1994 F1RGP2C Spanish Grand Prix
The 1994 F1RGP2C Spanish Grand Prix was the fifth round of the 1994 F1RGP2C season. The race was won by John Zimmer, driving for Benetton-Ford. Zimmer became the first driver to win two races in the series.
Race Report
Qualifying
Daniel Moreno took pole position by three tenths on Friday. He was in complete control for all of qualifying and looked to be the favorite to win on Sunday. Douglas Mann dragged his McLaren-Peugeot onto the front row ahead of much sterner opposition. Jack Christopherson lined up third with John Zimmer in the Benetton. Éadbhard Ó'Caoimhín lined up fifth in the Jordan.
Race
At the start, Daniel Moreno held the lead with his teammate just behind him. Mann had a terrible start and he was quickly passed by Leonhard von Gottorp's Jordan, Padraig O'Connell and John Zimmer. The early laps were filled with action as cars were able to slipstream well on the front straight. Masta Valsattis retired with an oil leak without completing one lap and Poppy Whitechapel's engine let go on Lap 2. She was not the only driver to suffer from engine problems; on Lap 6, Jack Christopherson's Renault engine exploded, letting von Gottorp into second and dashing hopes of a Williams 1-2. On Lap 12, Éadbhard Ó'Caoimhín went off the road at the "New Holland" corner and got airborne after hitting the curbing. The Jordan was pitched into the air and landed, shattering Ó'Caoimhín's front suspension. Meanwhile, his teammate was slowly catching Moreno's Williams.
von Gottorp pitted early. Moreno stayed out until Lap 24 which let von Gottorp assume the lead. Kazuhiko Takagi saw his Ford engine spontaneously combust on Lap 22. Unfortunately, he decided to park his car in the least accessible place on the circuit. Pablo da Silva also retired with a suspension problem on Lap 21. da Silva's teammate, James Davies crashed early on in the race in an accurate imitation of Ó'Caoimhín's earlier crash. Lap 28 saw Dennis Mignolet go out with an oil leak while he was in a strong sixth position. The high rate of mechanical failure that had characterized the season so far continued with unabated strength. In the span of five laps, Padraig O'Connell, Douglas Mann and Rory McAllister all retired with mechanical problems. All three were running inside the points at the time so their problems elevated Andrew Spokes, Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Max von Hegel into comfortable positions.
Leonhard von Gottorp continued to lead the race but Moreno was quickly catching the Jordan. After the second round of stops, Moreno had caught von Gottorp. Moreno passed by the Jordan on Lap 48 but von Gottorp managed to repass the Williams two corners later. von Gottorp defended brilliantly for one lap but Moreno was able to slip by on Lap 49. One lap later, von Gottorp's suspension failed, erasing all of his good work. However, luck deserted Moreno once again and his Williams stopped on Lap 57 with a loose wheel. Moreno was fury could not reattach the wheel and he retired. This let John Zimmer into the lead, even though he had not been anywhere close to the front all day. At one point, he had Moreno, von Gottorp, Christoperson, O'Connell and Douglas Mann ahead of him yet Zimmer proved to be victorious in the end. He was followed by a jubilant Tom Douglas who was also nowhere for much of the race. Douglas barely held off the charging Éadbhard Ó'Caoimhín who recovered from his early off to finish third, just 0.057 second behind Douglas. Max von Hegel survived the carnage to finish in fourth. He was followed by Gio van Dycke in the Larrousse and Samael Meerwick for Lotus. All three benefited from Andrew Spokes' transmission failure seven laps from the end of the race. Zimmer's victory allowed him to take the lead in the championship by six points over Tom Douglas.
Standings after the race
- Bold text indicates who still has a theoretical chance of becoming World Champion.
- Drivers' Championship standings
| Pos | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  John Zimmer
|
24 |
| 2 |  Tom Douglas
|
18 |
| 3 | Jack Christopherson
|
16 |
| 4 |  Padraig O'Connell
|
10 |
| 5 |  Leonhard von Gottorp
|
10 |
- Constructors' Championship standings
| Pos | Constructor | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benetton-Ford
|
30 |
| 2 | Williams-Renault
|
25 |
| 3 | McLaren-Peugeot
|
23 |
| 4 | Jordan-Hart
|
18 |
| 5 |  Ferrari
|
13 |
- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
| Previous race: 1994 Monaco Grand Prix |
Formula 1 Rejects Grand Prix 2 Championship 1994 Season |
Next race: 1994 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Previous race: None |
Spanish Grand Prix | Next race: 1995 Spanish Grand Prix |