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1994 Spanish Grand Prix
Report

Before the Grand Prix.
At last rule changes came into force: all teams reduced diffusers' size and changed the front wings, so the downforce was reduced about 20-25% . But it was not all - GPDA representatives decided that Nissan corner of Spanish track is too dangerous (the speed in that right-left corner approximate 230-210 km/h), and to decrease the danger the decision was made to put tyre chicane in the end of small straight before the Nissan corner.

As usual there were changes in the entry list. On May 24th Pedro Lamy got into a crash on a testing session in a rainy Silverstone and with serious injuries was taken to the hospital, his place for Spanish GP and for the whole season took Alex Zanardi, who had the same situation, like Lamy, last year.

In Williams team finaly determined with the second pilot. David Coulthard team's official test-driver became him. The rumors said that Franck Williams wanted other strong pilot, like Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Nigel Mansell, Rubens Barrichello, Riccardo Patrese or even Alain Prost, on that seat. There really were talks only with Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Nigel Mansell. But both had contracts which were in force and neither Frentzen wanted to leave Peter Sauber alone without any pilot, neither Mansell wanted to change his CART's luck (he had become a champion in 1993) to F1's uncertainty.

Sauber team run only one car for Frentzen, inspit of concluding the contract with de Cesaris. At that time Wendlinger's condition was pretty good (after such crash!) - he was into a deap coma, which was induced by doctors trying to give his brain a chance to recover from the swelling it received. On May 18th Austrian at first time was gradually brought out of his controlled coma. But then an attempt to bring Wendliger out of his controlled coma was halted after a scan showed persistence of a brain swelling. Dr Dominique Grimaud from the Nice Saint-Roch hospital said: "The neurologial signs have slightly bettered but the patient is still in a critical condition."

Simtek like Williams team found new pilot for its second car - Andrea Montermini, the ex-test-driver of Benetton team.

Eddie Irvine was back on a track, his punishment after the Brazil GP ended.

And track owners built memorial to Ayrton Senna near the track.

Friday.
Only nine pilots (from Tyrrell, Larrousse, Minardi, Ferrari and Sauber) participated in the morning practice session. This was evoked by FIA's rule changes. Before the Spanish GP some people said that those rule changes were not right, the downforce was reduced but the engine's power was still very high and so cars became less handless but still very fast. And Lamy's crash became another argument in their speeches.

At this situation Flavio Briatore (Benetton's team manager) said that he couldn't guarantee the safety of his cars and pilots and refused to test cars under the new regulations. FIA decided to ban Benetton from the first practice. And other teams (not counting those five) decided to boycott the Grand Prix.

But thank God (and Mosley) the problem was settled. FIA president Max Mosley has denied making any concessions to teams over the new F1 regulations. Mosley said: "Suggestions that the FIA or any of its officers have made concessions or abandoned power are wholly false. At no time did the teams seek concession or threaten not to run in qualifying on Friday. Had such a threat been made I would have immediately invited those concerned to carry it out."

All teams and drivers took part at the first qualifying. And like two weeks earlier Schumacher was the fastest - 1'23.426. Hakkinen was more than a second slower and Hill was third with 1'24.716. Top six was complited by Alesi on Ferrari, Frentzen on Sauber and Martini on Minardi (!).

Saturday.
Saturday began with new accident - Andrea Montermini crashed into the wall on his Simtek in the last corner of Spanish track. Italian suffered with many leg injuries and brain concussion.

Nevertheless final qualifying session was held. Like on Friday Schumacher was the fastest pilot improving his previous result for 1.5 s.

Hakkinen improved his own almost for two seconds, but it wasn't not to keep his second place - Damon Hill bit Finn's time for just 0.001 s. and took the last place on the first row of Sunday's race.

The fourth time clocked Schumacher's teammate - JJ Lehto. Barrichello was fifth with Alesi and Berger not far behind. Top ten was complited by Martin Brundle, David Coulthard and Ukyo Katayama.

Martini (Friday sensation) could improve his time only for 0.2 s. and fell down to 18th spot, four positions lower than his partner Alboreto.

On qualifying Mark Blundell spun off at the last corner where Andrea Montermini had earlier crashed but the Briton was unhurt. Blundell lost control of the Tyrrell but the car was caught by a gravel trap. Damon Hill suggested that walls should be curved away from the circuit on the exit from a fast corner. He said: "It has concerned me for a long time that a barrier can come back at you like that."

Sunday.
On the morning session, like the whole weekend, blue-green Benetton was the fastest, but this time it was not Schumacher's car. JJ Lehto outstrip his partner by nearly 0.1 s. Schumacher found that JJ's race car had a better setup than his own and decided to transfer that to his car.

The third time clocked another Finn this time from McLaren team. Williams pair Coulthard and Hill showed the 4th and 5th results.

As the drivers started from the grid for the warm-up lap, Olivier Beretta's day ended before it even got started, when Larrouse driver's Ford HB engine expired.

When the lights turned to green Michael Schumacher once again showed the best reaction and took the lead from Hill and Hakkinen.

At the first corner German moved as a confident leader with Hakkinen and Hill fighting for second and Alesi with Lehto fighting for fourth. Hill could his 2nd from attacks of "hot Finn N�1" Hakkinen. The other Finn Lehto, maybe he wasn't so "hot" like his compatriot, lost his position to Alesi, whose powerful engine was the only reason of position changing.

At the same corner Rubens Barrichello pushed Gerhard Berger 'a little' and Austrian went off the track. He got back into the race only on 12th.

Meanwhile ahead nothing changed - Schumacher was still keeping the lead and quickly pulling off the Hill. At the same time Hill was holding back Hakkinen - the young Finn was a little bit faster than Briton.

After a few laps it became clear that Schumacher, who had a five seconds advantage over Hill with Hakkinen, is the main contender for the 5th round win.

The only hope was Hakkinen who could drive faster if there was no Hill's Williams ahead of him. The 4th position runner Jean Alesi was keeping behind a huge amount of drivers: Lehto, Coulthard right behind the red Ferrari and Barrichello, Irvine, Brundle, Irvine and Blundell not so far.

On lap 15 the secret of "speedy Finn" Hakkinen was discovered - Mika decided to stop three times and it was his first pit stop on that lap. David Coulthard pulled to pits also on 15th lap, but unlike Hakkinen he stayed there for too long. The reason was that young Scot twice (!) stalled Renault's engine and that's why he left the pits 22 seconds latter than Finn and in race fell down to 20th position one lap behind the race leader.

But Hakkinen and Coulthard were not the only pilots who decided to go to the pits so early. On the next three laps Brundle, Lehto, Irvine, Comas, Alesi, Blundell and Panis turned to pits for fresh tyres and fuel.

All this allowed Hakkinen to return to the top of the peloton on 4th position behind Barrichello, Hill and race leader - Schumacher.

Soon on lap 19 Damon Hill went to his first of two stops and Hakkinen rose on one position up. Hill returned to race on 4th place 51 seconds behind Schumacher. The question "who'll be the race winner?" lost its actuality.

But not for too long - Schumacher after his first stop, firstly let pass to Herbert and Coulthard and then let Hakkinen (on lap 23) and Hill (on lap 24) to overtake him without any fight.

The problems began just before his first pit stop the gearbox stuck in the fifth gear, but somehow German could make his pit stop without stalling the engine and rejoined the race: "The car was perfect in the beginning and I was able to open a good lead quite easily. But then the gearbox wouldn't select gears. I don't know exactely what happened; all I know is that the car was stuck in fifth gear. When I stopped at the pits, I asked if there was anything which could be done but there was nothing."

So after lap 24 Hakkinen became the new leader of the race, Hill took the second position. Two Benettons of Schumacher and Lehto were on 3rd and 4th and behind them were: Morbidelli (untill he retired with fuel pump problem on lap 25), Alesi, Brundle and Blundell.

At that stage of the race Mika Hakkinen became the fastest drivers and using the advantage of 3-stop strategy began to pull off from the rest of the field. But he did too slowly and after he pitted for the second time the lead came to Hill and Schumacher who (what a surprise!) was just ten seconds behind Damon.

The next to stop in this group was Hill, so after the 40th lap (when Briton pitted) Schumacher came back to lead stuck on the 5th gear (!). However Hakkinen was clawing his way back, but like before his speed was not high enough to catch up Benetton which was stuck on 5th gear!

On lap 45 both leaders pitted together for the last tyre change and refueling. They both left pits just after Damon Hill flied by the main straight and took the lead with 5 seconds gap over Schumacher and 8 seconds over Hakkinen.

"Who will win the race Hill or Hakkinen?" - that was the question. Four laps latter the answer was received when Peugeot's engine on Hakkinen's Mclaren blew up on the straight between Renault and Repsol corners.

So Hill kept 1st and Schumacher his 2nd. The others were too far behind and could pretend only on the lowest step of the podium.

At first Lehto was that man, but his Ford engine began to lose the power and then failed. Then the 3rd place took Martin Brundle, but he couldn't finish too. And the third took Blundell delighting Ken Tyrrell and Yamaha corp.

Jean Alesi finished 4th proving that the powerful engine is nothing without good chasis. Pierluigi Martini brought two points to Minardi team and Irvine was happy with his single point for the six place.

Damon Hill was very glad with the win that ended Michael Schumacher's GP monopoly: "I don't think I have known such a difficult month. Everyone at Williams has been through a terrible time. This victory must go to them and to all the fans of Ayrton Senna who I met in Brazil. They wanted Williams to be successful."

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