The scenario facing Martin Donnelly when he arrived at Brands Hatch for the 1989 International Formula 3000 round wasn’t too dissimilar to the one he’d been presented with the previous year. As in 1988, when he was readying for his debut in the Formula 1 feeder series with Eddie Jordan Racing, the Ulsterman had no points to his name after a series of mishaps had blighted his expected 1989 title challenge.
But just as he had done on that nightmarish weekend in 1988, blighted by violent accidents that left Michel Trolle and Johnny Herbert seriously injured, Donnelly made Brands Hatch a happy hunting ground and came away with victory by 13.3s over team-mate Jean Alesi.
