The month in Motor Sport
17: James Wallis, a prominent British club racer in the early 1980s, dies at the age of 60.
18: While showing a mock-up of its new C 14-Ford, Sauber confirms that Karl Wendlinger will partner Heinz-Harald Frentzen this season. Argentinian F3 racer Norberto Fontana will act as test driver.
18: Renault withdraws from British F3, and will supply engines to the French series instead.
19: Tyrrell arrives at Jerez to test Emmanuel Collard, Mika Salo and Gabriele Tarquini. Salo is favourite to partner Ukyo Katayama.
19: Opel tests its new DTM Calibra at Kyalami.
19: Honda confirms that it will run NSXs in both GT1 and GT2 classes at Le Mans this year.
20: Renault surprises the rally world by announcing that it will run Clios in the British Championship. Alain Oreille will drive one: a young Briton, thought to be Robbie Head, will handle the other.
23: Audi tests its new A4 2.0 touring car at Vallelunga. The car will be raced in Italy and Germany this season, but not the UK.
23: MCT, formerly Renault’s works BTCC team, drops plans to run factory-supported BMWs in the series.
23: It is confirmed that British F3 champion Jan Magnussen will not be graduating to F3000. He will dovetail a Mercedes DTM programme with McLaren F1 testing commitments.
24: The Indy Racing League announces that it plans to stage the first round of its proposed 1996 series at Disney World…
26: Nigel Mansell’s chances of joining McLaren are boosted by the news that Martin Brundle has signed to rejoin Ligier. Brundle will share Ligier’s second car with Aguri Suzuki, though their exact schedules remain to be specified.
27: Jordan launches the Peugeot-engined 195.
27: Carlos Sainz beats Francois Delecour to win the Monte-Carlo Rally. Disillusioned with new servicing regulations, Delecour threatens to quit the WRC at the end of the year.
29: Jan Lammers beats Kenny Brack in the first ever Kyalami Formula 3000 International.
30: Benetton launches its new B195. Johnny Herbert is confirmed as Michael Schumacher’s team-mate. Jos Verstappen will continue as test driver.
30: Unhappy with the regulations for the Daytona 24 Hours, Porsche withdraws its works entries.
30: Dario Franchitti, amongst the favourites for the British F3 title, turns his back on the series in favour of a Mercedes DTM drive. The British F3 picture is clearing, however: James Matthews will drive for David Sears, Oliver Gavin for Edenbridge, Jamie Davies for TOM’S, Helio Castro Neves and Ralph Firman Jnr for PSR.
30: Brands Hatch has scheduled a Nigel Mansell Challenge meeting for May 20/21. It is hoped that the 1992 world champion will participate in several races, F1 commitments permitting…
31: Forti launches its new FGP01 F1 racer.
February
2: The FIA modifies the F1 calendar. The season will open in Brazil on March 26. Argentina moves to April 9, and the Pacific GP at Aida is postponed to October 22.
3: McLaren finally confirms one of the sport’s worst-kept secrets within living memory. Nigel Mansell will drive alongside Mika Hakkinen this year. The new MP4/10, said by Ron Dennis to be distinctively different to other new F1 cars, will be launched on February 17.
3: Christian Fittipaldi quits F1 for an Indy programme with Derrick Walker.
4: Moves are afoot in Scotland to resurrect the Fintray hillclimb course.
5: Despite the withdrawal of the works Porsches, the Kremer K8 of Marco Werner, Jurgen Lassig, Giovanni Lavaggi and Christophe Bouchut wins the Rolex 24 at Daytona. At the age of 70, actor Paul Newman shares the third-placed (and class-winning) Ford Mustang.
5: Frank Meagher (Escort Cosworth) wins the Galway International Rally.
6: Ferrari launches the 412 T2 at Fiorano.
6: The possibility that the Team Lotus name will survive in F1 arises, when Keith Wiggins’ Pacific GP assumes rights to the name. Wiggins’ operation will henceforth run as Pacific Team Lotus.
7: Sauber runs its C14 for the first time at Paul Ricard.
8: Max Mosley assures the press that the FIA has technical matters firmly under control. He also expresses confidence that a repeat of the Hockenheim pit fire is “theoretically impossible”.
8: Geneva’s Contract Recognition Board says that Tyrrell, and not Lotus, has the right to Mika Salo’s services in 1995.
8: Talks between Larrousse and DAMS break down. DAMS opts to continue in F3000; Larrousse admits that there is little prospect of salvaging an F1 programme, but that he hasn’t given up all hope.
9: Toyota finalises its BTCC line-up. Tim Sugden will join Julian Bailey.
10: Dome withdraws from Japanese F3000. The champion’s title sponsor and tyre supplier, Dunlop, had lost its racing factory in the disastrous Kobe earthquake a few weeks beforehand. The company will pursue its F1 project, however.
10: NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt is tipped as an unlikely Indy 500 competitor.
11: David Gillanders (Escort Cosworth) wins the Snowman Rally. Andy Burton’s Alfa-Ferrari triumphs on the Wyedean Stages.
12: Mitsubishi finishes 1-2 on the Swedish Rally, but team orders cause a post-event furore. Kenneth Eriksson wins.
13: F1 rumours: Jos Verstappen will join Simtek; Pedro Lamy is set for Pacific Team Lotus. Arrows is unable to confirm anything, but Gianni Morbidelli and Taki Inoue are expected to sign up.
13: Tyrrell launches its new 023 in London, but it hasn’t yet confirmed Mika Salo’s place in the team.
13: The final works BTCC seat is snapped up when Simon Harrison signs for Peugeot. Former BTCC champion Robb Gravett is rejoining the series, too, albeit in a private Cavalier.
13: Ford unsurprisingly confirms that Gwyndaf Evans will contest the British Rally Championship in an Escort RS2000.
14: Allan McNish (below) gets the opportunity to resurrect his career when he signs for Paul Stewart Racing’s F3000 team. Another plum F3000 seat is decided, when Super Nova re-signs Vincenzo Sospiri. Elsewhere in F3000, South Africa’s Steven Watson has signed for Nordic.