July 1998




04.07.98
F1:- David Coulthard insists he is still the biggest threat to championship leader and McLaren team-mate Mika Hakkinen. Michael Schumacher and Ferrari are homing in on the Finn because Coulthard has been dogged by bad luck in his last three races. However, Coulthard said: "I think it is going to be difficult to pull back 20 points but it is possible. "I am not going to adopt a negative attitude. I will try to win the British Grand Prix and take it from there."



FERRARI CHALLENGE:- Britain's Nigel Albon steered his Ferrari F355 to victory in the Ferrari Challenge at the Asian Festival of Speed at the Johor circuit, Malaysia. He won the 216-mile race to stay on course to retain his overall title.



JIM CLARK MEMORIAL RALLY
LEADERBOARD after stage 15 of 26
(Interim)                     hr min sec
 1 Buckley/Ewing     Subaru     1:15:58
 2 Price/Broad       MG Metro   1:20:10
 3 Griffiths/Davies  MG Metro   1:21:28
 4 Rooke/Sorensen    Ford       1:21:30
 5 Paterson/Harris   Subaru     1:21:35
 6 Hendy/Milton      Ford       1:22:38
 7 Worswick/Molyneux Ford       1:22:39
 8 Porter/Simmons    Lancer     1:22:54
 9 Vassallo/Redpath  Subaru     1:23:26
10 Turnbull/Dawson   Ford       1:23:29

LURGAN PARK RALLY, N Ireland:- Belgian Patrick Snijers beat Derek McGarrity by eight seconds to take the spoils in Northern Ireland in what was his third attempt. SEAT won the Formula Two Cup for the second year running after a fine drive by Gwyndaf Evans and co-driver Conor O'Dwyer, the National Hunt jockey. Evans said: "Conor did an extremely good job in the co-driver's seat." O'Dwyer joked: "Heading towards Becher's Brook in the Grand National will be no problem after this."


Final positions:              mins secs
 1 Snijers/McKee     Ford      14:18.7
 2 McGarrity/C'rthrs Ford      14:26.6
 3 McKinstry/N Orr   Subaru    14:32.6
 4 B'ggstaff/McC'lss Metro     14:35.8
 5 Evans/O'Dwyer     SEAT      14:38.7
 6 Colbert/Burrows   Metro     14:45.7
 7 Leckey/McNickle   Subaru    14:48.2
 8 Vatenen/Gallagher Subaru    14:55.4
 9 Gass/I Orr        Ford      15:03.9
10 White/Brown       Ford      15:08.1






05.07.98
SPA 24 HRS:- Belgians Marc Duez and Eric van de Poele and France's Alain Cudini drove their BMW 320i to victory in the Spa 24-hour race in Belgium.



PORSCHE CUP:- Leicester's Malcolm Sargent earned two wins in round six of the Pirelli Porsche Cup at Castle Combe. Peter Chambers and Godfrey Jones emerged unscathed after a huge accident in the first race, where both cars went over the top of a barrier.






07.07.98 - F1
The Australian Grand Prix will stay at Melbourne's Albert Park for at least the next eight years. The Victorian state government decided to keep the event which moved to Melbourne in 1996 after it had been staged in Adelaide for 11 years. Victoria estimate that this year's race made a net profit of just over $3m and nearly $60m for the state. The race has also been voted the world's best Grand Prix by the Formula One teams for the last two years.

The BMW Motorsport management team have named Gerhard Berger as their new motorsport director as they build up for their Formula One return in 2000.






08.07.98 - F1: THE BRITISH GP
David Coulthard is hoping to regain his early season form on Sunday in a bid to press home his title claim. "I am looking forward to it as it is my home grand prix," he said. "I feel comfortable with the environment and enjoy increased spectator support. "It is a nice feeling knowing many of the marshals and staff but there are extra pressures as one of the four British drivers in Formula One. "I get many more demands on my time for this race."

McLaren star David Coulthard knows Silverstone well after many hours of racing and testing at the circuit ` but he has never won on the track. "Out of all this year's races, this is the one I would really love to win. My first Formula One win in Britain would give me immense satisfaction," he said. "However, Silverstone puts up a range of challenges and there are at least 10 other drivers intent on winning. Like the majority of tracks these days overtaking opportunities are limited."

Michael Schumacher has never won the British race and Ferrari last triumped in Northamptonshire in 1990 but recent form suggests that record could change. McLaren had threatened to take the spoils well before the end of the season but Schumacher is now just six points behind leader Mika Hakkinen. Ferrari had stated that 1998 was the year they would be ready to win their first drivers' crown since 1979. Schumacher's consistent displays suggest that could well be the case.

Williams have dominated this race in recent years, with six victories in the last seven grands prix at Silverstone. However, this year Jacques Villeneuve is set to relinquish his world title without a fight and his team are only fourth in the constructors' standings. The absence of design wizard Adrian Newey, who is now installed at McLaren, and the Renault works engines has contributed to the lack of success. The FW20 has been more reliable of late but Williams are yet to win in 1998.

Damon Hill earned his first 1997 point at Silverstone and if he repeats that at least this year you can expect the loudest cheer of the day. Hill's Silverstone-based Jordan team have yet to win a point all year. He was lying just out of the points last year while driving for Arrows but a late Shinji Nakano retirement left him in sixth place. Jacques Villeneuve won the race but the roof almost came off the stand as Hill crossed the line way down in his wake.

Jordan were handed a boost before their home grand prix when Ralf Schumacher posted the fastest time after three days of testing by the teams. His team-mate Damon Hill was ninth quickest but was pleased with the aerodynamic changes made to his car. He said: "I feel the work we have done in testing will have a positive effect. The aero-modifications are certainly a step forward. Honda have made improvements with a new exhaust and we have made changes to the suspension."

Benetton's 'rookie' duo of Alexander Wurz and Giancarlo Fisichella have been improving with every race and Silverstone should suit the car. "It is one of the classic circuits with a good mixture of very fast corners, which our car seems to like," confirmed technical director Pat Symonds. "There are also quite a lot of bumps on the track, which presents us with fewer problems than some of the other teams. It can be hard on tyres but our work with Bridgestone has been productive."

Arrows claimed their first point in Northamptonshire last season and a similar result this season would be a major boost to the team. Driver Mika Salo said: "Silverstone is the fastest circuit and I have been driving this track for 10 years now. This one has the best layout so far. Our test with the new C-spec engine was encouraging and I view it as a big improvement for the team." His team-mate Pedro Diniz added: "I like the circuit very much."

Tyrrell are hoping the recent three-day test sessions at Silverstone will boost the team's chances on Sunday. "Silverstone deserves full marks for a smooth surface capable of generating high levels of grip," said managing director Dr Harvey Postlethwaite. "It is a place where a Formula One car can really be unleashed. It is our home event and we want to go well. We are hopeful we have got to the bottom of the mechanical problems that have blighted our performances."

Sunday's race is scheduled to start at 2pm and should last for 60 laps. Silverstone is owned and operated by the British Racing Drivers' Club and has held the British Grand Prix annually since 1987. The Northamptonshire track opened for racing in 1948 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Silverstone is 5.140km, or 3.194 miles, in length and the race distance is set to be 308.406 km or 191.634 miles and race-day is a 90,000 sell-out.

Silverstone staged the first-ever round of the Formula One World Championship in 1950. It shared the British Grand Prix with Aintree and then Brands hatch before gaining sole rights in 1987. Sunday's race will be the 33rd British Grand Prix at the circuit. Jim Clark and Alain Prost both won the British Grand Prix five times. The last Briton to win the race was Johnny Herbert for Benetton in 1995.


1997 result:
1 J Villeneuve Can Williams
2 J Alesi      Fr  Benetton
3 A Wurz       Aut Benetton
4 D Coulthard  GB  McLaren
5 R Schumacher Ger Jordan
6 D Hill       GB  Arrows
Fastest race lap: M Schumacher 1:24.475

Previous winners:
1997 J Villeneuve Can Williams
1996 J Villeneuve Can Williams
1995 J Herbert    GB  Benetton
1994 D Hill       GB  Williams
1993 A Prost      Fr  Williams
1992 N Mansell    GB  Williams
1991 N Mansell    GB  Williams
1990 A Prost      Fr  Ferrari
1989 A Prost      Fr  McLaren
1988 A Prost      Fr  McLaren
1987 N Mansell    GB  Williams
1986 N Mansell    GB  Williams






09.07.98
F1:- British American Racing want former world champion Damon Hill to drive for them in 1999. The team bought out Tyrrell and Jacques Villeneuve has also been linked with them because managing director Craig Pollock is a friend of the Canadian. Pollock said: "Damon is underestimated. I do not know what he wants but I would not rule out talks. It would be stimulating to have Damon or Jacques." Hill has the option to walk out of Jordan at the end of this year.

Michael Schumacher looks set to extend his stay with Ferrari. Ahead of Sunday's British Grand Prix, Schumacher hinted that he was going to sign up with the Italian team for another two years. Asked about the offer, he said: "We have talked and there is no reason why I should not stay." Schumacher has been linked with McLaren but his manager Willi Weber said he has not represented the German in talks with the British team.

Championship leader Mika Hakkinen believes his experience and McLaren's know-how will give him the edge over Michael Schumacher on Sunday. The German is just six points behind Hakkinen going into the British Grand Prix at Silverstone at the weekend. However, Hakkinen said: "There is always going to be pressure and when you are in the leading position the pressure is going to be ever more. "I am leading the championship and that is the most important thing."

David Coulthard has admitted that his decision to hand McLaren team-mate Mika Hakkinen victory in Australia could cost him the title. The Scot trails the Finn by 20 points and needs a win in Sunday's British Grand Prix to get back on track. Coulthard slowed down to give Hakkinen victory in Melbourne last March because of a pre-race deal and he said: "It is costing me points in the championship. "Faced with the same set of circumstances I would do it again."



BRITISH GTs (Silverstone):- John Greasley and Magnus Wallinder set the fastest time in the first qualifying session for Sunday's race. They clocked one minute, 45.366 seconds to finish just 0.005 seconds ahead of Steve O'Rourke and Tim Sugden in their McLaren F1 GTR. Favourites Julian Bailey and Tiff Needell were third quickest. Meanwhile, Kurt Luby and Richard Dean were fastest in the GT2 class, ahead of the Porsche GT2 of Geoff Lister and John Morrison.


First qualifying session (Thurs):mins secs
 1 Greasley/W'der Porsche  GT1 1:45.365
 2 O'Rourke/S'gdn McLaren  GT1 1:45.371
 3 Bailey/Needell Lister   GT1 1:45.516
 4 Ulrich/Flux    Lister   GT1 1:45.783
 5 Fisken/Hardman McLaren  GT1 1:46.395
 6 Hewland/Evans  Lister   GT1 1:49.241
 7 Portman/C-W'tr Harrier  GT1 1:51.414
 8 Neal/Leslie    Porsche  GT1 1:51.770
 9 Lindsay/Ward   Harrier  GT1 1:54.026
10 Kent/V'rdn-Roe TVR      GT1 1:54.389
11 Luby/Dean      Chrysler GT2 1:54.421
12 Lister/M'rison Porsche  GT2 1:55.616


F3 (Silverstone):- Darren Manning is on course to become the first driver to win the British Grand Prix support race twice. The 23-year-old claimed provisional pole for Saturday's showdown after the first qualifying session with a time of one minute, 43.898 seconds. Denmark's Kristian Kolby was second quickest in 1:44.362. Paul Stewart Racing's Mario Haberfeld was third fastest, while fellow Brazilian and team-mate Luciano Burti was fifth fastest.


First qualifying session (Thurs):mins secs
 1 D Manning   GB  Speedsport 1:43.898
 2 K Kolby     Den Fortec     1:44.362
 3 M Haberfeld Brz P Stewart  1:44.362
 4 R Mauricio  Brz A Docking  1:44.508
 5 E Bernoldi  Brz Promatecme 1:44.617
 6 L Burti     Brz P Stewart  1:44.708
 7 B Collins   GB  Intersport 1:44.910
 8 Y Igarashi  Jpn A Docking  1:44.916
 9 J Spence    GB  M Donnelly 1:44.952
10 W Hughes    GB  Portman    1:44.961

F3000 (Hockenheim):- Norfolk-based Den Bla Avis had their most productive two-day test sessions of the season in Germany. Jason Watt was second fastest behind West Competition's Nick Heidfeld, while Gareth Rees clocked the fourth quickest time in Hockenheim. The first day of testing was hit by rain but Heidfeld set the pace on the second day. Watt and Rees eclipsed the performance of sister team Super Nova Racing, with Juan Pablo Montoya sixth fastest.


Test session:                mins secs
 1 N Heidfeld    West Comp    2:00.891
 2 J Watt        Den Bla Avis 2:01.135
 3 G Rodgrigues  Astromega    2:01.210
 4 G Rees        Den Bla Avis 2:01.216
 5 A Muller      Team Oreca   2:01.235
 6 JP Montoya    Super Nova   2:01.323
 7 W Lupberger   Edenbridge   2:01.403
 8 N Minassian   West Comp    2:01.432
 9 K Mollekens   Arden/KTR    2:01.568
10 S Sarrazin    Apomatox     2:01.709





10.07.98
F1: THE BRITISH GP
David Coulthard turned in the quickest time in Friday's free-practice session, edging McLaren-Mercedes teammate and Championship leader Mika Hakkinen. Coulthard, fined $8,000 for speeding in the pit lane, clocked 1 min 25.640 secs, with Hakkinen next in 1:25.764. Heinz-Harald Frentzen boosted Williams to take third in 1:26.107 and teammate Jacques Villeneuve followed in 1:26.114 Eddie Irvine was next while Michael Schumacher was seventh and Damon Hill 10th despite a promising morning.

David Coulthard struck a cautionary note as McLaren again showed their dominance in Friday's session. He said: "It doesn't guarantee anything. It's a similar situation to what we had last year. Michael was leading the championship by 17 points at this point last season, but Jacques still won. People have very short memories and the championship is following its normal form. I am hopeful that ultimately we will triumph."


Friday's free practice times:
 1 D Coulthard   GB  McLaren  1:25.640
 2 M Hakkinen    Fin McLaren  1:25.764
 3 H-H Frentzen  Ger Williams 1:26.107
 4 J Villeneuve  Can Williams 1:26.114
 5 E Irvine      GB  Ferrari  1:26.791
 6 G Fisichella  It  Benetton 1:26.840
 7 M Schumacher  Ger Ferrari  1:26.844
 8 A Wurz        Aut Benetton 1:27.121
 9 R Schumacher  Ger Jordan   1:27.460
10 D Hill        GB  Jordan   1:27.667
11 J Herbert     GB  Sauber   1:27.978
12 J Alesi       Fr  Sauber   1:28.136
13 T Takagi      Jpn Tyrrell  1:28.258
14 R Barrichello Brz Stewart  1:28.339
15 J Trulli      It  Prost    1:28.685
16 J Verstappen  Hol Stewart  1:28.983
17 O Panis       Fr  Prost    1:29.193
18 M Salo        Fin Arrows   1:29.262
19 P Diniz       Brz Arrows   1:29.375
20 R Rosset      Brz Tyrrell  1:29.664
21 S Nakano      Jpn Minardi  1:30.090
22 E Tuero       Arg Minardi  1:30.266
Williams are rumoured to have lined up a deal to sign Cart champion Alex Zanardi for next season, say Five Live. Zanardi could replace world champion Jacques Villeneuve who has een linked with a move to new team British American Racing. BAR's managing director Craig Pollock is a friend of Villeneuve and they are also said to be chasing Damon Hill. Pollock is confident his team can make an immediate impact and said: "I feel the team could be competitive."



F3:-
Combined qualifying sessions: mins secs
 1 D Manning   GB  Speedsport 1:43.045
 2 L Burti     Brz P Stewart  1:43.556
 3 E Bernoldi  Brz Promatecme 1:43.671
 4 R Mauricio  Brz A Docking  1:43.823
 5 J Spence    GB  M Donnelly 1:43.928
 6 K Kolby     Den Fortec     1:44.089
 7 M O'Connell GB  Dallara    1:44.103
 8 M Haberfeld Brz P Stewart  1:44.202
 9 M Hynes     GB  Dallara    1:44.239
10 W Hughes    GB  Portman    1:44.410


BRITISH GTs (Silverstone): 
Combined qualifying sessions:  mins secs
 1 Greasley/W'der Porsche  GT1 1:45.366
 2 O'Rourke/S'gdn McLaren  GT1 1:45.371
 3 Bailey/Needell Lister   GT1 1:45.516
 4 Ulrich/Flux    Lister   GT1 1:45.783
 5 Fisken/Hardman McLaren  GT1 1:46.395
 6 Hewland/Evans  Lister   GT1 1:48.618
 7 Neal/Leslie    Porsche  GT1 1:49.711
 8 Portman/C-W'tr Harrier  GT1 1:51.414
 9 Luby/Dean      Chrysler GT2 1:53.411
10 Lindsay/Ward   Harrier  GT1 1:54.026
11 Kent/V'rdn-Roe TVR      GT1 1:54.389
12 Cunningham/K'g Chrysler GT2 1:55.122





11.07.98
F1: THE BRITISH GP
Championship leader Mika Hakkinen took his sixth pole of the season in impressive style for Sunday's showdown. The flying Finn spun off the track and had to switch cars but came through to clock a time of 1 min 23.271 secs. Michael Schumacher (1:23.720) is second on the grid followed by Jacques Villeneuve. David Coulthard had to settle for fourth fastest. Eddie Irvine took fifth, Heinz-Harald Frentzen was sixth, Damon Hill was seventh and Johnny Herbert ninth.

David Coulthard was dejected after failing to win a place on the front row for Sunday's race. The Scot needs a win to get his title ambitions back on track but was only fourth fastest in qualifying. "It is the most disappointing moment I can remember," he revealed. "It could be very damaging for the race and for the championship. I felt as though I was up against a brick wall out there. It indicates there is a problem there."

Damon Hill is disappointed that he is not starting higher than seventh for Jordan's home race on Sunday. "I went out on the last lap hoping I could really do something special," he said. "I do not feel like I got the best lap I could. Jacques Villeneuve is a few 10ths of a second ahead and is third on the grid." Rain is expected to hit the race on Sunday and Hill added: "I am more worried, like everyone else, about this prediction of bad weather."


Saturday's qualifying times:
 1 M Hakkinen    Fin McLaren  1:23.271
 2 M Schumacher  Ger Ferrari  1:23.720
 3 J Villeneuve  Can Williams 1:24.310
 4 D Coulthard   GB  McLaren  1:24.436
 5 E Irvine      GB  Ferrari  1:24.442
 6 H-H Frentzen  Ger Williams 1:24.542
 7 D Hill        GB  Jordan   1:25.081
 8 J Alesi       Fr  Sauber   1:25.084
 9 J Herbert     GB  Sauber   1:25.461
10 G Fisichella  It  Benetton 1:25.760
11 A Wurz        Aut Benetton 1:26.376
12 P Diniz       Brz Arrows   1:26.376
13 M Salo        Fin Arrows   1:26.487
14 J Trulli      It  Prost    1:26.808
15 J Verstappen  Hol Stewart  1:26.948
16 R Barrichello Brz Stewart  1:26.990
17 T Takagi      Jpn Tyrrell  1:27.061
18 E Tuero       Arg Minardi  1:28.051
19 S Nakano      Jpn Minardi  1:28.123
20 R Rosset      Brz Tyrrell  1:28.608
21 O Panis       Fr  Prost    1:26.847
22 R Schumacher  Ger Jordan   1:25.461

* Panis and R Schumacher both demoted after failing to comply with technical regulations during qualifying.

Jordan boss Eddie Jordan believes stories about Damon Hill quitting the team and the sport are just part of "artful negotiations" by the driver. The team chief says such threats are typical of a grand prix star in the middle of contract talks. "Drivers are artful negotiators," said Jordan. "They all seem to come out with similar lines at this time of year. The idea of him not continuing is totally inconsistent with the conversations I am having with him."



BRITISH F3 (Silverstone)
Round 10 result:              mins secs
 1 D Manning   GB  Speedsport 23:21.312
 2 W Hughes    GB  Portman    23:27.347
 3 R Mauricio  Brz A Docking  23:30.461
 4 K Kolby     Den Fortec     23:33.998
 5 M Haberfeld Brz P Stewart  23:34.586
 6 A Yoong     Mal Dallara    23:35.565
 7 A Wilcox    GB  Dallara    23:39.548
 8 T Spouge    GB  Dallara    23:49.026
 9 A Pavicevic Aus Dallara    23:53.726
10 Y Igarashi  Jpn Dallara    23:57.102

Championship Positions:
1 Bernoldi  119 pts
2 Haberfeld 109
3 O'Connell  96






12.07.98
F1: THE BRITISH GP
McLaren's protest over Michael Schumacher's victory was thrown out by stewards at Silverstone. Mika Hakkinen had led from pole but after surviving one slide he could not keep his lead when he lost control again ten laps from the end. Confusion surrounded the result when Schumacher finished the race in the pits serving a 10-second penalty for overtaking a yellow flag. Hakkinen crossed the line but was unable to make up sufficient time.

David Coulthard's Championship hopes took a dive as he slid out in the rain. The Scot, only fourth fastest in qualifying, moved up to second behind teammate and Championship leader Mika Hakkinen and was closing. But as the rain became heavier and Coulthard pushed, he went sliding sadly into a gravel trap on lap 37. Damon Hill's hopes also disappeared in the rain as he lost control and spun out on lap 14, but Eddie Irvine's consistent run continued with third.

Michael Schumacher was in confusion after having to serve a penalty of ten seconds en route to his first UK win. "I still don't know the reason for my penalty," he admitted. "The radio in the car went about halfway and then I got a sign on the pit wall to come in. I thought we might have a fuel problem and I didn't think it was for a penalty Why Mika went wide I don't know. This was not the result we expected but it is very satisfactory to be only two points down going to the next race."

Defeated Mika Hakkinen rued the severe wet weather after sliding out of the lead with only ten laps remaining. "It is extremely disappointing," he said. "We were looking good until the heavy rain came. I didn't think I could stay in front because I had lost all my downforce when I went off before and damaged my front wing. At Becketts, the car just went straight and I could not turn. There was no way I could keep position."

Former champion Damon Hill admitted to mixed feelings after seeing Ralf Schumacher gain Jordan's first point. "I'm very pleased for him, but I'm obviously very disappointed that I didn't get stay up there myself. I managed to spin away," Hill said. "Ralf did very well coming from the back of the grid and he got a point so there's a lot to celebrate now. It's a change in the bad luck we've been having," added Hill, whose challenge was ended on the 14th lap.


Final positions: (after 60 laps)hr min sec
1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari   1:47.12.4
2 M Hakkinen   Fin McLaren   1:47.22.4
3 E Irvine     GB  Ferrari   1:47.29.1
4 A Wurz       Aut Benetton     1 lap
5 G Fisichella It  Benetton     1 lap
6 R Schumacher Ger Jordan       1 lap
7 J Villeneuve Can Williams     1 lap
8 S Nakano     Jpn Minardi      2 laps
9 T Takagi     Jpn Tyrell       4 laps
Retirements: Hill (13), Frentzen (15), Salo (27), Herbert (27), Truro (29), Rosset (29), Trulli (37), Coulthard (37), Verstappen (38), Barrichello (39) Panis (40), Diniz (45), Alesi (53)



DRIVERS' STANDINGS
 1 M Hakkinen    Fin  McLaren   56 pts
 2 M Schumacher  Ger  Ferrari   54
 3 D Coulthard   GB   McLaren   30
 4 E Irvine      GB   Ferrari   29
 5 A Wurz        Aut  Benetton  17
 6 G Fisichella  It   Benetton  15
 7 J Villeneuve  Can  Williams  11
 8 H-H Frentzen  Ger  Williams   8
 9 R Barrichello Brz  Stewart    4
10 J Alesi       Fr   Sauber     3
 = M Salo        Fin  Arrows     3
12 J Herbert     GB   Sauber     1
 = P Diniz       Brz  Arrows     1
 = J Magnussen   Den  Stewart    1

CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS
1 McLaren-Mercedes      86 pts
2 Ferrari               83
3 Benetton              32
4 Williams-Mecachrome   19
5 Stewart                5
6 Sauber-Petronas        4
= Arrows                 4

CHAMP CARS:- Scotland's Dario Franchitti finished third as competition leader Alex Zanardi extended his advantage by winning the Cleveland Grand Prix. Zanardi won his third Indy car race in a row and clinched his fifth triumph of the season after starting from third. Zanardi took the lead 12 laps into the 100-lap temporary street-course event over the 1.6-mile layout. American Michael Andretti was second, while Briton Mark Blundell came 10th.


Final positions:(all after 100 laps)
 1 A Zanardi    It  Honda
 2 M Andretti   US  Ford
 3 D Franchitti GB  Honda
 4 S Pruett     US  Ford
 5 A Fernandez  Mex Ford
 6 G de Ferran  Brz Honda
 7 J Vasser     US  Honda
 8 B Rahal      US  Ford
 9 P Carpenter  Can Mercedes
10 M Blundell   GB  Mercedes                

DRIVER STANDINGS:            Points
1 A Zanardi    It  Honda       155
2 G Moore      Can Merc-Benz    96
3 J Vasser     US  Honda        92
4 A Fernandez  Mex Ford         85
5 M Andretti   US  Ford         68






13.07.98 - F1
Michael Schumacher faces an agonising wait before discovering if his victory at Silverstone will stand. Defeated McLaren protested that the German should have received a 10-second penalty for overtaking Alexander Wurz while a yellow warning flag was raised. Stewards threw out the appeal but McLaren will now take the matter to the International Court of Appeal. A decision on that protest might not come until after the next race in Austria on Sunday week.

Damon Hill has dismissed rumours that he is considering retirement after crashing out at Silverstone. "I'm certainly optimistic for the future and the team seems to be moving forward," said Hill. "The race didn't go well for me but the most important thing is the team won their first point. I don't know where the story about my retirement came from because I don't think I ever said that but I'm used to rumours by now," he added.

Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine launched a stinging attack on Damon Hill after his performance at Silverstone. "He has become a menace on the track. He is a sad old man who appears to be a bad loser," said Irvine. "I had no trouble with any drivers until I got behind Hill. He was right back to his old tricks, weaving all over the place. I've got no time for Hill and he got his punishment when he went off. He should have had common sense."

David Coulthard has said sorry to his British fans for snubbing them as he trudged away from Silverstone. Coulthard shrugged aside their words of comfort when he made his way back to the Mclaren team to ask why he was not given wet tyres in the conditions. He said: "I want to apologise to the people who came up to me afterwards. I was just so focused and intent on coming back to the bus to discuss the choice made that I never spoke to anyone. Emotions were running high."






15.07.98
F1:- The FIA will hear McLaren's appeal over the British Grand Prix result in Paris on July 27 - a day after the next race in Austria. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher won the race in the pits after coming in for a 10-second stop-go penalty, while Mika Hakkinen was second for McLaren. Three race stewards have been invited to appear before the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on July 29. Schumacher is now only two points behind championship leader Hakkinen.



CHAMP CARS (Toronto):- Mark Blundell heads for round 11 of the series this Sunday still searching for his first win of the season. The Briton won the Toronto Molson Indy last year and led for 93 laps of the 95-lap race. Blundell feels he is capable of a podium finish and said: "It was one of the best races of my career. "It is one thing to lead from start to finish and another thing entirely to do it with Alex Zanardi breathing down your neck. It made winning sweeter."






16.07.98
F1:- Michael Schumacher has revealed that he is set to sign a contract extension with Ferrari. Speaking in Monza, where he has been testing ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, he said: "I am close to signing but cannot tell you when I will sign." His current deal runs out in 1999 and reports in Italy suggest he will extend the deal for three years, through 2002. Schumacher had his third straight win at Silverstone on Sunday and is two points behind leader Mika Hakkinen.

British American Racing have given Jean-Christophe Boullion the role of test driver. The 28-year-old currently lives in Oxford and has signed an agreement with the team, who begin racing in 1999. Boullion made 11 Formula One starts for Sauber in 1995 and has also been a test driver with Williams. He will begin work with Tyrrell, who were bought out by BAR, in the interim. Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill have also been linked with the team.



TOURING CARS:- Paula Cook has confirmed that she will compete in the final round of the RAC British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone on September 20-21. The Rotherham-based driver made the decision after a two-day test at Croft in the ex-Williams Renault Laguna run by DC Cook Motorsport. She recorded a best lap time of one minute, 22.8 seconds. "It was better than expected especially as I had just stepped out of my Formula Three car from the weekend," she said.



MINTEX RALLY SERIES:- Roger Duckworth will be defending a 13- point lead over Murray Grierson in round five of the championship in the Vale of Neath on Saturday. The two Subaru Impreza drivers will be battling it out in the six-stage rally, which also forms part of the Ka Championship and Micra Challenge. Scot Grierson won the event in 1993 and 1995 but his chances of a third win are reduced by the presence of Brian Lyall. Lyall is the defending national champion and won this rally last year.



ULSTER RALLY:- SEAT are entering two Ibiza kit cars in the Ulster International Rally from July 31 to August 1 and Robbie Head will play a crucial part. Gwyndaf Evans and Barbara Armstrong will be tackling the next stage of the Mobil 1 British Rally Championship. Head and co-driver Bryan Thomas will follow the route ahead of the event to analyse weather and road conditions. It means Head's proposed rally debut for SEAT has been put back to the Manx International Rally in September.






18.07.98
CHAMP CARS (Toronto):- Scotland's Dario Franchitti was fourth fastest in qualifying for Sunday's 11th round of the series. Mark Blundell, who won this race last year and is bidding for a podium place, was 10th quickest. Championship leader Alex Zanardi of Italy earned the best lap time, clocking 58.737 seconds. Gil de Ferran was the only other driver to dip under the 59-second mark and Michael Andretti was third quickest with 59:002.


Qualifying session (Fri):       secs
 1 A Zanardi    It  Honda      58:737
 2 G de Ferran  Brz Honda      58:862
 3 M Andretti   US  Ford       59:002
 4 D Franchitti GB  Honda      59:281
 5 T Kanaan     Brz Honda      59:329
 6 C Fittipaldi Brz Ford       59:509
 7 R Hearn      US  Ford       59:599
 8 B Rahal      US  Ford       59:627
 9 Al Unser Jnr US  Mercedes   59:645
10 M Blundell   GB  Mercedes   59:668

MINTEX RALLY SERIES:- Marcus Dodd earned his first championship win of the season in a car he had never seen before until the eve of the rally. The 27-year-old powerboat dealer from Poole collected a new Escort world rally car from Ford's motorsport headquarters in Essex on Friday night. He was fastest in all but the second stage of round six and pipped 1994 winner Steve Petch by 78 seconds. Roger Duckworth was third to extend his lead in the championship to 19 points.



Result after six stages:       Penalty
 1 Dodd/Bennie      Ford       1:11.08
 2 Petch/Croft      Ford       1:12.26
 3 Duckworth/B'feld Subaru     1:13.25
 4 Harrison/Cook    MG Metro   1:13.38
 5 Gwynne/O'Gorman  Subaru     1:13.40
 6 Smith/James      Ford       1:13.58
 7 P'lliskirk/Evans MG Metro   1:14.17
 8 Grierson/Roy     Subaru     1:15.16
 9 Robinson/M'bank  Ford       1:15.32
10 Tough/Addison    Mitsubishi 1:15.35





19.07.98 - CHAMP CARS
Italian Alessandro Zanardi's incredible year continued with a pass with three laps to go to win the Toronto CART Grand Prix on Sunday. The race belonged to the polesitter, Scottish-born Dario Franchitti who lead most of the race until he spun out on the 80th lap. Michael Andretti came second in his Swift Ford with teammate Jimmy Vasser in third position. Bobby Rahal and Bryan Herta finished fourth and fifth in Reynard Fords.






21.07.98
F1: THE AUSTRIAN GP
Jacques Villeneuve is set to quit Williams and join British American Racing next season, according to BBC Radio 5 Live. The deal will be revealed on Thursday but it is believed that the Canadian's race engineer Jock Clear is also moving to the new team. BAR bought out Tyrrell this year and will make their debut next season. Damon Hill, who had been linked with the outfit, is believed to be out of the running for the second berth.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen has been linked with a move to Prost-Peugeot for the 1999 campaign, according to German racing magazine Sport-Auto. Williams have warned Frentzen, who replaced Damon Hill, that he must accept a cut in salary if he wants to stay with the team. The German is believed to earn around £2m a year. He said: "Anyone hoping to win races over the next couple of years will not have an easy task at Williams."

This grand prix made a re-appearance on the calendar after 10 seasons last year and the A-1 Ring is an updated and reshaped version of the Osterreichring. Around £17.5m has been spent on the circuit since its last race in 1987. Canadian Jacques Villeneuve triumphed at the track last season ` on his way to capturing the world title. However, this season his Williams team have been upstaged by the McLaren and Ferrari drivers and there is little to suggest that will change in Austria.

Michael Schumacher is targeting his fourth straight win this weekend in a bid to lead the championship for the first time in 1998. After his controversial win in the British Grand Prix, Schumacher is just two points behind leader Mika Hakkinen. "It is a very different circuit to Silverstone," said Schumacher. "After our performance in testing and practice I did not expect that result. I am happy to be going to the A-1 ring and we should be very competitive."

After their early-season domination, McLaren have not won a race in their last three outings. Mika Hakkinen has seen his lead whittled down to just two points and David Coulthard appears to have only an outside chance of taking the title. McLaren have appealed against the Silverstone result, where Michael Schumacher took the spoils in the pits. The hearing will be held in Paris next week but the FIA are unlikely to overturn the result.

David Coulthard was tipped to be the top Briton this season but Eddie Irvine is threatening to take that honour. Michael Schumacher makes the headlines for Ferrari but the team's progress in the constructors' race has also been down to Irvine's consistent form. The Ulsterman, who has been linked with a move to Williams, is fourth in the standings and is just one point behind McLaren star Coulthard. Irvine is known to be considering his options for the 1999 campaign.

Jacques Villeneuve won here last year but is still looking for his first 1998 victory going into Sunday's race. After the waterlogged scenes at the British Grand Prix, Williams are hoping for fine weather so they can capitalise on the improvements made to the FW20. Villeneuve said: "I have memories of it being a fun but not demanding track. Since it is possible to overtake there I am looking forward to having a few battles. Silverstone qualifying showed we have a more competitive car."

Jordan claimed their first point of the season at their Silverstone base last time out but it was Ralf Schumacher and not Damon Hill who achieved the feat. Hill spun out in the British Grand Prix and will be desperate to make a mark. The 1996 champion was the first to admit he was at fault in front of his home crowd but he has also been hit by car problems and bad luck this year. He was one place off the points for Arrows last year so could go one better at least in a car with more potential.

Stewart are hoping engine improvements will aid their hunt for more points. Ford introduced the new Series 5 version of the Zetec-R V10 in qualifying for the last round of the championship at Silverstone. "Both drivers were impressed with the improved driveability and smoothness of the engine," said Ford's European director of motorsport Martin Whitaker. Managing director Paul Stewart added: "We cannot expect miracles but we do anticipate some improvement."

Tyrrell have less than half a season to make an impact before the new British American Racing team take over. BAR have bought the Woking-based outfit, who aim to get the most out of the Tyrrell-Ford 026 in Austria. "The A-1 Ring is definitely a high downforce circuit, although not in the same way as Monaco or the Hungaroring," said Tyrrell's David Brown. "We have also noticed that chassi balance there is even more dependent on track temperature."

Sunday's race is scheduled to last for 71 laps or 306.578km (189.57 miles). The Osterreichring, the original Austrian circuit, was constructed in 1968 and 18 races were staged there. The final race in 1987 needed three starts to get underway. Austria held its first grand prix at Zeltweg in 1964. The A-1 Ring also hosts the Austrian Motorcycling Grand Prix and that sport returned there in 1996.


1997 result:
1 J Villeneuve Can Williams
2 D Coulthard  GB  McLaren
3 H-H Frentzen Ger Williams
4 G Fisichella It  Jordan
5 R Schumacher Ger Jordan
6 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari
Fastest race lap: J Villeneuve 1:11.814 (record)


Previous winners:
1997 J Villeneuve Can Williams
Previous winners (Osterreichring):
1987 N Mansell    GB  Williams
1986 A Prost      Fr  McLaren
1985 A Prost      Fr  McLaren
1984 N Lauda      Aut McLaren
1983 A Prost      Fr  Renault

TOURING CARS:- The championship enters its decisive second phase with rounds 15 and 16 at Snetterton on Sunday. Volvo's Rickard Rydell is the leading contender, 42 points ahead of reigning champion Alain Menu, but at least five other drivers have a chance of glory. Neither Rydell or the Volvo team have ever won at Snetterton, a fact that the 29-year-old from Stockholm would quickly like to eradicate. Six different drivers have won the last six rounds in Norfolk.

Ford's Will Hoy believes he has a lucky link with the Snetterton circuit and is confident he can come out in front. "I watched my first ever race at Snetterton, so it has always been a special circuit to me," he said. "It's been kind to me, too - three of my BTCC victories have been there and I feel a fourth is on the cards. The Mondeo is a force in the wet or dry." Hoy lies eighth in the rankings after 14 of the 26 races and is a distant 100 points adrift of leader Rydell.

Renault's Jason Plato aims to begin his charge for the title after a stuttering start to the campaign. "I'm really looking forward to the second half of the season," he said. "For various reasons, the first half didn't produce the results we expected. "We have all had a bit of a rest and we will come back kicking. The Laguna goes well. I hope to win here again." Peugeot will also be keen to impress, and new engine modifications should improve their chances of doing well.






22.07.98

FORD FIESTA'S (Snetterton):-
Leading testing times (Wed):
1 P Cate              1:28.669
2 D Gibson            1:28.718
3 R Claydon           1:28.737
4 S Clarke            1:28.773
5 C Stancombe         1:28.945
6 N Gordon            1:28.959


F.FORD  (Snetterton):-
Leading testing times (Wed):
1 J Button            1:10.904
2 D Wheldon           1:10.943
3 M Ambrose           1:11.127
4 N Keisa             1:11.239
5 T Sisley            1:11.451
6 B Horne             1:11.512


VAUXHALL VECTRA (Snetterton):-
Leading testing times (Wed):
1 S Graves       GB   1:18.215
2 F Figueiredo   Brz  1:18.708
3 M Blair        GB   1:19.028
4 J Yeomans      GB   1:19.113
5 M Nichol       GB   1:19.417
6 D Gibson       GB   1:19.547


F.VAUXHALL JUNIOR (Snetterton):-
Leading testing times (Wed):
1 A Pizzonia     Brz  1:10.186
2 T Scheckter    Za   1:10.258
3 R Lyons        GB   1:10.293
4 J Hanson       GB   1:10.541
5 R Bell         GB   1:10.721
6 J Dalziel      GB   1:10.809





23.07.98
F1:- Michael Schumacher predicted Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve could run into trouble with his new team next season. Schumacher said the 27-year-old faced a leap into the unknown after his move to British American Racing. "It's a different experience to build a new team and to start from scratch," warned Schumacher. "It'll be interesting to see which way it goes. It could go either way. There is more uncertainty with a new team."

Jacques Villeneuve has signed up with British American Racing. The 27-year-old Formula One world champion will join the new outfit in their debut 1999 season. Craig Pollock, BAR's managing director said: "His presence will go a long way towards our goal of being competitive in the shortest time possible." Villeneuve, who was a student of Pollock's at school in Switzerland, is free to leave Williams at the end of the year.



RALLYING:- Colin McRae will be looking to extend his world championship lead when the Rally New Zealand begins on Friday. Scotland's McRae won the Acropolis rally in his Subaru Impreza last month to take the championship lead from Toyota's Carlos Sainz. He will be first off the blocks when the super special stage starts at Manukau, south of Auckland. McRae will be followed by Sainz and defending world champion Tommi Makinen in his Mitsubishi.




TOURING CARS (Snetterton):-
Leading testing times (Thur):
                       min secs
 1 J Thompson          1:09.176
 2 A Reid              1:09.431
 3 D Leslie            1:09.654
 4 W Hoy               1:09.854
 5 D Warwick           1:09.891
 6 T Harvey            1:09.893
 7 P Kox               1:09.897
 8 G Mordidelli        1:09.984
 9 J Cleland           1:10.067
10 A Menu              1:10.093





24.07.98
F1: THE AUSTRIAN GP
David Coulthard showed plenty of determination as he set the fastest time in Friday's free practice. He edged out Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella by just one 1000th of a second with a 1:13.703 lap. The 27-year-old Scot, third quickest in the morning session, sliced almost a second off his previous best time to boost his hopes of claiming pole. Team-mate Mika Hakkinen also improved to finish third quickest with Britain's Johnny Herbert fourth in his Sauber.


Friday's practice times:
 1 D Coulthard   GB  McLaren  1:13.703
 2 G Fisichella  It  Benetton 1:13.704
 3 M Hakkinen    Fin McLaren  1:13.746
 4 J Herbert     GB  Sauber   1:14.103
 5 R Barrichello Brz Stewart  1:14.302
 6 A Wurz        Aut Benetton 1:14.397
 7 M Schumacher  Ger Ferrari  1:14.411
 8 E Irvine      GB  Ferrari  1:14.523
 9 D Hill        GB  Jordan   1:14.535
10 J Alesi       Fr  Sauber   1:14.627
11 J Trulli      It  Prost    1:14.685
12 O Panis       Fra Prost    1:14.755
13 J Villeneuve  Can Williams 1:14.820
14 R Schumacher  Ger Jordan   1:15.117
15 T Tagaki      Jpn Tyrrell  1:15.158
16 J Verstappen  Hol Stewart  1:15.231
17 H-H Frentzen  Ger Williams 1:15.345
18 M Salo        Fin Arrows   1:15.696
19 S Nakano      Jpn Minardi  1:16.171
20 P Diniz       Brz Arrows   1:16.303
21 E Tuero       Arg Minardi  1:16.582
22 R Rosset      Brz Tyrrell  1:18.469

TOURING CARS:- Series leader Rickard Rydell maintained his Touring Car dominance by setting the fastest time in official testing for Sunday's races at Snetterton. The Swede shrugged off a sore back to average more than 102mph and top the time sheets in preparation for rounds 15 and 16 at the Norfolk circuit. "Obviously I'm pleased but one small mistake could cost you 10 places on the grid," Rydell said. He added: "Qualifying itself is going to be incredibly close."






25.07.98
F1: THE AUSTRIAN GP
Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella produced a superb drive to claim pole position in the dying seconds of the rain-hit qualifying session. The Italian secured his first ever pole by edging out Sauber's Jean Alesi. Michael Schumacher had looked set for his first pole of 1998 but was fourth quickest - just behind championship leader Mika Hakkinen. Eddie Irvine was eighth, David Coulthard 14th, Damon Hill 15th and Johnny Herbert 18th.

The less-fancied teams were able to make a name for themselves in the dying minutes of qualifying as the track dried out. The drivers did not take to the circuit until 27 minutes of the session had elapsed because of heavy rain. Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi will start on the front row but late bursts by Rubens Barrichello and Mika Salo gave Stewart and Arrows a boost. Barrichello was fifth fastest and Salo was a place behind him.

Italian 'rookie' Giancarlo Fisichella was delighted after earning his first pole position. He denied Swiss team Sauber their first top placing on the grid and admitted: "It is unbelivable." A downpour hit the circuit during the first part of the session but Fisichella excelled in the conditions. "I hope it is wet again during the race," he said. "I spun twice and then I decided to go out in a different set of tyres."

David Coulthard was disappointed by his qualifying performance but believes he can still drive into the points in Sunday's race. The Scot was only 14th fastest but he told BBC Radio Five Live: "It was disappointing but I would still expect to get in the points. I feel that if I could have had another lap I would have been further up the grid. There is nothing wrong with the car it was just an unfortunate session."

Damon Hill hit out at his Jordan team after a disappointing qualifying session left him 15th on the grid. "We missed a great opportunity," said Hill, who is still looking for his first point of 1998. You have to finish your laps just as the session is ending. That is the first rule of wet-weather qualifying. I finished a good few minutes before the end of the session. I think we could have been in the top four. I need to discuss this with the team."

McLaren-Mercedes admitted that they made an attempt to lure Michael Schumacher from Ferrari. Mercedes-Benz sporting director Norbert Haug said the team spoke to the former world champion before he signed a new deal with the Italian outfit. "We spoke but we did not find a way," revealed Haug. The move leaves a question mark over Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard but team boss Ron Dennis says he will announce his 1999 driver line-up soon.

McLaren plan to protest against alleged use by Ferrari of a banned traction control system. McLaren team boss Ron Dennis said he was "bitterly disappointed" that news of a possible protest by his team had been leaked to the media by Ferrari. Dennis claimed there had been a pre- season agreement between the two teams to keep such matters private until action was taken formally. Ferrari team boss Jean Todt denied any such agreement existed.


Saturday's qualifying times:  min secs
 1 G Fisichella  It  Benetton 1:29.598
 2 J Alesi       Fr  Sauber   1:30.317
 3 M Hakkinen    Fin McLaren  1:30.517
 4 M Schumacher  Ger Ferrari  1:30.551
 5 R Barrichello Brz Stewart  1:31.005
 6 M Salo        Fin Arrows   1:31.028
 7 H-H Frentzen  Ger Williams 1:31.515
 8 E Irvine      GB  Ferrari  1:31.651
 9 R Schumacher  Ger Jordan   1:31.917
10 O Panis       Fr  Prost    1:32.081
11 J Villeneuve  Can Williams 1:32.083
12 J Verstappen  Hol Stewart  1:32.099
13 P Diniz       Brz Arrows   1:32.206
14 D Coulthard   GB  McLaren  1:32.399
15 D Hill        GB  Jordan   1:32.718
16 J Trulli      It  Prost    1:32.906
17 A Wurz        Aut Benetton 1:33.185
18 J Herbert     GB  Sauber   1:33.205
19 E Tuero       Arg Minardi  1:33.399
20 T Takagi      Jpn Tyrrell  1:34.090
21 S Nakano      Jpn Minardi  1:34.536
22 R Rosset      Brz Tyrrell  1:34.910


TOURING CARS (Snetterton):- Anthony Reid moved into second position in the overall standings after taking pole position for both races on Sunday. Championship leader Rickard Rydell was only fourth and sixth fastest for rounds 15 and 16. Reid said: "So far, so good. Obviously, we at Nissan are aiming primarily for the manufacturers' title. However, I have not yet given up my dream of winning the drivers' title and these two poles can only help, especially with Rickard faring badly."


Round 15 qualifying times (Sat):min secs
 1 A Reid       GB  Nissan    1:08.841
 2 A Menu       Swi Renault   1:08.971
 3 J Plato      GB  Renault   1:09.031
 4 J Thompson   GB  Honda     1:09.052
 5 P Kox        NL  Honda     1:09.156
 6 R Rydell     Swe Volvo     1:09.189
 7 D Leslie     GB  Nissan    1:09.375
 8 G Morbidelli It  Volvo     1:09.593
 9 M Neal       GB  Nissan    1:09.601
10 Y Muller     Fr  Audi      1:09.677             

Round 16 qualifying times (Sat):min secs
 1 A Reid       GB  Nissan    1:08.792
 2 A Menu       Swi Renault   1:08.815
 3 J Thompson   GB  Honda     1:08.841
 4 R Rydell     Swe Volvo     1:08.874
 5 J Plato      GB  Renault   1:08.957
 6 Y Muller     Fr  Audi      1:09.156
 7 P Kox        NL  Honda     1:09.189
 8 M Neal       GB  Nissan    1:09.239
 9 D Warwick    GB  Vauxhall  1:09.322
10 G Morbidelli It  Volvo     1:09.346


NEW ZEALAND RALLY:- Colin McRae slipped down to third place after leading for four of the eight stages on the opening leg after colliding with a spectator. The man suffered a broken leg and was airlifted to hospital after being struck at a corner half way through the sixth stage in the Maramarua Forest. The Subaru driver is 4.4 seconds adrift of overnight leader Didier Auriol, with Carlos Sainz in second. Richard Burns is hot on McRae's heels in the Mitsubishi in fourth.


Positions after stage 8:
(end of first leg)         overall time 
 1 D Auriol    Fr  Toyota      27:02.7
 2 C Sainz     Sp  Toyota      27:04.9
 3 C McRae     GB  Subaru      27:07.1
 4 R Burns     GB  Mitsubishi  27:15.7
 5 J Kankkunen Fin Ford        27:18.8
 6 T Makinen   Fin Mitsubishi  27:25.8
 7 M Gronholm  Swe Toyota      27:27.2
 8 P Liatti    It  Subaru      27:40.2
 9 T Radstrom  Swe Toyota      27:49.8
10 P Bourne    NZ  Subaru      27:59.5


CHAMP CARS (Michigan):-
Final qualifying times (Sat):   secs
 1 A Fernandez  Mex Ford       31:370
 2 J Vasser     US  Honda      31:461
 3 R Hearn      US  Ford       31:546
 4 A Unser jr   US  Mercedes   31:592
 5 B Herta      US  Ford       31:663
 6 S Pruett     US  Ford       31:674
 7 A Zanardi    It  Honda      31:685
 8 M Andretti   US  Ford       31:700
 9 C Fittipaldi Brz Ford       31:724
10 G de Ferran  Brz Honda      31:832
16 D Franchitti GB  Honda      31:987
19 M Blundell   GB  Mercedes   32.120


RENAULT SPIDER CUP (Snetterton):-
Round nine qualifying (Sat):
1 N Hart                1:16.140
2 D Vercoe              1:16.356
3 S Wiseman             1:16.414
4 D Henderson           1:16.614
5 S Hill                1:16.666
6 A Priaulx             1:16.689


VECTRA SRi V6 CHALLENGE (Snetterton):-
Round eight qualifying (Sat):
1 F Figueiredo          1:18.097
2 S Graves              1:18.355
3 M Blair               1:18.586
4 J Yeomans             1:18.858
5 M Nichol              1:19.302
6 D Gibson              1:19.349


F.FORD (Snetterton):-
Round eight qualifying (Sat):
1 J Button              1:10.268
2 M Ambrose             1:10.348
3 D Wheldon             1:10.375
4 N Kiesa               1:10.468
5 D Hayes               1:10.762
6 C Murray              1:10.770


FORD FIESTA'S (Snetterton):-
Round eight qualifying (Sat):
1 S Clarke              1:27.984
2 N Gordon              1:28.017
3 D Gibson              1:28.078
4 I Churchill           1:28.154
5 P Cate                1:28.218
6 J Levy                1:28.224



F.VAUXHALL JUNIOR (Snetterton):-
Round nine qualifying (Sat):min secs
1 R Lyons           GB  1:09.974
2 T Scheckter       SA  1:10.358
3 L Walker          GB  1:10.397
4 K Hall            GB  1:10.471
5 J Hanson          GB  1:10.639
6 J Dalziel         GB  1:10.748

Round 10 qualifying (Sat):
1 A Pizzonia        Brz 1:10.232
2 L Walker          GB  1:10.236
3 R Lyons           GB  1:10.241
4 T Scheckter       SA  1:10.309
5 K Hall            GB  1:10.592
6 J Hanson          GB  1:10.664



F.RENAULT SPORT (Snetterton):-
Round nine qualifying (Sat):
                        min secs
1 D Bell            GB  1:07.920
2 A Coelho          Brz 1:07.970
3 V Meira           GB  1:08.042
4 T Sriachavanon    Th  1:08.081
5 T Mullen          GB  1:08.166
6 R Austin          GB  1:08.393
Star Cup:
8 R Kerr            GB  1:09.081
                            

F3000 (A1-Ring):-
Race result after 48 laps (Sat):hr min sec
 1 S Ayari      Fr    Durango 1:11.04.2
 2 J Montoya    Col   Super N 1:11.26.2
 3 J Watt       Den   Den Bla 1:11.31.8
 4 G Rodriguez  Uru   Team As 1:11.32.5
 5 N Minassian  Fr    W Comp  1:11.36.1
 6 B Junqueira  Brz   Drace   1:11.37.3
 7 N Heidfeld   Ger   W Comp  1:11.42.0
 8 S Sarrazin   Fr    Apoma'g 1:11.42.2
 9 O Martini    It    Auto S  1:11.43.1
10 K Mollekens  Bel   Arden   1:11.49.2
17 C Horner     GB    Arden   1:12.29.7


QUINTON STAGES RALLY
Leaders after stage six:    min secs
1 Burton/Morgan   Peugeot    0:47:48
2 Winter/Jones    Rover      0:48:32
3 Bengry/F'brook  Mitsubishi 0:48:42
4 Smith/Clarke    Ford       0:49:18
5 Bell/Spooner    Mitsubishi 0:49:29
6 McGin'le/Astb'y Ford       0:49:43





26.07.98
F1: THE AUSTRIAN GP
Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard regained their early-season form to give McLaren their first one-two since the Spanish Grand Prix in May. Hakkinen moved from third to first at the start to take the spoils. Coulthard had to go into the pits for a new nosecone on lap one after a collision with Mika Salo but battled through the field to finish second. Michael Schumacher was third, Eddie Irvine fourth, Damon Hill seventh and Johnny Herbert eighth.

Michael Schumacher claimed third spot but he had to battle back from 16th place after a trip into the gravel. The uncharacteristic mistake left the Ferrari star way down the field but he steadily moved back to fourth. Then a brake problem for Eddie Irvine allowed the German to overtake his Ferrari team-mate. Ralf Schumacher took Jordan's points total to three by finishing fifth but former world champion Damon Hill just missed out in seventh.

Hopes of points finishes for Mika Salo and Rubens Barrichello came to an end early on when both had to retire. Stewart driver Barrichello had started fifth, while Arrows star Salo was sixth on the grid. Salo went out after colliding with David Coulthard on the first lap, forcing the Scot to make a pitstop. Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella, who had edged out Jean Alesi to take pole, went out after a collision with the Frenchman, whose race was also ended.

Finnish star Mika Hakkinen clinched his first win since the Monaco race back in May and extended his series lead over Michael Schumacher to eight points. "It was an excellent victory for me and the team," said the McLaren driver. Hakkinen moved up from third to first at the start and admitted: "I just kept my foot down and hoped for the best. I was not sure how fast Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi would be at the start so just concentrated on my own start."

David Coulthard earned a timely boost by finishing second, despite being hampered by a first-lap collision. The safety car came out after the Scot was hit by Mika Salo and Coulthard admitted: "It allowed me to change the wing and rejoin the field at the back." Coulthard had not been on the podium since the Spanish Grand Prix and had started in 14th place. He added: "It was nice to be on the podium after the bad qualifying session on Saturday."

Ferrari insisted their were no team orders, even though Michael Schumacher overtook team-mate Eddie Irvine in the closing stages to secure third place. Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn said: "The only team orders were not to knock each other off. We were marginal on brakes and the on-board data was showing us both cars were on the limit." Irvine added: "I had brake problems at the end so had to be a bit careful. You could see the brake dust."

Title-chasing Michael Schumacher was happy with third place after a mistake nearly ended his race. He went into the gravel and lost part of his wing and was down the field after the resulting pitstop. "It was a great pitstop by the guys," he said. "It was a stupid mistake by myself. I went off line and ran wide. Third place was good considering I was nearly out of the race. I thought I had damaged the car more than I had. I went back into the race in 16th place."

Ralf Schumacher outshone his Jordan team-mate Damon Hill for the second race in a row by taking fifth place. Hill was just out of the points in seventh and said: "We gambled on the strategy to move us up the grid. I made one of the best starts I can remember. However, that strategy meant I had to stop early and so overall I was not able to make up enough places. The car felt the best it has felt all season." Schumacher added: "I am very happy with how the race worked."

Giancarlo Fisichella's hopes of victory after the first pole position of his short career ended after 21 laps. The Benetton driver collided with Sauber's Jean Alesi and both men were forced out of the race. "I do not want to complain about Jean because usually he is a fair driver but this incident could have been avoided. I had just left the pits when I find myself alongside him. I overtook him, then when I braked I saw him shoot past on my left and close the door on me."

McLaren will learn on Monday if their appeal against Michael Schumacher's win at Silverstone has been successful. Schumacher won the race in the pits after taking a 10-second stop-go penalty at the en of the race. Mika Hakkinen was second for McLaren and is now eight points clear of Schumacher overall. The FIA hearing takes place in Paris but Schumacher said: "Ferrari did not make a mistake or commit an error. I cannot imagine we will be punished."

David Coulthard has been linked with the new British American Racing team. BAR, who bought out Tyrrell, announced this week that Williams star Jacques Villeneuve was joining them for 1999. Damon Hill had been linked with the team but BAR boss Craig Pollock told BBC Radio 5 Live: "David Coulthard has everything we need in a driver. He is a terrific driver, can put a car on pole position and knows how to win races. He would be ideal to have on board next year."


Result after 71 laps:       hr min sec
 1 M Hakkinen   Fin McLaren  1:30.44.0
 2 D Coulthard  GB  McLaren  1:30.49.3
 3 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari  1:31.23.1
 4 E Irvine     GB  Ferrari  1:31.28.0
 5 R Schumacher Ger Jordan   1:31.34.7
 6 J Villeneuve Can Williams 1:31.37.2
 7 D Hill       GB  Jordan   1:31.57.7
 8 J Herbert    GB  Sauber     one lap
 9 A Wurz       Aut Benetton   one lap
10 J Trulli     It  Prost      one lap
11 S Nakano     Jpn Minardi    one lap
12 R Rosset     Brz Tyrrell   two laps

DID NOT FINISH               Laps completed
13 J Verstappen  Hol Stewart       51
14 E Tuero       Arg Minardi       30
15 G Fisichella  It  Benetton      21
16 J Alesi       Fr  Sauber        21
17 H-H Frentzen  Ger Williams      16
18 R Barrichello Brz Stewart        8
19 P Diniz       Brz Arrows         3
20 M Salo        Fin Arrows         1
21 O Panis       Fr  Prost          0
22 T Takagi      Jpn Tyrrell        0
Fastest lap: D Coulthard 1:12.878


DRIVERS' STANDINGS
 1 M Hakkinen    Fin  McLaren   66 pts
 2 M Schumacher  Ger  Ferrari   58
 3 D Coulthard   GB   McLaren   36
 4 E Irvine      GB   Ferrari   32
 5 A Wurz        Aut  Benetton  17
 6 G Fisichella  It   Benetton  15
 7 J Villeneuve  Can  Williams  12
 8 H-H Frentzen  Ger  Williams   8
 9 R Barrichello Brz  Stewart    4
10 J Alesi       Fr   Sauber     3
 = M Salo        Fin  Arrows     3
 = R Schumacher  Ger  Jordan     3
13 J Herbert     GB   Sauber     1
 = P Diniz       Brz  Arrows     1
 = J Magnussen   Den  Stewart    1

CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS
1 McLaren-Mercedes     102 pts
2 Ferrari               90
3 Benetton              32
4 Williams-Mecachrome   20
5 Stewart                5
6 Sauber-Petronas        4
= Arrows                 4
8 Jordan                 3

TOURING CARS (Snetterton):- Anthony Reid won the Sprint Race and James Thompson claimed his second win of the season in the Feature Race. Reid made a great start but for most of the race Jason Plato stayed close behind the Nissan and the Renault driver eventually took second spot. The safety car was used for eight laps in the second race after a collision between Alain Menu and John Cleland, which ended their races. Championship leader Rickard Rydell was second behind Thompson.


Round 15 result (Sun):        min secs
 1 A Reid       GB  Nissan   20:11.954
 2 J Plato      GB  Renault  20:12.434
 3 A Menu       Swi Renault  20:12.704
 4 J Thompson   GB  Honda    20:15.880
 5 R Rydell     Swe Volvo    20:16.310
 6 D Leslie     GB  Nissan   20:16.516
 7 G Morbidelli It  Volvo    20:23.071
 8 W Hoy        GB  Ford     20:23.653
 9 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall 20:24.389
10 D Warwick    GB  Vauxhall 20:24.611

Round 16 result (Sun):       mins secs
 1 J Thompson   GB  Honda    52:37.426
 2 R Rydell     Swe Volvo     @ 04.335
 3 J Plato      GB  Renault   @ 08.407
 4 D Leslie     GB  Nissan    @ 08.866
 5 Y Muller     Fr  Audi      @ 09.123
 6 C Baird      NZ  Ford      @ 18.726
 7 J Bintcliffe GB  Audi      @ 24.417
 8 W Hoy        GB  Ford      @ 11.699
 9 J Cleland    GB  Vauxhall  @ 12.415
10 D Warwick    GB  Vauxhall  @ 12.657

DRIVER STANDINGS (after 16 rnds):
1 R Rydell   Swe Volvo S40     164 pts
2 J Thompson GB  Honda Accord  122
3 A Reid     GB  Nissan        119
4 J Plato    GB  Renault Lag   114
5 A Menu     Swi Renault Lag   113

CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
1 Nissan               172 pts
2 Volvo                170
3 Renault              168
4 Honda                141
5 Vauxhall             116

INDEPENDENTS:
1 T Rustad    163 pts
2 R Gravett   148
3 M Neal      124

NEW ZEALAND RALLY:- Colin McRae slipped back to fourth place on the second day after suffering two mishaps. McRae spun on the 12th stage and then slid wide on the penultimate stage and damaged the steering of his Subaru. Fellow Briton Richard Burns, who won the event two years ago, was 10 seconds and one place ahead of McRae. Didier Auriol strengthened his lead over his Toyota teammate Carlos Sainz to almost 31 seconds after winning five of the day's eight stages.


Positions after stage 18:
(at end of day two)         overall time
 1 D Auriol    Fr  Toyota     1:43:23.6
 2 C Sainz     Sp  Toyota     1:43:54.0
 3 R Burns     GB  Mitsubishi 1:44:08.5
 4 C McRae     GB  Subaru     1:44:18.0
 5 J Kankkunen Fin Ford       1:44:57.4
 6 T Makinen   Fin Mitsubishi 1:44:58.7
 7 P Liatti    It  Subaru     1:46:55.8
 8 T Radstrom  Swe Toyota     1:47:05.3
 9 P Bourne    NZ  Subaru     1:48:40.5
10 Y Fujimoto  Jpn Toyota     1:52:01.8

CHAMP CARS (Michigan):- Mexican Adrian Fernandez clinched his first CART pole and is in line for a bumper pay day if he triumphs in Sunday's race. He lapped the two-mile oval in 31.370 seconds and admitted: "This means an enormous amount to me. We are going to have a big party." Jimmy Vasser, who set the track record two years ago, was second fastest. Britain's Dario Franchitti and Mark Blundell will be 16th and 19th on the grid respectively.


Final qualifying times (Sat):   secs
 1 A Fernandez  Mex Ford       31:370
 2 J Vasser     US  Honda      31:461
 3 R Hearn      US  Ford       31:546
 4 A Unser jr   US  Mercedes   31:592
 5 B Herta      US  Ford       31:663
 6 S Pruett     US  Ford       31:674
 7 A Zanardi    It  Honda      31:685
 8 M Andretti   US  Ford       31:700
 9 C Fittipaldi Brz Ford       31:724
10 G de Ferran  Brz Honda      31:832
16 D Franchitti GB  Honda      31:987
19 M Blundell   GB  Mercedes   32.120


RENAULT SPIDER CUP (Snetterton):- Nick Hart halved the points gap on series leader Dan Eaves with a victory in the ninth round. Eaves finished fifth after starting from last place while Andy Priaulx set a new lap record on his way to a career best second.


Round nine result (Sun): mins secs
1 N Hart                17:59.909
2 A Priaulx             18:06.941
3 D Henderson           18:08.938
4 D Vercoe              18:09.941
5 D Eaves               18:12.483
6 J Hunter              18:14.276

FORD FIESTA'S (Snetterton):- Simon Clarke leads the series after converting his pole position into his first win of the season. Clarke was never headed throughout the 14-lap race.


Round eight result (Sun):mins secs
1 S Clarke              20:58.221
2 P Cate                21:02.244
3 N Gordon              21:02.518
4 A Morrison            21:04.439
5 D Gibson              21:13.762
6 R Claydon             21:16.398


F.FORD (Snetterton):- Jenson Button leads the Championship but Daniel Wheldon stole the show by winning the 15-lap event. Button was second to move three points clear of team-mate Derek Hayes.


Round eight result (Sun):mins secs
1 D Wheldon             17:52.719
2 J Button              17:52.810
3 N Kiesa               17:56.392
4 M Ambrose             17:59.490
5 C Murray              18:00.141
6 D Hayes               18:02.001


F.RENAULT SPORT (Snetterton):- Doug Bell claimed the spoils by edging out series leader Aluizio Coelho. Seventh-placed Gavin Jones took the Star Cup honours on his series return.


Round nine result (Sun):min secs
1 D Bell            GB  19:39.391
2 A Coelho          Brz 19:43.450
3 T Mullen          GB  19:47.699
4 T Sriachavanon    Th  19:53.327
5 V Meira           GB  19:56.199
6 C Clark           GB  19:56.944
7 G Jones           GB  20:02.407


F.VAUXHALL JUNIOR (Snetterton):-
Round 10 result (Sun):  mins secs
1 R Lyons           GB  25:55.617
2 L Walker          GB  25:57.862
3 A Pizzonia        Brz 25:57.921
4 G Paffett         GB  25:58.024
5 J Hanson          GB  25:59.537
6 J Fourie          GB  26:01.887

STANDINGS:
1 A Pizzonia   Brz  123 pts
2 R Lyons      GB   107
3 T Scheckter  Brz   71
4 R Bell       GB    54
5 J Fourie     SA    42


VECTRA SRi V6 CHALLENGE (Snetterton):-
Round eight result (Sun):mins secs
1 F Figueiredo          20:00.399
2 M Blair               20:07.780
3 G Coombes             20:17.533
4 J Yeomans             20:20.693
5 P Sears               20:21.393
6 D Pinkney             20:22.025

SUPERCUP:- Germany's Oliver Mathai repeated last year's victory at the A-1 Ring in Austria when triumphing in the fourth round of the Porsche Pirelli Supercup. Twenty-four-year-old student Matteo Maria Galimberti earned his best-ever Supercup result by finishing third and is also third in the standings.







27.07.98
F1:- McLaren will find out the result of their appeal over Ferrari star Michael Schumacher's July 12 win in the British Grand Prix on Tuesday. The German won the race in the Silverstone pits while taking a 10- second stop-go penalty. Mika Hakkinen was second in the race for McLaren, who launched a protest on the day but were unsuccessful. The FIA International Court of Appeal met in Paris but Ferrari are confident the result will stand.

David Coulthard is ready to stay at McLaren for another year, after being linked with Formula One new boys BAR. The Scot, who finished second in the Austrian Grand Prix, said: "I believe I will be at McLaren next year. I don't see a better alternative for myself or for the team. Mika Hakkinen and myself offer one of the best line- ups in Formula One. I believe I am still improving as a driver. I have more to offer and the best is still to come."



TOOURING CARS:- Triple Eight Race Engineering face a race against time to get their two Vauxhall Vectras ready for the next rounds of the Championship. Both cars were badly damaged in round 16 at the weekend and the team have just three days to rebuild the cars. Technical director John Gentry said: "The shell of Derek Warwick's car has gone off to the body shop. John Cleland's car stood up incredibly well considering the impact but it needs a complete new side."



NEW ZEALAND RALLY:- Carlos Sainz steered his Toyota to victory and leads the World Championship, ahead of British Subaru driver Colin McRae. The Spaniard is three points ahead of McRae, who could only finish fifth, and is now the most successful rally driver in history with 22 victories. France's Didier Auriol was second in his Toyota, while current world champion Tommi Makinen was third. Briton Richard Burns was ninth and is sixth in the standings.

Colin McRae's chances of victory ended with a puncture during the final stage and he finished fifth. "We had a great run through the first time and decided to take a risk by taking out the spare wheel to lighten the car on the second run," he said. "We were unlucky to get a puncture and had to run 30km through the section with a flat because the anti-deflation mousse also punctured. Obviously the result is disappointing because I have a good record here."


Result after 25 stages:       hr min sec
 1 C Sainz     Sp  Toyota     3:54:57.1
 2 D Auriol    Fr  Toyota     3:55.01.2
 3 T Makinen   Fin Mitsubishi 3:56.40.8
 4 J Kankkunen Fin Ford       3:57.03.8
 5 C McRae     GB  Subaru     3:58.47.5
 6 P Liatti    It  Subaru     3:59.25.2
 7 T Radstrom  Swe Toyota     4:02.28.6
 8 Y Kataoka   Jpn Mitsubishi 4:02.28.6
 9 R Burns     GB  Mitsubishi 4:10.26.6
10 Y Fujimoto  Jpn Toyota     3:28:39.4

DRIVER STANDINGS               Pts
1 C Sainz      Sp   Toyota      41
2 C McRae      GB   Subaru      38
3 T Makinen    Fin  Mitsubishi  28
4 J Kankkunen  Fin  Ford        27
= D Auriol     Fr   Toyota      27
6 R Burns      GB   Mitsubishi  21

MANUFACTURER STANDINGS:
1 Toyota         63 pts
2 Subaru         52
3 Mitsubishi     49
4 Ford           36

CHAMP CARS:- Three spectators were killed and five others were injured when a tyre and suspension flew into the grandstand during a crash at the US 500. The tragedy occured after Mexico's Adrian Fernandez, who started from pole position at Brooklyn in Michigan, hit the outside wall at turn three. The condition of the other five fans was described as "stable". Fernandez himself escaped serious injury but the race continued and Canada's Greg Moore went on to win.


Result:                      Laps Completed
 1 G Moore      Can Honda        250
 2 J Vasser     US  Honda        250
 3 A Zanardi    It  Honda        250
 4 S Pruett     US  Ford         250
 5 R Hearn      US  Ford         250
 6 M Andretti   US  Ford         250
 7 B Rahal      US  Ford         250
 8 P Carpentier Can Mercedes     250
 9 P Tracy      Can Honda        250
10 B Herta      US  Ford         250
17 M Blundell   GB  Mercedes     240
21 D Franchitti GB  Honda        213


RENAULT-CAMPUS:- Teenage Elf Fastrack driver Westley Barber claimed his fifth win of the year in Magny-Cours to equal the record for a season. The 16-year-old needs just seven points from the last two rounds to win the French Renault-Elf Campus Cup title.



CHAMPION SPARK PLUG WORLD RANKING
Driver ratings (July 27)        Points
 1 M Schumacher  Formula 1       1074
 2 A Zanardi     CART             983
 3 J Gordon      Champ Cars       934
 4 M Hakkinen    Formula 1        930
 5 D Jarrett     NASCAR           792
 6 M Martin      NASCAR           761
 7 E Irvine      Forumla 1        737
 8 L Aiello      Le Mans          728
 9 J Villeneuve  Formula 1        724
10 D Coulthard   Formula 1        713





28.07.98 - F1
McLaren have failed in its attempt to overturn Michael Schumacher's win in the British Grand Prix. The race ended when Schumacher's Ferrari crossed the finish line driving down the pit lane rather than on the track. McLaren, for whom Mika Hakkinen came in second, protested. It lost and then appealed against the decision. The International Court of Appeal upheld the original decision of the British stewards.

Motor racing's governing body said the result of the British Grand Prix would be allowed to stand after rejecting McLaren's appeal. An FIA statement said: "The results of the 1998 British Grand Prix are therefore final." There was no immediate comment from McLaren but a Ferrari spokesman said his team were happy with the result. "This is a clear result and we can now look forward to the rest of the season," he said.






29.07.98
F1: THE GERMAN GP
Ferrari have announced that Eddie Irvine will be staying with the team for the 1999 season. The Ulsterman had been linked with Williams but the Italian team were keen to keep the man they believe is the perfect foil for Michael Schumacher. Next year will be 32-year-old Irvine's fourth campaign with Ferrari. He had hinted that he was ready to move elsewhere because his number two role behind the two-time world champion limited his chances.

The three stewards who officiated at this year's controversial British Grand Prix have returned their FIA licences at a World Motor Sport Council meeting. India's Nazir Hoosein, Canadian Roger Peart and Briton Howard Lapsley made the voluntary move in Paris and can no longer officiate at FIA events. The meeting was held after Michael Schumacher won the race in the pits. Now the FIA have announced changes designed to reduce the administrative workload of stewards at future races.

FIA president Max Mosley has insisted that not all team orders are banned. "Team orders are not prohibited when they are made in the interests of winning the championship," he said. "They are not allowed when they interfere with the results in the competition - an act prejudical to the interests of the competition." It comes after David Coulthard let Mika Hakkinen win in Australia, while Eddie Irvine's "brake problem" gave Michael Schumacher third place in Austria.

McLaren's one-two in the Austrian Grand Prix left team chief Ron Dennis choked with emotion after the race ` and he could feel that way again on Sunday. The fast circuit at Hockenheim should suit his cars. Mika Hakkinen's A-1 Ring win and David Coulthard's superb drive to land second place gave McLaren some breathing space in the tussle with Ferrari. After Austria, Dennis said: "I am pleased for everybody in the team who have all worked extremely hard."

Michael Schumacher was second in front of his home fans last season but will be aiming to go one better, while putting his Austrian error behind him. Schumacher was third at the A-1 Ring but a trip into the gravel went close to ending his participation. However, he is just eight points behind leader Mika Hakkinen, who was third at Hockenheim in 1997. Ferrari last won the German Grand Prix in 1994, thanks to the now-retired Gerhard Berger, who also won last year.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen has endured a season he will want to forget but is eyeing a podium place in his home race. "It is a special circuit," he said. "We face long and lonely straights in the forest yet the Motodrom has the atmosphere of a football stadium. "It is always a thrill to drive through it, although I cannot hear the spectators I do notice the sea of colourful caps and flags. It is going to be a busy weekend finding the right balance on my car."

Damon Hill has been overshadowed by Jordan team-mate Ralf Schumacher in the last two races and the German will be aiming for a repeat in his home race. Hill has yet to win a point this season while Schumacher has three but the former world champion was just out of the points in seventh in Austria. He said after the race that the car felt good, although the fast track at Hockenheim may not suit the Jordans. However, Hill knows the circuit well and won the 1996 German Grand Prix.

Jordan's target for the rest of the season is to win points in every round. Owner Eddie Jordan said: "We must aim to finish in the top six in every race. It has been a long, hard winter but I think summer is finally arriving." Chief designer Mike Gascoyne added: "Our test in Monza has given us a reasonable idea of the high-speed performance of the car. While we will not be as competitive as the top two teams, I think we should qualify in the top eight."

Stewart-Ford driver Rubens Barrichello is relishing his return to Hockenheim, a circuit full of good memories. "It was where I clinched the Lotus Euroseries Championship in 1990," the Brazilian recalled. "It's a circuit that requires good brakes and good speed for the fast straights. It's not a demanding circuit tactically. The car was well-balanced during the Monza test so hopefully that will give us a chance of a good qualifying spot."

Hockenheim is one of the fastest circuits on the Formula One calendar and Tyrrell admit that it presents a challenge for the team. Race engineer David Brown said: "Hockenheim can be stiflingly hot but, more significantly, the long straights dictate a low-downforce chassis. The cars reach speeds of up tp 345 km/h but drivers must then brake for second-gear changes. Good chassis stability is needed for that and the infield section."


LAP VIEW FROM HEINZ-HARALD FRENTZEN: By the end of the start-finish straight we reach 295km/h in fifth gear. It is important to build up speed to get through Nordkurve as you need it for the long straight prior to the first chicane. Shifting to fifth and sixth gear, we reach up to 340 to 350km/h. This is our top speed, not only for Hockenheim but for the whole season. We shift back into second gear and pass the chicane at 100km/h.

To reach the Ost Kurve we shift from third to sixth gear. This was rebuilt a couple of years ago to include a chicane. Then from 320km/h we change to first gear, only to accelerate again to sixth, reaching a top speed of 330km/h just before the third and last chicane. The chicane divides the long back straight in half. The last straight leads to the Motodrom - the heart of the Hockenheimring.

Shortly before we enter Mobil Kurve we will slow down from 325 to 175km/h in fourth gear. Sachs Kurve is next and taken at 80km/h in second gear. Opel and Sud Kurve are last and both of these are taken in second gear at about 140km/h. Then it is back to the start-finish straight in front of the main grandstand. It is always a thrill to drive here in my home race.


Sunday's race is scheduled to last for 45 laps or 307.022km. Hockenheim covers 4.24 miles and is one of the longest circuits used in the World Championship. Sunday's event will be the 21st Formula One World Championship race to be staged at Hockenheim. The circuit was originally built as a test track for Mercedes cars. Hockenheim won exclusive rights to stage the German Grand Prix in 1986.


1997 result:
1 G Berger     Aut Benetton
2 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari
3 M Hakkinen   Fin McLaren
4 J Trulli     It  Prost
5 R Schumacher Ger Jordan
6 J Alesi      Fr  Benetton
Fastest race lap: G Berger 1:45.747 (record)

Previous winners:
1997 G Berger     Aut Benetton
1996 D Hill       GB  Williams
1995 M Schumacher Ger Benetton
1994 G Berger     Aut Ferrari
1993 A Prost      Fr  Williams
1992 N Mansell    GB  Williams
1991 N Mansell    GB  Williams
1990 A Senna      Brz McLaren
1989 A Senna      Brz McLaren
1988 A Senna      Brz McLaren

TOURING CARS (Thruxton):- Sweden's Rickard Rydell goes into Sunday's rounds 17 and 18 with a lead of 42 points and only 10 races left. The Volvo man will leave the Hampshire track in front of his rivals whatever the results. However, James Thompson, who is second in the Championship, will have the chance to close the gap on the Swede. "With the Honda's speed we should be strong at a high-speed track like Thruxton," said Thompson. "I was third there in both of April's races."

Alain Menu's hopes of back-to-back Championship triumphs were dented when he crashed out of the feature race in the last meeting at Snetterton. He said: "We have done well at Thruxton in the past and I need to start winning a few races to keep the title. "It is a challenging track and it is going to be an important race as time is running out." The Swiss star dominated the series in his Renault last season but is currently fifth in the standings.

The Vauxhall team will want to forget the last round at Snetterton as both John Cleland and Derek Warwick failed to finish the feature race. Cleland had been the only driver to score points in every race. Meanwhile, the battle for the Autosport Cup for Independents is hotting up, with Tommy Rustad heading the category. However, three class wins from Robb Gravett have boosted the 1990 champion and Mark Lemmer, who missed Snetterton, is expected to return.



ULSTER RALLY:- Renault Dealer Rallying's Martin Rowe could clinch the Championship if he triumphs in the Ulster Rally, which begins on Friday. Ulster is the penultimate round of the series and Rowe will take the crown if he wins the event and closest rival Gwyndaf Evans is out of the top three. The asphalt surface should suit the Renault Maxi Megane. However, Rowe said: "I will not be thinking too much about the title. It is a tough rally. Anything can happen."

Gwyndaf Evans won the 1997 Ulster Rally and another victory this year would boost his title hopes. "The Ulster Rally is one of my favourite events," he said. "I have got a lot of happy memories from here. You have to prepare well for Ulster but still one unpredictable element remains - the weather. I do not think there have been many Ulster rallies where there has not been changeable weather, with regionalised showers making conditions difficult."

British champions Volkswagen will field a double-strength team for the Ulster International Rally on Friday. Austrian Raimund Baumschlager will join Alister McRae, who won the Scottish Rally in June, in the line-up. Baumschlager last made a UK appearance in the 1996 RAC Rally and drove his Golf GTI into sixth place. McRae's co-driver David Senior says Ulster is his favourite event in the series and added: "I love the stages. They are so fast and demanding."

Vauxhall are hoping their new Astra car will feature in the top five of the Ulster Rally. Jarno Kytolehto came within five seconds of victory on the first leg of the Pirelli Rally in April ` in what is the car's development year. The the non-championship Donegal Rally was used in preparation for Ulster. Motorsport manager Mike Nicholson said: "I do not think it is realistic to expect us to challenge for the top three but we may make it interesting."



BRITISH GTs (Donington):- John Greasley and Magnus Wallinder won the last event and are eyeing a repeat in Sunday's GT1 class round six. The Porsche duo will no doubt be pushed hard by McLaren pair Steve O'Rourke and Tim Sugden and Lister Storm drivers Julian Bailey and Tiff Needell. Kurt Luby and Richard Dean have domina ed the GT2 class and had a third straight class win at Silverstone. Geoff Lister and John Morrison have increased the air restrictor sizes in their Porsche to boost engine power.



F.PALMER AUDI (Donington):- August will be a busy month for FPA, with five races over four consecutive weekends - beginning this Sunday at Donington Park. In preparation for this, the turbos have been increased to run 30bhp higher to 250bhp. It means the overboost facility will be operational, resulting in even more overtaking opportunities. Meanwhile, nineteen-year-old Richard Tarling was boosted ahead of Sunday by topping the test times at Pembrey.


STANDINGS (after round four):
 1 P Clarke      GB      61 pts
 2 T Serjala     Fin     60
 3 S Nakazawa    Jpn     58
 4 R Tarling     GB      56
 5 D Turner      GB      52
 6 J Keen        GB      51
 7 M Smith       GB      40
 = E Redfern     GB      40
 9 I James       GB      39
10 D Faulkner    Ire     36


F.VAUXHALL JUNIOR (Thruxton):-
Round 11 test times (Wed):  min secs
1 A Pizzonia     Brz        1:20.182
2 J Hanson       GB         1:20.575
3 R Lyons        GB         1:20.660
4 K Hall         GB         1:20.833
5 J Fourie       SA         1:21.175
6 M Paviovic     Yug        1:21.208


VAUXHALL VECTRA CHALLENGE (Thruxton):-
Round nine test times (Wed):
1 S Graves       GB         1:27.661
2 M Blair        GB         1:27.766
3 F Figuieredo   Brz        1:28.077
4 J Yeomans      GB         1:28.739
5 G Coomes       GB         1:29.524
6 R Meaden       GB         1:29.840


RENAULT SPIDER CUP (Thruxton):-
Round 10 test times (Wed):  min secs
1 D Henderson               1:25.658
2 M Cole                    1:25.818
3 D Vercoe                  1:25.820
4 D Eaves                   1:26.234
5 N Hart                    1:26.368
6 T Masini                  1:26.532


F.RENAULT SPORT (Thruxton):-
Round nine test times (Wed):min secs
1 V Meira                   1:27.198
2 J Port                    1:27.232
3 T Mullen                  1:27.304
4 A Coelho                  1:27.350
5 D Bell                    1:28.210





31.07.98
F1: THE GERMAN GP
Mika Hakkinen produced some blistering late laps to sweep to the top of the standings on the opening day of the German Grand Prix. The Finn was lying fourth with just minutes of the final session left but went back out to finish 0.1 second ahead of team-mate David Coulthard. Former world champion Damon Hill took third after a late flying lap. Jean Alesi was fourth, Michael Schumacher fifth and Eddie Irvine one place further back.


Friday's practice times:
 1 M Hakkinen    Fin McLaren  1:43.946
 2 D Coulthard   GB  McLaren  1:44.138
 3 D Hill        GB  Jordan   1:44.294
 4 J Alesi       Fr  Sauber   1:44.546
 5 M Schumacher  Ger Ferrari  1:44.757
 6 E Irvine      GB  Ferrari  1:44.780
 7 J Villeneuve  Can Williams 1:44.928
 8 H-H Frentzen  Ger Williams 1:45.186
 9 J Herbert     GB  Sauber   1:45.364
10 R Schumacher  Ger Jordan   1:45.511
11 J Trulli      It  Prost    1:45.611
12 A Wurz        Aut Benetton 1:45.943
13 G Fisichella  It  Benetton 1:46.005
14 M Salo        Fin Arrows   1:46.163
15 R Barrichello Brz Stewart  1:46.257
16 O Panis       Fr  Prost    1:46.484
17 T Takagi      Jpn Tyrrell  1:46.743
18 P Diniz       Brz Arrows   1:46.903
19 J Verstappen  Hol Stewart  1:47.086
20 E Tuero       Arg Minardi  1:48.175
21 S Nakano      Jpn Minardi  1:48.832
22 R Rosset      Brz Tyrrell  1:49.986
14 M Salo        Fin Arrows   1:46.163
15 R Barrichello Brz Stewart  1:46.257
16 O Panis       Fr  Prost    1:46.484
17 T Takagi      Jpn Tyrrell  1:46.743
18 P Diniz       Brz Arrows   1:46.903
19 J Verstappen  Hol Stewart  1:47.086
20 E Tuero       Arg Minardi  1:48.175
21 S Nakano      Jpn Minardi  1:48.832
22 R Rosset      Brz Tyrrell  1:49.986

TOURING CARS (Thruxton):- The official testing on Friday had plenty of drama both on and off the superfast Hampshire track. Before the teams had began final preparations, the former champion John Cleland was forced to miss the meeting. The Scotsman has not fully recovered from severe bruising and a broken rib after crashing at Snetterton last week. On the circuit, Anthony Reid continued to set the pace after Thursday's times. James Thompson was again Reid's closest rival with Rickard Rydell taking third.


Friday's official testing times:
                             mins secs
 1 A Reid       GB   Nissan   1:16.159
 2 J Thompson   GB   Honda    1:16.349
 3 R Rydell     Swe  Volvo    1:16.362
 4 D Leslie     GB   Nissan   1:16.390
 5 A Menu       Swi  Renault  1:16.576
 6 G Morbidelli It   Volvo    1:16.619
 7 D Warwick    GB   Vauxhall 1:16.785
 8 P Kox        Hol  Honda    1:16.789
 9 J Plato      GB   Renault  1:16.931
10 Y Muller     Fr   Audi     1:17.070



ULSTER RALLY
LEADERBOARD after 8 of 19 stages
(interim)                       hr min sec
 1 Evans/Davies      SEAT        1:11:30
 2 Laukkanen/Jarvi   Renault     1:11:43
 3 Rowe/Ringer       Renault     1:11:48
 4 McRae/Senior      Volkswagen  1:11:58
 5 Baumschla'r/Wicha Volkswagen  1:13:44
 6 Easson/Rabbett    Mitsubishi  1:14:14
 7 O'Callag'n/Harris Ford        1:14:20
 8 Mann/Cook         Proton      1:14:29
 9 Higgins/Wood      Subaru      1:15:03
10 Ipatti/Kajula     Mitsubishi  1:15:29
Jenny Davies and Claire Mole challenge for the Ladies award came to an abrupt end when the Proton crashed into a tree on stage two. Both Jenny and Claire were taken to hospital and have sustained whiplash injuries. They are being kept in overnight for observation. There was further drama on stage four when the Simmonites rolled their Ford Escort. Both girls are uninjured but the car is too damaged to continue.

Tapio Laukkanen lost time on stage three when he slid wide and clipped a tree. The rear beam on the Renault Maxi Megane was bent, but the team managed to change it at the next service. He then set a blistering pace on the next stage - a full 12 seconds faster than Alister McRae - to take the lead. Unfortunately he only held the lead for two stages, a missed junction in stage eight costing him several seconds and dropping the Renault to second.

Laukkanen's misfortune was to Gwyndaf Evans' advantage as the SEAT driver was able to regain the lead before the overnight halt. This is the Gwyndaf's first tarmac rally with the SEAT and he feels there is more development to come but he is pleased with the performance so far. Barbara Armstrong in the second SEAT Ibiza was held up by the Simmonite's crash on stage four.