01.07.94F1: THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX
Michael Schumacher got off to a flying start to claim provisional pole for Sunday's race, leaving Nigel Mansell in the shade. The championship leader clocked a blistering 1 min 17.085 secs at the beginning of the session then relaxed as Gerhard Berger and Damon Hill chased in vain. Mansell, making a guest appearance for Williams, managed seventh with a time of 1:18.340. The German ace said: "I knew the track would be quickest at the start.....I feel very confident."
Nigel Mansell was more than happy with his first practice performance although he admitted he had a lot to do before Sunday's race. "I still haven't got the right balance on my car but it has a big potential," he said. "I am very happy and I have just got to settle in now and see what I can do. I feel optimistic I can do a lot better," he added. But the former world champion said it would be nearly impossible to match Michael Schumacher. "I doubt very much that I can win," he said.
Friday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:17.085 2 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:17.441 3 D Hill GB Williams 1:17.539 4 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:17.855 5 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:18.112 6 R Ba'chello Brz Jordan 1:18.326 7 N Mansell GB Williams 1:18.340 8 J V'stappen Hol Benetton 1:18.669 9 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:19.041 10 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:19.292 11 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:19.318 12 E Irvine Ire Jordan 1:19.463 13 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:19.697 14 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:19.969 15 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:20.001 16 P Martini It Minardi 1:20.084 17 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:20.097 18 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:20.108 19 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:20.122 20 A de Cesaris It Sauber 1:20.145 21 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:20.576 22 G Mor'delli It Footwork 1:20.707 23 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:20.801 24 O Beretta Mon Larrousse 1:21.964 25 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:22.527 26 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:23.264 27 B Gachot Bel Pacific 1:24.048 28 P Belmondo Fr Pacific 1:24.637The condition of Austria's Karl Wendlinger, badly injured in a crash in Monte Carlo in May, is improving steadily. A statement from his team Sauber said that he was slowly recovering his memory. Wendlinger, who was kept in a coma for several weeks, is still not able to remember what happened during his accident. The statement added that Wendlinger maintains a keen interest in Formula One and would be watching the French Grand Prix this Sunday.
ARGENTINE RALLY Positions after 21 of 29 stages: hrs mins secs 1 D Auriol Fr Toyota 4:13.54 2 C Sainz Sp Subaru 4:14.00 3 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 4:16.30 4 M Biasion It Ford Escort 4:19.33 5 A Vatanen Fin Ford Escort 4:19.43 6 B Thiry Bel Ford Escort 4:19.51 7 J Recalde Arg Mitsubishi 4:38.06 8 J Bescham Arg Ford Escort 4:44.17 9 R Sthol Aut Audi Coupe 4:51.43 10 I Holderied Ger Mitsubishi 4:56.03 * McRae out of rally after rolling on SS16 - Crew unhurt 02.07.94F1: THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX
Damon Hill edged out 'new' teammate Nigel Mansell in the final minutes of Saturday's qualifying session to claim his first pole spot of 1994. Hill powered around the circuit in 1 min 16.282 mins to top the final practice leaderboard which had been headed, almost unbelievably, by Mansell in his Formula One return. Mansell clocked 1:16.359 in his Williams to push Benetton driver Michael Schumacher off the front row for the first time this year. Irishman Eddie Irvine went well in the Jordan to be sixth fastest.
Damon Hill took his second pole position at Magny-Cours as he stole the show from Williams teammate Nigel Mansell in final qualifying. It was the Briton's third pole spot of his career and a major boost to his hopes of winning Sunday's race. Michael Schumacher, so impressive on Friday, struggled in the final session in his Benetton having been into the sand during free practice. Dutchman Jos Verstappen was also in trouble, hitting the fence by the pit lane and losing two tyres on his Benetton.
Nigel Mansell was full of praise for the Williams team and his teammate Damon Hill after finishing qualifying in second place. "The team have done a tremendous job. I'm happy to have complemented it in some way," said Mansell, back in F1 after an 18-month absence. "Damon did a professional job." Hill said having Mansell in the team gave him "a lot of motivation."
"He is someone I have watched and admired for many years as a driver. I am grateful to him for giving me such a hard time," said the Briton.
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:16.282 2 N Mansell GB Williams 1:16.359 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:16.707 4 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:16.954 5 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:16.959 6 E Irvine Ire Jordan 1:17.441 7 R Ba'chello Brz Jordan 1:17.482 8 J V'stappen Hol Benetton 1:17.645 9 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:17.768 10 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:17.830 11 A De Cesaris It Sauber 1:17.866 12 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:18.031 13 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:18.044 14 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:18.192 15 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:18.236 16 P Martini It Minardi 1:18.248 17 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:18.381 18 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:18.568 19 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:18.715 20 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:18.811 21 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:18.890 22 G Mor'delli It Footwork 1:18.936 23 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:19.066 24 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:19.771 25 O Beretta Mon Larrousse 1:19.863 26 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:21.829 27 B Gachot Bel Pacific 1:21.952 28 P Belmondo Fr Pacific 1:23.004TOURING CARS:- Gabriele Tarquini was quickest in official testing for the British Touring Car round at Silverstone on July 10. He clocked 1 min 59.45 secs in his Alfa Romeo with Joachim Winkelhock (2:00.38) second fastest for BMW.
ARGENTINE RALLY Result after 29 stages: hrs mins secs 1 D Auriol Fr Toyota 5:50.42 2 C Sainz Sp Subaru 5:50.48 3 A Vatanen Fin Ford Escort 5:57.22 4 B Thiry Bel Ford Escort 6:01.49 5 J Recalde Arg Mitsubishi 6:27.04 6 J Bescham Arg Ford Escort 6:33.59 7 R Sthol Aut Audi Coupe 6:47.38 8 I Holderied Ger Mitsubishi 6:51.31 9 G Raies Arg Renault 7:02.51 10 G Ramonda Arg Mitsubishi 7:11.28 DRIVERS 1 C Sainz Sp Subaru 72 pts 2 D Auriol Fr Toyota 67 3 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 57 4 M Biasion It Ford 30 5 B Thiry Bel Ford 22 MANUFACTURERS 1 Toyota 111 pts 2 Subaru 95 3 Ford 68 4 Mitsubishi 27Didier Auriol edged out Carlos Sainz in a dramatic and exciting finish to the Rally of Argentina to clinch victory by just six seconds. The Frenchman, driving a Toyota, swapped the lead with the Spaniard throughout the rally before securing his second win of the year. But Sainz, in a Subaru, took the lead in the drivers' championship with his second place. Auriol's teammate Juha Kankkunen was forced out on ss24 allowing his Finnish compatriot Ari Vatenen to take third place in his Escort.
03.07.94 - F1: THE FRENCH GRAND PRIXMichael Schumacher staked his claim to the world F1 title with a superb drive to victory in Magny-Cours. Schumacher, in the Benetton Ford, got the better of the two Williams at the start and held off a lively challenge from Damon Hill early on to win by more than 12 seconds. The 25-year-old German now has a commanding lead in the FIA World F1 Championship after winning six of the seven rounds so far. Nigel Mansell, making a guest appearance for Williams, retired with car problems while fourth.
Michael Schumacher made the best possible start as he set out in pursuit of his sixth victory in this season's seven GP races. The brilliant Benetton driver dived between the two Williams of Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell which shared the front row of the grid. He was closely followed over the early laps by Hill and then Mansell with Ferrari drivers Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger behind. Irishman Eddie Irvine was looking well set for a top six place when he stopped in the Jordan.
German Michael Schumacher overcame one of his biggest challenges of 1994 when he brushed aside Formula One comeback driver Nigel Mansell. He now heads the series with 66 points, 37 clear of second-placed Damon Hill. Gerhard Berger finished third in the race in his Ferrari and remains third on 17 points. Mansell made a disappointing exit with pump-drive failure on lap 46. It was also an unhappy race for Martin Brundle who was sidelined in a smoking McLaren, his fifth retirement this season.
Nigel Mansell's bid for F1 glory at Magny-Cours came to an abrupt end when he retired his Williams Renault with pump-drive failure. "I lost drive going down the back straight," said Mansell, who left the circuit soon after, heading to the US for his next IndyCar race. Mansell was third at the start but dropped to sixth after his pit stop on lap 19. He fought back to third. Teammate Damon Hill briefly held the lead but finished second. "The Benetton team beat us on pit stop strategy," he insisted.
Rubens Barrichello stormed back to the pits after being taken out of the race by Jean Alesi's spinning Ferrari while among the points. Barrichello was lying fifth in the Jordan Hart behind Alesi when the Frenchman made a mistake and spun off into the gravel trap. Alesi managed to get back on to the track but, as he performed a spin-turn on the circuit, he collided with the on-coming Brazilian. Dutchman Jos Verstappen spun his Benetton twice into the gravel trap and went out of the race on lap 25.
Result after 72 laps: hrs mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:38:357 (average speed 115.74mph) 2 D Hill GB Williams 12.6s back 3 G Berger Aut Ferrari 52.7s back 4 HH Frentzen Ger Sauber 71 laps 5 PL Martini It Minardi 70 laps 6 A de Cesaris It Sauber 70 laps 7 J Herbert GB Lotus 70 laps 8 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 70 laps 9 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 68 laps 10 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 67 laps 11 E Comas Fr Larrousse 66 laps Mansell retired when his Williams developed transmission trouble. DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP: 1 M Schumacher Ger 66 pts 2 D Hill GB 29 3 G Berger Aut 17 4 J Alesi Fr 13 5 R Bar'chello Brz 7 6 N Larini It 6 = M Brundle GB 6 8 M Hakkinen Fin 4 = U Katayama Jpn 4 = K Wendlinger Aut 4 = M Blundell GB 4 CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP: 1 Benetton Ford 67 points 2 Ferrari 36 3 Williams Renault 31 4 Jordan Hart 11 5 McLaren Peugeot 10 = Sauber Mercedes 10 7 Tyrrell Yamaha 8 8 Minardi Ford 5 9 Footwork Ford 3 10 Larrousse Ford 1 04.07.94 - F1Austrian driver Karl Wendlinger has said he would like to return to the sport after recovering from a serious crash in May. Wendlinger was in a coma for more than three weeks after crashing in practice for the Monaco Grand Prix. "According to how I feel when I leave hospital I would like to race again," he told an Austrian 'paper. "I'm slowly beginning to realise what happened but in the meantime I'm feeling fine," he added.
06.07.94 JOHN WATSON ON THE BRITISH GRAND PRIXAll the British-based Formula One teams tested at Silverstone two weeks ago in preparation for this weekend's British Grand Prix. It was chiefly to give them a look at changes to the circuit but will not have answered all their questions about the right strategy to adopt in Sunday's race. The all-consuming question will be whether to stop once, twice or three times for tyres and fuel. Three is the bigger gamble but it offers the chance to run lighter and therefore quicker...
Benetton opted for three pit stops in the French GP last Sunday - and the gamble paid off with Michael Schumacher winning once again. The team's race plan depended on Schumacher getting an early lead, as he did right from the start. Since he was running with less fuel his car was lighter and faster to give him an early advantage. He lost the lead at his first pit stop but was back in command again once Damon Hill stopped and restarted with a heavier fuel load. The strategy clearly worked.
A number of factors will influence teams as they decide on their strategy for Sunday's 59-lap race. The pit entry at Silverstone is long, the pit lane is long and the exit is long but, with speed limits now raised from 80 to 120kph, pit stops will not cost so much time. Dramatic corner changes will result in more tyre wear to the rear, something else to be considered. The equation balances time lost entering and exiting the pits against time gained by fresh tyres and a lighter fuel load in the race.
Correct car balance is always fundamental to success and never more so than this weekend. There are now four new lower speed corners at Silverstone and traction will be a critical factor in each car's performance. Drivers will need to show great self-control. Circuit changes will also encourage more overtaking which will lead to committed driving and, most likely, an abuse of their equipment. Sunday's GP will be won by the driver and team who best use their head and not just their feet.
Qualifying on Friday and Saturday will be blisteringly competitive. Williams and Benetton will vie for the coveted pole position. McLaren and Ferrari should be next up. McLaren struggled in France to get the performance expected from their new Peugeot V10 engines but will be closer to the pace at Silverstone. Ferrari will be handicapped at first by not having tested their cars on the revised circuit. This lost track time will cost them a day's competitive qualifying.
Watch out for a repeat of last week's good qualifying performances from Silverstone-based Jordan GP. Tyrrell-Yamaha could also nose both their cars into qualifying top 10. Sauber, Minardi, Larrousse and Ligier are in the same situation as Ferrari and will need to dial in to a vertical learning curve. Copse Corner, following the start, is revised and is now much slower which will result in drama and excitement for spectators but possible heartache for some drivers.
David Coulthard will be back in his now regular seat in the Williams, following Nigel Mansell's guest drive in the French Grand Prix. Racing in front of his home crowd for the first time in a Formula One car, I expect the angel-faced Coulthard to confirm once again that looks can be deceptive! His determination and ambition are fierce while, coupled with Damon Hill's sense of purpose, expect these two young Brits to be the crowd's favourites.
Damon Hill and David Coulthard will be driving to win on Sunday but crowd support will also benefit the other home campaigners. Martin Brundle loves Silverstone and will have a positive approach to his eighth GP in the McLaren. Eddie Irvine last raced here back in 1989 but that will not be reflected in his exhuberance. Essex man Mark Blundell has designs on a podium position and the adulation while Johnny Herbert is looking for car performance to match his great talent.
I am convinced the British Grand Prix at Silverstone will provide a greater level of entertainment than for many years in Formula One. Such clear overtaking possibilities will ensure some of the competitors having to learn very quickly how to be a racing driver in a GP car. Circuit changes were among many plans for the future development of the Northamptonshire circuit but it was agreed to bring them forward. They will ensure the highest level of safety and enjoyment for both spectators and drivers this weekend.
Silverstone's GP circuit underwent a major facelift in 1991 but, with technology in F1 developing so fast, more changes became necessary. One of the biggest problems in F1 is that, due to carbon fibre brakes and high levels of downforce, the braking zones on middle and high speed corners have become so short. The result is that overtaking on most of the world's F1 circuits is near impossible, nullifying racing. It was decided, in mid-May, that something must be done about it before this year's British GP.
Plans of the revised layout for the Silverstone circuit were viewed by some senior GP drivers before the final corner shapes were decided. The work involved major re-shaping of five corners - Copse, Stowe, Club, Abbey and Priory. The work did not stop there. Extra gravel beds were introduced along with the realignment of certain barriers to allow the maximum space for any car departing the circuit. Such a positive move by the circuit has won unanimous approval from all the Formula One competitors.
Thanks to all the recent changes, spectators and TV viewers can now expect to see overtaking on at least four parts of the circuit. This, coupled with rule changes introduced in the last two months, has increased the opportunity to race for position. Having had the opportunity to watch the Formula One cars testing here recently, I would suggest anyone here for qualifying spends time at each of the major revised corners. Lap speeds will be slower but the action miles better.
TOURING CARS:- Italian Gabriele Tarquini finds himself part of a F1 weekend again but this time in a supporting role. The former F1 driver will be behind the wheel of his blood red Alfa Romeo as he bids to extend his lead in the popular touring car series. Tarquini scored a double victory at Brands Hatch last time out to move clear of joint second-placed Paul Radisich in the Ford and Vauxhall's John Cleland with 10 rounds to go. Cleland is optimistic about Sunday. "I've found a good balance in my Cavalier which will pay dividends."
Championship leader Gabriele Tarquini slashed two seconds off the old lap record when he tested at the revised Silverstone circuit. The changes have slowed the F1 cars a little but not the touring cars. The 15-lap race on Sunday will be fiercely contested with the outcome almost impossible to predict. Nissan's Kieth Odor seeks a repeat of his 1993 victory while BMW's Jo Winkelhock, second fastest in testing, must be a front-runner. The Renaults, Toyotas, Peugeots and Volvos will also be worth watching.
F3:- Brazilian Marcos Gueiros carries the hopes of the Edenbridge Racing team who have dominated this major fixture for the past three years. Gueiros, currently sixth in the Championship, was impressive during testing on the revised circuit. He will face a huge challenge from Championship leader Jan Magnussen, second-placed Gareth Rees as well as Vincent Radermecker of the Marlboro West Surrey Racing team. Joining the line-up will be current Italian championship leader Giancarlo Fisichella.
07.07.94LONDON-MEXICO RALLY:- Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm team up once again to chase victory in the London-Mexico Rally which they won in a Ford Escort back in 1970. The event, due to be run again 25 years after the original event, will be for cars of 1970 vintage or earlier and Ford will enter a replica of their winning car. The car will differ in its use of an 1800cc belt drive assembly engine rather than a push-rod. The rally leaves London on 22 April 1995 and crosses 16 countries to reach Acapulco on 21 May.
F1:- The FIA World Motor Sport Council has decided to accept substitute safety proposals put forward by Formula One teams. The measures will come into force for the German GP after the FIA Technical Department acknowledged they reduce aerodynamic downforce. They were initially accepted by the Formula One Commission and were subsequently approved by the Motor Sport Council by means of a vote. The new regulations include modification of the skid block and rear wing.
Damon Hill has blasted critics who claim his days with the Rothmans Williams Renault team are numbered. Hill, who took his first pole spot of 1994 in last week's French GP in which he finished second, declared: "I have proven myself as a top F1 driver and will do so again here."
"I led the race and came closer to beating Michael Schumacher than anyone else this year apart from Ayrton Senna and all I read about is my job is in jeopardy.." he said. "I will not be relinquishing my position in F1 without a fight."
Williams star Damon Hill admitted he felt extra pressure having Nigel Mansell in the team last weekend. "I knew I would have to be quicker to lay any claim to being the top F1 driver. I did that and that is what I am claiming I am," said Hill. Hill said he was angry and insulted by claims that he only drove quickly in Magny Cours. "I always try to beat whoever is in front of me...I drive as hard as I can." The 33-year-old driver said he felt "pretty relaxed" and was looking forward to the big race on Sunday.
Damon Hill was presented with the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy for being the top Briton in the '93 F1 series. Past winners of the Trophy include his father Graham Hill, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Alan Jones, James Hunt and John Watson. Among the many celebrity spectators this weekend is Martin Donnelly, now back after his horrific crash in the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix. His brave fightback to fitness is recorded in "Race Without End", a book about the Jordan GP team which is being launched at the British GP.
08.07.94F1: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Michael Schumacher threatened to spoil the home party as he clocked the fastest lap in first qualifying for Sunday's F1 race at Silverstone. Damon Hill, desperate to shine in the Williams in front of his loyal fans, suffered a frustrating first day and was only fourth fastest when the hour-long session ended. Schumacher lapped the new-style circuit in 1 min 26.323 secs in his Benetton ahead of the two Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi. Also impressive was Heinz-Harald Frentzen, fifth in his Sauber.
Damon Hill completed an eventful first day in provisional fourth place on the grid but promised his fans that more was to come. Hill missed the early free practice with suspension trouble. He then had a few nasty moments, including a spin, as he tried to make up for lost time in the Williams Renault. "I was overdriving for the first few laps and went through Bridge extremely sideways," he admitted. "Hopefully it will be dry tomorrow and we can show what we can do... The Benettons had better watch out."
German Michael Schumacher dominated qualifying once again in the Benetton and then praised those challenging close behind him. "The Ferraris went surprisingly well after their problems this morning. Gerhard (Berger) did a particularly good job," he said. Schumacher also had a word for compatriot Heinz-Harald Frentzen. "I was amazed by Frentzen's time. I must ask him where he took his short cut! It's good to see him and Sauber coming along so well."
First qualifying session: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:26.323 2 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:26.783 3 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:26.891 4 D Hill GB Williams 1:26.894 5 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:27.284 6 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:27.698 7 R Ba'chello Brz Jordan 1:27.890 = E Irvine Ire Jordan 1:27.890 9 U Katayama Jap Tyrrell 1:27.936 10 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:27.983 11 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:28.159 12 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:28.224 13 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:28.510 14 PL Martini It Minardi 1:28.517 15 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:28.816 16 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1:29.412 17 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:29.240 18 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:29.268 19 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:29.381 20 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:29.403 21 O Beretta Mon Larrousse 1:29.971 22 A deCesaris It Sauber 1:30.034 23 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:30.058 24 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:30.274 25 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:31.225 26 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:31.437 27 B Gachot Bel Pacific 1:31.496 28 JP Belmondo Fr Pacific 1:34.631DAVID COULTHARD Rather disappointed with a sixth place in the Williams but relieved to survive a nasty spin at around 180mph at Bridge. "I came out of the corner backwards and ruined my lap and my tyres... I made a mistake and paid the price."
JORDAN drivers Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello both completed 11 laps in first qualifying, both suffered understeer - and both lapped in 1:27.890 to be joint 7th.
MARK BLUNDELL (13th) Suffered engine problems with the Tyrrell but happy with the car set-up.
JOS VERSTAPPEN (16th) Managed only two laps in the Benetton before spinning into the gravel trap and missing the rest of the session. He made matters worse by leaving the radio transmitter switched on, blocking teammate Michael Schumacher's contact with the pits.
HEINZ-HARALD FRENTZEN (5th) "What a fantastic result," commented the Sauber Mercedes driver, admitting he had benefitted from following Schumacher around in free practice. "It was a risk to try new things in qualifying but obviously it worked."
MIKA HAKKINEN (10th) Dogged by mechanical problems affecting first the steering and then the gearbox on his McLaren Peugeot. "Just one of those days," commented the Finn.
MARTIN BRUNDLE (12th) Unhappy with the McLaren "not fast enough". "The car is capable of 1:27.5 but that is about it," he insisted.
JOHNNY HERBERT (18th) Struggled with the handling of his Lotus. "I was losing all my time at Bridge where the car felt really nervous. As soon as I came off the power there I got into a massive twitch."
TOURING CARS:- Italian Gabriele Tarquini claimed provisional pole spot in a highly competitive qualifying session for the British Touring Car race. The Alfa Romeo driver, bidding to extend his Championship lead in round 12 of the popular series, just pipped the Renaults of Tim Harvey and Alain Menu. Both Renaults and BMWs sported new wings while Julian Bailey's Toyota featured new suspension and all benefitted from the changes. Many may miss final qualifying due to the limit of six dry tyres.
First qualifying times: mins secs 1 G Tarquini It Alfa Romeo 2:00.14 2 T Harvey GB Renault 2:00.22 3 A Menu Swi Renault 2:00.34 4 R Ravaglia It BMW 2:00.45 5 J Bailey GB Toyota 2:00.76 6 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 2:00.82 7 G Simoni It Alfa Romeo 2:00.86 8 P Watts GB Peugeot 2:00.88 9 J Cleland GB Vauxhall 2:01.40 10 P Radisisch NZ Ford 2:01.41PORSCHE SUPERCUP:- Birmingham's Kelvin Burt impressed the Porsche engineers as he worked his way towards provisional pole spot for the Silverstone round. Burt, making a guest appearance in the Porsche Supercup, showed all his skills as a Jordan F1 test driver as he quickly set the car up in the early qualifying laps. He then clocked 2 min 03.928 secs, 0.45 seconds faster than Dutchman Mike Hezemans, sixth in the series. All 26 drivers in this race will be in identical 911 Porsches which have 3.8l engines producing 310bhp.
First qualifying session: mins secs 1 Kelvin Burt GB 2:03.928 2 Mike Hezemans Ger 2:04.378 3 Jacques Laffite Fr 2:04.427 4 Tim Harvey GB 2:04.612 5 Dominique Dupuy Fr 2:04.774 6 Uwe Alzen Ger 2:04.867 7 Hubert Haupt Ger 2:04.881 8 Jean Pierre Malcher Fr 2:04.999 9 Bernd Maylander Ger 2:05.064 10 Nick Ham US 2:05.216 BRITISH FORMULA 3 Final qualifying positions: mins secs 1 Vincent Radermecker Bel 1:46.69 2 Jeremie Dufour Fr 1:46.89 3 Dario Franchitti GB 1:47.06 4 Jan Magnussen Den 1:47.09 5 Ricardo Rosset Brz 1:47.22 6 Giancario Fisichella It 1:47.37 7 Gareth Rees GB 1:47.48 8 Marcos Gueiros Brz 1:47.73 9 Gualter Salles Brz 1:47.76 10 Steven Arnold GB 1:47.82 FORMULA OPEL EUROSERIES First qualifying times: mins secs 1 Ralph Firman GB 1:53.57 2 Owen McAuley GB 1:53.62 3 Jamie Davies GB 1:53.68 4 Geoff Lister GB 1:54.14 5 Tom Coronel Hol 1:54.33 6 Guy Smith GB 1:54.75 7 Darren Manning GB 1:54.80 8 Marco Campos Brz 1:55.09 9 Kirsten Kolby Den 1:55.11 10 Alessandro Ferraresi It 1:55.14 DUNLOP ROVER TURBO CUP Qualifying times: mins secs 1 Rob Schirle 2:13.45 2 Martin Short 2:14.32 3 Nick Carr 2:14.41 4 Andy Ackerley 2:14.48 5 Nigel Edwards 2:14.68 6 Alistair Lyall 2:14.79 7 Dave Loudoun 2:14.86 8 Chris Hodgetts 2:14.88 9 Rob Mears 2:15.15 10 David Warnock 2:15.40F1:- The Italian Automobile Club have called off the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in September. Motor sports chief Marco Piccinini said the new safety measures proposed by the FIA were inadequate. He said the measures introduced following the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at Imola were not stringent enough. "If in September a grave accident occurs, public opinion and the authorities of our country would not be able to fathom it," he added.
09.07.94F1: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Damon Hill snatched pole spot in his Williams Renault in the closing stages of a highly-charged final qualifying session at Silverstone. The incredible Englishman endured some agonising minutes as Michael Schumacher challenged his time but the German in his Benetton Ford was slower - by 3/1000ths of a second. The early part of a thrilling hour-long session belonged to the Ferraris, with Gerhard Berger taking provisional pole. His hopes of improving further were dashed when his car clipped the pit wall.
Damon Hill thanked crowd support for the extra he needed to claim pole spot in the most thrilling final qualifying session this year. "I made a promise that I would get pole position and now I want to win the race. There is no question that it helps to be on home ground." He said his heart was in his mouth watching Michael Schumacher on his last two laps but not as much as it had been during his fastest lap. "It was a case of now or never," he said. "But I wanted it that much more than the other guys."
The Ferraris were the sensation of the early part of final qualifying, with both Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi setting a blistering pace. Alesi led the way, claiming second place behind Michael Schumacher, only to see his teammate clock the first official 1:25 lap. Both Damon Hill and Schumacher took up the challenge and Alesi spun several times as he tried to stay among the leading group. Berger's bid ended abruptly when he collided with the pit wall, causing a puncture and suspension damage.
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:24.960 2 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:24.963 3 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:24.980 4 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:25.541 5 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:26.268 6 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:26.271 7 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:26.337 8 U Katayama Jap Tyrrell 1:26.414 9 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:26.768 10 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1:26.841 11 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:26.920 12 E Irvine Ire Jordan 1:27.065 13 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:27.284 14 P Martini It Minardi 1:27.522 15 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:27.785 16 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:27.886 17 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:28.100 18 A de Cesaris It Sauber 1:28.212 19 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:28.225 20 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:28.231 21 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:28.340 22 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:28.519 23 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:28.955 24 O Beretta Mon Larrousse 1:29.299 25 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:30.690 26 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:30.722 27 B Gachot Bel Pacific NQ 1:31.496 28 JP Belmondo Fr Pacific NQ 1:32.507MICHAEL SCHUMACHER 2nd Admitted he made "a little mistake" in his final effort to snatch pole spot in his Benetton from Damon Hill. "It happened three corners from the end and then there was some traffic," explained Schumacher. The young German managed to joke about Hill's pole spot in his home GP. "We made a deal!" he declared.
JOS VERSTAPPEN 10th "I felt much happier than yesterday," said the Dutchman who missed most of first qualifying after a spin. "I must now get a finish and score points."
GERHARD BERGER 3rd The Austrian was at loss to explain why he swung into the pit wall just before he set off on his final practice laps. "I had a puncture but I think that happened then. Something had happened before," he insisted. "It is a shame because I think today pole position was possible." Berger was annoyed with Mika Hakkinen who refused to let him by when he was attempting a fast lap. "It hurts a lot when you risk so much and then, in the last corners, someone slows you down," he said.
UKYO KATAYAMA 8th The best result in qualifying so far this season for the Tyrrell Yamaha driver and he promised: "I will do my best to get a good result in the race."
MARK BLUNDELL 11th Suffered from a slight water leak in his Tyrrell after the first lap and the engine lost performance. He also had gearbox trouble while on his last run on his last set of tyres.
JOHNNY HERBERT 21st Frustrated by lack of progress with his Lotus. "We seem to be lost," he admitted. "We tried a lot of set-ups but it didn't seem to make any difference."
EDDIE IRVINE 12th Disappointed with his final position, having been 5th fastest in free practice earlier and having the new spec Hart engine. "I guess I was trying too hard," admitted the honest Irishman. "I did really well in the first two sections and blew it on the third. I also got blocked by Alboreto."
RUBENS BARRICHELLO 6th Irvine's Jordan teammate was delighted with his sixth place on the grid. "I thought for a while I was going to get 5th but, right at the end, Hakkinen went ahead of me.
DAVID BRABHAM 25th "Not one of my better weekends," commented the Australian, adding that they hoped to have the Simtek Fords "in better shape" for Sunday's race.
JEAN ALESI 4th An impressive outing despite oversteer on his Ferrari. "I tried everything to get rid of it. In the end I did not bother using my laps as I knew I couldn't do any better," said the Frenchman.
MICHELE ALBORETO 17th An engine failure left the Minardi team struggling to get the right set-up. "I felt as if the change of engine unbalanced my car," he said.
DAVID COULTHARD 7th Worked hard to improve the balance of his Williams Renault and was disappointed to be baulked by two cars while on his last set of tyres. "I might have got one or two places but not right up to the quick times," admitted the Scotsman.
GIANNI MORBIDELLI 16th Puzzled by a disappointing performance in final practice, dropping five places. "I think the Footwork Ford must be very sensitive to changes in temperature," he said. "It was good yesterday but not fantastic today."
TOURING CARS:- Joakim Winkelhock and Roberto Ravalglia put their BMWs on to the front row of the grid with a fine display in final qualifying. Championship leader Gabriele Tarquini was third fastest in his Alfa Romeo and lines up alongside Renault driver Tim Harvey who only went out in the closing stages. "We are struggling with tyres," admitted Harvey, the 1992 Touring Car champion. "The BMWs have the best chance tomorrow - they are easier on their tyres - but we won't make it easy for them."
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 2:00.01 2 R Ravaglia It BMW 2:00.04 3 G Tarquini It Alfa Romeo 2:00.07 4 T Harvey GB Renault 2:00.22 5 A Menu Swi Renault 2:00.34 6 J Bailey GB Toyota 2:00.76 7 G Simoni It Alfa Romeo 2:00.86 8 P Watts GB Peugeot 2:00.88 9 P Radisisch NZ Ford 2:00.88 10 J Cleland GB Vauxhall 2:01.40PORSCHE SUPERCUP:- Jordan F1 test driver Kelvin Burt surprised regular competitors in the Porsche Supercup by qualifying third fastest for Sunday's race. Burt was just 0.48 seconds off the pace set by Championship leader Uwe Alsen with Mike Hezemans second. "I understand the way to drive these cars now after racing in Spain and I plan to push hard and get a podium finish," said Burt. Touring car driver Tim Harvey, also a guest in round five of the series, was fifth. "Maybe we can have a Battle of the Brits" he said.
Final practice leaderboard: mins secs 1 Uwe Alzen Ger 2:02.834 2 Mike Hezemans Ger 2:03.225 3 Kelvin Burt GB 2:03.320 4 Bernd Maylander Ger 2:03.620 5 Tim Harvey GB 2:03.765 6 Fabien Giriox Fr 2:03.854 7 Jacques Laffite Fr 2:04.129 8 Jean Pierre Malcher Fr 2:04.186 9 Enzo Calderari Swi 2:04.326 10 Hubert Haupt Ger 2:04.423 FORMULA 3 Race result (after 15 laps): mins secs 1 Vincent Radermecker Bel 27:15.14 2 Jeremie Dufour Fr 27:16.20 3 Gareth Rees GB 27:22.74 4 Giancario Fisichella It 27:23.16 5 Marcos Gueiros Brz 27:28.08 6 Dario Franchitti GB 27:29.02 7 Jan Magnussen Den 27:29.47 8 Luiz Garcia jnr Brz 27:38.62 9 Steven Arnold GB 27:46.92 10 Christian Horner GB 27:49.19 Fastest lap: Dufour 1:47.89, 104.84mph FORMULA OPEL EUROSERIES Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 Jamie Davies GB 1:52.85 2 Ralph Firman GB 1:53.07 3 Owen McAuley GB 1:53.10 4 Tom Coronel Hol 1:53.62 5 Darren Manning GB 1:53.82 6 Guy Smith GB 1:53.85 7 Tommy Rustad Nor 1:54.00 8 Marco Campos Brz 1:54.08 9 Geoff Lister GB 1:54.14 10 Donny Crevels Hol 1:54.17 DUNLOP ROVER TURBO CUP Race result (after 12 laps) mins secs 1 Nigel Edwards 27:27.66 2 Dave Loudoun 27:31.05 3 Rob Schirle 27:33.82 4 Nick Carr 27:34.39 5 Chris Hodgetts 27:39.15 6 Martin Short 27:39.32 7 Rob Mears 27:42.47 8 Mark Hazell 27:45.64 9 Brian Heerey 27:47.33 10 Philip Myatt 27:55.82 Fastest lap: Schirle 2:15.75, 83.32mph 10.07.94 F1: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX AM: Sunday warm-up times: mins secs 1 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:26.674 2 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:26.928 3 D Hill GB Williams 1:26.941 4 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:27.489 5 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:27.622 6 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:27.736 7 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:27.770 8 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:27.840 9 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:27.874 10 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:27.921David Coulthard gave himself a timely confidence boost by topping the times in the warm-up session. "Unfortunately it's a day late," joked the cool-headed Scot, as he prepared for only his third GP in the Williams Renault. "We were just balancing the car with a fuel load". Teammate Damon Hill, due to start in pole spot, was third fastest behind Michael Schumacher in his Benetton in the half-hour run out. Gerhard Berger, who shone in final qualifying, appeared to be unhappy with the set-up of his Ferrari.
PM:- Damon Hill drove the race of his dreams to claim a sensational victory in his Williams Renault. Hill held off the dynamic challenge of arch-rival Michael Schumacher to win the British GP by 18.7 seconds in front of his ecstatic home crowd. It was the fifth win of Hill's F1 career, the most hard fought and the one he wanted above all others. Schumacher's bid for his seventh victory of the year was hampered by a five-second penalty incurred even before the race started when he overtook Hill on the formation lap.
Damon Hill made a superb start from pole position, holding on to his crucial advantage around the opening right-hand corner at Copse. But, with Michael Schumacher right behind him, the crowd knew they would be watching a desperate duel. The two drivers were in a class of their own over the early laps and barely a second separated them when Hill made his first pit stop. Schumacher gained an advantage in the pits but Gerhard Berger, yet to stop, was ahead. On lap 21, less than a second covered the top three.
Michael Schumacher was narrowly ahead after the first round of pit stops, only to be faced with a five-second stop-go penalty. He was black-flagged for failing to respond but this was withdrawn, apparently after urgent talks with the Benetton team. The young German was eventually brought in, handing the lead to Damon Hill shortly before half-way and rejoining in fourth place before finally finishing second. After the race the team were fined œ17,000 by race stewards.
David Coulthard was overshadowed by the victory of his Williams Renault teammate but earned high praise of his own for finishing in the points. Coulthard, in only his third GP, found himself starting at the back after his car stalled on the grid. The cool-headed Scot battled into the top 10 in just 14 laps and eventually finished a fine sixth. Martin Brundle made an unhappy exit with the engine of his McLaren catching fire just after the start. Eddie Irvine was sidelined in his Jordan during the warm-up lap.
Damon Hill claimed victory in an incident-packed British GP but the drama of the race was not over when he crossed the line. Spectators watched in disbelief as a battle for fourth place between Mika Hakkinen in the McLaren and Rubens Barrichello resulted in a collision on the final corner. Both struggled to the finish with the Jordan driver opting for the pit lane. Honours went to Hakkinen. with Barrichello taking fifth spot. Hakkinen is now sixth in the world standings, just behind Barrichello.
Damon Hill struggled to find words to describe how he felt after winning the British Grand Prix. "I got pole position, I won the race. It's the best day of my life" he said. "I think I was destined to win this race although I can't quite believe it." The 33-year-old Williams driver said he felt he had completed the "hole in the records" of his father the late Graham Hill. "It means so much, not least because my father never won it... It is like a dream," he declared.
Result after 60 laps: 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:30:03.64 2 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:30:22.41 3 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:31:11.76 4 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:31:44.29 5 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:31:45.39 6 D Coulthard GB Williams 1 lap 7 U Katayama Jap Tyrrell 1 lap 8 HH Frentzen Ger Sauber 1 lap 9 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1 lap 10 C Fittipaldi Brz Arrows 2 laps 11 PL Martini It Minardi 2 laps 12 J Herbert GB Lotus 2 laps 13 O Panis Fr Ligier 2 laps 14 E Bernard Fr Ligier 2 laps 15 O Beretta Fr Larrousse 2 laps 16 D Brabham Aus Simtek 3 laps 17 J-M Gounon Fr Simtek 3 laps Fastest lap: Damon Hill 1:27.100 (209kph) DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP: 1 M Schumacher Ger 72 pts 2 D Hill GB 39 3 G Berger Aut 17 = J Alesi Fr 17 5 R Barrichello Brz 9 6 M Hakkinen Fin 7 7 N Larini It 6 = M Brundle GB 6 9 H Frentzen Ger 5 10 M Blundell GB 4 == A de Cesaris It 4 == U Katayama Jpn 4 == K Wendlinger Aut 4 == P Martini It 4 CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP: 1 Benetton Ford 73 points 2 Williams Renault 42 3 Ferrari 40 4 McLaren Peugeot 13 = Jordan Hart 13 6 Sauber Mercedes 10 7 Tyrrell Yamaha 8 8 Minardi Ford 5 9 Footwork Ford 3 10 Larrousse Ford 1Retirements -
Eddie Irvine (Jordan) Stopped with engine trouble on the warm-up lap.
Martin Brundle (McLaren) Engine caught fire right at the start.
Alessandro Zanardi (Lotus) Started from pit exit after problems on the warm-up lap but pulled off just before Bridge on the fifth lap.
Andrea de Cesaris (Sauber) Retired in the pits with engine trouble.
Mark Blundell (Tyrrell) Retired after 21 laps with electronics failure. He had been in the top 10.
Gerhard Berger (Ferrari) Retired on lap 34 while in third place.
Michele Alboreto (Minardi) Engine failure sidelined the Italian on lap 48.
Erik Comas (Larrousse) Out with engine trouble after 13 laps while going well in 15th place.
Gianni Morbidelli (Footwork) Into the pits with gearbox trouble after lap 5 and retired.
Drivers Comments:-
JOHNNY HERBERT 12th Enjoyed a good dice for 11th place with Pierluigi Martini. "We were very even," said the Lotus driver. "Unfortunately the brake pedal travel started getting too long and with about 15 laps to go the engine started misfiring, then losing power," he added.
ALESSANDRO ZANARDI dnf Problems on the warm-up lap with the engine running on only nine cylinders. He completed only five laps. "It was a shame because the car felt better than it has all year," he commented.
CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI 10th "The car was not bad. It had quite good balance but, just as in warm-up and qualifying, it still lacked grip," said the Footwork-Ford driver.
GIANNI MORBIDELLI dnf "I only did six laps in my Footwork... The engine started misfiring, as though it was running out of fuel."
ANDREA DE CESARIS dnf Changed the set-up of his Sauber Mercedes after the warm-up session and suffered from understeer. "It would have been a tough race but I didn't make it to the end because the engine suddenly lost power and I stopped."
DAVID COULTHARD 6th Delighted to earn a point for Williams in only his third GP. "With Damon winning as well, I don't think we could have hoped for much more, especially as I started from the back of the grid," said the Scot.
DAVID BRABHAM 24th Relieved to have finished in the Simtek after what he said was "a difficult weekend". "I struggled from early on to keep the rear in line and the problem got worse and worse, especially out of Club corner" said the Australian.
EDDIE IRVINE dns Retained his sense of humour despite a disappointing exit in the Jordan on the warm-up. "The engine just seized. The oil light came on and then it started to tighten up, so I parked it," explained the Irishman. "These things happen."
RUBENS BARRICHELLO 5th Pulled into the pits after a collision on the final corner, not realising it was the final lap. "I'm very upset with Mika Hakkinen. He threw his car at me so hard he broke the wishbones.. I'm fifth but I'm not happy."
JOS VERSTAPPEN 9th Happy with his Benetton despite an uncomfortable race. "I started to have problems with my left foot around half-distance. I had cramps and the pain went up to my back," he explained.
HEINZ-HARALD FRENTZEN 8th Angry with himself for making a mistake and losing out to Tyrrell's Ukyo Katayama. "I lost concentration for just a moment and spun on the last lap," explained the German. Team principal Peter Sauber was not impressed: "I would have been satisfied with seventh," he stated.
Michael Schumacher and the Benetton team have been fined $25,000 and severely reprimanded following an infringement by the German driver. Schumacher was given a five-second penalty for twice overtaking Damon Hill during the formation lap. The team failed to call him in and he was eventually black-flagged. The team were rapped by Stewards of the Meeting for "lack of a complete understanding of F1 rules". Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger was fined $10,000 for exceeding the pit lane speed limit in practice.
TOURING CARS:- Gabriele Tarquini extended his lead in the AutoTrader RAC British Touring Car Championship, finishing second to Joachim Winkelhock. Tarquini grabbed the early lead in his Alfa Romeo but the determined BMW driver edged past him to win by 1.96 seconds, with Paul Radisich driving a superb race to take third. Tarquini now has 198 points, 54 clear of Ford driver Radisich. Vauxhall's John Cleland slips to third, having missed the race along with a number of drivers involved in a first lap collision at Copse.
Race result (after 12 laps): mins secs 1 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 24:40.26 2 G Tarquini It Alfa Romeo 24:42.22 3 P Radisisch NZ Ford 24:48.31 4 T Harvey GB Renault 24:52.52 5 A Menu Swi Renault 24:53.94 6 P Watts GB Peugeot 24:55.46 7 J Allam GB Vauxhall 24:56.23 8 R Rydell Swe Volvo 25:08.05 9 W Hoy GB Toyota 25:09.65 10 J Thompson GB Peugeot 25:12.01 Fastest lap: Tarquini 2:01.76, 92.89mphPORSCHE SUPER-CUP:- German Uwe Alzen scored his second successive victory to extend his lead in the Porsche Supercup, the first race on Sunday at Silverstone. His rivals in the popular series, support race in nine GP meetings this season, were eclipsed by the two British guest drivers. Birmingham's Kelvin Burt, the Jordan F1 test driver who had so impressed the Porsche mechanics this weekend, took runner-up spot. Touring car star Tim Harvey also got to grips with the rear-wheel-drive 911 to claim third place.
Race result (after 15 laps) mins secs 1 Uwe Alzen Ger 31:10.767 2 Kelvin Burt GB 31:15.306 3 Tim Harvey GB 31:20.692 4 Fabien Giriox Fr 31:20.912 5 Bernd Maylander Ger 31:21.600 6 Jean Pierre Malcher Fr 31:21.880 7 Emmanuel Collard Fr 31:29.453 8 Jean-Pierre Jarier Fr 31:31.857 9 Dominique Dupuy Fr 31:32.332 10 Manuel Reuter Ger 31:34.103 Fastest lap: Giriox 2:03.399 FORMULA OPEL EUROSERIES Race result (after 15 laps): mins secs 1 Jamie Davies GB 28:43.20 2 Ralph Firman GB 28:46.56 3 Guy Smith GB 28:48.26 4 Owen McAuley GB 28:49.44 5 Tom Coronel Hol 29:02.80 6 Geoff Lister GB 29:03.50 7 Marco Campos Brz 29:04.48 8 Donny Crevels Hol 29:13.59 9 Darren Manning GB 29:17.01 10 Kurt Mollekens Bel 29:17.61 Fastest lap: Davies 1:54.03, 99.19mphINDYCARS:- Nigel Mansell resumed his Indycar career with a credible second place behind runaway leader Al Unser Jr. The British champion, who had an unhappy to return to Formula One in last week's French Grand Prix, survived two collisions on the way. After spending most of the day battling Emerson Fittipaldi for second, until the Brazilian's car caught fire, Mansell hit teammate Mario Andretti and a wall. Unser Jr led from start to finish for his fifth win from eight races and his second in a row from pole.
11.07.94 - Touring CarsAlain Menu has been fined an extra œ2,000 after a pile-up at the start of Sunday's British Touring Car Championship race at Silverstone. He was involved in a collision with Julian Bailey's Toyota at the first corner and eight cars were tangled up in the melee. Menu was afterwards fined œ1,000 but a further penalty has been imposed and he will not be allowed to race again until it is paid. A spokesman for governing body TOCA Ltd said the accident had been entirely avoidable.
13.07.94 - F1Damon Hill has been summoned to appear before the FIA for waving a Union Jack from his car after winning the British Grand Prix. Hill stopped during his slow-down lap to collect a flag from a track marshall and that broke FIA rules. Hill could be fined in Paris on July 26 while Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Mika Hakkinen have also been called in. Schumacher could be stripped of his points and suspended from his home German Grand Prix for failing to submit to a five-second penalty.
Austrian driver Karl Wendlinger wants to return to Formula One racing despite the crash that almost cost him his life. The 25-year-old was in a deep coma after hitting a barrier during practice in Monaco two months ago. He still faces another month in hospital for further rehabilitation and said: "I know it's going to be hard on my family if I drive again. But I'm still interested in Formula One. It was always my aim and will remain so."
Gerhard Berger is insisting that a dangerous curve on Italy's Monza circuit must be made safer before the Italian Grand Prix takes place. Berger represents the Grand Prix Drivers' Association and inspected the track after the race was called off by the Italian Federation. However he believes the changes are not major and could be carried out in time for the September 11 race. "It will not cost a lot and will allow us to cast off reservations about the race," he said.
16.07.94 INDYCAR:- Friday qualifying times for Sunday's Toronto Molson Indy Car race: secs 1 R Gordon US Lola Ford 58.154 2 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 58.295 3 A Unser Jnr US Penske Ilmor 58.512 4 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Ilmor 58.715 5 P Tracy Can Penske Ilmor 58.738 6 Mi Andretti US Reynard Ford 58.775 7 S Johansson Swe Penske Ilmor 59.130 8 J Vasser US Reynard Ford 59.141 9 B Rahal US Lola Honda 59.219 10 Ma Andretti US Lola Ford 59.314Nigel Mansell survived a high-speed shunt as he posted the second fastest time in first qualifying for Sunday's race in Toronto. The reigning champion hit a tyre barrier early in the 30-minute session just after clocking a fastest lap averaging 109.924mph. Mansell injured his thumb and finger and said: "It was a fast corner and I braked too late." Robby Gordon took provisional pole, breaking Emerson Fittipaldi's track record with an average 110.191mph.
AUSTRIAN TOURING CARS:- Sunday's race has been cancelled after three officials were killed during practice at the Salzburgring, in Austria. German Wolfgang Kudrass lost control of his Opel Astra during practice and crashed into a barrier and landed on the other side. Officials have impounded the car and ordered an inquiry.
18.07.94 - RALLYINGFord are to disband their factory world rally championship team at the end of the year. The company's factory cars have competed since the 1950's, but in future they will use independent cars to carry their name. Director Colin Dobinson said: "There are major changes taking place in rallying and demands for Ford to increase its involvement in global touring car racing. "We must therefore refocus our development and engineering efforts to meet customer needs."
19.07.94 - TOURING CARSTiff Needell will team up with regular driver Keith O'dor in the Nissan team for the British Championship while Eric van de Poele concentrates on testing and development for the team.
24.07.94 - F1Benetton will decide on Thursday whether to appeal against the two-race ban imposed on star driver Michael Schumacher. A decision was originally expected on Wednesday but Schumacher's manager, Willi Weber, said it would now be delayed for a day. The team had seven days to appeal but must act quickly if Schumacher is to race in Sunday's German GP. He landed the punishment for ignoring a black flag order to stop at the British GP.
Damon Hill has been given a golden opportunity to try and overhaul Michael Schumacher's championship lead, following the German's ban. Hill could cut the deficit to just seven points after Schumacher's two-race suspension and six-point deduction for black flag violation. The Williams star was cleared by FIA at the same hearing for slowing down to collect a Union Jack on his victory lap at Silverstone. Rubens Barrichello and Mikka Hakkinen were banned for one race each, suspended for three races.
The Italian Formula One Grand Prix at Monza, called off two weeks ago because of safety reasons, may go ahead after all. A plan to remove 500 trees around the track has been approved, as recommended by Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger. The plan must now be approved by Milan's environmental chiefs before the scheduled race on September 11. Italy's Motor Sports Federation called the race off in the wake of the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.
27.07.94NEW ZEALAND RALLY:- Colin McRae returns to the scene of his brilliant maiden victory for the New Zealand rally, which gets under way on Friday. The Scot provided Subaru with their first world championship win 12 months ago and a second success is long overdue. But he is sure to face a strong challenge from championship leader and teammate Carlos Sainz, the New Zealand winner from 1990-2. The event is also round two of the Asia-Pacific Championship so the team also includes Richard Burns.
Championship leader Carlos Sainz is in confident mood ahead of Friday's start of the 29-stage New Zealand Rally in Auckland. His Subaru Impreza has been exhaustively tested on loose gravel surfaces to ensure that the car's set-up will be absolutely right. "As a result of the testing, the car will have new hydraulic front differentials that will give us even more traction," he said. Sainz holds a five-point lead over Toyota driver Didier Auriol in the drivers' standings.
ULSTER RALLY:- Malcolm Wilson goes into the penultimate round in Northern Ireland this weekend hoping to move in on the title. The number one seed is seeking a hat-trick of wins in the series as he aims to take the title that has so far eluded him. Teammate and current Championship leader Stephen Finlay, in an identical Ford Escort Cosworth, is seeking his third win in Irish rallies so far. The Ulster Rally starts from Belfast on Friday.
28.07.94F1: THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX
Benetton have decided to appeal against the two-race ban imposed on star driver Michael Schumacher. The team have challenged the stiff punishment handed down after Schumacher ignored a black flag at the British Grand Prix. The ban will now be suspended temporarily and Schumacher can race at Sunday's German Grand Prix. German fans camped at Hockenheim roared their approval when the news about their local hero was broadcast at the circuit.
Benetton say they hope to have the Michael Schumacher's two-race ban reduced after an appeal. The move to challenge the FIA punishment means that Schumacher is now clear to race in Sunday's German GP at Hockenheim. "This decision has been reached following concern that Michael's absence would unfairly penalise and disappoint all the German fans who have long awaited this event. The priority now is to prepare a winning performance this weekend," a statement read.
JOHN WATSON ON THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX
This weekend's German Grand Prix will, after all, enjoy the presence of Michael Schumacher. In a surprise move, the Benetton team have decided to appeal against the two-race ban and six points deduction imposed for ignoring a black flag at Silverstone. German fans will be delighted to have their hero back in the race but it may only delay the inevitable for Schumacher. Having seen other cases, it would be wrong to anticipate a reduction in the punishment.
The nature of the Hockenheim circuit has always been one of horsepower and in 1994 the importance of horsepower is even greater. This is for one clear reason, the latest round of technical changes. A 10mm thick, 300mm wide plank of "Jabwok" has to be fitted to the entire length of the car's underbody. The effect is to further disturb the airflow under the car therefore reducing its downforce potential.
Formula One engineers only momentarily throw up their hands in horror at the prospect of making the necessary technical changes. By the time the event takes place, teams will have already tested cars in the latest configuration. They will have developed other means of clawing back as much lost downforce as possible. It is ironic that every change to slow cars down opens up other avenues previously uninvestigated.
One unpleasant aspect of the afore-mentioned changes will be that they affect some teams more than others. Williams, Benetton and Ferrari, in my opinion, should be the least affected of the teams. Ironically, McLaren-Peugeot believe their interpretation of the regulation changes have in fact improved their car's performance. So, assuming Peugeot's engine reliability improves, there could easily be a four-way battle for pole position and podium honours.
The Hockenheim circuit also sees some changes - most notably the slower entrance to the second chicane, the one on the return into the stadium. This chicane was one of the points of the circuit that brought joy to the drivers. Now both chicanes require braking from around 200mph down to 50mph so stability and aerodynamic balance under these extreme conditions is going to be very critical. Hockenheim will be the worst nightmare for some this weekend.
NEW ZEALAND RALLY:- Colin McRae returns to the scene of his brilliant maiden victory for the New Zealand rally, which gets under way on Friday. The Scot provided Subaru with their first world championship win 12 months ago and a second success is long overdue. But he is sure to face a strong challenge from championship leader and teammate Carlos Sainz, the New Zealand winner from 1990-2. The event is also round two of the Asia-Pacific Championship so the team also includes Richard Burns.
Championship leader Carlos Sainz is in confident mood ahead of Friday's start of the 29-stage New Zealand Rally in Auckland. His Subaru Impreza has been exhaustively tested on loose gravel surfaces to ensure that the car's set-up will be absolutely right. "As a result of the testing, the car will have new hydraulic front differentials that will give us even more traction," he said. Sainz holds a five-point lead over Toyota driver Didier Auriol in the drivers' standings.
29.07.94 F1: THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX Friday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:44.026 2 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:44.616 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:44.875 4 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:45.272 5 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:45.477 6 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:45.487 7 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:45.814 8 E Irvine Ire Jordan 1:45.911 9 R Ba'chello Brz Jordan 1:45.962 10 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:46.488 11 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:46.534 12 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:46.644 13 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:47.150 14 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:47.531 15 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:47.678 16 A deCesaris It Sauber 1:47.745 17 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:47.814 18 P Martini It Minardi 1:47.831 19 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:47.925 20 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:48.402 21 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:48.621 22 O Beretta Mon Larrousse 1:48.681 23 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:48.770 24 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:50.361 25 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:50.685 26 JP Belmondo Fr Pacific 1:51.916 27 B Gachot Bel Pacific 1:52.839 28 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 40:34.496Damon Hill upstaged Championship leader Michael Schumacher as he claimed provisional pole. Hill, fired up following the German's initial two-race ban, clocked 1 min 44.026 secs in the Williams-Renault. Schumacher, in action after appealing against the ban, was only third fastest in the Benetton. He posted a time of 1:44.875 and was unable to improve it because teammate Jos Verstappen borrowed his car after crashing his own.
Damon Hill clearly enjoyed putting Championship leader Michael Schumacher in the shade on the German's home turf. Hill was quickest in Friday's qualifying and said: "I want to get pole position. It's all about beating the other bloke isn't it? I'm afraid I haven't got any sympathy because it is his home grand prix."
"The new chicane is a bit bumpy and slippery. Going down the straights it is horrifically quick."
The FIA have issued a statement concerning the investigation of the alleged use of an automatic start system by Benetton at Imola. The conclusion was that "the best evidence is that Benetton Formula Ltd was not using 'launch control' at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix". Had the evidence proved otherwise, Benetton faced being excluded from the World Championships. During the investigation several discrepancies regarding 'launch control's' capabilities were found, some even surprising Benetton.
'Launch control' is a driver's aid but according to Benetton only used in testing. - several other points also revealed were:
- Benetton stated the 'launch control' could only be started by recompilation of the source code.
- The investigation showed it could be switched on by a lap-top PC.
- Benetton's menu did not reveal 'launch control' as an option.
- The investigation showed it was an option but it was not 'visible'.
Benetton said the system was only used in testing but it was elaborate to prevent it being switched on accidentally.
NEW ZEALAND RALLY Positions after 12 of 29 stages: hrs mins secs 1 C McRae GB Subaru 2:04.24 2 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 2:05.15 3 D Auriol Fr Toyota 2:05.23 4 A Vatanen Fin Ford Escort 2:06.27 5 A Schwarz Ger Mitsubishi 2:07.11 6 M Biasion It Ford Escort 2:07.29 7 R Burns GB Subaru 2:07.37 8 K Eriksson Swe Mitsubishi 2:10.34 9 J McAndrew NZ Subaru 2:11.16 10 S Stokes NZ Ford Sierra 2:13.29 ULSTER RALLY Positions after 8 of 19 stages: (end of first leg) hrs mins secs 1 M Wilson GB Ford Escort 0:53.59 2 S Finlay GB Ford Escort 0:55.06 3 K McKinstry GB Subaru Leg 0:55.37 4 J Milner GB Ford Escort 0:57.15 5 T Makinen Fin Nissan S'ny 0:57.25 6 D Llewellin GB Vaux Astra 0:58.08 7 M Rowe GB Ford Escort 0:58.08 8 I Greer GB Toyota Cel 0:59.05 9 J Cullen GB Ford Escort 0:59.33 10 J Leckey GB Subaru Leg 1:00.05Cumbrian Malcolm Wilson set the pace on the first day as the Stena Sealink Ulster Rally reached the overnight halt. He set the fastest time on each of the first eight speed tests in his Ford Escort Cosworth to lead the fourth round of the Championship. Teammate and Championship leader Stephen Finlay is in second place but twice former winner Bertie Fisher retired with a seized engine. Finland's Tommi Makinen led the two-wheel drive Formula 2 category in his Nissan Sunny.
30.07.94 F1: THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:43.582 2 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:44.012 3 D Hill GB Williams 1:44.026 4 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:44.268 5 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:44.718 6 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:45.146 7 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:45.474 8 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:45.487 9 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:45.893 10 E Irvine NI Jordan 1:45.911 11 R Ba'chello Brz Jordan 1:45.939 12 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:46.165 13 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:46.218 14 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:46.290 15 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:46.330 16 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:46.817 17 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:47.102 18 A deCesaris It Sauber 1:47.235 19 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1:47.316 20 P Martini It Minardi 1:47.402 21 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:47.425 22 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:48.229 23 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:48.295 24 O Beretta Mon Larrousse 1:48.681 25 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:48.870 26 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:49.204 27 JP Belmondo Fr Pacific 1:51.122 28 B Gachot Bel Pacific 1:51.292The Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi dominated the final qualifying session to secure the front row of the grid. It is the first time since the 1990 Portuguese GP, when Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell were teammates, the Italian team has grid control. The Austrian, recovered from his engine fire on Friday, is on pole with his Italian teammate second. Damon Hill, ousted from provisional pole, is third in the Williams with temporarily reprieved Michael Schumacher fourth for Benetton.
INDYCARS:- Nigel Mansell overcame any fears may have had of the high banked track at Michigan to clinch pole position for Sunday's race. Mansell lapped the two-mile oval at 233.738mph to share the front row of the grid with Raul Boesel and Michael Andretti. "It is a truly daunting track but it has all the right ingredients," said the reigning IndyCar champion. "It's one of the most challenging circuits in the world. To do more than 230mph is quite something. You have to have your setup right."
NEW ZEALAND RALLY:- Scot Colin McRae remains on course for his second successive win in the Rally of New Zealand, extending his lead over the second leg. The Subaru star was fastest on many of Saturday's stages to hold a 2 mins 09 secs advantage over Juha Kankkunen in a Toyota after SS22. Didier Auriol dropped from third to sixth after mechanical trouble with his Toyota while earlier Ford's Miki Biasion stopped on SS14. Ari Vatanen hit a tree in his Ford on SS15 but fought back with best times on stages 16 to 19.
Subaru star Colin McRae was fastest on six of Saturday's 11 special stages as he stayed on course for a second successive New Zealand win. "I had no real secret," said McRae. "I drove as on the same day last year, that is to say calmly. If you drive sideways you end up slower." The day's most challenging stage was Motu over 44kms with 300m drops on either side of a muddy track. "Going off did not bear thinking about," quipped the Scot. Out on SS15 was McRae's teammate Richard Burns who hit a rock.
Positions after 24 of 29 stages: hrs mins secs 1 C McRae GB Subaru 4:52:46 2 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 4:55:02 3 A Schwarz Ger Mitsubishi 4:58:25 4 A Vatanen Fin Ford Escort 4:58:48 5 K Eriksson Swe Mitsubishi 5:02:09 6 D Auriol Fr Toyota 5:04:56 7 J McAndrew NZ Subaru 5:08:59 8 Y Fujimoto Jpn Toyota 5:15:28 9 B Stokes NZ Ford Escort 5:16:50 10 E Ordynski Aus Mitsubishi 5:18:19 ULSTER RALLY Final positions: hrs mins secs 1 M Wilson GB Ford Escort 2:44:43 2 S Finlay GB Ford Escort 2:46:30 3 K McKinstry GB Subaru Leg 2:49:24 4 T Makinen Fin Nissan S'ny 2:53:43 5 M Rowe GB Ford Escort 2:55:29 6 J Cullen Ire Ford Escort 2:56:57 7 D McGarrity GB Ford Sierra 3:01:19 8 D Llewellin GB Vaux Astra 3:01:21 9 A McRae GB Nissan S'ny 3:02:25 10 B Arnsten Nor Opel Astra 3:04:58Cumbrian Malcolm Wilson led from start to finish to score his third success of the championship season. He won the Stena Sealink Ulster Rally as he drove his Ford Escort Cosworth over the finishing line 1min 47secs ahead of team mate and series leader Stephen Finlay. Second place in the final round on the Isle of Man would be enough to pip the Ulsterman for the title. Finn Tommi Makinen won the Formula 2 category to close the gap on series leader David Llewellin.
TOURING CARS:- Paul Radisich of New Zealand clinched pole position for Sunday's race at Knockhill. He clocked 54.68 secs in his Ford Mondeo ahead of reigning champion Jo Winkelhock in the BMW, seven hundredths of a second adrift. Championship leader Gabriele Tarquini could manage no better than eighth in his Alfa Romeo with a time of 55.04 seconds.
31.07.94 AM: F1 Warm up times Sunday's warm-up times: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:46.642 2 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:46.721 3 D Hill GB Williams 1:46.770 4 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:46.996 5 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:47.126 6 E Irvine NI Jordan 1:47.281 7 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:47.398 8 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:47.480 9 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:47.535 10 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:48.050 11 R Ba'chello Brz Jordan 1:48.146 12 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1:48.195 13 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:48.351 14 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:48.448 15 A deCesaris It Sauber 1:48.604 16 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:48.940 17 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:49.145 18 P Martini It Minardi 1:49.273 19 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:49.290 20 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:49.344 21 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:49.355 22 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:49.810 23 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:49.959 24 O Beretta Mon Larrousse 1:50.345 25 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:51.283 26 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:51.396INDYCAR:- Nigel Mansell overcame any fears he may have had of the high banked track at Michigan to clinch pole position for Sunday's race. Mansell lapped the two-mile oval at 233.738mph to share the front row of the grid with Raul Boesel and Michael Andretti. "It is a truly daunting track but it has all the right ingredients," said the reigning IndyCar champion. "It's one of the most challenging circuits in the world. To do more than 230mph is quite something. You have to have your set-up right."
Final practice leaderboard: secs 1 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 30.804 (average speed of 233.738mph) 2 R Boesel Brz Lola Ford 30.945 3 M Andretti US Reynard Ford 30.962 4 R Gordon US Lola Ford 31.216 5 M Andretti US Lola Ford 31.258 6 S Johansson Swe Penske-Ilmor 31.472 7 E Fittipaldi Brz Penske-Ilmor 31.481 8 T Fabi It Reynard-Il'r 31.490 9 D Dobson US Lola Ford 31.552 10 J Villeneuve Can Reynard Ford 31.604NEW ZEALAND RALLY:- Scot Colin McRae has won the Rally of New Zealand for the second consecutive year. The Subaru star led virtually from the start and came home more than two minutes clear of reigning world champion Juha Kankkunen. McRae's victory was the perfect answer to those who doubted his temperament after a torrid year in which he has gained only one point. Frenchman Didier Auriol took fifth place to move into the lead in the world championship.
Colin McRae took his Subaru Impreza 555 to a convincing victory in the Rally of New Zealand and declared: "Everything went perfectly for me." His first win of the year ended a run of misfortunes and he admitted: "I was beginning to feel I had a jinx. This has set my mind at rest"
"It was not as if I was attacking or anything. I just drove as smoothly as I could and somehow the times kept tumbling," explained the 25-year-old from Lanark. "To say it was easy would be cheeky but it is true."
Ford's Ari Vatanen crashed out as he made an all-out bid for a top three finish in New Zealand. Vatanen, 34 seconds behind third-placed Armin Schwarz at the start of the final day, faced an anxious wait as mechanics changed a split cam-belt before the opening stage. He attacked hard, setting the best time by far on the Marumarua stage. But his brave effort came to an end on SS26 when an error launched his Escort into the air. It landed on a large tree trunk and rolled out of the World Championship event.
Final positions after 29 stages: hrs mins secs 1 C McRae GB Subaru 5:39:56 2 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 5:42:10 3 A Schwarz Ger Mitsubishi 5:45:27 4 K Eriksson Swe Mitsubishi 5:49:38 5 D Auriol Fr Toyota 5:51:22 6 J McAndrew NZ Subaru 5:59:40 7 Y Fujimoto Jpn Toyota 6:05:11 8 B Stokes NZ Ford Escort 6:06:05 9 E Ordynski Aus Mitsubushi 6:08:50 10 K Inoue Jap Mitsubushi 6:11:55 Drivers' world standings 1 D Auriol Fr Toyota 75 points 2 C Sainz Sp Subaru 72 = J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 72 4 A Schwarz Ger Mitsubishi 31 5 M Biasion It Ford 30 7 C McRae GB Subaru 21 Manufacturers 1 Toyota 128 points 2 Subaru 115 3 Ford 68 1994 FIA Asian Pacific Championship 1 K Eriksson Swe Mitsubishi 30 2 C McRae GB Subaru 20PM: THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX
Gerhard Berger clinched Ferrari's first Grand Prix win in four years after a dramatic Hockenheim race. The 34-year-old Austrian started from pole position and led all the way to the chequered flag, barely conscious of the chaos behind him. He faced a major challenge from the World Championship leader Michael Schumacher in his Benetton before he also fell by the wayside. The victory, Berger's ninth, takes Ferrari's tally to 104, equalling McLaren in the greatest number of wins ever achieved by a GP team.
Gerhard Berger was thrilled after clinching victory in front of a 150,000 capacity German crowd. The Austrian received a tumultuous reception from the fans after local hero Michael Schumacher dropped out of the race in the Benetton. "I am so happy. It was a great day for me and for the team, a really great performance," said Berger. Berger, third in the drivers' championship, admitted he had been worried by Schumacher. "He was quicker than me and I was driving on the limit."
The decimation at the start of the race of nearly half the field allowed the smaller teams to seize their chance. The French duo of Olivier Panis and Eric Bernard took second and third place for a delighted Ligier team. Panis was 55 seconds behind winner Gerhard Berger with the Footwork pair of Christian Fittipaldi and Gianni Morbidelli fourth and fifth. The Larrousse team also came home together with Britain's Damon Hill bringing up the rear in eighth place in the Williams.
Britain's Damon Hill made the worst possible start to the German GP when he lost several minutes in the pits after a first lap incident. Hill appeared to have come into contact with the Tyrrell of Ukyo Katayama and was forced straight into the pits for urgent repairs. He pulled in just as the Williams mechanics were working frantically on David Coulthard's car, damaged in a start-line collision. Hill rejoined the race but a lap behind the leaders Gerhard Berger and Michael Schumacher.
Almost half the cars were left stranded after two major pile-ups at the start of the German GP. One of the incidents saw Mika Hakkinen clip David Coulthard's Williams, slide across the track and crash heavily into the tyre wall in his McLaren. Seconds earlier cars were flying off in all directions after a separate accident at the back of the grid. Coulthard lost time in the pits having a new nose cone fitted at the end of the first lap.
Benetton driver Jos Verstappen was pulled to safety as his car became engulfed in flames during a routine stop for fuel and tyres. The fire was quickly extinguished and Verstappen and four mechanics were released after treatment. Just a few laps later the team were back in action, sadly wheeling the Benetton of Michael Schumacher back into the pits after the German suffered mechanical trouble. Schumacher, the World Championship leader, had been lying second to Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger.
Mark Blundell was among a number of drivers left with nowhere to go when Mika Hakkinen slid across the track before the opening corner. "Hakkinen came from nowhere down the inside of David Coulthard... he then came across the front of us," said Blundell, adding: "He does not think he's done anything wrong." Eddie Irvine was another casualty in his Jordan and insisted: "With 11 cars out on the first corner, I would have thought they would have stopped the race."
Mika Hakkinen has been suspended for one race following the melee at the start of the German Grand Prix. FIA stewards watched videos and interviewed drivers before blaming the Finn who misses the Hungarian GP at Budapest on August 14. McLaren have said they will not be appealing against the decision. Alessandro Zanardi (Lotus), Andrea De Cesaris (Sauber) and Michele Alboreto (Minardi) were also given one-race bans for leaving the circuit before reporting to officials regarding the accidents.
Result after 45 laps: hrs:mins.sec 1 G Berger Aut Ferrari 2:37.272 2 O Panis Fr Ligier @ 54.779 3 E Bernard Fr Ligier @1:05.042 4 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork @1:21.609 5 G Morbidelli It Footwork @1:30.544 6 E Comas Fr Larrousse @1:45.445 7 O Beretta Fr Larrousse @ 1 lap 8 D Hill GB Williams @ 1 lap Fastest lap: D Coulthard GB 144.54mphRetirements: Alesi, Hakkinen, Blundell, Herbert, Irvine, Barrichello, Martini, Alboreto, De Cesaris, Frentzen, Zanardi, Katayama, Verstappen, Schumacher, Brundle, Coulthard, Brabham, Gounon
DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP 1 M Schumacher Ger 66 pts 2 D Hill GB 39 3 G Berger Aut 27 4 J Alesi Fr 19 5 R Barrichello Brz 10 6 M Hakkinen Fin 8 7 N Larini It 6 = M Brundle GB 6 = O Panis Fr 6 = C Fittipaldi Brz 6 11 H Frentzen Ger 5 12 U Katayama Jpn 4 == K Wendlinger Aut 4 == M Blundell GB 4 == A de Cesaris It 4 == P Martini It 4 == D Coulthard GB 4 == E Bernard Fr 4 19 G Morbidelli It 2 == E Comas Fr 2 21 M Alboreto It 1 == E Irvine GB 1 == JJ Lehto Fin 1 CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Benetton Ford 67 points 2 Ferrari 52 3 Williams Renault 43 4 McLaren Peugeot 14 = Jordan Hart 14 6 Ligier Renault 10 = Sauber Mercedes 10 8 Tyrrell Yamaha 9 9 Footwork Ford 8 10 Minardi Ford 5 11 Larrousse Ford 2INDYCARS:- Nigel Mansell finished 26th in the Marlboro 500 at Michigan on Sunday after throttle linkage problems hit his Ford Lola Cosworth. The defending champion and pole sitter was leading when the trouble developed on lap 35 of the 250 lap race won by Canadian Scott Goodyear. "The car was handling fantastic, we were in the lead and we were really happy but it went from being perfect to flat out everywhere. You just can't drive a race like that at these speeds. It's just so, so dangerous," said Mansell.
Result from Michigan: laps 1 S Goodyear Can Lola Ford 250 (average speed of 159.800mph) 2 A Luyendyk Hol Lola Ilmor 249 3 D Dobson US Lola Ford 248 4 T Fabi It Reynard-Il'r 245 5 M Smith US Lola Ford 240 6 H Matsushita Jpn Lola Ford 239 7 W Ribbs US Lola Ford 236 8 Al Unser jnr US Penske-Ilmor 231 9 R Boesel Brz Lola Ford 225 10 E Fittipaldi Brz Penske-Ilmor 209 OTHERS: 26 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 35TOURING CARS:- Ford's Paul Radisich made inroads into Gabriele Tarquini's grip on the championship at Knockhill, Fife. Radisich failed to win either of the day's two races but the Kiwi bit into Tarquini's lead after the Italian crashed out spectacularly. Tarquini emerged unscathed from a double roll in his Alfa Romeo 155 after being struck by Tim Harvey's Renault in the first race. Radisich took second place in both races to lie 18 points behind Tarquini. Alain Menu and Steve Soper were the race victors.
ROUND 13 - KNOCKHILL mins:secs 1 A Menu Swi Renault 30:00.26 2 P Radisich NZ Ford Mon 30:00.61 3 S Soper GB BMW 30:00.71 4 J Allam GB Vauxhall 30:11.80 5 J Cleland GB Vauxhall 30:16.94 6 R Rydell Swe Volvo 30:21.75 7 E O'Brien GB Peugeot 30:22.57 8 J Bailey GB Toyota 30:23.08 9 W Hoy GB Toyota 30:23.41 10 T Needell GB Nissan 30:30.47 ROUND 14 - KNOCKHILL mins:secs 1 S Soper GB BMW 29:54.21 2 P Radisich NZ Ford Mon 29:55.70 3 A Menu Swi Renault 29:56.86 4 T Harvey GB Renault 29:57.37 5 J Allam GB Vauxhall 29:57.85 6 J Cleland GB Vauxhall 29:58.13 7 J Bailey GB Toyota 29:52.52 8 W Hoy GB Toyota 30:13.22 9 G Simoni It Alfa Romeo 30:10.70 10 R Rydell Swe Volvo 30:22.58 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1 G Tarquini 198 pts 2 P Radisich 180 3 Cleland 146