01.06.96 F1: THE SPANISH GPDamon 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 1:27.358ACROPOLIS 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 2:12:40Jarmo 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 47:08Neil Hiorns won the F2 category in his Escort RS2000; Richard Phillips and wife Catherine rolled their Astra on SS6 and retired.
02.06.96F1: THE SPANISH GP
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 finishedGiancarlo 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 1ACROPOLIS 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 03.06.96ACROPOLIS 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 3:53:20INDYCAR:- 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.
04.06.96TOURING 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 07.06.96TOURING 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 1:12.940ITC:- 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.
08.06.96ITC:- 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 09.06.96INDYCAR:- 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 1:13.225ITC:- 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 10.06.96INDYCAR:- 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 72TOURING 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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
F1: THE FRENCH GP
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."
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.
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:-
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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."
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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 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