Race Preview
				  Portugal
			    22nd - 23rd September
			    
The penultimate European round of the FIA Formula World Championships
takes the teams to Portugal, one of the competitors' favourite
destinations for its atmosphere and picturesque environment.  The Grand
Prix will be hosted, as it has been for the last 11 years, by the
traditional summer resort of Estoril, situated 30km south-west of
Lisbon along the Atlantic Ocean coast.

The 4.360km-long Autodromo do Estoril, which is actually built on the
hills behind the resort, used for testing by Marlboro McLaren Mercedes
and many other teams, and therefore well known by all.  It features a
combination of fast and slow corners, and a very long start/finish
straight that can be taken at up 300km/h.

"Portugal is a good race to go to at the end of the European season,"
commented Marlboro McLaren Mercedes driver Mark Blundell.  "The track
has changed a lot over the last few years, but I like 90% of it.  The
10% most drivers and I dislike is the left/right chicane that was
introduced last year as Turn Nine.  We call it "wheelspin".  Apart from
that, it is a good circuit, physically very demanding with high
G-forces affecting the driver for long periods of time. The bumpy
surface is hard work as well, so all the drivers will be exhausted
after the race.  With the European Grand Prix taking place the
following Sunday, we'll have an extremely tiring week ahead of us."

Marlboro McLaren Mercedes will take three MP4/10C chassis to Estoril,
which integrate a number of revisions derived from the development work
carried out on the 10B.  "I am looking forward to driving this latest
version of the MP4/10", added Mark.

Having just completed the frantic business of getting married, the
Briton will want to relax from it all by emulating Mika Hakkinen's
result at Monza and climb on the podium.  Mika is already familiar with
the Estoril rostrum as he finished third in last year's race, whilst
his team mate Martin Brundle took the McLaren MP4/9 to sixth position
and a Championship point.