01.09.94 - F1The Italian Grand Prix may still be held this month after Ferrari drivers Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger declared Monza to be safe. The duo tested the modified circuit just hours after an old oak was taken down to improve safety. The tree was the last of 24 removed at the track under a plan to lower speeds, improve safety and allow the event to take place on September 11. Berger said: "The track safety has certainly improved. It's not perfect but for this year it's OK."
02.09.94 - TOURING CARSRobb Gravett and Anthony Reid have been given the two wild cards into the five-man British team for the FIA Touring Car World Cup. They join John Cleland, Steve Soper and Patrick Watts, the three top Britons in the current British championship standings. The World Cup takes place at Donington Park on October 16. Gravett will drive a Ford Mondeo and his selection follows a superb drive in an uncompetitive car in last year's event at Monza, Italy.
04.09.94 - INDYCARSNigel Mansell was unable to oust Robby Gordon from pole position despite the American sitting in the pits for most of final qualifying. Gordon was unable to improve his lap time due to an oil leak and transmission problems. Mansell recorded a lap fractionally quicker than his best time on Friday but was frustrated by traffic on the circuit. "I had two very, very good laps going that were spoiled by safety cars on the course," he said.
Leading grid positions for Sunday's race at Vancouver: mph 1 R Gordon US Lola Ford 109.049 2 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 108.735 3 M Andretti US Reynard Fd 108.725 4 S Goodyear Can Lola Ford 108.096 5 T Fabi It Reynard Ilm 107.887 6 P Tracy Can Penske Ilm 107.562 7 S Johansson Swe Penske Ilm 107.550 8 A Unser jnr US Penske Ilm 107.510 9 J Vil'neuve Can Reynard Fd 107.499 10 M Andretti US Lola Ford 107.367 05.09.94F1:- Benetton's appeal into Michael Schumacher's Belgian Grand Prix disqualification has been delayed until Wednesday. It will now be heard in Paris, along with the team's response to a charge relating to the fire at the German GP. Benetton clothing company boss Luciano Benetton said he did not think Schumacher would quit. The German star was quoted as saying he "could not accept it" if Benetton had knowingly broken rules.
McLaren have been ordered to answer charges of illegally using an automatic gearbox at this year's San Marino Grand Prix. The FIA say a fully-automatic upchange facility was found in the software of Finn Mika Hakkinen's car after the race at Imola in May. Hakkinen finished third in the race which was overshadowed by the death of former McLaren driver and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna. The team, who may be banned for the rest of the Formula One seasin, will face the FIA on Wednesday.
INDYCARS:- (Vancouver, Canada) Nigel Mansell crashed out on the final lap as Al Unser Jr gained his eighth victory of the season. Mansell was unhurt after bumping into the concrete barrier as he tried to overtake Brazil's Emerson Fittipaldi for third place. The Briton had earlier led the race but fell back to sixth after a poorly-timed pit stop. He fought his way back to fourth place, but then disaster struck as he collided with Fittipaldi going into the last corner.
Final positions: 1 A Unser jnr US Penske Ilmor 2 R Gordon US Lola Ford 3 M Andretti US Reynard Ford 4 S Goodyear Can Lola Ford 5 M Gugelmin Bra Reynard Ford 6 A Luyendyk Hol Lola Ilmor 7 B Rahal US Lola Honda 8 M Smith US Lola Ford 9 E Fit'paldi Bra Penske Ilmor 10 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 07.09.94 - F1Benetton have been cleared of deliberately tampering with their refuelling rig at an International Automobile Federation hearing. The case followed an incident at the German Grand Prix when driver Jos Verstappen's car was engulfed by a flash fire. FIA chairman Max Mosley said they were satisfied that the team had made an "honest mistake." But Benetton lost an appeal against the disqualification of Michael Schumacher in Belgium for having an undersized skid-block on his car.
Benetton's managing director Flavio Briatore was a relieved man after the FIA cleared his team of the fuel filter tampering charges. He said: "The findings of the World Council speak for themselves. This is a great day for the team, its sponsors and Michael Schumacher. I want to express my thanks to the World Council and Max Mosley for the very careful and fair way in which they heard these cases. Now that the team's good name has been upheld we can concentrated on what we do best - winning races."
McLaren have been found guilty of using an illegal fully-automatic gearbox in their cars at the San Marino in May. The ruling followed a hearing at the Paris HQ of the sport's governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA). But the FIA panel decided that no action should be taken against the team. They said it was a technical matter, giving rise to different interpretations of the rules.
Ukyo Katayama has signed up for a third year with the Tyrrell team after agreeing to race for them in the 1995 season. Katayama has had a relatively successful year with Tyrrell and is pleased to have secured a new deal. He said: "I am very happy at the prospect of working once again with the Tyrrell team. With their immense experience, I know that I can reach my big goal and win in Formula One," he added.
08.09.94F1:- Michael Schumacher has marked his absence from this weekend's Italian GP by complaining that Formula One is "riddled with politics." The championship leader is serving a two-race ban for ignoring a black flag during the British GP. "Formula One, like every high-profile sport, is riddled with politics," he said in an interview with The European newspaper. Schumacher also called for the "core of the sport" to be protected as commercialisation "takes an ever greater hold."
JOHN WATSON ON THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
Marlboro McLaren Peugeot can look forward to this weekend's race with a definite advantage following the FIA world motor sport hearing. They were exonerated but must remove the upchange facility on the gearbox immediately and any similar downchange facility prior to the Portuguese GP in two weeks' time. But, during the investigation, a bug in the engine management software was discovered - an unexpected performance bonus. Mika Hakkinen and Martin Brundle will enjoy this fortuitous benefit.
Benetton have returned from Paris with what is, on balance, an exoneration by Wednesday's FIA world motor sport hearing. The only negative outcome was over their win in the Belgian GP, with the stewards' decision being upheld over wear on the wooden plank and Schumacher still disqualified. Michael Schumacher still has a good chance, over his last three GPs, to become the rightful world champion. But the battle is not going to won now until the final race in Adelaide in November.
Bewilderment greeted Wednesday's decisions, from the majority of F1 teams in the paddock at Monza. President Max Mosley pointed out in the press conference following the FIA hearings that there was no disparity but sceptics in the less powerful teams remain unconvinced. The decision will ultimately be to the benefit of GP racing. F1 cannot presently afford to lose teams and the judgement was based on the evidence presented along with the pragmatic view of F1 for the 1994 season.
Will it be the gift horse or the prancing horse that wins at Monza. Damon Hill must ride the gift horse to victory to make the most of Michael Schumacher's two-race ban imposed for non-observance of the black flag at Silverstone in July. The prancing horse - Ferrari - will be desperate to re-establish their winning habit, particularly at this famous venue for obvious reasons. I believe Ferrari have the speed but I am doubtful about their reliability over the course of the 53-lap grand prix.
Damon Hill clearly enjoys both speed and reliability with the Williams so his biggest problem could be teammate David Coulthard. Coulthard will shortly be vacating his seat for the return of Nigel Mansell and may not be in any rush to do Hill any favours. It is therefore up to the team to sort things out and ensure Hill is able to score maximum points without unnecessary opposition. Coulthard will be told that his role in his remaining two GPs is as a support and not a challenge.
Benetton's hopes of victory this weekend have diminished with the absence of Michael Schumacher. He is replaced by JJ Lehto who, along with Jos Verstappen, could nonetheless be points contenders. The team I expect to shine brightly at Monza is Tyrrell. A good car, new powerful engines and two hungry drivers adds up to a strong package. Providing both drivers can get cleanly through the first chicane on the opening lap, I believe they will threaten all but the Williams.
Jordan need Spa-like weather to give them any serious opportunity of a podium finish on Sunday. They are completely out-powered by the opposition but could perhaps benefit from their reliablity with Monza a notorious engine-breaker. Lotus will run the latest version of the Mugen-Honda ZA5D V10 engine which, in testing, has contributed to a significant performance gain. Johnny Herbert is the lucky chappie while teammate in Italy Alessandro Zanardi must make do with the less competitive and older model.
Two corners at Monza have been altered recently for safety reasons. The flat-out Curva Granda now has a tighter line and the controversial second Lesmo Curve is now a much tighter corner altogether, much like Copse Corner at Silverstone. This will clearly slow the cars down but, in fact, is the minimum amount of safety work acceptable. Silverstone and Magny Cours spent millions on improvements while Monza fought, and lost, a battle with enviromentalists who consider trees more important than lives.
RALLY:- Shari Bryan gave Britain's rallying future a boost when she won the Hella Top Gear Woman Rally Driver of the Year competition. The Birmingham-based 24-year-old beat 11 other finalists at Silverstone to take first prize. "It's absolutely fantastic and a dream come true," she said. "I love all forms of motor racing so this is just unbelievable." Her prize includes a drive in a Peugeot in the Crystal Forest Rally.
Subaru World Rally Team have been boosted by the announcement of a new three-year sponsorship deal. British-American tobacco and the UK-based engineering company Prodrive have extended an agreement that assures the team future until 1997.
09.09.94 F1: THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX Friday's official qualifying times: mins secs 1 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:24.620 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:24.734 3 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:24.869 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:24.915 5 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:26.004 6 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:26.365 7 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:26.406 8 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:26.525 9 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:26.574 10 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:26.899 11 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:26.958 12 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan 1:27.034 13 A de Cesaris It Sauber 1:27.188 14 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1:27.361 15 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:27.387 16 JJ Lehto Fin Benetton 1:27.611 17 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:27.617 18 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:27.623 19 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:27.675 20 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:27.939 21 Y Dalmas Fr Larrouse 1:29.525 22 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:29.594 23 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:30.530 24 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:30.691 25 B Gachot Bel Pacific 1:31.549 Provisional non-qualifiers: 26 P Belmondo Fr Pacific 1:32.035 27 PL Martini It Minardi 19:42.320 28 E Irvine NI JordanDamon Hill had to settle for second best behind local hero Jean Alesi as the Ferrari star claimed provisional pole. He edged ahead of Hill, with Hill's teammate David Coulthard third fastest in the second Williams. Alesi, seeking the first pole of his career, dominated the closing stages of an opening qualifying session in warm, dry conditions. Eddie Irvine's lap times were cancelled as he had completed 13 laps instead of the permitted 12.
TOURING CARS:- Paul Radisich showed he was not about to give up the hunt for the title by clocking the fastest time in Friday's official TOCA test. The Kiwi trails Gabriele Tarquinui by 66 points and must win Sunday's two races to keep his title hopes alive until next week's finale. Tarquini, however, is suffering from a virus and left his sick bed to record the seventh fastest time. Six different makes of car finished in the top six to underline the competitiveness of the BTCC.
Friday's times - Silverstone mins secs 1 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 2:00.41 2 J Winkelhock BMW 318i 2:00.78 3 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 2:00.96 4 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 2:01.19 5 J Bailey Toyota Carina 2:01.41 6 A Menu Renault Laguna 2:01.42 7 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 2:01.60 8 S Soper BMW 318i 2:01.63 9 T Harvey Renault Laguna 2:01.74 10 A Rouse Ford Mondeo 2:01.82 10.09.94 F1: THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:23.844 2 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:23.978 3 D Hill GB Williams 1:24.158 4 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:24.374 5 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:24.502 6 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:25.455 7 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:25.528 8 A de Cesaris It Sauber 1:25.540 9 E Irvine NI Jordan 1:25.568 10 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1:25.618 11 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:25.628 12 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:25.718 13 A Zanardi It Lotus 1:25.733 14 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:25.889 15 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:25.933 16 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:25.946 17 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:26.002 18 PL Martini It Minardi 1:26.056 19 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:26.337 20 JJ Lehto Fin Benetton 1:26.384 21 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:26.574 22 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:26.832 23 Y Dalmas Fr Larrousse 1:27.846 24 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:27.894 25 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:28.353 26 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:28.619 Non-qualifiers: B Gachot Fr Pacific 1:31.387 P Belmondo Fr Pacific 1:32.035Ferrari duo Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger sent the crowd wild as they claimed front row positions for Sunday's 53-lap Grand Prix. Alesi was never headed on the practice leaderboard as he clinched a first ever pole spot, in his 81st GP, roared on by flag-waving fans at Ferrari's home track. "This really is a very special day" said the Frenchman. "Race strategy? To go quicker than the others." Britain's Damon Hill, needing a win on Sunday to keep alive hopes of the world title, was third fastest.
Johnny Herbert produced an inspired performance in final qualifying to earn a place on the second row of the grid for Sunday's race. The Englishman, fired up by the new Mugen-Honda engine in his Lotus, finished fourth fastest to line up alongside Williams star Damon Hill. Other Britons fared less well. Martin Brundle was a disappointing 15th in his McLaren while Mark Blundell failed to improve on his Friday time and was 21st overall. Blundell missed out after going off in his Tyrrell early in the session.
Damon Hill warned Ferrari not to plan any celebrations on Sunday, despite being left on the second row of the grid for Sunday's race. "It was a very close competition," declared the Williams driver. "You only had to get a couple of tenths to get on pole...it takes a lot of concentration to find that bit." Hill insisted: "I think we are well poised to spoil Ferrari's party." Johnny Herbert, thrilled with his fourth place, said: "It's a great feeling to have a car with which I can really do something."
INDYCARS:- Nigel Mansell bettered the old lap record but Al Unser junior went even quicker to claim provisional pole at for Sunday's race. Championship leader Unser produced a top lap speed of 134.948mph at the four-mile road circuit. Unser needs only to finish fifth or better in the race to add the 1994 to the one he won four years ago. "I know Al and his teammates and some others too are going to be faster tomorrow so we're going to have to be quicker just to stay where we are," said Mansell.
Friday qualifying times for the Texaco/Havoline 200 at Wisconsin: mph 1 A Unser jr US Pensek Ilm 134.948 2 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 134.630 3 P Tracy Can Penske Ilm 134.527 4 J Vil'neuve Can Reynard Fd 133.433 5 A Fernandez Mex Reynard Ilm 133.173 6 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Ilm 133.118 7 M Andretti US Lola Ford 132.636 8 R Boesel Brz Lola Ford 132.538 9 B Rahal US Lola Honda 132.156 10 M Groff US Lola Honda 132.148 TOURING CARS:- Leading practice times at Silverstone: mins secs 1 T Harvey Renault Laguna 2:00.52 2 J Winkelhock BMW 318i 2:00.81 3 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 2:00.86 4 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 2:00.91 5 S Soper BMW 318i 2:00.96 6 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 2:01.11 7 A Menu Renault Laguna 2:01.13 8 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 2:01.38 9 J Bailey Toyota Carina 2:01.67 10 A Rouse Ford Mondeo 2:01.68 11.09.94F1:- Damon Hill claimed his fourth win this season in the Williams to narrow the gap on absent series leader German Michael Schumacher. It was just the result he needed to keep alive his hopes of overhauling Schumacher for the world title - but no delight to the Italian crowd. They watched in disbelief as leader Jean Alesi in a Ferrari was left stranded in the pits and Gerhard Berger was then delayed on his stop. Berger grabbed the runner-up spot as David Coulthard in the Williams slowed within sight of the finish.
Frenchman Jean Alesi gave the flag-waving Italian crowd just the start they had paid to see as he swept into an early lead. Alesi, making the most of his first ever pole position, headed teammate Gerhard Berger in the re-started race and opened up a big gap after a slight mistake by the Austrian. Williams drivers Damon Hill and David Coulthard, with a greater fuel load, were chasing hard. Disaster struck when a routine pit stop left Alesi apparently unable to select a gear.
Ferrari at last got a lucky break when Gerhard Berger snatched second place as David Coulthard stopped within sight of the finish. Berger, competing despite a high speed crash in the morning warm-up, lost valuable seconds and the lead when he was baulked in the pits. Jean Alesi had earlier retired in the pits while leading and Berger, about to leave after his fuel stop, was delayed as Olivier Panis cut in front of him in the Ligier. The delay handed the advantage to Damon Hill and David Coulthard.
Damon Hill revived his world title chances with the seventh GP victory of his career and immediately looked ahead to the next race. "It's essential we get 10 points in Portugal and get back on par for when Michael (Schumacher) returns. We need to improve a little bit in readiness for that," he insisted. Second-placed Gerhard Berger was delighted with his result. "After this morning I did not expect to be sitting here," said the Austrian. "I had my race car destroyed and had to use the spare"
Result after 53 laps: 1 D Hill GB Williams 1 hr 18 mins 02.754 secs 2 G Berger Aut Ferrari 4.93s back 3 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 25.640s 4 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 50.634 5 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:25.575 6 D Coulthard GB Williams 1 lap 7 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1 lap 8 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1 lap 9 JJ Lehto Fin Benetton 1 lap 10 O Panis Fr Ligier 2 lapsRetirements included:
Jean Alesi (Ferrari) - came into pits for fuel, in the lead, but appeared unable to find a gear and retired
Johnny Herbert (Lotus) - started in spare car from the pits after being involved in pile-up at first chicane, battled up to 14th before stopping with transmission trouble
Gianni Morbidelli (Footwork) - out on opening lap of re-started race
Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Sauber) - out with mechanical trouble
Michele Alboreto (Minardi) - lap 30
Yannick Dalmas (Larrousse)
Pier-Luigi Martini (Minardi) - spun out on lap 32
Ukyo Katayama (Tyrrell) - spun off in closing stages while in fifth place
Olivier Panis (Ligier) - out while 14th
Mark Blundell (Tyrrell) - spun off while in seventh place after problems with his brakes
DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP 1 M Schumacher Ger 76 pts 2 D Hill GB 65 3 G Berger Aut 33 4 J Alesi Fr 19 5 M Hakkinen Fin 18 6 R Barrichello Brz 13 7 M Brundle GB 11 8 M Blundell GB 8 = J Verstappen Hol 8 = D Coulthard GB 8 11 O Panis Fr 7 12 N Larini It 6 == C Fittipaldi Brz 6 14 H-H Frentzen Ger 5 == U Katayama Jpn 5 CONSTRUCTORS 1 Benetton Ford 85 points 2 Williams Renault 73 3 Ferrari 58 4 McLaren Peugeot 29 5 Jordan Hart 17 6 Tyrrell Yamaha 13 7 Ligier 11 8 Sauber Mercedes 10 9 Footwork Ford 9 10 Minardi Ford 5 11 Larrousse Ford 2Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger made a brave decision to compete despite a high speed crash in the morning. Berger lost the back end under braking at the second chicane and hit a tyre wall at over 100mph. He was treated for a time at the trackside before being placed in a body splint and taken to the medical centre. He was then checked in hospital before deciding to race. Berger lined up alongside teammate Jean Alesi to give the Italian fans the superb treat of a Ferrari front row at the team's home track.
Gerhard Berger has hit out at the medical services at Monza following his crash in the warm-up session. "I was not hurt seriously and could see exactly what was going on...it was a casino. It proved again here in Italy that they do not know what they are doing," declared Berger. He said trackside crews did not know how to undo a helmet and that practice should have been stopped while he received help in a sand-trap with cars racing past him. He was also critical of the way he was treated in a hospital check-up.
At least seven cars were caught up in a pile-up at the start of the 53-lap Italian Grand Prix which caused the race to be stopped. The incident appeared to centre around Eddie Irvine in the Jordan who collided with Johnny Herbert's Lotus under heavy braking at the first chicane. Cars were left scattered over the track and the race was halted. Herbert was left to compete in his old car, a huge disappointment after qualifying fourth boosted by the new Mugen-Honda engine.
TOURING CARS Result - round 18, Silverstone:mins secs 1 T Harvey Renault Laguna 18:36.68 2 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 18:37.43 3 A Menu Renault Laguna 18:40.18 4 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 18:44.00 5 J Bailey Toyota Carina 18:47.63 6 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 18:48.90 7 W Hoy Toyota Carina 18:51.31 8 J Allam Vauxhall Cav 18:51.55 9 T Sugden Toyota Carina 18:56.92 10 R Rydell Volvo 850 18:57.98 Result - round 19, Silverstone:mins secs 1 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 24:43.95 2 A Menu Renault Laguna 24:45.94 3 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 24:47.44 4 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 24:49.54 5 S Soper BMW 318i 24:56.07 6 J Bailey Toyota Carina 24:58.12 7 W Hoy Toyota Carina 24:58.54 8 A Rouse Ford Mondeo 25:01.49 9 J Allam Vauxhall Cav 25:01.72 10 T Sugden Toyota Carina 25:07.71 CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS - Drivers points 1 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 288 wins title 2 A Menu Renault Laguna 186 3 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 180 4 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 166 5 J Winkelhock BMW 318i 125 6 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 120 Manufacturers 1 Alfa Romeo 294 win title 2 Renault 223 3 BMW 220 INDYCAR Final qualifying times for the Texaco/Havoline 200 at Wisconsin: mph 1 P Tracy Can Penske Ilmor 136.603 2 J Vil'neuve Can Reynard Ford 3 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 4 A Unser jr US Penske Ilmor 5 R Gordon US Lola Ford 6 A Fernandez Mex Reynard Ilmor 7 M Andretti US Lola Ford 8 M Smith US Lola Ford 9 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Ilmor 10 R Boesel Brz Lola FordNigel Mansell slipped to third spot on the starting grid for the 200 IndyCar race at Road America as Canadian Paul Tracy captured pole. Tracy, the defending champion, claimed a hat-trick of pole places at the circuit after averaging a course-record speed of 136.602mph. "I am really pleased," said the Team Penske driver, who overcame an engine problem during qualifying. "Changing the motor was a big help." IndyCar rookie Jacques Villeneuve made it an all-Canadian front row, edging out Mansell.
F3:- Newly crowned champion Jan Magnussen clinched his 13th win of the season in the 17th and penultimate round at Thruxton. The Dane eclipsed Ayrton Senna's 1983 record of 12 wins in a season.
12.09.94F1:- Lotus have been thrown a lifeline by a High-Court judge to continue racing under the control of court-appointed administrators. The Norfolk-based team faced being wound-up with debts of œ10 million but argued they stood a chance of survival if they continued trading. The team has positive backing from three secured creditors and there are rumours Nigel Mansell will be asked to help his former team. Mr Justice Chadwick also said the team's new Honda engine should have a chance to prove itself.
TOURING CARS:- The 1995 Auto Trader BTCC will be expanded to include two races at every meeting - aside from the British Grand Prix. Double-headers have been held for the past two years at Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Knockhill. Next year's meetings at Oulton Park, Snetterton and Thruxton will also double up. This latest move increases the number of championship rounds to an unprecedented total of 25.
Williams have confirmed that they will be entering a team in next year's British Touring Car Championship. The Didcot-based team will run a pair of Renault Lagunas for the next three seasons. However they dismissed speculation that Nigel Mansell may switch to touring cars.
MANX RALLY:- Malcolm Wilson hopes to clinch his first ever British Championship title in the Manx International Rally starting on Wednesday. The Cumbrian needs to overhaul current leader Stephen Finlay in the last rally of the series. Ironically the Ford Escort Cosworth driver could be thwarted by teammate Finlay whose identical car is prepared by Wilson's own team. But Wilson insists there are no team orders. "Whoever wins the title will have won it by being the fastest over five rallies," he said.
13.09.94 - F1Michael Schumacher will not leave Benetton at the end of the current Formula One season, a spokeswoman for the German has said. Swiss and German newspapers claimed he gave a letter to the team before the Italian GP, notifying them that he intends to sever his contract. But spokeswoman Patrizia Spinelli dismissed the story, saying: "It's all speculation, we can deny it." Some British newspapers claim Schumacher has been offered a œ13 million deal to drive for the McLaren team.
14.09.94F1:- Michael Schumacher's future with Benetton remains uncertain after newspaper comments from his manager. Willi Weber was reported in Bild as saying Schumacher would not drive for the F1 team "under current conditions" but Benetton insisted he would remain for the 1994 season. Schumacher, suspended for two races for ignoring a black flag, warned he might quit over the fuel filler incident - but the team was cleared of any responsibility. Recent reports have suggested a move to McLaren for 1995.
MANX INTERNATIONAL RALLY (round 5) Positions after 11 of 33 stages:penalty 1 M Wilson Ford Escort 1:20.21 2 K McKinstry Subaru Legacy 1:21.12 3 S Finlay Ford Escort 1:22.26 4 B Fisher Subaru Impreza 1:22.39 5 D Depping Ford Escort 1:23.54 6 M Rowe Ford Escort 1:24.54 7 T Makinen Nissan Sunny 1:26.08 8 G Evans Ford RS 2000 1:26.55 9 D Llewellin Vauxhall Astra 1:28.09 10 M Higgins Honda Civic 1:28.56Malcolm Wilson closed in on his first British Championship title after dominating the opening day of the Manx International Rally. The 38-year-old Cumbrian, at the wheel of a Ford Escort Cosworth, was fastest on nine of the 11 speed tests to lead by 51 seconds. Team mate Stephen Finlay, the only man who can deprive Wilson of the championship, struggled with flu and trailed in third place at the end of the day. The two were split by Ulsterman Kenny McKinstry.
15.09.94 MANX INTERNATIONAL RALLY Positions after 26 of 33 stages:penalty 1 M Wilson Ford Escort 2:37.22 2 K McKinstry Subaru Legacy 2:39.14 3 D Depping Ford Escort 2:42.37 4 S Finlay Ford Escort 2:43.44 5 M Rowe Ford Escort 2:48.43 6 A McRae Nissan Sunny 2:49.55 7 D Llewellin Vauxhall Astra 2:53.39 8 M Higgins Honda Civic 2:53.52 9 M Lovell Toyota Celica 2:53.52 10 F Meagher Ford Escort 2:54.01 16.09.94F1:- Yamaha have signed a new two-year deal to supply engines to Tyrrell. Yamaha have supplied engines for the last two years.
TOURING CARS:- Gabriele Tarquini has already taken the title but the battle for second place hots up at Donington Park this Sunday. Alain Menu, Paul Radisich and John Cleland are all in with a chance of clinching the runner-up spot in the final two 18-lap races. Menu has the edge of a six-point lead, while Radisich has not scored in his last five outings. Scotland's Cleland will also be aiming to finish as the top-placed British driver.
Midweek testing - Donington: mins secs 1 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 1:39.66 2 S Soper BMW 318i 1:39.73 3 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:39.90 4 W Hoy Toyota Carina 1:39.92 5 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 1:39.93 6 J Winkelhock BMW 318i 1:40.01 7 T Harvey Renault Laguna 1:40.05 8 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:40.06 9 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:40.14 10 P Watts Peugeot 405 1:40.28 MANX INTERNATIONAL RALLY (round 5) Result after 33 stages: hr:min:sec 1 M Wilson Ford Escort 3:36.33 2 K McKinstry Subaru Legacy 3:38.40 3 D Depping Ford Escort 3:44.43 4 M Rowe Ford Escort 3:51.01 5 D Llewellin Vauxhall Astra 3:51.27 6 S Finlay Ford Escort 3:51.31 7 F Meagher Ford Escort 3:54.41 8 M Higgins Honda Civic 3:57.25 9 M Lovell Toyota Celica 3:57.26 10 P Young Ford Escort 4:02.23Malcolm Wilson clinched the Championship as he powered to victory in the Manx International. The 38-year-old Cumbrian claimed his first British title with a superb drive in the Ford Escort Cosworth. Wilson won by 2 min 7 secs from the Subaru Legacy of Kenny McKinstry but Wilson's teammate Stephen Finlay dropped from third to sixth after crashing on the final stage. David Llewellin (Vaux Astra) sealed the two-wheel drive F2 class.
17.09.94F1:- Suspended Formula One leader Michael Schumacher has ended speculation about his future by stating he will stay with Benetton. The German driver has tried quash the long-running saga over his commitment to the team after weeks of press speculation. He said : "I will definitely drive for Benetton to the end of the current season. Ninety-nine percent, I will stay with this stable also in the next season. There are still a few details to clear up," he added.
TOURING CARS:- Saturday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 J Winkelhock BMW 318i 1:39.66 2 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:39.76 3 S Soper BMW 318i 1:39.81 4 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 1:40.02 5 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:40.13 6 T Harvey Renault Laguna 1:40.21 7 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:40.45 8 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 1:40.53 9 P Watts Peugeot 405 1:40.65 10 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:40.79German ace Joachim Winkelhock knocked 0.66 secs off the Donington Park lap record as he took his BMW 318i to pole for Sunday's race. Winkelhock lapped the 2.5 mile circuit in 1 min 39.66 secs as he fought hard to hold off Paul Radisich in the Ford Mondeo. Steve Soper, fastest in morning practice, qualified third quickest in the BMW. Alain Menu, vying for runners-up spot, was fifth fastest in the Renault Laguna.
INDYCARS:- Veteran Brazilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi raced a record-breaking lap at Nazareth Speedway to win pole position for Sunday's race. His lap of 19.397secs made him the the sixth and final driver to surpass the previous record set in 1992 by Michael Andretti. Nigel Mansell improved his overnight position from fifth to third and paid tribute to the achievement of the 47-year-old. He said of Fittipaldi: "Here's the fastest old man in the history of a one-mile oval. I'm impressed."
Saturday's qualifying placings for the race at Nazareth, Pennsylvania: mph 1 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Ilm 185.600 2 P Tracy Can Penske Ilmor 3 N Mansell GB Lola Ford 4 R Gordon US Lola Ford 5 M Andretti US Lola Ford 6 R Boesel Brz Lola Ford 7 A Vil'nueve Can Reynard Ford 8 M Smith US Lola Ford 9 T Fabi It Reynard Ilmor 10 S Johansson Swe Penske IlmorAUSTRALIAN RALLY:- Colin McRae led the Telecom Rally in Australia after 12 stages in his 555 Subaru Impreza. He was 15 secs ahead of Juha Kankkunen.
18.09.94F1:- World Championship leader Michael Schumacher has re-negotiated his contract with Benetton, allowing him to leave the team a year early. The 25-year-old German had been tied to Benetton until 1996, but the deal has been altered and now expires at the end of next year. Schumacher's manager, Willi Weber, said: "The contract had to be changed in several areas. Michael's image was damaged and we had to do something about it." Schumacher is currently suspended for ignoring a black flag order.
TOURING CARS:- Result of Race One: mins secs 1 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 30:26.79 2 A Menu Renault Laguna 30:30.69 3 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 30:36.88 4 J Winkelhock BMW 318i 30:39.12 5 T Harvey Renault Laguna 30:51.36 6 J Bailey Toyota Carina 30:53.69 7 P Watts Peugeot 405 30:55.34 8 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 31:01.91 9 J Allem Vauxhall Cav 31:02.67 10 R Rydell Volvo 850 31:05.49 Result of Race Two: mins secs 1 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 30:30.75 2 A Menu Renault Laguna 30:33.88 3 J Winkelhock BMW 318i 30:38.95 4 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 30:42.16 5 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 30:48.99 6 J Bailey Toyota Carina 30:49.48 7 W Hoy Toyota Carina 30:50.02 8 T Harvey Renault Laguna 30:51.04 9 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 30:51.13 10 A Rouse Ford Mondeo 30:52.69 FINAL POSITIONS: 1 Tarquini 298 2 Menu 222 3 Radisich 204 4 Cleland 177 5 Simoni 156INDYCAR:- Paul Tracy claimed his first oval track win when he took the chequered flag at Nazareth. Al Unser junior finished second and Emerson Fittapaldi came in third. Nigel Mansell failed to finish.
AUSTRALIAN RALLY:- Colin McRae extended his lead over world champion Juha Kankkunen on the third day of the Telecom Rally in Australia. The Scot started the day 16 seconds ahead and drove his Subaru Impreza superbly over 12 stages to gain a further seven seconds. After the completion of 25 stages McRae had an overall time of 4 hrs, 8 mins, 57 secs. With five stages to go only Kankkunen, the defending champion, appears capable of catching him.
19.09.94F1:- Britain's Damon Hill will be driving for the Williams Renault team again next season. It will be Hill's third season with them and he said: "There is no question that the team will provide me with a winning car again." Team Director Frank Williams said: "Everyone in the team is delighted Damon will be with us next year. Apart from winning seven races he's made many other contributions." Williams will not say anything else about next season's driver line-up until the end of this season.
A memorial to Ayrton Senna will be unveiled at the Estoril track shortly before the start of Sunday's Portuguese Grand Prix. The Brazilian three times world champion, who died following a crash at Imola on May 1, won his first Grand Prix at Estoril in 1985. The marble monument will be erected near a bend bearing Senna's name and will carry Senna's own words. "When our last day has to come it will come. It could be today or 50 years from now...but one thing is certain....it will come."
AUSTRALIAN RALLY:- Scotland's Colin McRae held his nerve to win the Australian Rally after withstanding a late charge by world champion Juha Kankkunen. McRae, who led from start to finish, completed the 1,840km event nine seconds ahead of Kankunnen. The 26-year-old held a 26-second advantage overnight and refused to yield as the more experienced Finn whittled away at his lead late on. The 30-stage rally was dropped as a world championship points event as part of a restructuring programme.
Final result: hrs mins secs 1 C McRae GB Subaru Imp 5:13.50 2 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota Cel 5:13.59 3 K Eriksson Swe Mitsubishi 5:17.40 4 P Bourne NZ Subaru Imp 5:19.07 5 R Burns GB Subaru Imp 5:20.59 6 R Dunkerton Aus Mitsubishi 5:38.55 7 E Ordynski Aus Mitsubishi 5:44.33 8 D Officer Aus Mitsubishi 5:55.36 9 G De Mevius Bel Opel Astra 5:55.38 10 K Singh Mal Mitsubishi 5:57.53 21.09.94 - F1: JOHN WATSON ON THE PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIXPortugal provides the second leg of Damon Hill's pursuit of another win to reduce Michael Schumacher's championship lead to one point. With Hill's Williams seat for 1995 now secure, I'm convinced we'll see a sparkling performance with his mind focused purely on victory. His task at Estoril contrasts with Monza two weeks ago. The circuit is multi-cornered, physically tough and lacking any real overtaking opportunites. Therefore the value of winning pole position is greatly emphasized.
No matter what Damon Hill does in the cockpit, he will need the total support and commitment of his Williams Renault team behind him. That means teammate David Coulthard will once again be required to defer to Hill in every circumstance. The team will be sharpening up race strategy, remembering the circuit layout and the difficulty of overtaking and lapping back-markers. To sum up, it is a race where every element in a team must function at its maximum potential.
Opposition to Williams Renault will once again come from Ferrari. They clearly now have qualifying speed, though their race pace is still a little suspect. Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi are entirely capable of controlling the race from the front and frustrating those behind, as Alesi did in 1993. Alesi expected his maiden victory to be imminent at Monza - his disappointment was felt throughout F1. Fate or Sod's Law may see triumph shine on Alesi in Estoril.
The irrepressible Johnny Herbert used the new Mugen-Honda engine to full effect with a superb display for Lotus at Monza two weeks ago. Herbert completely overturned the formbook, but we will have to wait for Estoril if Monza flattered the engine-chassis marriage. Johnny could easily prove to be a threat throughout the weekend. Philippe Adams returns to Lotus but will not be fortunate enough to enjoy the superb new power-plant.
Monza was a disaster for Benetton Ford with Michael Schumacher sitting out his first race ban. Their prospects look better here. In fact, given the nature of the Estoril circuit, they ought to be able to qualify at least one car in the top six and both in the top 10. Schumacher's stand-in is once again JJ Lehto, whose confidence really needs careful rebuilding. Tha answer is to provide a car with which he can turn the steering wheel and slam open the throttle without fear of it biting him.
As ever, the main excitement will be among Tyrrell, Jordan, Sauber and the somewhat "Benneton-ised" Ligier Renault team. The midfield grid is so competitive these days that tenths of seconds will mean significant differences. I relish the battle. Safety changes have seen many revised circuit layouts this year and Estoril is no exception. After turn seven, the track now turns 120 degrees right, back left and then through the neck-wrenching renamed Ayrton Senna corner.
22.09.94 - F1The International Automobile Federation have unveiled measures aimed at stopping Grand Prix teams exploiting technical loopholes. New checking procedures cover fuel, aerodynamics and on-board computer systems and are intended to open up F1 cars to closer scrutiny. The new rules state that team managers will be deemed to know about everything done to their cars by anyone assisting them. Some of the new regulations will be in force at Sunday's Portuguese GP.
The new FIA technical regulations include:
* Systems or devices which are not visible at scrutineering or fitted without permission to be regarded as deliberately hidden if stewards later deem them illegal.
* From next season, teams to provide FIA with computer codes for on-board computers.
* Teams to provide 120-litre fuel sample so FIA can check its compliance with rules and make sure it is not changes later in season.
23.09.94 - F1: THE PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIXDamon Hill's Williams Renault car flipped over 180 degrees after a collision with Eddie Irvine's Jordan during practice. The cars interlocked wheels as Hill was passing Irvine and the impact left Hill's car upside-down. Both men escaped unhurt and were able to walk away from the scene within minutes. "It was unavoidable," said Hill. "He didn't mean to go off in front of me and there was nowhere I could go to miss him."
Friday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:20.608 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:20.803 3 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:21.120 4 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:21.251 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:21.517 6 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:21.590 7 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:21.656 8 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan 1:21.839 9 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:22.288 10 JJ Lehto Fin Benetton 1:22.613 11 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1:22.614 12 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:22.636 13 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:22.795 14 A de Cesaris It Sauber 1:22.885 15 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:22.974 16 PL Martini It Minardi 1:23.243 17 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:23.364 18 E Irvine NI Jordan 1:23.411 19 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:23.711 20 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:24.192 21 Y Dalmas Fr Larrouse 1:24.438 22 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:24.527 23 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:25.039 24 P Adams Bel Lotus 1:25.313 25 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:25.686 26 B Gachot Bel Pacific 1:27.960 27 P Belmondo Fr Pacific 1:32.706 28 J Herbert GB Lotus 10:12.404 24.09.94F1: THE PORUGUESE GRAND PRIX
Gerhard Berger topped qualifying as Ferrari took pole spot for the second successive Grand Prix. His Friday time could not be beaten despite good conditions throughout the final qualifying session. It will be Berger's 10th pole start. Damon Hill starts alongside him in his Williams as he bids for victory to keep alive his challenge for the world title, with Championship leader Michael Schumacher suspended. Schumacher is replaced by JJ Lehto who could manage only 14th fastest in his Benetton.
Williams driver Damon Hill was bursting with confidence despite failing to improve on his second place during final qualifying. "We looked better than anyone today and Ferrari did not look good," declared the British star. "I had a few slips and slides and, on my quickest run, I had to take a different line to avoid a car and that ruined my lap... At least I ended up the right way up today," said Hill, whose car was extensively rebuilt after his roll in Friday practice.
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:20.608 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:20.766 3 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:21.033 4 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:21.251 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:21.517 6 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:21.590 7 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:21.656 8 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan 1:21.796 9 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:21.921 10 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1:22.000 11 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork 1:22.132 12 M Blundell GB Tyrrell 1:22.288 13 E Irvine NI Jordan 1:22.294 14 JJ Lehto Fin Benetton 1:22.369 15 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:22.672 16 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:22.756 17 A de Cesaris It Sauber 1:22.885 18 PL Martini It Minardi 1:23.243 19 M Alboreto It Minardi 1:23.364 20 J Herbert GB Lotus 1:23.408 21 E Bernard Fr Ligier 1:23.699 22 E Comas Fr Larrousse 1:24.192 23 Y Dalmas Fr Larrouse 1:24.438 24 D Brabham Aus Simtek 1:24.514 25 P Adams Bel Lotus 1:25.313 26 JM Gounon Fr Simtek 1:25.649 Non-qualifiers 27 B Gachot Bel Pacific 1:27.385 28 P Belmondo Fr Pacific 1:29.000Ferrari have been fined $50,000 and given a one-race ban, suspended for three races, after an incident at the circuit late on Friday. It is believed 13 of the team's mechanics broke down a locked door to get out of the track after working late on the cars. Ferrari have offered to pay for the repairs and a team spokesman admitted: "We are very concerned about this, of course." Stewards said their behaviour was a "very serious prejudicial action against motor sports interests."
ARTEMIS EQUIPMENT FOREST STAGES RALLY Result after 7 stages: mins secs 1 Mellors/Goff Sierra Cos 73:24 Mintex National Rally champions 2 Gillanders/Bennie Escort Cos 73:41 3 Hill/Boyles Mitsubishi 75:10 4 Mann/Wray Toyota Cel 75:57 5 Easson/Cook Escort Cos 77:19 6 Davies/James MG Metro 77:33Chris Mellors and Brian Goff have captured the title with a narrow victory in the final round, the Artemis Equipment Forest Stages. They completed the seventh and final stage 17 seconds clear of David Gillanders and John Bennie to claim the honours. Mellors missed out in 1993 after a rare retirement in the final round. This season he won three of the six rounds in his self-prepared Sierra. Gillanders, bidding to become the first driver since 1979 to retain the title, finished runner-up.
25.09.94 - F1: THE PORUGUESE GRAND PRIXDamon Hill set up a thrilling end to the season with victory here to close the gap on Formula One leader Michael Scumacher to just one point. Hill took full advantage of the German's race ban to win maximum points ahead of the last three races of the World Championship. The Williams team were in full control of the race after Ferrari's Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi were left on the sidelines. Hill's teammate David Coulthard did a great job forcing the early pace and was rewarded with second place.
Scotland's David Coulthard claimed a well-earned second place in his final race for Williams this year. Coulthard, who had never before stood on the podium, proved the perfect teammate for Damon Hill as they made it a one-two for Britain. The 23-year-old forced the early pace and led for some time before Hill nipped through on lap 27. Both said there were no team orders. He now makes way for former world champion Nigel Mansell but the result will have strengthened his claim for a Williams seat in 1995.
Gerhard Berger's bid for victory was brought to an abrupt halt after he had started in pole position. The Austrian got off to a perfect start and was being pushed hard by David Coulthard of Williams when he suddenly stopped on lap eight. It was later reported that his Ferrari had been suffering from technical problems. Teammate Jean Alesi crashed out on lap 39 after a collision with backmarker David Brabham who was later given a one-race ban by race stewards, suspended for three races.
Damon Hill was a relieved a man after picking up the 10 points he needed to stay in the title race. "It's a big relief to have done the job and get everything under my belt," said Hill. "Now I've got a platform for the last three races. It was very tough out there but once Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi went out things looked good," added the Williams driver. "There were some difficulties early on and I had a lot of problems with backmarkers, but it all went right in the end," he said.
David Coulthard was a happy man after his first podium finish of the season. "It's been a long time coming and I was praying that nothing would go wrong in the last few laps," said the young Scot. "I've been in the the top three in the last three races but didn't get on the podium so I'm really delighted," said the 23-year-old. "I feel very much part of the team now and I want to remain here next year. I'll just have to wait and see what happens," he added.
Result after 71 laps: hr:min.sec 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:41.10.165 2 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:41.10.768 3 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:41.30.358 4 R Barr'ello Brz Jordan 1:41.38.168 5 J Verstappen Hol Benetton 1:41.39.550 6 M Brundle GB McLaren 1:42.02.867 7 E Irvine GB Jordan one lap 8 C Fittipaldi Brz Footwork one lap 9 G Morbidelli Brz Footwork one lap 10 E Bernard Fr Ligier one lap 11 J Herbert GB Lotus one lap 12 P Martini It Minardi two laps 13 M Alboreto It Minardi two laps 14 Y Dalmas Fr Larousse two laps 15 J Gounon Fr Simtek two laps 16 P Adams Bel Lotus two laps O Panis Fr Ligier excluded DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP 1 M Schumacher Ger 76 pts 2 D Hill GB 75 3 G Berger Aut 33 4 M Hakkinen Fin 22 5 J Alesi Fr 19 6 R Barrichello Brz 16 7 D Coulthard GB 14 8 M Brundle GB 12 9 J Verstappen Hol 10 10 M Blundell GB 8 11 O Panis Fr 7 12 N Larini It 6 == C Fittipaldi Brz 6 14 H Frentzen Ger 5 == U Katayama Jpn 5 CONSTRUCTORS 1 Williams Renault 89 points 2 Benetton Ford 87 3 Ferrari 58 4 McLaren Peugeot 34 5 Jordan Hart 20 6 Tyrrell Yamaha 13 7 Ligier 11 8 Sauber Mercedes 10 9 Footwork Ford 9 10 Minardi Ford 5 11 Larrousse Ford 2Ferrari have appealed against the œ50,000 fine and suspended race ban handed out by Portuguese stewards. But the team decided against pulling out of the race altogether in protest at the punishment. In a team statement, Ferrari said that the "right thing to do would be to withdraw," but added they would not do this "out of respect for world motor sport enthusiasts". It is believed 13 of the team's mechanics broke down a locked door to get out of the track after working late on the cars.
Frenchman Olivier Panis was disqualified from ninth place in the race when the skid block on his Ligier was found to be undersized. A statement from the FIA was issued two hours after the race saying that Panis had been excluded. Michael Schumacher was excluded for the same reason after winning the Belgian Grand Prix last month. Race stewards have banned David Brabham for one race, suspended for three GPs, after his Simtek was in collision with third-placed Jean Alesi in the Ferrari.
26.09.94 - F1Damon Hill is hoping to claim the Formula One championship on merit and without assistance from Nigel Mansell in the last three races. Mansell is returning to Williams-Renault for the rest of the season and Hill said: "I am not looking for any help from Nigel. I want to win the championship fair and square and on merit and each race is down to Michael Schumacher and myself." Meanwhile David Coulthard has been put on to the drivers' market for the rest of the season.
28.09.94F1:- Both Jordan and McLaren have denied rumours that Williams star David Coulthard will be driving for them in the last three GPs of the season. The 23-year-old Scot is to be replaced by Nigel Mansell in the European Grand Prix at Jerez in three weeks time. A spokesman for McLaren said: "It is all speculation. As far as I am aware there are no talks at the moment." Jordan also denied that Coulthard was having talks with them.
Damon Hill shone again at Estoril as four days of testing started on the Portuguese circuit. The Englishman, who moved to within one point of World Championship leader Michael Schumacher with victory in Sunday's Portuguese GP, clocked 1:20.34 in his Williams. Schumacher, who has just served a two-race ban, was second quickest in his Benetton in 1:20.45. American IndyCar driver Paul Tracy is due to drive a Benetton during a later test session. Ten F1 teams are still at the circuit.
Ferrari's Formula One team have withdrawn their appeal against a fine and suspended one-race ban imposed for vandalism at the Portuguese Grand Prix. A team statement said: "Ferrari believe that prolonging this situation is not in the interests of Formula One."
TOURING CARS:- Williams have named Ian Harrison as director of their newly-formed Touring Car team. He has been manager of their Formula One team since 1992.
29.09.94 - F1Canadian IndyCar driver Paul Tracy has reportedly been offered a three-year deal by Benetton. Tracy, currently testing with the team in Estoril, was asked to sign the contract last weekend according to Autosport magazine. But Tracy was quoted as saying: "I was asked over for a four-day test, with no strings attached, but I'm not about to sign my life away. The report said Tracy was believed to have been offered a deal worth around œ5.4 million.
Formula One championship leader Michael Schumacher was fastest on day two of testing at Estoril. The Benetton rider, ready to return to competition after completing a two-race ban, set a time of 1 min 19.69 secs. Hill, who won the Portuguese Grand Prix here on Sunday, clocked the second fastest time of 1:20.01 in his Williams. American IndyCar driver Paul Tracy recorded 1:26.51 in a Benetton in his first ever Formula One test.
30.09.94 - F1World championship leader Michael Schumacher proved he is still on top form by recording the best time in the four-day testing at Estoril. The German driver clocked a time of one minute 18.84 seconds which was 1.8 seconds quicker than Gerhard Berger's pole in the Grand Prix. "I was delighted to be back in action," said Schumacher. "It was great to be back among the team." Damon Hill lowered his best time to 1:19.33, while Gerhard Berger with 1:19.76 was third fastest.