Biela opens with double victory

Motor racing

Motor racing

The worst fears of the British Touring Car Championship field were confirmed yesterday when the Audi driver Frank Biela won both the first and second rounds of the series in front of a crowd of 30,000, writes Gwyn Dolphin from Donington Park.

The reigning World Cup winner led both races from start to finish as his main rivals, Rickard Rydell and Alain Menu, both had problems. Biela's four-wheel drive Audi had given best to Volvo driver Rydell in qualifying for the opening race, but the German beat him away at the lights and strolled ahead to win. Will Hoy and Menu gave the Williams-Renault team hope with second and third, but plans for Menu to better that in the second race were dashed in qualifying.

His car failed a ride-height check and was forced to start from the back of the grid. Biela again led all the way, under pressure from Hoy but was never truly threatened.