Narrow win for McNish

Allan McNish claimed a narrow, hard-fought victory in the Grand Prix of St Petersburg in Florida.

McNish started his diesel-powered Audi from third on the 24-car grid on the temporary 1.8-mile, 14-corner street circuit.

However, after snatching the lead at the green light, the Scot was adjudged to have jumped the start, resulting in a stop-go penalty that relegated him to eighth.

McNish, though, managed to reclaim the lead after just 21 minutes of the two hour 45 minute race.

Handing over to co-driver Dindo Capello at the midway point, the Italian took the chequered flag by just 0.426 seconds from the ‘sister’ Audi of Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner.

“We always knew it would be a hard fight from start to finish and so it proved,” said McNish.

“I made a good start, but the organisers deemed I had overtaken a car before I’d crossed the start-finish line.

“If that was the case, then it’s my mistake.

“After serving a stop-go penalty the car was really good, which enabled me to push hard and produce consistently fast lap times.

“Dindo’s last stint was possibly the best I’ve seen him drive.”

Although the team were fearful of competing for the first time on a street circuit more suited to other cars, the Audi R10 TDI has now won all 10 races since its debut 12 months ago.