01.06.95F1:- Formula One team Simtek have confirmed that they will not run in the Canadian Grand Prix on June 11 due to financial constraints.
PERTH SCOTTISH RALLY:- Alister McRae is aiming to extend his lead in the championship with a home victory in the Perth Scottish rally starting on Friday. The Lanark driver holds a 12 point advantage after the opening two rounds, going into the three day event won previously by his father Jimmy and brother Colin. The Nissan driver's main rivals will be Formula Two champion David Llewellin and Gwyndaf Evans. Llewellin will be looking for his fourth Scottish victory which includes 19 special stages.
02.06.95INDYCAR:- Stan Fox, who suffered brain damage in a first turn crash at the Indianapolis 500, has regained consciousness in hospital. "He has been making a good recovery in the last 48 hours. He has opened his eyes and is more aware of his surroundings," said a spokesman.
PERTH SCOTTISH RALLY:- Alister McRae disappointed his home fans in Perth when electrical problems scuppered his championship bid on the first day. David Llewellin also had problems in his Vauxhall Astra Sport as did fellow Scot Robbie Head in his Renault Clio Williams. That left Belgian Nissan driver Gregoire de Mevius with the chance to claim the lead in the Formula 2 Championship. Guest driver Malcolm Wilson leads the overall rally in his Ford Escort Cosworth.
Positions after stage 2: Penalty 1 Wilson/Thomas Ford Escort 0:19.38 2 Harkki/Man'maki Mitsubishi 0:20.28 3 de Mevius/F'tin Nissan 0:20.45 4 Kytolehto/Kap'n Vauxhall 0:20.53 5 Milner/Turvey Nissan 0:20.57 6 Laukkanen/Jarvi VW Golf 0:20.58 7 Abraham'sn/Kidd Ford Escort 0:20.59 8 Evans/Davies Ford Escort 0:21.04 9 Buckley/Beech VW Golf 0:21.16 10 Rowe/Wood Peugeot 0:21.26 03.06.95 - PERTH SCOTTISH RALLYTapio Laukkanen leads fellow Finn Jarmo Kytolehto by thirteen seconds in the third round of the British Rally Championship in Perth. Laukkanen, driving a VW Golf GTi, is overnight Formula 2 leader after 69 competitive stage miles. Gwyndaf Evans (Ford Escort) went off at high-speed on special stage eight and was forced to retire, so compromising his Championship hopes with only two rounds to go. Guest driver Malcolm Wilson leads the rally overall in the Michelin Pilot Ford Escort Cosworth.
04.06.95ITC:- Christian Danner, in an Alfa Romeo 155 V6Ti, won the third round of the International Touring Car Series in Helsinki. Nicola Larini, also driving an Alfa Romeo, won the fourth round.
PERTH SCOTTISH RALLY:- Jarmo Kytolehto won the third round of the British Rally Championship in his Vauxhall Astra by a clear 3 minutes 7 seconds. The Finn came in ahead of Belgian Gregoire de Mevius, driving a Nissan Sunny GTi, and Alain Oreille (Renault Clio Williams) of France. Oreille now leads the 1995 Championship after Alister McRae (Nissan) retired with electrical problems on day one. Tomas Abrahamsson won overall in a Ford Escort Cosworth which was not eligible for Championship points.
Malcolm Wilson lost his cool after being forced to retire in controversial circumstances during the overnight leg to Dumfries. The overall leader rounded a fast corner to find a closed gate across the road and damaged his Escort Cosworth in a ditch trying to stop. "I have been rallying for 20 years and this is something I have never seen before," said Wilson. "I find it very hard to believe the gate was closed on its own and it appears that someone closed it deliberately."
Final positions after stage 19:Penalty 1 Abraham'sn/Kidd Ford Escort 2:38.17 2 Kytolehto/Kap'n Vauxh Astra 2:40.43 3 de Mevius/F'tin Nissan Sun 2:43.50 4 Oreille/Boyere Renault Cl 2:43.59 5 Young/Philpott Ford Escort 2:46.38 6 Higgins/Park Ford Escort 2:47.05 7 Curran/Warner Ford Escort 2:48.48 8 Buckley/Beech VW Golf 2:53.26 9 Birkbeck/Corner Vauxh Astra 2:54.12 10 Smith/Brunton Ford Escort 2:54.37 Championship standings: 1 A Oreille Renault 49 pts 2 G de Mevius Nissan 46 = A McRae Nissan 46 = J Kytolehto Vauxhall 46 05.06.95 - INDYCARPaul Tracy dashed the hopes of a revitalised Penske team by pipping defending champion Al Unser junior to win the Milwaukee 200. The Canadian, who defected to the Carl Haas team from Penske, passed Unser in heavy traffic with 21 laps to go and held on for victory. Unser was just 0.846 secs behind in second place with Tracy's teammate Michael Andretti a distant third, one lap behind. Emerson Fittipaldi was lying fourth in the second Penske when he hit a wall and went out on lap 123.
Result of Milwaukee 200: laps 1 P Tracy Can Lola Ford 200 (average speed 137.304mph) 2 A Unser jr US Penske Merc 200 3 M Andretti US Lola Ford 199 4 T Fabi It Reynard Ford 198 5 R Gordon US Reynard Ford 197 6 J Vil'neuve Can Reynard Ford 197 7 C Fit'paldi Brz Reynard Ford 196 8 G de Ferran Brz Reynard Merc 195 9 J Vasser US Reynard Ford 195 10 A Fernandez Mex Reynard Lola 195 Standings: 1 Villeneuve 75 pts 2 Gordon 53 3 Tracy, Rahal, Pruett 52 06.06.95 - F1The British Simtek team will miss this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix - and there is a doubt over its participation in the remainder of the F1 World Championship. The team failed to raise enough fund for the haul to North America but hopes to be ready to take part in the French Grand Prix on July 9.
Damon Hill's inability to keep pace with Michael Schumacher in last month's Monaco GP was the result of a malfunctioning differential, according to the Williams team.
07.06.95F1: JOHN WATSON ON THE CANADIAN GP
Fears must be mounting in Formula One circles of a repeat of the the dominance by Michael Schumacher that we saw in 1994. It is not just that the Benetton Renault-Schumacher partnership is fast, but once again in Monaco it came down to reading how to make best use of pit-stops in the race. They once again showed that their understanding of race strategy is again giving them an advantage. But the key is not just choosing right strategy, it is chiefly in making that strategy work for you.
Damon Hill was understandably frustrated in Monaco and aired his opinions about the race strategy adopted by the Williams team. They believed Benetton were going to make two pit-stops, but you must put your rivals out of your mind. Williams lost in Monaco when Damon made his first pit-stop, Schumacher was glued to his gearbox. Unknown at this time was a problem in the differential of Hill's car and the team believe this is the reason Schumacher was able to run so close to Damon.
Benetton and Williams will again be the two strongest teams with another exciting duel in prospect. They have parity of engines and tyres and it will all come down to tactics and a poker-playing mind. Disguising your intentions is as valuable as any asset, mechanical or human, that your team possesses. I believe that if Benetton had made two stops in Monaco, they may still have won. Simply shadowing what another team might do is not the right approach for Williams.
The Ferrari team are becoming an increasingly exciting third force behind Benetton and Williams. In qualifying at Montreal, Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger are again capable of being in the middle of the Schumacher-Hill feud. Their strength in the race will be reliability and the performance of their engines is now better than at the start of the season. Ferrari will get it absolutely right one weekend, it may be in France or at Silverstone, but Canada could be a historic win 105.
Canada has seen many teams benefit from attrition at the front in past years with points earned by those outside the 'Premier Division'. If not capable of winning from the front, the intelligent approach is to opt for percentage tactics rather than going for broke. Jordan, Sauber, Tyrrell, Ligier and Footwork are all possible points scorers on Sunday. They might look at the history of the race before making decisions about the 69-lap battle.
David Coulthard returns to a track where he was very assertive in 1994 and, in particular, with Williams team-mate Damon Hill. He raced his own race and did not give way to Damon and it caused ripples in the relationship between the two drivers last year. Mark Blundell is hoping to repeat the fine job he did for McLaren Mercedes Benz at Monte Carlo. Importantly for him, another points finish would in my mind secure his seat in the team for the remainder of the season.
Johnny Herbert is beginning to find room for his feet underneath the Benetton table. His driving confidence is rising race by race. He likes the podium and once is not enough for him. Jordan's Eddie Irvine will hope to further his interests this weekend as he is being looked at by other teams for the future. Martin Brundle looked set for his maiden win in Canada in 1992 for Benetton-Ford. He is unlikely to win in 1995 but his Ligier is a potential points contender.
SUPERTOURING Wednesday testing for Sunday's 11th and 12th round of the BTCC: mins secs 1 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:29.56 2 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:29.84 3 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:29.86 4 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 1:29.93 5 K Burt Ford Mondeo 1:30.03 6 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:30.04 7 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:30.19 8 W Hoy Renault Laguna 1:30.23 9 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:30.23 10 D Brabham BMW 318 1:30.24 11 P Watts Peugeot 405 1:30.34 12 T Sugden Toyota Carina 1:30.51 09.06.95F1: THE CANADIAN GP
Damon Hill had to settle for second place as Michael Schumacher grabbed provisional pole in Friday's practice session in Canada. Hill's hopes of reversing their positions on Saturday may be ruined by heavy rain which is forecast. Hill, who had a spin during his free practice, set the fastest lap in first qualifying but Schumacher and Gerhard Berger both beat it. Hill then clocked 1:28.039 to regain second spot from Berger but could not match Schumacher.
McLaren boss Ron Dennis has denied rumours that his team are about to dispense with Nigel Mansell's successor Mark Blundell. Speculation has been rife in Montreal that McLaren are chasing Sauber driver Heinz-Harold Frentzen as Blundell's replacement. But Dennis said: "There is no substance to it at all. Mark's situation is exactly as before. "He was brought in for two races to buy some breathing space and to see how well he coped in the team. He's done a competent job to date."
Friday's practice times: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:27.661 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:28.039 3 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:28.247 4 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:28.525 5 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:28.590 6 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:29.021 7 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:29.295 8 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:29.393 9 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:29.406 10 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:29.809 11 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:30.279 12 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:30.285 13 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:30.657 14 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:30.854 15 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:30.880 16 P Martini It Minardi 1:31.859 17 J Bouillon Fr Sauber 1:31.925 18 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:31.958 19 L Badoer It Minardi 1:32.453 20 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:32.995 21 B Gachot Fr Pacific 1:33.860 22 A Montermini It Pacific 1:33.910 23 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:34.000 24 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:36.187 10.06.95F1: THE CANADIAN GP
World champion Michael Schumacher claimed the ninth pole position of his career in his Benetton after the final qualifying session. The German was unable to improve on his time from first qualifying but his best of 1 min 27.661 secs puts him clear of all his rivals. Williams Renault team-mates Damon Hill and David Coulthard head the challenge, starting in second and third positions on the grid. The British drivers are closely followed by Ferrari duo Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi.
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:27.661 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:28.039 3 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:28.091 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:28.189 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:28.474 6 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:28.498 7 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:28.910 8 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:29.021 9 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:29.171 10 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:29.641 11 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:29.809 12 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:30.017 13 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:30.159 14 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:30.255 15 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:30.657 16 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:31.382 17 P Martini It Minardi 1:31.445 18 J Bouillon Fr Sauber 1:31.838 19 L Badoer It Minardi 1:31.853 20 B Gachot Fr Pacific 1:32.841 21 A Montermini It Pacific 1:32.894 22 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:32.995 23 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:34.000 24 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:34.982Mike Hakkinen has been reprimanded and could have to pay a fine after ignoring the red light at the pit exit in Saturday's practice. The Finnish driver did a similar thing in Monaco two weeks ago and on that occasion was given a suspended $10,000 fine. Now the track stewards are going to recommend that the FIA make him pay it now. Hakkinen was placed seventh on the grid for Sunday evening's race.
SUPERTOURING:- Alain Menu grabbed pole position for Sunday's rounds 11 and 12 at Brands Hatch in his Williams Renault Laguna. The Swiss star set the fastest time in qualifying sessions for both races ahead of 21-year-old James Thompson in a Vauxhall Cavalier. Menu expects strong challenges from both Cavalier drivers and from the Volvo 850 of current championship leader Rickard Rydell. "I'm very happy, the car feels very good. Now for the hard part - I've got to turn these poles into wins."
Qualifying session for Sunday's 11th round at Brands Hatch (GP Circuit): mins secs 1 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:29.181 2 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 1:29.336 3 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:29.401 4 W Hoy Renault Laguna 1:29.431 5 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:29.491 6 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:29.501 7 K Burt Ford Mondeo 1:29.550 8 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:29.567 9 P Watts Peugeot 405 1:30.056 10 T Sugden Toyota Carina 1:30.086 11 D Brabham BMW 318 1:30.124 12 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:30.235 Qualifying session for Sunday's 12th round at Brands Hatch: mins secs 1 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:29.062 2 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 1:29.199 3 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:29.220 4 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:29.421 5 W Hoy Renault Laguna 1:29.451 6 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:29.577 7 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:29.581 8 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:29.788 9 P Watts Peugeot 405 1:29.879 10 J Cecotto BMW 318 1:29.905 11 T Sugden Toyota Carina 1:30.017 12 D Leslie Honda Acoord 1:30.069 11.06.95 F1: THE CANADIAN GP Result after 69 laps hrs:mins:secs 1 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:46:31.33 2 R Barrichello Brz Jordan @ 31.69 3 E Irvine NI Jordan @ 33.27 4 O Panis Fr Ligier @ 36.51 5 M Schumacher Ger Benetton @ 37.06 6 G Morbidelli It Footwork @ 1 lap 7 L Badoer It Minardi @ 1 lap 8 M Salo Fin Tyrrell @ 1 lap 9 T Inoue Jpn Footwork @ 2 laps Only nine cars finished Drivers' championship: 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 36 pts 2 D Hill GB Williams 29 3 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 24 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 17 5 J Herbert GB Benetton 12 6 D Coulthard GB Williams 9 7 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan 6 = E Irvine GB Jordan 6 9 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 5 10 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 4 == O Panis Fr Ligier 4 Constructors' championship: 1 Ferrari 41 pts 2 Benetton 38 3 Williams 32 4 Jordan 12 5 McLaren 8 6 Sauber 4 = Ligier 4 8 Footwork 1Frenchman Jean Alesi gave himself the perfect 31st birthday present with a dramatic maiden GP triumph at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. The Ferrari star was handed the race when reigning world champion Michael Schumacher hit trouble on lap 58 when poised for victory. Schumacher was 30 secs clear when his Benetton Renault suddenly lost speed and a lengthy pit-stop put paid to his chances. Alesi was able to cruise home with Jordan duo Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine completing the podium.
Jean Alesi admitted to having tears in his eyes in the closing stages as he finally scored his first GP victory at his 91st attempt. The Frenchman's triumph prompted ecstatic scenes among Ferrari fans in the crowd and gave his team a record 105th win. "Ten laps from the end when I saw it was possible to win, I started to cry and it was hard for me to see the road," he confessed. "I feel fantastic. It's been hard for me because I've waited a long time to get this first win."
Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine gave the Jordan team a day to remember as they filled the podium behind winner Jean Alesi. Ulsterman Jordan had out-qualified his teammate but Barrichello got an excellent start and was always ahead in their private battle. They were in the top six for almost the entire race and moved up the leaderboard as the bigger names ran into problems. "To score ten points in one Grand Prix is great for the team," said Jordan boss Eddie Jordan.
World champion Michael Schumacher was robbed of a third successive GP triumph as his Benetton Renault let him down with victory in sight. He had stamped his authority all over his rivals and was over 30 secs clear of Jean Alesi after his lap 38 pit-stop. The German effortlessly maintained the gap until he gearbox problems slowed him with 12 laps to go. A lengthy pit-stop enabled him to continue and Schumacher produced a flying finish to earn fifth spot and a two-point consolation.
Britain's Damon Hill suffered a day of utter frustration as his bid for a win to revitalise his world title challenge ended in retirement. He experienced handling problems with his Williams in the morning warm-up but hung onto second behind Michael Schumacher off the grid. All was not well, however, and the Ferraris of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger pushed him down to fourth place before half-distance. Hill gained a place as Berger ran into problems but his race came to an end on lap 51.
Martin Brundle fell victim to an impetuous move by Gerhard Berger as he looked set to score valuable points for Ligier. The 36-year-old Norfolk was boosted before the race with news that he had been confirmed in the team for the French and British GPs. But Berger's attempt to squeeze inside him at turn one with just nine of the 69 laps left put paid to both of them. "I turned as normal and suddenly there was a flying Ferrari coming at me," Brundle said.
Johnny Herbert and David Coulthard were early casualties as the race got off to a dramatic start. Herbert did not complete a single lap as Mika Hakkinen's McLaren hit his car, leaving them both stranded in the centre of the track. "Mika tried to overtake from what I think was a silly position. He edged himself in at the last moment and it was too late for me to do anything about it," Herbert said. Coulthard was lying third when his Williams span off approaching the east hairpin on lap two.
SUPERTOURING:- Scottish ace John Cleland stole the overall lead at Brands Hatch after Swedish rival Rickard Rydell hit trouble in both races. Rydell rolled his Volvo as Cleland drove his Vauxhall to second behind Renault's Alain Menu in the first race and then won the second. Derek Warwick finished the first race eighth to score his first points of the season. Cleland lead the second race from the first corner as teammate James Thompson slotted in behind and kept Menu at bay all the way to the flag.
Result of 11th round at Brands Hatch: mins secs 1 A Menu Renault Laguna 22:34.60 2 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 22:35.95 3 T Harvey Volvo 850 22:40.06 4 W Hoy Renault Laguna 22:48.32 5 P Watts Peugeot 405 22:59.82 6 J Bailey Toyota Carina 23:01.73 7 R Rydell Volvo 850 23:03.13 8 D Warwick Alfa Romeo 23:03.97 9 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 23:07.73 10 J Cecotto BMW 318 23:18.96 11 S Harrison Peogeot 405 23:35.10 12 D Leslie Honda Accord 23:35.23 Result of 12th round at Brands Hatch: mins secs 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 17:39.02 2 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 17:39.64 3 A Menu Renault Laguna 17:39.99 4 W Hoy Renault Laguna 17:40.72 5 T Harvey Volvo 850 17:41.24 6 J Bailey Toyota Carina 17:43.62 7 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 17:44.37 8 P Watts Peugeot 405 17:49.07 9 J Cecotto BMW 318 17:52.38 10 D Brabham BMW 318 17:55.55 11 D Warwick Alfa Romeo 17:56.06 12 G Simoni Alfa Romeo 17:57.14 Drivers' championship: 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 160 pts 2 A Menu Renault Laguna 158 3 R Rydell Volvo 850 146 4 T Harvey Volvo 850 106 5 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 96 6 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 94 Manufacturers' championship: 1 Volvo 203 pts 2 Vauxhall 196 3 Renault 188 4 Ford 124 5 Toyota 80 6 BMW 75 FORMULA VAUXHALL JUNIOR mins secs 1 C Buchan Edinburgh 14:02.38 2 D Malkin Warwick 14:04.79 3 B Collins Exeter 14:10.54Seventeen-year-old Chris Buchan earned his first win of the season by taking the lead from Darren Malkin on the sixth lap.
13.06.95 - F1Minardi are threatening to quit the Formula One world championship after losing its fight to use Mugen-Honda engines. Minardi argued they had a right to use the engines instead of rival team Ligier. Team owner Giancarlo Minardi has had discussions with Alfa Romeo about a switch to the German Touring Car Championship. Minardi have stressed that they would prefer to stay in Formula One.
14.05.95JOHN WATSON ON THE LE-MANS 24Hrs
This weekend all roads lead to Le Mans for what looks to be a more equal and fascinating battle than we have had here for some years. The race features what is, in my view, the long term future of sportscar racing - the GT1 category Last year it was a very thinly- veiled Porsche 962 under the Jochen Dauer entry that took the honours. This year the Automobile Club de L'Ouest have sewn up their own loophole, correctly in my opinion, and the GT1 cars now more resemble road-going vehicles.
Cars such as the McLaren F1 GTR, Ferrari F40 and Porsche's venerable but much-revised 911 GT1 Evolution compete in Le Mans' GT1 category. One interesting entry is from the British company Lister Cars. The car, known as a Lister Storm, is a purpose-built front-engined racing car, using Jaguar V12 power. It closely resembles the road version produced by Lister. The driver line-up here is Geoff Lees, Rupert Keegan and Dominic Chappell.
Le Mans are also running GT2 cars, made up largely of Porsche 911s, two American Callaway Corvettes, as well as two British-built entries. Marcos have managed to seduce former Le Mans winner Jan Lammers into one of these two challengers. The Le Mans prototype 2 category, exclusively of French entries, has a total of four cars running. Undoubtedly quick in qualifying but their long-distance stamina is in question.
Most interest at Le Mans will be focused on the world sportscars since it is most likely from this class that the winner will emerge. The single Ferrari 333 SP will be a strong contender but my bet for the winning engine would be the flat six turbo-charged Porsche unit in a Kremer Porsche or Courage Porsche. One of these is being driven by a man who is a legend in his own lifetime, the former world and IndyCar champion Mario Andretti. It is a rare chance to see these cars today being raced in Europe.
The Le Mans 24-Hour Race should be named The Great Handicap Event. To avoid having a complete field of Porsches, organisers have devised a formula enabling sports prototypes and GT cars to compete fairly. The world sportscars have a weight limit and reduced fuel capacity to ensure they make more pit stops and this should give the GT1 cars the chance to challenge hard. Rain could cause a problem this weekend and another possible hazard for the leading runners will be the unpredictable backmarkers. Grrrr!!
F1:- British-based Formula One team Simtek have gone into receivership due to serious financial problems. The team said sponsorship promised by various firms over the last few months had failed to materialise.
15.06.95LE MANS 24Hrs
Frenchman Bob Wollek driving the Courage-Porsche, recorded the fastest time in the opening qualifying session. Wollek clocked a time of three minutes 53.06 seconds to take provisional pole ahead of Belgian Eric van de Poele. Britain Andy Wallace, driving a Mclaren F1 GTR, was third fastest in a time of 3:58.80. Wollek will share the driving with countryman Eric Helary and former Formula One and Indycar champion Mario Andretti.
Wednesday qualifying times: mins secs 1 Wollek/Andretti/Helary Courage Porsche C34 W/Sp 3:53.06 2 Stuck/Boutsen/Bouchut Kremer Porsche K8 W/Sp 3:55:59 3 Van de Poele/Beretta/Tomlje Courage Chevrolet C41 W/Sp 3:55:63 4 Dalmas/Lehto/Sekiya McLaren F1 GTR BMW GT1 3:58:73 5 Wallace/J Bell/D Bell McLaren F1 GTR BMW GT1 3:59.03 6 Nielsen/Bscher/Mass McLaren F1 GTR BMW GT1 3:59.05 7 Owen-Jones/Raphanel/Alliot McLaren F1 GTR BMW GT1 3:59.05 8 David/Bouvet/Ballendras WR LM94 Peugeot Prot 2 3:59.72Two of the six Team Marcos drivers are new to the race and night-time driving was another first for Chris Marsh, son of company founder Jem. Teammate Thomas Erdos, also making his Le Mans debut, said: "I've never driven on a circuit this size and am impressed that it can be kept in this kind of condition." Jan Lammers' place in the Marcos camp has been taken by compatriot Cor Euser "for commercial reasons". In the no 12 Courage, Slovenian Matjaz Tomlie now backs up Van de Poele and Beretta.
Fifty-two cars were scrutineered, among them reserves Norma and Lister Storm who have now been allowed into the race. The Euromotorsport Ferrari 333 SP was the first car scrutineered and attracted a lot of attention with its rear engine cover and wing. The seven McLaren F1 GTRs have all been given an improved transmission package for the demanding race. The five English entries also have carbon fibre brakes and special bodywork with larger air intakes.
F1:- Receivers hope to sell Simtek's assets in time to have the British Formula One team back on the track next month. They were called in by the team, who were unable to compete in Canada last weekend, after a number of sponsorship deals fell through. "It is hoped that those who control motor racing will encourage and support the purchase of the assets ...thus enabling the name Simtek to live on," said a spokesman. The next Grand Prix takes place in France on July 2.
16.05.95 - LE MANS 24 HrsMario Andretti, along with French co-drivers Bob Wollek and Eric Helary, will start third on the grid after final qualifying. Their Courage Porsche C34 clocked a time of three minutes, 48.76 seconds over the 8.45-mile circuit. The WR Peugeot LM driven by French trio William David, Jean-Bernard Bouvet and Richard Balandras took pole with a time of 3:48.76 secs. They are joined on the important publicity-grabbing front row by the other Peugeot team but are both unlikely to last the full 24 hours.
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 David/Bouvet/Ballendras WR LM94 Peugeot Prot 2 3:46.05 2 Gonin/Petit/Rostan WR Peugeot Prot 2 3:48.10 3 Wollek/Andretti/Helary Courage Porsche C34 W/Sp 3:48.76 4 Pescarolo/Lagorce/Bernard Courage GM C41 W/Sp 3:52.34 5 Stuck/Boutsen/Bouchut Porsche K8 W/Sp 3:55.09 6 Mancini/Monti/Ayles Ferrari F40 GTE GT1 3:55.15 7 Ferte/Thevenin/Palau Ferrari F40 LM GT1 3:55.69 8 Della Noce/Olofsson/Ota Ferrari F40 GTE GT1 3:56.01Car no 12 Courage (van de Poele car) was 20 kilos under weight at the end of the last practice and has been excluded.
Le Mans has dropped its bid to stage the French Grand Prix when the contract with Magny-Cours ends in 1996, stating that the 24 hours race would remain its priority. "The success of the sportscar endurance race and our other events, including the motorcycle 24 hours, is more important," said Marcel-Pierre Cleach, a member of the consortium that owns the race.
17.06.95 LE MANS 24Hrs Saturday warm-up times: mins secs 1 Gonin/Petit/Rostan WR Peugeot Prot 2 3:56.99 2 David/Bouvet/Ballendras WRLM94 Peugeot Prot2 3:58.00 3 Stuck/Boutsen/Bouchut Porsche K8 W/Sp 4:02.18 4 Wallace/Bell/Bell McLaren F1 GTR GT1 4:02.49 5 Pescarolo/Lagorce/Bernard Courage GM C41 W/Sp 4:05.88 6 Gounon/Belmondo/Trevisiol Venturi 600 SLM GT1 4:06.87 7 Dalmas/Lehto/Sekiya McLaren F1 GTR GT1 4:07.17 8 Neilsen/Bscher/Mass McLaren F1 GTR GT1 4:08.96 POSITIONS AFTER FOUR HOURS: mins:secs 1 Nielssen/Bescher/Mass 48 laps McLaren BMW F1 GTR 2 Wallace/J Bell/D Bell @ 4:37.00 McLaren BMW F1 GTR 3 Wollek/Andretti/Helary @ one lap Courage Porsche C34 W/Sp 4 Owen-Jones/Raphanel/Alliot @ one lap McLaren F1 GTR 5 Jarier/Comas/Pereja @ two laps Porsche RSR GT1 6 Dalmas/Jervlletho/Sekiya @ two laps McLaren F1 GTR 7 Laessig/Konrad/Hermann @ 3 laps Kremer Porsche K8 8 Orleans/Saldana/DeCastro @ 3 laps Porsche 911 GT2Peugeot driver Marc Rostan was taken to hospital after a heavy smash in the early stages of the Le Mans 24 Hours. Rostan, who was vying for the lead with teammates Patrick Gonin and Pierre Petit, crashed into barriers on the Mulsanne strait but was only slightly hurt. The the race ran at reduced speed behind the pace car until the Peugeot could be removed. Drivers had to contend with rain soon after the start.
McLarens held three of the top four positions after four hours of the 24-hour marathon in France. Johnny Nielsen, Thomas Bscher and Jochen Mass were top with 48 laps closely followed by Britain's Andy Wallace and father and son team of Derek and Justin Bell. Mario Andretti's Courage-Porsche team were third but in the pits after Andretti spun into a wall. He was unhurt but his team lost six laps when the damage to the car took half-an-hour to repair.
KERRIDGE NATIONAL RALLY Result after six special stages:mins secs 1 Roberts/Lewis Ford Sierra C 78:23 2 Hill/Boyles Mitsubishi Gal 79:07 3 Gil'ders/Benn' Ford Escort C 79:13 4 Bennett/Jones Ford Escort C 80:06 5 Smith/Hughes Lancia Delta I 80:17 6 Easson/Kitson Ford Escort C 81:23 7 Mellors/Goff Ford Escort C 81:34 8 Bengry/F'brook Escort RS 81:53 9 Petch/Croft Subaru 82:09 10 Redhead/Foy Mitsubishi Gal 82:47John Roberts was the surprise winner of the Kerridge National Rally after previous leader Murray Grierson retired on the penultimate stage with mechanical trouble. Steve Hill took second place in his Mitsubishi for the second year running, despite having only three cylinders on the last stage. Chris Mellors was able to keep his overall lead in the Mintex Series by finishing seventh. Mellors leads by one point from David Gillanders who was third.
18.06.95 - LE MANS 24 HRS FINAL POSITIONS 1 Dalmas/Lehto/Sekiya 298 laps McLaren F1 GTR GT1 4,055km 2 Wollek/Andretti/Helary 4,046km Courage C34 W/Sp 3 Wallace/J Bell/D Bell 4,030km McLaren F1 GTR GT1 4 Bellm/Sala/Blundell 3,967km McLaren F1 GTR GT1 5 Giroix/Grouillard/Deletraz 3,956km McLaren F1 GTR GT1 6 Stuck/Boutsen/Bouchut 3,939km Kremer K8 W/Sp 7 Terada/Downing/Freon 3,847km Kudzu-Mazda DG3 W/SpYannick Dalmas, JJ Lehto and Masanori Sekiya have triumphed in their McLaren F1 GTR at Le Mans. The winners covered 299 laps, 2,518.8 miles on the 8.45 mile circuit in wet conditions. Mario Andretti's Courage-Porsche had made steady progress throughout and with Bob Wollek and Eric Helary they took second place. Britain's Andy Wallace and the father-son team of Derek and Justin Bell were unlucky to finish only third after leading for eight hours.
JJ Lehto was delighted after finishing in the winning car. Lehto who drove Formula One last year, was top driver throughout the night. "It's a really good feeling to see the car crossing the finish line. It's a long 24 hours. We were working very hard," said Lehto. Mario Andretti who finished in the second placed team said afterwards: "I have every intention to come back. It's special to be here." Third-placed Derek Bell said: "I never thought we'd be up there."
20.06.95 - SUPERTOURINGThe on-form Renault Lagunas of Alain Menu and Will Hoy topped the time sheets after Tuesday's testing at Donington Park. The session was in preparation for the 13th and 14th round of the championship next Sunday. Menu, winner of three races already this season, currently lies second in the standings, just two points behind series leader John Cleland. Cleland finished the day back in ninth place - but only fractions of a second separate the top drivers.
Tuesday testing for BTCC rounds 13 & 14 on Sunday: mins secs 1 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:39.21 2 W Hoy Renault Laguna 1:39.36 3 J Thompson Vauxhal Cav 1:39.54 4 K Burt Ford Mondeo 1:39.62 5 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:39.64 6 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:39.64 7 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:39.65 8 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:39.66 9 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:39.67 10 J Cecotto BMW 318 1:39.85 21.06.95 - F1Ferrari have "strongly denied" that they have held talks with world champion Michael Schumacher with a view to signing him for next season Schumacher, whose contract with the Benetton-Renault team expires at the end of the 1995 championship, is the most coveted F1 driver. Milan newspaper Il Giorno stated that Ferrari had been given the go- ahead by parent company Fiat to make Schumacher a œ16.6m offer. The current Ferrari drivers are Frenchman Jean Alesi and Austrian Gerhard Berger.
China's new Formula One circuit of Zhuhai is to ask the FIA if it can hold the country's first Grand Prix in 1997. The three-mile circuit, built in Guandong Province on the Pearl River, is set to be completed towards the end of next year. Peking had also been tipped to stage the first Chinese Grand Prix but it does not have the facilities The Zhuhai promoters want to stage their race between the Japanese and Australian world championship GP's which are in October and November.
The Italian Grand Prix is at risk because of a dispute between environmentalists and officials who want to remove trees at Monza to make the circuit safe. The FIA have reiterated that changes in some corners of Monza are required if it is to host the race on September 10. Last year the Italian GP was cancelled and then revived after a last-minute bargain between the FIA and the Italian government.
23.06.95SUPERTOURING:- John Cleland aims to increase his lead in the Auto Trader RAC british Touring Car championship at Donington Park on Sunday. The flying Scot leads the series after a victory and second place last time out at Brands Hatch. "The Donington circuit suits the Cavalier and over the last two or three years I have always come out with a big haul of points," he said. There will be two 15 lap, 37.5 mile races round the GP circuit with a 10 minute break in between.
RALLYING:- Vauxhall has announced it will not be competing in the 1996 British Rally Championship. Chairman of Vauxhall Sport, Mark Bowie, said the team would be disbanded at the end of the current season when their contracts expire. Team driver David Llewellin, who with Ian Grindrod won the Formula Two category in 1993 and 1994, was naturally upset by the news. "Obviously I'm very disappointed after three such good years. We've worked so well and developed the Astra into a proven winner."
24.06.95 INDYCAR Final qualifying for Sunday's Budweiser GI Joe's 200 at Portland, Oregon: mins:secs 1 J Vil'neuve Can Reynard Fd 0:59.687 2 J Vasser US Reynard Fd 1:00.016 3 A Unser Jr US Penske Merc 1:00.064 4 M Gugelmin Brz Reynard Fd 1:00.127 5 C Fit'paldi Brz Reynard Fd 1:00.128 6 G de Ferran Brz Reynard Mrc 1:00.166 7 P Tracy Can Lola Ford 1:00.223 8 B Herta US Reynard Fd 1:00.240 9 B Rahal US Lola Merc 1:00.451 10 M Andretti US Lola Ford 1:00.502 11 R Boesel Brz Lola Merc 1:00.565 12 S Johansson Swe Penske Merc 1:00.569SUPERTOURING:- Championship leader John Cleland set the fastest times in both qualifying sessions for Sunday's Auto Trader British Championship. The flying Scot who had not claimed a pole position since May 1993, lapped the 2.5-mile circuit at an average of 92.09mph and 91.79mph. Cleland will be joined on the front row for round 13 by Vauxhall teammate James Thompson while Kelvin Burt was second fastest for round 14's grid in a Ford Mondeo. "It's a great way to start the weekend," said a delighted Cleland.
Leading qualifying times for Sunday's 13th round: mins secs 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:37.730 2 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 1:37.786 3 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:37.893 4 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:37.934 5 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:38.215 6 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:38.215 7 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:38.461 8 D Warwick Alfa Romeo 1:38.465 9 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:38.572 10 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:38.585 Leading qualifying times for Sunday's 14th round: mins secs 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:38.044 2 K Burt Ford Mondeo 1:38.139 3 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:38.203 4 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:38.256 5 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 1:38.318 6 A Menu Renault Laguna 1:38.392 7 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:38.412 8 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:38.627 9 J Cecotto BMW 318 1:38.666 10 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:38.799 11 T Sugden Toyota Carina 1:38.963 12 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:39.058 25.06.95SUPERTOURING:- Flying Scotsman John Cleland stretched his lead in the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship with a double triumph at Donington. The Vauxhall team leader led both 15-lap events from pole position to chequered flag - and also set the fastest lap in both races. He held off a brief challenge from David Leslie in the first race but he faded and Rickard Rydell came through for second place. Cleland led the way again in race two, with Paul Radisich second.
Result of 13th round: mins secs 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 25:01.93 2 R Rydell Volvo 850 @ 2.67 3 A Menu Renault Laguna 7.00 4 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 7.53 5 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 11.94 6 J Bailey Toyota Carina 12.43 7 D Leslie Honda Accord 17.96 8 T Sugden Toyota Carina 18.58 9 K Burt Ford Mondeo 19.39 10 T Harvey Volvo 850 22.67 Result of 14th round: mins secs 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 25:02.02 2 P Radisich Ford Mondeo @ 6.01 3 K Burt Ford Mondeo 7.86 4 A Menu Renault Laguna 9.25 5 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 11.19 6 R Rydell Volvo 850 11.83 7 J Bailey Toyota Carina 12.01 8 W Hoy Renault Laguna 16.16 9 D Leslie Honda Accord 18.53 10 J Kaye Honda Accord 18.91 Drivers' championship: 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 208 pts 2 A Menu Renault Laguna 180 3 R Rydell Volvo 850 170 4 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 122 5 J Thompson Vauxhall Cav 112 6 T Harvey Volvo 850 107 Manufacturers' championship: 1 Vauxhall 244 pts 2 Volvo 231 3 Renault 212 4 Ford 156 DTM (Norisring): Race 1 mins secs 1 C Danner Alfa Romeo 40:24.08 2 K Ludwig Opel Calibra 40:30.55 3 A Nannini Alfa Romeo 40:41.60 Race 2 1 B Schneider Mercedes C 37:49.34 2 D Franchitti Mercedes C 38:07.14 3 J van Ommen Mercedes C 38:09.99 26.06.95 - INDYCARPenske-Mercedes officials are to appeal against the disqualification of Al Unser Jnr after he won Sunday's race in Portland. He was stripped of first place because his car broke the two-inch ground clearance rule. Unser's team claim the back part of the car's skid plate broke off during the race after hitting an uneven part of the surface. Mercedes issued a statement saying: "Penske Racing is of the opinion that the car had a mechanical defect."
Result after 102 laps (200 miles): hr:min:sec 1 J Vasser USA Reynard Ford 1:55:56.25 2 B Rahal USA Lola Mercedes 1:55:57.46 3 M Andretti USA Lola Ford 1:56:08.78 4 R Boesel Brz Lola Mercedes 1:56:10.39 5 S Johansson Swe Penske Mercedes 101 laps 6 M Gugelmin Brz Reynard Ford 101 laps 7 R Gordon USA Reynard Ford 101 laps 8 A Fernandez Mex Lola Mercedes 101 laps 9 G de Ferran Brz Reynard Mercedes 100 laps 10 M Greco Brz Lola Ford 100 laps 27.06.95F1:- Williams duo Damon Hill and David Coulthard headed the time sheets for the second successive day of testing at Silverstone. This time the order was reversed with Hill clocking the fastest laps in both sessions. The 34-year-old, aiming for his second British GP victory next month, recorded 1 min 28.18 secs and 1:28.89. Coulthard, second fastest in the morning, was later eclipsed by Michael Schumacher in the Benetton, with the German clocking 1:29.98.
The fate of the Italian Grand Prix is still in the balance after eight hours of talks between local and national government officials. Current proposals envisage the felling of 185 trees to implement safety changes at the track without which the race cannot go ahead. The talks, aimed at giving the go-ahead for the work broke up with a request from Milan's forestry corps commander to local authorities. Alberto Guzzi asked for a statement to say if work could be carried out with less environmental impact.
Formula One grids could shrink by up to 20% next year after an amendment to article 111 of the F1 World Championship regulations. It states that any driver whose best practice lap exceeds 107% of the pole position time will not be allowed to take part in the race.
Ferrari's Luca di Montzemolo said he is not prepared to pay the $17M that Michael Schumacher is demanding for joining next year. "Ferrari cannot pay that much, even for Schumacher," he said.
INDYCAR:- Renault may be the next manufacturer to follow Mercedes, Honda and Toyota into the IndyCar World Series. Boss Christian Contzen and technical director Bernard Dudot made a surprise visit to the Portland round of the World series.
DTM:- Jan Magnussen, reigning British Formula 3 Champion, who now drives for Mercedes in the German Touring Car Championship, is recovering in hospital after breaking his leg in a motorcycle accident.
SUPERTOURING:- British Touring Car Championship chiefs have announced an expanded 26-race programme for 1996. The schedule will for the first time include two races at the British Grand Prix meeting. But the championship will visit seven different circuits nationwide.
1996 programme: Apr 8 Donington Apr 21 Brands Hatch May 6 Thruxton May 19 Silverstone May 27 Oulton Park Jun 16 Snetterton Jun 30 Brands Hatch Jul 14 Silverstone Jul 28 Knockhill Aug 11 Oulton Park Aug 26 Thruxton Sep 8 Donington Sep 22 Brands Hatch 28.06.95 - F1Jordan driver Eddie Irvine has criticised the re-design of the Silverstone circuit to be used at the British Grand Prix. The Irishman is quoted in the London Evening Standard as saying: "It's just atrocious. It doesn't flow. I don't think there is one decent corner on the whole circuit. There is so much room that they could have made a good circuit. The old circuit was just fantastic."
The FIA have given a provisional go-ahead for the Formula One Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 10. But they insist they must have guarantees by Monday that safety work will be carried out. Doubts arose over the completion of the work following a row over the felling of trees needed to carry out the work. The Italian authorities must give a formal undertaking that the work will be completed on schedule.
JOHN WATSON ON THE FRENCH GP
The world championship returns to Europe at Magny-Cours for what, in my opinion, is going to be the linchpin of the title battles. The psychological advantage will run through the very heart of the GP season in Europe. It is also a critical race for teams as well as it is for drivers - and the focus is firmly at the front of the grid. It is the opportunity that Williams must access to put themselves, and Damon Hill, back on the podium.
The battle between the two works Renault teams is the principle interest in Magny-Cours - and for the rest of the season. The nature of the circuit is liked by most drivers with some very fast corners. It is typically modern - with some 'twiddly' bits. It doesn't favour Williams or Benetton. It will ultimately come down to how each team adjusts to the billiard table-smooth surface. It will also depend on which team uses the crucial pit-stop strategy to their best advantage.
Benetton and Williams both use Renault V10 engines - a real pot-boiler for the teams in France. Benetton's pit-stop strategy was the key to their success here last year; that's why they won. A problem Williams is trying to rectify is a hydraulic failure which not only affects the gearbox but also the throttle. With Benetton winning in Monaco and a 100th pole in Canada, Williams have much to claw back. They don't want to be overshadowed.
There are five teams in action this weekend who I consider will have to cope with differing kinds of pressure. Ligier are on their home track, their nominated F1 test circuit. We saw last year that Ligier can qualify very well - but they didn't reproduce that form in the race. Now it is also a key race with Martin Brundle and Olivier Panis aware of the need for a strong result on their home circuit.
For the first time in their Formula One career Jordan has a real manufacturers' partnership, with Peugeot running the new EV2 V10. This is the first time Jordan will have met head-to-head with Renault on French territory. With their two podium finishes in Canada one has to feel that at least one podium finish will be expected. It is a different kind of pressure that the small Silverstone-based operation has to cope with.
Jean Alesi lost his 'virginity' in Canada and will arrive at Magny Cours walking on air. The nature of the circuit plays into the engine characteristics of the Ferrari V12. Only the mid-European heatwave may detract from another scintillating Ferrari show. But to me one of the highlights of the weekend will be watching a totally inspired Alesi in front of his home crowd.
30.06.95 - F1: THE FRENCH GPDamon Hill and David Coulthard led a Williams 1-2 as they took charge during the first qualifying session at Magny-Cours. Hill, whose Williams has been dogged by hydraulic problems, bounced back from a frustrating free practice to clock 1:18.556 and take provisional pole. Coulthard was three hundredths of a second adrift with German Michael Schumacher a menacing third. Minardi were banned from practice because of a cash dispute regarding the use of engines.
Damon Hill was happy to see hard work pay off as he took provisional pole for Sunday's race. "I'm not drawing any conclusions from what happened today, but it was a good start. We did a lot of testing since Montreal and the work has improved the car," he said. "Renault have produced a new engine which will help us keep ahead of Ferrari, but it won't keep us ahead of Michael Schumacher," Hill added. "There's a little bit more to come, both from the car and me tomorrow," said teammate David Coulthard.
Friday's official qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:18.556 2 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:18.585 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:18.893 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:19.051 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:19.254 6 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:19.384 7 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:19.466 8 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:19.555 9 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:19.763 10 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:20.218 11 E Irvine NI Jordan 1:20.713 12 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:20.804 13 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:21.111 14 G Morbidelli It Footwork 1:21.756 15 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:21.921 16 J Boullion Fr Sauber 1:22.372 17 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:22.959 18 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:23.355 19 A Montermini It Pacific 1:24.172 20 B Gachot Fr Pacific 1:24.509 21 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:25.787 22 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:26.445