01.04.2001
F1: THE BRAZILIAN GP
David Coulthard won a dramatic race to finally end Michael Schumacher's
run of six straight victories. The Briton took the lead when race leader
Juan Pablo Montoya was forced out with Schumacher finishing second. Nick
Heidfeld was third with Oliver Panis fourth but Jenson Button could only
manage 10th place while Eddie Irvine failed to finish. The race started
with high drama when Mika Hakkinen stalled on the grid then Rubens Barrichello
retired on lap two.
David Coulthard appreciated that luck played a part in his victory after race leader Juan Pablo Montoya was shunted off by a back marker. "I was a bit fortunate to win this race because Montoya was going strong but I would have been in good shape in the rain," said the Scot. "I did not want to be the first to pit when the rain came. I waited for Michael (Schumacher) to do that. But once I got past him I was able to get past him quickly."
David Coulthard refused to get carried away after his win put him second in the drivers' table behind world champion Michael Schumacher. "You count your championship position at the end of the season not the start," said Coulthard, after he ended Schumacher's run of six straight wins. "It's my sister's birthday, and she asked me for a win which I am glad I could give her. This is my 10th win and the best feeling I have had after a victory."
Michael Schumacher was not too down after suffering his first defeat of the season and his first in seven races. Schumacher had roared into the lead but when Mika Hakkinen's McLaren stalled on the grid, the safety car meant his early advantage was lost. "It is very easy for the guy to take your slipstream when the safety car is out," said the German, as Juan Pablo Montoya overtook him on the second lap. "I thought I had got it, but he braked late. We touched, but that is racing."
Eddie Irvine had to accept that the fates were against him when he retired in his Jaguar after 52 laps. "This race offered us the potential of a points finish but luck was not on our side today," said Irvine. "The car felt good and well-balanced throughout the race, apart from a tyre problem. I was up into sixth place when I lost the rear end. I managed to get it back down the track but the engine stalled and I had to retire."
Mika Hakkinen's day went from bad to worse when, having stalled on the grid, he was fined for removing the steering wheel from his car. With the race starting around him the former world champion removed his wheel and walked away rather than wait to be helped from his car. This meant the stewards could not move his car from the grid, which meant the safety car had to go onto the track. Hakkinen was fined $5000 for the offence to round off a miserable day.
Result after 71 laps hr min sec 1 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:39.00.83 2 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:39.16.54 3 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber @ 1 lap 4 O Panis Fr BAR @ 1 lap 5 J Trulli It Jordan @ 1 lap 6 G Fisichella It Benetton @ 1 lap 7 J Villeneuve Can BAR @ 1 lap 8 J Alesi Fr Prost @ 1 lap 9 T Marques Brz Minardi @ 3 laps 10 J Button GB Benetton @ 7 laps 11 H-H Frentzen Ger Jordan @ 8 laps List of retirements: laps completed K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 55 G Mazzacane Arg Prost 54 R Schumacher Ger Williams 54 E Irvine GB Jaguar 52 J Montoya Col Williams 38 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 37 L Burti Brz Jaguar 30 F Alonso Sp Minardi 25 E Bernoldi Brz Arrows 15 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 2 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 0 DRIVER STANDINGS 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 26 pts 2 D Coulthard GB McLaren 20 3 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 10 4 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 7 5 H-H Frentzen Ger Jordan 5 6 O Panis Fr BAR 3 7 R Schumacher Ger Williams 2 = J Trulli It Jordan 2 9 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 1 = M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1 = G Fisichella It Benetton 1 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Ferrari 36 pts 2 McLaren 21 3 Sauber 8 4 Jordan 7 5 BAR 3 6 Williams 2 7 Benetton 1
F3000 (Interlagos):- Britain's Justin Wilson scored the first win of his F3000 career in the opening race of the season in Brazil. Starting seventh on the grid, the 22- year-old from Sheffield came in 3.6 seconds ahead of Australian driver Mark Webber of the Super Nova team. Webber was later penalised 25 seconds for overtaking while the safety car was on the track and dropped to seventh. Wilson had earlier benefitted when three other cars had incurred stop-go penalties for similar infringements.
Britain's Justin Wilson said the maiden win of his F3000 career was a step towards achieving his dream of a career in Formula One. "My goal has always been to get into F1," said the 22-year-old. "I have not got the money to pay for a drive so the only way is by winning races and winning the championship. It's great to win the first race, especially coming to a place we did not know, but there is still a long way to go in the championship."
Race result (Sun): mins secs 1 J Wilson GB Nordic 53:48.503 2 J Melo Br Durango 53:56.152 3 S Bourdais Fr DAMS 54:05.962 4 D Saelens Bel Minardi 54:10.418 5 J Camathias Swi KTR 54:15.601 6 F Gollin It Coloni 54:17.070 7 M Webber * Aus Super N 54:17.114 8 D Manning GB Arden 54:18.711 9 A Pizzonia Br P'robas 54:28.492 10 B Leindes Bel KTR 54:31.875 16 J Keen GB KJR 55:11.001 * Webber penalised 25 seconds of safety-car infringement
BRITISH F3 (Silverstone):- Australian James Courtney won on his F3 debut in the opening round of the series, while veteran Matt Davies led from start to finish in race two.
Round one result (after 16 laps) 1 J Courtney Dallara 20:38.613 2 A Priaulx Dallara 20:43.223 3 D Hayes Dallara 20:45.052 4 P Edwards Dallara 20:51.212 Round two result (after 16 laps) 1 M Davies Dallara 20:44.467 2 G Bruni Dallara 20:44.613 3 D Hayes Dallara 20:46.264 4 T Sato Dallara 20:50.931
BRITISH GT'S (Silverstone):-
Round one result (Sun): GT mins secs 1 Jordan/Warnock Lister 60:21.520(43 laps) 2 Harvey/Wilson Chrysler 60:29.161 3 Lockie/Euser Marcos 60:39.045 4 Hindley/McKellar Marcos 60:40.688 GTO 1 Sumpter/Balfe Porsche 41 laps 2 Fuller/Foth'gill Porsche 41 laps 3 Jones/Jones Porsche 41 laps 4 Franchitti/Burt Porsche 41 laps
FORD FIESTA'S (Silverstone):- Colin Turkington won the opening round of the championship after leading from start to finish. The 19-year-old gradually drew clear of the field, leaving independent driver Matt Pinny to fend off Nick Padley for second place.
Result (Sun) 1 C Turkington 12 laps 2 M Pinny + 7.854 secs 3 N Padley + 0.292 4 E Murray + 7.967 5 A Blencowe + 2.098
F.FORD (Silverstone):- Sweden's Richard Goransson beat compatriot Robert Dahlgren in Sunday's opening round. Goransson went into the lead after three laps to beat Dahlgren, who won a thrilling five-car battle for the runner's-up spot.
Result (Sun): mins secs 1 R Goransson 20:16.581 2 R Dahlgren 20:20.441 3 A Carroll 20:20.901 4 R Rudholm 20:21.277 5 R Sharp 20:21.838
TVR TUSCAN CHALLENGE (Silverstone):- Steve Guglielmi is a real contender
for this year's honours but wants to focus on his own racing and let the
battle for the title take its course. Guglielmi took a year out of racing
last time round, but was quick to say without hesitation: "I missed it.
I was approached by Bert Taylor from Countdown Developments and he said
they wanted to win the championship. He asked me if I'd got the enthusiasm.
I said yes, but I only wanted to attempt it if we had a winning chance."
PORSCHE CUP (Silverstone):- Peter Chambers held on for a thrilling win as he edged out Adrian Slater after the pair had been neck and neck for the whole race. Craig Rapp and Nigel Rice were both in contention before spinning out, but Rapp recovered to finish third.
Results (Sun): 1 P Chambers 2 A Slater 3 C Rapp 4 B Demeroutis Class winners: K Harrison, I Croft
02.04.2001
F1:- Brazilian Grand Prix race stewards have confirmed that Jos Verstappen has been fined $15,000 after he collided with leader Juan Pablo Montoya on Sunday. Williams driver Montoya was trying to lap Verstappen and the collision forced the Colombian out of the race. A statement said: "The stewards decided to impose a fine of $15,000 to Verstappen for causing a collision." Mika Hakkinen had earlier been fined $5,000 for abandoning his car on the starting grid without a steering wheel.
Rubens Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher have been warned about their future conduct after their collision in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix. Barrichello had to retire after hitting the back of Schumacher's Williams after he tried to overtake him on lap three. The pair were summoned to see the race stewards, who gave them a warning after deciding it was a racing incident. An official statement said: "The stewards expressed concern as to the driving standards of both drivers."
Mercedes have hailed David Coulthard's victory in Brazil for McLaren as a turning point for their season. Norbert Haug, head of Mercedes-Benz motorsport, said: "There's still some work to do but this is a turning point and it is about time." Ferrari meanwhile say that it will not be a straight two-way fight for the championship crown this year. Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt said: "We have to consider that the fight is no longer a duel."
FIA chief Max Mosley is "slightly pessimistic" over whether a deal on
TV rights for Formula One can be finalised in the near future. But he insisted
that whatever happens in negotiations with German media group Kirch, the
FIA will ensure F1 remains available to viewers free of charge. "I'm hopeful,
but there's still an awful lot to be done," said Mosley. Kirch's move raised
concerns that F1 would only be available on a pay-per- view basis.
RALLYING:- Organisers of the New Pig Scottish Rally Chamionship have
cancelled this year's series after only one event because of the foot-and-mouth
crisis. It is the first time in the championship's 41-year history that
the season has been wiped out. Series chairman Roy Campbell said: "What
our early decision allows is for everyone to start concentrating their
efforts on planning the 2002 series. Sponsor New Pig Ltd have agreed to
support the 2002 championship."
RALLYING:- Former 500cc motorcycle world champions Barry Sheene and
Michael Doohan will compete in a rally in Tasmania, which starts on April
18. Sheene, 50, who raced touring cars and trucks in Britain before emigrating
to Australia 14 years ago, will have Farrel White as his co-driver. Five-times
500cc champion Doohan will be partnered by Mark Stacey. "I have never entered
a rally but I am really looking forward to having a bit of fun and having
a go," said Sheene.
NEWS:- Short-track driver Al Papini has died after crashing his car
into a wall at Rockford Speedway in Illinois. The 41-year-old was running
third in the 40-lap late model race and was airlifted to hospital.
06.04.2001
F1:- Grand Prix Corporation chief executive John Harnden says talk of Formula One teams setting up a rival grand prix circuit is "a lifetime away". The Australian official said: "Formula One is going forward so strongly, all the parties know that to disenfranchise that would be to everybody's detriment. I don't think in any way, shape or form it's something that's going to come to a reality.” Williams team boss Sir Frank Williams dismissed the idea as "posturing".
FIA President Max Mosley has appealed to the Grand Prix team bosses who have talked about setting up a rival circuit in a dispute over tv coverage rights. They were angry at the suggestion the German pay-per-view company Kirch could take races away from the mass market of terrestrial television. "We'll do everything we can to help everyone reach a settlement so there is no fragmentation of F1," he said. "If the manufacturers are united, they hold more cards than Kirch".
F1 TESTING (Magny Cours):
Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya was just behind test driver Marc
Gene on the final day of testing in preparation for the San Marino grand
prix. "We did very good work with new tyres and found out things which
should help us in upcoming races," said Montoya.
Leading times (Thu): min secs laps 1 M Gene Williams 1:15.699 62 2 JP Montoya Williams 1:15.984 32 3 N Heidfield Sauber 1:16.032 68 4 E Bernoldi Arrows 1:16.605 66 5 J Alesi Prost 1:17.204 39
F1 TESTING (Jerez):
Giancarlo Fisichella topped the times on the final day of testing in
Spain. The Benetton driver had been evaluating Michelin tyres and found
a new compound the team hope to use in San Marino. Jenson Button, who was
slowest, had worked on the development of the engine and traction control
systems.
Leading times (Thu): min secs laps 1 G Fisichella Benetton 1:21.958 91 2 E Irvine Jaguar 1:22.761 44 3 L Burti Jaguar 1:23.031 38 4 J Button Benetton 1:24.360 36
CART:- Dario Franchitt aims to put a disappointing start in Mexico behind him by winning at the Longbeach track for the first time. The California venue is the only CART championship temporary street track on which the Scot, 27, has failed to win. "I've been runner-up twice at this race (in 1998-99) so I'd like to think it's my turn for the win," he said. "I have won on every other temporary street course and I'm confident I can do so this weekend."
Dario Franchitti says he will not join Formula 1 until he has realised his dream of winning the CART championship. The 27-year-old Scot was runner-up in 1999 to Juan Pablo Montoya who has moved to F1 himself. "I am not thinking about F1 at the moment though I have always said that is something I would still like to do," said Franchitti. "My only focus is on winning the title with Team KOOL Green. We can certainly win the title."
Monterrey winner Cristiano da Matta says the Lonbeach Grand Prix will
be a different proposition. Da Matta won the CART Championship opening
race in Mexico ahead of Gil de Ferran and Paul Tracy. "The car setup is
very different from the way we will set the car up for Long Beach because
of the track surface. The track in Mexico was the smoothest I have ever
been on and the Long Beach track is very, very bumpy because it is normally
city streets," da Matta said.
RALLYING:- Forge Motorsport Engineering will sponsor Bedford driver
Neville Sutton for the 2001 and 2002 rally campaigns. Sutton intends to
contest a series of selected asphalt UK-based events.
INDYLIGHTS:- England's Dan Wheldon was the fastest driver in testing
for the PacWest Indy Lights team, preparing for the Long Beach Grand Prix
at a track in Arizona.
CLIO CUP TESTING (Croft):- Jason Templeman, Marc Nordon and Mardi Gras new signing Duncan Vercoe topped the times in testing. While lap record holder was away on holiday, rising talent Mark Davies headed the afternoon's wet session.
Testing times (Thu): min secs 1 J Templeman TCR 1:32.827 2 M Nordon Bintcliffe 1:32.987 3 D Vercoe Mardi Gras 1:33.024 4 P Rivett Stancombe 1:33.388 5 V Martin Driver 1:33.776 6 R MacDowell TCR 1:34.294
08.04.2001
CART:- Dario Franchitti qualified in sixth place for the Grand Prix of Long Beach. The Briton clocked a time of 69.366 seconds in his Honda Reynard as Brazilian Helio Castroneves secured pole position. Castroneves was one of four Brazilians to qualify in the top five and he said: "I am very happy to have won the pole after a rough start to the weekend. Yesterday we tried to find the right set-up and this morning we had to start all over because of the weather."
Saturday's qualifying times: secs 1 H Castroneves Brz Honda 68.556 2 K Brack Swe Ford 69.097 3 T Kanaan Brz Honda 69.223 4 C da Matta Brz Toyota 69.312 5 G de Ferran Brz Honda 69.344 6 D Franchitti GB Honda 69.366 7 M Jourdain Jr Mex Ford 69.589 8 J Vasser US Toyota 69.807 9 M Andretti US Honda 69.853 10 C Fittipaldi Brz Toyota 69.999
OREGON TRAIL RALLY:- Britain are set for a one-two finish after an impressive
first day. Mark Lovell and Steve Turvey lead Richard Tuthill and John Bennie
by over two minutes as the tourists enjoyed a successful opening. It was
a tough day for Tuthill who suffered a puncture during the third stage
and a turbo problem late on which lost him over three minutes. The second
stage was cancelled after Noel Lawler crashed out and overturned his car
at over 100mph.
COPPA D'ORO RALLY:- David Higgins' first taste of the event came to
an early conclusion after he had set the fastest time on the opening stage
in Italy. He was forced to retire on stage four because of a broken engine
mount on his Gima Autosport Citroen Saxo Kit Car. "The team are very encouraged
by the times we were setting, in spite of the gear change problems," said
Higgins. "It is one of the bumpier events and more like the tarmac that
I am used to in Ulster."
09.04.2001
CART:- Helio Castroneves of Brazil captured the Long Beach Grand Prix on Sunday, by holding off compatriot Cristiano da Matta for the victory. It was Castroneves' fourth CART triumph and in the process he became the first racer to win from the pole at Long Beach since Al Unser Jnr in 1990. Brazil's Gil de Ferran, the reigning CART champion, completed a Brazilian podium sweep in third. Scotland's Dario Franchitti finished sixth in the race.
Sunday's result: hr min secs 1 H Castroneves Brz Honda 1:52.17 2 C da Matta Brz Toyota same lap 3 G de Ferran Brz Honda same lap 4 P Tracy Can Ford same lap 5 J Vasser US Toyota same lap 6 D Franchitti GB Honda same lap 7 T Kanaan Br Honda same lap 8 N Minassian Fr Toyota same lap 9 B Junqueira Br Toyota same lap 10 B Herta US Ford-C same lap
RALLYING:- This year's British Rally Championship will not start until
August after two more events were postponed due to the foot-and-mouth crisis.
The Scottish Rally, scheduled for June 9-10, and the Jim Clark Memorial
Rally from June 29-July 1, will not take place on their allotted dates.
This now means that four of the seven rounds have so far been called off.
The Scottish Rally has now been pencilled in for September 15-16 and the
Jim Clark Rally for December 7-9.
INDY LIGHTS:- Britain's Dan Wheldon nearly pulled off a shock win in
round two on the street circuit at Long Beach, finishing in second place.
The 22-year-old began the race third on the grid and he took the lead on
the opening lap, passing teammate and polesitter Mario Dominguez. On lap
34 of 38, Townsend Bell squeezed past Wheldon and he remained out in front
until the chequered flag. "I was thrilled to get on the podium in such
a prestigious race," Wheldon said.
10.04.2001
F1:- Reports from Moscow say construcition of Russia's first Grand Prix circuit will begin at Nagatino just outside the capital in the next few months. Tuesday's edition of the Itogui weekly magazine quoted Moscow tourism chief Grigori Antiyufiev as saying work would start on the $100m track in July. Six previous attempts to build a Formula One track in Russia have ended in failure. British engineering firm TWR Group were awarded the contract last December.
F1: THE SAN MARINO GP
Michael Schumacher is bidding for a third win in a row in San Marino
on Sunday as he aims to extend his lead in the driver standings. Last year's
win marked the German's 38th career victory and gave Ferrari a hat-trick
of triumphs in the first three grands prix of 2000. David Coulthard denied
Schumacher the chance of a seventh staight win by taking the 10 points
in Brazil. So the German will be doubly keen to get his title defence back
on track.
David Coulthard triumphed in Brazil and knows a second successive win could see him claim the lead in the standings if Michael Schumacher fails to shine. Coulthard is currently only six points behind the German following his victory in the last round. The Scot has already savoured a triumph in Imola ` he won from pole position in the 1998 campaign. He was third last year and with limited opportunities to overtake knows a good qualifying position will be vital.
Former world champion Mika Hakkinen goes into the fourth race of the season being in the unusual position of having only gained one point so far. The Finn grabbed pole position in San Marino last year but eventually finished runner-up to close rival Michael Schumacher. Hakkinen's McLaren team had a good record at the circuit between the 1984 and 1991 seasons. The team won six of the eight races during that period.
Jordan driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen is relishing the first round of the European section of the season. "It is good to go to San Marino as it is the start of the European season, which is good for the teams and drivers," he confirmed. "Italy, the tifosi and the circuit always remind me of my first win in 1997. This track is a rollercoaster ride for the drivers. But, having said that, the track has special flair."
Italian Jarno Trulli will be bidding to give the home supporters something to cheer about on Sunday. But he admitted: "Everyone assumes that Imola is my home race, which is true because I am Italian, but I have not actually raced in Italy very much. I feel good about going to Imola. My supporters in Italy are hoping for a good result and I would like to give them that." His Jordan team have scored points in each of the three races so far in 2001.
Ralf Schumacher will be keen to build on his total of two points after failing to add to that tally in the last round in Brazil. The German said: "I think that we are well prepared for the Grand Prix of San Marino. The combination of fast and slow corners is very attractive. I am looking forward to travelling to Italy as I love Italian food and the fantastic atmosphere around the track. I hope that I can finish the race and collect as many points as possible."
Juan Pablo Montoya is looking to put the disappointment of Brazil behind him and make a mark in Imola. He had to retire when leading the race in Interlagos after Jos Verstappen seemingly tried to hitch a ride on the back of his Williams. "After the performance in Brazil I think we definitely proved what we can do. I am looking forward to giving it another go," commented the Colombian. "I have raced in San Marino before in Formula 3000."
Briton Jenson Button achieved promising results in the recent Benetton tests in Jerez and will be hoping that it reaps dividends on Sunday. His team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella concentrated on tyre evaluation and the team have a new Michelin compund, which they hope to use in Imola. Button, meanwhile, worked on the development of the B201 engine and the traction control systems. Fisichella gave the team their first 2001 point in the last race in Brazil.
Jaguar driver Luciano Burti has little knowledge of the circuit at Imola
but believes he can still make a mark. "I do not know the track but it
does not strike me as being too difficult to learn as far as the layout
is concerned," he stated. "Getting through the chicanes well and understanding
how to tackle the kerbs is important at Imola. We have not yet got the
outright speed that we need and our ability to produce a good set-up will
be critical."
Eddie Irvine looks ahead to the race.
Q: What does Italy mean to you?
A: It is one of my homes so I guess I like it. I learned a lot when
I was driving for that well-known Italian team. Not just about motor racing
but about life. I suppose the one aspect I appreciate about Italy more
than anything else is the weather. Coming from the UK I realised what I
had been missing in terms of not being cold or wet all year round and being
able to eat outside.
Q: Do you still have a lot of fans in Italy?
A: Oh yes. The tifosi have long memories - as long as you have done
a good job for them. You only have to look at all the banners hanging over
the fence opposite the pits at Imola. I bet there will still be loads for
Alesi and Berger. I cannot say I like being gawped at in restaurants but
it is nice when people call your name and wave in the streets.
Q: What are the challenges of the Imola track?
A: In the old days it used to be hard on fuel consumption but that
is no longer a problem. Instead, the brakes, gearbox and transmission can
take a pounding. It is an anti-clockwise track but we should be used to
that after Brazil. There are not too many places to overtake so a good
start is essential. On the strategy side, I guess it should be a two-stopper.
Q: How do you think the R2 will go in Imola?
A: It is very hard to say. Twelfth place on the grid is pretty much
where we are in the pecking order and that will not change overnight. In
last week's test in Jerez I did tyre testing with encouraging results and
we also have new aerodynamic bits, which improved front-end stability.
On a track that often sees a high retirement rate, the fact that the R2
is a reliable old girl might pay off.
Sunday's race is scheduled to last for 62 laps (189.937 miles). Heinz-Harald
Frentzen holds the lap record for Imola. His time of one minute, 25.531
seconds was set in 1997 with Williams. Mika Hakkinen had the fastest lap
in last year's race. The Finn clocked a time of one minute, 26.523 seconds.
Imola is the only track other than Interlagos in Brazil to run in an anti-clockwise
direction. It was opened in 1952 but underwent changes in 1994.
BTCC (Brands Hatch):- The British Touring Car Championship gets underway on Easter Monday and a revamped championship promises new excitement for fans. Technical changes will see compulsory standard parts in all cars to lower costs and bring major teams and private runners in line with one another. The series also has new organisers, British Motorsport Promoters. It now forms part of the TOCA Tour Race Series, which also includes Lotus and Formula Renault/Clio events.
As well as technical changes, the 2001 British Touring Car Championship also sees the qualifying schedule altered. The traditional Friday test session has been scrapped, and cars will not be out on the track until the qualifying session the day before the race. In qualifying, the best two times will determine grid positions, with the one set ealier used for the sprint and the later one used for the main race. Qualifying for the first round is on Easter Sunday.
The Vauxhall team enter the first round of this year's campaign with confidence and believe that the changes brought in will be good for the series. "This is the first year of the new regulations and I think the technical side is spot-on," said Vauxhall Motorsport manager Mike Nicholson. Driver Jason Plato added: "The cars will definitely be more exciting to watch and they sound fantastic. I am impressed with the Astra Coupe. It's going to be a mean machine!"
Peugeot return to the series after a two-year absence but their drivers believe Vauxhall are the team to beat. Last year's Independents Champion Matt Neal drives alongside Steve Soper and Dan Eaves and knows it will be tough. "Vauxhall are coming out with all guns blazing and although they're ahead of everyone else we'll give them a good run," he said. Team manager Vic Lee said: "When it's a new formula and a new sheet of paper you can't underestimate anyone."
A famous face from two wheels will appear later in the series after World Superbike star Aaron Slight agreed to drive for Peugeot. The New Zealander will drive in the last five faces of this year's series with a view to competing in the entire campaign in 2002. "Driving a factory Peugeot in the BTCC is a dream come true," he said. Slight underwent brain surgery last year and added: "Maybe it's time for a fresh start."
2001 Touring Class entry list: 2 A Reid GB MG Sport & Racing 4 Y Muller Fr Vauxhall M'trsport 5 J Plato GB Vauxhall M'trsport 8 M Neal Den Peugeot Sport UK 9 J Thompson GB Team Egg Sport 14 D Malkin GB JSM 15 D Pinkney GB JSM 20 W Hughes GB MG Sport & Racing 22 D Eaves GB Peugeot Sport UK 27 P Bennett GB Team Egg Sport 41 K Luby GB ABG Motorsport 42 T Erdos Brz ABG Motorsport 44 S Soper GB Peugeot Sport UK
F3000 (Imola):- Britain's Justin Wilson will be looking for his second
straight win of the season on Saturday after triumphing in the opening
round in Interlagos. The Coca-Cola Nordic Racing Team driver admitted:
"We normally start our season here so it is nice to come here with 10 championship
points already in the bag. "We tested here recently in an official FIA
F3000 test and I came away as the fastest driver. I am looking to turn
that experience into a strong qualifying position."
BRITISH GT'S (Snetterton):- The Hayles Racing team are in an optimistic
mood as they prepare for the second round of the series this Sunday. Tim
Harvey and partner Rob Wilson took pole position at Silverstone two weeks
ago and were within five seconds of victory in their debut race. "Second
was good at Silverstone but we want to get onto the top step of the podium
this time," Harvey said. "I'm feeling pretty confident about this race.
The pre-season test there went very well."
EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES:- (Donington Park):- The opening round of the European Le Mans Series gets underway this Easter Saturday at Donington Park. The grid will boast 30 of the world's best sports cars with an international line-up of drivers in the UK's first major international event of the year. The race will be held over two and three quarter hours on the 2.5 mile circuit, commencing at midday. The European Le Mans Series is the forerunner for the 69th edition of the Le Mans 24 hour race on June 16/17.
Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen will start the race on Saturday determined
to make it three wins in a row. The pair have already notched victories
at Texas and Sebring in the American series and are intent on winning again.
Pushing them hard will be Frank Biela and Emanuelle Pirro, both of whom
have experience of the Leicestershire track. French ace Yannick Dalmas
is paired with Olivier Beretta while the women are representd by Venezuela's
Milka Duno alongside co-driver John Graham.
F.RENAULT (Croft):- Carl Breeze beat the race lap record to set the fastest time in testing. American Richard Antinucci and karting graduates Heikki Kovalainen and Colin Brown were next quickest.
Testing times (Sat): mins secs 1 C Breeze 1:18.549 2 R Antinucci 1:18.743 3 H Kovalainen 1:18.931 4 C Brown 1:18.941 5 D Watts 1:18.947 6 L Walker 1:19.277
NASCAR:- Richard Burns has been named the patron of the Formula Rally
national championship for Super 1600 rally cars. The first round of the
Championship starts with the Rally of Wirral on May 12 with further rounds
through the UK culminating in the Rally of Oxford.
NASCAR:- Dale Earnhardt died because his head whipped violently forward
and not as a result of a faulty seat belt, according to an independent
medical expert. Questions were raised after Earnhardt was killed instantly
on February 18 when his car crashed into a wall at 190mph during the Daytona
500. But Dr Barry Myers said "the restraint failure does not appear to
have played a role in Mr Earnhardt's fatal injury." NASCAR will also investigate
the driver's crash.
13.04.2001
F1: SAN MARINO GP
Ferrari team-mates Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello delighted
the Italian fans by setting the pace in Friday's second practice session.
Schumacher edged out his Brazilian colleague by 0.27 seconds with a best
lap of one minute, 25.096 seconds. David Coulthard had a disappointing
day, spinning off in the first session and then finishing back in 11th.
Eddie Irvine was seventh with Jenson Button back in 17th while technical
problems left Juan Pablo Montoya last.
David Coulthard said he was still in with a chance of winning despite a double setback in practice. The Scot, who won the last race in Brazil to move within six points of championship leader Michael Schumacher, twice slid off the track. Coulthard said: "I went off the first time because I was trying to find the limit of the car in the wet. In the second session when it was drier I just ran too wide at the corner and that was more terminal."
Friday's practice times: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:25.096 2 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 1:25.372 3 R Schumacher Ger Williams 1:25.829 4 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:26.341 5 O Panis Fr BAR 1:26.535 6 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 1:26.552 7 E Irvine GB Jaguar 1:26.599 8 J Villeneuve Can BAR 1:26.739 9 J Trulli It Jordan 1:26.923 10 L Burti Brz Jaguar 1:26.933 11 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:27.132 12 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 1:27.142 13 H-H Frentzen Ger Jordan 1:27.406 14 J Alesi Fr Prost 1:27.437 15 G Fisichella It Benetton 1:28.322 16 G Mazzacane Arg Prost 1:28.586 17 J Button GB Benetton 1:28.902 18 F Alonso Sp Minardi 1:28.931 19 E Bernoldi Brz Arrows 1:29.273 20 T Marques Brz Minardi 1:29.589 21 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 1:29.750 22 JP Montoya Col Williams 1:39.812
F3000 (Imola):- Britain's Justin Wilson will be looking for his second
straight win of the season on Saturday after triumphing in the opening
round in Interlagos. The Coca-Cola Nordic Racing Team driver admitted:
"We normally start our season here so it is nice to come here with 10 championship
points already in the bag. We tested here recently in an official FIA F3000
test and I came away as the fastest driver. I am looking to turn that experience
into a strong qualifying position."
BRITISH GT'S (Snetterton):- The Hayles Racing team sent out a warning to the rest of the field by setting the pace in Friday's testing The team's leading Chrysler Viper in the hands of Tim Harvey came out on top, beating the lap record.
Leading test times (Fri): mins secs 1 T Harvey Chrysler Viper 1:05.145 2 B Verdon-Roe TVR 1:05.744 3 M Jordan Lister 1:06.432 4 P Hindley Marcos Mantara 1:07.191
F3 (Silverstone):- Australian James Courtney of the Jaguar Racing team
notched up a stunning victory in his British F3 Championship debut on Friday.
In the morning race, Courtney caught and passed Paul Edwards before breaking
the lap record to go clear at the front of the field. He said: "The first
couple of laps were like a blur. The car was working really well so I pushed
hard to get a gap." Team Avanti's F3 veteran Matt Davies recorded victory
in race two.
EUROPEAN LE MANS:- Tom Kristensen starts his Audi from pole in the opening round of the series at Donington Park on Easter Saturday. The Dane clocked a fastest time of 1min 21.122 secs to average over 110mph around the 2.5-mile circuit.
Leading testing times (Fri):mins secs 1 Kristensen Audi 1:21.122 2 Pirro Audi 1:21.281 3 Smith Audi 1:21.687 4 Beretta Chrysler 1:22.721 5 Redon Courage 1:23.899 6 Lunberg Ascari 1:24.117
CLIO CUP (Brands Hatch):- Tim Mullen headed final testing ahead of Monday's opening round to record the fastest ever Clio Cup lap at the Brands Hatch circuit. The next four drivers were also under the old record.
Leading testing times (Fri): 1 T Mullen Firstair 52.523secs 2 D Vercoe Mardi Gras 52.578 3 D Buxton Sugden 52.615 4 J Templeman TCR 52.616 5 J Rivett Stancombe 52.634 6 V Martin Martin 52.900
14.04.2001
F1: THE SAN MARINO GP
David Coulthard made the most of drying conditions in Italy to deny
Michael Schumacher a record-equalling eighth successive pole position.
The Scot clocked one minute, 23.054 seconds to pip his McLaren teammate
Mika Hakkinen, with Schumacher having to settle for fourth place. Ralf
Schumacher in a Williams stole third place from his brother in the final
seconds of the session. The Jaguar of Eddie Irvine was 13th and Jenson
Button's Benetton was 21st.
Michael Schumacher admitted surprise after David Coulthard's faster time prevented the F1 champion from landing his eighth pole position in a row. "Perhaps we were wrong in coming out too early," said the Ferrari driver. "We also possibly used a wrong brand of tyres for the final laps while McLaren made the right choice. "I still think I can win the race. I would bet on myself and my brother Ralf for the race," added Schumacher who is aiming for his third Imola win in a row.
David Coulthard was a happy man but knows there is still work to do after getting pole for Sunday's race. "I didn't expect this but I'm delighted. We had a problem on the car and the guys worked really hard to get it ready," said the Scottish driver. "It was great to get pole but this is only one part of the weekend. There is still a long way to go in the race, and as I've already shown this season, you don't have to be on pole to win," he added.
Saturday's qualifying times: 1 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:23.054 2 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:23.282 3 R Schumacher Ger Williams 1:23.357 4 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:23.593 5 J Trulli It Jordan 1:23.658 6 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 1:23.786 7 JP Montoya Col Williams 1:24.141 8 O Panis Fr BAR 1:24.213 9 H-H Fr ntzen Ger Jordan 1:24.436 10 J Raikkonen Fin Sauber 1:24.671 11 J Villeneuve Can BAR 1:24.769 12 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 1:25.007 13 E Irvine GB Jaguar 1:25.392 14 J Alesi Fr Prost 1:25.411 15 L Burti Brz Jaguar 1:25.572 16 E Bernoldi It Arrows 1:25.872 17 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 1:26.062 18 F Alonso Sp Minardi 1:26.855 19 G Fisichella It Benetton 1:26.902 20 G Mazzacane Arg Prost 1:27.750 21 J Button GB Benetton 1:27.758 22 T Marques Brz Minardi 1:28.281
F3000 (Imola):- Britain's Darren Manning claimed his first points of
the season with second place behind Australia's Mark Webber. Manning started
from third on the grid but moved up to second early on and held on throughout
the 31-lap race to finish 3.3 seconds behind Webber. "I tried to get at
Mark at the start... but it is so difficult to overtake here - but I am
happy with the six points," said Manning. Britain's Justin Wilson maintained
his overall lead by coming sixth.
BRITISH GT'S (Snetterton):- Despite the cold and overcast weather, the pace was as hot as ever in the qualifying session. Tim Harvey and Rob Wilson took two seconds off the lap record to achieve the leading time. These were not improved upon in the second session.
Leading positions (Sat): mins secs 1 T Harvey Chrysler Viper 1:05.197 2 M Jordan Lister 1:05.567 3 B Verdon-Roe TVR 1:05.642 4 P Hindley Marcos 1:08.458
F3 (Silverstone):- With the damp track getting wetter by the minute, the red flags were flown five times in a frantic shortened session, with Paul Edwards fastest. In the Scholarship class, Robbie Kerr set a scorching pace, lapping nearly a second faster than Michael Keohane.
Leading times: mins secs 1 P Edwards 1:12.415 2 A Priaulx 1:12.487 3 T Sato 1:12.684 4 D Hayes 1:12.690 5 N Kiesa 1:12.861
EUROPEAN LE MANS (Donington):- Tom Kristensen took advantage of his pole position to lead Audi to its 11th consecutive endurance victory. The best-placed British driver was Guy Smith, who delighted the 13,000-strong crowd by coming third.
Leading times: mins secs 1 Capello/Kristensen Audi 1:22.043 2 Biela/Pirro Audi 1:22.251 3 Johansson/Smith Audi 1:22.493 4 Boullion/Redon Courage 1:25.228 5 Cochran/Boss Panoz 1:26.964
CLIO CUP (Brands Hatch):- Tim Mullen headed final testing ahead of Monday's opening round to record the fastest ever Clio Cup lap at the Brands Hatch circuit. The next four drivers were also under the old record.
Leading testing times (Fri): 1 T Mullen Firstair 52.523secs 2 D Vercoe Mardi Gras 52.578 3 D Buxton Sugden 52.615 4 J Templeman TCR 52.616 5 J Rivett Stancombe 52.634 6 V Martin Martin 52.900
F.RENAULT (Brands Hatch):- Leighton Walker set the fastest ever Formula Renault lap around Brands Hatch in final testing for Monday. Mark McLoughlin, Richard Antinucci were also under the old mark, set by Kimi Raikkonen.
Leading testing times (Fri): 1 L Walker Manor 44.564secs 2 M McLoughlin Motaworld 44.583 3 R Antinucci Manor 44.647 4 C Breeze Motaworld 44.749 5 C Brown DFR 44.776 6 D Watts Falcon 44.849
PORSCHE CUP (Snetterton):- Peter Chambers made it three wins from three starts when he negotiated some treacherous conditions at Snetterton. Adrian Slater took an early lead but he was overhauled by the in-form Chambers.
Leading results: 1 P Chambers 2 A Slater 3 B Armstrong 4 N Rice
F.FORD (Snetterton):- Robin Rudholm took pole position on a gruelling day for the drivers, beset by inclement conditions. A number of front runners were caught out by the sudden showers.
Leading qualifying times: mins secs 1 R Rudholm Van Diemen 1:15.667 2 C England Van Diemen 1:16.186 3 A Danielsson Vector 1:16.213 4 R Scott Vector 1:16.258 5 A Carroll Van Diemen 1:16.267
FORD FIESTA’S (Snetterton):- Colin Turkington claimed his second consecutive pole. Pre-season title favourite Alan Blencowe could only manager seventh.
Leading qualifying times: mins secs 1 C Turkington 1:27.294 2 M Pinny 1:27.681 3 N Padley 1:28.019 4 T Clark 1:28.088 5 C Ryan 1:28.342
15.04.2001
F1: THE SAN MARINO GP
Ralf Schumacher drove a superb race to record his first Grand Prix
victory ahead of Britain's David Coulthard. But second place was enough
to put Coulthard level on points with Michael Schumacher in the drivers'
standings. World champion Schumacher suffered a puncture on lap 24 and
was forced to retire on the next lap. Rubens Barrichello finished third
but Eddie Irvine was forced to retire while Jenson Button's poor start
to the season continued as he finished last.
Ralf Schumacher was thrilled after securing his first Grand Prix victory with a faultless performance. Schumacher, who led from start to finish, said: "Everything went perfect. I was lucky when David (Coulthard) gave me the space at the start. "I couldn't believe it. But from then on it was a pretty long race and it took ages to be honest." Schumacher's win was also the first for Britain's Williams team since September 1997.
Ralf Schumacher felt on top of the world after securing his first Grand Prix victory in fine style. "It's fantastic to have finally won. I hope it will be one of many," said the delighted brother of Michael. "I have seen my brother win so many times in the past and it was very emotional for me to be able to finally do the same. But I've waited a long time for this and it has taken a lot of work since I joined Williams to achieve this."
Ralf Schumacher feels it could be the start of good times again for his Williams team after his first GP win. "This could be the beginning of something for Williams," said an optimistic Schumacher. "We have had a lot of bad luck in recent races even though we have been looking strong. We have a lot of work to do but if we can keep improving we will be able to compete with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren for the championship."
Team chief Frank Williams hailed Ralf Schumacher's performance after his win gave the team their first taste of GP success since September 1997. Schumacher's victory was also the first time in 23 races that a driver from a team other than Ferrari or McLaren had won a Grand Prix. "Ralf triumphed magnificently today. He had it well under control all the time," said Williams. "He has reached the ranks of winners and I think he will make his own mark."
Ralf Schumacher's triumph was also the perfect boost for his Williams team as they recorded their first Grand Prix victory since September 1997. The German's joy was matched by that of Williams' technical director Patrick Head, who admitted afterwards: "I was a bit twitchy towards the end. "It's good to be back. Ralf drove a faultless race and did not put a foot wrong," he added. "We'd like to continue from this and we will be out to do our best."
Gerhard Berger, motorsport director of Williams' partners BMW, saluted Ralf Schumacher's superb victory. Ralf's win ensured that the the two Schumachers are the first brothers to win Formula One races. "He is doing a brilliant job this year. He seems to have the same potential as his brother Michael," said Berger. It was also the first win for Michelin tyres since the company returned to Formula One this season after an absence of 17 years.
David Coulthard was delighted with his second place behind Ralf Schumacher after the German had cruised home. The Briton's runner-up spot brought him level on 26 points at the top of the drivers' standings with Schumacher's brother and world champion, Michael. "In terms of balance, this was probably the hardest race of the year," admitted Coulthard at the press conference. "But if you can pick up six points at the end of the race to put you level at the top, then that has to be great."
David Coulthard did not make the best of starts from pole position as Ralf Schumacher swept past him and never looked back on the way to victory. "I moved a little bit before the start and had to stop the car and that's when the lights went on," said the Scot. "I thought I'd be swamped and had to make sure there was enough space for us all. I sensed Ralf was on the inside. I was interested to see how quick he would be in the race and he was very quick! My congratulations to him."
Michael Schumacher spoke of his delight when his brother Ralf secured his first Grand Prix victory in convincing style. "I am very happy for Ralf. He has shown strongly in the past and he has also had some bad luck," said Schumacher. "But this time everything went well and he did it in style. As for myself, you can't win all the races. This is the first time that two brothers have won a Grand Prix. We have both achieved our goal and our parents will be very proud."
Michael Schumacher was delighted for his brother Ralf despite having to drop out himself with problems. The world champion's exit meant he did not score any points for the first time since last year's German Grand Prix. "There was a puncture and there was something else wrong which damaged the rim," said Schumacher, who was forced out on lap 25 while in seventh place. "The start wasn't perfect and we had a problem with gear selection at one time. It wasn't a great weekend."
Rubens Barrichello salvaged some joy for Ferarri on a day when Michael Schumacher was forced to drop out. The Brazilian drove a steady race to finish in third place as Ferrari stayed ahead in the constructors' standings. "We had a slow start. I suffered from too much wheelspin and it is very difficult to overtake at Imola. But it was a good race for me after starting from so way back," he added, on a day that belonged to Schumacher's brother Ralf.
Eddie Irvine was frustrated at once again having to suffer a setback as he dropped out on lap 42. "What can I say? I had a good start despite carrying a heavy fuel load. The one-stop strategy was absolutely right for the race conditions," said Irvine. "I was making good progress through the field and pushing hard for what I believed would be a points finish. Again we have come so close yet remain so far. There is no miracle cure and we will continue to push hard."
Jenson Button was at least relieved to have finished the race behind dominant winner Ralf Schumacher. "In the first few laps I managed to catch up with some cars," said the Briton, who was last in 12th place. "But then I had a setback as no fuel went into the car at the first pitstop, so it wasn't an amazing start for me. I have had problems with my shoulder and racing an anti-clockwise circuit puts more strain on it than usual but I am glad we managed to finish."
Ralf Schumacher made the day for his Williams team but for their other driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, it was one of frustration in the final quarter. Montoya had hoped to earn points as well but he did not bargain for a pit stop which put paid to that. The troubled pit stop cost him one minute eight seconds when the fuel line got stuck and then the engine died. "Up to then the race was going well. It was not the best in the world but we were going to score points," he said.
Canada's Jacques Villeneuve was deeply upset after leaving the track in a cloud of smoke. The 1997 world champion was forced to drop out as he approached the halfway mark, leaving him still looking for his first points of the season. "It was looking like we were finally going to get some points this year," said the BAR driver. "We worked hard to get up to sixth and to have a mechanical failure was very frustrating," he added.
Reports in the Sunday Telegraph say that the BAR team may be sold by their owners British American Tobacco. The paper says the company have asked investment bank Goldman Sachs to look at ideas for selling off all or part of the team. BAR have made an undistinguished start to the new season, with former world champion Jacques Villeneuve failing to win any points so far. Olivier Panis, who joined this season, won three points in the Brazilian GP.
Result after 62 laps hr min sec 1 R Schumacher Ger Williams 1:30.44.8 2 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:30.49.1 3 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 1:31.19.5 4 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:31.21.1 5 J Trulli It Jordan 1:32.10.3 6 H-H Frentzen Ger Jordan @ 1 lap 7 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber @ 1 lap 8 O Panis Fr BAR @ 1 lap 9 J Alesi Fr Prost @ 1 lap 10 E Bernoldi Brz Arrows @ 2 laps 11 L Burti Brz Jaguar @ 2 laps 12 J Button GB Benetton @ 2 laps Retirements: laps completed T Marques Brz Minardi 50 JP Montoya Col Williams 48 E Irvine GB Jaguar 42 G Fisichella It Benetton 31 J Villenueve Can BAR 30 G Mazzacane Arg Prost 28 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 24 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 17 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 6 F Alonso Sp Minardi 5 Fastest lap: R Schumacher Ger Williams 1:25.524 (average speed 207.646kph) DRIVER STANDINGS 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 26 pts = D Coulthard GB McLaren 26 3 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 14 4 R Schumacher Ger Williams 12 5 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 7 6 H-H Frentzen Ger Jordan 6 7 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 4 = J Trulli It Jordan 4 9 O Panis Fr BAR 3 10 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 1 = G Fisichella It Benetton 1 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Ferrari 40 pts 2 McLaren 30 3 Williams 12 4 Jordan 10 5 Sauber 8 6 BAR 3 7 Benetton 1
BRITISH GT'S:- Tim Harvey and Rob Wilson mastered the poor weather at Snetterton to take the second round of the GT Championship. Their Chrysler outpaced early leaders Mike Jordan and David Warnock. Marino Franchitti and Kelvin Burt came third.
Final placings (GT category) hr mins 1 Harvey/Wilson Chrysler 1:01.00 2 Jordan/Warnock Lister 1:01.13 3 Lockie/Welz Porsche 44 laps (GTO category) 1 Fr'chitti/Burt Porsche 44 laps 2 Rymer/Simmons Porsche " 3 Short/Barff Porsche "
F3 (Silverstone):- Matt Davis made it two wins out of three on Sunday
as he survived a safety car and challenge from Takuma Sato to edge out
Derek Hayes to win. Dutchman Robert Doornbos recoreded his debu Scholarship
class win, holding off a late challenge from Matt Gilmore.
Leading times (Champs class) mins secs 1 M Davies 20:01.785 2 D Hayes 20:02.052 3 G Bruni 20:03.497 4 R Dalziel 20:04.830 EUROPEAN TOURING CARS (Brno):- Super Production qualifying: mins secs 1 P Knox Ned BMW 2:18.761 2 N Simon Ger BMW 2:20.038 3 S Gabellini It BMW 2:20.500 4 P-G Andersson Swe BMW 2:20.599 5 T Ferrier GB BMW 2:21.032 6 T Masini It Alfa 2:22.098 7 G Morbidelli It BMW 2:22.962 8 D Huisman Ned BMW 2:22.984 9 L Villamil Sp Alfa 2:23.074 10 T Rustad Nor Nissan 2:23.362 Super Touring qualifying: mins secs 1 F Giovanardi It Alfa 2:19.354 2 G Tarquini It Honda 2:20.356 3 R Colciago It Audi 2:20.544 4 F Walfisch Fr Honda 2:20.787 5 S Sardelli It Nissan 2:21.074 6 N Larini It Alfa 2:21.428 7 G De Lorenzi It BMW 2:22.445 8 R Bernardoni It Alfa 2:22.659 9 M Pigoli It Audi 2:23.838 10 E Toccacelo It Alfa 2:23.968
CLIO CUP (Brands Hatch):- Tim Mullen and Paul Rivett got in quick laps early on before the rain fell to secure front row starting positions for Monday's first round. The downpour caught out several big names, including Simon Clarke and Jim Edwards Sr.
Leading times (Sun): 1 T Mullen Firstair 52.730secs 2 P Rivett Stancombe 52.780 3 D Buxton Sugden 52.822 4 D Vercoe Mardi Gras 53.030 5 M Byford Z Speed 53.114 6 M Nordon Bintcliffe 53.131
F.FORD (Snetterton):- Sweden's Richard Goransson took his second Formula Ford win of the season in a race shortened when rain drenched the track. Starting from seventh on the grid, Goransson moved through to the lead by the time the race had to be stopped.
Race result(after six laps)mins secs 1 R Goransson Swe 10:06.224 2 A Danielsson Swe 10:06.856 2 C England Eng 10:07.378 4 R Scott Bel 10:07.561 5 A Carroll Swe 10:08.147
FORD FIESTA’S (Snetterton):- Colin Turkington claimed his second consecutive win of the season after holding off a spirited challenge from Nick Padley and Matt Pinny. The 19-year-old started from pole but was pushed all the way to the line.
Race result (Sun): mins secs 1 C Turkington 20:40.248 2 N Padley 20:41.148 3 M Pinny 20:41.581 4 E Murray 20:56.938 5 C Stancombe 20:58.284
07.04.2001
F1:- David Coulthard is determined to keep up the pressure on Michael
Schumacher after his second place at Imola means the pair are level in
the championship. "It's good to be leading the championship with Michael,"
said the 30-year-old Scot. "I have got myself into a good position now
and I want to stay there. I know that if I want to win the title then I
have got got to keep scoring points," added Coulthard, who has been on
the podium in every race this season.
BTCC (Brands Hatch):- Title favourite Yvan Muller led the whole way round, coming in 0.71 seconds ahead of rival Jason Plato in the first round of the AA.com Championship. Plato began in third place and passed second placed James Thompson on the first corner but failed to catch up with Muller during the 12 lap race. Muller's only problem was Peugeot driver Steve Soper who refused to let him pass after a pit stop. "I don't know why he did that, we used to be team mates" said Muller.
James Thompson followed up his third place in the main race to win the
feature race and claim a surprise share of the series lead. Starting in
third place he was the first of the front three to take his obligatory
pit stop and capitalised on Yvan Muller's engine problems. With Muller
forced out, Thompson was in a duel with Jason Plato. He passed him on lap
24 and stayed out in front. Thompson was left with two runners-up places
in the two races of the day.
FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP (Brno):-
Race Results (Mon): 1 Bouchut/Belloc Chrysler 2 Vosse/D'bourg Chrysler 3 H'zmans/Bl'mole Chrysler 4 Walter/Dean Lister 5 Naspetti/Sc'lla Ferrari 6 Bielinger/Duez Ferrari 7 Belmondo/Def'rny Chrysler 8 Daems/Illes Chrysler 9 Riccitelli/Q'ter Porsche 10 Terrien/Pes'tori Ferrari
CLIO CUP (Brands Hatch):- Paul Rivett outgunned Tim Mullen to the first corner as held on to win the opening round. Several drivers suffered spins in what was an action packed race, notably Jason Templeman and Daniel Buxton who ended up seventh and eighth.
Result (Mon): mins secs 1 P Rivett Stancombe 26:28.671 2 T Mullen Firstair 26:29.237 3 D Vercoe Mardi Gras 26:34.064 4 M Nordon Bintcliffe 26:48.634 5 M Davies Bintcliffe 26:50.861 6 V Martin Martin 26:52.280
F.RENAULT (Brands Hatch):- Carl Breeze led all the way to hold off the challenge of Richard Antinucci after the safety car was used twice. Leighton Walker held off Danny Watts to come third but Mark McLoughlin had a disaster. His engine died on the grid.
Result (Mon) mins secs 1 C Breeze Motaworld 23:18.58 2 R Antinucci Manor 23:19.04 3 L Walker Manor 23:20.86 4 D Watts Falcon 23:21.94 5 C Brown DFR 23:23.94 6 R Coleman DFR 23:25.61
17.04.2001
F1:- A deal to keep the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for the next 15 years has been referred to the Competition Commission for investigation. Trade secretary Stephen Byers said the they would look at the case after Octagon Sports acquired assets of the British Racing Drivers Club. Under the deal Octagon was granted a 15-year lease to manage the circuit. Byers said the deal 'raises competition concerns in respect of the market for the provision of circuits for racing."
Formula Three champion of France Jonathan Cochet has been signed as the official test driver for the Prost-Acer team in 2001. "We are delighted to welcome Jonathan into the stable. We've been watching with interest his remarkable progress," said team owner Alain Prost. "By giving him the chance to become a test driver we are reaffirming our commitment to support French talent." The 24-year-old joins compatriot Stephane Sarrazin as a test driver.
Juan Pablo Montoya began three days of testing for Williams at Silverstone with 20 completed laps. German Ralf Schumacher, who drove to a first Grand Prix win at the weekend, will join the team on Thursday.
List of times: H-H Frentzen Jordan 1:23.01 A Wurz McLaren 1:23.62 T Sato BAR 1:23.92 P de la Rosa Jaguar 1:24.86 J Montoya Williams 1:25.15 G Mazzacane Prost Acer 1:25.83
BTCC:- James Thompson has warned British Touring Car Championship title
favourites Yvan Muller and Jason Plato that he too is bidding for glory.
Vauxhall factory drivers Muller and Plato have been tipped to shine this
year but Thompson earned a win and a third place at Brands Hatch on Monday.
He drives a Vauxhall for the Egg:Sport team and said: "I am definitely
a realistic title contender. I have equal equipment to the works cars and
there are no team orders."
RALLYING:- Ford will be racing two Focus cars in July's Rally of Germany.
Both Francois Delecour and Raimund Baumschlager will be competing as Germany
lay their claim to host a future round of the World Rally series. Ford
Racing European director Martin Whitaker said: "We are delighted to bring
our cars to Germany for this significant event. Top-class rallying outside
the world championship can provide a splendid platform for us."
18.04.2001 - F1
Luciano Burti will be replaced at Jaguar next season by Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa. Brazilian Burti had been tipped to lose the drive after it was announced recently that de la Rosa had earned a drive with the team for 2002. Team boss Niki Lauda has decided that de la Rosa will partner Eddie Irvine. Burti said on the Jaguar website: "The team informed me about this in San Marino but to be honest it has not been a big surprise."
Jackie Stewart is disappointed that the deal to keep the British Grand
Prix at Silverstone has been referred to the Competition Commission. Trade
secretary Stephen Byers said the acqusition of certain assets of the British
Racing Drivers Club by Octagon Sports "raises competition concerns." But
BRDC president Stewart said the decision had been taken "in the interests
of the whole of our sport. This referral is a complication that needs to
be dealt with promptly."
19.04.2001
F1:- Jaguar have confirmed that Luciano Burti will be joining the Prost team for next week's Spanish Grand Prix. He will be replaced by current test driver Pedro de la Rosa who will make his racing debut alongside Eddir Irvine at next week's Spanish Grand Prix. "I'm grateful to Jaguar for giving me a chance to show my skills but I'd prefer to develop long term," Burti said on his personal website. De la Rosa said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for me."
Jagaur team prinicpal Bobby Rahal says he does not believe the Formula 1 team owners are bluffing with their threats of setting up a rival breakaway tour. The manufacturers' suggestion was initially thought by many to be a move to call the bluff of the groups involved in the television rights row. "I've seen nothing to suggest it's just posturing. It costs teams too much not to want more revenue share," he said. The current revenue sharing deal expires in 2006.
F1 TESTING: Finland's former world champion Mika Hakkinen continued to set the fastest times at testing at Silverstone Scotland's David Coulthard, Hakkinen's McLaren team-mate, was just behind in second place.
Testing times mins secs 1 M Hakkinen McLaren 1:22.321 2 D Coulthard McLaren 1:22.514 3 O Panis BAR 1:22.655 4 J Villeneuve BAR 1:23.457 5 HH Frentzen Jordan 1:23.538 6 R Schumacher BMW 1:23.757
CLIO CUP (Thruxton):- Tim Mullin pipped first-round winner Paul Rivett in testing. The pair and third-placed Martin Byford beat the fastest Clio lap times at the Thruxton circuit.
Testing times mins secs 1 T Mullin Firstair 1:24.502 2 P Rivett Rivett 1:24.713 3 M Byford Z-Speed 1:24.770 4 D Vercoe Mardi Gras 1:24.884 5 V Martin Martin 1:25.314 6 J Templeman TCR 1:25.404
F.FORD (Castle Combe):- Belgian Jan Heylan was the surprise fastest driver after the first official test at the Wiltshire circuit. Heylan was one of six drivers to set record-breaking sub-68 second laps as nine-tenths of a second covered the top 16 competitors.
Testing times mins secs 1 J Heylan Van-Diemen 1:07.614 2 R Goransson Van-Diemen 1:07.654 3 R Bremer Mygale 1:07.759 4 R Rudholm Van-Diemen 1:07.798 5 A V-D Merwe Mygale 1:07.801
F.RENAULT (Thruxton):- Colin Brown made a sensational track debut by heading the testing times with a mark faster than Kimi Raikkonen's pole position last year. Richard Antinucci, another Thruxton debutant, was second.
Testing times mins secs 1 C Brown GB DFR 1:11.744 2 R Antinucci US Manor 1:11.828 3 C Breeze GB Motaw'd 1:11.926 4 D Watts GB Falcon 1:11.994 5 L Walker GB Manor 1:12.020
20.04.2001
F1 TESTING (Silverstone):- Mika Hakkinen was once again the leading driver during testing at Silverstone on Friday. His McLaren team-mate David Coulthard was second while Eddie Irvine came in ninth in his Jaguar.
Friday's testing times: mins secs 1 M Hakkinen Fin McLarea 1:22.32 2 D Coulthard Sco McLaren 1:22.50 3 O Panis Fr BAR-Honda 1:22.65 4 J Villeneuve Can BAR-Honda 1:23.37 5 HH Frentzen Ger Jordan 1:23.53 9 E Irvine GB Jaguar 1:25.57
F.NISSAN:- Tomas Scheckter, who came second in the 2000 British Formula
Three Championship was the fastest in practice at Estoril for Sunday's
Formula Nissan race. The 20-year-old is combining a racing campaign with
the Vergani Racing team with his job as a test driver for Jaguar Formula
One team.
21.04.2001
BTCC:- Vauxhall's Jason Plato clocked the fastest time in official testing for rounds three and four at Thruxton. Plato said: "We had a very good day today - we made some changes to the car, some of which were very positive." The British driver came in just ahead of Vauxhall team-mate Yvan Muller, with Team Egg Vauxhall driver Jamie Thompson in third. Steve Soper of Team Peugeot Sport overcame car problems through the day to finally come home in fifth.
Round three test times (Fri): mins secs 1 J Plato GB Vauxhall 1:17.704 2 Y Muller Fr Vauxhall @0.340 3 J Thompson GB Vauxhall @0.585 4 P Bennett GB Vauxhall @1.028 5 S Soper GB Peugeot @2.277 6 D Eaves GB Peugeot @3.156 7 R Moen Nor Peugeot @4.426 8 D Pinkney GB Alfa Romeo @4.633 9 R Collard GB Renault @5.086 10 J Kaye GB Honda @5.094
TARGA RALLY:- Five-time 500cc motorcycle champion Michael Doohan escaped
unhurt after rolling his Mercedes-Benz on his rallying debut in Tasmania.
Doohan has been competing in the Targa Rally, which runs from April 28
to 24, and was in 13th position on day three. Australian Doohan, who retired
from motorcycling in 1999, said: "We have been having some brake problems.
I came into the turn and the car did not want to go the way I wanted and
it hit a bank and rolled over."
RALLY LUXEMBOURG:- Irishman Ian Greer held off a resolute challenge from Rocco Theunissen to keep his overall lead at the end of day one. Greer, on his first rally outside Ireland said: "After the first few stages we found the going difficult. "Then we relaxed and the times really came, everything flowed, we've had no problems since." Eamonn Boland has kept a very steady pace to maintain his 4th position, and reports no troubles. Irishman Sean Keenan retired with a blown turbo.
Unofficial leader board after Stage 10 (end of leg 1) hr min s 1 I Greer Corolla 1:27.38 2 R Theunissen Corolla 1:28.13 3 H Stacey Impreza 1:28.46 4 E Boland Impreza 1:30.53 5 P Bijvelds Lancer 1:31.54 6 M Maaskant Lancer 1:33.00 7 J Deen Lancer 1:33.19 8 F Duval Lancer 1:34.22 9 E Abbring Celica 1:34.40 10 J de Winkel Golf 1:34.49
F.NISSAN (Estoril):- Tomas Scheckter continued his dominance of the Open Telefonica meeting by taking pole for both Sunday's races. The 20-year-old South African was fastest in testing on Friday and took both poles for the Vergani Team.
Race 1 min sec 1 T Scheckter SA Vergani 1:32.123 2 M Giao Por Scuderia 1:32.542 3 J Cochet Fr V'tini 1:32.700 Race 2 1 T Scheckter SA Vergani 1:32.515 2 A Belicchi It Doors 1:32.633 3 J Cochet Fr V'tini 1:32.654
22.04.2001 - RALLY LUXEMBOURG
Ian Greer took victory by over a minute but he was fortunate that rival Rocco Theunissen had problems late on. Belgian champion Theunissen stalled the engine on a couple of occasions during the final stage and then in his own words "decided to walk it". Greer commented "It was a tough rally, there was big stress on the tyres, the brakes, the lot. This has to be one of my most important wins." Patrick Elliott was just outside the leaderboard in his first Subaru trip.
Unofficial leaderboard after final stage (18) hr min s 1 I Greer Corolla 2:36.31 2 R Theunissen Corolla 2:37.34 3 H Stacey Impreza 2:38.13 4 P Bijvelds Lancer 2:44.33 5 F Duval Lancer 2:44.34 6 J Deen Lancer 2:45.49 7 E Abbring Celica 2:47.33 8 De Winkel Golf 2:48.16 9 B Colsoul Lancer 2:48.12 10 B Briant Lancer 2:49.18
25.04.2001
NEWS:- Former Formula One driver Michele Alboreto has been killed in a crash during tests for the Le Mans 24-Hour at a circuit in Germany. The 44-year-old was driving on the Eurospeedway in Lausitz near Dresden. His Audi R8 spun and somersaulted several times for an unknown reason before coming to a halt. Alboreto won five grands prix in 194 races between 1981 and 1994 and was a member of the Audi team that finished third in last year's Le Mans race.
F1: THE SPANISH GP
David Coulthard is hoping to improve on his second place finish in
San Marino in this weekend's race in Spain. The Scot's performance put
him joint top of the drivers' standings alongside Michael Schumacher. "I
am looking forward to the race where I hope to build on the results achieved
so far this season," he said. "We test regularly at the circuit so we know
it well. It is fairly technical with a good mix of corners and straights,"
added the McLaren driver.
Michael Schumacher feels Ferrari can bounce back from their disappointment in San Marino with the newly-legal electronic aids in their cars. Schumacher failed to finish the last race while team-mate Rubens Barrichello was third. "This will enable us to drive faster and closer for more time," he said. "We had some very good tests here a month ago and were the only top team to test there with the new car and this should give us an advantage," he added.
Ralf Schumacher arrives in Spain fresh from the first Grand Prix victory of his career in San Marino two weeks ago. However the German refused to predict a repeat performance in Barcelona. "We still have some work to do to improve our traction control and we'll just have to wait and see what will happen," he said. "Barcelona is quite interesting and demanding. Last year I finished fourth here and I was fifth in 1999 so this is a circuit which normally suits me."
Formula One newcomer Juan Pablo Montoya will be seeking the first finish of his fledging Grand Prix career in Spain. The Colombian former CART driver has retired in each of this season's four races but is sure he can stop the rot on Sunday. "Spain will be almost like a home GP for me and I am sure plenty of my fans will be there," he said. "I raced on this track in Formula 3000 in 1998 and I won although I think this will be quite a tough race."
Eddie Irvine said that the Circuit de Catalunya held no secrets for the Grand Prix drivers this weekend. "We have all tested so much here that we pretty much know what to expect from this track," he said. Irvine will have a different Williams team-mate alongside him after Pedro de la Rosa replaced Luciano Burti. "I was sorry to see Luciano go as he brought a lot to the team but Pedro has been with us a while and understands the task at hand."
Mika Hakkinen will be bidding to ensure history repeats itself and kickstarts his season in Barcelona on Sunday. Hakkinen has just four points so far this year but has a good record in Spain where he has led a McLaren one- two finish for the past three years. "The results so far this year have not been ideal for me but the championship is still in a very open situation," the Finn said. "No-one is too far ahead and there are still plenty of points to be scored."
Jenson Button will be determined to land an upturn in fortunes in his first season with Benetton. Button is under contract to Williams until 2004 and they have an option to take him back from Benetton in 2002. The Briton is still searching for his first points of the season after a disappointing opening to the year. Last season in Barcelona he finished 17th and will hope for a better showing this time around and getting some points on the board.
Pedro de la Rosa makes his debut for Jaguar in Spain and gives his views:
Q: How big will expectations be during your home race and debut?
A: I hope people don't expect anything from me. I know this is unrealistic
but I have nothing in mind other than to give it 100%. I want to finish
the weekend knowing I did the best possible job both for Jaguar and for
myself. My debut must be taken in the context of the team's capabilities.
Q: This time last week you were a test driver and now you're full-time
again so do you adopt a different approach?
A: You must step up another gear but one part of you remains as a test
driver due to the development responsibility. You must consistently prove
your competiveness and that means pushing very hard at race level. I haven't
raced competively since last year and can't wait.
Q: Eddie Irvine is a different character to you. How well do you think
you will work with him?
A: He's very different from your average F1 driver but I've never had
a problem with a team-mate and he's no different. We must work well together
and not against each other. We share the mutual goal of taking this team
forward and I've seen nothing from Eddie to worry me in this respect.
Q: The race shares nothing in common with the test team you've been
with so does it feel like joining a different team?
A: It's the first time I've arrived at a meeting and not known the
team who are around me. There are lots of new components and it will take
time to fit into place. That's the challenge we face. The building blocks
for the future are being laid down now.
The 65-lap race gets under way at 1.00pm BST, 12.00 local time. A total
race distance of 307.323km (191 miles) will be covered at the Catalunya
Circuit (4.728km, 2.938 miles). The lap record for the circuit is held
by Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy who clocked a time of one minute, 22.242
seconds in 1997. World champion Michael Schumacher won the race twice in
consecutive years in the mid-1990s but has failed to finish better than
fifth since.
F3000:- Darren Manning will hope to follow up his second place at Imola
with another impressive display in Barcelona as he continues to await his
first win. Manning's Arden International team tested at the Barcelona circuit
earlier this year and after two recent days of testing in Monza, he is
raring to go. "I started badly here last year but came seventh, just outside
the points. Hopefully I'll improve," he said. "Testing shows I can start
nearer the front, maybe even on pole."
26.04.2001
F1:- Dr Wolfgang Ullrich of Audi Sport has spoken of the team's shock at the news of Michele Alboreto's death when test driving their A8 racing sportscar. The crash occurred on Wednesday afternoon at a track in Germany. "It is an incomprehensible tragedy. We will do everyhing in our power to find the reason for it but now our thoughts are with his family," said Dr Wolf. The car, which had already been heavily tested, left a straight piece of track and rolled over.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was one of the first people to pay tribute to the team's former driver Michele Alboreto after his death at 44. Alboreto was killed when he crashed in testing for the Le Mans 24 Hour race at the Eurospeedway circuit in Germany. "He played an important role as a driver in the history of Ferrari," he said on the Ferrari website. "His death has been a hard blow to take and has filled me with deep sadness. He drove with a great passion."
Federico Bendinelli, the former head of the firm who own the Imola Formula One circuit, was clearly upset at the news of Alboreto's death. Alboreto was a key player in the aftermath of the accident at Imola that killed Ayrton Senna in 1994. "I'm deeply saddened by Alboreto's death," he said. "At the time of the trial over the death of Senna he was an authoritative, precise and important witness, a person of very great moral standing."
Three-time world champion Niki Lauda paid tribute to ex-Formula One
rival Michele Alboreto, who was killed while testing for the Le Mans 24-hour
race. "I knew Michele from my racing days and he was a really nice guy,"
said Lauda. "I don't know anybody who would say anything wrong about him.
He was well- educated and a real gentleman. But people have to realise
that motor racing is dangerous. It is sad but we all know the risks involved,"
the Austrian added.
CYPRUS RALLY:- The sixth event of the world rallying championship, the
Cyprus Rally 2001, is to be held around Limassol from June 1- 3, race organisers
have confirmed. They will be hoping for an impressive race because despite
last year's race being highly praised, their slot on the calender is threatened
by Germany. Last year's race winner Carlos Sainz will be back, along with
world champion Marcus Gronholm, and Tommi Makinen. There are 22 stages
over mountainous terrain speaced out over three days.
27.04.2001
F1: THE SPANISH GP
David Coulthard set the pace for the opening practice session for Sunday's
grand prix with Eddie Irvine clocking the second fastest time. Coulthard
made the most of the first practice session since 1993 to see the use of
traction control to record a best time of 1 min 20.107 seconds. Irvine
boosted Jaguar's prospects by lapping a fastest time of 1:20.615. The Ferraris
of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher finished the day third and
fifth repectively.
Friday's opening practice times: mins:secs 1 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:20.107 2 E Irvine GB Jaguar 1:20.615 3 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 1:20.823 4 O Panis Fr BAR 1:20.826 5 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:20.880 6 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:20.894 7 P de la Rosa Sp Jaguar 1:21.184 8 R Schumacher Ger Williams 1:21.259 9 J Villeneuve Can BAR 1:21.401 10 J Trulli It Jordan 1:21.647 11 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 1:21.786 12 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 1:21.808 13 JP Montoya Col Williams 1:22.020 14 H-H Frentzen Ger Jordan 1:22.221 15 J Alesi Fr Prost 1:22.843 16 E Bernoldi Bra Arrows 1:22.888 17 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 1:22.962 18 G Fisichella It Benetton 1:22.971 19 J Button GB Benetton 1:23.201 20 F Alonso Sp Minardi 1:23.801 21 L Burti Bra Prost 1:23.885 22 T Marques Br Minardi 1:25.540
RALLYING:- Nik Elsmore will compete in next weekend's Wallonie Rally
in Belgium to make up for a frustrating break in the season caused by foot-and-mouth.
Elsmore hopes to shake the rust off by getting in some competitive stage
miles at the event on May 5/6.
F3000 (Barcelona):- Justin Wilson gave his title hoops a boost by grabbing the first pole position of his career. The Sheffield racer, who won the opening race in Brazil, claimed top spot by just 0.022 seconds from Nordic Racing team-mate Tomas Enge. Fellow Yorkshireman Darren Manning took sixth spot. "It's great to be on pole for the first time, but now we have to convert this into one-two for Nordic Racing in the race," Wilson said.
Qualifying times (Fri): mins secs 1 J Wilson GB Nordic 1:33.931 2 T Enge Cz Nordic 1:33.953 3 B Leinders Bel KTR 1:34.226 4 M Haberfeld Brz Sup Nova 1:34.263 5 D Saelens Bel Minardi 1:34.428 6 D Manning GB Arden 1:34.597 7 P Friesacher Aut Red Bull 1:34.635 8 A Pizzonia Brz Petrobas 1:34.692 9 R Sperafico Brz Petrobas 1:34.696 10 G Pantano It A'mega 1:34.879
BTCC:- Reigning Independents champion Matt Neal has lost his Peugeot
drive in this year's Touring Car championship as the team cannot afford
to run three cars. "I am naturally disappointed as I felt that my engineers
and I were contributing substantially to the development of the car," he
said. "I shall miss my fans, friends and colleagues who have supported
me." Neal will now make three appearances in the European Touring Car Championship,
including the British round on May 13.
28.04.2001
F1: THE SPANISH GP
Michael Schumacher outclassed his rivals to claim his fourth pole position
of the season in Catalunya. The world champion set a blistering time of
one minute, 18.201 seconds to beat David Coulthard's early pace. But the
Briton was edged out for second place by Mika Hakkinen ` winner of the
last three Spanish races - who set a last-gasp time of 1:18.286. Schumacher's
Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello was fourth while Eddie Irvine was
13th and Jenson Button 21st.
Michael Schumacher insisted that Ferrari's problems had not been too bad recently after claiming pole position for Sunday's race. Schumacher won the opening two races of the season but has seen his advantage pegged back in the last two races. But he countered: "I would not say we were in a slump. But we are back up where we wanted to be. Although things do look good it is very tight. Mika got close to me at the end - but not close enough."
Mika Hakkinen said he has a good feeling about Barcelona after winning the last three races at the circuit. "In one sense you have a completely different approach to a Grand Prix because you have extremely nice memories of the place. You have a a different attitude and feeling about this. I did a big push at the end. I was disappointed not to get pole, but I lost a bit of time at one of the corners," said Hakkinen.
David Coulthard looked good for second spot until a late surge by team-mate Mika Hakkinen dropped him to third. The joint leader in the driver standings completed the same race last year with cracked ribs after a plane crash and finished second. "I did not get the maximum out of the car today," he said. "Getting the time Michael set was possible, but now we will just have to think about what to do in the race," the McLaren driver added.
Eddie Irvine knows he will be struggling in Sunday's race after qualifying 13th fastest. The Jaguar driver, who was second-fastest in practice on Friday, said: "I couldn't have done any better today. We extracted everything we could from the car and 13th place is what we expected at this circuit. Given the aerodynamic demands of Catalunya we always envisaged a difficult weekend. We're in for another hard race chasing a chance of a point."
Qualifying times: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:18.201 2 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:18.286 3 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:18.635 4 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 1:18.674 5 R Schumacher Ger Williams 1:19.016 6 J Trulli It Jordan 1:19.093 7 J Villeneuve Can BAR 1:19.122 8 H-H Frentzen Ger Jordan 1:19.150 9 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 1:19.229 10 N Heidfield Ger Sauber 1:19.232 11 O Panis Fr BAR 1:19.479 12 J-P Montoya Col Williams 1:19.660 13 E Irvine GB Jaguar 1:20.326 14 L Burti Brz Prost 1:20.585 15 J Alesi Fr Prost 1:20.601 16 E Bernoldi Brz Arrows 1:20.696 17 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 1:20.737 18 F Alonso Sp Minardi 1:21.037 19 G Fisichella It Benetton 1:21.065 20 P de la Rosa Sp Jaguar 1:21.338 21 J Button GB Benetton 1:21.916 22 T Marques Brz Minardi 1:22.522
Jenson Button could miss the Austrian Grand Prix in two weeks time because of a shoulder injury. The Briton's management team and Benetton outfit will decide whether he will take part after seeing how he copes with the Spanish Grand Prix. "We will consider all the options after seeing how Jenson is after this race," said David Robertson, one of Button's managers. Button said the injury was "getting better all the time."
Jenson Button was disappointed after qualifying second last on the grid
for the second race running. The Benetton driver has been struggling with
a shoulder injury and said: "I did not test after Imola and have had a
couple of weeks off which has helped. "I'm disappointed. Starting from
where I am will make the race very difficult. My main task now is to bring
the car home and gather as much information as possible so that we can
learn for the future," the Briton added.
CART (Texas):-Kenny Brack produced the fastest lap in opening practice
for Sunday's race. Brack clocked 233.785mph, just 0.24 seconds ahead of
Tony Kanaan and 0.115 faster than Paul Tracy. Of the 28 drivers, 25 finished
within a second of each other as the Texas track lived up to predictions
of being a tough, fast circuit. This season's points leade Cristiano da
Matta said: "The track is not physical like a road or street course but
the loads are pretty high."
F3000 (Barcelona):- Justin Wilson clung onto the lead of the championship despite a disappointing third-place finish. The Briton, who started fron pole for the first time in his career, missed a gear in the opening few seconds and slipped from first to third. He finished the 32-lap battle 3.2 seconds behind Coca-Cola Nordic Racing team-mate Tomas Enge, who is now one point behind him in the standings. "It was not the result I was looking for," said Wilson.
Result (Sat): mins secs 1 T Enge Cz Nordic 52:00.457 2 B Leinders Bel KTR 52:02.667 3 J Wilson GB Nordic 52:03.662 4 M Haberfeld Brz Sup Nova 52:09.720 5 D Saelens Bel Minardi 52:20.587 6 A Pizzonia Brz Petrobas 52:21.291 7 M Webber Aus Sup Nova 52:22.095 8 P Friesacher Aut Red Bull 52:23.012 9 G Pantano It A'mega 52:29.712 10 A Garcia Sp Red Bull 52:30.097
INDY LIGHTS:- Dan Wheldon will line-up fifth on the grid for Saturday's
third round of the 2001 CART Dayton Indy Lights Championship at Fort Worth,
Texas. The 22-year-old British driver is currently leading the Rookie
of the Year points standings.
BRITISH F3 (Donington Park):- German racer Andre Lotterer took his second pole position in one day as he completed a perfect day. Second fastest was Matt Davies with Takuma sato and Derek Hayes finishing close behind.
LEADING TIMES: min secs 1 A Lotterer 1:28.460 2 M Davies 1:28.636 3 T Sato 1:28.642 4 D Hayes 1:28.805 5 A Davidson 1:28.864 6 J Courtney 1:29.003
BRITISH GT'S (Donington Park):- Rob Wilson and Tim Harvey will start from pole for Viper as a heavy downpour washed out any chance of a second round of qualifying.
LEADING TIMES, GT category min secs 1 Wilson/Harvey Chrysler 1:35.800 2 Warnock/Jordan Lister 1:36.900 3 Rowland/Ward TVR 1:40.063 4 Quaife/Hopkins Quaife R4 1:40.520 LEADING TIMES, GTO category min secs 1 Burt/Franchitti Porsche 1:38.371 2 Short/Barff TVR 1:39.113 3 Balfe/Sumpter Porsche 1:39.853 4 Turner/Horner Porsche 1:29.395
PORSCHE CUP (Donington Park):- Adrian Slater steered clear of the early drama to win the sprint race. Slater swept ahead of Nigel Rice after an incident on the first lap eliminated Peter Chambers and Barbara Armstrong. Chris Heeley took the class two race despite a spin on the opening lap.
SPRINT RACE RESULT: 1 A Slater GT3 Cup 2 N Rice GT3 Cup 3 M Salmon GT3 Cup 4 R Bernberg 993 Cup
F.FORD (Donington Park):- Championship leader Richard Goransson claimed pole position for Sunday's third-round race. Goransson moved to the head of the times once a dry line emerged after a torrential shower.
Qualifying times: min secs 1 R Goransson 1:50.984 2 M Davies 1:51.251 3 T Sato 1:51.338 4 D Hayes 1:51.353 5 A Davidson 1:51.451 6 J Courtney 1:51.527
FORD FIESTA'S (Donington Park):- Colin Turkington maintained his 100 per cent pole-position record for the third round race on Sunday. The 19-year-old student from Northern Ireland, who has also won the first two races, was nearly three-quarters-of-a- second ahead of Nick Padley.
Qualifying times: mins secs 1 C Turkington 2:03.501 2 N Padley 2:04.234 3 T Clark 2:04.380 4 A Blencowe 2:04.542 5 C Stancombe 2:04.669 6 M Pinny 2:04.972
29.04.2001
F1: THE SPANISH GP
Michael Schumacher stole in to win the race when leader Mika Hakkinen's
McLaren broke down on the last lap. Hakkinen had looked set to clinch his
fourth straight Spanish win and his first victory of 2001 after staying
ahead following his second stop. Juan-Pablo Montoya finished in second
spot and Jacques Villeneuve was third. David Coulthard, who started last
after stalling on the warm-up lap, was fith, Jenson Button was 15th and
Eddie Irvine was hit by a retirement.
Michael Schumacher has admitted that he sought out Mika Hakkinen after pipping the Finn to victory because of the McLaren star's last-lap car misery. Schumacher stated: "I was sorry for him. We both had a good race. He jumped me at the last pitstop because I was in traffic and had a little trouble, probably the tyres. Seeing him retire was shocking. He had one everything right. It is not the way I like to win a race but it has happened to me as well."
Mika Hakkinen had seemed set for a win when he gained the upper hand over Michael Schumacher after a second stop. He went ahead of Michael Schumacher after the German's second visit to the pits and the Finn stayed in front when he emerged from his second pitstop. Hakkinen seemed set to become the most successful driver in the Spanish race with a fourth successive win. But a suspected clutch problem ended those hopes and he was officially classified as finishing ninth.
McLaren's Mika Hakkinen was understandably gutted after losing his chance of victory on the final lap of the race. After his retirement, he said: "It was super disappointing. It could have been a fantastic finish for me. I was going so well and was not pushing and in fact I was cruising. It would have been wonderful to have won a fourth race in a row here but it is just one of those things. It just did not work for me."
McLaren chief Ron Dennis has revealed that Mika Hakkinen's last-lap retirement was probably down to a clutch problem. He confirmed: "It is a little early to say but it looks like it may well have been a clutch problem - but I am not 100 per cent sure. It happened without warning. It is disappointing for everyone ` the company and the team. It is just something that you have to live with."
David Coulthard's attempt to take over at the top of the driver championship got off to the worst possible start. The Scot stalled his car and was left on the grid for the formation lap and it meant that he had to begin the race from the back of the field. Then he damaged his McLaren when he shunted Enrique Bernoldi at the start and had to come in for a new nose cone. Before the race, Coulthard ` who eventually finished fifth ` and Michael Schumacher jointly led the series.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who had scored points in three out of the four races before this one, went out on lap seven. He tried to overtake Pedro de la Rosa but collided with the Spaniard and both drivers were forced to retire. Frentzen had also suffered bad luck at the start when he was left standing on the grid for several seconds. The German had started in eighth place but was 18th on the second lap. Meanwhile, de la Rosa was taking part in his first race for Jaguar.
David Coulthard's team were forced to back down after initially blaming him for the computer glitch that sent him to the back of the grid for the start. The Scot eventually battled back to finish fifth but McLaren team boss Ron Dennis blamed Coulthard for the fault with the traction control system. But Dennis later said: "At first we thought David was responsible for stalling on the grid. But it turned out to be the software and David recovered well in the race."
Juan-Pablo Montoya, who was hit by bad luck in earlier races this season, was delighted after claiming his first points by finishing second. The Colombian enthused: "It is really exciting. In the first four races I had a very hard time. I had not expected to be up there in this race after my qualifying performance on Saturday." But the Williams driver added: "We still have a lot of work to do before the next race in Austria."
Former champion Jacques Villeneuve was again able to savour jumping on to the podium again after finishing third. The British American Racing driver commented: "It is great. The whole team have worked really hard for the last three years. To finally get on the podium is great and is the boost we needed. We could not have gone any faster. It was obviously a bit difficult for everybody and we were a bit lucky. The team did a great job."
Jordan driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen felt Pedro de la Rosa was at fault for the lap-seven collision that ended the race for both drivers. After hearing Jaguar driver de la Rosa's claim that he did not see the German, Frentzen said: "I do not know what helmet he was wearing. It was clear that it was my corner. His front wheel touched my rear wheel. It was a a racing accident but it happened after I did not have a very good start."
Ralf Schumacher, who won the last grand prix in San Marino, went out of the race on the 21st lap after his Williams slid into a gravel trap. The German admitted that he did not know what was wrong with the car. He confirmed: "It was totally strange. I tried to brake and all of a sudden the rear came out. We will have to check it out. It was a bit strange. It would not usually spin out in that position. It is a shame but these things happen."
Eddie Irvine remained upbeat even though he retired on lap 48. Irvine insisted: "Despite my exit from the race this was our most positive overall team performance this season. "The car felt pretty good throughout the race and I did not suffer from too many problems until the engine decided to let go. The team radioed me about 25 laps from the end and informed me of an oil problem. I used less revs but it was no surprise when the car stopped."
Jenson Button's miserable season continued in Barcelona, with the Briton finishing in 15th place. "What can I say? I am repeating myself but we just have to hang in there and be patient, even though the only thing we want to do is win," said Button. However he confirmed he would compete in Austria despite a shoulder injury. "I am sure the problem will have cleared up by then. I had an injection in it about 10 days ago as I've had a problem with it since Malaysia."
Result after 65 laps: hr min sec 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:31.03.3 2 J-P Montoya Col Williams @ 40.7 3 J Villeneuve Can BAR @ 49.6 4 J Trulli It Jordan @ 51.2 5 D Coulthard GB McLaren @ 51.6 6 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber @ 01.01.8 7 O Panis Fr BAR @ 01.04.9 8 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber @ 01.19.8 9 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren one lap 10 J Alesi Fr Prost one lap 11 L Burti Brz Prost one lap 12 J Verstappen Ned Arrows two laps 13 F Alonso Sp Minardi two laps 14 G Fisichella It Benetton two laps 15 J Button GB Benetton 3 laps 16 T Marques Brz Minardi 3 laps NOT CLASSIFIED: Laps completed R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 49 E Irvine GB Jaguar 47 R Schumacher Ger Williams 20 E Bernoldi Brz Arrows 8 P de la Rosa Sp Jaguar 5 H-H Frentzen Ger Jordan 5 DRIVER STANDINGS 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 36 pts 2 D Coulthard GB McLaren 28 3 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 14 4 R Schumacher Ger Williams 12 5 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 8 6 J Trulli It Jordan 7 7 H-H Frentzen Ger Jordan 6 = J-P Montoya Col Williams 6 9 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 4 = J Villeneuve Can BAR 4 11 O Panis Fr BAR 3 12 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 1 = G Fisichella It Benetton 1 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Ferrari 50 pts 2 McLaren 32 3 Williams 18 4 Jordan 13 5 Sauber 9 6 BAR 7 7 Benetton 1
F3000 (Barcelona):- Justin Wilson clung onto the lead of the championship despite a disappointing third-place finish. The Briton, who started fron pole for the first time in his career, missed a gear in the opening few seconds and slipped from first to third. He finished the 32-lap battle 3.2 seconds behind Coca-Cola Nordic Racing team-mate Tomas Enge, who is now one point behind him in the standings. "It was not the result I was looking for," said Wilson.
Result (Sat): mins secs 1 T Enge Cz Nordic 52:00.457 2 B Leinders Bel KTR 52:02.667 3 J Wilson GB Nordic 52:03.662 4 M Haberfeld Brz Sup Nova 52:09.720 5 D Saelens Bel Minardi 52:20.587 6 A Pizzonia Brz Petrobas 52:21.291 7 M Webber Aus Sup Nova 52:22.095 8 P Friesacher Aut Red Bull 52:23.012 9 G Pantano It A'mega 52:29.712 10 A Garcia Sp Red Bull 52:30.097
BRITISH F3 (Donington Park):- Japan's Takuma Sato won the fifth round after taking the lead from German Andre Lotterer in the middle of the race. He said: "It is a good feeling to win. The last two rounds have been hard for me and the team and now we have won."
RESULTS (13 laps): 1 T Sato 2 A Lotterer + 1.4 secs 3 G Bruni + 4.9 secs 4 D Hayes + 8.4 secs 5 P Edwards + 9.4 secs 6 J Jones +11.1 secs
Andre Lotterer won the sixth round with a convincing drive that saw his team mate James Courtney finish second.
RESULTS 14 laps 1 A Lotterer 20:52.182 2 J Courtney 20:56.702 3 D Hayes 20:58.330 4 A Prilaux 21:37.326 SCHOLARSHIP CLASS 1 R Kerr 21:34.269 2 M Keohane 21:36.936 3 M Gilmore 21:37.326 4 A Blair 21:45.479
BRITISH GT'S (Donington Park):- Mike Jordan and David Warnock's Lister Storm powereed in to the lead on the last of the 37 laps to secure victory in a race of changing fortunes.
LEADING TIMES, GT category mins secs 1 Warnock/Jordan Lister 60:08.227 2 Wilson/Harvey Chrysler 60:10.502 3 V-Roe/Caine TVR 36 laps 4 C'gham/Wright Porsche 35 laps LEADING TIMES, GTO category 1 Rymer/Simmons Posrche 36 laps 2 Burt/Franchitti Porsche 36 laps 3 Hayles/Devlin Chrysler 36 laps 4 G Jones/D Jones Porsche 36 laps
PORSCHE CUP (Donington Park):- Adrian Slater completed a superb weekend by winning the feature race. Slater saw off the challenge of Nigel Rice to win with Robert Babikan finishing third. Robi Bernberg won a battle with Mike Salmon to go fourth
FEATURE RACE RESULT: mins:secs 1 A Slater GT3 Cup 21:02.227 2 N Rice GT3 Cup 21.03.604 3 R Babikan GT3 Cup 21:10.051 4 R Bernberg 993 Cup 21.18.140
F.FORD (Donington Park):- Sweden's Richard Goransson completed a hat-trick of victories this season as he led from pole to win uncontested. Robert Bell recovered from falling back to sixth place to finish second two laps from the end.
Provisional race result: min secs 1 R Goransson 20:36.537 2 R Bell 20:38.464 3 A van der Merwe 20:39.087 4 R Bremer 20:40.299 5 A Carroll 20:44.214 6 G Catt 20:47.464
INDY LIGHTS:- Dan Wheldon's first CART Dayton Indy Lights race ended
in disappointment when a clash with Townsend Bell on lap 53 of 67 ended
his race. Wheldon had been third at the time of the incident in which he
was unhurt. The 2000 Formula Palmer Audi champion Damien Faulkner won his
first ever oval race after leading for all but two laps of the event.
30.04.2001
CART (Texas):- The inaugural Texas 600 has been postponed after drivers complained of dizziness in practice and qualifying at speeds approaching 240mph. Drivers concerned over their safety met with series officials before the scheduled start. They complained that extreme G-forces were causing dizziness on the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval which has 24- degree banking on all four turns. CART chief executive officer Joe Heitzler announced the decision.
Michael Andretti praised CART organisers for postponing the Texas 600 race after fears over safety. Andretti, CART's career leader with 40 victories, said: "In my 20 years of auto racing I've never experienced the kind of forces I experienced here. I've got to applaud CART for standing up for the drivers and safety and trying to find a solution and not going ahead with the event at this time. This isn't something we could predict."
Team owner Barry Green welcomed the decision to postpone the Texas 600
after drivers' safety concerns. "It was a medical decision. It was the
right decision," Green said. "CART has learned a lot this weekend. Because
of the speeds we're running and G-forces the drivers are experiencing,
we're operating in a whole new area. "So as a community - CART, teams,
drivers, manufacturers, suppliers and sponsors - we decided it was best
to postpone the race until we can learn."
F1:- Mika Hakkinen has refused to admit defeat in the race for the Formula
One world title despite his last lap disaster in Spain on Sunday. The Finn
is 32 points behind current championship leader Michael Schumacher and
even though there are 12 races left his chances of a fightback are slim.
"My situation in the world championship looks very sad now but the game
is not over yet, I can't think that," he said. "When it's mathematically
impossible, then I'll change my targets."
NEWS:- Audi team specialists have confirmed that the testing crash that killed Michele Alboreto was caused by a sharp object bursting one of the tyres. This was the initial verdict of a group of independent investigators working for the public prosecutor's office in Cottbus, near to where it happened. "It seems a sharp object went into the left rear tyre causing pressure loss," said team chief Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "Investigations show it was an external object and not a mechanical fault."