03.05.97F1:- Current world champion Damon Hill believes the streets of Monaco could help him produce his first finish for the Arrows team. "I think we will be better off at Monaco than other circuits," he said. "I just hope Bridgestone have been heeding my comments about Monaco being different, regards the surface. If we get a good tyre for the race, I think we will be in better shape. Really we should be building a separate car. So we have to adapt the car."
SCOTTISH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP:- Brian Lyall continued his domination of the event with his fourth win a row. Lyall and co-driver John Bennie proved untouchable to win the Weldex Rally in Arrochar by over a minute. Sandy Dalgarno edged Jimmy Paterson by two seconds after the latter spun and damaged his car's suspension.
mins secs 1 B Lyall Subaru 43.49 2 S Dalgarno Escort 44.59 3 J Paterson Subaru 45.01 4 N Dougan Escort 45.08 5 D Jaffray Escort 46.10 05.05.97LE MANS:- Martin Brundle set the fastest time overall as Nissan's three-car team cruised through the pre-qualifying. Brundle's best time on the 13.6kms circuit was 3:43.152 sec, more than 1.5 secs clear of the works Porsche GT1. Not only did he dominate the supercar GT1 class, but Brundle also managed to beat class-above champions Joest Porsche, to claim top honours. It was the first time such a feat had been achieved in the history of Le Mans.
TOURING CARS (Thruxton): Alain Menu was unable to repeat his heroics of Sunday as Frank Biela and Gabriele Tarquini claimed victories at the rain soaked Hampshire circuit. However, Menu secured third in both rounds five and six, extending his lead in the overall championship race. In the fifth round, Biela came from fourth on the grid to displace Menu. With the safety car in use for two laps of the sixth round, cars took advantage by changing to grooved tyres in wet conditions as Tarquini held on to win.
Round 5 result: mins secs 1 F Biela Audi A4 27:03.695 2 G Tarquini Honda Accord 27:07.230 3 A Menu Renault Laguna 27:09.621 4 J Bintcliffe Audi A4 27:10.668 5 R Rydell Volvo S40 27 20.230 6 J Thompson Honda Accord 27 20.535 7 D Leslie Nissan Primera 27:27.555 8 A Reid Nissan Primera 27:30.148 9 T Harvey Peugeot 406 27:47.668 10 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 27:52.312 Total Cup 1 M Neal Ford 28:13.676 (18 lps) 2 R Gravett Honda 27:19.328 (17 lps) 3 C Gallie BMW 27:19.773 (17 lps) 4 J Hall V'hll 28:26.805 (13 lps) Round 6 result: mins secs 1 G Tarquini Honda Accord 34:12.672 2 T Harvey Peugeot 406 34:13.359 3 A Menu Renault Laguna 34:17.121 4 A Reid Nissan Primera 34:18.984 5 R Rydell Volvo S40 34:24 918 6 D Warwick Vauxhall Vec 34:29.934 7 J Plato Renault Laguna 34:33.469 8 J Bintcliffe Audi A4 34:33.594 9 J Cleland Vauxhall Vec 34:38.043 10 P Radisich Ford Mondeo 34:38.801 Total Cup Winner 1 M Neal FordCORSICA RALLY:- Colin McRae lost ground during he first day to finish 22 seconds behind leader Gilles Panizzi in fourth place. The Scot claimed the day's opening stage over 25.5kms in the mountains from Verghia to Pietra Rossa. But Carlos Sainz took the next three stages over narrow and twisting roads before finishing the day in third. World champion Tommi Makinen failed to keep up with the pace in his Mitsubishi and came in sixth, just behind Piero Liatti.
Positions after stage 6 (end of first day) hrs mins secs 1 G Panizzi Fr Peugeot 1:25:57 2 F Delecour Fr Peugeot 1:26:02 3 C Sainz Sp Ford 1:26:16 4 C McRae GB Subaru 1:26:19 5 P L atti It Subaru 1:26:29 6 T Makinen Fin Mitsubishi 1:26:35 7 P Buglaski Fr Renault 1:27:48 8 A Schwarz Ger Ford 1:28:45 9 C Balesi Fr Renault 1:29:45 10 U Nittel Ger Mitsubishi 1:30:01F.RENAULT:- Marc Hynes took his Swan National Formula Renault Sport hat-trick with victory in round three of the Championship at Thruxton. Hynes came home in 12:50.852 with David Henderson second in 12:52.750 and Darren Malkin third in 12:55.891.
MILLBROOK STAGES RALLY:- 1 S Hendy Escort Cos 1:12.16 2 T Davies Metro 6R4 1:12.33 3 P Lloyd Metro 6R4 1:13.36 4 C Griffiths Subaru 1:13.47 5 J Price Metro 6R4 1:14.43 06.05.97F1:- Top designer John Barnard has given the struggling Arrows team a major boost by agreeing to become technical director. The 51-year-old had been linked with Tom Walkinshaw's team since leaving Ferrari earlier this season. Barnard replaces Frank Dernie, who has left the team. His arrival should be of great benefit to reigning world champion Damon Hill, who has failed to finish a Grand Prix since joining Arrows from Williams.
CORSICA RALLY:- Carlos Sainz and Francois Delecour were neck and neck at the head of the rally leaderboard after a cow put paid to Tommi M kinen's chances of victory. Sainz and Delecour arrived reached the end of the second day with a total time of 2 hrs 59 mins 1 sec. First day leader Gilles Panizzi is just nine secs in arrears, with Scotland's Colin McRae in fourth place. Makinen was forced to retire after his car hit the cow and was forced off the road on the day's opening stage.
Colin McRae, who maintained his fourth position while closing the gap on the leaders to a ere 19 seconds, had the misfortune of picking the wrong tyres. Despite no rain appearing an hour before the start of the first 49km stage, McRae's Subaru team opted for dry weather tyres - to their cost. Thunderous dark clouds had looked threatening and heavy rain soon came. "Pure and simple we were caught out and the time we lost in a downpour was just too much to claw back," said McRae.
Positions after stage 12 (At end of day two) hrs mins secs 1 C Sainz Sp Ford 2:59:01 = F Delecour Fr Peugeot 2:59:01 3 G Panizzi Fr Peugeot 2:59:10 4 C McRae GB Subaru 2:59:20 5 P L atti It Subaru 3:00:34 6 P Bugalski Fr Renault 3:03:23 7 U Nittel Ger Mitsubishi 3:05:21 8 S Jordan Fr Mitsubishi 3:05:25 9 A Schwarz Ger Ford 3:06:22 10 F Mariani Fr Subaru 3 08:21 07.05.97F1: THE MONACO GP
Michael Schumacher said he was always wary of the circuit in Monaco. "It's a track where the smallest error can cost you dearly as I found out last year," said Schumacher who crashed on the first lap in 1996. "Everywhere the track is lined up by steel barriers or unforgiving walls. You don't have an inch to spare on most of the corners. You have to drive with a bit in reserve but in qualifying you cannot even afford to do that."
Eddie Irvine has been given a key role in Ferrari's bid to replace Williams as Formula One's dominant team. The Ulsterman's second and third place finishes in Argentina and San Marino earned parise from team boss Jean Todt. "Eddie and Michael (Schumacher) complement each other. Eddie gets on well with the team and ith Michael, which is important," said Todt. "Williams have worked better in qualifying than we have. But we have some idea of what we have to do."
Damon Hill is hoping the winding streets of Monte Carlo will provide him with his first finish this season. "I think we'll be better off at Monaco than other circuits," he said. "It's unique in that the track surface and demands from the car are different. Really we should be building a separate car so we have to adapt the car to go there." Hill's prospects with Arrows have been boosted by John Barnard's arrival as the team's new F1 technical director.
Races in Monaco are always tense affairs with the tight track making overtaking difficult. The narrow, bumpy streets that make up the track are also the main streets of of the city so there is no room to make any expansion to the circuit. In a bid to improve things, the track has been resurfaced from the chicane after the tunnel and along the harbour to the Rascasse hairpin. The changes have ncreased the track by around 3.3m in length.
CORSICA RALLY:- Colin McRae produced a sensational last stage to snatch a dramatic victory. The Scot started the final day in fourth place, 19 seconds behind leaders Carlos Sainz and Francois Delecour. He closed the gap to seven seconds with one stage to go and took risks in the 34.33km mountainous drive between Stiliccione and Marati. The 1995 world champion made up 15 seconds on Sainz in the stage and finished eight seconds ahead of the Spaniard. Gilles Panizzi was third.
Colin McRae said he had been forced to adopt a positive attitude after he snatched victory in Corsica. "I would have preferred dry conditions because we didn't do much testing with the rain tyres," he said. "But it was okay. I didn't have much choice anyway and my only option was to attack." Runner-up Carlos Sainz said: "I didn't know the last stage well and Colin's tyres were better than mine for wet roads. I hope it was fun to watch."
Final positions after stage 18 hrs mins secs 1 C McRae GB Subaru 4:31:08 2 C Sainz Sp Ford 4:31:16 3 G Panizzi Fr Peugeot 4:31:46 4 F Delecour Fr Peugeot 4:32:03 5 P Liatti It Subaru 4:33:07 6 P Bugalski Fr Renault 4:37:48 7 S Jordan Fr Renault 4:39:36 8 U Nittel Ger Mitsubishi 4:40:48 9 A Schwarz Ger Ford 4:41:43 10 F Mariani Fr Subaru 4:44:55 DRIVERS STANDINGS 1 T Makinen Fin Mitsubishi 28 pts 2 C McRae GB Subaru 25 3 C Sainz Sp Ford 18 = P Liatti It Subaru 18 5 A Schwarz Ger Ford 11 6 K Eriksson Swe Subaru 10 7 G Panizzi Fr Peugeot 8 8 R Burns GB Mitsubishi 6 = F Loix Bel Toyota 6 10 I Duncan Ken Toyota 4 MANUFACTURERS' STANDINGS 1 Subaru 54 pts 2 Mitsubishi 36 3 Ford 29 08.05.97F1: THE MONACO GP
Britain's Johnny Herbert could hardly believe his eyes after setting the fastest lap time in opening practice. Herbert, who lives in Monaco, realised he was quickest when he saw his time on a giant video screen as he drove up the hill towards Casino Square. "It was a good moment for me and I hope I can have another like that on Saturday," the Sauber driver said. "We did a lot of work on the set-up of the car in testing at Barcelona last week and that is paying off now."
Thursday's free practice times:mins secs 1 J Herbert GB Sauber 1:21.188 2 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:21.330 3 J Villeneuve Can Williams 1:21.445 4 G Fisichella It Jordan 1:21.463 5 G Berger Aut Benetton 1:21.573 6 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:21.675 7 H Frentzen Ger Williams 1:21.885 8 R Schumacher Ger Jordan 1:21.939 9 D Hill GB Arrows 1:21.962 10 J Alesi Fr Benetton 1:22.010 11 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:22.020 12 E Irvine GB Ferrari 1:22.072 13 R Barrichello Brz Stewart 1:22.370 14 N Larini It Sauber 1:22.383 15 P Diniz Brz Arrows 1:22.622 16 J Verstappen Hol Tyrrell 1:23.056 17 O Panis Fr Prost 1:23.096 18 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:23.483 19 J Magnussen Den Stewart 1:23.810 20 J Trulli It Minardi 1:25.178 21 S Nakano Jpn Prost 1:25.530 22 U Katayama Jpn Minardi 1:39.353SPORTSCARS:- British fans will get their first look at the all-new Merecdes Silver Arrows this weekend as the worlds fastest sportscars contest round two of the GT series. But Steve Soper will start favourite for the 1997 Empire Trophy after a stunning victory at Hockenheim in the Team BMW McLaren. Reigning champion Ray Bellm is another leading contender, with new partner Andrew Gilbert-Scott. Many teams are treating the race as a shakedown trial for Le Mans.
09.05.97MINTEX RALLY SERIES:- Five points separate the top six drivers as the Rally moves on to the third round stage, over 120 miles of closed Isle of Man roads on Saturday. Oxford based Steve Hill leads the race after the first two rounds, but he will be closely pursued by veteran multiple tarmac champion John Price. Scottish championship leader Brian Lyall's Subaru is in third place. Steve Petch heads the showroom class hopes, and Guy Anderson is the leader of the two wheel drive F2 category.
RALLYING:- Former world champion Juha Kankkunen will replace German Armin Schwarz at Ford for the rest of the season. Kankkunen will team up with Spaniard Carlos Sainz in the Argentinian rally on May 22-24. Ford said there had been difficulty with some commercial aspects of the agreement between Schwarz and the team, forcing them to part company. Ford are third in the manufacturers' standings behing Subaru and Mitsubishi.
10.05.97F1: THE MONACO GP
Heinz Harald-Frentzen was in confident mood after claiming his first-ever pole in Monte Carlo. "My first victory last time, now my first pole," he said. "Things continue to get better. But I know it will be tough beating Michael Schumacher." Schumacher said he was not surprised by Frentzen's recent run of success. "I did not believe I would be fighting only one Williams," he said. "It has taken Heinz-Harald a few races to get used to the car and it will be tough."
Saturday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 H Frentzen Ger Williams 1:18.216 2 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:18.235 3 J Villeneuve Can Williams 1:18.583 4 G Fisichella It Jordan 1:18.665 5 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:18.779 6 R Schumacher Ger Jordan 1 18.943 7 J Herbert GB Sauber 1:19.105 8 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1 19.119 9 J Alesi Fr Benetton 1:19.263 10 R Barrichello Brz Stewart 1:19.295 11 N Larini It Sauber 1:19.468 12 O Panis Fr Prost 1:19.626 13 D Hill GB Arrows 1:19.674 14 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:19.694 15 E Irvine GB Ferrari 1:19.723 16 P Diniz Brz Arrows 1:19.860 17 G Berger Aut Benetton 1:20.199 18 J Trulli It Minardi 1:20.349 19 J Magnussen Den Stewart 1:20.516 20 U Katayama Jpn Minardi 1:20.606 21 S Nakano Jpn Prost 1:20.961 22 J Verstappen Hol Tyrrell 1:21.290Damon Hill said he was determined to complete his first race of he season after Saturday's qualifying which was won by Heinz-Harald Frentzen. His father Graham won five times in Monaco and Damon said: "I am not happy about being 13th but it was a good team effort and I want to finish the race. If you can do that here there's a good chance of being in the points. The thing about Monaco is it is always fun. It doesn's matter what time you are doing, it is fun and exciting."
STEYR PUCH MANX RALLY:- Five-times British champion Jimmy McRae snatched a dramatic three-second win after a tense battle with Brian Lyall. McRae, driving a Metro 6R4, took the lead on the 11th of 14 tarmac stages, but lost it to fellow-Scot Lyall on the penultimate stage. The 53-year-old summoned one last effort to take five seconds out on the last 3.7 mile test and secure his first win in the Manx National Rally.
Result after 14 special stages:mins secs 1 McRae/Arthur MG Metro 1:50:15 2 Lyall/Bennie Subaru Imp 1:50:18 3 Hill/Rabbett Mitsubishi 1:51:05 4 Price/Sturrock MG Metro 1:51:38 5 McK'try/P'pott Porsche 911 1:52:53 6 Harron/McCrea Subaru Leg 1:53:49 7 Grierson/Merry Subaru Imp 1:53:50 8 Worswick/M'eux Ford Sierra 1:54:09 9 Duckworth/B'ld Ford Sierra 1:54:19 10 Smith/Kitson Lancia Delta 1:55:33 11.05.97 F1: THE MONACO GRAND PRIX Result after 62 laps hr min sec 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 2:00.05 2 R Barrichello Brz Stewart @ 53 3 E Irvine GB Ferrari @ 1.22 4 O Panis Fr Prost @ 1.44 5 M Salo Fin Tyrrell @ one lap 6 G Fisichella It Jordan @ one lap 7 J Magnussen Den Stewart @ one lap 8 J Verstappen Hol Tyrrell @ two laps 9 G Berger Aut Ben'ton @ two laps 10 U Katayama Jpn Minardi @ two laps DRIVERS' STANDINGS 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 24 pts 2 J Villeneuve Can Williams 20 3 E Irvine GB Ferrari 14 4 D Coulthard GB McLaren 10 = G Berger Aut Benetton 10 = HH Frentzen Ger Williams 10 = M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 10 8 O Panis Fr Prost 9 9 R Barrichello Brz Stewart 6 10 R Schumacher Ger Jordan 4 = G Fisichella It Peugeot 4 12 J Herbert GB Sauber 3 = J Alesi Fr Benetton 3 14 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 2 15 N Larini It Sauber 1 CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS 1 Ferrari 38 points 2 Williams 30 3 McLaren-Mercedes 20 4 Benetton Renault 13 5 Prost Honda 9 6 Jordan Peugeot 8 7 Stewart-Ford 6Michael Schumacher overcame treacherous conditions which turned the race into a lottery to record a superb win, despite a heart-stopping spin near the end. Schumacher got off to a magnificent start to grab the lead which he was never in danger of relinquishing. However, he misjudged a corner and spun off during the latter stages but regained his composure to seal victory. The 28-year-old finished 53 seconds ahead of Rubens Barrichello with Eddie Irvine in third at the rain-hit resort.
Michael Schumacher admitted correct tyre choice had played a huge part in his comfortable victory - the 23rd GP win in the German's illustrious career. Ferrari mechanics ensured Schu started the race with wet weather tyres after rain began before the GP got underway. "It was very difficult but we made the right choice about set up and tyres," said Schumacher afterwards. "I must admit I was very surprised to see some of the other cars starting on slicks," he added.
Damon Hill crashed out after losing a wheel in a collision with Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine on the first lap. It continued the misery for the Arrows ace who has yet to complete a Grand Prix so far this season. "It was very sad. I was behind Irvine when a lot of cars hit trouble at the end of the tunnel. A Benetton went over the kerb and stopped in the middle of the track. Irvine was forced to stop, and I went into the back of him," said Hill.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello finished second to ensure Jackie Stewart's new team grabbed their first world championship points. "I can't tell you how happy I am," said Scottish legend Stewart before being overcome by emotion. Son Paul added: "I can't describe the feeling. To finish second in our first attempt at Monaco is unbelievable." Meanwhile delighted driver Rubens Barrichello enthused: "I'm surprised to be second but very proud for the team."
Eddie Irvine battled through the field to finish an excellent third after starting from 15th spot on the grid. Irvine made steady progress through the field, aided by numerous crashes which saw no less than 11 drivers fail to finish the rain-shortened race. The 31-year-old shot up to sixth and was locked in a battle with Olivier Panis and Mika Salo for much of the GP. But Northern Irishman Irvine gained the upper hand and even enjoyed the luxury of a late pit stop.
INDY 500 QUALIFIERS (May 25) Top 10 positions: mph 1 A Luyendyk Hol G-Force Aurora 218.263 2 T Stewart US G-Force Aurora 218.021 3 V Sospiri It Dallara-Aurora 216.822 4 B Buhl US G-Force Aurora 216.102 5 S Goodyear Can G-Force Aurora 215.811 6 J Ward US G-Force Aurora 215.517 7 J Guthrie US Dallara-Aurora 215.207 8 D Hamilton US G-Force Aurora 214.484 9 E Salazar Chi Dallara-Aurora 214.320 10 B Lazier US Dallara-Aurora 214.286 INDYCAR RIO 400, Rio de Janeiro Qualifying times: seconds 1 M Gugelmin Brz Reynard-Merc 39.034 2 R Moreno Brz Swift-Ford 39.235 3 B Rahal US Reynard-Ford 39.337 4 B Herta US Reynard-Ford 39.337 5 P Tracy Can Penske-Merc 39.350 6 M Andretti US Swift-Ford 39.355 7 S Pruett US Reynard-Ford 39.387 8 G Moore Can Reynard-Merc 39.388 9 A Unser US Penske-Merc 39.540 10 G de Ferran Brz Reynard-H'da 39.609F3:- Johnny Kane dominated the fifth round of the Autosport British Formula Three Championship at Silverstone. The Ulsterman lapped three seconds faster than any other driver for much of the race in tricky conditions. Kane recorded his third win of the year as he finished 25 seconds clear of second-placed Martin O'Connell.
Standings (after round 5 of 16) 1 J Kane GB 86 points 2 P Dumbreck GB 45 3 M Webber GB 36 12.05.97 INDYCAR Result, Rio de Janeiro 1 P Tracy CDN Penske Mercedes 2:10:47.337 2 G Moore CDN Reynard Mercedes +1.605 3 S Pruett USA Reynard Ford +2.253 4 A Zanardi I Reynard Honda 133 laps 5 R Boesel Brz Reynard Ford 133 laps 6 B Herta USA Reynard Ford 133 laps 7 A Unser Jr USA Penske Mercedes 133 laps 8 M Blundell GB Reynard Mercedes 133 laps 9 J Vasser USA Reynard Honda 133 laps 10 B Rahal USA Reynard Ford -1 lapF1:- Jackie Stewart has paid tribute to Michael Schumacher and insists the German is worth every penny of his astonishing £50m salary. The German's current fee of £16m a year is far higher than any other driver and has agreed a two-year extension which will net another £50m. "He is the best racing driver in the world. He is paid the most, but deserves every penny," said Stewart. "I'm sure Ferrari had not regrets in agreeing to what he asked."
Monaco master Michael Schumacher believes his lead in the drivers' World title race could be short-lived. He expects his Ferrai to be outpaced by Williams duo Jacques Villeneuve and Heinz Harald Frentzen when Formula One moves to Spain on Sunday week. "Barcelona is one of those circuits we are not competitive on. We have never been able to discover why that is. I wish we could cancel Barcelona and go onto the next race in Canada instead," the German commented.
15.05.97F1:- Damon Hill's hopes of ending his Formula One points drought with the Arrows team has suffered a setback. The world champion said that the new Yamaha engine lacked "promise" following a testing session at the Magny-Cours circuit in France. "The new engine we have been trying here hasn't shown too much promise so we're going to be using the same engine for the rest of the season," said Hill. The new engine was originally scheduled to be used in the San Marino Grand Prix.
The last grand prix of the season in Portugal, is apparently back on after an earlier announcement that it had been switched to Jerez in Spain. An FIA statement said the October 26 race could not take place at Estoril because of work being carried out at the circuit. But the Portuguese government replied that it would definitely go ahead. A Portuguese FIA official also confirmed that the race was on - but with a new date of November 9.
RAC RALLY:- Network Q has extended its sponsorship of the RAC Rally into the 21st century with a new agreement lasting until 2002 The used-car retailer has been supporting the race since 1993. "It's great news for British rallying," said RACMSA chief executive John Quenby. "It's a vote of confidence in the high standards of our most important event." The 1997 Network Q Rally takes place on November 22-25. The race HQ will be at Cheltenham Racecourse.
16.05.97 - TOURING CARSChampionship leader Alain Menu again grabbed the attention as he topped the timesheets after six hours of official testing for Sunday's races. The Swiss star, winner of four of the first six rounds of this year's event, took his Renault Laguna round in more than a second under the lap record. The Honda's of James Thompson and Gabriele Tarquini led the chasing pack, as 15 cars were separated by a second. Sunday sees two 38-lap races over the tight Brands Hatch Indy circuit.
Leading Friday testing times from Brands Hatch: secs 1 A Menu Swi Renault 44.556 2 J Thompson GB Honda Accord 44.639 3 G Tarquini It Honda Accord 44.646 4 J Plato GB Renault 44.714 5 A Reid GB Nissan 44.769 6 R Rydell Swe Volvo S40 44.877 7 D Leslie GB Nissan 44.908 8 P Radisich NZ Ford Mondeo 44.973 9 P Watts GB Peugeot 406 45.045 10 J B'cliffe GB Audi A4 45.145 17.05.97F1:- Current world champion Damon Hill has become the subject of intense speculation in the Formula One paddock, regarding his future with Arrows. Hill has been linked with McLaren, Sauber and Benetton in the past, but now Alain Prost has taken an interest in his former Williams teammate. Prost could be looking for a new driver to partner Olivier Panis next season. "I will be keeping in touch with Damon, but I think it is a little too soon to come to any firm decision," he said.
Jacques Villeneuve is confident he can regain the initiative in the world championship race in Spain - providing he manages to finish the race. He lost the lead in the drivers' table to Michael Schumacher after crashing out of the Monaco Grand Prix last week. "At least I've won every time I've finished," said the Canadian. "There are still 12 races left. What's really important is that we finish more of them, because not finishing three times out of five is too much."
TOURING CARS:- Renault and Honda look set to battle for supremacy in Sunday's double header after qualifying at Brands Hatch. Alain Menu put his Renault Laguna on pole for round seven by heading the lap times with 44.845 secs. But he was only third fastest in the second qualifying session with Gabriele Tarquini (44.909) putting his Honda Accord at the front of the grid. The two races will both be shown live on BBC Grandstand, with start times of 12.45 and 3.45pm.
Leading qualifying times for round seven at Brands Hatch: secs 1 A Menu Swi Renault 44.826 2 J Plato GB Renault 44.845 3 J Thompson GB Honda Accord 44.916 4 G Tarquini It Honda Accord 44.994 5 A Reid GB Nissan 45.007 6 D Leslie GB Nissan 45.046 7 W Hoy GB Ford Mondeo 45.300 8 F Biela Ger Audi A4 45.310 9 P Watts GB Peugeot 406 45.315 10 R Rydell Swe Volvo S40 45.340 Leading qualifying times for round eight at Brands Hatch: secs 1 G Tarquini It Honda Accord 44.909 2 J Thompson GB Honda Accord 44.939 3 A Menu Swi Renault 44.959 4 A Reid GB Nissan 45.112 5 J Plato GB Renault 44.240 6 R Rydell Swe Volvo S40 45.256 7 D Leslie GB Nissan 45.309 8 P Radisich NZ Ford Mondeo 45.393 9 J B'cliffe GB Audi A4 45.416 10 K Burt GB Volvo S40 45.428 19.05.97TOURING CARS- Alain Menu in a Renault won the seventh round of the Championships at Brands Hatch with James Thompson driving a Honda Accord taking second spot. Menu's Renault team-mate Jason Plato came third less than a second behind. In round eight, Thompson gained revenge when he took the chequered flag ahead of Menu, who could only finish fourth. The Briton outgunned his Honda team-mate Gabriele Tarquini to win easily with David Leslie in a Nissan denying Menu to finish in third place.
Result of round seven: mins:secs 1 A Menu Swi Renault 29:07.076 2 J Thompson GB Honda 29:11.856 3 J Plato GB Renault 29:12.270 4 D Leslie GB Nissan 29:12.567 5 A Reid GB Nissan 29:12.780 6 G Tarquini It Honda 29:13.011 7 R Rydell Swe Volvo 29:22.917 8 K Burt GB Volvo 29:23.385 9 F Biela Ger Audi 29:23.878 10 D Warwick GB Vauxhall 29:24.903 Result of round eight: mins secs 1 J Thompson GB Honda 29:03.363 2 G Tarquini It Honda 29:08.624 3 D Leslie GB Nissan 29:12.104 4 A Menu Swi Renault 29:16.499 5 J Plato GB Renault 29:16.900 6 F Biela Ger Audi 29:19.737 7 P Radisich NZ Ford 29:22.393 8 K Burt GB Volvo 29:23.292 9 J Cleland GB Vauxhall 29:23.733 10 T Harvey GB Peugeot 29:27.311 Drivers' standings after round eight: 1 A Menu Renault Laguna 107 pts 2 G Tarquini Honda Accord 63 3 R Rydell Volvo S40 52 4 J Plato Renault Laguna 46 5 D Leslie Nissan Primera 40 6 J Thompson Honda Accord 39 Manufacturers' standings: 1 Renault 105 pts 2 Honda 80 3 Volvo 75 4 Nissan 60 5 Audi 56 6 Peugeot 43 7 Vauxhall 38F3:- Nicolas Minassian won the British Formula Three Championship at Croft in Yorkshire when he beat series leader Jonny Kane into second place. Scotland's Peter Dumbreck followed home in third place having started from sixth on the grid to earn himself the Driver of the Day award.
Points standings after six rounds: 1 J Kane Stewart Racing 101 pts 2 P Dumbreck Stewart Racing 78 3 N Minassian Renault 51 4 M Webber Docking Racing 47 5 M Haberfeld Donnelly Racing 34 6 E Bernoldi Renault 28 19.05.97TOURING CARS:- Reigning British Touring Car champions Audi have had their weight handicap reduced by 30kgs with immediate effect. The Audis have struggled this season, with only one win from the first eight races, as their four wheel drive cars have carried a 95kgs weight ballast. Under the new legislation, the figure will drop to 65kgs and current champion Frank Biela said: "This will not make us winners again but we can challenge." Oulton Park stages rounds nine and ten of the championship on Monday.
RALLY ARGENTINA:- Colin McRae reaches the half-way point of his World Championship campaign with the prospect of taking over at the top of the drivers' points table. The Scot lies just two points behind Tommi Makinen following his thrilling victory in France. "Although Argentina has never been kind to me, it's a great, high-speed event," said McRae. "There's no reason why the car should be less competitive, so I am feeling pretty confident about our chances."
Rally schedule
THURSDAY 366kms - 8 stages
FRIDAY 463.9kms - 10 stages
SATURDAY 332.21kms - 5 stages
Overall distance 998.16kms
21.05.97 - F1Gianni Morbidelli will replace Nicola Larini at the wheel of a Sauber in the forthcoming world Formula One races. Ferrari has released Morbidelli, its current test driver - and Larini returns to Ferrari as test driver. Larini had complained that Sauber officials favoured the other team driver, Britain's Johnny Herbert. Morbidelli will make his debut in a Sauber-Petronas in the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona Sunday.
22.05.97F1: THE SPANISH GP
Michael Schumacher leapfrogged ahead of Jacques Villeneuve in the drivers' standings after his magnificent victory at a rain drenched Monaco. Schumacher led from the start to record his 23rd Grand Prix win as Ferrari sealed their first triumph in the principality since 1981. The German is chasing a hat-trick of Spanish successes after victories at the Catalunya circuit in 1995 and 1996. Schumacher qualified third fastest last year and set the fastest lap of 1:45.517.
Last year's race was hampered by wet weather and although Damon Hill qualified on pole, it was arch rival Michael Schumacher who triumphed. Hill's then Williams teammate Jacques Villeneuve grabbed the early advantage to lead after the first lap. The drama began at the end of lap 10 when Villeneuve relinquished the lead to Schumacher and Hill spun off. The German began to build up a comprehensive lead over his nearest rivals and eventually cruised home.
Barcelona is one of the most advanced circuits on the F1 calender with a host of long straights and fast corners with numerous overtaking opportunities. The track hosted its first race in 1991 and is renowned for the bumpy surface which can severely test even the best driver's stamina. But the chicane after the Campsa corner has gone, presenting a superb chance for outbraking into La Caixa hairpin. The final two bends are fast and a tiny error can result in an early exit.
TOURING CARS:- Yorkshire's James Thompson is hopeful of further success in the Spring Bank Holiday double header at Oulton Park. Thompson won round eight at Brands Hatch last weekend and is hopeful of outpacing Renault duo Alain Menu and Jason Plato again. "We've proven that the Accord can go well anywhere and Oulton is always a favourite because it's such a good drivers's circuit," said Thompson. "The team's strong and we're closing the Renaults down all the time.
RALLY ARGENTINA:- Reigning world champion Tommi Makinen ended the first day at the head of a three-way fight for the lead with Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz chasing hard. Makinen moved to the front of the event on the third stage but then saw his advantage slowly chipped away through the remaining four stages of the day. McRae, who set the fastest times on stages six, seven and eight, was just eight seconds behind at the end. The Scot said: "I didn't want to push too hard this morning."
Positions after 7 stages: hrs mins secs 1 T Makinen Fin Mitsubishi 1:37.55 2 C McRae GB Subaru 1:39.04 3 C Sainz Sp Ford 1:38.08 4 R Burns GB Mitsubishi 1:38.26 5 J Kankkunen Fin Ford 1:38.50 6 K Eriksson Swe Subaru 1:39.05 7 M Gronholm Fin Toyota 1:40.28 8 D Auriol Fr Toyota 1:43.49 9 G Trelles Uru Mitsubishi 1:45.40 10 R Sufan Arg Toyota 1:46.15 23.05.97F1: THE SPANISH GP
Damon Hill and Tom Walkinshaw were forced to put on a brave face after a disappointing day for Arrows yet again. Hill said: "It doesn't look very good from the outside but we have been doing mostly race work with full tanks. We are not finding our qualifying performance right now. We have done some very useful work for the race." Team owner Tom Walkinshaw said: "I can't pretend to be happy with today's results but Damon's work is important."
Friday's free practice times: mins secs 1 J Alesi Fr Benetton 1:19.566 2 J Villeneuve Can Williams 1:19.766 3 R Schumacher Ger Jordan 1:20.178 4 G Fisichella It Jordan 1:20.537 5 G Berger Aut Benetton 1:20.933 6 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:21.312 7 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:21.319 8 J Herbert GB Sauber 1:21.379 9 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:21.421 10 E Irvine GB Ferrari 1:21.423 11 O Panis Fr Prost 1:21.636 12 H-H Frentzen Ger Williams 1:21.887 13 J Magnussen Den Stewart 1:22.839 14 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:22.849 15 U Katayama Jpn Minardi 1:22.892 16 S Nakano Jpn Prost 1:23.191 17 J Verstappen Hol Tyrrell 1:23.209 18 R Barrichello Brz Stewart 1:23.246 19 G Morbidelli It Sauber 1:23.451 20 D Hill GB Arrows 1:23.592 21 P Diniz Brz Arrows 1:25.592 22 J Trulli It Minardi 1:25.064TOURING CARS:- Championship leader Alain Menu smashed the Oulton Park qualifying lap record in the first day of testing for the Bank Holiday Monday double header. The Swiss driver sliced nearly a second off Frank Biela's time with a lap of 58.910 secs in the Renault Laguna. Honda duo Gabriele Tarquini and James Thompson were his closest rivals, with teammate Jason Plato fourth fastest. Further testing will take place on Saturday, with official qualifying taking place on Sunday.
Friday testing times: secs 1 A Menu Swi Renault 58.910 2 G Tarquini It Honda 59.192 3 J Thompson GB Honda 59.225 4 J Plato GB Renault 59.294 5 R Rydell Swe Volvo 59.298 6 A Reid GB Nissan 59.530 7 K Burt GB Volvo 59.557 8 W Hoy GB Ford 59.680 9 J Bintcliffe GB Audi 59.785 10 T Harvey GB Peugeot 59.832RALLY ARGENTINA:- Reigning world champion Tommi Makinen is poised for his third win of the season after extending his lead over Colin McRae to 61 seconds. The Mitsubishi driver had just eight secs in hand at the start of day two and McRae cut his advantage to five on the 12th stage. But the Scot's challenge was hampered by differential problems and a power steering failure. Richard Burns had to retire with broken rear suspension on stage 16.
Positions after 18 stages: (end of day two) hrs mins secs 1 T Makinen Fin Mitsubishi 3:44.02 2 C McRae GB Subaru 3:45.03 3 C Sainz Sp Ford 3:45.59 4 K Eriksson Swe Subaru 3:47.22 5 M Gronholm Fin Toyota 3:52.47 6 D Auriol Fr Toyota 3:58.03 7 G Trelles Uru Mitsubishi 4:04.53 8 R Sufan Arg Toyota 4:05.58 9 H Rovanpera Fin Seat 4:08.31 10 G Raies Arg Renault 4:10.05 24.05.97F1: THE SPANISH GP
Jacques Villeneuve expressed relief at getting the better of Williams teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen after securing the eighth pole of his career. "Heinz-Harald made it a real battle. We couldn't get it right until the end of the session," said Villeneuve. "But I am feeling very good and very consident for the race. It was important to get pole here," he added. Scot David Coulthard was third fastest and said: "We are in good shape to get on the podium."
Saturday's qualifying: mins secs 1 J Villeneuve Can Williams 1:16.525 2 H-H Frentzen Ger Williams 1:16.791 3 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:17.521 4 J Alesi Fr Benetton 1:17.717 5 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:17.737 6 G Berger Aut Benetton 1:18.041 7 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:18.313 8 G Fisichella It Jordan 1:18.385 9 R Schumacher Ger Jordan 1:18.423 10 J Herbert GB Sauber 1:18.494 11 E Irvine GB Ferrari 1:18.873 12 O Panis Fr Prost 1:19.157 13 G Morbidelli It Sauber 1:19.323 14 M Salo Fin Tyrrell 1:20.079 15 D Hill GB Arrows 1:20.098 16 S Nakano Jpn Prost 1:20.103 17 R Barrichello Brz Stewart 1:20.255 18 J Trulli It Minardi 1:20.452 19 J Verstappen Hol Tyrrell 1:20.582 20 U Katayama Jpn Minardi 1:20.672 21 P Diniz Brz Arrows 1:21.029 22 J Magnussen Den Stewart 1:21.060 INDIANAPOLIS 500 Leading grid positions for Sunday's race: mins/secs 1 A Luyendyk Hol G Force 2:44.939 2 T Stewart US G Force 2:45.122 3 V Sospiri It Dallara 2:46.035 4 R Buhl US G Force 2:46.588 5 S Goodyear Can G Force 2:46.813 6 J Guthrie US Dallara 2:47.281 7 J Ward US G Force 2:47.819 8 D Hamilton US G Force 2:47.845 9 E Salazar Chi Dallara 2:47.973 10 B Lazier US Dallara 2:48.000 11 E Cheever US G Force 2:48.167 12 R Gordon US G Force 2:48.847 INDYCAR - MOTOROLA 300 (Gateway Park) Result after 236 laps: 1 P Tracy Can Penske Merc (average speed 113.884mph) 2 P Carpentier Can Reyn'd Merc 3 A Zanardi It Reyn'd Honda 4 G de Ferran Brz Reyn'd Honda 5 J Vasser US Reyn'd Honda 6 M Gugelmin Brz Reyn'd Merc 7 P Johnstone US Reyn'd Honda 8 A Fernandez Mex Lola Honda 9 R Hearn US Lola Ford 10 A Ribeiro Brz Lola Honda Series standings: 1 Tracy 85 pts 2 Vasser 67 3 Pruett 61Canadian Paul Tracy increased his lead in the CART Series standings to 18 points with his third successive win. He passed Alex Zanardi and Patrick Carpentier in the final five laps, with the latter low on fuel and unable to hold Tracy off. But Carpentier hung on to second place with Gil de Ferran pipping Zanardi for third after a final lap charge. Tracy is the first driver to win three in a row since Al Unser junior achieved the feat in 1994.
RALLY ARGENTINA:- Reigning world champion Tommi Makinen kept Colin McRae at bay on the final day to register his third victory of the season. The Mitsubishi maintained his 61 second overnight lead to the finish to go six points clear in the championship race. "Realistically we had little if any hope of catching Tommi and it would been been silly to throw away second position trying," said McRae. The day's second stage was cancelled for safety reasons due to huge crowds.
Final positions after 23 stages: hrs mins secs 1 T Makinen Fin Mitsubishi 4:25.38 2 C McRae GB Subaru 4:26.39 3 K Eriksson Swe Subaru 4:30.36 4 M Gronholm Fin Toyota 4:35.16 5 D Auriol Fr Toyota 4:40.13 6 G Trelles Uru Mitsubishi 4:49.38 7 R Sufan Arg Toyota 4:49.51 8 H Rovanpera Fin Seat 4:55.21 9 O Gomez Sp Seat 4:58.44 10 P Sibera Cz Skoda 4:59.45 DRIVERS STANDINGS 1 T Makinen Fin 38 pts 2 C McRae GB 32 3 C Sainz Sp 18 = P Liatti It 18 5 K Eriksson Swe 14 6 A Schwarz Swe 11 8 R Burns GB 6 pts CONSTRUCTORS STANDINGS 1 Subaru 64 pts 2 Mitsubishi 46 3 Ford 29 25.05.97F1:- The British Grand Prix faces the threat of extinction if a Europe-wide ban on tobacco advertising is implemented, according to The Sunday Times. Reports suggest Formula One chiefs are ready to axe the British, Spanish, Belgian and French GPs. The number of European races each year would be cut down from 12 to four. Those events would then relocate in other venues around the world, initially thought to be Asia, the Far East and possibly America.
THE SPANISH GP Result after 64 laps hr min sec 1 J Villeneuve Can Williams 1:30.35 2 O Panis Fr Prost @ 0.05 3 J Alesi Fr Benetton @ 0.12 4 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari @ 0.17 5 J Herbert GB Sauber @ 0.27 6 D Coulthard GB McLaren @ 0.29 7 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren @ 0.48 8 H-H Frentzen Ger Williams @ 1.04 9 G Fisichella It Jordan @ 1.04 10 G Berger Aut Benetton @ 1.05 11 J Verstappen Hol Tyrrell one lap 12 E Irvine GB Ferrari one lap 13 J Magnussen Den Stewart one lap 14 G Morbidelli It Sauber two laps 15 J Trulli It Minardi two laps CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS 1 Ferrari 41 points 2 Williams 40 3 McLaren-Mercedes 21 4 Benetton Renault 17 5 Prost Honda 15 6 Jordan 8 7 Stewart 6 = Sauber 6 DRIVERS' STANDINGS 1 J Villeneuve Can Williams 30 pts 2 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 27 3 O Panis Fr Prost 15 3 E Irvine GB Ferrari 14 5 D Coulthard GB McLaren 10 6 HH Frentzen Ger Williams 10 = G Berger Aut Benetton 10 = M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 10Jacques Villeneuve cruised to victory after a commanding display which saw the Canadian surge ahead of his rivals. However, Villeneuve, who started on pole, had dropped to third after the first bend before blasting to the front. The Williams driver adopted a two stop strategy which paid off on a day when tyre wear was excessive. Michael Schumacher looked set to challenge for maximum points early on but had to settle for fourth behind Olivier Panis and Jean Alesi.
Jacques Villeneuve admitted he drove like a "maniac" after re-asserting his determination to succeed Damon Hill as Formula One world champion. "After the stupidity of Monaco it was good to get a result," said Villeneuve, whose victory put him three points clear in the drivers' standings. "We did the right thing by going for two stops, but it means you have to drive like a maniac. We have thrown away some races but the car was the best it's been all season."
Damon Hill's misery at Arrows continued when his Spanish Grand Prix ended prematurely on lap 18. Hill, who had battled his way superbly through the field into fifth spot afterstarting from 15th on the grid, was forced out after his engine blew. "Things were looking good. I was knocking on the door of the points and we had decided on a two stop strategy," said Hill in the pits afterwards. "My goal was to finish and boost team morale but the engine blew up," he said.
Damon Hill's Arrows team are to hold a series of crisis meetings to try and solve the reliability problems wrecking the world champion's season. Hill has yet to finish a race for the Oxfordshire outfit after seeing his Spanish Grand Prix challenge end when his Yamaha engine blew up. "I am desperately disappointed for Damon and the team. We must have crisis meetings with some of our suppliers to improve the performance," said Tom Walkinshaw.
Johnny Herbert won a last lap battle of Britain with David Coulthard to seal fifth spot at the Catalunya circuit. "It's a great day. I managed to get into a good position. My first set of tyres were terrible. We had to adopt a three stop strategy and I was worried we might have to make it four," said Herbert. "My last set ot tyres was the best and I could see David Coulthard was having trouble with his set of tyres and I just got passed him," Herbert added.
Ulsterman Eddie Irvine uncurred the wrath of Olivier Panis and Jean Alesi for holding the duo up. Irvine was penalised by the race marshals with a 10 second pit-lane penalty for blocking. "It's incredible. I was trying to overtake him for six or seven laps and the blue flag was out. Perhaps he has a problem with his eyes, but you just cannot speak to this man," said Panis. Alesi was forced to wave to marshals to get them to penalise Irvine.
INDIANAPOLIS 500:- The race was postponed for the first time in 11 years as heavy rain fell on the track just 10 minutes before the already rescheduled start. Before the cloudburst officials had put back the race an hour. Now it is set to take place 24 hours later on Monday. Chief steward Keith Ward said: "There's absolutely no way we can get this track dry and get a race started that would allow for 500 miles." The last time it was postponed was in 1986, when it went ahead a week later.
TOURING CARS:- Championship leader Alain Menu took pole for both of Monday's rounds at Oulton Park after a superb driving display in qualifying. The Swiss ace bettered Frank Biela's qualifying record at the Cheshire track by almost a second and was the only driver to go below 59 seconds. Menu said: "Biela is bound to be a threat in the first race and Rickard Rydell will be quick in the second." Menu's Renault team-mate Jason Plato is second on the grid for round nine.
Qualifying times - round nine: secs 1 A Menu Swi Renault 58.849 2 J Plato GB Renault 59.278 3 F Biela Ger Audi 59.322 4 G Tarquini It Honda 59.346 5 J Thompson GB Honda 59.412 6 K Burt GB Volvo 59.532 7 P Radisich NZ Ford 59.600 8 W Hoy GB Ford 59.758 9 J Bintcliffe GB Audi 59.835 10 D Leslie GB Nissan 59.914 Qualifying times - round 10: secs 1 A Menu Swi Renault 58.909 2 R Rydell Swe Volvo 59.221 3 J Plato Ger Renault 59.251 4 G Tarquini It Honda 59.300 5 J Thompson GB Honda 59.326 6 J Bintcliffe GB Volvo 59.499 7 K Burt GB Volvo 59.571 8 F Biela Ger Audi 59.620 9 A Reid GB Nissan 59.638 10 T Harvey GB Peugeot 59.737GTs:- Britain's Steve Soper and partner JJ Lehto grabbed victory in Helsinki after transmission failure wrecked the hopes of Roberto Ravaglia. BMW McLaren looked set for a 1-2 finish until Ravaglia dropped out, allowing Soper to sweep through to win by a three lap margin. Ralf Kelleners and Stephane Ortelli finished second in a Porsche. Pre-race favourites Mercedes had a bad day with Alexander Wurz crashing and Alessandro Nannini forced to retire.
Result of round three after 113 laps: hr min sec 1 Lehto/Soper Fin/GB McLaren 3:31.711 2 Kelleners/Ortelli Ger/Fr Porsche 110 laps 3 Nielsen/Bscher Den/Ger McLaren 110 laps 4 G-Scott/Raphanel GB/Fr McLaren 109 laps 5 Martini/Boldrini It/It Porsche 108 laps 26.05.97F1:- Speculation over Jacques Villeneuve's future with Williams countinues, after his commanding victory in Spain. Paddock sources indicated he had not yet signed to remain with Williams for 1998, despite indications earlier this year that he was staying. Asked about his plans for next season, the Canadian said. "Everything is OK." A win in his home Grand Prix next month would certainly improve Villeneuve's bargaining position when his pay talks with the team begin in August.
IRL:- The 81st Indianapolis 500 was again postponed by rain after 15 laps and a crash on the warm-up lap on Monday. The race, postponed for the first time in 11 years on Sunday by rain, was stopped because of some more light showers and was not restarted. It is only the third time in Indy 500 history that the race has been washed out on two days. The other times were 1973 and 1986. Organisers now hope to stage the race on Tuesday afternoon.
TOURING CARS:- A clean sweep of two pole positions and two dominant race victories at Oulton Park saw Alain Menu tighten his grip on the championship. Jason Plato was also celebrating after finishing second and fourth in rounds nine and ten, to go up to third in the overall standings. However, Menu was in a class of his own and has now won seven of the ten races in the series. The next round of races takes place at Donington Park in three weeks time.
Round nine result: mins secs 1 A Menu Swi Renault 33:18.677 2 J Plato GB Renault 33:21.332 3 F Biela Ger Audi 33:24.663 4 J Bintcliffe GB Audi 33:30.113 5 J Cleland GB Vauxhall 33:37.118 6 R Rydell GB Volvo 33:37.418 7 A Reid GB Nissan 33:37.740 8 P Radisich NZ Ford 33:38.833 9 K Burt GB Volvo 33:39.592 10 D Leslie GB Nissan 33:39.980 Round Ten result: mins secs 1 A Menu Swi Renault 27:25.407 2 J Thompson GB Honda 27:31.571 3 R Rydell GB Volvo 27:33.587 4 J Plato GB Renault 27:39.779 5 J Bintcliffe GB Audi 27:46.809 6 D Leslie GB Nissan 27:52.900 7 P Radisich NZ Ford 27:55.676 8 T Harvey GB Peugeot 28:11.349 9 L Brookes GB Peugeot 1 lap 10 C Gallie GB BMW 1 lap Drivers' standings after round 10: 1 A Menu Renault Laguna 139 pts 2 R Rydell Volvo S40 67 3 J Plato Renault Laguna 66 4 G Tarquini Honda Accord 63 5 J Thompson Honda Accord 51 6 F Biela Audi A4 46 7 D Leslie Nissan Primera 46 Manufacturers' standings: 1 Renault 135 pts 2 Honda 96 3 Volvo 93 4 Audi 76 5 Nissan 72 6 Vauxhall 52 7 Peugeot 49 8 Ford 47F.RENAULT:- Etienne van der Linde halved Marc Hynes points lead with victory in round five of the series at Oulton Park. Hynes had ten seconds added to his time for jumping the start and fell to ninth
TOP SIX FINISHERS mins:secs 1 E vd Linde SA Van Diemen 15:46.798 2 L Walker GB Martini 15:49.416 3 D Henderson GB Mygale 15:53.475 4 D Malkin GB Tatuus 15:53.799 5 H Orsi Br Van Diemen 15:54.084 6 G Vinella It Van Diemen 15:54.955 27.05.97 - IRLArie Luyendyk earned his second Indianapolis 500 title when he won the much-delayed race on Tuesday. Scott Goodyear was second and rookie Jeff Ward but there was a controversial finish to proceedings. There were three caution flags in the last 12 laps and when it was restarted the lights along the track remained at yellow, ending Goodyear's chances. Rain called the race off on Sunday and Monday, the third time in Indy history a race had been delayed by two days.
30.05.97 - F1Ralf Schumacher and Jordan team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella set the pace behind Jacques Villeneuve in testing for the RAC British Grand Prix. All the top Formula One teams competed at Silverstone over three days and Villeneuve topped the unofficial times with an average speed of 140mph. And the younger Schumacher produced a lap time two seconds faster than brother Michael's Ferrari. Villeneuve said: "The circuit is a big improvement over last year's track."
Testing mins secs 1 J Villeneuve Can Williams 1:22.39 2 R Schumacher Ger Jordan 1:22.70 3 G Fisichella It Jordan 1:22.90 4 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:23.11 5 A Wurz Aut Benetton 1:23.16 6 O Panis Fr Prost 1:23.25 7 J Herbert GB Sauber 1:23.35 8 H-H Frentzen Ger Williams 1:23.36 9 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:23.43 10 G Morbidelli It Sauber 1:23.55 11 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:24.34 12 J Magnussen Den Stewart 1:24.46Gerhard Berger has had surgery for an inflamed sinus but hopes to be fit for the Canadian Grand Prix on June 15. The Benetton driver had to scrap test sessions at Barcelona and Silverstone.
Current world champion Damon Hill has hit out at reports that he is unhappy with the Arrows set-up. At an open day held by the Oxfordshire-based team and attended by 10,000 fans, he said: "Reports give the impression I'm despondent, dejected and cross. "That's absolute rubbish. I have still lot a lot of faith in the Arrows team. Speculation about my future has been unsettling for the team. I want a few good races, then we can sort out my future at the end of the season."
31.05.97 - INDYCARPatrick Carpentier gave himself a chance of upstaging Paul Tracy on Sunday by setting the fastest time in unofficial practice on Friday. Carpentier, in his seventh race of the series, set a fastest time of 20.397 seconds, just ahead of Brazilian driver Mauricio Gugelmin. Tracy was third fastest with Scott Pruett and Greg Moore just behind. "In the last three races Paul and I have been close but I know we'll have a struggle," said Carpentier.
Friday's practice times: secs 1 P Carpentier Can Reynard 20.397 2 M Gugelmin Brz Reynard 20.405 3 P Tracy Can Penske 20.572 4 S Pruett US Reynard 20.634 5 G Moore Can Reynard 20.646 6 R Boesel Brz Reynard 20.692 7 P Johnstone US Reynard 20.838 8 G de Ferran Brz Reynard 20.878 9 M Andretti US Swift 20.949 10 B Rahal US Reynard 20.992