In his 71st grand prix drive Johnny Herbert got to open the first

In his 71st grand prix drive Johnny Herbert got to open the first bottle of champagne. A majority in the crowd of 90,000 came to cheer Hill and ended up applauding a 25-1 outsider.That many of them bother to attend is a tribute to their enthusiasm, endurance and patience. They want to keep the sport as safe as possible but many people believe that because overtaking is central to the excitement cars should be set up to make it less risky. Personally thinking, aerodynamics is an abiding mystery but apparently some benefits could come from what is known as reducing the downward pressure.At least yesterday's race was different A fresh winner on the podium.

The edge Hill gained from achieving his fourth pole position of the season was lost when he made the first of two pit stops ahead of Schumacher, who did not plan to leave track more than once. Overtaking did not come into it until the British driver had a rush of blood to the head.Overtaking is a matter to which a number of officials in Formula One are giving serious attention. As a result races develop frequently into a procession, the result, barring misfortune or errors, dictated by pole position and computerised strategy It was developing that way at Silverstone yesterday More boffins than speedsters. If he had been on a horse, enforced inactivity would be inevitable.

That Schumacher was severely reprimanded by the race stewards, along with Hill, is astonishing.As Hill had 14 laps in which to recover the advantage cancelled out by Benetton's pit-stop strategy and just 0.4sec separated them, there was no need for him to take the sort of chance that Formula One drivers are only expected to employ as a last desperate resort.In fact, overtaking at the head of the field has become a most difficult move. Coming to rest on gravel, their high-powered machines had suddenly the look of abandoned ploughshares. For such careless and dangerous driving on the highway, Hill would be looking at a lengthy suspension. Of course, this was not the case but a rash attempt to take Michael Schumacher on the inside through a gap which might have been difficult to negotiate in a Mini, resulting in disaster for both of them. Other GB: 9 Irvine 6; 10= Blundell, Brundle 3.Constructors' championship: 1 Benetton 58; 2 Ferrari 49; 3 Williams 46; 4 Jordan 13; 5= McLaren, Ligier 10.. In the grandstand across from the pit lane at Silverstone hung a banner quite explicit in its instruction "If all else fails, ram him Damon".

Going into Priory corner on the 46th lap Damon Hill performed a manoeuvre to suggest he had taken this advice quite literally. He stopped only once and appeared to be in control.The duel for fourth place was also terminated by a collision, Barrichello's Jordan Peugeot running into Blundell's McLaren Mercedes. The Frenchman gave Herbert the benefit of his recent experience, saying: "Now you will have it easy - and two or three mornings of headaches!"That is a discomfort he will gladly endure "It has been a long hard slog," Herbert said. "When I had the accident, it was touch and go if I could go on. I always believed I would do it and I still don't think I've done enough. I haven't heard anything about being thrown out of the team, and a win doesn't guarantee anything."It is ironic that after all the condemnations of refuelling for breaking up races, Hill's second stop proved the catalyst for the thriller he predicted.He built up an early lead as Schumacher looked in vain for a way past Alesi, who catapulted his Ferrari from sixth on the grid to second But Schumacher again had the strategy to work himself ahead.

The previous summer he had smashed his feet in a Formula 3000 accident at Brands Hatch. There were fears one of them might have to be amputated.Herbert has waited 71 races for his maiden grand prix win, but then Nigel Mansell took 72 and Alesi 91. At best it was suggested he would be released at the end of the year.Some predicted he could be dropped after this race; dispensed with mid- season just as he was by the same team in 1989. That was his first season in Formula One - a season he started against all odds.