Schumacher disqualified after Grand Prix victory

Any hope of Formula One motor racing making a clean start to the new season after last year's tragedies and controversies disappeared yesterday when Michael Schumacher, the world champion, and Britain's David Coulthard were disqualified after finishing first and second, respectively, in the Brazilian Grand Prix in So Paulo yesterday, writes Mark Burton.

The German's Benetton and Coulthard's Williams were found to have raced on illegal fuel. Both teams had earlier been fined $30,000 (about £19,000) for using illegal fuel during qualifying.

When post-race analysis had shown that the samples did not conform with those submitted for testing before the start of the season, Schumacher and Coul-thard were thrown out and the Austrian Gerhard Berger, of Ferrari, was declared winner, five hours after the race finished.

Schumacher's main challenger for the world title, Damon Hill, spun his Williams off the track after 31 of the 71 laps.

The sport had been hoping for a new beginning after the deaths of the Brazilian former world champion Ayrton Senna and the Austrian Roland Ratzenberg in accidents last season and the controversy over Schumacher's world title, which he secured only after colliding with Hill during the last race of the season.

Richard Williams, page 32