Race Report

After yesterdays changable weather, the race looked set for a dry race.
Both Williams and Benetton were to race the new RS8B engine. And the drama
at the end of qualifying yesterday in the Ferrari garage? It was Eddie
Irvine's car that was deemed illegal. The barge boards were too high (some
15mm apparantly), and so he was to start at the back of the field - behind
the two Forti's.

The cars set of on the formation lap, and the pole sitter Schumacher, hit a
problem. His engine gave in a spectacular manner, and so the German would
not start the race. From the off it was Hill who commanded the race, taking
the lead at the first corner, and pulling away well from the Benetton of
Alesi, followed by Hakkinen, Villeneuve, Berger and Brundle. By the end of
the first lap, Irvine had moved up the field from 21st to 16th, and looked
set to make good progress up the field.

 Hill   Alesi  Hakkinen  Villeneuve  Berger Brundle
 2 laps 1.887     3.839       4.491   5.889   6.939

Montermini was the next person to pull out of the race. At this early stage
in the race there was some concern about Hill's car - the Benetton of Alesi
following him was being covered in fluid - could Hill be about to go the
way of Schumacher?

 Hill   Alesi  Hakkinen  Villeneuve  Berger Brundle
 3 laps 2.449     5.059       5.677   7.226   8.928

Hill, unconcerned by this, set a fastest lap of 1m19.241 on lap 3, and
continued to pull away from the field. Fisichella joined the list of
retirements. A small puff of smoke was then seen from the rear of the
Williams of Hill.....

 Hill   Alesi  Hakkinen  Villeneuve  Berger Brundle
 5 laps 3.089     6.316       7.184   9.283  11.912
 6 laps 3.228     6.763       7.715  10.137  13.264
 8 laps 4.169     8.306       9.411  11.768  16.247

On lap 5 the Ferrari of Irvine pulled into the pits and retired, it later
was reported that this was probably a transmission problem of some sort.
Another torrid race for Maranello. The talk of the race, however, was Pedro
Diniz, who was making the most of the race, and was running in a realistic
8th place! On lap 9, Verstappen took a trip across gravel traps on both
sides of the circuit before coming to a halt. Hill, meanwhile, was busily
building his cussion, and pulling away from the field. Brundle, further
back, was fighting off a determined Coulthard. The McLaren has clearly made
big steps forward over the last couple of weeks, and looked a real
challenger for the Jordan - and a step closer to the Benettons. Hill by lap
13, had stabilised his lead over Alesi to 6 seconds, and keeping it there.
Luca Badoer was the first proper stop on lap 14, and looked set for a 3
stop race. Panis, clearly incensed by having Diniz ahead of him, was after
Barrichello. Barrichello, in turn, was after Diniz. The three tearing round
after each other.

Coulthard continued to make a big effort to get past Brundle, who was
fairly maintaining his lead. On lap 19, the pits stops started in earnest,
with Panis pitting in 8.1s, followed by Salo. Brundle was pushing, pushing,
pushing to take a lead over Coulthard. Ulitmately it would be decided on
pit stops after Coulthard had a major attack at the Adelaide Hairpin, and
failed. Barrichello was the next front runner to pit in 8.4 seconds,
followed by Alesi on lap 22, in 7.3 seconds. Hill now had a 17.3 second
lead over Hakkinen, whilst Villeneuve was all over the McLaren. The two
came upon a Minardi, and were lapping it. Villeneuve sensing a chance,
tried to make the most of it, and tried to get by. In the course of the
next few laps the front runners made there stops - Lamy, Brundle, Berger,
Rosset, Coulthard. The latter rejoining ahead of Brundle, and so taking the
place he was desparate for. The top 6 by lap 27 were Hill, Hakkinen,
Villeneuve, Alesi, Berger, Diniz.... Hill was next to pit, and Hakkinen
followed him - allowing Villeneuve to take the lead until his stop.
Villeneuve now sets a string of fast laps, trying to give himself a cussion
for his stop.

On lap 28, unfortunately, the rejuvenated Diniz retires. Finally on lap 29,
as Hill set a fastest lap of 1m19.042, Villeneuve pitted, and rejoined
ahead of Hakkinen.

 Hill    Alesi   Villeneuve  Hakkinen  Berger Coulthard
 31 laps 10.734      14.456    16.620  19.601    42.748

On lap 32, Badoer retired from the race. Brundle was now under major attack
from Panis - clearly out to prove a point after their battles last year.
Ukyo Katayama was the next of the runners to retire. Gerhard Berger,
meanwhile, made short work of a 3 second gap to Hakkinen and was on the
trail of 4th. Villeneuve, meanwhile, was after a Benetton, and eventually
took Alesi for 2nd place. Panis now had to pit for the 2nd of his three
stops. After this stop Panis set a fastest lap of 1m18.712 on lap 38.

Villeneuve was now on for Hill, and after blood. He had to contend with the
Minardi of Lamy, and after battling to get by made a hand movement that
suggested the Portugese's passtimes.

Lap 42: Hill, Villeneuve, Alesi, Hakkinen, Berger, Coulthard, Brundle,
Barrichello, Panis, Frentzen, Salo, Herbert, Rosset, Lamy

On lap 43, Benetton were ready for another stop. Alesi was the one to take
this, in 10 seconds dead. Berger was busy on the race track, chasing after
Hakkinen, and finally taking him in a beautiful manoevre. Hill, still
leading at the front, was now 12 seconds ahead of his team-mate. Villeneuve
was soon to break this down, and Panis again was charging after
Barrichello. Eventually the Frenchman got by, and took 8th. This battle
held up Hill, and helped his team-mate to close up.

On lap 47, Panis was after Brundle, but 8 seconds away. Berger made his
stop on this lap, as did Salo. Hill eventually got by an uncooperative
Panis in a very lurid move. Villeneuve was now 9.4 seconds behind Hill, as
Barrichello pitted from 9th. Villeneuve was now charged up, and setting a
string of fastest laps, culminating with a 1m18.610 on lap 48. Williams
were now ready for pit stops, and Villeneuve was the first to stop. Brundle
followed in to Jordan, as did Coulthard to McLaren. On lap 53, the board
was put out to Hill. He came in the next lap, with a very tidy 7.2 second
stop. He was back into the lead without Villeneuve being anywhere near.

Lap 54: Hill, Villeneuve, Alesi, Berger, Hakkinen, Coulthard, Brundle,
Barrichello, Frentzen, Salo, Herbert, Rosset, Lamy

Panis was in for his third stop, as Frentzen took a day trip to the beach,
and got out to play in it. On a closer examination it looked like the
left-rear suspension had gone, raising the right-front wheel, and stopping
the car from steering. By lap 61 Hill had took his lead to 13 seconds, and
comfortable it looked too, as Villeneuve was trapped behind Panis. Panis
did not make it easy for the Canadian to get by, but eventually he did let
him by. And so it settled down to the flag, with very little to get het up
about, when Hill coasted across the line to victory - his 6th from 9 races.

       1. Hill
       2. Villeneuve
       3. Alesi
       4. Berger
       5. Hakkinen
       6. Coulthard
       7. Panis
       8. Brundle
       9. Barrichello
      10. Salo
      11. Herbert
      12. Rosset
      13. Lamy


-- 
Stephen M Baines

 "[The Autosport sticker] started to peel off in the middle of Eau Rouge
 and it distracted me. In fact it was the first thing to hit the barrier"
    Tiff Needell - Jaguar XJR-15 Challenge - Interview with Autosport

       F1/TouringCars http://metro.turnpike.net/vollans/index.html
       http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Members/stephen.baines/index.html