SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX

Preview for San Marino Grand Prix

Atlas Team F1 published a preview and facts about next weekend's San Marino Grand Prix, which will be run at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, in Imola Italy.

Brit Damon Hill hopes to repeat his win at last year's race in Imola and pick back up some of the points he lost when he ran into engine troubles at last week's European Grand Prix. He also hopes last week's problems with the Williams-Renault racer don't come back.

Hill's Williams teammate, Canadian driver Jacques Villeneuve, is pleased to finally start one of this season's races on a track he's familiar with, and hopes to repeat last week's victory at Nurburgring. Villeneuve has tested on the track for Williams and also raced the circuit in the Italian Formula Three series. Villeneuve criticizes the modernization of the track and is unhappy with some of the chicanes added to slow down the track after the fatal double tragedy of 1994, in which Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna were killed at Imola.

Mika Salo, Tyrrell's Finnish driver also dislikes the Chicanes, but hopes for a good race because the 1996 car he drives is built for tracks like the one at Imola.

Michael Schumacher, last week's second place finisher and last year's FIA Formula One World Champion, heads into the race at Imola with customarily tight lips about his prospects for winning. Although he keeps insisting that this is not the year to make a good showing with his new Ferrari team, he will be driving on Ferrari's home turf, and plenty of Ferrari fans will turn out to support him.

David Coulthard, driving for McLaren and coming off a podium finish (third place) at Nurburgring, aims to go into the San Marino Grand Prix with "a bit more confidence."

Finally, F1 fans should keep their eyes peeled to see how the new 1996 Forti fares in the race. Forti presented their new car at last weeks European Grand Prix, although the car did not race.

San Marino Grand Prix Facts
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Length: 4.895 km
Top-speed: 285 km/h
Max G-force: 3.0
Distance: 63 laps 308.385 km


1995 Pole-Position: 1:27.274 (201.916 km/h) Schumacher (Benetton)
1995 Fastest Lap: 1:29.568 (196.744 km/h) Berger (Ferrari)


1995 Podium: Hill (Williams)
             Alesi (Ferrari)
             Berger (Ferrari)

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel