In a race that claimed 15 of the 24 starters, Herbert's patience and endurance paid off Sunday and bolstered his bargaining power for a still uncertain ride next season.
"When I moved to second place and I saw Alesi's car smoke and slow down, I realized I could win the race. It was great to win here. I could hear the roar of the crowd while driving,'' said Herbert.
It was the Briton's second win in five races, driving his Benetton across the finish line 17.7 seconds ahead of the McLaren of Finland's Mika Hakkinen.
Alesi was the home team's last hope after Gerhard Berger, had to pull off with a broken suspension in the 33rd lap.
Damon Hill received a one-race probationary ban for the move that knocked him and fellow title contender Michael Schumacher out of the race. Hill's Williams bumped the Benetton of Schumacher from behind while trying to move into second place, sending both into the gravel from where they were unable to restart their engines.
Herbert, 31, who will be released at the end of the season by the Anglo-French Benetton team, completed the 305.81 kilometers over 53 laps in 1 hour, 18 minutes, 27.916 seconds at an average speed of 233.814 kph.
n
In Monterey, California, Brazilian rookie Gil de Ferran ran away with his first IndyCar victory, and Canadian Jacques Villeneuve sewed up the series championship with an 11th place at the Laguna Seca 300 Sunday.
De Ferran, driving a Reynard Mercedes-Benz, took the lead for good when Villeneuve, the pole sitter in a Reynard Ford-Cosworth, pitted on lap 29.
(AP, Reuters)
(For other results, see Scorecard.)
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