Team Lotus Press Release - 12 September 1994


TEAM LOTUS
powered by Mugen Honda


FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

        GRAND PRIX  ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
           CIRCUIT  MONZA
              DATE  SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 1994
    JOHNNY HERBERT  DNF
ALESSANDRO ZANARDI  DNF

RACE RESULT
1st  Hill         Williams
2nd  Berger       Ferrari
3rd  Hakkinen     McLaren
4th  Barrichello  Jordan
5th  Brundle      McLaren
6th  Coulthard    Williams
7th  Bernard      Ligier
8th  Comas        Larrousse
9th  Lehto        Benetton
10th Panis        Ligier

CONSTRUCTORS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1st  Benetton     85 pts
2nd  Williams     73 pts
3rd  Ferrari      58 pts
4th  McLaren      29 pts
5th  Jordan       17 pts
6th  Tyrrell      13 pts
7th  Ligier       11 pts
8th  Sauber       10 pts
9th  Footwork      9 pts
10th Minardi       5 pts
11th Larrouse      2 pts

DRIVERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1st  Schumacher   76 pts
2nd  Hill         65 pts
3rd  Berger       34 pts
4th  Alesi        19 pts
5th  Hakkinen     18 pts
6th  Barrichello  13 pts
7th  Brundle      11 pts
8th  Verstappen    8 pts
9th  Blundell      8 pts
10th Coulthard     8 pts
11th Panis         7 pts
12th Larini        7 pts

Friday 9 September - First Practice & Qualifying
Johnny Herbert: 6th - 1:26.365
  "For qualifying the car didn't feel as easy as it did this morning.  On
   the first two runs we took some wing off and it was better, so for the
   final run we tried to do something about the understeer.  We did get the
   front end to bite better, but that made the rear twitchier.  The overall
   package that we have now works quite well.  The new engine works very
   well.  It's been reliable and it pulls nice and strong."
Alessandro Zanardi: 17th - 1:27.617
  "That is the limit of the car without the new engine!  I think that we
   will be able to make some changes to the set-up which should see us go
   quicker tomorrow, and I hope that if I can't improve my position, at
   least I won't lose it!"
Peter Collins:
  "We are very encouraged by our first day at Monza, and pleased with the
   improved behaviour of the 109 and the performance of the new Mugen-Honda
   engine.  This endorses and vindicates the views we have expressed earlier
   in the season, and the 109 is now performing closer to its design
   objectives.  Our efforts tomorrow will concentrate on fine tuning its
   balance."

Saturday 10 September - Second Practice & Qualifying
Johnny Herbert:  4th - 1:24.374
  "Well, it's a great feeling to have a car I can really do something with.
   This morning I had a bit of a problem with downchanges and didn't run
   new tyres, so this afternoon we incorporated a few little changes and it
   felt quite good.  We'd got rid of the understeer I had yesterday, and I
   could push it hard and drive it properly.  It responds well to changes,
   and the new brakes were very good too."
Alessandro Zanardi: 13th - 1:25.733
  "Although this is my best performance of the year, I am not satisfied as
   I could have been.  I had a problem with my brakes; on my fourth quick
   lap I was doing a miracle time with the car - it would have been a
   fantastic lap!  I survived until Ascari, where I was two tenths faster
   than ever, but then the brake pedal went all the way to the floor and
   I ran wide.  I feel that I drove that last lap fantastically well."
Peter Collins:
  "It's a very satisfying feeling to see the 109 beginning to realise its
   full potential, and I thought Johnny did a terrific job with it.  At
   the same time Alex deserves full credit for his excellent performance
   with the old specification car.  We are now looking forward to a reliable
   and competitive race."

Sunday 11 September - The Race
Johnny Herbert:
  "Irvine has done far too much damage this year and should be properly
   penalized.  Formula One doesn't need drivers like this.  I was going
   okay in the 109 with the older specification engine.  I think my
   alternator broke and I had to retire."
Alessandro Zanardi:
  "Somebody hit me from behind cutting my rear tyres which caused the tyre
   to explode.  I unavoidably lost control and I made contact with
   Morbidelli.  That was it.  Race over."
Peter Collins:
  "Irvine's three race suspension at the beginning of the year was far
   too short.  His brain has obviously been removed and it is about time
   that his license is too.  This is motor-racing and although it is
   totally disappointing for everybody that has worked so hard at
   Mugen-Honda and Team Lotus, I know that there is a great deal more in
   store and we are looking forward to the remaining races."

ROUND 12 - PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIX, ESTORIL - SUNDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 1994

-- 
Alan F. Perry
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