Summary Saturday Morning

The track started wet this morning due to have rain over night, however the track dried up and the first session saw Rubens Barrichello after many driver changes as the fastest man with a 1m 26.423s. Mika Salo was second with a 1m 26.651s. Hill and Schumacher were 15th and 16th.

Damon Hill showed he could get pole this afternoon by setting the fastest time in the second session, 1m 21.867s, early in the session only to see Michael Schumacher beat this time by 9 thousands of a second in the last minute on new tyres. Jacques Villeneuve came in third with a 1m 22.268s.

Notes

• The Minardi of Lavaggi brakes down early in the first session.
• Verstappen blows up his Hart engine in the second session.
• Hill spins off in the last seconds of the second session.
• Hill commented on this weekend: "I am here to win this Grand Prix and I am not involving myself in discussions about next year."

  Ecclestone said on Hill next year: "If he doesn't quit he has to accept he won't have a car in which he can win anything at all next year."

• Weather during sessions
  • Sunny
  • Light breeze
  • Dry. Wet track in the early stages of the first session.

1. M. Schumacher 1m 21.858s
2. D. Hill 1m 21.867s
3. J. Villeneuve 1m 22.268s
4. E. Irvine 1m 22.469s
5. J. Alesi 1m 22.664s
6. M. Hakkinen 1m 22.668s
7. R. Barrichello 1m 22.765s
8. G. Berger 1m 22.796s
9. H.H. Frentzen 1m 23.249s
10. O. Panis 1m 23.422s

Damon Hill dominated qualifying for the Grand Prix of Portugal. He took pole position early in the session and only improved on it, 1m 20.330s. His team-mate and rival Jacques Villeneuve came very close, 1m 20.339s, in his third run but it just wasn't enough. Alesi was looking strong with his third place and with his superb starts he could de well.

Notes

• Lamy's Minardi brakes down. The Portuguese runs back to the pits with his seat and continues in the T-car.
• Johnny Herbert has signed a two year deal with the Sauber team today. He commented: "It's good to be able to sign for two years. Hopefully I can help the team go forward in that time. I felt at home at Sauber right from the beginning. The team have always made me welcome.
• Hill and Coulthard are teaming up in the drivers association to replace Berger and Brundle.

• Weather during session
  • Overcast
  • Strong breeze
  • Dry. Wet track in last few minutes of the session.

1. D. Hill 1m 20.330s
2. J. Villeneuve 1m 20.339s
3. J. Alesi 1m 21.088s
4. M. Schumacher 1m 21.236s
5. G. Berger 1m 21.293s
6. E. Irvine 1m 21.362s
7. M. Hakkinen 1m 21.640s
8. D. Coulthard 1m 22.066s
9. R. Barrichello 1m 22.205s
10. M. Brundle 1m 22.324s

Quotes

Hill: "I feel more relaxed than I have in a long time and I drive better when I am relaxed."

Villeneuve on the distance to Hill: "It is frustrating when it is so close."