The rain that was predicted for tomorrow started falling today,
and it was a wet second qualifying session at Adelaide.  The
rain started falling during the morning pratice session, and
was falling continuously all through qualifying.  This morning 
Damon Hill spun out twice, once in the dry and once in the wet.

As regards next year, current pit lane rumours are that Larrousse
are talking to Brian Hart about engines; that Coulthard may drive
for Sauber-Ford next year (with Mansell in the Williams) - Williams'
option on Coulthard runs out next week; and that Brundle will get 
to stay at McLaren.

Noda was the first and only car out during the first five minutes
of the session.  After that  Zanardi, Brundle and Katayama appeared
out, with Brundle again being quickest in the wet for the first
part of the session.

Mansell leaves the pits, trying a practice start as he does so.
Both he and Hill were trying practice starts this morning.  
Mansell's times at the intermediates were +8.902, +14.965 and
+23.508 slower than his yesterday's pole position time.

It is now 24 minutes into the session, with Brundle heading the
list, having done 6 laps, the best of which is a 1:37.111,
second is Blundell with a 1:39.383, third Mansell on 1:39.687
and fourth Barrichello with a 1:39.951.  Apparently neither of
the Jordan's were allowed out in the wet this morning (Gary 
Anderson's decision).

As Barrichello goes into the pits, Schumacher comes out.  Mansell
goes quickest so far in this session with a 1:36.649.  On his
first flying lap Schumacher tops that with a 1:34.492 - over
two seconds faster than anyone else has gone this morning.

It is 30 minutes into the session, as Schumacher starts his
second flying lap.  His splits are +6.718 and +10.868 off the
pole time, with him completing the lap in 1:33.420 - a full
second faster again.  Hakkinen comes out at this point, and 
is slower than team-mate Brundle had been earlier.

Alesi, Mansell and Hill all come out of the pits.  Hill is
+11.930 off Mansell's second split from yesterday, and +19.332
off at the end of the lap, which puts him into third place for
today, with a 1:35.511, behind Hakkinen who improved his time
to go up to second place.

Schumacher leaves the pits again with 18 minutes to go.  Hill
puts in a 1:33.951 - only .5 slower than Schumacher.  Mansell
is out of laps, and returns to the pits, secure in having his
32nd pole position start tomorrow.

Hakkinen has an engine blow up (one last set of fireworks before
they leave to join Jordan) and parks it just before a corner.
Herbert misses the corner at the end of the straight and goes
down into the escape road before rejoining the track - the
same place as Mansell did this yesterday.  Shortly afterwards
Katayama goes down the same slip road, but parks it - his
engine has blown up too.

Brundle goes out and does a 1:36.264 - a marginal improvement
over his previous time, but not so dominant in the wet as he
was last weekend.  Hill is still out, sliding all over the place
but is still a full second slower than Schumacher, who acheived
a 1:32.627.  Herbert's best time was a 1:35.712.

Irvine, Schiaterella, Gachot, Belmondo and Brabham did not
appear out during the session at all.  Gachot's problem yesterday
was a blown engine after half a lap, but he will be driving
for Pacific next year.

So that's it.  Last qualifying session of the season, and the 
times and positions from yesterday's qualifying still stand.
No news on the predicted weather for tomorrow in the light of
today's rain.

-- 
Christine.                                chogan@indigo.ccsem.infn.it
chogan@maths.tcd.ie                             cjhogan@dsg.cs.tcd.ie

If it makes goo on the windscreen, we'll call it a bug. -- Larry Wall