Magny Cours - France
			28th - 30th June 1996

The Formula One teams begin their traditional summer journey through
Europe with the French Grand Prix at the Nevers-Magny Cours ciruit, in
Central France.  Over the next three months, they will travel to
England, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, before setting off
to Japan for the final round of the FIA Formula One World Championship
in early October.

The 4.250km-long Circuit de Nevers-Magny Cours, situated south-east of
Orleans, opened to motor racing in 1990.  It is by far the smoothest of
all the Formula One venues on the calendar, with similar features to
Barcelona - another new track.  "This circuit is quite tricky from the
set-up point of view", commented Marlboro McLaren Mercedes driver David
Coulthard, who finished third in last year's Grand Prix.  "A lot of
homework will be needed to get the right car balance".  No doubt that
the contribution of Alain Prost, winner at Magny-Cours in 1990 and
1993, will be particularly valuable to the team.

Despite scoring four points last year, David remembers the 1995 event
as an ordeal: "I was just recovering from a tonsillitis operation and I
felt very drained getting into the Grand Prix weekend," he recalls.
"The Magny-Cours circuit is quite demanding physically, with the
temperatures often soaring and the track conditions becoming very
tough.  It was very difficult for me to finish the race and I should
enjoy it a lot more this year just from the fact that I am fully fit
for it!"

Halfway into the season, David and his teammate Mika Hakkinen are fifth
and seventh respectively in the Driver's Championship table.  In the
fourth, five points behind title holders Benetton, and will be looking
close to the gap on the World Champions before competing in front of the
British crowd in two weeks' time.

The team had a productive testing session at Silverstone last week,
with Mika successfully submitting the revised specification Mercedes
engine to a full race distance and setting encouraging times.