01.09.95 - F1Gerhard Berger is to quit Ferrari at the end of the current Formula One season to join rivals Benetton on a two-year contract. He will link up again with Jean Alesi, a decision which leaves Johnny Herbert looking for a new team for 1996. "It was not an easy decision to part with Ferrari after the good times I've had at Maranello," said Berger. Ferrari will name their second driver after the Grand Prix of Europe in Germany on October 14, with Scot David Coulthard among the men tipped to partner Michael Schumacher next year.
Johnny Herbert was left looking for another team after Gerhard Berger agreed to rejoin Benetton on a two-year contract. The Warwickshire-based driver's future was in doubt for most of the season though team boss Flavio Briatore confirmed last week that Herbert will see out the current campaign. The 31-year-old had been frustrated at a lack of testing opportunities this season. It is the second time Herbert has been axed by Benetton, Briatore also dispensed with his services in 1989.
Silverstone testing times (Thursday): mins:secs 1 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:28.44 2 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:29.28 3 A Menu Swi Williams 1:30.62 4 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:30.88 5 A Prost Fr McLaren 1:31.02 6 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:31.90 7 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:33.45 8 D Hill GB Williams 1:35.33 03.09.95INDYCAR:- Canadian Jacques Villeneuve stayed on course for the title as he secured pole for Sunday's Vancouver Grand Prix. The 24-year-old, driving a Reynard Ford Cosworth, improved his provisional pole time with a slightly quicker lap of 55.226-seconds. It was Villeneuve's fifth pole of the year and the sixth of his two-year IndyCar career. The only mathematical threat to his title is if Al Unser Jnr's Penske team win an appeal against Unser's disqualification in Portland.
Starting grid for Sunday's Molson Grand Prix at Vancouver after final qualifying: secs 1 J Vil'neuve Can Reynard Ford 55.226 (111.013mph) 2 J Vasser It Reynard Ford 55.503 3 B Rahal US Lola Mercedes 55.523 4 S Goodyear Can Reynard Honda 55.637 5 M Andretti US Lola Ford 55.662 6 T Fabi It Reynard Ford 55.666 7 R Gordon US Reynard Ford 55.870 8 G de Ferran Brz Reynard Merc 55.932 9 A Unser jr US Lola Mercedes 56.040 10 S Pruett US Lola Ford 56.047 04.09.95F1:- Switzerland's Jean-Denis Deletraz will make his Formula One comeback with Pacific Team Lotus at the Portuguese Grand Prix on September 24.
INDYCAR:- Al Unser Jr breathed life into his hopes of catching Jacques Villeneuve in the PPG Cup championship race, racing away with Sunday's Vancouver Molson. Villeneuve, who could have clinched the title with one race remaining by finishing sixth or better, had a frustrating afternoon. The 24-year-old point leader faded to 12th after late-race contact with fellow Canadian Scott Goodyear. Meanwhile, Unser, the defending series and race champion, passed Michael Andretti for the lead on a restart on lap 60 and went on to victory.
Result of Sunday's Molson Grand Prix at Vancouver: 1 A Unser jr US Lola Mercedes (ave.speed 95.571 mph) 2 G de Ferran Brz Reynard Mercedes 3 R Gordon US Reynard Ford 4 S Johansson Swe Penske Mercedes 5 B Rahal US Lola Mercedes 6 S Pruett US Lola Ford 7 E Fit'paldi Brz Penske Mercedes 8 P Tracy Can Lola Ford 9 A Zampedri It Lola Ford 10 R Roesel Brz Lola Mercedes 05.09.95 - F1Martin Brundle says he would be happy to stay at Ligier next season even though he has other options, including one at Jordan. "I'd be very happy to stay where I am. We've made good progress and the future looks exciting," said Brundle.
06.09.95 - F1Ferrari and Italy's giant oil group Agip Petroli have announced they will discontinue a 22-year partnership in Formula One at the end of the 1995 world championship. The split was expected after the Italian state-controlled oil group recently criticized the high-spending policy of teams, forcing commercial sponsors to support heavy investments. Anglo-Dutch oil group Shell are to return to F1 as the new Ferrari sponsor from 1 January 1996.
JOHN WATSON ON THE ITALIAN GP
Monza is one of the most magical Grands Prix on the entire calendar. The circuit has had further safety work carried out despite the protests of environmentalists but its fundamental character will always remain. By nature it is a high-speed circuit and as ever grunt is the factor that affects final performance. Pit-stops will be influenced by Good Year's A Compound, the hardest they possess. Teams must decide to go for one or more stops. It works towards Williams for one but to Benetton who are stronger where multiple stops are needed.
Michael Schumacher will race at Monza under the threat of suspension if he so much as blinks the wrong way after a suspended one-race ban in Belgium. Manipulation of the championship is unthinkable but the benefit of having it run to the end of the season as last year is obviously attractive to the global audience. I think Schumacher will be walking on eggshells all weekend and it is an unenviable position for the world champion elect to find himself in. However that is the price he is paying for his virtuosity in Belgium.
David Coulthard could prove a fly in the ointment for the principal championship contenders on Sunday. Coulthard, now seeking a new home for his talents will really try to consolidate his quality and desire at Monza and the remaining GP's. His early laps at Spa two weeks ago were pure delight and a repeat on Sunday would be no surprise. With only Williams and Benetton having confirmed their '96 driver line-up, Coulthard's preference must lie at either McLaren or Ferrari.
The other emotional issue at Monza will revolve around how Scuderia Ferrari do. From memory it is the first time they will run two drivers at Monza who will not be with the team next year. It means no favour will be shown towards either driver? Ferrari have very strong engines and when they appear at Monza, produce one lap wonders for qualifying to satisfy the emotional home fans. However as was seen last year, winning the race has proved to be much more difficult. They didn't!
Monza's tradition as an engine-breaking circuit suggests no obvious candidate to grace the podium on Sunday. Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot and Ford continue development that has drawn them closer to Renault's V10, still the best all-round engine in Formula One. The same applies to Mugen Honda who are using a 'fly-by-wire' throttle control in the Ligier for the first time. Finally, but of equal importance, the issue of who goes where next year will see fleet footwork in the Formula One paddock. Watch this space.
07.09.95 - F1Johnny Herbert is convinced he can still make it as a Formula One driver despite being axed by Benetton. Herbert is being replaced by Gerhard Berger next year but is confident he will be signed on by another team. "I have got a few things I am working on," he said. "They may not be with one of the top four teams, but are such I could help turn one into one of the top five teams. I will be trying to string some results together between now and the end of the season. I know the speed is there."
08.09.95F1: THE ITALIAN GP
Scotland's David Coulthard demonstrated his talent to potential employers for next season by seizing provisional pole in his Williams Renault. The 24-year-old from Twynholm produced a flying lap of 1 min 25.516 secs to head the list of times. Gerhard Berger was second fastest for Ferrari, who earlier announced that Niki Lauda will leave his advisory job with the team at the end of the season. Damon Hill was next best but several cars went off onto the gravel during the session, including champion Michael Scumacher and Mika Hakkinen.
David Coulthard voiced his desire to record his first Grand Prix victory on Sunday after setting the fastest time in the opening qualifying session. "I am going to win this weekend...it would be good for me and for the fans - especially if I was to join Ferrari next year," the Williams star said. "The car feels pretty well balanced with a touch of oversteer, rather than the understeer I've had in the past. I was quick on both my runs but slid wide at the Lesmo on one as I was exploring the grip. I'm confident I'll be quick again on Saturday," he added.
Friday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:25.516 2 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:25.904 3 D Hill GB Williams 1:25.912 4 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:26.098 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:26.323 6 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:26.631 7 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:26.981 8 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:27.245 9 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:27.308 10 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:27.573 11 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:28.418 12 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:28.895 13 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:29.200 14 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:29.535 15 P Lamy Por Minardi 1:29.936 16 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:30.632 17 L Badoer It Minardi 1:30.731 18 J Boullion Fr Sauber 1:30.997 19 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:31.399 20 A Montermini It Pacific 1:32.121 21 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:32.491 22 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:32.540 23 G Lavaggi It Pacific 1:32.935 24 M Papis It Footwork no timeGerman Heinz-Harald Frentzen is to stay with the Sauber Formula One team for the 1996 season. The 28-year-old had been tipped to move to McLaren as teammate to Mika Hakkinen and he admitted his decision to stay with Sauber had not been an easy one. "I had interesting alternatives to which I gave serious consideration in the last couple of weeks. But with Ford making it clear they are making every effort to develop a competitive V10 engine for next year, I think we can have a technically strong package for next year," he said.
Jordan official Gary Anderson has slammed the lack of interest in the potentially tragic refuelling fire at the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks ago. Anderson, Jordan's technical director, was angered that no-one from the FIA had been in contact over the incident. Flames engulfed Eddie Irvine's car during a refuelling stop and quick reactions from Jordan, McLaren and Ligier mechanics prevented any injury. "When the same thing happened to Benetton last year there was a big uproar but after our fire I have not heard from anybody," said Anderson.
09.09.95F1: THE ITALIAN GP
Scot David Coulthard produced a superb performance as he grabbed pole position for Sunday's race - and staked his claim for a good drive next season. The Williams star, who has promised to win in Monza to boost his F1 ambitions, was in a class of his own as he swept around the circuit in 1 min 24.462 secs. Championship leader Michael Schumacher lines up alongside him on the grid in his Benetton but main rival Damon Hill was only fourth after running wide and sliding off on his final lap. Jean Alesi, who shone in free practice, was a disappointing fifth.
David Coulthard was suitably thrilled with his pole-winning performance for Sunday's Monza showdown. He said: "It's a good confidence boost to be quickest on both days. I did the same in Argentina so I hope I will have a bit more luck this time. But there is a long way to go yet, though I am feeling very comfortable for the race and I believe I am quick enough to win it." Damon Hill, fourth fastest, said: "It was not the session I had wanted but it is not the end of the world."
Benetton driver Michael Schumacher claimed a place on the front row of the grid but admitted it had been hard work. "It is unusual for me to take such a long time to find the set-up I need for quick lap times," he insisted. "On my first run I was a long way off but we made some adjustments and they worked." Teammate Johnny Herbert said he had struggled for his eighth place. "The car felt a little nervous and I am disappointed not to have improved my time more than I did. The set-up did not seem to be quite right," he said.
Final practice leaderboard: mins:secs 1 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:24.462 2 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:25.026 3 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:25.353 4 D Hill GB Williams 1:25.699 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:25.707 6 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:25.919 7 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:25.920 8 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:26.433 9 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:26.472 10 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:26.541 11 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:27.067 12 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:27.271 13 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:27.384 14 J Boullion Fr Sauber 1:28.741 15 M Papis It Footwork 1:28.870 16 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:29.028 17 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:29.287 18 L Badoer It Minardi 1:29.559 19 P Lamy Por Minardi 1:29.936 20 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:30.515 21 A Montermini It Pacific 1:30.721 22 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:30.834 23 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:32.102 24 G Lavaggi It Pacific 1:32.470 Saturday's free practice: mins secs 1 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:25.133 2 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:25.135 3 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:25.221 4 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:25.919 5 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:26.186 6 D Hill GB Williams 1:26.222 7 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:26.387 8 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:26.505 9 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:26.580 10 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:26.792 11 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:27.056 12 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:27.765 13 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:27.821 14 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:28.471 15 M Papis It Footwork 1:28.553 16 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:29.391 17 L Badoer It Minardi 1:30.084 18 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:30.268 19 A Montermini It Pacific 1:30.782 20 J Boullion Fr Sauber 1:30.973 21 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:31.092 22 P Lamy Por Minardi 1:31.205 23 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:31.887 24 G Lavaggi It Pacific 1:32.580 INDYCAR Friday times for provisional pole for Sunday's Laguna Seca GP race: secs 1 T Fabi It Reynard 70.527 2 M Gugelmin Brz Reynard 70.585 3 J Villeneuve Can Reynard 70.588 4 A Ribeiro Brz Reynard 70.855 5 B Herta US Reynard 70.882 6 B Rahal US Lola-Merc 70.971 7 M Andretti US Lola 71.006 8 R Boesel Brz Lola-Merc 71.008 9 G de Ferran Brz Reynard 71.079 10 P Johnstone US Reynard 71.121SUPERTOURING (Oulton Park):- Alain Menu grabbed pole position for both Sunday's penultimate round of the BTCC series to complete a great day for the Williams-Renault team. The Frenchman's double top followed David Coulthard's dominant display in qualifying for the Italian F1 GP. BTCC leader John Cleland was delighted with his place alongside Menu for both rounds, while arch-rival Rickard Rydell had a disastrous time qualifying sixth for round 22 and only 18th for round 23. The Swede suffered a gearbox failure in the afternoon session and has a lot to do if he is to keep alive his title bid.
Qualifying times for round 22 of the Auto Trader RAC British Touring Cars: 1 A Menu Renault Lag 1:00.915 2 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:00.919 3 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:01.170 4 W Hoy Renault Lag 1:01.206 5 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:01.249 6 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:01.288 7 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:01.520 8 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 1:01.535 9 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:01.603 10 J Cecotto BMW 318i 1:01.645 11 S Harrison Peugeot 405 1:01.688 12 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:01.699 13 M Briggs Vauxhall Cav 1:01.721 14 P Watts Peugeot 405 1:01.730 Qualifying times for Round 23:mins secs 1 A Menu Renault Lag 1:00.344 2 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:00.455 3 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:00.506 4 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:00.669 5 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:00.680 6 W Hoy Renault Lag 1:00.754 7 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:00.773 8 J Cecotto BMW 318i 1:00.805 9 K Burt Ford Mondeo 1:00.925 10 P Watts Peugeot 405 1:00.958 11 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 1:00.992 12 M Briggs Vauxhall Cav 1:01.039 13 S Harrison Peugeot 405 1:01.081 14 M Neal Ford Mondeo 1:01.209F3:- Briton Oliver Gavin boosted his title hopes by taking pole position for Sunday's 13th round at Snetterton. "It's good to be right up at the front again," said the Bedford-based driver, who is currently third in the series. "The hard work will be turning pole position into a win tomorrow." Gavin clocked 1 min 06.468 secs with Warren Hughes second fastest in 1:06.627 ahead of Championship leader Ralph Firman who recorded 1:06.641. Firman currently leads by 36 points, with six rounds left.
10.09.95F1: THE ITALIAN GP
Benetton's Johnny Herbert won a chaotic incident-packed grand prix that saw all the pre-race favourites forced out. David Coulthard, who spun off on the warm-up lap, was able to start from pole when the race was re-started after a four-car crash on the second lap. But the Williams driver slid off on lap 13, Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher collided and went out 10 laps later, and both Ferrari drivers had spells at the front before retiring. With Jean Alesi gone Herbert hit the front, finishing ahead of Mika Hakkinen and Sauber's Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
David Coulthard was granted a reprieve after an astonishing mishap on the pre-race warm-up lap. The young Scot was starting from pole position but spun exiting the Ascari chicane and was relegated to the back of the field. But at the end of the first lap a massive collision involving four cars brought the race to a halt, causing a 25-minute delay. Coulthard was consequently able to restart the race back on the front row in the spare Williams car.
Arch-rivals Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were once again involved in a controversial collishon which put both drivers out of the race. Schumacher was lying second in his Benetton with Hill close behind when they became caught up with a backmarker. Hill, forced to change direction to avoid the slower car, appeared to run into the back of Schumacher as they approached the second chicane. A Benetton protest was later upheld by race stewards, who questioned the Williams driver and handed him a one-race ban, suspended for one race.
Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher were both fuming after colliding yet again and sliding into the gravel. Schumacher, clearly upset with Hill, said: "I must see the video. Damon went into me which I'm not very happy with." Hill was also angry, but claimed it was the back marker's fault. "The guy changed lines twice. It's just ridiculous. He's completely ruined a very good race." The Williams driver described him as "completely clueless", and said: "It's a crying shame."
Johnny Herbert's second win of the year boosted the British driver's hopes of finding a place with a top team after being dropped by Benetton. "Twice in one year has got to be good. There has got to be the chance of a good drive," said Herbert.
"The car was OK. It's been difficult all year and this is not how I want it," said Herbert, who has not always been happy with the team's support. Herbert, now third in the Championship, added: "I could be in contention at the end if it keeps going like this!"
Result after 53 laps: 1 J Herbert GB Benetton 1 hr 18 mins 27.916 secs 2 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 17.77s back 3 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 24.32 4 M Blundell GB McLaren 28.22 5 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1 lap 6 J-C Bouillon Fr Sauber 1 lap 7 M Papis It Footwork 1 lap 8 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1 lap 9 P Diniz Brz Forti Ford 3 laps 10 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 6 laps WORLD DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 66 pts 2 D Hill GB Williams 51 3 J Herbert GB Benetton 38 4 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 32 5 D Coulthard GB Williams 29 6 G Berger Aut Ferrari 25 7 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 14 8 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 11 9 M Blundell GB McLaren 10 10 O Panis Fr Ligier 8 == R Barrichello Brz Jordan 8 12 M Brundle GB Ligier 7 13 E Irvine GB Jordan 6 14 J-C Boullion Fr Sauber 3 15 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 2 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP: 1 Benetton 94 points 2 Williams 74 3 Ferrari 57 4 McLaren 21 5 Sauber 17 6 Ligier 16 7 Jordan 14 8 Tyrrell 2 9 Footwork 1RETIREMENTS: A MONTERMINI Involved in the multiple collision on the first lap which caused the race to be stopped. Pacific Ford have no spare car. R MORENO Involved in the first-lap pile-up. P LAMY Did not manage to re-start. G LAVAGGI Spun-off on lap 6. M BRUNDLE Tyre blow-out lap 10. D COULTHARD Spun-off on lap 13 while leading the race as result of failed front wheel bearing. O PANIS Spun off at chicane on lap 20. D HILL Collided with Michael Schumacher on lap 23. Both cars crashed off into the gravel. Hill had been hard on Schumacher's tail. M SCHUMACHER See above. G BERGER Forced out on lap 33 after front suspension failed. E IRVINE Came to a halt with 13 laps remaining - had been lying in sixth place. R BARRICHELLO Limped off with the rear of his car on fire on lap 45. J ALESI Retired while leading the race on lap 46. L BADOER Went out after 26 laps.
INDYCAR:- Canadian Jacques Villeneuve will start from pole position in the IndyCar series finale at Laguna Seca today after a record lap in final qualifying. Villeneuve, who will drive for the Williams F1 team next season, increased his lead in the Championship with the bonus point for being fastest and now leads by 41 points from Al Unser jnr. His lead would be cut to 17 points if Unser's appeal against disqualification in Portland is successful. Even then eighth place in the race or better would clinch the crown for the Reynard Ford-Cosworth driver.
Leading qualifiers for today's Laguna Seca race: secs 1 J Villeneuve Can Reynard 69.625 2 B Herta US Reynard 69.992 3 G de Ferran Brz Reynard 70.208 4 T Fabi It Reynard 70.527 5 S Pruett US Lola-Cosw 70.541 6 M Gugelmin Brz Reynard 70.585 7 J Vasser US Reynard 70.650 8 P Tracy Can Lola-Cosw 70.762 9 A Ribeiro Brz Reynard 70.855 10 P Johnstone US Reynard 70.943 10.09.95SUPERTOURING (Oulton Park):- John Cleland clinched the Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship drivers' title with two solid drives, both victories going to Alain Menu. The Vauxhall driver, champion in 1989, finished third and then second to claim the crown with two races remaining. Menu's double triumph for Renault moved him into second place in the points and puts pressure on Vauxhall in their bid for the manufacturers' title. Cleland drove cautiously in the first round, handing the lead to Menu and finishing third but, with the title all but decided, he chased hard in round 23.
Birmingham's Matt Neal has clinched the top BTCC award for privateers, the Total Cup, with victory in his division in round 22 of the 25-race series. Neal finished 13th overall as he claimed his 12th success of the season.
Result of round 22 of the Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship: mins secs 1 A Menu Renault Lag 22:48.71 2 W Hoy Renault Lag 22:54.21 3 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 22:54.92 4 G Tarquini Alfa Romeo 22:59.81 5 R Rydell Volvo 850 23:00.37 6 D Leslie Honda Accord 23:02.06 7 J Kaye Honda Accord 23:06.79 8 D Warwick Alfa Romeo 23:13.3 9 S Harrison Peugeot 405 23:14.37 10 K Burt Ford Mondeo 23:16.92 11 D Brabham BMW 318i 23:17.19 12 M Briggs Vauxhall Cav 23:17.51 Matt Neal clinches privateers Total Cup Result of round 23: mins secs 1 A Menu Renault Lag 26:38.58 2 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 26:44.25 3 D Leslie Honda Accord 26:44.45 4 J Bailey Toyota Carina 26:45.29 5 T Harvey Volvo 850 26:51.23 6 J Cecotto BMW 318i 26:52.54 7 K Burt Ford Mondeo 26:53.54 8 M Briggs Vauxhall Cav 26:55.65 9 J Kaye Honda Accord 26:57.59 10 R Rydell Volvo 850 26:57.94 11 M Neal Ford Mondeo 26:59.62 12 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 27:01.16 Cleland clinches BTCC drivers' title. Drivers 1 John Cleland GB Vauxhall 324 pts 2 Alain Menu Fr Renault 263 3 Rickard Rydell Swe Volvo 251 4 Tim Harvey GB Volvo 171 5 Will Hoy GB Renault 153 6 Paul Radisich NZ Ford 130 Manufacturers 1 Vauxhall 378 2 Renault 371 3 Volvo 343 Total Cup Privateers 1 Matthew Neal GB Ford Mondeo 396 2 Richard Kaye GB Ford Mondeo 300 3 Nigel Smith GB Vauxhall 298F.VAUXHALL:- Ulsterman Jonny Kane finished second in the Formula Vauxhall Championship race to win the title with one round to go.
Result: mins secs 1 Juan Pablo Montoya 17:34.71 2 Johnny Kane 17:36.82 3 Martin O'Connell 17:39.08 4 Darren Manning 17:41.83F3 (Snetterton):- Oliver Gavin kept alive his title challenge as he claimed a convincing win while Championship leader Ralph Firman struck trouble and went out. Gavin, starting from pole spot ahead of fellow Britons Warren Hughes and Firman, grabbed an early lead and was left well clear when the chasing pair collided and crashed out of the race. Firman admitted he had struck Hughes's car. "My foot became stuck under a pedal. I'm very sorry," he said. Firman leads on 148 points, 17 clear of Gavin. Runner-up Helio Castro Neves is third on 127 with five races to go.
11.09.95INDYCAR:- Gil de Ferran ran away with his first IndyCar victory as Jacques Villeneuve sewed up the series championship at the Laguna Seca 300. The Brazilian, driving a Reynard Mercedes-Benz, took the lead when Villeneuve, starting on pole, had a pit stop on lap 29. He dominated the remainder of the 84 lap race and finished 7.959 seconds ahead of Canadian Paul Tracy with Mauricio Gugelmin third. Villeneuve, who will drive for Williams in Formula One next season, said: "It's great to have the championship decided.
Laps 1 G de Ferran Brz Reynard 84 (98.493mph) 2 P Tracy Can Lola-Cosw 84 3 M Gugelmin Brz Reynard 84 4 M Andretti US Lola-Cosw 84 5 S Pruett US Lola-Cosw 84 6 A Unser Jnr US Penske 84 7 B Rahal US Lola-Merc 84 8 J Vasser US Reynard 84 9 T Fabi It Reynard 84 10 A Fernandez Mex Reynard 84 11 J Villeneuve Can Reynard 83SUPERTOURING:- Kieth Odor has died after a crash during the German Super Touring Car Championship at the weekend. The 33-year-old Nissan driver, who also competed in the British Touring Car Championship, lost control of his car at the Avus track in Berlin. His car bounced off barriers and was hit side-on by another car. Odor was flown to hospital but died during the early hours of Monday morning. The crash is the second major accident involving touring cars this year after Australian Greg Hansford was killed in March.
12.09.95 - F1Schumacher does not think there is a lasting feud between him and Damon Hill following their recent collisions on the track. "When we're racing and competing we all know that mistakes can happen. The most important thing is to be able to admit those mistakes," said Schumacher. "When I next see Damon it will not be a problem for me to say hello to him and to shake hands," added the Formula One world champion. Bernie Ecclestone had warned Schumacher and Hill that an on-track feud could lead to someone being killed.
13.09.95 - F1Four times world champion Alain Prost is continuing to talk with McLaren about a possible Formula One comeback. The Frenchman, who won three of his titles with the Woking-based team, is testing at Silverstone but said he was not about to make a decision. "If I wanted to make decisions whether to race I should test for much longer and that is not possible," he said. The 39-year-old did hint that a return was a possibility. "If I feel I can enjoy coming back even if the results are not exactly what I, or people expect, I would," added Prost.
14.09.95F1:- Formula One team Nokia Tyrrell Yamaha have confirmed that Mika Salo will be driving for them again next season. Salo won the team's first points of the year with his fifth place at Monza last weekend. Tyrrell also hope to have Ukyo Katayama back with them.
Benetton have refuted suggestions that Michael Schumacher "brake tested" Damon Hill before the crash that sent both drivers out of the Italian Grand Prix. The team have analysed data from the race and state that at the point of impact the German was travelling faster than on the previous two laps.
RALLY OF AUSTRALIA
In-form Scot Colin McRae sets out on Friday in his bid to repeat last year's triumph down under and boost his hopes of taking the world title. The 27-year-old currently lies fifth in the drivers's standings but is only 11 points behind leader Didier Auriol. McRae had a difficult start to the season but comes into the event on the back of wins in New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific event in Indonesia. "A win in Australia will put me in with a superb chance. There is eveything to play for and I'll certainly be playing for it," he said.
Double world champion Carlos Sainz has declared himself fit to return to action in Perth this weekend. The Spaniard severed tendons in his right shoulder in cycling accident in June - an injury which forced him to miss the New Zealand rally. He has undergone two months of intensive physiotherapy and said: "It is no problem. I will maybe drive a bit carefully on the first day. I'm just happy to be here." The four-day, 1600km event looks wide open with half a dozen drivers having an excellent chance to win.
MAIN ENTRIES 1 Auriol/Giraudet Toyota Celica 2 Kankkunen/Grist Toyota Celica 3 Schwarz/Wicha Toyota Celica 4 McRae/Ringer Subaru Impreza 5 Sainz/Moya Subaru Impreza 6 Bourne/Sircombe Subaru Impreza 7 Delecour/Francois Ford Escort 8 Thiry/Prevot Ford Escort 9 Eriksson/Parmander Mitsubishi Lancer 10 Makinen/Harjanne Mitsubishi Lancer SCHEDULE Friday Stages 1-13 Perth-Collie-N Dandalup-Perth Saturday Stages 14-21 Perth-Bunnings-Perth Sunday Stages 22-30 Perth-York-Perth MANX INTERNATIONAL RALLY Top 10 after stage 5: mins secs 1 Fisher/Kennedy Subaru Impreza 25:06 2 McRae/Senior Nissan Sunny 26:03 3 Evans/Davies Ford Escort 26:12 4 Head/Harryman Renault Clio 26:23 5 McKinstry/Phil Ford Escort 26:24 6 Kytolehto/Kapa Vauxhall Astra 26:26 7 Llwell'n/G'rod Vauxhall Astra 26:31 8 Meagher/Maher Ford Escort 26:31 9 Rowe/Harris Peugeot 306 27:43 10 de Mevius/Fort Nissan Sunny 27:25 15.09.95 RALLY OF AUSTRALIA Leaders after special stage 14 of 30: hrs:mins.secs 1 Kankkunen/Grist Toyota Cel 2:02.21 2 McRae/Ringer Subaru Imp 2:02.36 3 Makinen/H'nne Mitsubishi 2:02.44 4 Eriksson/P'nder Mitsubishi 2:02.49 5 Schwarz/Wicha Toyota Cel 2:04.33 6 Thiry/Prevot Ford Escort 2:06.41 7 Auriol/G'det Toyota Cel 2:07.00 8 Delecour/F'cois Ford Escort 2:07.53 9 Fujimoto/Hertz Toyota Cel 2:12.33 10 Ordynski Mitsubishi 2:13.05MANX INTERNATIONAL RALLY:- Welshman Gwyndaf Evans, driving a Ford Escort, leads the Manx International Rally after 22 of 29 special stages and a trouble-free run. Overnight leader Alister McRae first had problems with an engine misfire and then a grass bank as he slipped to third overall and second in Formula 2. Alain Oreille ran consistently fast all day but Renault Clio teammate Robbie Head was delayed with a high speed spin on a 90mph jump and an unscheduled gearbox change. Overall leader is Frank Meagher in the Group A8 Ford Escort Cosworth.
Top 10 after special stage 24: mins secs 1 Meagher/Maher Ford Escort 2:54:22 2 Evans/Davies Ford Escort 2:54:49 3 McRae/Senior Nissan Sunny 2:55:52 4 Oreille/Boyere Renault Clio 2:56:30 5 deMevius/F'tin Nissan Sunny 2:58:34 6 Kytolehto/Kapa Vauxhall Astra2:58:53 7 Llwell'n/G'rod Vauxhall Astra2:59:59 8 Head/Harryman Renault Clio 3:00:07 9 Higgins/S'mons Honda Civic 3:04:43 10 Cathers/Noble Subaru Imp 3:05:24 16.09.95GLOBAL GTs:- Oxford's Andy Wallace took pole position for Sunday's four-hour Karcher Global GT Championship race at Silverstone in the McLaren F1 GTR. The 1988 Le Mans winner lapped in 1 min 52.748 secs just minutes before a heavy rainstorm flooded the circuit. Brazil's Maurizio Sala and Surrey's Ray Bellm made it an all-McLaren front row.
RALLY OF AUSTRALIA:- Juha Kankkunen took command on a dramatic first day after his closest World Championship rivals bowed out. The Finnish Toyota driver held the lead after 13 special stages, during which both Didier Auriol and Carlos Sainz were forced to withdraw. World Champion Auriol rolled his Toyota on stage 12, while a branch pierced the radiator of Sainz's Subaru. Closest challenger is Colin McRae, whose Subaru is just 17 seconds behind, despite hitting a bank at high speed in the morning. "It's hard to catch Kankkunen here," he said.
Leaders at end of day one: hrs:mins.secs 1 Kankkunen/Grist Toyota Cel 2:03.58 2 McRae/Ringer Subaru Imp 2:04.15 3 Makinen/H'nne Mitsubishi 2:04.21 4 Eriksson/P'nder Mitsubishi 2:04.27 5 Schwarz/Wicha Toyota Cel 2:05.11 6 Thiry/Prevot Ford Escort 2:08.21 7 Delecour/F'cois Ford Escort 2:09.33 8 Fujimoto/Hertz Toyota Cel 2:14.14 9 Ordynski Mitsubishi 2:14.58 10 Bates Toyota Cel 2:15.29MANX INTERNATIONAL RALLY:- Alister McRae became the third member of the famous Lanarkshire rally driving family to add his name to the British Rally Championship trophy. His title was confirmed when he guided his Nissan Sunny GTi into third place overall in the Manx International Rally. The rally was won by Irishman Frank Meagher with Gwyndaf Evans, runner-up in the championship to McRae, second. Alister's father Jimmy won the title five times and his elder brother Colin twice. "Now I have my own reputation and the platform to aim for the World Championship," said McRae.
Final results after stage 29: mins secs 1 Meagher/Maher Ford Escort 3:27:12 2 Evans/Davies Ford Escort 3:27:49 3 McRae/Senior Nissan Sunny 3:28:56 4 Oreille/Boyere Renault Clio 3:29:47 5 de Mevius/F'tin Nissan Sunny 3:31:42 6 Head/Harryman Renault Clio 3:33:25 7 Llewellin/G'rod Vauxhall Astra 3:34:20 8 Higgins/S'mons Honda Civic 3:39:27 9 Cathers/Noble Subaru Imp 3:40:01 10 Young/McAuley Ford Escort 3:40:53 Final drivers' standings: 1 A McRae Nissan 124 points 2 G Evans Ford 109 3 G de Mevius Nissan 100 4 A Oreille Renault 98 5 D Llewellin GM 86 6 M Lawn GM 65 Manufacturers' standings: 1 Nissan 80 points 2 Ford 65 3 General Motors 58 4 Renault 52 5 Volkswagen 27 6 Peugeot 27 17.09.95TOURING CARS:- Mercedes are to increase the protection on their vehicles in the German touring car championship following the death of British driver Keith Odor. Extra side-impact bars, more protection for the driver's head and hi-tech wrap-around seat and carbon-fibre plates will be fitted in future. Odor died last Monday after his Nissan was hit side-on by another car during a championship race in Berlin. Odor's crash was the second major accident involving touring cars this year. Australian driver Greg Hansford was killed in March.
GLOBAL GTs:- Andy Wallace and Olivier Grouillard, driving the McLaren F1 scored victory in the Norwich Union Empire Trophy four-hour endurance race at Silverstone. Wallace claimed the early lead but Enzo Calderari and Lilian Bryner in the Porsche proved superior as the weather conditions deteriorated. They took the lead on a flooded track which saw the safety car out for 20 minutes but as conditions improved so did the McLaren which regained control. Despite a stop/go penalty for speeding in the pit lane 15 minutes from the finish they won by 1 min 30 secs.
NORWICH UNION EMPIRE TROPHY Silverstone Result after 4 hours: hrs:mins.secs 1 Wallace/Gr'ard McLaren 4:00.50 2 Ferte/Thevenin Ferrari 4:02.21 3 Olofsson/D Noce Ferrari 4:02.23 4 Zanardi/Portman Lotus 4:02.32 5 Nielsen/Bscher McLaren 4:02.49 6 Roessler/Burdell Porsche @ 1 lap 7 Morrison/Greas' Porsche @ 2 laps 8 Raphanel/O-Jones McLaren @:2 laps 9 Wirdhein/Veerte Porsche @ 2 laps 10 Sala/Bellm McLaren @ 3 lapsRALLY OF AUSTRALIA:- Colin McRae is locked in a battle royale with Kenneth Eriksson after a thrilling second leg. Eriksson, whose best finish in Australia was second in 1989, held a four-second lead in his Mitsubishi Lancer after 17 stages. But McRae recovered ground over three fast, forested sections in the afternoon, taking a share of the lead in his Subaru Impreza. The overall lead changed five times and Juha Kankkunen, who began the day ahead, slipped back to fourth.
Leaders after special stage 21: (end of leg two) hrs:mins.secs 1 McRae/Ringer Subaru Imp 3:46.47 2 Eriksson/P'nder Mitsubishi 3:46.47 3 Makinen/H'nne Mitsubishi 3:47.05 4 Kankkunen/Grist Toyota Cel 3:47.51 5 Schwarz/Wicha Toyota Cel 3:50.06 6 Thiry/Prevot Ford Escort 3:56.47 7 Fujimoto/Hertz Toyota Cel 4:04.34 8 Ordynski/Stacey Mitsubishi 4:06.59 9 Bates/Taylor Toyota Cel 4:10.24 10 Recalde/Christi Mitsubishi 4:11.03 18.09.95 - AUSTRALIAN RALLYScotland's Colin McRae improved his world title chances despite having to settle for second place behind Sweden's Kenneth Eriksson. The pair had been level overnight but Eriksson pulled clear by winning or finishing equal first on five the final day's opening seven stages. "We were first on the road and just went for it. The car and the team have been fantastic," said Eriksson. "The championship is more important and second place is good for the championship," commented McRae, who how lies second in the drivers' standings.
Final result after 30 stages:hrs:mins.secs 1 K Eriksson Swe Mitsubishi 4:53.59 2 C McRae GB Subaru Imp 4:54.18 3 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota Cel 4:55.54 4 T Makinen Fin Mitsubishi 4:57.26 5 A Schwarz Ger Toyota Cel 4:58.10 6 B Thiry Bel Ford Escort 5:10.51 7 Y Fujimoto Jpn Toyota Cel 5:16.36 8 E Ordynski Aus Mitsubishi 5:21.05 9 N Bates Aus Toyota Cel 5:24.31 10 J Recalde Arg Mitsubishi 5:25.53 Driver's standings: 1 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota 62 pts 2 C McRae GB Subaru 55 3 D Auriol Fr Toyota 51 4 C Sainz Sp Subaru 50 5 K Eriksson Swe Mitsubishi 48 Manufacturers' standings: 1 Toyota 260 pts 2 Mitsubishi 255 3 Subaru 222 4 Ford 184 Next round: Rally Catalunya-Costa Brava, October 23-25 20.09.95 - JOHN WATSON ON THE PORTUGUESE GPThe Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril is one of the most popular in the calendar. Drivers like the variety of corners and engineers toil over the ideal set-up, confused by challenging for the pole position and a pit-stop influenced race. The technical quandary requires cars to run with high downforce yet provide a need to be able to overtake on the long downhill pit straight. So depending where you are on the grid will, in essence, dictate the choice of car set-up a team prefers.
To add to the excitement of this year's Grand Prix the top teams debut substantial technical changes since Monza two weeks ago. For Williams-Renault there is a B version of the FW17 with a revised rear suspension/gearbox package. This update will undoubtably distance the already crushing performance of the Williams-Renault from the opposition. Championship leaders Benetton believe changes to the front suspension of the B195 will provide a more easily set-up and consistent car. There are also subtle changes around the front wing.
It has become noticeable over recent Grands Prix that the Williams chassis is more user-friendly and easily dialled into track conditions. Benetton are oozing confidence that their changes will see them 'back at the front' throughout the weekend. The folk down at Woking are into the C version of the McLaren Mercedes-Benz. I don't believe any team has tried harder this year to return to the winner's podium than McLaren and their hope is that the C spec car will end their drought of victories.
Estoril provides the winter test venue for many teams. Before the start of this season Jordan Peugeot and Tyrrell-Yamaha had very strong testing results and looked set to split the top four teams. This has not happened. Both teams look forward to Estoril this weekend to reconfirm the potential those tests had promised. Of course, since the March tests these teams have not stood still, but neither has the opposition.
The championship is still wide open with five races left but Michael Schumacher clearly has the easier task. On the other hand Damon Hill must, at all costs, score maximum points. The key for Hill is to be on pole and lead from the start. His weakness will come if he has to race Schumacher. With both drivers under the microscope after recent on-track contact, the tight-to-overtake track will challenge their racing heads. The result after 71 laps could reflect the final outcome of the championship. Hill or Schumacher must "carpe diem".
21.09.95 - F1Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello have been confirmed as the Total Jordan Peugeot team's choice of drivers for next season. Team owner of the Silverstone-based outfit Eddie Jordan said he was delighted to retain their services. He said: "Over the past two years my view on Rubens and Eddie has been consistent. I have always said that they are two of the 'young bloods' of our sport - both champions of the future. They make a forceful combination."
22.09.95F1: THE PORTUGUESE GP
Williams duo Damon Hill and David Coulthard dominated Friday's first qualifying session with the Englishman securing provisional pole late on. Hill was just one-tenth of a second quicker than his teammate with chief rival Michael Schumacher half a second further adrift. Hill be looking to repeat his performance on Saturday as he bids to reduce the German's 15 point lead in the championship standings. Schumacher had been the first to break the 1 minute 22 second barrier but the Williams pair hit back in style.
Damon Hill took provisional pole with a blistering run and then warned rival Michael Schumacher that there was better to come. "This is a good starting point. But we will attack even harder tomorrow," promised Hill. "If we can get an all Williams front row and have a healthy three-tenths of a second advantage then things are looking very promising," he added. The aerodynamically improved Williams has eclipsed the Benetton and Hill said: "They will have to get their heads down to some hard work."
Friday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Hill GB Williams 1:21.322 2 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:21.423 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:21.885 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:22.281 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:22.656 6 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:22.957 7 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:23.064 8 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:23.142 9 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:23.244 10 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:23.284 11 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:23.485 12 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:23.786 13 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:24.583 14 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:24.631 15 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:24.883 16 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:24.942 17 M Papis It Footwork 1:25.696 18 L Badoer It Minardi 1:25.746 19 P Lamy Por Minardi 1:26.210 20 A Montermini It Pacific 1:27.659 21 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:28.672 22 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:29.137 23 J Deletraz Swi Pacific 1:34.233 24 J Boullion Fr Sauber 14:20.150Motor sport chiefs have dismissed a letter which alleged that Michael Schumacher and his Benetton team were cheating as a hoax. The letter, purportedly written by a "concerned race mechanic" in the Enstone-based team, had been sent to FIA president Max Mosley. It claimed that Benetton boss Flavio Briatore had ordered Schumacher to take Damon Hill out of last season's Grand Prix climax in Adelaide. An FIA spokesman said there was conclusive evidence that the letter was a hoax.
SUPERTOURING (Silverstone):- Qualifying times for final two rounds: 1 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:00.758 2 A Menu Renault Lag 1:00.784 3 W Hoy Renault Lag 1:00.928 4 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:00.966 5 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:01.012 6 S Harrison Peugeot 405 1:01.132 7 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:01.160 8 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:01.160 9 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:01.233 10 T Harvey Volvo 850 1:01.453RALLYING: MINTEX NATIONAL SERIES:- The penultimate round of the Mintex National Rally, the Trackrod Forest Stages Rally, takes place on Saturday. David Gillanders leads the championship by just two points from Chris Mellors while Murray Grierson will be looking for his third win of the season.
23.09.95F1: THE PORTUGUESE GP
David Coulthard upstaged Williams teammate Damon Hill to clinch pole position for Sunday's race. The Scotsman clocked 1 min 20.537 secs with Hill just 0.328 secs adrift to ensure a Williams front row. Chief rival Michael Scumacher failed to match the blistering pace set by the Didcot duo and had to be content with a second row spot alongside Gerhard Berger's Ferrari. Germany's Heinz Harald Frentzen surprised everyone with an outstanding performance in the Sauber to record the fifth fastest time.
David Coulthard will be doing Damon Hill no favours when he starts from pole in Portugal on Sunday. He dismissed speculation about team orders and said: "I fully intend to win the race. I didn't think I could catch Damon in qualifying so I'm very happy." Hill was disappointed but added: "David drove very well. On my last run I got held up. It could have been closer." Defending champion Michaal Schumacher admitted that his car was simply not fast enough to challenge. "I was right on the limit and there was no point in me doing any more. It is a struggle."
Final qualifying: mins secs 1 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:20.537 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:20.905 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:21.301 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:21.970 5 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:22.226 6 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:22.322 7 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:22.391 8 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:22.538 9 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:22.588 10 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:22.831 11 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:22.904 12 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:22.914 13 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:23.064 14 J Boullion Fr Sauber 1:23.934 15 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:23.936 16 U Katayama Jpn Tyrrell 1:24.287 17 P Lamy Por Minardi 1:24.657 18 L Badoer It Minardi 1:24.778 19 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:24.883 20 M Papis It Footwork 1:25.179 21 A Montermini It Pacific 1:26.172 22 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:27.292 23 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:27.523 24 J Deletraz Swi Pacific 1:32.769 SUPERTOURING (Silverstone):- Qualifying times for round 24: 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:00.677 2 A Menu Renault Lag 1:00.689 3 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:00.718 4 W Hoy Renault Lag 1:00.781 5 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:00.872 6 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:00.968 7 K Burt Ford Mondeo 1:01.051 8 M Briggs Vauxhall Cav 1:01.088 9 R Rydell Volvo 850 1:01.095 10 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:01.232 Qualifying times for round 25: 1 A Menu Renault Lag 1:00.713 2 W Hoy Renault Lag 1:00.851 3 D Leslie Honda Accord 1:01.919 4 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 1:01.069 5 K Burt Ford Mondeo 1:01.092 6 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 1:01.126 7 J Bailey Toyota Carina 1:01.275 8 J Kaye Honda Accord 1:01.291 9 M Neal Ford Mondeo 1:01.450 10 T Sugden Volvo 850 1:01.456F.RENAULT:- Paula Cook became the first woman ever to take pole position in a single seat event at Silverstone with the fastest qualifying time in the international Formula Renault Sport Championship. She clocked 59.56 seconds at an average speed of 99.24 mph - improving the previous best set by reigning champion Guy Smith. Her brother David clocked the second fastest time making it the first ever brother/sister front row in British motorsport history.
RALLYING: Mintex National Series, Trackrod Forest Stages Result after 10 special stages:mins secs 1 Mellors/Goff Escort Cos 1:07.18 2 Milner/Turvey Nissan Sun 1:07.56 3 Gill'/Harris Escort Cos 1:08.11 4 Lyall/Rennie Escort Cos 1:08.41 5 Smith/Hughes Lancia Del 1:09.12 6 Hill/Boyles Mit Galant 1:09.23 7 Philliskirk/Sli Metro 6R4 1:10.12 8 Kirtley/Geldart Sierra Cos 1:10.19 9 Thompson/Thor' Escort Cos 1:10.22 10 Moore/Foster Subaru Imp 1:11.14 24.09.95 F1: THE PORTUGUESE GP Provisional result after 71 laps: hr:min.sec 1 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:41.52 2 M Schumacher Ger Benetton @ 7.2 secs 3 D Hill GB Williams @ 22.1 secs 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari @ 1:24 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari @ 1:25 6 H Frentzen Ger Sauber @ one lap 7 J Herbert GB Benetton @ one lap 8 M Brundle GB Ligier @ one lap 9 M Blundell GB McLaren @ one lap 10 E Irvine GB Jordan @ one lap 11 R Bar'chello Brz Jordan @ one lap DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP: 1 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 72 pts 2 D Hill GB Williams 55 3 D Coulthard GB Williams 39 4 J Herbert GB Benetton 38 5 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 34 6 G Berger Aut Ferrari 28 7 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 15 8 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 11 9 M Blundell GB McLaren 10 10 O Panis Fr Ligier 8 == R Barrichello Brz Jordan 8 12 M Brundle GB Ligier 7 13 E Irvine GB Jordan 6 14 J-C Boullion Fr Sauber 3 15 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 2 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP: 1 Benetton 100 points 2 Williams 88 3 Ferrari 62 4 McLaren 21 5 Sauber 18 6 Ligier 16 7 Jordan 14 8 Tyrrell 2 9 Footwork 1Scot David Coulthard gave a faultless performance to win his first Grand Prix but Michael Schumacher extended his championship lead over Damon Hill. Coulthard led from start to finish and was never challenged as he clocked up his debut victory in 21 races. Hill's two-stop strategy appeared to have paid off as he led Schumacher with just nine laps to go. But the German Benetton driver overtook Hill on the chicane and stayed ahead to increase his lead over the Englishman to 17 points with four races remaining.
David Coulthard was delighted to have earned top place on the podium after his first ever Formula One victory. "It was a fantastic feeling and a warm relief," said the 23-year-old. "It's very important for my confidence to be a winner and to be a winner fairly and squarely." The win took Coulthard up into third place in the drivers' standings. Second-placed Michael Schumacher said it was too early to say if he had effectively won the championship. "A lot can happen in four races," he said.
Damon Hill said it would "take as miracle" to win the championship after Germany's Michael Schumacher extended his series lead from 15 to 17 points. "We've got a few more things to try but I think there's too much ground to make up now," conceded the Williams driver. "We went for a two-stop race because that's what we thought Michael would do. It nearly worked but my tyres were getting old and he caught me napping. But today was David Coulthard's day and he really deserved it. He's had a lot of near-misses and we're all really pleased that he got his first win."
Ukyo Katayama was taken to hospital after a horrifying crash at the start of the Portuguese Grand Prix. The Japanese Tyrrell Yamaha driver collided with Italian Luca Badoer and his car was thrown into the air across the narrow track and into the barriers. He climbed out of the car but collapsed on the track. He regained consciousness and was taken to hospital where it was reported he had no serious injuries. The race was immediately stopped and delayed for 25 minutes as organisers cleared the debris.
F1:- Four-times former champion Alain Prost cleared the way for David Coulthard to join McLaren next year when revealing he would not make a comeback next year. Prost, who last week took part in a Silverstone test for McLaren, announced his decision on French television while covering the Portuguese Grand Prix. Race victor Coulthard added to the speculation by confirming that he had a seat for next year and he would who it was with next week. The Woking-based McLaren team are scheduled to announce their driver line-up at the European GP next Sunday.
Formula 3000 European Championship - Estoril ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pos Driver Car Time ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Tarso Marques/BR Draco-Lola-Cosworth 1:11`49.521 2 Emmanuel Clerico/I Apomatox-Reynard-Cosworth + 6.679 3 Kenny Brack/S Madgwick-Reynard-Zytec-Judd 16.044 4 Jerome Policand/F Danielson-Reynard-Cosworth 28.229 5 Ricardo Rosset/BR Super-Nova-Reynard-Cosworth 29.324 6 Christian Pescatori/I Durango-Reynard-Cosworth 53.288 7 Vincenzo Sospiri/I Super Nova-Reynard-Cosworth 57.043 8 Marc Goossens/B Nordic-Lola-Cosworth 1:15.449 9 Marco Campos/BR Draco-Lola-Cosworth - 1 lap 10 Christophe Tinseau/F Mythos-Reynard-Zytec-Judd - 1 11 Fabrizio de Simone/I Mythos-Reynard-Zytec-Judd - 1 12 Garry Formato/ZA Durango-Reynard-Cosworth - 1 13 Peter Ohlson/S Madgwick-Reynard-Zytec-Judd - 1 14 Christophe Bouchut/F Nordic-Lola-Cosworth - 1 15 Severino Nardozi/I Omegaland-Reynard-Zytec - 2 FL: Guillaume Gomez/F DAMS-Reynard-Cosworth 1:32.421 ------------------------------------------ Formula 3000 European Championship Pts ------------------------------------------ 1 Vincenzo Sospiri/I 39 2 Ricardo Rosset/BR 29 3 Marc Goossens/B 18 4 Kenny Brack/S 15 Tarso Marques/BR 15 6 Emmanuel Clerico/I 13 7 Alan McNish/GB 11 8 Guillaume Gomez/F 8 9 Christophe Bouchut/F 6 Christian Pescatori/I 6 11 Jerome Policand/F 4 Marcos Gueiros/BR 2 Stephane Belloc/F 2 15 Didier Cottaz/F 1 Christophe Tinseau/F 1SUPERTOURING (Silverstone):- Renault snatched the manufacturers' title with a superb double by their two drivers in the final two rounds. Alain Menu and Will Hoy shared the wins in their Lagunas to beat Vauxhall into second place in the points table. The first race was a start to finish demonstration drive by Swiss ace Menu after a poor start by drivers' champion John Cleland who was on pole. Hoy took the honours in the next race and Menu's second place was enough to confirm him as runner-up in the drivers' championship.
Result of round 24: 1 A Menu Renault Lag 32:34.72 2 W Hoy Renault Lag 32:35.83 3 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 32:40.47 4 K Burt Ford Mondeo 32:41.44 5 D Leslie Honda Accord 32:50.11 6 M Briggs Vauxhall Cav 32:51.37 7 R Rydell Volvo 850 32:54.44 8 D Warwick Alfa Romeo 32:56.15 9 D Brabham BMW 318 32:59.20 10 T Harvey Volvo 850 33:00.77 Result of round 25: 1 W Hoy Renault Lag 31:55.43 2 A Menu Renault Lag 31:55.97 3 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 31:58.62 4 D Leslie Honda Accord 32:01.23 5 J Bailey Toyota Carina 32:02.99 6 T Sugden Toyota Carina 32:13.48 7 T Harvey Volvo 850 32:15.02 8 P Watts Peugeot 405 32:15.64 9 J Kaye Honda Accord 32:16.28 10 D Warwick Alfa Romeo 32:17.69 Drivers' championship: 1 J Cleland Vauxhall Cav 348 pts 2 A Menu Renault Laguna 305 3 R Rydell Volvo 850 255 4 W Hoy Renault Laguna 195 5 T Harvey Volvo 850 176 6 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 130 Manufacturers' championship: 1 Renault 419 pts 2 Vauxhall 414 3 Volvo 359 4 Ford 236 5 Toyota 172 6 BMW 144F3:- Championship rivals Ralph Firman and Oliver Gavin left Pembrey with a win apiece after rounds 14/15 of the British Formula Three championship. There are now just 20 points separating them with three rounds remaining with Firman having the advantage over Gavin.
28.09.95 - F1Grand Prix veteran Martin Brundle has been confirmed as the replacement for Eddie Irvine in the Jordan team's driver line-up for the 1996 season. The 36-year-old from Kings Lynn will be renewing an association with team owner Eddie Jordan after driving for him in British Formula Three 12 years ago. Jordan will be Brundle's eighth team in a GP career which covers 140 races. His best finish was second in Italy three years ago and at Monaco in 1994. Irishman Irvine will drive for Ferrari next year after Jordan agreed to release him from his contract.
Martin Brundle looked forward to a "really bright future" after agreeing to join Jordan for the 1996 season. "Eddie (Jordan) and I had a really successful season together back in 1983; in fact that helped put me into Formula One in the first place," said Brundle, who is currently with Ligier. "He was perhaps the first Jordan driver to on and race in F1 and I have been trying to do a deal with him on and off for about five years. Martin's experience, both in terms of chassis and engine design, is vast," said team owner Jordan.
JOHN WATSON ON THE EUROPEAN GP
This weekend sees the Grand Prix world return to the Nurburgring following a ten-year absence. It is not the famous pre-war circuit, but one which has become a role model for many contemporary F1 venues. When the new "Ring" was opened eleven years ago, there were waves of shock-horror felt by traditionalists throughout the Grand Prix world. But all that the track designers, who felt disenchanted by the vociferous reaction, had done was pre-empt a modern circuit concept which the 1990s driver finds entirely satisfactory.
One significant change which has taken place on the 2.822-mile Nurburgring is at the Veedol chicane - now much slower and tighter than the original. However, a factor which will inevitably have a bearing on the weekend's events is the autumnal weather. The track is situated high in the Eifel mountains near Cologne and the drivers can expect anything from an indian summer to ice and snow on the same day. Combined with the restricted track time for practice and qualifying, the European Grand Prix could see another first-time winner emerge on Sunday.
Few drivers have experience of the new "Ring" but even those who have not driven on the billiard table-smooth surface should quickly get up to speed. However, David Coulthard has raced there in a Formula 3000 event and a combination of high confidence after his victory in Estoril and track knowledge might make him irrepressible. But Germans should prepare to witness the rise of their next Formula One star - Heinz-Harald Frentzen. His Sauber Ford has shown great improvement and Frentzen's toothy smile makes a welcome sight.
The true focus of the race will be on World Champion and current championship leader Michael Schumacher and his battle with Britain's Damon Hill. Hill's post-race comments in Portugal expressed a feeling of inevitability about the championship outcome, even though 40 points are still available for wins in the last four Grands Prix. Pragmatically, the title is ebbing away from Hill but you must fight until the end and one never knows what fate will deal out in Formula One racing. Schumacher may have crowd support but that alone cannot guarantee victory.
Damon Hill must triumph on Sunday to have any chance of usurping the title from championship leader and perennial adversary Michael Schumacher. Hill may also be unsure whether or not he can expect any co-operation in his quest for points from Williams teammate David Coulthard. Usually 'the boss' allows drivers to resolve these issues between themselves, the only proviso being "Don't crash into each other." However, I suspect that Hill will have to race both Schumacher and Coulthard for victory on Sunday.
The last Grand Prix to be held at the Nurburgring was won by Michele Alboreto in a turbo-charge Ferrari in 1985. But the Italian team's ability to challenge for victory ten years on could depend on the unpredictable weather conditions - wet and cold would suit them best. One team facing mounting pressure over the weekend are McLaren Mercedes Benz, who face growing expectations from the giant German manufacturers. A phenomenal amount of testing and development has been done - including two days at Estoril since last weekend.
Jordan-Peugeot are currently in the spotlight following Eddie Irvine's move to Ferrari for next season. The team are seeking a return of the form they lost last week and Irvine, in particular, would like to say thank you for the opportunity given him by team owner Eddie Jordan two years ago. Ukyo Katayama, whose Tyrrell flew through the air after a spectacular crash at Estoril, will not be driving this weekend at Nurburgring. Katayama was released from hospital on Monday but after much consideration, Gabriele Tarquni will stand in.
29.09.95 - F1: THE EUROPEAN GRAND PRIXDavid Coulthard's impressive form continued as he claimed provisional pole at a rain-hit Nurburgring. The Scot took up where he left off in Portugal last Sunday by turning the tables on Damon Hill, edging him out by two-tenths of a second. Hill had shrugged off an oil leak in the revised FW17B car earlier in the day to set the fastest time during free practice. Michael Schumacher again found the Benetton wanting and had to settle for third fastest.
Friday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:18.738 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:18.972 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:19.470 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:19.821 5 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:20.488 6 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:20.521 7 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:20.653 8 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:20.762 9 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:20.866 10 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:20.909 11 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:21.305 11 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:21.541 13 J Boullion Fr Sauber 1:22.059 14 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:22.062 15 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:23.058 16 P Lamy Por Minardi 1:23.328 17 M Papis It Footwork 1:23.689 18 L Badoer It Minardi 1:23.760 19 G Tarquini It Tyrrell 1:24.286 20 A Montermini It Pacific 1:24.696 21 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:25.647 22 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:26.667 23 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:26.784 24 J Deletraz Swi Pacific 1:27.853 30.09.95 - F1: THE EUROPEAN GRAND PRIXDavid Coulthard claimed his third successive pole position after rain disrupted Saturday morning's final practice session. Coulthard's time from Friday was good enough to see off the challenge from Michael Schumacher, who was one of only seven drivers to improve their time. But the German is still third on the grid in the Benetton behind Damon Hill who failed to close the gap on his Williams teammate. Jean Alesi also improved as the track gradually dried during the session but is still fifth behind Berger and Irvine.
Flying Scot David Coulthard promised to go all out for victory after securing pole for the third successive GP. Williams teammate Damon Hill badly needs a win to keep his title challenge alive and Coulthard said: "I won't hold him up unreasonably if he is quicker." He added, however: "My first duty is to the team and to help them win the constructors title. But we have the same equipment and if I'm quicker, then I'm quicker." Hill was in optimistic mood, saying: "I'm very encouraged. I'm much happier with the balance of the car."
Rubens Barrichello and Max Papis could face suspensions after admitting taking medicines containing banned substances. The pair were randomly tested after Friday's first qualifying session and told the testers of the situation. The test results will be known in ten days time and could be banned but Michael Schumacher said drivers had not been told about possible punishments. Barrichello said: "I have flu and took the medicine as I cannot get into a racing car with a splitting headache." Papis said: "I did not think taking the medicine would cause a problem."
Final qualifying times: mins secs 1 D Coulthard GB Williams 1:18.738 2 D Hill GB Williams 1:18.972 3 M Schumacher Ger Benetton 1:19.150 4 G Berger Aut Ferrari 1:19.821 5 E Irvine GB Jordan 1:20.488 6 J Alesi Fr Ferrari 1:20.510 7 J Herbert GB Benetton 1:20.653 8 H Frentzen Ger Sauber 1:20.749 9 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:20.866 10 M Blundell GB McLaren 1:20.909 11 R Barrichello Brz Jordan 1:21.211 12 M Brundle GB Ligier 1:21.541 13 J Boullion Fr Sauber 1:22.059 14 O Panis Fr Ligier 1:22.062 15 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:23.058 16 P Lamy Por Minardi 1:23.328 17 M Papis It Footwork 1:23.689 18 L Badoer It Minardi 1:23.760 19 G Tarquini It Tyrrell 1:24.286 20 A Montermini It Pacific 1:24.696 21 T Inoue Jpn Footwork 1:24.900 22 P Diniz Brz Forti 1:25.157 23 R Moreno Brz Forti 1:26.098 24 J Deletraz Swi Pacific 1:27.853Grand Prix schedules will be changed next year to have only one qualifying session on Saturday afternoons. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said the teams had agreed in principle that Friday's practice sessions will not count towards the starting grid. The change is to solve the problem faced by television companies when the second session is hit by wet weather and not many cars go out on the track. Only 12 laps will be allowed in the single qualifying session of one hour with 16 races scheduled for next season as opposed to this year's 17 races.