The Malaysian government have stated that they will sponsor the new Stewart Grand Prix team and their drivers Jan Magnussen and Rubens Barrichello next season. The Stewart cars will bare the Malaysian flag on the front. This is the second major deal for the Stewart team following the deal with HSBC Holdings.
Prime minister Mahathir Mohamad wants to boast the chances of a Formula One Grand Prix to be held in Malaysia in 1996. He commented: "This is the first time a nation state as a whole has become directly involved in sponsoring world motor sport at the highest level."
He also added: "The sponsorship will not only help make Malaysia better known internationally, but also allow Malaysians to learn how car-engines are manufactured."
The Williams Team was shocked to hear that Frank Williams could be indicted for manslaughter because of the death of Ayrton Senna on the Imola (Italy) circuit on May 1 1994. An unconfirmed Italian report, from ANSA, an Italian news agency, stated that a Italian prosecutor, Maurizio Passarini, has obtained leave to indict Frank Williams and five others, among them are technical director of Williams Patrick Head and race director Roland de Bruinseraede, for the death of Ayrton Senna.
The claim will be that the steering column snapped because of modifications made to it, the Williams team have always denied this. Williams media manager Jane Gorard said: "We have not had any official communication from our representatives in Italy. We do not know when we can make an announcement."
Passarini has also stated that their is no case against the Simtek team which lost their driver Roland Ratzenberger in the same weekend. The date for the trial has yet to be set by Passarini and is to be held at Imola.
Jacques Villeneuve topped, just like yesterday, the times during the tests on the Estoril (Portugal) circuit. Villeneuve drove an dry track, it was also wet for some time, a time of 1m 20.41s. Frentzen was second with a time of 1m 20.87s. Alesi clocked the third best time of 1m 21:20s. All teams present were testing new parts for their 1997 car.
Jorg Muller performed another Bridgestone test. The German completed 73 laps with a best time of 1m 23.52s.
Allesandro Nannini who lost his right arm in a helicopter crash six year's ago and saw it sawed back on again, had his second and last day of testing with the Benetton. The Italian put down a time of 1m 23.58s. He commented afterwards: "The fact that I can't come back is nothing to do with my arm really, because, with the power steering that is available now, that is not a problem. It is just that after such a big absence I would need to test for two or three months before I would know whether it was possible to come back and no team could afford to take the chance."