Donington Park was a new addition to the Formula 1 calendar in 1993. The historic English circuit had echoed to the sound of Mercedes-Benz and Auto-Union Grand Prix cars before World War II, before falling into a state of disrepair. Local man Tom Wheatcroft bought the circuit and worked tirelessly to restore it to its former glory. In 1993 he achieved his ambition of holding a Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix there.
Senna Produces Virtuosic Performance in European Grand Prix
There were few surprises in qualifying at Donington, venue for the 1993 European Grand Prix. Alain Prost was on pole in his Williams, with his team-mate Damon Hill alongside. Michael Schumacher started from third place on the grid, with Ayrton Senna’s McLaren next to him.
On a damp track Prost accelerated into the lead, followed by Hill. Sauber driver Karl Wendlinger, who started from fifth, managed to pass Senna into the first corner, but the Brazilian soon responded in devastating fashion. After passing Wendlinger around the outside of the daunting Craner Curves Senna made his way past Schumacher, Hill and Prost to lead by the end of the first lap. His countryman Rubens Barrichello was equally at home in the wet, moving up from 12th to fourth on lap one. Wendlinger’s race ended in a collision with the hapless Michael Andretti, whose performances continued to disappoint.
As the track dried the drivers topped for slicks. The weather remained changeable all afternoon. It rained again and the leaders changed back to wets, while Schumacher was caught out in the tricky conditions and spun off. The rain once again stopped, prompting Prost, Hill and Senna to stop once more. Senna’s stop was a long one and he lost considerable time, but it was to be his day.
The Williams drivers made a crucial mistake later in the race, stopping for wets while Senna stayed out on slicks. The rain stopped shortly after, forcing Prost and Hill to pit again. Prost stalled during his stop and came out a lap down on the leader, Senna. Barrichello suffered a heartbreaking fuel pressure failure near the end of the race, while on course for a podium.
Senna finished the Grand Prix with a huge lead over Hill, the only driver on the same lap as the brilliant McLaren driver. Prost trailed home in third, followed by Johnny Herbert’s Lotus. Riccardo Patrese was fifth for Benetton and Fabrizio Barbazza sixth for Minardi.
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