MAY 22, 1995

For Wendlinger read Boullion or Collard

KARL WENDLINGER will not be racing for Sauber this weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix - although the team has yet to make an official announcement.

KARL WENDLINGER will not be racing for Sauber this weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix - although the team has yet to make an official announcement. According to French sources, the Austrian - who is trying to re-establish himself in F1 after his accident at Monaco last year - is being stood down because of his lack of performance and will be replaced by one of Elf's three F1 test drivers at the moment: Jean-Christophe Boullion of Williams, Emmanuel Collard of Benetton or Franck Lagorce of Ligier.

As we were closing for press, no-one seemed to know which of the three was the most likely; but Benetton had announced that it was planning a press conference on Wednesday in Monaco, involving Collard. This might be the long-overdue announcement that Collard is the team's test driver, but it is more likely that Flavio Briatore will be telling the world that Emmanuel is being loaned (at a price, of course) to Sauber for the rest of the season.

If this is the case, the news will spark a rush of drivers to Benetton eager to give their sponsorship money to Briatore in exchange for a chance to drive one of the top F1 cars at the moment.