Spanish GP McLaren notes

Sunday 2nd May 1996 Spanish Grand Prix

Marlboro McLaren Mercedes driver Mika Hakkinen survived a rainwashed Spanish Grand Prix to finish fifth, bringing two Championship points to the team. David Coulthard, meanwhile, was one of the many who fell foul of the extremely difficult weather conditions and retired after a first lap collision caused by the lack of visibility.

Mika Hakkinen: "The car was very difficult to handle throughout the race and I suffered from inconsistency in the lap times, which prevented me from competing for a position. Eventually, I finished fifth, which is better than not finishing, but the driving itself was not enjoyable."

David Coulthard: "I simply could not see anything at all at the start, so I pulled to the inside to watch the white line in order to see the track. The next thing I know is that I had no front corner. I don't know who I hit because I could not see him anyway. I am very disappointed for everybody in the team also because I could have scored some points."

Norbert Haug: "The race took place in very difficult conditions with Michael Schumacher giving an outstanding performanace. We did not experience a good weekend in terms of competitiveness but at least we scored two points maintaining our fourth position in the Constructors' World Championship with David and Mika being sixth and eight in the Drivers' Championship."

Ron Dennis: "A damp and eventful race with two points coming out of reliability rather than competitiveness. At no stage this weekend did we ever come to grips with the cars' set-ups, so in the circumstances, two points are an unexpected bonus."