1994 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1994 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 29 May 1994 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló. It was the 36th Spanish Grand Prix and the fourth to be held at the Circuit de Catalunya, and the fifth race of the 1994 Formula One World Championship.
| 1994 Spanish Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 5 of 16 in the 1994 Formula One World Championship | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 29 May 1994 | ||
| Official name | XXXVI Gran Premio Marlboro de España | ||
| Location | Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló, Catalonia, Spain | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 4.745 km (2.948 miles) | ||
| Distance | 65 laps, 308.284 km (191.559 miles) | ||
| Weather | Sunny | ||
| Attendance | 40,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Benetton-Ford | ||
| Time | 1:21.908 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Michael Schumacher | Benetton-Ford | |
| Time | 1:25.155 on lap 18 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Williams-Renault | ||
| Second | Benetton-Ford | ||
| Third |
| Tyrrell-Yamaha | |
|
Lap leaders | |||
The 65-lap race was won by Englishman Damon Hill, driving a Williams-Renault. It was the first victory of the season for Hill and the Williams team, who were still recovering from the death of Ayrton Senna at Imola four weeks previously. Hill won by 24 seconds from German driver and championship leader Michael Schumacher, whose Benetton-Ford was stuck in fifth gear for most of the race. Another Englishman, Mark Blundell, finished third in a Tyrrell-Yamaha, which would turn out to be the final podium finish for him and the Tyrrell team.
The Grand Prix was additionally notable for the season-ending crash of debutant Italian driver Andrea Montermini in his Simtek S941 on the front straight. Montermini, elevated from test driver status after the death of Roland Ratzenberger at the San Marino Grand Prix crashed heavily into the pit wall. It also marked the Formula One debut of Scottish driver David Coulthard, replacing Senna for Williams. The new Lotus 109 made its debut this weekend replacing the two-year-old 107.