807 mph

TOURING CARS:- John Cleland will be on pole for Monday's fifth round of the championship at Oulton Park. Cleland set the fastest time of the day, 1 min 45.22 secs, in the first session run in dry conditions. The second leg of practice started in the rain and only a handful of drivers improved their times in the afternoon. Tiff Needell, replacing the injured Win Percy, is in 15th place in the Nissan Primera GT.


Qualifying times at Oulton Park:
                             mins secs
 1 J Cleland    Vauxhall Cav   1:45.22
 2 J Winkelhock BMW 318s       1:45.28
 3 S Soper      BMW 318s       1:45.49
 4 J Allam      Vauxhall Cav   1:45.73
 5 W Hoy        Toyota Carina  1:45.89
 6 P Watts      Mazda Xedos    1:46.07
 7 K Odor       Nissan         1:46.21
 8 J Bailey     Toyota Carina  1:46.27
 9 R Gravett    Peugeot 405    1:46.38
10 I Flux       Peugeot 405    1:46.78

ACROPOLIS RALLY:- Ari Vatanen from Finland has set a blistering pace over the eleven stages of the first day. His Subaru Legacy has been quickest over eight stages to go into the rest halt at Delphi with a clear minutes lead from Colin McRae. Didier Auriol was forced to retire after suffering overheating problems in his Toyota engine. All the drivers complained of the blistering summer heat as the temperatures in Greece reached 34 Celsius.


Positions after 11 of 32 stages: (End of first day)
                            hrs:mins.secs
 1 A Vatanen   Fin Subaru      1:57.56
 2 C McRae     GB  Subaru      1:59.02
 3 M Biasion   It  Ford Escort 1:59.07
 4 F Delecour  Fr  Ford Escort 1:59.21
 5 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota      1:59.37
 6 C Sainz     Sp  Lancia      1:59.50
 7 A Schwarz   Ger Mitsubishi  2:00.31
 8 A Aghini    It  Lancia      2:02.19
 9 T Makinen   Fin Lancia      2:02.24
10 G Trelles   Urg Lancia      2:03.35
Didier Auriol retired before SS 9 with an overheated engine.

F.VAUXHALL LOTUS:- Dario Franchitti will start from pole position in Monday's fifth round of the Vauxhall Lotus Championship at Oulton Park. The 20-year-old Scot, winner of the last three rounds, leads the championship by 16 points.





31.05.93
INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell has vowed to go all out for victory in next year's Indy 500 after finishing third on his debut in the historic race. He led for 32 laps in his bid to be Britain's first Indy winner since 1966 before being passed by Emerson Fittipaldi and Arie Luydendyk. "I'm the one who made the mistakes today and I'm sure we will do better next year. The team were fantastic," he commented. Fittipaldi praised Mansell, saying: "For a guy in his first oval race, he did fantastically well."

TOURING CARS:- Joachim Winkelhock moved into the championship lead with victory in the fifth round at Oulton Park. Winkelhock, driving a Schnitzel-tuned BMW, dominated the 18-lap race with the Vauxhall Cavaliers of John Cleland and Jeff Allam chasing hard behind. Steve Soper, who led the BTCC series at the start of the weekend, crashed his BMW out of the race and now trails Winkelhock by two points. Will Hoy also went out. Keith Odor brought his Nissan Primera home in fourth place.


Provisional result from Oulton Park:
                              mins sec
 1 J Winkelhock BMW 318s      31:59.67
 2 J Cleland    Vauxhall Cav  32:05.64
 3 J Allam      Vauxhall Cav  32:08.10
 4 K Odor       Nissan        32:16.81
 5 E O'Brien    Peugeot 405   32:37.81
 6 I Flux       Peugeot 405   32:38.42
 7 B Verdon-Roe Toyota Carina 32:56.27
 8 H Nuttall    Vauxhall Cav  32:58.57
 9 I Ashley     Vauxhall Cav  33:05.16
10 A Portman    BMW 318       33:05.41

ACROPOLIS RALLY:- Britain's Colin McRae saw his hopes of a first World Championship win disappear when the front suspension on his Subaru Legacy collapsed. He was lying second behind teammate Ari Vatanen when the trouble struck on stage 13. A team spokesman said they believed McRae hit a rock as a front wheel folded under his car. Overnight leader Vatanen crashed out on stage 21 after going into a ditch. He was unhurt but it left Miki Biasion with a good lead.


Positions after 24 of 36 stages: (end of day two)
                            hrs mins secs
 1 M Biasion   It  Ford Escort 4:22:52
 2 A Schwarz   Ger Mitsubishi  4:25:26
 3 C Sainz     Sp  Lancia      4:25:54
 4 A Aghini    It  Lancia      4:27:42
 5 T Makinen   Fin Lancia      4:29:52
 6 G Trelles   Urg Lancia      4:30:24
 7 A Fiorio    It  Lancia      4:37:45
 8 F Delecour  Fr  Ford Escort 4:42:48
 9 Apostolou   Gre Lancia      4:53:26
10 Tsadaris    Gre Lancia      4:55:04

F.VAUXHALL LOTUS:- The fifth round of the Vauxhall Lotus Championship at Oulton Park was abandoned after a number of accidents wrecked the event. Dario Franchitti, the winner of the last three rounds, still leads the championship by 16 points.

F3:- Oliver Gavin won the British Formula Three Championship race at Silverstone, clocking 27:34.30 in his Dallara F393 Vauxhall. Warren Hughes finished second and championship leader Kelvin Burt came in third.

FORMULA VAUXHALL JUNIOR:- Norfolk's Ralph Firman jnr leads the Formula Vauxhall Junior series by 12 points after victory in round five at Oulton Park.

FORMULA FORD:- Humberside driver Guy Smith held off teammate Justin Keen to win a round of the Open Formula Ford Championship at Oulton Park.

FORMULA RENAULT:- Spaniard Ivan Arias in an Alpa FR93 overhauled Tim Stafford (Orion FR91/3) to win the fourth round of the P&O European Ferries Formula Renault Championship at Oulton Park

FORD FIESTA:- Paul Radisich of New Zealand took victory in the Ford Credit Fiesta Challenge at Oulton Park while Championship leader Alistair Lyall won his third Elf Oils Renault Clio UK race in succession.