Spanish GP Preview

The following is a direct transcript of a press release issued by the Australian Formula One GP Office. 8 May 1995

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TON-UP WILLIAMS-RENAULT ARE FAVOURITES FOR SPA1N

1995 FIA Formula 1 World Championship Round 4: Spanish Grand Prix

Williams and Renault celebrate a landmark in one of the most successful partnerships in Formula 1 history when they contest their 100th Grand Prix together in round four of the 1995 FIA World Championship in Spain this weekend.

Fresh from victory at Imola, Williams-Renault are doubly favourites to win again this weekend - no other team has won on the Circuit de Catalunya since Formula 1 started visiting the Barcelona track in 1991. Nigel Mansell (twice), Alain Prost and Damon Hill have all won for them there.

With 11 victories under his belt in a 31 race Grand Prix career, Hill has one of the highest strike rates in World Championship history. A 12th victory this weekend would put him within two of his father, double World Champion Graham and strengthen his title ambitions.

"I believe there is a realistic chance of the title this year," says the 34 year old Englishman, who was third in 1993 and runner up last year. He would be the first son of a World Champion to take the title in his own right. After wins in Argentina and Italy, and having led the first race commandingly in Brazil, Hill is entitled to his Championship hopes.

The main challenge looks likely to come, again, from the renascent Ferrari team. Second and third at Imola, Ferrari topped the times in the major test at the same circuit last week through Gerhard Berger. "If we can improve our qualifying, " says Berger's teammate Jean Alesi, " so that we start at least from one of the first two rows, we have the reliability and the speed to win soon."

One team looking for a happy return to Barcelona is Jordan. The Peugeot engined Irish team recorded its first race finish of the new season at Imola and had Rubens Barrichello third-quickest in the Imola test so a repeat of Irvine's point scoring finish at Barcelona last year seems possible.

The Circuit de Catalunya has been slighty amended, with last year's temporary tyre chicane replaced by a new section with a right hand corner taking the track away from the intimidating wall that caused concern.

SPANISH GRAND PRIX

Circuit length: 4.727 kilometres Number of Laps: 65 laps Race distance: 307.255 kilometres

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** RODERICK EIME ** * Motorsport Photojournalist * ** CAMS Canon Kodak MEAA Accredited ** * PO Box 301 RIVERWOOD NSW 2210 * ** Australia ** * Phone/Fax +612 740 6199 * *******************************************