Team tactics give Hill edge

DAMON HILL's 17th career victory at yesterday's San Marino Grand Prix restores momentum to his world championship title challenge, with the Londoner now leading the championship by 21 points from Jacques Vilieneuve. Michael Schumacher finished "second in his Ferrari yesterday, while his team-mate Eddie Irvine was heartily congratulated by team manager Jean Todt after finishing fourth. Pit stop troubles again hampered the Jordan effort, as Rubens Barichello nursed his car home in fifth place his third points finish in a row. Martin Brundle did not finish.

Hill's win in front of a huge crowd, most hoping for a win for Ferrari, came after his Williams team opted for an unusual race strategy whereby he started with a large fuel load and only had a small top up on his second and final stop.

Hill said the gamble had "turned out to be exactly right. It was a great race and it puts things back on course. Even when Michael was in front I knew what I had to do and I knew I could do it.

Hill reflected that he won the race last year and also the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. "I'm beginning to like Italy very much!" he joked.

Michael Schumacher began in pole position in his Ferrari, but the German was beaten to the first corner by fast-starting David Coulthard in the Marlboro McLaren.

"David had a great start," said Schumacher. "I couldn't say he was holding me up, because he was a few tenths ahead. In the early stages of the race I knew Damon had a lot more fuel than me and that if things went to plan I couldn't win. But I am pleased with second. It shows things are going in the right direction."

On the last lap the flag-waving fans held their breath as Schumacher's right front wheel locked up: "I'm not 100 per cent sure what it was, but I think the upright may have broken or the wheel bearing. I had been up on the kerbs a lot and it must have caused the problem. For the last three-quarters of the last lap the tyre wash locked solid. I thought the wheel might fall off, but it didn't. The crowd were fantastic and today's result is very nice for me."

Schumacher's team-mate Eddie, Irvine was beaming as he walked back to his motor-home from the garage after collecting another three points to move him into fifth place in the world championship.

"The crowd are mad here," he said. "They've been great, but when I slowed down they tried to take my helmet, my gloves - everything!" he said. "Things are going well now. We didn't race the engine we used in practice, but we will race it at Monaco and there are some other things as well that will help," said, the Ulsterman, who had all his family along to cheer him over the line.

Fifth place for Jordan did not please the team, as Eddie Jordan explained: "We again had a lot of "trouble in the pit-stops. In Martin's case he came in and we could not attach the fuel hose - there is a safety catch that makes the connection hard to complete. So we had to send him out with no fuel and bring him back in two laps later.

"Rubens also lost a lot of time in getting the rig attached and it's a problem we will have to solve," said Jordan.

Barrichello was frustrated with the race. "We have to improve our pit-stops because we have a car capable of fighting for a podium position. At the moment it seems that I come into the pits fighting for a podium position and I have lost it by the time I go out again. Although I am a bit disappointed I am glad to finish again in the points to make it three races in a row."

The Peugeot engine again proved strong and reliable, and there is pressure on Jordan's technical team to improve the downforce generated by the car - it's main perceived weakness at present.

Martin Brundle was running in ninth when he went into the pits for the aborted fuel stop.