21.09.2001 - F1Next year's French Grand Prix is set to be moved to July 21 to avoid a clash with football's World Cup finals. It took place on July 1 this year. The draft calender for next year is due to be submited to the World Motor Sport Council on October 3. A plan to try out brake lights at next week's US Grand Prix has been shelved as teams feel it is too early to try out the new lights.
DRIVER STANDINGS (after Italian Grand Prix) 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 107 pts 2 D Coulthard GB McLaren 57 3 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 54 4 R Schumacher Ger Williams 48 5 J-P Montoya Col Williams 25 6 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 24 7 J Villeneuve Can BAR 12 8 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 11 9 J Trulli It Jordan 9 = K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 9 11 G Fisichella It Benetton 8 12 HH Frentzen Ger Jord/Prost 6 13 O Panis Fr BAR 5 == J Alesi Fr Prost/Jord 5 15 E Irvine GB Jaguar 4 16 P de la Rosa Sp Jaguar 3 17 J Button GB Benetton 2 18 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 1 CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS (after Italian Grand Prix) 1 Ferrari 161 pts 2 McLaren 81 3 Williams 73 4 Sauber 20 5 BAR 17 6 Jordan 16 7 Benetton 10 8 Jaguar 7 9 Prost 4 10 Arrows 1 Ferrari are constructor championsBTCC (Donington Park):- They may race in the same livery but competition between Vauxhall drivers Jason Plato and Yvan Muller will be as fierce as ever at Donington on Sunday. Plato is only five points ahead of Muller going into the penultimate round but James Thompson and Phil Bennett of Team Egg will also be targeting wins. MG's Anthony Reid and Warren Hughes worked at a Donington track driving school and so know the circuit well. With only two rounds left, the race for the championship is far from over.
Jason Plato will be desperate to make amends for a costly error in the last round at Silverstone when a 30-second penalty cost him another win. Plato collided with team-mate and rival Yvan Muller as they went over the line and lost vital points. "I'm upset at losing the seven points I would have gained. I don't think it was my fault but I'm professional so I'll have to take it on the chin," he said. "I didn't qualify well last time so that's an area I need to improve on."
Events at Silverstone may have given Yvan Muller a lifeline in the race for the title, but he is not relishing the prospect of racing at Donington. "Donington's not the best circuit for me. It's a hard-braking circuit and doesn't suit my style of driving," said Muller, who is second in the standings. "I start to think too much about saving my breaks and as a result I lose some performance," he added. "I'm going to need a really good balance set-up to compensate."
As well as the main drama of the race for the title there will be plenty of other excitement going on at Donington. In the Goodrich Tyres Production category Simon Harrison will be keen to extend his 17-point lead over James Kaye, with Roger Moen in third place. As well as the 15-lap sprint race and the 30-lap feature race there are also International Supersports, Clio Cup and Volkswagen Racing Cup events. Official qualifying takes place on September 22 with racing the next day.
DRIVER STANDINGS 1 J Plato GB Vauxhall 281 pts 2 Y Muller Fr Vauxhall 276 3 J Thompson GB Vauxhall 254 4 P Bennett GB Vauxhall 134 5 D Eaves GB Peugeot 93 6 S Soper GB Peugeot 89 BFGOODRICH TIRES PRODUCTION CH'SHIP 1 S Harrison GB Peugeot 202 pts 2 J Kaye GB Honda 185 3 R Moen Nor Peugeot 184 4 M Jackson GB Ford 137 5 G Howell GB Ford 117 6 G Pyper GB Alfa Rom 109 MANUFACTURER STANDINGS 1 Vauxhall 770 pts 2 Peugeot 233 TOURING TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Vauxhall Motorsport 232 pts 2 Team Egg Sport 184 3 Peugeot Sport 79 BFGOODRICH PRODUCTION TEAMS CH'SHIP 1 GR Motorsport 177 pts 2 Barwell Motorsport 143 3 HTML 141 4 Tech-Speed 55 5 TCR/Interactive Net 46 6 GA Janspeed 45RALLY NEW ZEALAND:- Colin McRae was lying in fourth place after a battle of tactics on the first day of the rally. The conditions of the bone-dry, gravel- strewn roads around Auckland improved as the day progressed after McRae had gone out early. Some drivers slowed noticeably in latter stages to avoid having to take early positions on the roads Saturday. Sweden's Kenneth Eriksson leads the event with a 16.5-second lead over Marcus Gronholm.
Colin McRae called for the FIA to step in after being frustrated by several drivers' slowing tactics on day one. McRae was lying fourth after the first day and said: "Our running positions will make a big difference on Saturday. Those running behind us will have a huge advantage. We've been penalised for driving quickly on previous rallies and lying second in the championship. -"The FIA should do something about this because the best drivers in the world are being forced to play silly games."
Swedish leader Kenneth Eriksson, one of the few drivers who did not use slowing tactics on the opening day, was pleased his decision had paid off. "The rally is really dry and slippery and we had a good road position, allowing us to follow the lines made by cars ahead of us," he said. "Although it is a bit of a gamble, I decided I wanted to lead the rally by the end of the day. That's exactly what we have done and I'm delighted."
Positions after 8 stages: Hr min sec 1 K Eriksson Swe Hyundai 1:16.19.5 2 M Gronholm Fin Peugeot @ 16.5 3 C Sainz Sp Ford @ 20.5 4 C McRae GB Ford @ 39.6 5 P Solberg Nor Subaru @ 44.6 6 F Loix Bel Mitsubishi @ 47.4 7 F Delecour Fr Ford @ 47.7 8 R Burns GB Subaru @ 52.9 = A McRae GB Hyundai @ 1.21.0 10 P Bourne NZ Subaru @ 1.31.5CART (Rockingham):- Qualifying for the first CART race to be held in Britain was cancelled on Friday due to continuing problems with water on the track. A two-and-a-half hour practice session has been scheduled for Saturday morning, with the race put back to 3.10pm from 12.30pm. Grid positions will be determined by current championship standings. Sunday is a reserve day if further problems with the weather prevent any action on Saturday.
CART racing comes to Britain for the first time on Saturday when Round 17 of the FedEx Championship takes place at the Rockingham Bowl. Scotland's Dario Franchitti will be hoping for plenty of British support as he bids to challenge championship leader Kenny Brack of Sweden. With the likes of Helio Castroneves, Michael Andretti and Gil de Ferran in action, competition will be fierce. A large crowd is expected for what may be the fastest race in Britain.
CART racing's European debut last weekend was overshadowed by tragedy but organisers have decided to press ahead with Saturday's British round. The German race was already taking place under a cloud after the terrorist attacks in the US before Alex Zanardi's accident added to the sombre mood. Zanardi had to have both legs amputated after a collision with Alex Tagliani. This weekend's race will be a memorial to those who died in America and a commemorative tree will be planted.
The Honda-Reynard team of Alex Zanardi have withdrawn from Round 17 of the FedEx Championship on Saturday after his serious accident last weekend. "Alex's wife Daniela would very much like the show to go on," said team owner Mo Nunn. "But some of the guys on the team are so devastated by what happened that we think it'd be difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. That'd pose a safety risk so we'll go home early then come back at Houston."
Alex Tagliani, who was involved in the crash with Alex Zinardi in Berlin on Saturday, will drive in the CART race at Rockingham. Tagliani escaped with minor injuries from the crash, but Zinardi is fighting for his life in hospital. "There's not five minutes that go by that I don't start thinking about him," Tagliani said. "As soon as I jump in the car I will be concentrating on driving. I will be happy, I will be fine."
Dario Franchitti said he will have to put last weekend's crash at Berlin out of his mind when he races on Saturday. The Scot said there is a sombre mood with Alex Zinardi seriously injured in hospital but that he must focus his mind on the task in hand. "Alex was a friend of ours and he has been grievously and terribly injured," he said. "But my Team KOOL Green is a tight group, and we'll work together to overcome our challenges."
Driver standings (after American Memorial): 1 K Brack Swe Ford 131 pts 2 G de Ferran Brz Honda 120 3 M Andretti US Honda 115 4 H Castroneves Brz Honda 111 5 S Dixon NZ Toyota 86 6 D Franchitti GB Honda 85 7 P Carpentier Can Ford 83 8 C da Matta Brz Toyota 78 9 R Moreno Brz Toyota 74 10 T Kanaan Brz Honda 72 Manufacturer standings: 1 Honda 257 pts 2 Ford-Cosworth 224 3 Toyota 222ELF CLIO CUP (Donington Park):- Jason Templeman set the fastest ever Clio Cup lap at Donington in Friday's testing session for Sunday's race. Series leader Daniel Buxton was next with title rivals Tim Mullen, Paul Rivett and Martin Byford just behind.
Friday testing times mins secs 1 J Templeman TCR 1:47.866 2 D Buxton Sugden 1:48.244 3 T Mullen Firstair 1:48.357 4 P Rivett Stancombe 1:48.666 5 M Byford Z Speed 1:48.719 6 M Nordon B'cliffe 1:49.182F.RENAULT (Donington Park):- Heikki Kovalainen set the track's fastest ever Formula Renault time in testing for Sunday's race. Carl Breeze, who could become champion on Sunday, was third, behind Richard Antinucci, his only title rival.
Friday testing times mins secs 1 H Kovalainen Fortec 1:32.005 2 R Antinucci Manor 1:32.039 3 C Breeze Motaworld 1:32.277 4 T Sisley Motaworld 1:32.554 5 D Watts Falcon 1:32.945 6 M Fariuz Saxon 1:33.130 22.09.2001F1:- Jaguar boss Niki Lauda says all drivers should take part in the US Grand Prix in Indianapolis next weekend and has dismissed safety concerns as "rubbish". Michael Schumacher was one of the most prominent drivers to express fears about travelling, before confirming he would take part. "There are contracts with organisers, the FIA and between teams and drivers," he said in a German newspaper column. "If anybody has any doubts about safety I think that's complete rubbish."
BTCC (Silverstone):- Jason Plato increased his stranglehold at the top of the BTCC standings by claiming double pole for Sunday. In first qualifying he set the fastest time and watched as rival Yvan Muller could only get third in the Sprint and second in the feature race. Team Egg's Phil Bennett took second in the Sprint and third in the Feature, with James Thompson fourth in both. "I'm delighted. Last time we didn't get it right so we had to see what would work second time round," said Plato.
Round 23 qualifying times (Sat):mins secs 1 J Plato GB Vauxhall 1:41.456 2 P Bennett GB Vauxhall 1:41.496 3 Y Muller Fr Vauxhall 1:41.541 4 J Thompson GB Vauxhall 1:41.624 5 S Soper GB Peugeot 1:42.393 6 A Reid GB MG 1:42.463 7 W Hughes GB MG 1:42.513 8 D Eaves GB Peugeot 1:42.900 9 T Ferrier GB Alfa 1:43.079 10 T Erdos GB Lexus 1:43.488 Round 24 qualifying times (Sat):mins secs 1 J Plato GB Vauxhall 1:41.537 2 Y Muller Fr Vauxhall 1:41.613 3 P Bennett GB Vauxhall 1:41.701 4 J Thompson GB Vauxhall 1:41.752 5 S Soper GB Peugeot 1:42.156 6 W Hughes GB MG 1:42.444 7 A Reid GB MG 1:42.540 8 D Eaves GB Peugeot 1:42.587 9 T Ferrier GB Alfa 1:43.226 10 T Erdos GB Lexus 1:43.467RALLY NEW ZEALAND:- England's Richard Burns powered his way from ninth to first on the ninth stage of Rally New Zealand. Colin McRae is right in Burns' wheel tracks but the Scot will need to be at his scintillating best if he is to stay close when the rally resumes today. McRae, who is 25.3 seconds behind Burns, said: "It's very difficult because of the conditions. Richard is pulling clear because of his better road position and he could have a big lead tonight."
Positions after 16 stages: Hr min sec 1 R Burns GB Subaru 2:56.03.6 2 C McRae GB Ford @ 42.6 3 H Rovanpera Fin Peugeot @ 1.05.2 4 C Sainz Sp Ford @ 1.27.5 5 M Gronholm Fin Peugeot @ 1:42.5 6 D Auriol Fr Peugeot @ 1.43.0 7 T Makinen Fin Mitsubishi @ 2:42.8 8 P Solberg Nor Subaru @ 3:06.9 9 A McRae GB Hyundai @ 3.27.4 10 F Loix Bel Mitsubishi @ 4:34.3CART (Rockingham):- Defending CART champion Gil de Ferran overtook Kenny Brack on the final corner of the race to secure his first win of the current season. The pair had disputed the lead the whole way though. Helio Castroneves came third and Brack retains his overall lead in the title race. The race was originally set for 210 laps but was reduced to 168 because of fears about racing in the dark. It was then cut to 140 laps as dusk descended on the circuit.
Two poor pit-stops put paid to Dario Franchitti's victory bid as he finished ninth in a race won by Gil de Ferran. Franchitti had moved up to third but slipped to fifth after his first pit- stop and ninth after his second. "I'm very disappointed, the pit-stops weren't good at all and we suffered because of that," he said. "Rockingham is a fast circuit but when you are out there it's very difficult to make up ground. After the pit-stops it was a professional race for us."
Result (race reduced to 140 laps) Hr min sec 1 G de Ferran Brz Penske 1:20.59.0 2 K Brack Swe Rahal 1:20.59.6 3 C da Matta Brz N'man/Haas 1:21.13.7 4 H C'neves Brz Penske * 1:21:05.3 5 M Andretti US Motorola 1:21:16.1 6 P Tracy Can KOOL Green 1:21.17.9 7 J Vasser Fin Mitsubishi 1:21:18.1 8 T Kanaan Brz Mo Nunn 1:21:18.7 9 D Fr'chitti GB KOOL Green 1:21.19.3 10 O Servia Sp Sigma 1:21:25.4 * Dropped to fourth after penalty Driver standings 1 K Brack Swe Ford 147 pts 2 G de Ferran Brz Honda 141 3 H Castroneves Brz Honda 125 4 M Andretti US Honda 125 5 C da Matta Brz Toyota 90 6 D Franchitti GB Honda 89 7 S Dixon NZ Toyota 86 8 P Carpentier Can Ford 83 9 T Kanaan Brz Honda 77 10 P Tracy Brz Toyota 76 23.09.2001BTCC (Donington Park):- Phil Bennett took advantage of Jason Plato's rivalry with Yvan Muller to take his second successive class win in the sprint race. Plato and Muller finished second and third in the touring class. Bennett finished 2.672 seconds ahead of Plato and was fourth overall and he said: "This will not have done my job prospects any harm for next year." Simon Graves was the overall winner in a production-class Honda, with the touring cars unable to catch him.
Round 23 result (Sun): mins secs 1 S Graves GB Honda 27:17.117 2 R Moen Nor Peugeot @ 2.146 3 J Kaye GB Honda @ 5.397 4 P Bennett GB Vauxhall @ 6.089 5 J Plato GB Vauxhall @ 9.703 6 Y Muller Fr Vauxhall @ 12.375 7 G Howell GB Ford @ 16.691 8 P O'Neill GB Peugeot @ 17.265 9 G Pyper GB Alfa Rom @ 20.921 10 A Reid GB MG @ 21.972Jason Plato holds a six-point lead going into the season's final meeting despite failing to win a race. Plato extended his championship lead over Yvan Muller even though the Frenchman won the day's feature race. Muller was fourth in lap six with Plato leading the field but he fought back to sec nd and benefited when Plato was delayed by a poor pit-stop. He then passed surprise leader Tom Ferrier and went on to finish 0.646 seconds ahead of James Thompson.
Round 24 result (Sun): hr min sec 1 Y Muller Fr Vauxhall 1:07.33.6 2 J Thompson GB Vauxhall @ 0.6 3 J Plato GB Vauxhall @ 6.4 4 T Erdos Brz Lexus @ 10.3 5 D Eaves GB Peugeot @ 16.0 6 R Moen GB Alfa @ 34.0 7 S Harrison GB Peugeot @ 35.9 8 W Hughes GB MG @ 36.6 9 M Jackson GB Ford @ 38.6 10 C Blair GB Alfa Rom @ 46.6 DRIVER STANDINGS 1 J Plato GB Vauxhall 281 pts 2 Y Muller Fr Vauxhall 276 3 J Thompson GB Vauxhall 254 4 P Bennett GB Vauxhall 134 5 D Eaves GB Peugeot 93 6 S Soper GB Peugeot 89 BFGOODRICH TIRES PRODUCTION CH'SHIP 1 S Harrison GB Peugeot 202 pts 2 J Kaye GB Honda 185 3 R Moen Nor Peugeot 184 4 M Jackson GB Ford 137 5 G Howell GB Ford 117 6 G Pyper GB Alfa Romeo 109 MANUFACTURER STANDINGS 1 Vauxhall 770 pts 2 Peugeot 233 TOURING TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Vauxhall Motorsport 232 pts 2 Team Egg Sport 184 3 Peugeot Sport 79 BFGOODRICH PRODUCTION TEAMS CH'SHIP 1 GR Motorsport 177 pts 2 Barwell Motorsport 143 3 HTML 141 4 Tech-Speed 55 5 TCR/Interactive Net 46 6 GA Janspeed 45RALLY NEW ZEALAND:- Britain's Richard Burns clinched his first win in the World Championship since last November. The Subaru star has been hindered by mechanical problems and driver errors this season but this result could mean he remains at the team next year. Meanwhile, compatriot Colin McRae boosted his title hopes by finishing in second place - just ahead of Harri Rovanpera's Peugeot. McRae now jointly leads the series with Tommi Makinen.
Result after 24 stages: Hr min sec 1 R Burns GB Subaru 3:47.28.0 2 C McRae GB Ford 3:48.12.6 3 H Rovanpera Fin Peugeot 3:48.18.1 4 C Sainz Sp Ford 3:48.20.2 5 M Gronholm Fin Peugeot 3:48.23.8 6 D Auriol Fr Peugeot 3:48.39.3 7 P Solberg Nor Subaru 3:49.43.8 8 T Makinen Fin Mitsubishi 3:49.49.0 9 A McRae GB Hyundai 3:51.01.8 10 K Eriksson Swe Hyundai 3:51.49.9 DRIVER STANDINGS 1 T Makinen Fin Mitsubishi 40 pts = C McRae GB Ford 40 3 R Burns GB Subaru 31 4 C Sainz Sp Ford 30 5 H Rovanpera Fin Peugeot 27 6 M Gronholm Fin Peugeot 16 7 F Delecour Fr Ford 14 MANUFACTURER STANDINGS 1 Ford 76 pts 2 Mitsubishi 66 3 Subaru 46 4 Peugeot 44 5 Skoda 15 6 Hyundai 10ELF CLIO CUP (Donington Park):- Jason Templeman claimed his first win but a third-place finish for Daniel Buxton makes him a strong favourite for the title in two weeks' time. Buxton's main rivals Tim Mullen and Martin Byford finished fifth and crashed out respectively.
Sunday result: mins secs 1 J Templeman TCR 29:33.251 2 P Rivett Stancmbe 29:39.473 3 D Buxton Sugden 29:39.793 4 M Nordon Bintcliffe 29:50.790 5 T Mullen Firstair 29:51.871 6 M Johnson Z Speed 29:51.871F.RENAULT (Donington Park):- Third place was enough to give Carl Breeze the title. Richard Antinucci fended off Heikki Kovalainen for a lights-to-flag win and set a new lap record.
Sunday's result: mins secs 1 R Antinucci US Manor 25:03.604 2 H Kovalainen Fin Fortec 25:05.513 3 C Breeze GB M'tawrld 25:06.752 4 T Sisley GB M'tawrld 25:09.142 5 D Watts GB Falcon 25:19.369 6 R Sharp GB Fortec 25:21.752F3:- Anthony Davidson won the Elf Masters Formula Three race at Spa ahead of Bruce Jouanny.
25.09.2001F1: THE AMERICAN GP
Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello will have different things on their minds when the race gets underway on Sunday. World champion Schumacher will be looking to add to his world record of 52 grand prix wins. Barrichello is just three points behind David Coulthard and will be looking to take second spot in the championship. He is boosted by the birth of his first son, Eduardo, and said: "Now I feel even more calm about heading off."
David Coulthard will be bidding to earn a win on Sunday to consolidate his second place in the driver standings. He is three points ahead of third- placed Rubens Barrichello and he said: "The banked corner at Indy provides a unique challenge in Formula One. "It will make the 2001 United States Grand Prix an exciting race for the drivers and fans alike. Obviously we are in a different position going into the race this year as we have experience of the circuit."
Mika Hakkinen is looking forward to going to the United States because it is where he made his Formula One debut, although at a different venue. The McLaren driver revealed: "I enjoy racing in America, especially as it was where I made my Formula One debut - at Phoenix in 1991." Finn Hakkinen added: "And what better venue than the motor speedway! It is technically demanding. The massive grandstands allow the fans an excellent view of the action."
The Williams team will go into the race on a high after Juan Pablo Montoya's win at Monza in the last round and Ralf Schumacher's third place. Schumacher believes that Williams are well prepared for the race. He said: "Even though Michelin have not been there with Formula One I am sure they will have done their homework. Last year everybody was excited about the high-speed corner from the oval. The exciting part was the fact you do not have a run-off area, only a wall."
Juan Pablo Montoya will be aiming to build on his first Formula One victory ` which he achieved in the last round in Italy. The Colombian, who won the Indy 500 last year while driving in the CART series, commented: "It should be an interesting track. It is a bit of a compromise between high and low downforce so we could be quite quick there. It is only when it is maximum downforce that we tend to struggle."
Jordan driver Jean Alesi is poised for his 200th grand prix on Sunday. His number of starts is bettered by only four other drivers and Alesi admitted: "The last 12 years have gone so quickly. But I feel an incredible sense of achievement to have made it to my 200th grand prix. There are so many things that have happened, making it impossible to sum up my Formula One memories in just a few words. A book would not be enough."
Eddie Irvine has backed the decision to go ahead with the race, despite the recent terrorist attacks in America. "I like the USA and spend a lot of my free time here so I am glad we are going to Indy at this difficult time for the American people," he confirmed. "It is the right thing to do, even if the mood is bound to be subdued. As for the racing, the Brickyard is a good venue but the track is a mix of Monza and Budapest. The important thing is to put on a good show."
Arrows star Jos Verstappen is looking forward to the challenge presented by the Indianapolis circuit. "Because it uses part of the oval, the banked corners make the track really exciting as it is something we do not have anywhere else in F1," he said. "The bankings create a big vertical downforce, which we are not really used to so it is quite strange but the corner itself is really nice. And it is good for overtaking on at high speed."
Jenson Button will be hoping for a good result at Indianapolis as he seeks to cement his drive for next year. Button's race ended quickly in Italy but he is confident of a good performance after recent testing sessions at Silverstone. "I'm looking forward to Indianapolis, the car should hopefully perform well with the set-up we've found," he said. Technical director Mike Gascoyne added: "We feel the track will suit the B201, particularly with recent improvements."
McLaren test driver Alex Wurz on a lap: As you cross the famous yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway you reach the fastest speed on the circuit, 200mph in seventh gear. You head towards turn one and, braking dramatically, your speed drops to 75mph/120kph in third gear for the 90- degree right-hander. It takes you off the oval and into the infield section of the track. The circuit immediately flows into a sharper left-hander. It is negotiated at 70mph and you are still in third gear. Accelerating out of the corner you sweep through the slight right-hand curve, reaching 130mph in fourth gear and that leads you into turn four. This long, right-hand corner is taken at 80mph, also in fourth gear. On the exit, a short burst on the throttle sees you reach 140mph ahead of turn five. Dabbing the brake this left- hander is taken at 105mph in fourth. McLaren test driver Alex Wurz on a lap Another short spurt of acceleration and you reach turn six. Braking hard to a speed of 75mph in third gear, this double left-hander sweeps you around 180 degrees. And it is immediately followed by the sharp right of turn seven, which is taken at 70mph in second gear. Leading on to the back straight you must take the right line out of the corner to be able to maximise your speed along the straight. Accelerating hard, you reach 185mph in sixth gear before dropping down the gears to take the 90-degree left-hander at the end of the straight. You take it at 75mph in third and then enter the tight S-bend complex of turns nine and 10. The tight right-hander of nine is taken at 46mph in first gear. Your speed increases to 50mph in second gear for the following left-hander and you accelerate away. Along the short straight you reach 126mph in third before braking to 80mph for the right-hand curve of turn 11. As you accelerate out of the corner your line is vital as it leads into turn 12, the point where you rejoin the oval and the fastest part of the track. You must maintain your speed as you take the sweeping right-hander. That is taken at 155mph/248kph in fourth gear and you then continue to power up the gears. As you negotiate the long right-hand banking of turn 13 you reach speeds of 190mph in seventh gear. The track then flattens out for the long start-finish straight. Full throttle is then maintained for up to 20 seconds ` the longest full throttle of any circuit on the Formula One calendar. And you will reach speeds of 200mph/320kph in seventh gear as you cross the finish line.
Sunday's race is scheduled to last for 73 laps (190 miles). The first race with the title of USA Grand Prix was held in Sebring in 1959 and since then the race has had a further eight homes. David Coulthard set the lap record at Indianapolis last year with a time of one minute, 14.711 seconds. Sunday's race will be the second US GP at the Indianapolis circuit but not the first in Indiana as 11 races were held at the oval from 1950 to 1960.
BRITISH GT'S (Silverstone):- Hayles Racing could be celebrating on Friday evening as that may be when they tie up the Teams' Title. The title is decided by qualifying performances, and with the race taking place on Saturday night, qualifying is being held on Friday night. Pole would clinch the title for Hayles, but one place ahead of or behind the Lister Storm duo would be enough. Rob Wilson, a member of the Hayles team, said: "It would be a fantastic achievement for everyone involved."
26.09.2001F1:- Michael Schumacher has claimed he never planned to pull out of Sunday's American Grand Prix because of safety fears after the terrorist atrocities. Schumacher could have risked losing his world title if he had withdrawn. The German arrived in Indianapolis promising to give his 'moral support' to America in the wake of the attacks and the likely military response. "I never had any doubt about driving in the US and starting in Indianapolis," said Schumacher.
LONDON-SAHARA-LONDON WORLD CUP:- Seventy contestants will start the 6,000 mile 20-day rally from Brooklands at 10am on September 30 and are expected back on November 19. In between these dates the drivers will negotiate 82 time controls and 28 competitive test sections in varied terrain and climatic conditions. The heart of the rally will be in the 10-day section in Morocco where drivers will be tested by extreme heat. But it also incorporates sections of the old TAP Portuguese Rally.
Of the 70 contestants in this year's World Cup, only eight are entries are receiving support from manufacturers. The rest of the field will be made up of enthusiastic amateurs driving their own cars and financing themselves. Privateer clubmen are being actively encouraged to take part by ra ly organisers with the incentive that they have as much chance to win as anyone. Contestants from as far afield as New Zealand and the United States will take up the challenge.
BRITISH GT'S (Silverstone):- The season comes to an end with an evening race on Saturday night. Newly-crowned GT champions David Warnock and Mike Jordan will hope to sign-off their year with another win. But Rob Wilson and Tim Harvey will bid to make it back-to-back victories though to help clinch the Teams' title. Kelvin Burt and Marino Franchitti clinched the GTO title a month ago. But they know that Martin Short and Rob Barff will be strong at Silverstone.
Hayles Racing could be celebrating on Friday evening as that may be when they tie up the Teams' Title. The title is decided by qualifying performances, and with the race taking place on Saturday night, qualifying is being held on Friday night. Pole would clinch the title for Hayles, but one place ahead of or behind the Lister Storm duo would be enough. Rob Wilson, a member of the Hayles team, said: "It would be a fantastic achievement for everyone involved."
FIA GT'S:- The championship moves to the former Spanish Grand Prix circuit of Jarama near Madrid in Spain for the very first time for round nine. The 3,858km track through arid countryside will present drivers with a starkly different test to the alpine hills at the Nurburgring. Larbre Competition Cherau claimed the GT Teams title in the previous round. But there is still a close fight for second place and the title race continues in the N-GT category.
ALMS:- The Le Mans Series Race of Champions finale, due to be held in Kuala Lumpar in Malaysia in November, has been postponed after the attacks in America.
27.09.2001F1:- Juan Pablo Montoya intends to put the smile back on the faces of Americans traumatized by the recent terrorist atrocities by winning Sunday's race. The Colombian has backed the decision to let the race go ahead, believing it will bring some respite to the nation. "I thought it was very sad what happened, but the way I look at it, you can't really stop life," said Montoya. "I think coming here to the race you're actually going to take people's mind off it and help them forget."
Argentine Sergio Rinland has been appointed chief designer at Arrows, the British-based team have announced. "Next year's car, the A23, is at a critical stage so Sergio's input will help us to achieve our targets," said team boss Tom Walkinshaw. Rinland joins Arrows with a great reputation after previous stints with Williams, Benetton and Sauber. Arrows have never won a grand prix, despite 369 starts, but have secured the same engine as Jaguar for 2002.
Jenson Button still believes he can win the world title despite a disappointing second season in Formula One. After picking up 12 points in his first year, Button has struggled after being loaned to Benetton from Williams. He said: "It's been quite frustrating this year but you can only do your best and appreciate you are doing that. But I am hopefully on the way to meeting my goal, which is to be world champion and to win races. That is what I want out of it."
CART:- Italian Alex Zanardi, who came out of a coma last week, is now out of danger in hospital, Berlin doctors have said. The 34-year-old former F1 driver, is being treated there following his crash in a CART race in Germany 12 days ago.
F.FORD (Silverstone):- Westley Barber continued his fine form following his Eurotour victory in Belgium last weekend by setting the fastest time in testing. Championship leader Robert Dahlgren was 12th quickest.
Leading testing times: mins secs 1 W Barber Mygale 1:25.449 2 R Goransson V-Diemen 1:25.451 3 M Conway V-Diemen 1:25.675 4 A Carroll V-Diemen 1:25.749 5 A VD Merwe Mygale 1:25.772 6 G Turkington V-Diemen 1:25.890FORD FIESTA'S (Silverstone):-Colin Turkington continued to mount pressure on title rival Nick Padley with the fastest time in testing. The teenager was just quicker than Padley who was fourth fastest over the two sessions.
Leading testing times: mins secs 1 C Turkington Zetec-S 1:51.708 2 M Pinny Zetec-S 1:51.630 3 E Murray Zetec-S 1:52.677 4 N Padley Zetec-S 1:53.866 5 A Blencowe Zetec-S 1:54.425 6 C Stancombe Zetec-S 1:57.033 28.09.2001 - F1: THE AMERICAN GPMika Hakkinen marked his 33rd birthday in style by powering to the top of the time-sheets in opening practice. The McLaren driver displaced world champion Michael Schumacher from top spot in the second practice session. Schumacher had spearheaded an early Ferrari domination in the first practice run but the margin between the two is just 0.1 seconds. Rubens Barrichello was just fractions behind his Ferrari team-mate in third spot with David Coulthard fourth.
Practice times (Fri): mins secs 1 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:13.387 2 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:13.552 3 R Barr chello Brz Ferrari 1:13.584 4 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:13.656 5 E Irvine GB Jaguar 1:13.806 6 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 1:13.827 7 H-H Frentzen Ger Prost 1:13.858 8 P de la Rosa Sp Jaguar 1:13.917 9 R Schumacher Ger Williams 1:13.919 10 JP Montoya Col Williams 1:13.983 11 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 1:14.027 12 J Alesi Fr Jordan 1:14.057 13 J Button GB Benetton 1:14.186 14 J Trulli It Jordan 1:14.215 15 O Panis Fr BAR 1:14.368 16 T Enge Cz Prost 1:14.767 17 G Fisichella It Benetton 1:14.911 18 J Villeneuve Can BAR 1:14.999 19 F Alonso Sp Minardi 1:15.131 20 E Bernoldi Brz Arrows 1:15.449 21 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 1:15.547 22 A Yoong Mal Minardi 1:16.318 29.09.2001F1: THE AMERICAN GP
Saturday's qualifying times: mins secs 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 1:11.708 2 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:11.945 3 R Schumacher Ger Williams 1:11.986 4 JP Montoya Col Williams 1:12.252 5 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 1:12.327 6 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 1:12.434 7 D Coulthard GB McLaren 1:12.500 8 J Trulli It Jordan 1:12.605 9 J Alesi Fr Jordan 1:12.607 10 J Button GB Benetton 1:12.805 11 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 1:12.881 12 G Fisichella It Benetton 1:12.942 13 O Panis Fr BAR 1:13.122 14 E Irvine GB Jaguar 1:13.189 15 H-H Frentzen Ger Prost 1:13.281 16 P de la Rosa Sp Jaguar 1:13.679 17 F Alonso Sp Minardi 1:13.991 18 J Villeneuve Can BAR 1:14.012 19 E Bernoldi Brz Arrows 1:14.129 20 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 1:14.138 21 T Enge Cz Prost 1:14.185 22 A Yoong Mal Minardi 1:15.247 BRITISH F3 (Silverstone) Race one result (Sat): mins secs 1 A Priaulx GB Honda 30:23.771 2 A Davidson GB Honda @ 1.622 3 M Taylor GB Honda @ 6.839 4 J Courtney Aus Honda @ 8.548 5 G Bruni It Renault @ 9.360 6 B Jouanny Fr Honda @ 10.683 7 R Dalziel GB Honda @ 11.553 8 M Davies GB Opel @ 12.945 9 P Giebler US Honda @ 13.358 10 R Austin GB Renault @ 16.741 Race two result (Sat): mins secs 1 T Sato Jpn Honda 25:34.541 2 A Davidson GB Honda @ 5.531 3 G Bruni It Renault @ 6.186 4 J Courtney Aus Honda @ 13.103 5 M Davies GB Opel @ 17.812 6 D Hayes GB Honda @ 18.959 7 R Austin GB Renault @ 21.181 8 A Lotterer Ger Honda @ 22.729 9 A Gurney US Renault @ 23.055 10 R Dalziel GB Honda @ 28.145 FIA GT'S (Jarama):- Superpole times (Sat): mins secs 1 C Bouchut Fr Chrysler 1:32.630 2 V Vosse Bel Chrysler 1:33.400 3 E Clerico Fr Chrysler 1:33.859 4 A Menu Swi Ferrari 1:34.153 5 L Riccitelli It Porsche 1:36.077 6 F Babini It Porsche 1:36.152 7 S Dumez Fr Porsche 1:36.532 8 W Kaufmann Ger Porsche 1:36.850 9 T Sugden GB Porsche 1:36.866 10 C Pescatori It Ferrari 1:37.626BRITISH GT'S (Silverstone):- Nigel Greensall and Mark Pashley start from pole position for Saturday's final race of the season. Mike Jordan and David Warnock were second fastest ahead of the night race.
GT qualifying times: mins secs 1 Greensall/Pashley Stealth 1:20.498 2 Jordan/Warnock Lister 1:20.557 3 Harvey/Wilson Viper 1:20.765 GTO qualifying times: 1 Burt/Franchitti Porsche 1:23.326 2 Short/Barff TVR 1:23.736 3 Turner/Horner Porsche 1:23.858 EUROPEAN TOURING CARS (Jarama):- Touring qualifying times: mins secs 1 G Tarquini It Honda 1:36.329 2 J Thompson GB Honda 1:36.425 3 F Walfisch Fr Honda 1:36.451 4 C R'enblad Swe Nissan 1:36.576 5 F Massa Bra Alfa 1:36.691 Production qualifying times: 1 T Rustad Nor Nissan 1:45.468 2 L Villamil Sp Alfa 1:45.739 3 D Huisman Ned BMW 1:45.823 4 G M'delli It BMW 1:46.140 5 T Masini It Alfa 1:46.284F.FORD (Silverstone):- Sweden's Robert Dahlgren clinched the championship after he and rival Patrick Long came together and crashed out just one corner from the finish. The race was won by Northern Ireland's Adam Carroll - his first of the season.
Race result (Sat): mins secs 1 A Carroll V-Diemen 20:22.195 2 R Bremer Mygale 20:22.823 3 A VD Merwe Mygale 20:22.978 4 R Rudholm V-Diemen 20:24.903 5 L Hines Mygale 20:26.614 6 G Turkington V-Diemen 20:27.978FORD FIESTA'S (Silverstone):- Colin Turkington clinched the title by earning a win in the final round after a race-long battle with Matt Pinny. Previous points leader Nick Padley stopped on the first lap and slipped to third overall, behind Pinny.
Race result (Sat): mins secs 1 C Turkington 27:20.489 2 M Pinny 27:21.308 3 E Murray 27:24.111 4 A Blencowe 27:31.373 5 C Stancombe 27:31.672 6 N Leason 27:36.097PORSCHE CUP:- Adrian Slater won the first of the two rounds at Silverstone but Peter Chambers clinched the title after finishing in sixth place.
Overall result (Sat): mins secs 1 A Slater Porsche 19:43.506 2 N Rice Porsche 19:52.246 3 C Egginton Porsche 19:59.568 4 P Mace Porsche 20:01.494 Class 2: 1 C Heeley Porsche 20:37.581 2 A Shelley Porsche 20:37.988 3 P Barrett Porsche 21:01.317 4 B Rapp Porsche 21:03.056CATERHAM EUROCUP (Brands Hatch):- Eighteen-year-old Simon Pullan became the youngester champion following a second place and a fourth spot.
Round nine result (Sat): mins secs 1 N Taylor GB 26:25.085 2 S Pullan GB @ 2.234 3 C Richards GB @ 2.339 Round 10 result (Sat): 1 N Taylor GB 28:32.680 2 J Westermann Ger @ 13.830 3 C Porritt GB @ 16.437 30.09.2001F1: THE AMERICAN GP
Murray Walker, the voice of motor racing, bid farewell to the sport at the end of the race. Walker insisted he was not downcast at leaving a sport he has been synonymous with for over half a century. "I wanted above all else after 50 years was to go out on a high note because we've seen a great race," he told ITV. "Hopefully it will lift the spirits of America, it certainly lifted mine. All I can say is it's always been a pleasure, goodbye."
Martin Brundle, former Formula One driver and co-commentator with Murray Walker, gave glowing praise to motor racing's most famous voice. "I speak for many millions of people throughout the world when I say thank you very much for what you have done," said Brundle on Walker's retirement. But Walker's finale was not without his trademark gaffe as the race hotted up. In a familiar hitch-pitched yell, he said: "If the gloves weren't off before ` and they were - they are now."
European Minardi F1 have signed leading Formula One engineer Dr John Davis. The 45-year-old Davis becomes head of research and development as well as deputy technical director. The British-born Davis comes to Minardi with a wealth of experience, having had stints with Lotus, Ligier, Jordan and most recently Lotus. "John brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and will bolster the team's growing technical staff," said team principal Paul Stoddart.
Result after 73 laps: hr min sec 1 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 1:32.42.8 2 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari @ 11.0 3 D Coulthard GB McLaren @ 12.0 4 J Trulli It Jordan @ 57.4 5 E Irvine GB Jaguar @ 72.4 6 N Heidfeld Ger Sauber @ 72.9 7 J Alesi Fr Jordan @ 1 lap 8 G Fisichella It Benetton @ 1 lap 9 J Button GB Benetton @ 1 lap 10 H-H Frentzen Ger Prost @ 1 lap 11 O Panis Fr Prost @ 1 lap 12 P de la Rosa Sp Jaguar @ 1 lap 13 E Bernoldi Brz Arrows @ 1 lap 14 T Enge Cz Prost @ 1 lap 15 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari @ 2 laps Not classified (retirements): after lap J Villeneuve Can BAR 45 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 44 JP Montoya Col Williams 38 A Yoong Mal Minardi 38 R Schumacher Ger Williams 36 F Alonso Sp Minardi 36 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 2 Fastest lap: Montoya 1:14.448 (lap 35) DRIVER STANDINGS 1 M Schumacher Ger Ferrari 113 pts 2 D Coulthard GB McLaren 61 3 R Barrichello Brz Ferrari 54 4 R Schumacher Ger Williams 48 5 M Hakkinen Fin McLaren 34 6 J-P Montoya Col Williams 25 7 J Villeneuve Can BAR 12 = N Heidfeld Ger Sauber 12 = J Trulli It Jordan 12 10 K Raikkonen Fin Sauber 9 11 G Fisichella It Benetton 8 12 E Irvine GB Jaguar 6 == HH Frentzen Ger Jord/Prost 6 14 O Panis Fr BAR 5 == J Alesi Fr Prost/Jord 5 16 P de la Rosa Sp Jaguar 3 17 J Button GB Benetton 2 18 J Verstappen Ned Arrows 1 CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS 1 Ferrari 167 pts 2 McLaren 95 3 Williams 73 4 Sauber 21 5 Jordan 19 6 BAR 17 7 Benetton 10 8 Jaguar 9 9 Prost 4 10 Arrows 1 Ferrari are constructor championsBRITISH F3 (Silverstone):- Andy Priaulx won the first race of the final 2001 meeting but a safety car hitch overshadowed the event. Champion Takuma Sato had a lead of over four seconds when the safety car had to come out because of a collision. But Sato was not picked up by the safety car and had to crawl around at the back of the field until the mistake was rectified. By then his tyres were cold and he spun and eventually finished 18th, although he did win the second race.
Race one result (Sat): mins secs 1 A Priaulx GB Honda 30:23.771 2 A Davidson GB Honda @ 1.622 3 M Taylor GB Honda @ 6.839 4 J Courtney Aus Honda @ 8.548 5 G Bruni It Renault @ 9.360 6 B Jouanny Fr Honda @ 10.683 7 R Dalziel GB Honda @ 11.553 8 M Davies GB Opel @ 12.945 9 P Giebler US Honda @ 13.358 10 R Austin GB Renault @ 16.741 Race two result (Sat): mins secs 1 T Sato Jpn Honda 25:34.541 2 A Davidson GB Honda @ 5.531 3 G Bruni It Renault @ 6.186 4 J Courtney Aus Honda @ 13.103 5 M Davies GB Opel @ 17.812 6 D Hayes GB Honda @ 18.959 7 R Austin GB Renault @ 21.181 8 A Lotterer Ger Honda @ 22.729 9 A Gurney US Renault @ 23.055 10 R Dalziel GB Honda @ 28.145 FIA GT'S (Jarama):- Superpole result/times (Sun): hrs mins 1 A Menu Swi Ferrari 3:01.08 2 V Vosse Bel Chrysler 3:01.53 3 E Clerico Fr Chrysler 3:02.22 4 C Bouchut Fr Chrysler 3:02.25 5 J Bailey GB Lister @ 1 lap 6 P Belmondo Chrysler @ 2 laps 7 C Pescatori It Ferrari @ 2 laps 8 L Riccitelli Porsche @ 2 laps 9 Daems Chrysler @ 3 laps 10 Moccia It Porsche @ 3 lapsBRITISH GT'S (Silverstone):- Mike Jordan and David Warnock claimed victory in the night race finale. The Lister storm pair took advantage of an early safety-car period to sweep ahead and stay clear.
GT qualifying times: mins secs 1 Jordan/Warnock Lister 60:34.420 2 Caine/McKellar TVR 60:46.126 3 Harvey/Wilson Viper 61:03.105 GTO qualifying times: 1 Burt/Franchitti Porsche 61:23.326 2 Hayles/Day Chrysler 61:23.736 3 Stanton/Hyde TVR 62:23.858 EUROPEAN TOURING CARS (Jarama):- Race one result (Sun): mins secs 1 G Tarquini It Honda 22:56.548 2 J Thompson GB Honda 22:57.460 3 F G'vanardi It Honda 22:59.016 4 N Larini It Alfa 22:59.815 5 M Neal GB Nissan 23:08.531 Standings: Giovanardi 525pts, Larini 516, Tarquini 504 Teams: Alfa Romero 1079, JAS 941, Max 649 Production qualifying times: 1 T Rustad Nor Nissan 1:45.468 2 L Villamil Sp Alfa 1:45.739 3 D Huisman Ned BMW 1:45.823 4 G M'delli It BMW 1:46.140 5 T Masini It Alfa 1:46.284F.FORD (Silverstone):- Sweden's Robert Dahlgren clinched the championship after he and rival Patrick Long came together and crashed out just one corner from the finish. The race was won by Northern Ireland's Adam Carroll ` his first of the season.
Race result (Sat): mins secs 1 A Carroll V-Diemen 20:22.195 2 R Bremer Mygale 20:22.823 3 A VD Merwe Mygale 20:22.978 4 R Rudholm V-Diemen 20:24.903 5 L Hines Mygale 20:26.614 6 G Turkington V-Diemen 20:27.978FORD FIESTA (Silverstone):- Colin Turkington clinched the title by earning a win in the final round after a race-long battle with Matt Pinny. Previous points leader Nick Padley stopped on the first lap and slipped to third overall, behind Pinny.
Race result (Sat): mins secs 1 C Turkington 27:20.489 2 M Pinny 27:21.308 3 E Murray 27:24.111 4 A Blencowe 27:31.373 5 C Stancombe 27:31.672 6 N Leason 27:36.097PORSCHE CUP (Silverstone):- Adrian Slater completed a double race victory by winning the night race. Peter Chambers, who had earlier clinched the title, took second after Nigel Rice spun on the last lap.
Night race result (Sat): mins secs 1 A Slater Porsche GT3Cup 18:02.446 2 P Chambers Porsche GT3Cup 18:14.667 3 P Mace Porsche GT3Cup 18:17.683 4 C Egginton Porsche GT3Cup 18:29.672 Class 2: 1 C Heeley Porsche 964RS 19:24.072 2 A Shelley Porsche 944 19:24.453 3 P Barrett P'sche Carrera 11 laps 4 B Rapp P'sche Carrera 11 laps