June 1996


01.06.96

F1: THE SPANISH GP
Damon Hill grabbed the 15th pole spot of his career after an exciting three-driver battle in hour-long qualifying. Hill overcame the challenge of his Williams Renault teammate Jacques Villeneuve and defending champion Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari. Villeneuve was second almost half a second back while Schumacher, forced to use his spare car later in the session, was nearly a second adrift in third. Hill consolidated his pole position by improving his time in the final minutes.

Damon Hill has admitted being worried by recent engine failures, the latest affecting his Williams teammate Jacques Villeneuve during morning practice. Hill's Renault V10 blew up while he was leading in Monaco and he stopped again last week while testing at Silverstone. "It is something that has concerned us all since the start of the season," said Hill. "Williams and Renault are working hard to solve the problem." Hill said tactics would play a major part in Sunday's race.



Qualifying for Sunday's race: mins secs
 1 D Hill         GB  Williams 1:20.650
 2 J Villeneuve   Can Williams 1:21.084
 3 M Schumacher   Ger Ferrari  1:21.587
 4 J Alesi        Fr  Benetton 1:22.061
 5 G Berger       Aut Benetton 1:22.125
 6 E Irvine       GB  Ferrari  1:22.333
 7 R Barrichello  Brz Jordan   1:22.379
 8 O Panis        Fr  Ligier   1:22.685
 9 J Herbert      GB  Sauber   1:23.027
10 M Hakkinen     Fin McLaren  1:23.070
11 H Frentzen     Ger Sauber   1:23.195
12 M Salo         Fin Tyrrell  1:23.224
13 J Verstappen   Hol Footwork 1:23.371
14 D Coulthard    GB  McLaren  1:23.416
15 M Brundle      GB  Jordan   1:23.438
16 U Katayama     Jpn Tyrrell  1:24.401
17 P Diniz        Brz Ligier   1:24.468
18 P Lamy         Por Minardi  1:25.274
19 G Fisichella   It  Minardi  1:25.531
20 R Rosset       Brz Footwork 1:25.621
Non-qualifiers
21 L Badoer       It  Forti    1:26.615
22 A Montermini   It  Forti    1:27.358



ACROPOLIS RALLY:- Competitors set off from beneath the world famous Parthenon Temple in the centre of Athens for round four of the FIA World Rally Championship on Sunday. Finn Tommi Makinen, who heads the drivers standings after wins in Sweden and Kenya, will be among the favourites in the three-day all-gravel event. "My Mitsubishi Lancer is the strongest and most reliable car so I know I can rely on it to finish," he commented. Among his rivals will be world champion Colin McRae in a 555 Subaru.

Scot Colin McRae knows he faces a tough task to close the gap on Tommi Makinen in the battle for the world crown. McRae's best result in the Greek event is fourth and the Subaru star admits: "This is just one of those events I've never seemed destined to win." Spaniard Carlos Sainz, a double winner of the event, will be first away in his works Ford. "I have very good memories of Greece," he commented. Competitors face wet and muddy stages for the first time in this event.



PERTH SCOTTISH RALLY
LEADERBOARD after 20 of 20 stages:
                               hr min secs
 1 Rovanpera/Repo    Mitsubishi  2:06:55
 2 Kytolehto/Kapanen Ford        2:07:52
 3 Evans/Davies      Ford        2:08:05
 4 Harkki/Mustalahti Mitsubishi  2:09:01
 5 Higgins/Mills     Nissan      2:09:03
 6 Head/Thomas       Renault     2:10:04
 7 Grierson/Merry    Subaru      2:10:18
 8 Puhakka/Lehtinen  Volkswagen  2:11:39
 9 Korhonen/Heinonen Mitsubishi  2:12:40
10 Lyall/Bennie      Ford        2:12:57

BRITISH C'SHIP CONTENDERS     mins secs
1 Kytolehto/Kapanen Ford        2:07:52
2 Evans/Davies      Ford        2:08:05
3 Higgins/Mills     Nissan      2:09:03

BRITISH JUNIOR RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Champion/Joll     Peugeot     2:21:49
2 Dale/Bargery      Peugeot     2:22:32
3 Davies/Argo       Peugeot     2:43:42

GROUP N PRODUCTION CUP
1 Rovanpera/Repo    Mitsubishi  2:06:55
2 Harkki/Mustalahti Mitsubishi  2:09:01
3 Korhonen/Heinonen Mitsubishi  2:12:40

Jarmo Kytolehto held off the challenge of Ford teammate Gwyndaf Evans to take Championship honours in the two-litre category of the Perth Scottish Rally. Evans retains the series lead in the Mobil 1/Top Gear British Rally Championship with two rounds to go. Harri Rovanpera (Mitsubishi), led the rally from start to finish, but is not eligible for the championship. Neil Wearden had a steady run in a newly-built Peugeot 306 S16 finishing in ninth place in the two-litre class.

Former women's world champion Louise Aitken-Walker MBE made a winning return to competition, finishing ahead of the Simmonite sisters in her Honda. Aitken-Walker traded times all day with the all-woman Ford crew, finishing 32 seconds clear and admitting: "The main problem I had was adapting to my co-driver's Geordie accent!" Skoda's Steve Wedgbury trailed the Hondas of David Higgins and Aitken-Walker but was not unhappy. "We've been using the event to learn more about the car," he commented.

Mark Higgins held off the challenge of Robbie Head to claim third in the 2-litre category behind the Escorts. Head's result was his best this season in the Renault Maxi Megane. Laukkanen's retirement allowed Volkswagen teammate Jouko Puhakka to claim a top five finish and remain second in the Championship standings. The next round of the Mobil 1/Top Gear British Rally Championship is the Stena Line Ulster International Rally on August 2-3.




PEUGEOT SPORT GOLD STAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Plains Rally, Powys (Round 5)

FINAL LEADERBOARD (after 9 stages)
                              mins secs
1 Burton/Morgan     Metro 6R4   44:36
2 B-Evans/Jones     Escort Cos  44:54
3 Humphreys/Lewis   Escort Cos  45:35
4 Tough/Haigh       Escort RS   46:20
5 Bengry/Forsbrook  Escort RS   46:52
6 Mills/Sankey      Sierra Cos  47:08
Neil Hiorns won the F2 category in his Escort RS2000; Richard Phillips and wife Catherine rolled their Astra on SS6 and retired.





02.06.96
F1: THE SPANISH GP
Michael Schumacher was in a class of his own as he overcame treacherous conditions to claim a convincing victory, his first for Ferrari. The 27-year-old German looked in total control as his rivals slipped up as he led by up to a minute around the rain-drenched Circuit de Catalunya.

Michael Schumacher recovered from a poor start which left him back in fourth place to take the lead after 12 laps of the 65-lap grand prix. Equally impressive was young Canadian Jacques Villeneuve who grabbed the early lead in his Williams and drove superbly in his first race in Barcelona. He showed great maturity throughout the race and was rewarded with his third runner-up spot of the season. He and Schumacher are now joint second in the world points behind Damon Hill.

Damon Hill was third time unlucky as he spun out of the race in his Williams with barely 12 laps completed. Hill, current leader of the F1 World Championship, made a dreadful start from his pole position and suffered his first spin while back in third place. He slipped back to fifth but another off-track moment left him in eighth. "Today was a bad day for me. I made two mistakes and finally made a third but I am almost pleased to be out of it - the conditions were very dangerous" he said.

Drivers were faced with the worst of conditions with heavy rain making visibility poor and the track slippery. Spins were frequent and, although many of the competitors managed to keep their engines running and regain the track, retirements steadily grew. Damon Hill went out after his third spin in the Williams while Johnny Herbert also had one escape before a major spin in the Sauber ended his race. Only half the 20 starters were still running after one-third distance.

Twice world champion Michael Schumacher survived a couple of heart-stopping moments in the closing laps as he steered his Ferrari to victory. "I would not have bet a penny on getting a result like this," admitted the German, after claiming his second successive win in the Spanish GP. "Nobody gave us any presents here but I just pushed it to victory. I really did not expect it but today the car was handling well."

David Coulthard went out of the race within seconds of the start after running into a car he could not see due to the appalling conditions. "I don't really know what happened. I hit the back of someone but I could not see anything so I can't say who it was. "When you are behind other cars in these conditions you can't see anything but a blanket of spray," he explained. Fellow Briton Johnny Herbert also fell victim to the wet track. "I was aqua-planing down all the straights" he said.



RESULT (after 65 laps):

1 M Schumacher  Ger Ferrari      1 hr 59 mins 49.307 secs
2 J Alesi       Fr  Benetton             + 45.302
3 J Villeneuve  Can Williams             + 48.388
4 HH Frentzen   Ger Sauber               + 1 lap
5 M Hakkinen    Fin McLaren              + 1 lap
6 P Diniz       Brz Ligier               + 2 laps

Only 6 of the 20 starters finished

Giancarlo Fishichella (Minardi) went off on first corner of race, possibly after a collision with another car. Pedro Lamy (Minardi) also off on the first corner. David Coulthard (McLaren) sidelined during the opening lap. Olivier Panis (Ligier), winner of the Monaco GP, came in after the first lap. Eddie Irvine (Ferrari) slid off while lying fifth on lap 2 but continued for a bit longer before retiring.Damon Hill (Williams) spun out on lap 10 while in eighth place - his third spin on the rain-soaked track. Ricardo Rosset (Footwork) failed to complete the first lap. Martin Brundle (Jordan) retired on lap 17. Ukyo Katayama (Tyrrell) out on lap 8. Mika Salo (Tyrrell) in the spare car after problems just before the start but a spin at about one-quarter distance eventually saw him retire. Johnny Herbert (Sauber) spun twice and retired after 20 laps. Gerhard Berger (Benetton) out on lap 45. Jos Verstappen (Arrows) spun out on lap 48 while in fifth place. Reubens Barrichello (Jordan) appeared to retire in the pits with clutch trouble while lying fourth but then rejoined the race, only to stop again.



WORLD DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
 1 D Hill        GB   Williams 43 pts
 2 J Villeneuve  Can  Williams 26
 = M Schumacher  Ger  Ferrari  26
 4 J Alesi       Fr   Benetton 17
 5 O Panis       Fr   Ligier   11
 6 D Coulthard   GB   McLaren  10
 7 E Irvine      GB   Ferrari   9
 8 M Hakkinen    Fin  McLaren   8
 9 R Barrichello Brz  Jordan    7
 = G Berger      Aut  Benetton  7
11 M Salo        Fin  Tyrrell   5
12 J Herbert     GB   Sauber    4
13 H Frentzen    Ger  Sauber    3
14 J Verstappen  Hol  Footwork  1
 = M Brundle     GB   Jordan    1
 = P Diniz       Brz  Ligier    1



CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP:
 1 Williams-Renault    69 points
 2 Ferrari             35
 3 Benetton-Renault    24
 4 McLaren-Mercedes    18
 5 Ligier-Mugen Honda  12
 6 Sauber              10
 7 Jordan-Peugeot       8
 8 Tyrrell-Yamaha       5
 9 Footwork-Hart        1


ACROPOLIS RALLY:- World champion Colin McRae took a commanding lead after the first day despite a spin caused by spectators blocking the road with rocks. The Scot was 54 seconds ahead of world championship leader Tommi Makinen after the eight stages of the first leg. On the sixth stage spectators partly blocked the road with rocks, causing Carlos Sainz, running first, and McRae to spin. Makinen overcame brake problems to force his Mitsubishi into second place.


Positions after stage 8 of 21 stages:
(end of first day)           hr min secs
 1 C McRae     GB  Subaru      1:48:06
 2 T Makinen   Fin Mitsubishi  1:49:00
 3 C Sainz     Sp  Ford Escort 1:50:05
 4 F Loix      Bel Toyota      1:51:48
 5 B Thiry     Bel Ford Escort 1:51.55
 6 P Liatti    It  Subaru      1:52.04
 7 G Pian'zola It  Toyota      1:53.18
 8 S Finlay    GB  Ford Escort 1:55:33
 9 A Medeghini It  Subaru      1:55:49
10 L Kirkos    Gr  Ford Escort 1:56:19





03.06.96
ACROPOLIS RALLY:- World champion Colin McRae fought desperately to keep his lead on the second day of the Acropolis Rally. The Briton was slowed by suspension trouble in his Subaru as Finland's Tommi Makinen forced the pace driving a Mitsubishi. McRae had his lead clipped to 44 seconds by Makinen with one day left in the world championship fourth round. Third-placed Carlos Sainz of Spain dropped back to one minute 34 seconds behind McRae.


Positions after stage 15 of 21 stages:
(end of second day)          hr min secs
 1 C McRae     GB  Subaru      3:39:11
 2 T Makinen   Fin Mitsubishi  3:39:55
 3 C Sainz     Sp  Ford Escort 3:40:45
 4 K Eriksson  Swe Subaru      3:41.42
 5 P Liatti    It  Subaru      3:42.16
 6 B Thiry     Bel Ford Escort 3:43.45
 7 F Loix      Bel Toyota      3:44:06
 8 G Pian'zola It  Toyota      3:47.18
 9 A Medeghini It  Subaru      3:52:08 
10 P Bern'dini Fr  Ford Escort 3:53:20

INDYCAR:- American Michael Andretti won the Milwaukee 200 IndyCar race in a Lola Ford Cosworth on Sunday. Penske teammates Al Unser Jnr and Canadian Paul Tracy were second and third in Penske Mercedes-Benz Ilmors. Series leader Jimmy Vasser was 10th.






04.06.96
TOURING CARS:- Kelvin Burt has been released from hospital following his accident during last month's British Touring Car Championship race at Oulton Park. The Volvo 850 Racing driver suffered serious concussion when his car hit a crash barrier at 120 miles an hour. Burt was airlifted to hospital but is now convalescing at home. "He might be OK for the next race, we'll have to see how he progresses during the next week," said TOCA medical consultant Paul Trafford.

ACROPOLIS RALLY:- Reigning world champion Colin McRae survived a final day drama to become the first Briton to win the Acropolis Rally in Greece since 1968. The Scot nearly lost the event on the penultimate stage when the Subaru mechanics fixed a transmission problem with just three seconds to spare. He finished with 50 secs in hand on Tommi Makinen, who was slowed by tyre wear caused by the stony surface. "Im glad that's finished. It could have gone either way," said McRae.


Result after 21 stages:      hr min secs
 1 C McRae     GB  Subaru      5:33.12
 2 T Makinen   Fin Mitsubishi  5:34.02
 3 C Sainz     Sp  Ford Escort 5:36.33
 4 P Liatti    It  Subaru      5:38.02
 5 K Eriksson  Swe Subaru      5:40.17
 6 B Thiry     Bel Ford Escort 5:41.48
 7 F Loix      Bel Toyota      5:43.13
 8 G Pian'zola It  Toyota      5:48.46
 9 P Bern'dini Fr  Ford Escort 5:54.33
10 JP Richelmi MC  Toyota      5:58.36


Driver's standings:
1 T Makinen   Fin Mitsubishi  55 pts
2 C Sainz     Sp  Ford        47
3 C McRae     GB  Subaru      42
4 P Liatti    It  Subaru      33
5 K Eriksson  Swe Subaru      31
6 J Kankkunen Fin Toyota      22

Manufacturers' standings:
1 Subaru      178 pts
2 Mitsubishi  138
3 Ford        128





07.06.96
TOURING CARS:- Vauxhall's James Thompson topped the timesheets in the official Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship testing at the Snetterton circuit. Thompson lapped the Norfolk track in 11.900secs, two-tenths of a second under the qualifying record, to head David Leslie and Rickard Rydell. Reigning champion John Cleland posted the fifth fastest time. The championship returns next weekend at Snetterton with a double-race meet.


                              mins secs
 1 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 1:11.900
 2 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  1:12.257
 3 R Rydell     Swe Volvo 850  1:12.257
 4 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   1:12.326
 5 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall V 1:12.529
 6 J Bintcliffe GB  Audi A4    1:12.599
 7 W Hoy        GB  Renualt L  1:12.618
 8 P Radisich   NZ  Ford Mond  1:12.605
 9 J Kaye       GB  Honda Acc  1:12.820
10 R Ravaglia   It  BMW 320i   1:12.885
11 P Watts      GB  Peugeot    1:12.888
12 J Davies     GB  Volvo 850  1:12.940


ITC:- Klaus Ludwig threw down the gauntlet to his rivals in Helsinki with the fastest time in both practice sessions as Opel's impressive form continued. Frenchman Yannick Delmas was second fastest, just ahead of Hans Stuck. "The car ran absolutely perfectly and I am really happy. You have to drive very, very precisely here and keep well away from the walls," said Ludwig. "The set-up of my car is good so it is possible to go fast and I'm looking forward to a good result," he added.






08.06.96
ITC:- German Hans Stuck took the first pole of his career in an exciting qualifying session around the streets of Helsinki for rounds seven and eight. Opel teammate Klaus Ludwig was second fastest with Alfa Romeo's best placing going to Michael Bartels who finished third. Uwe Alzen took fourth place with local hero J J Lehto one place behind. But the sensation of the day was Mercedes' Dario Franchitti who set the fastest time but will start 11th.



Leading qualifying times at Helsinki:
(Rounds 7 and 8)              mins secs
 1 H-J Stuck   Ger Opel        1:02.544
 2 K Ludwig    Ger Opel        1:25.709
 3 M Bartels   Ger Alfa Romeo  1:25.820
 4 U Alzen     Ger Opel        1:25.910
 5 J J Lehto   Fin Opel        1:25.962
 6 A Nannini   It  Alfa Romeo  1:26.659
 7 N Larini    It  Alfa Romeo  1:26.680
 8 G F'chella  It  Alfa Romeo  1:26.829
 9 B Schneider Ger Mercedes    1:27.010
10 A Wurz      Aut Opel            0.00



INDYCAR
Provisional grid for Sunday's Detroit
Grand Prix:                      secs
 1 A Ribeiro   Brz Lola Honda  1:12.025
 2 C Fit'paldi Brz Lola Ford   1:12.606
 3 G de Ferran Brz Reynard H   1:12.614
 4 B Rahal     US  Reynard M   1:12.733
 5 R Moreno    Brz Lola Ford   1:13.049
 6 A Zanardi   It  Reynard H   1:13.251
 7 A Fernandez Mex Lola Honda  1:13.289
 8 P Johnstone US  Reynard H   1:13.352
 9 M Gugelmin  Brz Reynard F   1:13.356
10 R Gordon    US  Reynard F   1:13.373

18 M Blundell  GB  Reynard F   1:14.275






09.06.96
INDYCAR:- Scott Pruett came through from 15th on the provisional grid to take the first pole of his IndyCar career for today's Detroit Grand Prix. The 36-year-old clocked 1 min 11.802 secs in the first of two qualifying sessions on Saturday. "We had a lot of problems on our pit on Friday. It was just a totally different story today," said Pruett, whose pole came in his 82nd IndyCar appearance. Britain's Mark Blundell will start from 15th place on the grid.


Leading grid positions for
Sunday's Detroit Grand Prix:  mins secs
 1 S Pruett    US  Lola Ford   1:11.802
 2 A Ribeiro   Brz Lola Honda  1:12.017
 3 A Fernandez Mex Lola Honda  1:12.060
 4 P Johnstone US  Reynard H   1:12.379
 5 A Zanardi   It  Reynard H   1:12.405
 6 C Fit'paldi Brz Lola Ford   1:12.454
 7 G de Ferran Brz Reynard H   1:12.460
 8 B Rahal     US  Reynard M   1:12.527
 9 M Andretti  US  Lola Ford   1:12.652
10 R Gordon    US  Reynard F   1:12.928

15 M Blundell  GB  Reynard F   1:13.225


ITC:- German Hans Stuck drove a controlled race to claim an unchallenged win in an incident-packed race in Helsinki. Stuck took the lead at the start of the event from his pole position and cruised to an easy win over countryman Manuel Reuter. But there was drama to the end when Briton Dario Franchitti, who had stormed into second place from 11th on the grid, crashed out on the final lap. A German one-the-three was complete when Klaus Ludwig finished third.


Result from Helsinki:
(Rounds 7 and 8)              mins secs
 1 H-J Stuck   Ger Opel       47:29.380
 2 M Reuter    Ger Opel       47:53.395
 3 K Ludwig    Ger Opel       47:55.974
 4 M Bartels   Ger Alfa R'ero 47:59.440
 5 J J Lehto   Fin Opel       48:06.887
 6 Y Dalmas    Fr  Opel       48:07.870
 7 S Modena    It  Alfa R'ero 48:10.992
 8 C Danner    Ger Alfa R'ero 48:31.181
 9 J Van Ommen Ger Mercedes   48:41.972
10 O Gavin     Ger Opel       48:57.071





10.06.96
INDYCAR:- Michael Andretti squeezed by teammate Christian Fittipaldi with six laps left to win the rain-marred ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix. For the second race in a row, Andretti used a late restart to make a pass on lap 66 that carried him to victory. Fittipaldi had a lead of almost three seconds before the caution flag which set up the decisive restart. Britain's Mark Blundell acheived his best result since joining the Indy circuit by finishing fifth.


Result of Sunday's Detroit Grand Prix:
                                 laps
 1 M Andretti  US  Lola Ford      72
 2 C Fit'paldi Brz Lola Ford      72
 3 G de Ferran Brz Reynard H      72
 4 A Fernandez Mex Lola Honda     72
 5 M Blundell  GB  Reynard F      72
 6 E Lawson    US  Lola Mercedes  72
 7 S Johansson Swe Reynard M      72
 8 R Boesel    Brz Reynard F      72
 9 PJ Jones    US  Eagle Toyota   72
10 S Pruett    US  Lola Ford      72

TOURING CARS:- Volvo driver Kelvin Burt has been ruled unfit for this weekend's twin rounds of the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship at Snetterton. Burt, who was injured last month in a crash at Oulton Park, is not fit enough to compete. His car will be driven by Formula 3 frontrunner Jamie Davies. Quickest at Silverstone testing on Monday was Will Hoy driving a Renault Laguna. Hoy was almost a tenth of a second quicker than Jo Winkelhock.

Monday qualifying at Silverstone:mins secs 1 W Hoy GB Renualt L 1:56.762 2 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i 1:56.855 3 J Thompson GB Vauxhall V 1:56.946 4 R Ravaglia It BMW 320i 1:56.975 5 A Menu Swi Renault L 1:56.978 6 R Rydell Swe Volvo 850 1:57.003 7 J Kaye GB Honda Acc 1:57.052 8 T Harvey GB Peugot 1:57.205 9 J Cleland GB Vauxhall V 1:57.306 10 J Davies GB Volvo 850 1:57.359 11.06.96 - F1 The Organisers of the San Marino Grand Prix have been fined $250,000 for allowing thousands of fans to invade the track after last month's Grand Prix. The FIA said an additional penalty of $750,000 could be imposed if any similar incidents happened over the next two years. No injuries were reported as a result of the invasion, but many cars had to stop to avoid hitting fans. The scenes were a replica of 1995, when the FIA meted out a stern warning.






12.06.96
F1: CANADIAN GP PREVIEW
Damon Hill heads for Montreal knowing a solid performance is required if he is keep his grip on the driver's standings. Hill, who has never won the Canadian GP, has failed to finish the last two races and is desperate for a good showing to get him back in the groove. He leads Williams-Renault teammate Jacques Villeneuve and bitter rival Michael Schumacher by 17 points going into the eighth round. Nerves are sure to be tested as Hill aims to preserve that advantage.

Damon Hill realises the importance of the next four grand prixs as he tries to win his first championship title. "We are reaching a crucial stage of the season and we should know a lot more about the final outcome within the next two months," he said. "We are working very hard to keep up the advantage we established at the beginning of the season but many of the other teams are making big strides. All in all, it should be a very interesing race in Canada."

Local support should be firmly with Jacques Villeneuve when he makes his first Formula One appearance in Canada. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is named after his late father and the pressure will be on the 25-year-old Canadian. After failing to score points following his first grand prix victory at the Nurburgring, he bounced back to form with third place at Barcelona. He said: "Schumacher and myself are now nearer to Damon and the championship is getting more and more exciting."

Last year Jean Alesi gave Ferrari their only victory of the season at Montreal and team officials are back at the track brimming with confidence. After a frustrating opening to the 1996 campaign, Ferrari were boosted by Michael Schumacher's win at the Spanish grand prix at Barcelona in round seven. Schumacher's first triumph in the red of Ferrari sparked jubilant scenes and the Italians can count on another omen. The German won the Canadian GP in 1994 on his way to his first world crown.

Michael Schumacher is looking to build on his success at the Spanish Grand Prix and Ferrari could set him up with the ideal car for Montreal. "I would like to take the King of Spain round the track in Canada after he brought me so much luck in Barcelona," the world champion said. "This week we will be doing more tests and we are hoping to make further changes to the car. It's a competitive car in the chicanes and this should help us in Canada."

Drivers will see a number of changes at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve when they return this weekend. The old Casino bend has been replaced by the new Casino straight, while much of the northern part of the track has been resurfaced. The circuit is built on an island on the site of Expo '67 and it formed a key part of the Montreal Olympic games back in 1976. Race time is at 18.00 BST and the grand prix is being run over 69 laps.






13.06.96
F1:- Veteran Martin Brundle has dismissed rumours that he will quit Formula One following next month's British Grand Prix at Silverstone. "I'm no quitter. It's not in my nature," said the 37-year-old, who will drive in his 150th GP in Canada. "I do think the sport lacks a bit of glamour now. The paddocks are so quiet. It's probably because so few people are allowed in. In a way it's nice because it's easier to work. But in another way it can make life a bit dull.

TOURING CARS:- German Frank Biela defends a 43-point lead in Sunday's double header with the burden of an extra 30kg weight penalty on his Audi A4 quattro. The ruling is certain to give the two-wheel drive opposition extra impetus on a track which is not thought to suit Biela's 'Silver Arrow'. A packed house can expect a strong showing from the Renault Lagunas of Alain Menu and Will Hoy. Hoy is a Snetterton specialist, having won the corresponding round a year ago.

LE MANS 24 HRS:- Italian driver Pierluigi Martini, in a privately-entered Porsche, snatched provisional pole. Martini, who will share his drive with Michele Alboreto and Didier Theys, clocked the fastest time in his open top prototype in 3 mins 46.682 secs. With times usually slowing in the dark his place at the front of the grid for Saturday's race was virtually assured. Second fastest was a Ferrari with a time of 3:46.838 set on Wednesday by Eric Van de Poele.


Thursday's leading times from Le Mans:
                               mins secs
 1 Alboreto     TWR Porsche     3:46.682
 2 Van de Poele Ferrari SP333   3:46.838
 3 Reuter       TWR Porsche     3:47.383
 4 Duez         McLaren BMW     3:48.530
 5 Cottaz       Courage Porsche 3:48.995
 6 Stuck        Porsche GT1     3:49.040
 7 Dalams       Porsche GT1     3:49.389
 8 Andretti     Courage Porsche 3:49.749
 9 Bellm        McLaren BMW     3:49.951
10 Bouchot      Kremer Porsche  3:50.130
Porsche go in search of their 14th win this weekend with a brand new car to challenge the dominance of McLaren. The 911 GT1 will be making its first competitive appearance and Porsche race director Herbert Ampferer believes they have an excellent chance. "The competition is tough but after all our tests and comparisons we expect to come out looking very strong," he said. Their drivers include Karl Wendlinger and Thierry Boutsen, while Nelson Piquet lines up for McLaren.

KERRIDGE RALLY:- Steve Hill will unveil a brand new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in the fourth round of the Mintex National Rally Series on Saturday. Hill goes into the Kerridge Rally having taking the Championship lead from Chris Mellors.







14.06.96
F1: THE CANADIAN GP
Jean Alesi claimed the honours in the opening practice session for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal with a best time of one minute, 22.498 seconds. The Frenchman left Damon Hill trailing in fourth after the English star had dominated the the first round. Gerhard Berger was second in 1:22.570 while world champion Michael Schumacher came in third. Hill, who has failed to collect a point from the last two races, said: "I need to get some points here."


Friday's first practice times:mins secs
 1 J Alesi        Fr  Benetton 1:22.498
 2 G Berger       Aut Benetton 1:22.570
 3 M Schumacher   Ger Ferrari  1:22.906
 4 D Hill         GB  Williams 1:22.958
 5 R Barrichello  Brz Jordan   1:23.026
 6 E Irvine       GB  Ferrari  1:23.148
 7 M Brundle      GB  Jordan   1:23.208
 8 J Villeneuve   Can Williams 1:23.546
 9 O Panis        Fr  Ligier   1:23.906
10 D Coulthard    GB  McLaren  1:23.931
11 M Hakkinen     Fin McLaren  1:23.943
12 H Frentzen     Ger Sauber   1:24.201
13 G Fisichella   It  Minardi  1:24.264
14 J Herbert      GB  Sauber   1:24.427
15 P Lamy         Por Minardi  1:24.639
16 P Diniz        Brz Ligier   1:24.701
17 J Verstappen   Hol Footwork 1:24.799
18 U Katayama     Jpn Tyrrell  1:25.062
19 L Badoer       It  Forti    1:25.668
20 A Montermini   It  Forti    1:25.815
21 M Salo         Fin Tyrrell  1:26.595
22 R Rosset       Brz Footwork 1:27.301


TOURING CARS:- Volvo driver Jamie Davies was knocked unconscious and his car written off in a roll-over accident in the final testing session for Sunday's race. Davies was taken to hospital for X-rays and has been ruled out of the race, but was not thought to be seriously hurt. German Frank Biela defends a 43-point lead in the double header with the burden of a 30kg weight penalty on his Audi A4 Quattro. The ruling is certain to give the two wheel drive opposition extra hope.






15.06.96
F1: THE CANADIAN GP
Damon Hill claimed his fifth pole position of the season after a late surge finally saw him get the better of Williams teammate Jacques Villeneuve. The home favourite led most of the hour-long session until Hill nipped in to take pole in 1:21.059. World champion Michael Schumacher was a tenth of a second adrift of Hill in third while Eddie Irvine came fifth. Racing was twice halted after Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger crashed out but both drivers emerged unscathed.

Damon Hill was determined to improve on his recent performances after claiming pole position for Sunday's race. "I was very upset after Spain, I did not do a good job there," he said. "Getting pole is good but it's the race where we've got to do the work. I really had to get my head down in the qualifying and get the better ofJacques," he added. "The race was going to be tough as we were all quite close. There are plenty of places to attack on this track."


Saturday's final practice times:mins secs
 1 D Hill         GB  Williams 1:21.059
 2 J Villeneuve   Can Williams 1:21.079
 3 M Schumacher   Ger Ferrari  1:21.198
 4 J Alesi        Fr  Benetton 1:21.529
 5 E Irvine       GB  Ferrari  1:21.657
 6 M Hakkinen     Fin McLaren  1:21.807
 7 G Berger       Aut Benetton 1:21.926
 8 R Barrichello  Brz Jordan   1:21.982
 9 M Brundle      GB  Jordan   1:22.321
10 D Coulthard    GB  McLaren  1:22.332
11 O Panis        Fr  Ligier   1:22.481
12 H Frentzen     Ger Sauber   1:22.875
13 J Verstappen   Hol Footwork 1:23.067
14 M Salo         Fin Tyrrell  1:23.118
15 J Herbert      GB  Sauber   1:23.201
16 G Fisichella   It  Minardi  1:23.519
17 U Katayama     Jpn Tyrrell  1:23.599
18 P Diniz        Brz Ligier   1:23.959
19 P Lamy         Por Minardi  1:24.262
20 L Badoer       It  Forti    1:25.012
21 R Rosset       Brz Footwork 1:25.193
22 A Montermini   It  Forti    1:26.109


TOURING CARS:- Former champion Jo Winkelhock doubled up at the Norfolk circuit by snatching pole for both of Sunday's races. The BMW team leader, title-holder in 1993, was only three-hundredths of a second quicker than Rickard Rydell in qualifying for round 11. But he had a tenth of a second in hand on Alain Menu in the second session. "We did a full race distance in testing with no problems and I set my times today on race tyres, so we are in good shape," the German commented.


Leading qualifying times for round 11:
                              mins secs
 1 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   1:11.637
 2 R Rydell     Swe Volvo 850  1:11.671
 3 R Ravaglia   It  BMW 320i   1:11.734
 4 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 1:11.945
 5 F Biela      Ger Audi A4    1:11.962
 6 A Menu       Swi Renault L  1:12.095
 7 J Kaye       GB  Honda      1:12.266
 8 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  1:12.278
 9 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall V 1:12.289
10 J Bintcliffe GB  Audi A4    1:12.330
11 T Harvey     GB  Peugeot    1:12.477
12 W Hoy        GB  Renault L  1:12.496


Leading qualifying times for round 12:
                              mins secs
 1 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   1:11.899
 2 W Hoy        GB  Renault L  1:11.975
 3 R Rydell     Swe Volvo 850  1:11.993
 4 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall V 1:12.045
 5 A Menu       Swi Renault L  1:12.082
 6 R Ravaglia   It  BMW 320i   1:12.147
 7 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 1:12.211
 8 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  1:12.220
 9 P Radisich   NZ  Ford M     1:12.385
10 F Biela      Ger Audi A4    1:12.404


LE MANS 24HRS:- Mario Andretti's dream of winning the race was all but wiped out for another year as electrical problems put his car out of action for an hour. Andretti's Courage-Porsche, co-driven by Jan Lammers and Derek Warwick, was in seventh place, about three minutes off the pace, when trouble came. Team mechanics repaired the damage but it cost them 17 laps in all. The Porsche team of Davy Jones, Manuel Reuter and Alexander Wurz continue to lead out on the track.


Leaders after seven-and-a-half hours:
1 Jones/Reuter/Wurz         Porsche   113 laps
2 Alboreto/Martini/Theys    Porsche   1 lap b/h
3 Weaver/Bellm/Lehto        McLaren   1 lap b/h


Leading cars after eight hours:           laps
1 Reuter/Jones/Wurz          Porsche       119
2 Martini/Alboreto/Theys     Porsche   1 lap b/h
3 Bellm/Weaver/Lehto         McLaren   2 lps b/h
4 Stuck/Boutsen/Wollek       Porsche   2 lps b/h
5 Pescarolo/Collard/Lagorce  Porsche   3 lps b/h
6 Piquet/Cecotto/Sullivan    McLaren   3 lps b/h
7 Laffite/Duez/Soper         Ferrari   3 lps b/h
8 Vd Poele/Goosens/Bachelart Ferrari   4 lps b/h




MALAYSIAN RALLY
Positions after 10 stages:  hrs mins secs
 1 K Eriksson  Swe Subaru      1:21.01
 2 R Burns     GB  Mitsubishi  1:21.51
 3 P Liatti    It  Subaru      1:23.47
 4 K Shinozuka Jpn Mitsubishi  1:27.00
 5   Kataoka       Mitsubishi  1:28.41
 6   Challis       Mitsubishi  1:28.58
 7   Tajima        Suzuki      1:31.15
 8 P Bourne        Subaru      1:31.31
 9   Bell          Hyundai     1:32.00
10   Taguchi       Proton      1:33.03


KERRIDGE RALLY:- Reigning Mintex Series champion Chris Mellors moved into second place behind Steve Hill in their year's championship by winning the Kerridge National rally. He completed the eight stage event in his Ford Escort Cosworth with 1 min 51 secs to spare on second-placed Mark Perrott.






16.06.96
F1: THE CANADIAN GP
Damon Hill's two-stop strategy paid off in Montreal as he claimed his fifth grand prix victory in eight races. Both stops were perfectly executed by the Williams-Renault crew as Hill held off teammate Jacques Villeneuve to win. Canadian Villeneuve gambled on just one pit stop but he had to be content with second place in front of his home fans. Michael Schumacher started from the back of the grid after engine problems on the warm-up lap and he retired after lap 43 after losing a driveshaft.


Result after 69 laps: hrs:mins.secs
 1 D Hill         GB  Williams 1:36.346
 2 J Villeneuve   Can Williams @  0.418
 3 J Alesi        Fr  Benetton @  0.546
 4 D Coulthard    GB  McLaren  @  1.036
 5 M Hakkinen     Fin McLaren  @ 1 lap
 6 M Brundle      GB  Jordan   @ 1 lap
 7 J Herbert      GB  Sauber   @ 1 lap
 8 G Fisichella   It  Minardi  @ 2 laps


Canadian Grand Prix retirements:Lap
P Lamy         Por Minardi       44
L Badoer       It  Forti         44
G Berger       Aut Benetton      42
M Schumacher   Ger Ferrari       41
O Panis        Fr  Ligier        39
M Salo         Fin Tyrrell       39
P Diniz        Brz Ligier        38
R Barrichello  Brz Jordan        22
A Montermini   It  Forti         22
H Frentzen     Ger Sauber        19
J Verstappen   Hol Footwork      10
R Rosset       Brz Footwork       6
U Katayama     Jpn Tyrrell        6
E Irvine       GB  Ferrari        1

Damon Hill beamed from ear to ear after clinching victory in Montreal. "I am completely delighted to have won the race," he said. "It was very important for me to do well here after two non-finishes. Jacques (Villeneuve) was really up for this one. He was so motivated and he was pushing me all the way. The two-stop strategy looked quicker to me but it was always going to be close - there has only been a cigarette paper's width between us all weekend."

Jacques Villeneuve said he did all he could to stop Damon Hill winning the Canadian Grand Prix but in the end the task was beyond him. "I knew he was very far ahead, but I kept on pushing in case he hit some backmarker or had some other difficulty," he said. "I was really pushing to make sure that Damon had to push as well. I wasn't quick enough on the opening laps. I was saving the brakes because I thought they would go away," he added.

Michael Schumacher cursed his luck in Montreal after retiring with a drive shaft problem after lap 43. The Ferrari star was earlier made to start from the back of the field after stalling on the warm-up lap. He said: "I didn't expect to have so many troubles at the same time. We will carry on with our work with the same conviction and determination." Eddie Irvine went out after the first lap with a broken suspension to complete a miserable day for Ferrari.

Jean Alesi was full of praise for his Benetton crew after they rebuilt his car to earn him a third-place finish. "Our team made a good effort to give us a good car, particularly after on Saturday when I had had a huge crash," the Frenchman said. "I am looking for a win quite soon, I am fighting a lot and I have a great team that are working hard." Alesi's podium finish leaves him fourth in the drivers' standings, five points adrift of Michael Schumacher in third.


DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
 1 D Hill        GB   Williams  53 pts
 2 J Villeneuve  Can  Williams  32
 3 M Schumacher  Ger  Ferrari   26
 4 J Alesi       Fr   Benetton  21
 5 D Coulthard   GB   McLaren   13
 6 O Panis       Fr   Ligier    11
 7 M Hakkinen    Fin  McLaren   10
 8 E Irvine      GB   Ferrari    9
 9 R Barrichello Brz  Jordan     7
 = G Berger      Aut  Benetton   7
11 H Frentzen    Ger  Sauber     6
12 M Salo        Fin  Tyrrell    5
13 J Herbert     GB   Sauber     4
14 M Brundle     GB   Jordan     2
15 J Verstappen  Hol  Footwork   1
 = P Diniz       Brz  Ligier     1



CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP:
1 Williams-Renault     85 points
2 Ferrari              35
3 Benetton-Renault     28
4 McLaren-Mercedes     23
5 Ligier-Mugen Honda   12
6 Sauber               10
7 Jordan-Peugeot        9
8 Tyrrell-Yamaha        5
9 Footwork-Hart         1

TOURING CARS:- Championship leader Frank Biela's title hopes suffered a blow when he was disqualified from round 12. Biela was involved in an accident with David Leslie which finished the Honda driver's involvement in the race. He went on to finish sixth, but received no points from the event after he was adjudged to have breached drivers' rules. James Thompson clinched Vauxhall's first win if the season in the Vectra and Jo Winkelhock took the second race.


Snetterton
Result of round 11 (23 laps): mins secs
 1 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 28:39.11
 2 F Biela      Ger Audi A4    28:39.81
 3 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall V 28:41.88
 4 T Harvey     GB  Peugeot    28:47.43
 5 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   28:47.79
 6 J Bintcliffe GB  Audi A4    28:48.43
 7 W Hoy        GB  Renault L  28:48.76
 8 R Kaye       GB  Vauxhall C 28:59.35
 9 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  29:02.31
10 G Ayles      GB  Nissan P   29:19.93
11 O McAuley    GB  Nissan P   29:20.12
12 L Brookes    GB  Toyota C   29:20.72


Revised result of round 12 (23 laps):
                              mins secs
 1 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   28:27.03
 2 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall V 28:31.66
 3 A Menu       Swi Renault L  28:31.99
 4 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 28:35.91
 5 R Rydell     Swe Volvo 850  28:36.23
 6 J Bintcliffe GB  Audi A4    28:46.16
 7 J Kaye       GB  Honda A    28:48.37
 8 P Radisich   NZ  Ford M     28:52.90
 9 W Hoy        GB  Renault L  28:54.22
10 S Robertson  GB  Ford M     28:59.92
  F Biela exluded after official review


Drivers standings after round 12:
1 F Biela        Audi A4   134 points
2 R Rydell       Volvo 850  85
3 J Winkelhock   BMW 320i   83
4 J Bintcliffe   Audi A4    79
5 A Menu         Renault    73
6 R Ravaglia     BMW 320i   70


Manufacturers' standings:
1 Audi         142 points
2 BMW          128
3 Volvo        112
= Renault      112
5 Vauxhall      93
6 Honda         63
7 Peugeot       47


LE MANS 24HRS:- American Davy Jones brought the Joest TWR Porsche home to a convincing win after dominating the event throughout. Jones, Manuel Reuter and Alexander Wurz led from the first hour in their open-top sports prototype and only lost their advantage for a brief spell. Ex-Formula One star Thierry Boutsen, in another Porsche, seized the advantage after 18 hours but a lengthy pit-stop put Jones back in the driving seat. Boutsen finished one lap down and Scott Goodyear completed a Porsche 1-2-3.

Germany's Alex Wurz was understandably elated after replacing Le Mans legend Jackie Ickx as the youngest man ever to drive a winning car in the race. "It's like a dream come true, it's perfect. Whenever I got in the car, I was first," said the 22-year-old. He shared his triumph with 1989 winner Manuel Reuter and Davy Jones, whose previous best was second in 1991. "Everything went perfect and smooth. That's what you need to win," added American Jones.

Owner Reinhold Joest offered thanks to drivers Davy Jones, Manuel Reuter and Alex Wurz after finally securing a third Le Mans triumph. "For a private team to win twice was very lucky, but winning a third time proves we must be doing it right," said Joest, whose team also won in 1984-5. Three-times Formula One champion Nelson Piquet was only eighth in his McLaren."I thought it would be like holidays but it was not, it was exhausting," the Brazilian said.


Final result:                                    laps
 1 Jones/Wurz/Reuter            TWR Porsche       354   
 2 Boutsen/Stuck/Wollek         Porsche AG GTi  1 lap b/h
 3 Goodyear/Wendlinger/Dalmas   Porsche AG GTi  13 lps b/h
 4 Nielsen/Bscher/Kox           McLaren F1      16 lps b/h
 5 Owen-Jones/Raphanel/Brabham  McLaren F1      19 lps b/h
 6 Wallace/Grouillard/Bell      McLaren F1      26 lps b/h
 7 Pescarolo/Collard/Lagorce    Courage Porsche 27 lps b/h
 8 Piquet/Cecotto/Sullivan      McLaren F1      30 lps b/h
 9 Bellm/Weaver/Lehto           McLaren F1      31 lps b/h
10 Cobb/Dismore/Hendricks       Chrysler Viper  34 lps b/h
13 Andretti/Warwick/Lammers     Courage Porsche 39 lps b/h




MALAYSIAN RALLY
Positions after 23 stages:
(end of second day)         hrs mins secs
 1 K Eriksson  Swe Subaru      1:56.35
 2 R Burns     GB  Mitsubishi  1:57.50
 3 K Shinozuka Jpn Mitsubishi  2:02.42
 4 P Bourne        Subaru      2:07.20
 5   Challis       Mitsubishi  2:07.44
 6   Kataoka       Mitsubishi  2:08.01
 7   Tajima        Suzuki      2:12.20
 8   Singh         Proton      2:12.21
 9   Bell          Hyundai     2:12.37
10   Toniyasu      Mitsubishi  2:12.44
   P Liatti rolled car on stage 23





17.06.96
F1:- Damon Hill has been told to ignore Michael Schumacher's claims that the Briton has as good as won the title. The double world champion claimed he was already too far behind, but Williams team boss Frank Williams said: "I don't believe a word of it. Michael in a pram would be dangerous and the title is still wide open." Williams added: "The Formula One World Championship is a marathon and we have only just reached the halfway point of the season."

Michael Schumacher has conceded the title to arch-rival Damon Hill after the Briton's fifth win of the season. "The championship is Damon's, I am sure of that. He is in an incredible position," the German commented. "I am 27 points behind now. That means he could finish second six times in the remaining eight races and even if I won them all it would not be enough. But I have always said our (Ferrari) aim is to go for the title in 1997. We must get on with development work."

MALAYSIAN RALLY:- Richard Burns achieved his best result of the season with second place behind Kenneth Eriksson at in a truncated Malaysian Rally. "It's great to get a result especially for the team who've been right behind me despite my mishaps on the previous two rounds," he said afterwards. Burns was less happy with the event organisers who cancelled around half of the rally for safety reasons. "I desperately need competitive miles in the car," Burns added.

Final result:               hrs mins secs
 1 K Eriksson  Swe Subaru      2:25.33
 2 R Burns     GB  Mitsubishi  2:26.50
 3 K Shinozuka Jpn Mitsubishi  2:33.24
 4 P Bourne    NZ  Subaru      2:33.29
 5 T Challis       Mitsubishi  2:36.14
 6 Y Kataoka       Mitsubishi  2:37.19
 7 K Singh         Proton      2:40.23
 8 T Tomiyasu      Mitsubishi  2:42.12
 9 W Bell          Hyundai     2:44.37
10 K Taguchi       Proton      2:45.04





20.06.96
F1:- Renault have announced they are to quit Formula One at the end of next season. However the French firm say they want to go out by adding to their part in seven world championship titles. Their contracts with Benetton and Williams expire at the end of the 1997 campaign and they say they will reveal plans for a new sporting strategy soon. In a statement Renault added they had realised the goals they set on their return to top-line motor racing seven years ago.

TOURING CARS:- David Leslie took his Accord to the top of the timesheets at Brands Hatch, the first time Honda had headed BTCC testing at any circuit this season. Leslie edged out Jo Winkelhock, winner of the last round in his BMW, as he clocked 1 min 20.004 secs - half a second inside the qualifying record. Winkelhock clocked 1:29.006, just ahead of Patrick Watts in his Peugeot 406. Volvo driver Kelvin Burt, making his comeback from a serious crash in May, was 16th fastest.


Official times from Thursday's session:
                              mins secs
 1 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  1:29.004
 2 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   1:29.006
 3 P Watts      GB  Peugeot    1:29.083
 4 R Rydell     Swe Volvo 850  1:29.104
 5 J Thompson   GB  Vaux Vect  1:29.175
 6 W Hoy        GB  Renault L  1:29.252
 7 F Biela      Ger Audi A4    1:29.299
 8 J Kaye       GB  Honda Acc  1:29.321
 9 A Menu       Swi Renault L  1:29.330
10 J Cleland    GB  Vaux Vect  1:29.572
11 S Robertson  GB  Ford Mond  1:29.752
12 P Radisich   NZ  Ford Mond  1:29.823






21.06.96
F1:- Damon Hill says he may reconsider his future with Williams after engine makers Renault decided to end their partnership with the Formula One team. Hill, who leads the drivers' standings by 21 points, will be out of contract in a few months and Renault's decision may make him rethink his options. "I am pretty footloose and fancy free at the end of this season," said Hill. "Renault's announcement might have some bearing on my decision for the future, but it's too early to think about it."

Honda look poised for a return to Formula One in a collaboration with top British team Williams. Williams were left looking for a new engine supplier after the decision by Renault to withdraw from Grand Prix racing at the end of next season. Honda dominated the sport between 1986 and 1991, winning two world titles with Williams and four with McLaren.A Honda spokesman said: "There is nothing official at the moment, but 1998 is our 50th anniversary...."

F3:- Ralph Firman bids for a fourth victory in a row as the British F3 Championship reaches its halfway point on Sunday. Firman has been fastest in practice for the 18-lap race at Donington Park in his Paul Stewart Racing Dallara. Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya is joint third in the championship with Jamie Davies, 26 points behind Firman.

ITC:- Dane Juan Magnussen put Mercedes on top of Friday's qualifying times for rounds 9/10 of the International Touring Car Championship at Norisring.

DUKERIES RALLY:- Entrants in the Dukeries Rally on Saturday include the four previous winners of the event. The first car away from the start in Mansfield will be Neil Horns, who won in 1994, in an Escort RS2000. Last year's winners Andy Burton and Rob Morgan in the Metro 6R4 will provide stiff competition, along with 1993 victor Matthew Clark. Matthew's father Roger, winner in 1962, 1972 and 1973 will be competing in his Escort RS.





23.06.96 - F3

ROUND 8 result from Donington Park:mins secs
 1 K Mollekens   Dallara Mugen  27:37.86
 2 R Firman      Dallara Mugen  27:40.95
 3 N Minassian   Dallara Ren    27:43.70
 4 G Smith       Dallara Mitsub 27:50.13
 5 B Cunningham  Dallara Mugen  27:52.02
 6 D Manning     Dallara Mugen  27:52.30
 7 A Burgueno    Dallara Opel   28:05.56
 8 M O'Connell   Dallara Vaux   28:07.83
 9 M Shaw        Dallara TWR    28:10.83
10 B Collins     Dallara Mugen  28:11.12




24.06.96 - INDYCAR
Rookie Alex Zanardi of Italy started on pole and finished all alone to win the IndyCar Budweiser/GI Joe's 200 at Portland International Raceway. Zanardi took over the lead on the 58th of the 108 lap race around the 1.95-mile (3.13 km) course. He became the first rookie to win an IndyCar event this year and the latest driver to move from Formula One to earn a title in an IndyCar event. Gil de Ferran was second and Christian Fittipaldi third.





26.06.96 - F1: THE FRENCH GP
Britain's Damon Hill lines up at Magny-Cours on Sunday aiming to strengthen his grip on the Championship. The runaway leader enjoys a healthy 21-point advantage over his rivals and will start as firm favourite to capture his sixth race win of the season. "I am looking forward to the second part of the season. It is going to be very tight and I expect a lot of challenges," Hill said. Williams team-mate Jacques Villeneuve could pose the biggest threat.

World champion Michael Schumacher is chasing a hat-trick of wins at Magny Cours as he seeks to claw back points from old adversary Damon Hill. The German posted victories in 1994 and 1995 in a Benetton, but he has had an up-and-down season in the Ferrari. Schumacher was forced to retire from the Canadian Grand Prix after a series of problems, but remains up-beat. "The important thing for the team at Magny-Cours is not to be discouraged by the recent disappointments," he said.

Rookie sensation Jacques Villeneuve can write another chapter in what has already been a fairytale season by winning at Magny-Cours. The French-Canadian is bound to attract a good deal of local support and, technical problems aside, should figure in the points. Villeneuve is currently second in the Championship after being edged out by Williams team-mate Damon Hill in Canada. The 25-year-old has never raced the 2.65 mile circuit before.

The 82nd French Grand Prix will be held at the Magny-Cours circuit for the sixth time. The 2.65 mile track is situated seven miles from Nevers and 156 miles south of Paris. It was upgraded to grand prix standard in 1991. Britain's Nigel Mansell, twice a winner here, holds the lap record of 1min, 17.07secs, set in 1992. Sunday's race gets under way at 1pm BST and will be run over 72 laps.

ARGENTINE RALLY:- The battle for the 1996 World Rally Championship crown moves to Argentina for the fifth round from July 4-6. Colin McRae's victory in Greece put the current champion's challenge back on course, closing in on main rivals Tommi Makinen and Carlos Sainz. "This rally is the halfway point in the season and you now have to consider which are your strongest rallies out of the events to come," said McRae. The Scotsman received a great boost recently when he was awarded an MBE.




28.06.96

TOURING CARS (Brands Hatch)
                              mins secs
 1 A Menu       Swi Renault L  1:27.589
 2 W Hoy        GB  Renualt L  1:28.456
 3 F Biela      Ger Audi A4    1:28.523
 4 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  1:28.763
 5 R Ravaglia   It  BMW 320i   1:28.847
 6 R Rydell     Swe Volvo 850  1:28.908
 7 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   1:28.959
 8 P Radisich   NZ  Ford Mond  1:28.986
 9 S Robertson  GB  Ford Mond  1:29;037
10 J Kaye       GB  Honda Acc  1:29.185
11 K Burt       GB  Volvo 850  1:29.383
12 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 1:29.442

ITC:- Nigel Mansell will not be returning to racing in the Silverstone International Touring Car meeting in August. Reports last weekend suggested that the 1992 Formula One world champion would be driving an Opel Calibra during the British round of the championship. But Mansell has had to turn down Opel's offer due to prior commitments, according to an official statement released by Silverstone Circuits. Mansell posted three of his four British GP victories at Silverstone.

F1: THE FRENCH GP
Mika Hakkinen denied local favourite Olivier Panis another day of glory in front of his home fans on the opening day of the French Grand Prix. Lyon-born Panis, an unexpected winner in Monaco last month, had set the pace for his French team Ligier for most of the two practice sessions. But Panis was pushed off top spot by Hakkinen with just seconds left. The Finn edged home half a second faster, with Gerhard Berger third and Damon Hill sixth fastest.

Damon Hill had his first practice run interrupted when he kangaroo-hopped through the gravel after missing a chicane at Magny Cours. He immediately took his car back to the Williams-Renault garage to have it looked at and he was not too worried after only being sixth fastest. "When you give the car heavy treatment like that it's best to get it checked straight away," said Hill. "There are quite a few things we're working on to improve for qualifying."


Friday's free practice times: mins secs
 1 M Hakkinen     Fin McLaren  1:17.673
 2 O Panis        Fr  Ligier   1:18.205
 3 G Berger       Aut Benetton 1:18.284
 4 J Alesi        Fr  Benetton 1:18.526
 5 M Schumacher   Ger Ferrari  1:18.545
 6 D Hill         GB  Williams 1:18.598
 7 J Villeneuve   Can Williams 1:18.992
 8 D Coulthard    GB  McLaren  1:18.994
 9 E Irvine       GB  Ferrari  1:19.098
10 P Diniz        Brz Ligier   1:19.104
11 M Brundle      GB  Jordan   1:19.676
12 R Barrichello  Brz Jordan   1:19.479
13 J Verstappen   Hol Footwork 1:19.693
14 R Rosset       Brz Footwork 1:20.195
15 U Katayama     Jpn Tyrrell  1:20.215
16 H Frentzen     Ger Sauber   1:20.231
17 M Salo         Fin Tyrrell  1:20.455
18 P Lamy         Por Minardi  1:20.678
19 J Herbert      GB  Sauber   1:21.189
20 G Fisichella   It  Minardi  1:21.291
21 L Badoer       It  Forti    1:21.360
22 A Montermini   It  Forti    1:22.002





29.06.96
F1: THE FRENCH GP
Michael Schumacher took pole for Sunday's race, with Damon Hill second on the grid at Magny-Cours. The defending champion first went fastest with a time of 1 min 16.611 sec and then improved it in the Ferrari with a time of 1:15.989. It was his third pole of the season while Hill (1:16.058) had to settle for second spot after losing time on the final two turns of the circuit. Benetton duo Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger followed the leading duo.

Damon Hill was left to rue a momentary misjudgment after losing out on pole to arch-rival Michael Schumacher. "I lost it all in the quick chicane on the way back. I had one moment there and lost a bit of time, otherwise I would have been on pole. We have some set-up work to do for the face," commented Hill, who leads the drivers' standings by 21 points. Schumacher had handling problems with his Ferrari on Friday but said: "We went for a solution and it worked."

Jacques Villeneuve escaped unhurt from a high-speed crash that forced a half hour break in the qualifying session for the French Grand Prix. Villeneuve suddenly lost control of his Williams while negotiating a sweeping right-hand corner at over 120mph. The back of Villeneuve's car briefly lifted off the grass as it travelled for several hundred yards before smashing into a tyre barrier. The car rebounded on to the circuit with the left side badly damaged.

Eddie Irvine was relegated to the back row of the grid for Sunday's race after his Ferrari broke technical guidelines. The Irishman, who had qualified in 10th place, had all his times scrapped by the stewards following an inspection. Irvine's car was weighed mid-way through the qualifying session when it was revealed that the deflector panels were 15mm too high. Stewards took their action after discussion with Ferrari's technical director and a team official.


Saturday's final qualifying times:mins secs
 1 M Schumacher   Ger Ferrari  1:15.989
 2 D Hill         GB  Williams 1:16.058
 3 J Alesi        Fr  Benetton 1:16.310
 4 G Berger       Aut Benetton 1:16.592
 5 M Hakkinen     Fin McLaren  1:16.634
 6 J Villeneuve   Can Williams 1:16.906
 7 D Coulthard    GB  McLaren  1:17.007
 8 M Brundle      GB  Jordan   1:17.187
 9 O Panis        Fr  Ligier   1:17.390
10 R Barrichello  Brz Jordan   1:17.665
11 P Diniz        Brz Ligier   1:17.676
12 H Frentzen     Ger Sauber   1:17.739
13 M Salo         Fin Tyrrell  1:18.021
14 U Katayama     Jpn Tyrrell  1:18.242
15 J Verstappen   Hol Footwork 1:18.324
16 J Herbert      GB  Sauber   1:18.556
17 G Fisichella   It  Minardi  1:18.604
18 P Lamy         Por Minardi  1:19.210
19 R Rosset       Brz Footwork 1:19.242
20 L Badoer       It  Forti    1:20.562
21 A Montermini   It  Forti    1:20.647
22 E Irvine *     NI  Ferrari  no time

* relegated to back of grid because car infringed technical regulations


INDYCAR:- Series leader Jimmy Vasser boosted his flagging title hopes by capturing provisional pole for Sunday's Cleveland GP at Burke Lakefront Airport. He led a 1-2-3 for the Reynard Honda package with a lap of 58.336 secs, followed by Italian Alessandro Zanardi and Gil de Ferran of Brazil. Vasser's best finish in the last three races was tenth in Milwaukee and he now heads the standings by just 11 points. "The track could get quicker as more rubber is put down," he commented.


Provisional grid for Sunday's Cleveland
Indy Grand Prix:                  secs
 1 J Vasser    US  Reynard Honda 58.336
 2 A Zanardi   It  Reynard Honda 58.795
 3 G de Ferran Brz Reynard Honda 59.055
 4 S Pruett    US  Lola Ford     59.086
 5 M Andretti  US  Lola Ford     59.111
 6 B Herta     US  Reynard Merc  59.259
 7 P Tracy     Can Penske Merc   59.331
 8 C Fit'paldi Brz Lola Ford     59.481
 9 A Ribeiro   Brz Lola Honda    59.616
10 B Rahal     US  Lola Merc     59.628

TOURING CARS:- Alain Menu and the Williams-Renault team underlined their strong testing form as they claimed a pole position double for Sunday's twin rounds. Menu set a time of 1 min 27.975 secs in qualifying for the 13th round of the BTCC, well ahead of Frank Biela who clocked 1:28.759 in his Audi. Menu snatched pole again for round 14 with a time of 1:27.788, two-tenths ahead of team-mate Will Hoy. A confident Menu said: "If it is dry tomorrow, I am going to win for sure."


Leading qualifying times for round 13:
                              mins secs
 1 A Menu       Swi Renault L  1:27.975
 2 F Biela      Ger Audi A4    1:28.759
 3 R Rydell     Swe Volvo 850  1:28.773
 4 W Hoy        GB  Renualt L  1:28.775
 5 R Ravaglia   It  BMW 320i   1:28.928
 6 P Radisich   NZ  Ford Mond  1:28.969
 7 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  1:29.005
 8 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   1:29.070
 9 K Burt       GB  Volvo 850  1:29.214
10 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall V 1:29.292
11 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 1:29.724
12 R Kaye       GB  Vauxhall C 1:29.979

Leading qualifying times for round 14:
                              mins secs
 1 A Menu       Swi Renault L  1:27.788
 2 W Hoy        GB  Renualt L  1:28.032
 3 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  1:28.333
 4 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall V 1:28.432
 5 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   1:28.485
 6 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 1:28.520
 7 S Robertson  GB  Ford Mond  1:28.565
 8 K Burt       GB  Volvo 850  1:28.651
 9 F Biela      Ger Audi A4    1:28.654
10 J Kaye       GB  Honda Acc  1:28.681
11 R Ravaglia   It  BMW 320i   1:28.783
12 T Harvey     GB  Peugeot    1:29.393




30.06.96
F1: THE FRENCH GP
Championship leader Damon Hill was among a clutch of top drivers involved in incidents during a chaotic warm-up session for today's race. Hill failed to spot Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Sauber coming up on the inside and the cars collided. Frentzen was left with a badly twisted left wheel, but Hill's Williams Renault got off lightly. Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard and Jean Alesi all had spins, while Jacques Villeneuve set the fastest time.



Warm-up times:                mins secs
 1 J Villeneuve   Can Williams 1:18.319
 2 J Alesi        Fr  Benetton 1:18.329
 3 M Hakkinen     Fin McLaren  1:18.355
 4 D Coulthard    GB  McLaren  1:18.489
 5 M Schumacher   Ger Ferrari  1:18.689
 6 G Berger       Aut Benetton 1:18.690
 7 D Hill         GB  Williams 1:18.759
 8 O Panis        Fr  Ligier   1:18.968
 9 M Brundle      GB  Jordan   1:19.033
10 R Barrichello  Brz Jordan   1:19.077
11 E Irvine       GB  Ferrari  1:19.230
12 H Frentzen     Ger Sauber   1:19.401
13 M Salo         Fin Tyrrell  1:19.506
14 P Diniz        Brz Ligier   1:19.729
15 J Verstappen   Hol Footwork 1:19.948
16 U Katayama     Jpn Tyrrell  1:20.017
17 G Fisichella   It  Minardi  1:20.433
18 P Lamy         Por Minardi  1:21.023
19 R Rosset       Brz Footwork 1:21.225
20 J Herbert      GB  Sauber   1:21.469

Damon Hill drove another impeccable race in his Williams Renault to extend his lead in the World Championship. Hill, boosted by the absence of rival Michael Schumacher who was sidelined with a blown Ferrari engine before the start, made the most of his chance. He swept into an early lead and was always in charge, despite a challenge from teammate Jacques Villeneuve who eventually settled for second place. It was Hill's sixth victory of the year in nine races, with seven remaining.


Result after 72 laps:
 1 D Hill        GB  Williams  1 hr 36 mins 28.795 secs
 2 J Villeneuve  Can Williams   +8.127s
 3 J Alesi       Fr  Benetton   +46.442
 4 G Berger      Aut Benetton   +46.859
 5 M Hakkinen    Fin McLaren  +1:02.774
 6 D Coulthard   GB  McLaren     1 lap
 7 O Panis       Fr  Ligier      1 lap
 8 M Brundle     GB  Jordan      1 lap
 9 R Barrichello Brz Jordan      1 lap
10 M Salo        Fin Tyrrell     2 laps
11 R Rosset      Brz Footwork    3 laps
12 P Lamy        Por Minardi     3 laps
   J Herbert     GB  Sauber       disq


DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
 1 D Hill        GB   Williams  63 pts
 2 J Villeneuve  Can  Williams  38
 3 M Schumacher  Ger  Ferrari   26
 4 J Alesi       Fr   Benetton  25
 5 D Coulthard   GB   McLaren   14
 6 M Hakkinen    Fin  McLaren   12
 7 O Panis       Fr   Ligier    11
 8 G Berger      Aut  Benetton  10
 9 E Irvine      GB   Ferrari    9
10 R Barrichello Brz  Jordan     7
11 H Frentzen    Ger  Sauber     6
12 M Salo        Fin  Tyrrell    5
13 J Herbert     GB   Sauber     4
14 M Brundle     GB   Jordan     2
15 J Verstappen  Hol  Footwork   1
 = P Diniz       Brz  Ligier     1


CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP:
1 Williams-Renault     101 points
2 Ferrari               35
= Benetton-Renault      35
4 McLaren-Mercedes      26
5 Ligier-Mugen Honda    12
6 Sauber                10
7 Jordan-Peugeot         9
8 Tyrrell-Yamaha         5
9 Footwork-Hart          1

Damon Hill led almost throughout the 72 laps to claim a comfortable victory ahead of Williams teammate Jacques Villeneuve in the French Grand Prix. Jean Alesi delighted the home crowd by claiming third place after a battle with Benetton teammate Gerhard Berger. Hill dedicated his win, the 19th of his F1 career, to everyone at Renault Sport. "It is a very good result and I am delighted for the whole team," he said. "Michael's (Schumacher) problem made the race a lot easier for me."

Damon Hill clinched a 50th success for the Williams Renault combination and then turned his attention to the British Grand Prix in two weeks' time. "There's only one thing left for me to do now and that is to win the British Grand Prix," he declared."Irrespective of the Championship, a win at home would be fantastic." Teammate Jacques Villeneuve was second for the third time this season. "It was a good result especially after the big crash yesterday," said the Canadian.

World champion Michael Schumacher was sidelined even before the race got underway when the engine on his Ferrari failed on the formation lap. A cloud of dark smoke appeared from the German's car as he prepared to start the 72-lap race from pole position and he steered off the track to retire. Hill, due to start alongside him, was handed a clear run and he made the most of it, streaking into the lead. Ferrari's dismal race continued when Eddie Irvine retired after five laps.

Luckless Michael Schumacher tried to keep things in perspective after seeing his race come to an end before it had started at Magny Cours."I was angry at first but then you have to calm down and look at the problem," said the German, whose Ferrari broke down on the parade lap. "It's a real pity because we had been reliable until Canada but now we are getting problems. But I always knew this would be a learning year with the team," he added.

RETIREMENTS:-
Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) suffered a blown engine during the parade lap, putting him out of the race he was due to have started from pole position. Andrea Montermini (Forti) retired on lap 2. Giancarlo Fisichella (Minardi) retired on lap 5. Eddie Irvine (Ferrari) out on lap 6. Jos Verstappen (Footwork) completed a weekend of mishaps by crashing out on lap 10 after running wide on a corner. Pedro Diniz (Ligier) made an unhappy exit on lap 29 after a superb drive had taken him into sixth position. Luca Badoer (Forti) and Ukyo Katayama (Tyrrell) joined the retirements with less than half the race completed. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Sauber) slid off into the gravel trap after problems on lap 56.




INDYCAR
Leading qualifying times for Sunday's
Cleveland Grand Prix:              mph
 1 J Vasser    US  Reynard Honda 146.19
 2 A Zanardi   It  Reynard Honda 146.15
 3 B Herta     US  Reynard Merc  146.03
 4 G Moore     Can Reynard Merc  145.63
 5 A Ribeiro   Brz Lola Honda    145.60
 6 A Fernandez Mex Reynard Honda 145.23
 7 G de Ferran Brz Reynard Honda 144.93
 8 P Tracy     Can Penske Merc   144.88
 9 M Gugelmin  Brz Reynard Ford  144.71
10 C Fit'paldi Brz Lola Ford     144.67
15 M Blundell  GB  Reynard Ford  143.38
Series leader Jimmy Vasser claimed his third pole of the season despite failing to improve his lap time in final practice for the Cleveland GP. None of Vasser's rivals could beat his lap of 58.336 secs, set on Saturday at the airport race track. Italian Alessandro Zanardi, also in a Reynard Honda, came closest with a time of 58.350. "I may not have been ultimately as quick as Saturday, but ran moreconsistent good laps," said Vasser.




TOURING CARS (Brands Hatch):-
Round 13 result after 18 laps: mins secs
 1 A Menu       Swi Renault L  28:16.50
 2 F Biela      Ger Audi A4    28:21.08
 3 R Rydell     Swe Volvo 850  28:21.24
 4 W Hoy        GB  Renualt L  28:21.93
 5 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  28:25.14
 6 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   28:25.46
 7 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 28:26.18
 8 K Burt       GB  Volvo 850  28:26.45
 9 R Ravaglia   It  BMW 320i   28:26.92
10 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall V 28:27.36
11 J Bintcliffe GB  Audi A4    28:41.71
12 R Kaye       GB  Vauxhall C 28:42.00


Round 14 result after 17 laps:mins secs
 1 A Menu       Swi Renault L  25:38.95
 2 J Winkelhock Ger BMW 320i   25:44.32
 3 W Hoy        GB  Renualt L  25:46.64
 4 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall V 25:50.22
 5 J Thompson   GB  Vauxhall V 25:50.80
 6 K Burt       GB  Volvo 850  25:51.15
 7 D Leslie     GB  Honda Acc  25:54.03
 8 F Biela      Ger Audi A4    25:54.36
 9 T Harvey     GB  Peugeot    26 00.88
10 G Ayles      GB  Nissan P   26:02.50
11 P Radisich   NZ  Ford Mond  26:03.87
12 R Rydell     Swe Volvo 850  26:04.08

Alain Menu claimed a memorable double victory, as Renault became the fifth BTCC manufacturer to win this season. It was another triumph for Williams Renault Dealer Racing, with Damon Hill taking the chequered flag in France. Menu's results leave him second in the Championship behind Audi's Frank Biela whose lead was cut to 44 points. Biela was second to Menu in round 13 while Jo Winkelhock in his BMW finished runner-up in round 14, in which Menu also set a new lap record.


Drivers standings after round 14
1 F Biela        Audi A4   149 points
2 A Menu         Renault   105
3 J Winkelhock   BMW 320i  100
4 R Rydell       Volvo 850  95
5 J Bintcliffe   Audi A4    79
6 R Ravaglia     BMW 320i   72

Manufacturers' standings:
1 Audi          159 points
2 BMW           146
3 Renault       142
4 Volvo         130
5 Vauxhall      108
6 Honda          77
7 Peugeot        51



Result of round five of International GT series at Nurburgring:
                                            hr mins secs
1 Bscher/Kox              Ger/Hol  McLaren   4:00.24.02
2 Bellm/Weaver            GB       McLaren   4:00.31.59
3 O-Jones/Raphanel        GB/Fr    McLaren   2 laps b/h
4 Gounon/Bernard/Belmondo Fr       Ferrari   3 laps b/h

Championship standings:
1 Bellm/Weaver  105
2 Gounon/Bernard 79

TOURING CARS:- British driver Warren Hughes survived a spectacular crash at a touring car race near Chemnitz in Germany. The 29-year-old, driving a Ford Mondeo, flew off the track shortly after the start at a speed of around 125mph and hit the safety plank. His car was sent tumbling through the air and he was trapped inside for 30 minutes until rescue workers freed him from the wreck. He suffered concussion and a neck injury but amazingly no broken bones.

RAVENS ROCK RALLY:- Pete Doughty tightened his grip on the EARS/Motoring News National Rally title after a runner-up place in Waterford. Doughty in a Ford Escort Cosworth finished the nine special stages just 40 seconds behind Stephen Murphy, who extended his Irish Championship lead.


RAVENS ROCK RALLY RESULTS     mins secs
1 Murphy/Morrissey  Escort Cos   69:19
2 Doughty/Jenkins   Escort Cos   70:02
3 Boland/Morrissey  Escort Cos   70:33
4 Breen/Purcell     Metro 6R4    73:06
5 McGuire/Walsh     Opel Manta   73:29
6 Pattison/Moynihan Escort Cos   73:33