German GP 1993

German GP, 1993

The focus of attention in Germany was a meeting between the Formula 1 team bosses at Reilingen as they sorted out not only the crisis over the controversial electronic driver aids (which the FIA wanted to ban) but also a variety of other issues for the future of the sport. They agreed that electronic systems would be banned in 1994 and that refuelling would be re-introduced with new weighing rules to allow for drivers of any size. Refuelling in F1 has been banned for some time and the cars designed to have enough fuel to last them a race.

There was never any question that the Williams-Renaults of Alain Prost and Damon Hill would qualify at the front of the grid in Hockenheim and so they did with Michael Schumacher (Benetton) third and Ayrton Senna (McLaren) fourth. The two Ligier-Renaults of Mark Blundell and Martin Brundle were on the third row ahead of Riccardo Patrese's Benetton - the Italian celebrating his 250th Grand Prix start - Aguri Suzuki's Footwork-Mugen and the Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi.

It was raining on Sunday morning and in the warm-up Derek Warwick (Footwork) ran into the back of the Lola-Ferrari of Scuderia Italia's Luca Badoer. The Footwork's right hand side was torn away and careered down the track with no steering, bouncing over the chicane and flipping and coming to rest upside down in the gravel. Warwick was unhurt.

When the race began Prost made a bad start and was overtaken by Hill and Schumacher while Senna also challenged Prost at the first chicane. Senna spun to the back of the field. At the second chicane Brundle spun behind Prost.The Frenchman saw what was happening and worked out that he needed to change direction to avoid being hit by the spinning Ligier. He went across the chicane instead. He then set off after Schumacher and moved to second place on lap six. Prost then caught and passed Hill before being called in for a stop-go penalty for jumping the chicane. Prost later called it a scandal, but he stopped as directed and dropped to fifth place behind Hill, Schumacher, Blundell and Patrese. Senna charged back through the field to seventh place. In the mid-race Hill and Prost did not even have to stop and so pulled even further ahead. Schumacher was a lonely third ahead of Blundell and Berger while Senna moved up into the top six.

Prost had given up hope of beating Hill when Damon's left rear tyre punctured on the penultimate lap. Damon tried to drive his car to the pits but he had been passed by Prost and Schumacher by the time he arrived at the pit entry road. As he tried to negotiate the chicane in the pitlane the car spun. He was out.

Prost duly took the victory with Schumacher second and Blundell third. Senna was fourth ahead of Patrese and Berger. Prost's lead in the World Championship went up to 27 points.

POSNODRIVERENTRANTLAPSTIME/RETIREMENTQUAL POS
1 2 Alain Prost Williams-Renault  45 1h18m40.885s  1 
2 5 Michael Schumacher Benetton-Cosworth  45 1h18m57.549s  3 
3 26 Mark Blundell Ligier-Renault  45 1h19m40.234s  5 
4 8 Ayrton Senna McLaren-Cosworth  45 1h19m49.11s  4 
5 6 Riccardo Patrese Benetton-Cosworth  45 1h20m12.401s  7 
6 28 Gerhard Berger Ferrari  45 1h20m15.639s  9 
7 27 Jean Alesi Ferrari  45 1h20m16.726s  10 
8 25 Martin Brundle Ligier-Renault  44  6 
9 29 Karl Wendlinger Sauber-Ilmor  44  14 
10 12 Johnny Herbert Lotus-Cosworth  44  13 
11 23 Christian Fittipaldi Minardi-Cosworth  44  20 
12 19 Philippe Alliot Larrousse-Lamborghini  44  23 
13 15 Thierry Boutsen Jordan-Hart  44  24 
14 24 Pierluigi Martini Minardi-Cosworth  44  22 
15r 0 Damon Hill Williams-Renault  43 Puncture 2 
16 21 Michele Alboreto Lola-Ferrari  43  26 
17 9 Derek Warwick Footwork-Mugen Honda  42  11 
r 14 Rubens Barrichello Jordan-Hart  34 Wheel Bearing 17 
r 3 Ukyo Katayama Tyrrell-Yamaha  28 Spin/drive Shaft 21 
r 30 JJ Lehto Sauber-Ilmor  22 Throttle Jammed/spin 18 
r 11 Alessando Zanardi Lotus-Cosworth  19 Spin 15 
r 10 Aguri Suzuki Footwork-Mugen Honda  9 Gearbox 8 
r 7 Michael Andretti McLaren-Cosworth  4 Accident /steering 12 
r 22 Luca Badoer Lola-Ferrari  4 Suspension 25 
r 4 Andrea de Cesaris Tyrrell-Yamaha  1 Gearbox 19 
r 20 Erik Comas Larrousse-Lamborghini  0 Clutch 16