From: graeme@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Graeme)
Subject: Final Adelaide Qualifying times
Organization: University of Tasmania, Australia.
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 04:15:54 GMT

Final qualifying times for Adelaide F1 race tomorrow:-
Mansell    1:13.732
Senna      1:14.202
Patrese    1:14.370
Berger     1:15.114
Schumacher 1:15.210
Alesi      1:16.091
de Cesaris 1:16.440
Brundle    1:16.562
Comas      1:16.727
Hakkinen   1:16.863
Alboreto   1:16.937
Herbert    1:16.944
Grouillard 1:17.037
Martini    1:17.047
Modena     1:17.231
Morbidelli 1:17.333

The fourth session of free practice was held in dry conditions,
hotter than the previous sessions.
Athletic starter Glen Dix waved the cars out, with Fittipaldi promptly
parking his car out on the circuit. Herbert came out and tried hard, spun it
with no damage, then spun it again with serious damage to the right rear of the 
Lotus. 
Alesi then appeared, and drove in the manner that has caused Hunt to call him
the most entertaining driver in F1 this year. The kerbs he didn't bounce off
he climbed over, really trying, his fast lap came to a halt when he spun
it at Fosters bend, put his foot down and spun it back in the right direction
in a tyre-burning procedure which hid half the car in tyre smoke, leaving a
black lazy 8 on the track.
Half way through the session, Schumacher and Patrese were 2 seconds above
their Friday time, and Alesi, Berger and Herbert were 1 second above
their Friday time.
The only driver to improve his time so far was Naspetti in the March,
(but he was 26th, last on Friday, so had the best chance of improving).
With about 25 minutes to go, Senna and Berger came out. Boutsen
spun on the turn coming into Brabham straight, damaging his right front wing,
and placing himself, stationary, just in front of Senna who was on a fast one.
Senna avoided disaster with what Murray described as amazing refexes.
Meanwhile Mansell appeared, and red 5 locked brakes, slid up kerbs, and was 
still 1.4 seconds above his Friday time.His next fast lap was blocked by 
Guglemin(spell?) coming out of the pits, Mansell slowed and expressed his
opinion manually, (in a gesture Murray said he wouldn't translate
on public television). His throttle cable then broke, and further runs had to
be made in the T car.
From the pits Barry Sheen commented that the drivers he had spoken to
felt the approx. 30 degree heat made the circuit 2 seconds slower than Friday.
In the last quarter of an hour Suzuki spun his Footwork Arrows into the tyres,
Senna lowered his best time today to 0.68 above Friday, then 0.2 seconds above
Friday. Berger got down to half a second above Friday. Mansell came out in the
T car.
Naspetti had got going again, but then spun after the start/finish, almost
removed the March's left front tyre, wheel and suspension (making a long
night ahead for the March mechanics, as March was only able to bring
two cars to Adelaide). Mansell was provided with another excuse when he
was confronted with bits and pieces of Naspetti's car all over the track.
After this was cleared, Berger blew one of McLaren's qualifying engines,
the oil flag came out, Martini walked in and Herbert spun again.
Patrese made a late charge, but couldn't beat Senna's time.
The session ended with Murray describing the starter's energetic flag waving
effort to end the session as "Glan Dix doing his best to dislocate
his wrist, elbow and shoulder simultaneously".

In interviews, Mansell commented that he felt that the McLarens
had improved by half a second in the session, while the Williams
had stood still. Herbert said Lotus had made some changes,
but they hadn't worked. Ah well.....
We'll see what happens, tomorrow.
Graeme.

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