01.04.95INDYCAR:- Canadian Paul Tracy followed up his win at Surfers Paradise two weeks ago by setting the pace in practice for Sunday's Phoenix 200. The 26-year-old lapped the one-mile oval track in 20.196 secs in his Newman Haas Lola-Ford. "On days like today, when you run 20.1 or 20.2 in temperatures near 80F, it shows you've done your homework," he said afterwards. Current Series points leader Bobby Rahal was only fractionally slower with a best lap of 20.221.
Leading Friday practice times for the Phoenix 200: secs 1 P Tracy Can Lola Ford 20.196 (178.254mph) 2 B Rahal US Lola Merc 20.221 3 R Gordon US Lola Ford 20.284 4 R Boesel Brz Lola Merc 20.317 5 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Merc 20.393 6 J Vasser US Reyn'd Ford 20.393 7 M Andretti US Lola Ford 20.394 8 S Pruett US Lola Ford 20.423 9 A Fernandez Mex Lola Merc 20.429 10 A Ribeiro Brz Reyn'd Honda 20.490SUPERTOURING:- Swede Richard Rydell smashed the lap record in his Volvo 850 as he clinched pole for Sunday's opening two rounds of the championship. He chopped 1.5 seconds off the previous record as he charged round the 2.5-mile East Midlands circuit in 1 min 38.50 secs. Rydell averaged 91.37 mph and was only fractionally slower in the second session as he sped round the circuit in 1:38.71. Ex-Formula One star Derek Warwick struggled to live with the pace and starts near the back of the grid.
Qualifying times for Sunday's opening BTCC round: mins secs 1 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:38.50 2 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:38.65 3 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:38.77 4 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:38.78 5 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:39.11 6 J Cecotto BMW 318 1:39.23 7 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 1:39.23 8 T Sugden Toyota Carina 1:39.54 9 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:39.64 10 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:39.65 11 W Hoy Renault Laguna 1:39.84 12 P Watts Peugeot 405 1:39.86 13 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 1:39.94 14 K Burt Ford Mondeo 1:39.94 15 D Brabham BMW 318 1:40.06 16 S Harrison Peugeot 405 1:40.08 17 D Warwick Alfa Romeo 1:40.20 18 M Neal Ford Mondeo 1:40.35 19 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:40.39 20 R Kaye Ford Mondeo 1:41.52 21 R Gravett Vauxhall Cav 1:43.33 22 C Cox Ford Mondeo 1:43.50 23 N Smith Vauxhall Cav 2:02.46 Qualifying times for Sunday's second BTCC race: mins secs 1 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:38.71 2 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:39.41 3 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 1:39.48 4 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:39.66 5 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:39.57 6 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:39.76 7 J Cecotto BMW 318 1:39.86 8 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:39.88 9 W Hoy Renault Laguna 1:39.90 10 S Harrison Peugeot 405 1:39.93 11 T Sugden Toyota Carina 1:40.01 12 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 1:40.11 13 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:40.15 14 P Watts Peugeot 405 1:40.18 15 K Burt Ford Mondeo 1:40.21 16 M Neal Ford Mondeo 1:40.22 17 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:40.50 18 D Brabham BMW 318 1:40.53 19 D Warwick Alfa Romeo 1:40.77 20 C Cox Ford Mondeo 1:40.88 21 R Kaye Ford Mondeo 1:42.38 22 R Gravett Vauxhall Cav 1:42.79 23 N Smith Vauxhall Cav 1:43.36 24 H Irvine Peugeot 405 1:47.28 02.04.95INDYCAR:- Unheralded Bryan Herta took a shock pole for Sunday's Phoenix 200 as 18 drivers smashed the old track record in qualifying. The 24-year-old, who broke his hip and pelvis in a crash last July, went round the one-mile oval in 19.875 secs in his Re ynard Ford. "It came as a complete surprise to me. Everything has to come right on an oval," he said. Paul Tracy set the previous record of 20.424 last year, but 20.049 this time was only fourth fastest.
Leading qualifying times for Sunday's Phoenix 200: secs 1 B Herta US Reyn'd Ford 19.785 (181.952mph) 2 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Merc 19.957 3 J Vil'neuve Can Reyn'd Ford 19.994 4 P Tracy Can Lola Ford 20.049 5 M Andretti US Lola Ford 20.054 6 S Pruett US Lola Ford 20.116 7 J Vasser US Reyn'd Ford 20.118 8 R Boesel Brz Lola Merc 20.127 9 R Gordon US Lola Ford 20.133 10 G de Ferran Brz Reyn'd Merc 20.138 11 M Gugelmin Brz Reyn'd Ford 20.177 12 A Fernandez Mex Lola Merc 20.197SUPERTOURING:- Flying Scot John Cleland shared the honours with Rickard Rydell as the 1995 championship got away to an exciting start. Swede Rydell was slow off the grid in the opening race, allowing Cleland to score a start to finish win in the opening r ace. But Rydell made amends second time around as he showed the power of the new Volvo 850 and came home well clear of Cleland. Derek Warwick made a sad debut as he spun off in the first race and was later hit by brake problems.
Results of Sunday's opening race:mins secs 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 30:30.49 (best lap 1 min 40.30 secs; 89.73mph) 2 A Menu Renault Laguna 30:36.43 3 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 30:39.13 4 R Rydell Volvo 850 30:39.86 5 J Cecotto BMW 318 30:40.63 6 W Hoy Renault Laguna 30:43.87 7 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 30:44.26 8 T Harvey Volvo 850 30:44.63 9 T Sugden Toyota Carina 30:48.75 10 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 30:50.04 11 J Kaye Honda Accord 30:53.39 12 D Brabham BMW 318 30:57.66 Results of Sunday's second race:mins secs 1 R Rydell Volvo 850 30:26.66 (best lap 1 min 39.80 secs; 90.18mph) 2 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 30:33.75 3 T Harvey Volvo 850 30:35.69 4 A Menu Renault Laguna 30:38.50 5 W Hoy Renault Laguna 30:40.61 6 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 30:44.94 7 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 30:46.44 8 J Cecotto BMW 318 30:49.11 9 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 30:51.59 10 J Kaye Honda Accord 30:55.03 11 P Watts Peugeot 405 30:56.10 12 D Brabham BMW 318 30:56.49 FORMULA RENAULT SPORT 1 G Smith GB 2 R Ingall Aus 3 D Turner GB ELF RENAULT CLIO UK CUP 1 L Brookes 2 G Povey 3 J Edwards jnr 03.04.95 - INDYCARAmerican Robby Gordon scored his first Indy-car victory in the Slick 50 200 at Phoenix. He was given his chance on lap 195 when last year's winner Emerson Fittipaldi was forced to make a pit stop for fuel. "I'm stunned because I didn't know I was in the l ead," said the 26-year-old winner. "It was a shame. The car was flying. I didn't know we were going to have to stop for fuel late in the race," said Fittipaldi.
Result of Slick 50 200 Indycar race at Phoenix International Raceway: laps 1 R Gordon US Reyn'd Ford 200 (133.980mph) 2 M Andretti US Lola Ford 200 3 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Merc 200 4 P Tracy Can Lola Ford 200 5 J Vil'neuve Can Reyn'd Ford 200 6 R Boesel Brz Lola Merc 198 7 T Fabi It Reyn'd Ford 198 8 A Unser Jr US Penske Merc 197 9 S Pruett US Lola Ford 197 10 C Fit'paldi Brz Reyn'd Ford 195 11 G de Ferran Brz Reyn'd Merc 195 12 A Fernandez Mex Lola Merc 195 04.04.95F1:- Grand Prix drivers look set to be weighed at the end of each race following apparent anomalies in the pre-season weigh-in in Brazil. World champion Michael Schumacher was among those gaining weight, from 69kg last year to 77kg, thanks to a strict tra ining programme. The minimum weight of the car now includes the driver's weight.
Formula One drivers Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard face a battle to get the points back they lost over fuel irregularities. The pair were disqualified after finishing first and second in the Brazilian GP and it is now almost certain they gained no advantage from the wrong Elf fuel used. FIA president Max Mosley has said there is no suggestion Elf cheated, just that the teams were provided with fuel other than that approved. Appeals will be heard on 13 April.
DTM:- Alfa Romeo boss Giorgio Pianta says a car is available to Derek Warwick for the German Touring car race at Donington in July, if a budget can be found in Britain.
05.04.95F1: JOHN WATSON ON THE ARGENTINE GP
About $10 million has been spent remodelling the Autodromo Oscar Galvez bringing it to F1 standard. It also features a new pit complex and race control building and is reduced to 4.259km in length. Sadly it is a mere shadow of the circuit last used for a GP in 1981 when the race was won by Nelson Piquet in a Brabham Ford. It was one of my favourite tracks but, due to industrial development, the longer circuit is no longer available and its replacement is best described as sinuous.
The new Buenos Aires circuit has a lot of low speed corners and short straights and requires as much downforce as you can use on the car. Basically not very interesting but it is a thoroughly modern circuit. All teams have the chance to run on Thursday in two one-hour practice sessions, with the track being completely new to everyone. The extra time will be invaluable but it will be the top teams who will be able to make the best use of the sessions. For others it will be work they could do without.
After the problems experienced in Brazil, there is some concern over the quality of the renewed track surface here in Argentina. Many drivers, already struggling with the introduction of new aerodynamic regulations, found it extremely taxing to set up their cars for the washboard surface. Williams enjoyed a clear advantage, with by far the best looking car on the circuit. Also impressive was the chassis on the Ferraris. Renault confirmed they still have the best engine in Formula One.
McLaren proved far more competitive in Brazil than had been expected, having reacted swiftly to handling gremlins with their new MP4/10. The car felt unstable, leaving the drivers concerned, but solving much of the problem and gaining a good result in Brazil has been a huge boost to morale and confidence. Tyrrell, Ligier and Jordan were all expected to shine brightly in the opening round but, for a variety of reasons, none of them showed their full potential in Sao Paulo.
Tyrrell's evolutionary chassis, Yamaha power and a new Finnish star will surely deliver sooner rather than later, perhaps even on Sunday. Mika Salo struggled with torn back muscles and failed to claim as many points as his Brazil drive deserved. In my view, if any engine is going to challenge Renault it will be the Mugen Honda V10 exclusive to Ligier. Add that to the expertise of Tom Walkinshaw, driver Olivier Panis plus Benetton patronage and things are looking very rosy indeed.
Jordan have the potential to threaten anyone but unreliability and a bumpy track inhibited them. One smaller team to impress in Sao Paulo was Footwork with the Brian Hart V8 motor. Gianni Morbidelli did everything expected of him, and more, in the cock pit. Finally, Formula One teams may have found a way to boost their finances having apparently stumbled on the secret of successful slimming. Some drivers are reporting dramatic weight loss in a race. Now, if that could be bottled and marketed...!
NEWS:- Brands Hatch is to be upgraded after a œ15.5 million cash boost following a management buy-out. The Brands Hatch Leisure Group, which also runs Snetterton, Oulton Park and Cadwell Park, said there were no plans to host a Grand Prix at Brands.
07.04.95 - F1: THE ARGENTINE GP Friday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:54.607 2 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:55.213 3 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:55.583 4 D Hill GB Williams 1:55.677 5 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:52.260 6 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:56.449 7 E Irvine NI Jordan 1:56.615 8 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan 1:56.746 9 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:57.056 10 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:57.068 11 L Badoer It Minardi 1:57.167 12 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:57.684 13 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:57.738 14 PL Martini It Minardi 1:58.066 15 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:58.660 16 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:59.204 17 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:59.909 18 A Suzuki Jpn Ligier 2:01.446 19 A Montermini It Pacific 2:01.763 20 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 2:01.774 21 J Verstappen Hol Simtek 2:02.410 22 D Schiat'ela It Simtek 2:02.806 23 B Gachot Bel Pacific 2:04.050 24 R Moreno Brz Forti 2:04.481 25 P Diniz Brz Forti 2:05.932 26 T Inoue Jap Arrows 2:07.298David Coulthard was happy to be ahead of the rest after Friday's qualifying but admitted the heavy rain had ruined the day. He said: "It's great to have provisional pole but it does not really count for much in the conditions. If the weather stays the same as the morning session this track is unraceable. It is frightening." Teammate Damon Hill said: "It would be tempting fate to race in these conditions."
08.04.95F1: THE ARGENTINE GP
Super Scot David Coulthard claimed the first pole spot of his short Formula One career after defying atrocious conditions in qualifying. Most drivers waited until the last 10 minutes of the session before venturing on to the wet, slippery track and it was Damon Hill who set the first two quick laps. Hill grabbed provisional pole but, as the rain started to fall again, his Williams teammate edged him out. Defending world champion Michael Schumacher continued in a downpour to clock the third best time.
David Coulthard said his terrific last lap in qualifying was the result of traffic-free racing and inspired team work. Coulthard, who claimed his first grand prix pole position, said: "Once I had heard that Damon (Hill) had gone faster, I knew I needed a good clear lap and that was what we concentrated on. We found some space and it was a good lap," he added. Coulthard is now praying for no more rain: "This circuit is tight and slippery enough in the dry."
World champion Michael Schumacher was in philosophical mood after only securing third place on the grid for Sunday's Argentine GP. "It was just a case of who found the right car in front of them to clear some of the water without being held up," he sai d. "The Williams got the better of that but I am not too unhappy. In my mind, I was already starting from ninth on the grid. We made progress with the car, there is no doubt of that." he added.
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:53.241 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:54.057 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:54.272 4 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:54.381 5 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:54.529 6 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:54.637 7 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:54.757 8 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:55.276 9 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:55.583 10 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan 1:56.114 11 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:57.068 12 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:57.092 13 L Badoer It Minardi 1:57.167 14 J Verstappen Hol Simtek 1:57.231 15 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:57.484 16 PL Martini It Minardi 1:58.066 17 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:58.660 18 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:58.824 19 A Suzuki Jpn Ligier 1:58.882 20 D Schiatarella It Simtek 1:59.539 21 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 2:00.751 22 A Montermini It Pacific 2:01.763 23 B Gachot Bel Pacific 2:04.050 24 R Moreno Brz Forte 2:04.481 25 P Diniz Brz Forte 2:05.932 26 T Inoue Jap Arrows 2:07.298 Saturday's free practice leading times: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:31.376 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:31.595 3 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:32.136 4 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:32.383 5 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:32.440 6 E Irvine NI Jordan 1:33.510 7 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:33.554 8 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:34.080 9 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:34.174 10 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:34.310 11 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:34.317 14 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:35.372 Conditions perfect - sunny and dryINDYCAR:- Michael Andretti is on course for the 30th pole of his Indy career after a sparkling practice display for Sunday's race at Long Beach. The 1991 Indy champion produced a lap of 52.705 secs in his Lola Ford around the eight-turn, 1.59-mile street circuit. But Bobby Rahal was only two-tenths of a second slower and Andretti said he would need to go faster in final practice to secure pole. "In this game, someone can find something and blow you off," added the 32-year-old.
Provisional grid for Sunday's Indy Grand Prix at Long Beach: secs 1 M Andretti US Lola Ford 52.705 (108.426mph) 2 B Rahal US Lola Merc 52.876 3 P Tracy Can Lola Ford 53.011 4 M Gugelmin Brz Reyn'd Ford 53.134 5 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Merc 53.274 6 T Fabi It Reyn'd Ford 53.310 7 S Pruett US Lola Ford 53.393 8 R Gordon US Reyn'd Ford 53.433 9 R Boesel Brz Lola Merc 53.549 10 G de Ferran Brz Reyn'd Merc 53.554 11 A Fernandez Mex Lola Merc 53.586 12 J Vil'neuve Can Reyn'd Ford 53.264 GRANITE CITY RALLY Result (after 9 stages): mins secs 1 M Grierson Subaru Legacy 70.26 2 C Mellors Ford Escort 70.48 3 D Gillanders Ford Escort 70.50 4 B Lyall Ford Escort 71.28 5 T Smith Ford Escort 72.28 6 R Duckworth Ford Sierra 4x4 72.43 7 M Horne Ford Sierra Cos 73.28 8 N Dougan Ford Escort 74.11 9 T Ellis-Jones Nissan GTi-R 74.12 10 S Smith Lancia Delta 74.16Dalbeattie engineer Murray Grierson has won the Anderson Cars Renault Granite City Rally in Aberdeen for the second time in three years. He and co-driver Stewart Merry in the ex-Alister McRae Subaru Legacy finished 22 seconds clear of Escort Cosworth driv er Chris Mellors. Mellors put in a late charge to overhaul David Gillanders, also in an Escort, over the final stages. Grierson and Gillanders now share the lead in the Mintex National series, with Mellors one point back after two rounds.
George Gauld made a spectacular start, rolling his Escort right in front of the 'Top Gear' cameras almost at the start of stage 1. The car was not badly damaged. Driveshaft failure ended the hopes of John Gray who had been seventh in his MG Metro after stage 1. Callum Guy also made an early exit with an underbonnet fire on his Toyota Celica. Ray Munro retired his Escort with a serious oil leak in the gearbox; Peter Vassallo stopped after a roll in Bin forest. Both had been top 10.
09.04.95 F1: THE ARGENTINE GP Result after 72 laps: hr:min.sec 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:53.145 2 J Alesi Fr Ferrari @ 6.4 secs 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton @ 33 secs 4 J Herbert GB Benetton 1 lap 5 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 2 laps 6 G Berger Aut Ferrari 2 laps 7 O Panis Fr Ligier 2 laps 8 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 3 laps 9 D Schiat'ella It Simtek 4 laps No other drivers finished race Drivers' championship: 1 G Berger Aut Ferrari 11 pts 2 D Hill GB Williams 10 = J Alesi Brz Ferrari 10 4 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 6 5 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 4 6 M Blundell GB McLaren 3 = J Herbert GB Benetton 3 8 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 2 = H Frentzen Ger Sauber 2 Constructors' championship: 1 Ferrari 21 pts 2 Williams 10 3 McLaren Mercedes 9Damon Hill grabbed his first win of the season with a comfortable triumph at the Autodromo. The Williams man drove a mature and impeccable race to finish over six seconds clear of Jean Alesi, with main rival Michael Schumacher third. Most of the real a ction was centred around the first 20 laps, which saw the lead change several times and a restart after a crash on lap one. David Coulthard was unfortunate to retire because of an electrical failure on lap 17 while in the lead.
Britain's Damon Hill said he was delighted to have recorded his 10th Grand Prix win with victory here. "I'm really thrilled to have won. It's great to be in double figures now and great to have broken my duck for the 1995 season," he said. "It was a to ugh race - only nine people finished - and I was worried by Jean Alesi the whole way. "He was only a few seconds behind me for most of the race and it's easy to lose time like that when you're fighting through traffic."
Damon Hill's 10th Grand Prix win of his career moved him up to second in the drivers' championship. Austrian Gerhard Berger's sixth place means he leads by one point - but that could change pending the appeal into the Brazilian GP. Hill reached another milestone when he overtook Michael Schumacher with a brilliant manoeuvre on lap 11. It was the first time that the Briton had ever overtaken the German Benetton driver in true race conditions.
David Coulthard's bid for glory ended in failure as he was forced to retire while in the lead. The young Scot started in pole position and held his lead until an electrical fault caused the car to slow down on the seventh lap. He slipped down to third place but some brilliant driving saw him regain the lead nine laps later. But, sadly for the Williams driver, the same problem returned on the very next lap and he was forced to retire from the race.
The second race of the Formula One season got off to a bad start as a crash at the very first corner forced a race restart. Wreckage was left strewn over the track after a pile-up as cars competed for positions. Jean Alesi, Johnny Herbert and Eddie Irv ine had to use their spare cars while Rubens Barrichello was forced to start at the back. It was disappointing for Britain's David Coulthard, who had made an excellent getaway in pole position.
INDYCAR:- Michael Andretti smashed his own track record to clinch pole for Sunday's race at Long Beach. The 1991 Indy champion produced a lap of 52.482 secs around the 1.59-mile street circuit to earn the 30th pole of his Indy career. Canadian teammate Pa ul Tracy, the current points leader after victory in Australia, was less than one tenth of a second slower. "I was worried about Paul. He was real close and I didn't know what he was going to do in his final laps," Andretti said afterwards.
Leading practice times for Sunday's Indy Grand Prix at Long Beach: secs 1 M Andretti US Lola Ford 52.482 (109.066mph) 2 P Tracy Can Lola Ford 52.581 3 G de Ferran Brz Reyn'd Merc 52.766 4 A Unser jr US Penske Merc 52.774 5 M Gugelmin Brz Reyn'd Ford 52.777 6 B Rahal US Lola Merc 52.876 7 T Fabi It Reyn'd Ford 52.881 8 J Vasser US Reyn'd Ford 53.002 9 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Merc 53.035 10 S Pruett US Lola Ford 53.145 11 J Vil'neuve Can Reyn'd Ford 53.240 12 C Fit'paldi Brz Reyn'd Ford 53.263GTs (Jarama):- McLaren's Ray Bellm and Mauricio Sala won their third international race in four events against some strong opposition. The British/Brazilian pairing won despite losing pole Luciano della Noce and Anders Olofsson's Ferrari. The lead changed hands seven times as cars dropped out, with heat affecting tyres and transmissions. Despite Bellm and Sala's trio of victories, Bob Wollek and Christophe Bouchut lead the championship by a single point.
Result of Sunday's 143-lap race: hrs mins secs 1 Bellm/Sala GB/Brz McLaren 4:00.57 2 Nielsen/Bscher Den/Swi McLaren 4:01.36 3 Jarier/Wollek/Bouchut Fr Porsche 4:01.46 4 Wallace/J Bell GB McLaren 4:02.03 5 Grouillard/Giroix Fr McLaren 142 laps Driver standings after four rounds: 1 JP Jarier Fr Porsche 92 pts = B Wollek Fr Porsche 92 = C Bouchut Fr Porsche 92 4 R Bellm GB McLaren 91 = M Sala Brz McLaren 91 6 J Nielsen Den McLaren 90 = T Bscher Swi McLaren 90 10.04.95F1:- Nigel Mansell could launch his Formula One return at Imola after sitting out the first two races of the season. The 1992 World Champion did not fit comfortably into his McLaren at the start of the season but the rebuild is ahead of schedule. Team bos s Ron Dennis said the crash test for the new car is on April 24 leaving Mansell just a few days to prepare for the race at Imola. "At the moment I would say there is a 60-40 chance in favour of Nigel driving at Imola," said Dennis.
RALLYING:- Former world champion Ari Vatanen will compete in the second round of the Mobil 1/Top Gear British Rally Championship from April 22-23. The Finn will drive the Michelin Pilot Team Ford Escort RS Cosworth at the Pirelli International Rally. "The last time I rallied on a regular basis in Britain was in 1982," he said. "It's going to be very emotional being amongst the British fans again." Vatanen will be co-driven by the experienced Italian Fabrizio Pons.
French rally champion Patrick Bernardi teams up with Bruno Thiry and Francois Delecour to drive for RAS Ford in the World Championship Tour of Corsica from May 1-6.
SUPERTOURING:- Giampiero Simoni's hopes of success in the Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship went up in flames when he crashed in testing. The car was extensively damaged in the blaze but the Alfa Romeo driver emerged unscathed. Rikard Rydel l was fastest as he lapped the tortuous 1.2-mile Brands Indy circuit in 46.29 seconds, well under the qualifying record. The Swede was eight-hundredths of a second ahead of championship leader John Cleland, whose Vauxhall team-mate James Thompson was thir d.
Monday testing for Easter Monday's third and fourth BTCC rounds: mins secs 1 R Rydell Volvo 850 0:46.29 2 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 0:46.37 3 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 0:46.39 4 J Bailey Toyota Carina 0:46.46 5 J Cecotto BMW 318 0:46.55 6 T Harvey Volvo 850 0:46.63 7 J Kaye Honda Accord 0:46.67 8 K Burt Ford Mondeo 0:46.67 9 A Menu Renault Laguna 0:46.77 10 P Watts Peugeot 405 0:46.81 11.04.95 - F1World champion Michael Schumacher says he may quit Formula One for IndyCar racing following recent controversies. The German was disqualified in Brazil for fuel irregularities and has also been accused this season of trying to exploit loopholes in new reg ulations over weight limits. "There are limits to everything and, yes, I have had thoughts about going to IndyCar," he said. "I'm getting to the point where I'm finding all these accusations a bit too much." added the 28-year-old.
12.04.95 - F1Elf have claimed that differences in sampling procedure could have resulted in the fuel discrepancies at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The petroleum company have issued a joint statement with Williams and Benetton as both teams appeal against David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher's disqualification. The FIA have confirmed that no advantage was gained and there was no intention to infringe the rules. Both Coulthard and Schumacher will learn on Thursday the result of their teams' appeal to the FIA.
22.04.95INDYCARS:- Scott Pruett outpaced the bigger names in a rain-delayed unofficial practice session for Sunday's Nazareth 200. The weather prevented the cars from taking to the track for over six hours but Pruett did not waste the opportunity when it relented . He lapped the one-mile oval at 180.873 mph, more than 2 mph faster than closest rival Robby Gordon. "The pit lane was damp and the track cool, so every time you went out it took a couple of laps to get going again," Pruett said.
Leading unofficial practice times for Sunday's Nazareth 200 in Pennsylvania: secs 1 S Pruett US Lola Ford 19.686 (182.873mph) 2 R Gordon US Reyn'd Ford 19.927 3 J Vasser US Reyn'd Ford 19.949 4 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Merc 20.011 5 B Herta US Reyn'd Ford 20.067 6 A Fernandez US Lola Merc 20.101 7 P Tracy Can Lola Ford 20.156 8 B Rahal US Lola Merc 20.242 9 E Cheever US Lola Ford 20.242 10 M Andretti US Lola Ford 20.278GTs:- Twice World Sportscar champion Derek Bell will contest the Le Mans 24-hour race in June. The five-times winner said he would not race again after finishing fifth last year. But the opportunity to race with his son Justin and 1988 winner Andy Wallace in a McLaren F1 GTR has persuaded him otherwise. "There is nothing to stop me changing my mind. It's great to be part of a British team with all British drivers driving a fabulous British car," said Bell.
BRITISH F3 CHAMPIONSHIP Leading qualifying times at Donington: mins secs 1 H Castro N Dallara Honda 1:15.077 2 G Rodriguez Dallara M'bishi 1:15.097 3 J Spence Dallara Honda 1:15.121LONDON-MEXICO RALLY:- Sixty crews set off from outside a London hotel on Saturday morning for a 10,000-mile test of their rallying skills and endurance. They will be competing for 30 days over 44 closed road special stages, a total of 992kms often on roug h, winding gravel roads. The route includes an eight-day run from the Atlantic coast of South America to the Pacific coast and drivers will cross the Equator and pass through four time zones. The event ends in Acapulco in Mexico on Sunday, May 21.
Competitors can expect to face a number of hazards as they negotiate the route from London to Mexico through 18 different countries. They will travel on unmade roads in the Brazil coffee plantations, face steamy heat in the rain forests of Ecuador, cro ss vast deserts and spend six days at high altitude. They could meet stray llamas in Bolivia, reckless truck drivers in Peru and man-eating sharks - should they stray into Lake Managua. All cars are of the 1970 era, to celebrate the last run 25 years ago.
Among the entrants for the event are: 1 H Mikkola/Gunnar Palm Ford Escort winners of original 1970 event 2 R Clark/T Moy Ford Escort crew were 4th on London-Sydney 1993 3 T Daly/B Brill Ford Mustang 4 R Dunkerton/H Mansson Datsun 240Z Ross is 5 times Australian champion 5 G Lorimer/J Brittan Ford Escort 6 T Fall/R Dixon Volvo 142 Tony was 6th on the 1970 event 9 B Hodgson/P McClintock Ford Falcon both over 65, competed L-Sydney 68/93 10 M Harvey/M Clark Ford Escort Roger Clark's son Matthew built car 11 C Regazzoni/C Valion Mercedes 300 Driver paraplegic after US GP crash 19 M Everett/W Brooks Datsun 510 Rallying partners for 25 years 34 I James/D French BMW 2002ti Ian is chief superintendant in Met Police 39,40,41 All Skodas driven by former factory rally drivers or mechanicsCUMBRIA RALLY:- Ari Vatanen ended a trouble-free day nearly two minutes ahead of his nearest rival at the end of leg one of the Pirelli International Rally. The former World Champion heads his fellow Escort driver Tomas Abrahamsson with Gregoire de Mevius in third in a Nissan Sunny. Gwyndaf Evans had a spectacular accident in Kielder that saw his RS2000 fly eight feet into the air in a multiple roll at 70mph. Both Evans and navigator Howard Davies escaped injury and finished the day in 12th place overall.
Positions after 7 stages: hrs mins secs 1 A Vatanen Ford Escort 1:07:42 2 T Abrahamsson Ford Escort 1:09:23 3 G de Mevius Nissan Sunny 1:10:15 4 A McRae Nissan Sunny 1:10:21 5 A Mokkonen Nissan Sunny 1:11:59 6 K Curran Ford Escort 1:12:11 7 M Jones Mitsubishi 1:12:45 8 A Oreille Renault Clio 1:12:59 9 H Rovanpera Vaux'l Astra 1:13:07 10 S Green Vaux'l Corsa 1:14:06 Rally resumes on Sunday 23.04.95INDYCAR:- Emerson Fittipaldi clinched his 22nd career Indycar victory at the Bosch Spark Plug GP after Eddie Cheever ran out of fuel. Cheever, who has never won on the Indycar circuit, had less than two laps remaining when on lap 198 he slowed dramaticall y before stopping. The Brazilian flew by the American in his Penske Mercedes and held off the challenge of Jacques Villenueve. Fittipaldi finished a few car lengths ahead for his third victory on the one mile Nazareth Oval.
Result of the Bosch Spark Plug GP at Nazareth, Pennsylvania: Laps 1 E Fittipaldi Brz Penske Merc 200 (ave speed 131.305 mph) 2 J Villeneuve Can Reynard Ford 200 3 S Johansson Swe Penske Merc 200 4 R Gordon US Reynard Lola 200 5 E Cheever US Lola Ford 199 6 B Rahal US Lola Merc 199 7 T Fabi It Reynard Ford 199 8 S Pruett US Lola Ford 199 9 A Fernandez US Lola Merc 199 10 R Boesel Brz Lola Merc 199 GERMAN TOURING CARS, Hockenheim Round One mins secs 1 B Schneider AMG Mercedes 40:45.07 2 J van Ommen AMG Mercedes 40:52.23 3 D Fr'chitti AMG Mercedes 40:57.93 Round Two 1 B Schneider AMG Mercedes 40:36.94 2 J van Ommen AMG Mercedes 41:02.95 3 K Ludwig Opel Calibra 41:18.69 BRITISH F3 CHAMPIONSHIP Result at Donington Park (25 laps):mins secs 1 H Castro N Dallara Honda 28:08.53 2 W Hughes Dallara M'bishi 28:11.77 3 G Rodriguez Dallara M'bishi 28:19.81 FOUR HOUR INTERNATIONAL GT SPORTSCARS Result from Nurburgring (133 laps): hrs:mins:secs 1 Bellm/Sala GB/Brz 4:00:26.35 2 Grouillard/Giriox Fr 4:00:44.16 3 Nielsen/Buscher Den/Swi 4:02:01.98 all driving McLarensLONDON-MEXICO RALLY:- Ross Dunkerton and Hannu Mikkola were neck and neck at the head of the field as the 10,000-mile event got under way in Hampshire. They ended day one with identical times of 9 mins 59 secs after two forest stages on the Earl of Pembro ke's Wilton estate. Australian Dunkerton was fastest on the opener in his Datsun 240Z but Mikkola, winner of the inaugural London-Mexico event in 1970, took the second. Britain's Roger Clark (10.28) ended the day in joint fourth place.
Leaders at end of day one (Portsmouth): mins secs 1 Dunkerton/Mansson Datsun 240Z 9:59 = Mikkola/Palm Ford Escort 9:59 3 Dalgarno/Taylor Ford Escort 10:25 4 Lorimer/Brittan Ford Escort 10:28 = Clark/Moy Ford Escort 10:28 6 Harvey/Clark Ford Escort 10:32 7 Martin-H/Kon'veld Ford Escort 10:38 8 Fall/Dixon Volvo 10:50 = Illman/Stangl Porsche 911 10:50 10 Poin'ger/Pol'nig Ford Escort 10.57CUMBRIA RALLY:- Ari Vatanen won the second round of the championship by a convincing four minute margin in his Ford Escort Cosworth. The flying Finn set fastest times on six of the 11 special stages in the famous Kielder Forest complex that claimed more t han half the 91 entrants over the two day event. Swede Tomas Abrahamsson took second followed by a brace of two litre cars driven by Gregoire de Mevius and Alister McRae. The Scot took the first round of the championship in Wales.
Final positions after stage 11:hrs mins secs 1 A Vatanen Ford Escort 2:01:24 2 T Abrahamsson Ford Escort 2:05:29 3 G de Mevius Nissan Sunny 2:05:48 4 A McRae Nissan Sunny 2:06:05 5 H Rovanpera Vaux'l Astra 2:10:55 6 M Jones Mitsubishi 2:11:06 7 D Llewellin Vaux'l Astra 2:11:13 8 A Oreille Renault Clio 2:12:30 9 D Buckley Volks Golf 2:13:08 10 K Curran Ford Escort 2:14:02 24.04.95SUPERTOURING:- TOCA have withdrawn their appeal against the stewards decision relating to an incident between Will Hoy and Julian Bailey in round one of the Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship. Consequently the results for round one, held at Donington Park on April 2, can be declared official.
F.CLASSIC:- Martin Donnelly, the former Lotus Formula 1 driver seriously injured whilst qualifying for the 1990 Spanish GP, is to make a full-time return to racing in the Formula Classic Championship for Drivers.
LONDON-MEXICO RALLY:- Ross Dunkerton and Hannu Mikkola were still tied for the lead after the second day's run through rural France from St Malo to Biarritz. Australian Dunkerton, with partner Harry Mansson, recorded a total time of nine minutes, 59 secon ds in their Datsun 240Z. Mikkola and Gunnar Palm equalled it in their Ford Escort. There were no major dramas on a quiet second day and day three sees the competitors crossing the border into Spain for a twisting stage knows as the Balcon de Viscaya.
Leaders at end of day two (Biarritz): mins secs 1 Dunkerton/Mansson Datsun 240Z 9:59 = Mikkola/Palm Ford Escort 9:59 3 Dalgarno/Taylor Ford Escort 10:25 4 Lorimer/Brittan Ford Escort 10:28 = Clark/Moy Ford Escort 10:28 6 Harvey/Clark Ford Escort 10:32 7 Martin-H/Kon'veld Ford Escort 10:38 8 Fall/Dixon Volvo 10:50 = Illman/Stangl Porsche 911 10:50 10 Poin'ger/Pol'nig Ford Escort 10.57 25.04.95JOHN WATSON ON THE SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX
The events of one year ago will be foremost in the minds of everyone in Formula One as the cars return to San Marino this weekend. Incredibly the official inquiry into Ayrton Senna's accident has yet to publish its findings leaving a black cloud hovering over the GP. The race will be held on a totally revised circuit and consequently, as in Argentina three weeks ago, there will be an additional free day of practice on the Thursday. Six major alterations have left just one high speed corner at Imola.
Circuit Enzo e Dino Ferrari is now a race track of straights with only second and third gear corners. This is sad but necessary, taking into account the limitations of land and space available. Changes to the circuit have also resulted in a slightly sh orter lap distance. The only remaining high speed curve now leads into the double left Rivazza bends. Assuming everybody gets through these low speed corners briskly, then whoever has the most powerful engine should be quickest.
Formula One teams have been very busy in the last three weeks - and, for many, it is just as well. Williams Renault are currently the class of the field and nothing I have seen to date makes me think anything will be different in Imola. In fact the bes t race of the weekend is likely to be between Damon Hill and David Coulthard. Fellow Renault users Benetton are looking for harmony between engine and chassis and rely heavily on team leader Michael Schumacher to mask current car performance.
Unfortunately Michael Schumacher has been getting sidelined with issues which are a reflection of the stress of being world champion. It is no easy task having to defend the world title but his threats to go IndyCar racing are puerile. One of the quali ties expected of any world champion is dignity. We have seen in the past both the good and the bad. I like the good. Johnny Herbert will once again provide point-scoring support and, as he grows in the team, can expect to become stronger with each race.
The main focus at Imola this weekend will be on Jean Alesi, Gerhard Berger and Ferrari. Alesi's magnificent drive in Argentina was the highlight of the race for many and, with an even higher-revving V12 engine, they will be dominant in the hp race. The only question remains, can reliability match the power? The Ferrari chassis looks superb and, for many people - no, in fact, for everyone in F1 - to see Alesi score a maiden win in Ferrari no 27 would be a moment to treasure.
Ferrari are still sore about the appeal tribunal in Paris recently but I hope F1 will have its house in order on this poignant weekend. Elsewhere there will be huge world media interest in Nigel Mansell on his McLaren Mercedes Benz debut. His false sta rt to the season was unfortunate but, make no mistake, if Mansell has working space in the car, he can deliver. Meanwhile a disappointed Martin Brundle is sidelined at Ligier with Aguri Suzuki making his third start in an eight-race programme.
Jordan and Tyrrell are showing signs of becoming a threat to the Big Four in qualifying. The results will come and, if Imola continues its tradition as a car breaker, points will be on offer. Further down the grid Simtek Ford had a major morale boost f rom Jos Verstappen. The value of confidence to a team is unquantifiable. Finally, out of respect to the two young men who lost their lives a year ago, I urge the drivers to exercise prudence, particularly at the start of the race, on Sunday.
Nigel Mansell has warned his many fans not to expect too much from his return to GP racing on Sunday. The former world champion's first run in the widened McLaren MP4/10B will be on Thursday on the revised Imola circuit. "I don't expect much from Imola," he insisted. "I hope I have reliability, I hope I can function in the car - and that I finish." The car has been re-designed to allow him an extra 25mm on each side of the cockpit for his hips.
Maurizio Passarini, the magistrate heading the inquiry into Ayrton Senna's fatal crash at Imola last year, has requested a further six months before issuing his findings.
GERMAN DTM:- Alfa Romeo motor sport boss Giorgio Pianta has written off the marque's chances of winning this year's German Touring Car Championship after just two of the 16 races. He said problems with the 1995 car were "many and very bad".
INDYCAR:- US football legend Joe Montana is now part owner of Chip Ganassi's Target-Scotch-STP IndyCar team.
LONDON-MEXICO RALLY:- Matthew Clark overcame freezing rain and fog to win the Spanish stage, beating his father Roger in the process. Matthew, 24, in a Ford Escort, finished two seconds in front of New Zealander Graham Lorimer on the third day of the rall y. Former world champion Hannu Mikkola finished third to open up a 19-second overall lead and Roger Clark was sixth. Escorts occupied four of the top five spots. The 59 cars were headed for Portugal on Tuesday.
Leaders at end of day 3 (Salamanca): mins secs 1 Mikkola/Palm Ford Escort 28:10 2 Lorimer/Brittan Ford Escort 28:29 3 Harvey/Clark Ford Escort 28:31 4 Dunkerton/Mansson Datsun 240Z 28:47 5 Dalgarno/Taylor Ford Escort 29:00 6 Clark/Moy Ford Escort 29:11 7 Martin-H/Kon'veld Ford Escort 29:28 8 Balazs/Jojart Porsche 911 29:59 9 Poin'ger/Pol'nig Ford Escort 30.16 10 Sunsundegui/Goni Mercedes 30:29 27.04.95 - F1: THE SAN MARINO GPNigel Mansell suffered an unhappy Formula One comeback as his first run at the redesigned circuit ended in a spin. The former world champion, driving his rebuilt McLaren for the first time, went off on the fifth lap of the first extra practice session. Th e incident happened at the Ravazza curve and the 41-year-old had to be towed back to the pit lane by a tractor. Mansell was eighth fastest in the second session but has not yet decided whether to race on Sunday.
Nigel Mansell was full of praise for the McLaren team after putting a morning spin behind him to clock up some valuable practice miles. "I had a great afternoon and must congratulate the McLaren-Marcedes team for the sensational job they have done buil ding this new car. I feel happy in the car and feel that we are now at the point where we can start developing it," the former world champion said. The team have redesigned their MP4/10B chassis to give Mansell 25mm extra hip room in the cockpit.
Thursday's unofficial practice times: mins secs 1 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:30.081 2 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:30.448 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:31.110 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:31.322 5 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:31.827 6 D Hill GB Williams 1:32.228 7 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:32.292 8 N Mansell GB McLaren 1:32.597 9 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:32.608 10 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:32.976 11 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan 1:33.370 12 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:34.001 13 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:34.129 14 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:34.543 15 A Suzuki Jpn Ligier 1:35.203 16 P Martini It Minardi 1:35.286 17 J Verstappen Hol Simtek 1:35.628 18 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:35.951 19 L Badoer It Minardi 1:36.448 20 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 1:36.806 21 B Gachot Fr Pacific 1:39.389 22 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:39.414 23 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:39.765 24 D Sch'rella It Simtek 1:40.664 25 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:47.316 28.04.95F1: THE SAN MARINO GP
World champion Michael Schumacher returned to top form by claiming provisional pole for Sunday's race at the re-modelled circuit. The reigning world champion swapped places during the session with the Williams of David Coulthard before Gerhard Berger made a late charge. The Austrian eclipsed the Scot in the dying seconds to line up alongside the German on the grid. Damon Hill was outshone by his Williams teammate by just 0.078 secs and provisionally joins him on the second row.
Scotland's David Coulthard exuded confidence after setting the third best time behind Michael Schumacher in the opening qualifying session. "I'm happy with the way things are going. If that was a classic pole position lap from Schumacher, then I think we can beat it," he said. Williams teammate Damon Hill was fourth fastest and said he was still familiarising himself with the new Imola lay-out. "I have been progressing steadily and feeling my way about... We still have some work to do," he added.
Nigel Mansell professed himself satisfied after easing himself back into Formula One qualifying in his redesigned McLaren Mercedes. "Considering it was the first time I have managed to string together consecutive timed laps, this was not a bad day's wo rk," he said. "Of course, I am still easing myself into the car and its characteristics. But all is well and this, allied to the excellent team work, makes me optimistic for tomorrow," added Mansell, who was ninth fastest.
Friday's official practice times:mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:27.274 2 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:27.282 3 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:27.459 4 D Hill GB Williams 1:27.537 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:27.813 6 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:28.343 7 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:28.516 8 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:29.403 9 N Mansell GB McLaren 1:29.517 10 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan 1:29.580 11 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:29.582 12 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:30.801 13 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:31.221 14 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:31.358 15 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:31.630 16 J Verstappen Hol Simtek 1:32.156 17 A Suzuki Jpn Ligier 1:32.297 18 P Martini It Minardi 1:32.445 19 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:32.988 20 L Badoer It Minardi 1:33.071 21 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 1:33.494 22 B Gachot Fr Pacific 1:33.892 23 D Sch'rella It Simtek 1:33.965 24 A Montermini It Pacific 1:35.169 25 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:36.686 26 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:37.612 LONDON-MEXICO RALLY Leaders at end of European sector:hr:min:sec 1 Mikkola/Palm Ford Escort 1:02.08 2 Lorimer/Brittan Ford Escort 1:02.54 3 Clark/Moy Ford Escort 1:04.18 4 Dalgarno/Taylor Ford Escort 1:04.21 5 Harvey/Clark Ford Escort 1:04.29 6 Dunk'ton/Mansson Datsun 240Z 1:05.03 7 Martin-H/Kon'vld Ford Escort 1:06.22 8 Balazs/Jojart Porsche 911 1:07.39 9 Rainsford/R'ford Ford M'tang 1:08.51 10 Fall/Dixon Volvo 1:09.07 Rally resumes Saturday in Brazil 29.04.95F1: THE SAN MARINO GP
World champion Michael Schumacher will start from pole for Sunday's race after escaping unhurt in a practice crash. His Benetton hit a concrete wall after spinning off the remodelled circuit in the morning warm-up. The German was able to take part in fin al qualifying but failed to improve Friday's lap time of 1 min 27.274 secs in hot conditions. Gerhard Berger and David Coulthard remain second and third on the grid with Damon Hill fourth despite improving his time to 1:27.512.
Michael Schumacher made light of a practice crash earlier in the day after finishing final qualifying on pole position. "There was no danger in my view. I was going slowly when I went into the wall and it was only because of the angle that the tyre cam e off. I touched a kerb on the inside and the car spun. It was nothing dramatic," the world champion said. Britain's Damon Hill remained fourth on the grid and admitted: "It is going to be difficult to pass and that will be my problem."
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:27.274 2 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:27.282 3 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:27.459 4 D Hill GB Williams 1:27.512 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:27.813 6 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:28.343 7 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:28.516 8 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:29.350 9 N Mansell GB McLaren 1:29.517 10 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan 1:29.551 11 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:29.582 12 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:30.760 13 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:31.035 14 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:31.358 15 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:31.630 16 A Suzuki Jpn Ligier 1:31.913 17 J Verstappen Hol Simtek 1:32.156 18 P Martini It Minardi 1:32.445 19 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:32.710 20 L Badoer It Minardi 1:33.071 21 K Wendlinger Aut Sauber 1:33.494 22 B Gachot Fr Pacific 1:33.892 23 D Sch'rella It Simtek 1:33.965 24 A Montermini It Pacific 1:35.169 25 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:36.065 26 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:36.624LONDON-MEXICO RALLY:- British veteran Roger Clark crashed out of contention with damaged suspension on the opening South American stage in Brazil. Clark and co-driver Tony Moy lost third place on a day which saw Graham Lorimer and Jenny Brittan taken to h ospital with broken ribs. They were lying second when they rolled their Ford Escort into a sugar plantation close to the finish at Londrina. Clark was able to use parts from their car to repair his own and make it to the control point.
Leaders at end of day seven - Sao Paulo to Londrina: hr:min:sec 1 Mikkola/Palm Ford Escort 1:30.29 2 Dunk'ton/Mansson Datsun 240Z 1:34.04 3 Martin-H/Kon'vld Ford Escort 1:37.18 4 Balazs/Jojart Porsche 911 1:39.41 5 Fall/Dixon Volvo 1:41.29 6 Rainsford/R'ford Ford M'tang 1:41.58 7 Point'r/Pol'nig Ford Escort 1:44.07 8 Hodgson/McC'tock Ford Falcon 1:44.20 9 Barrow/Barrow Mercedes 1:46.46 10 Sun'gui/Goni Mercedes 1:46.49 30.04.95 F1: THE SAN MARINO GP Result after 63 laps: hr:mins:sec 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:41:42.552 2 J Alesi Fr Ferrari @ 18.510 3 G Berger Aut Ferrari @ 43.116 4 D Coulthard GB Williams @ 51.390 5 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren @ 1 lap 6 H Frentzen Ger Sauber @ 1 lap 7 J Herbert GB Benetton @ 2 laps 8 E Irvine GB Jordan @ 2 laps 9 O Panis Fr Ligier @ 2 laps 10 N Mansell GB McLaren @ 2 laps 11 A Suzuki Jpn Ligier @ 3 laps 12 G M'bidelli It Footwork @ 4 laps 13 P Martini It Minardi @ 4 laps 14 L Badoer It Minardi @ 4 laps Drivers' championship: 1 D Hill GB Williams 20 pts 2 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 14 = J Alesi Brz Ferrari 14 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 9 = D Coulthard GB Williams 9 6 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 5 7 J Herbert GB Benetton 3 = H Frentzen Ger Sauber 3 9 M Blundell GB McLaren 1 Constructors' championship: 1 Ferrari 23 pts 2 Williams 23 3 Benetton 7 4 McLaren 6 5 Sauber 3Damon Hill scored a comfortable victory at Imola to take the lead in the World Championship standings from Michael Schumacher. The Briton took the lead on lap 23 after early dramas on the damp circuit which claimed Schumacher. The German was leading on wet tyres and changed to slicks on lap 10 only to crash off on lap 11. This left David Coulthard and fellow Williams driver Hill in control of the race but the Scot spun and had to settle for fourth behind the two Ferraris.
Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi gave the Tifosi cause to celebrate as Ferrari took second and third behind Damon Hill. The Austrian had been challenging for the lead and was frequently recording fastest lap times but had a disastrous pit stop and stalled . This put him well down the field but drove hard to claw his way back to third place. The French driver battled hard with David Coulthard for second place but the Scot was given a 10 second penalty for speeding in pit lane.
Damon Hill kept his cool as his main rivals suffered setbacks and fell by the wayside to notch his 11th victory from 37 Grands Prix. Michael Schumacher went out after pushing his cold tyres too hard, Gerhard Berger stalled, David Coulthard spun and had a penalty. All this left Hill to dominate from lap 23 onwards to finish 18.510 seconds ahead of Jean Alesi. He is now six points ahead of reigning world champion Schumacher in the standings with Ferrari and Williams the leading constructors.
Nigel Mansell had to be content with 10th place in his comeback to Grand Prix racing in his newly remodelled McLaren. The former World Champion started on slick tyres as did his teammate Mika Hakkinen but early laps on the damp track proved tricky. At one stage Mansell had forced his way into sixth place and a possible points finish but suffered a series of mishaps. He tangled with Eddie Irvine's Jordan on lap 45 having stopped for a nose cone the lap previously.
Damon Hill was relieved the return to Imola following Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger's deaths last year had been injury-free. "It is one year now since that race, which was so bad for Williams and it is so special and nice that we can all feel di fferent now. We had a great reception from the public. I know Ayrton would have liked it. It has been a great day. It is special to come here with the sense of foreboding we had and to prove that Grand Prix racing is healthy," said Hill.
Jean Alesi had some harsh words for David Coulthard after finishing second in his Ferrari. The Frenchman had been behind the Scot in the early part of the race and was pushing hard to get past. "I was not at all happy with Coulthard. I am an experience d driver and he is not and he drove very incorrectly," said Alesi. "He touched my left wheel and he banged into my steering and I was lucky to stay on the track and finish the race," he added.
Italian Andrea Montermini has been fined $10,000 after incurring a time penalty for exceeding the speed limit in pit lane. The Pacific driver was forced to withdraw from the race before he could take the penalty so the stewards converted it to a fine. The fine has been suspended for three Grands Prix on the condition he does not commit the same offence during those races.
LONDON-MEXICO RALLY:- British veteran Roger Clark and son Matthew endured another difficult day as overheating problems dogged them on the way into Paraguay. Clark senior had to tow his son's car into Asuncion and the pair may not start the next stage - a 1250km drive to Ju Juy in Argentina. "Unless we can find a reason for our problems, it's better to stop here than end up getting stuck somewhere up in the Andes," Clark commented. Finn Hannu Mikkola holds a 4 min 36 secs lead over Ross Dunkerton.
Leaders at end of day eight - Londrina to Asuncion: hr:min:sec 1 Mikkola/Palm Ford Escort 2:05.28 2 Dunk'ton/Mansson Datsun 240Z 2:10.04 3 Martin-H/Kon'vld Ford Escort 2:15.34 4 Balazs/Jojart Porsche 911 2:17.05 5 Rainsford/R'ford Ford M'tang 2:23.12 6 Fall/Dixon Volvo 2:23.24 7 Point'r/Pol'nig Ford Escort 2:24.11 8 Hodgson/McC'tock Ford Falcon 2:25.15 9 Paterson/North Volvo 2:26.37 10 Illman/Stangl Porsche 911 2:28.08