Hill's teammateJacques Villeneuve (pictured in 2002) finished as runner-up in his debut season with four wins.
Defending double world championMichael Schumacher (pictured in 2005) finished third in his first year withScuderia Ferrari, taking three wins for the team.
The1996 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 50th season ofFIAFormula One motor racing. The championship commenced on 10 March and ended on 13 October after sixteen races.[1][2][3] Two World Championship titles were awarded, one for Drivers and one for Constructors.
Damon Hill won the Drivers' Championship two years after being beaten by a point byMichael Schumacher, making him the first son of a World Champion (his fatherGraham having won the title in1962 and1968) to have won the title himself as well as the only untilNico Rosberg, son of 1982 championKeke Rosberg, won the title 34 years later in2016.[4][5][6] Hill, who had finished runner-up for the past two seasons, was seriously threatened only by his teammate, newcomerJacques Villeneuve, the 1995IndyCar andIndianapolis 500 champion.[7][8]Williams-Renault easily won the Constructors' title, as there was no other competitor strong enough to post a consistent challenge throughout the championship.[3][9] This was also the beginning of the end of Williams's 1990s dominance, as it was announced that Hill and designerAdrian Newey would depart at the conclusion of the season, with engine manufacturer Renault also leaving after 1997.[8][10][11]
Two-time defending world champion Michael Schumacher had moved toFerrari and despite numerous reliability problems, they had gradually developed into a front-running team by the end of the season.[12] Defending Constructors' Champion Benetton began their decline towards the middle of the grid, having lost key personnel due to Schumacher's departure, and failed to win a race.[13][14]Olivier Panis took the only victory of his career at theMonaco Grand Prix.[15]
For the first time since1979, noBrazilian driver mounted the podium, and this also was the last championship for aBritish driver untilLewis Hamilton in2008. This year also saw the introduction of new car numbering system predominately based on the finishing order of the constructors' championship from the previous year (an exception being made in cases where a reigning drivers' champion moving teams) replacing the previous system which had been in since 1974. The constructors' championship-based car numbering system would remain in place until the end of the2013 season . This was also the last season in whichGoodyear would act as the sole tyre supplier in the sport asBridgestone would join F1 for 1997 - creating a tyre war.
The numbering system used since 1974 was dropped.[16][17] Ferrari was given the numbers 1 and 2 after hiring the defending champion Michael Schumacher, despite finishing the previous year's Constructors' Championship in third, Benetton received numbers 3 and 4 for winning the Constructors' Championship, Williams got numbers 5 and 6 for finishing second, McLaren got 7 and 8 for finishing fourth, Ligier got 9 and 10 for finishing fifth, and so on, with the number 13 being skipped.[18][19]
The followingteams anddrivers competed in the 1996 FIA Formula One World Championship. All teams competed with tyres supplied byGoodyear.
By receiving anItalian licence the defending Constructors' ChampionBenetton officially became an Italian constructor, though it continued to operate from the same base in Britain.[23]
Jordan gained a new title sponsor in British cigarette brandBenson & Hedges, who joined oil supplierTotal and engine companyPeugeot in the team's official name.[24]
Meanwhile,Tyrrell lost their title sponsor, Finnish communications companyNokia, becoming officially known simply as Tyrrell Yamaha.[25]
Forti also lost the sponsorship of Italian dairy corporationParmalat, as well as any official connection toFord, although they continued to use Ford engines.[citation needed]
Scuderia Italia decided to end their two-year working relationship withMinardi, so the team once again became known simply as Minardi Team.[citation needed]
Two teams disappeared from the entry list entirely.Larrousse had missed the early races of 1995 before finally announcing their withdrawal before theSan Marino Grand Prix.Gérard Larrousse claimed several times the team would reappear in 1996, but a combination of legal and financial difficulties meant this never materialised.Pacific withdrew from the sport at the end of 1995.[26][27]
Scuderia Ferrari decided to change from theV12 engine they competed with the previous season to theV-10 engine configuration which was used by most of the other teams. For the first time since1988, noFormula One entrants utilized aV12 engine in their car.
The Australian Grand Prix was moved from theAdelaide Street Circuit to theAlbert Park Circuit inPort Phillip near Melbourne. The change of venue also resulted in the grand prix becoming the season opener instead of its finale.
The Indonesian Grand Prix (renamed from the Pacific Grand Prix) was due to be held in Indonesia at theSentul International Circuit as the final round but the race did not make the calendar as the corners were unsuitable for Formula One cars.
TheEuropean Grand Prix atNürburgring was moved to an earlier April date for 1996 having been held in October near the end of the season in 1995.
In 1995, the sides of thecockpit were raised in order to provide better head protection for the driver. These sides were raised even higher (to mid-helmet height) for 1996, along with a wraparound head restraint made of foam to prevent head injuries such as those suffered byMika Häkkinen during qualifying for the1995 Australian Grand Prix.[56][57] Also, the cockpit opening was made larger, with the front tip now extending to 625 mm (24.6 in) from the front wheel centre line instead of 750 mm (30 in).[58][59]
Needle-like nosecone designs with a sharp point, such as theMcLaren MP4/10,Forti FG01 andTyrrell 023, were also banned in favour of more blunt nose sections.[60]
The minimum weight (with driver) was raised from 595 kg (1,312 lb) to 600 kg (1,323 lb).[61]
To prevent damage to other cars' tyres, front wing endplates had to be at least 10 mm (0.39 in) thick.[58]
The race weekend schedule was changed for the 1996 season compared to1995. The number of free practice sessions was increased from the two to three with the number of laps allocated for each day increased from 23 to 30. Also, to increase the spectacle, the Friday qualifying session was dropped, with theFIA World Motor Sport Council opting to have only one qualifying session, held on Saturday afternoon and limited to 12 laps for drivers.[57][62]
This year saw the introduction of the "107% rule", which meant all cars had to be within 107% of the pole position time in order to qualify for the race.[57][60]
The previous system of having a red and green light to start the race was replaced by the current system of five red lights turning on sequentially with a period of usually five seconds, then all going out simultaneously before starting the race.[56][59][60]
A new numbering system for cars was adopted for 1996 and remained in place until the end of 2013, when a new system was introduced. Previously, the reigning Drivers' Champion's team had simply swapped car numbers with the previous Drivers' Champion's team to carry numbers 1 and 2, with all other teams retaining their existing numbers. For 1996 the reigning Drivers' Champion was given number 1 and his teammate number 2 with the rest of the teams numbered in the order of their finishing position in the previous year's Constructors' Championship. Any new teams were allocated the following numbers.
Continued safety improvements and modifications on circuits brought the number of "high risk" corners on the calendar down to two.[56][59]
Despite suffering a bout of food poisoning, Damon Hill made it three wins out of three at theArgentine Grand Prix, with Jacques Villeneuve helping Williams to their second one-two of the season.Jos Verstappen scored his only point of the season, whileAndrea Montermini registered his only finish of the season.Pedro Diniz was involved in two major incidents during the race. First he collided withLuca Badoer, whoseForti was flipped and landed upside down in the gravel, forcing the marshals to bring out the safety car. Diniz managed to continue and made a pit stop as the safety car was preparing to pull in, only to retire when he came back onto the circuit and hisLigier burst into flames because a safety-valve in the fuel tank had jammed open.
TheEuropean Grand Prix at the Nürburgring[b] in Germany was won by Jacques Villeneuve for his first F1 victory in only his fourth race. Michael Schumacher finished second, withDavid Coulthard third in aMcLaren, just ahead of Hill.
TheSan Marino Grand Prix was won by Damon Hill after starting from second position. Michael Schumacher again finished second, despite his front-right brake seizing halfway around the final lap, whileGerhard Berger was third, driving for the Benetton team. Jacques Villeneuve retired near the end of the race after being hit by Jean Alesi.
Round six atMonaco was run in wet weather, causing significant attrition and setting a record for the fewest cars (three) to be running at the end of a Grand Prix.Olivier Panis scored what would be his sole career Formula One victory, earning the last Formula One victory for the Ligier team, and the first ever for engine manufacturer Mugen Motorsports, after he made the switch onto slick tyres in a well-timed pitstop. David Coulthard was second, nearly five seconds behind Panis.Johnny Herbert scored his only points of the season, finishing third in aSauber, more than half a minute behind Coulthard.
TheSpanish Grand Prix saw Michael Schumacher's first Ferrari victory, and is generally regarded as one of the German's finest races. In torrential rain, he produced a stunning drive, helping him to earn the nickname "the Rainmaster". Schumacher recovered from a poor start to take the lead from Villeneuve on lap 13, and from then on he dominated the race, frequently lapping over three seconds faster than the remainder of the field. Jean Alesi finished second, more than 45 seconds behind the winner, with Jacques Villeneuve third.Rubens Barrichello, who was running in second place after Jacques Villeneuve and Alesi made their pit stops, put in a strong performance in this race, but was forced to retire due to a clutch problem with 20 laps remaining. After an uneventful race on his part,Heinz-Harald Frentzen finished in fourth, whileMika Häkkinen took fifth after surviving a spin off the track in the closing stages of the race. Jos Verstappen, running fifth after the retirements of Barrichello and Berger, crashed into the tyre barrier with 12 laps left, guaranteeing Diniz his first Formula One point as by this time only six drivers were left in the race. Damon Hill had started the race from pole position, but dropped to 8th after spinning twice in the opening laps, before another spin into the pit wall on lap 12 ended his race.
TheCanadian Grand Prix was won from pole position by Damon Hill, with home driver Jacques Villeneuve second, and Frenchman Jean Alesi third.
The second half of the season began with theFrench Grand Prix at Magny-Cours. Michael Schumacher qualified in pole position but his engine blew on the warm-up lap and he did not start. The race was won by Damon Hill, with Jacques Villeneuve finishing second in the other Williams, and Jean Alesi again third for the Benetton team. This was the last Grand Prix where a Forti car started the race (two weeks later the team would fail to qualify for the British Grand Prix, the final Formula One event they would enter), however both cars were forced to retire.
Jacques Villeneuve took his second win of the season at theBritish Grand Prix, with Benetton's Gerhard Berger second and McLaren's Mika Häkkinen coming home third for his first podium since his near-fatal crash at the1995 Australian Grand Prix.Jordan's Rubens Barrichello took fourth, equalling his best finish of the season. The final points went to David Coulthard in the second McLaren andMartin Brundle in the second Jordan. Hill took pole position for his home race, but made a slow start and retired shortly before half distance, after a wheel nut problem caused him to spin off at Copse Corner while he was trying to pass Häkkinen. For the third consecutive race, Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine were both forced to retire with technical issues.
TheGerman Grand Prix at Hockenheim was won by Damon Hill, taking his seventh victory of the season after he started from pole position. Austrian driver Gerhard Berger started alongside Hill on the front row in his Benetton and led for much of the race, until his engine failed with three laps remaining. Berger's teammate Jean Alesi was second and Jacques Villeneuve was third. The win meant Hill extended his lead over Villeneuve in the Drivers' Championship to 21 points with five races remaining.
TheHungarian Grand Prix was won by Jacques Villeneuve after starting from third position. Villeneuve's teammate Damon Hill finished second, with Jean Alesi third. This was Williams's fifth 1–2 finish of the season, and it secured their fourth Constructors' Championship in five years.
TheBelgian Grand Prix saw Michael Schumacher take victory, driving a Ferrari. Schumacher had crashed heavily in Friday practice, but recovered to qualify third before taking his second win of the season. Jacques Villeneuve, who had started from pole position, finished second in his Williams, with Mika Häkkinen third in a McLaren. Drivers' Championship leader, Damon Hill, finished fifth.
TheItalian Grand Prix was won by Michael Schumacher, giving Ferrari their first victory at Monza since 1988. Jean Alesi finished second in a Benetton, with Mika Häkkinen third. Damon Hill took pole position and led until he made an error and spun off on lap 6, while his teammate and main championship rival, Jacques Villeneuve, could only manage seventh.
The penultimate race of the season was thePortuguese Grand Prix. Williams's Jacques Villeneuve won from teammate Damon Hill in second and Ferrari's Michael Schumacher in third. This victory, Villeneuve's fourth of the season, ensured that the Drivers' Championship battle between him and Hill would go to the final round. Benetton's Jean Alesi finished fourth, just behind Schumacher, while Eddie Irvine in the second Ferrari and Gerhard Berger in the second Benetton survived a last-lap collision to take fifth and sixth respectively.
The 1996 season concluded with the title-decidingJapanese Grand Prix on 13 October. Before the event, Hill was leading the Drivers' Championship standings, with teammate Villeneuve needing to win the race without Hill scoring in order to win the championship himself. In qualifying, Villeneuve took pole position, but made a poor start to the race and later retired when a wheel fell off his car. The race was won by Damon Hill for his eighth victory of the season, securing the Drivers' Championship in the process. Michael Schumacher finished second in a Ferrari, enabling the Italian team to steal second place in the Constructors' Championship from Benetton, with Mika Häkkinen finishing third in a McLaren. Hill became the first son of a World Champion to win the championship himself, his father Graham having twice been champion, in 1962 and 1968.
The 1996 season also included a single event which did not count towards the World Championship, theFormula One Indoor Trophy at theBologna Motor Show. This is to date the final competitive non-championship event in Formula One history, as the event would cater to Formula 3000 machinery from 1997 onwards.
^Forti Grand Prix were declared bankrupt after the British Grand Prix and took no further part in the championship.[20]
^All Formula One Grands Prix held at the Nürburgring since1984 have used the 5 km (3.1 mi) long GP-Strecke and not the 21 km (13 mi) long Nordschleife, which was last used by Formula One in1976.
^Michael Schumacher set the fastest time in qualifying, but did not start the race due to an engine failure on the formation lap. Pole position was left vacant on the grid.Damon Hill, in the second slot, was the first driver on the grid. Schumacher is still considered to have held pole position.
^abc"New Regulations for 1996".F1 Formula 1 96: A Champion and a Gentleman!.Duke Video. 1996. Event occurs at time 5:47–6:49.
^Tanaka, Hiromasa.Transition of Regulation and Technology in Formula One. Honda R&D Technical Review 2009 - F1 Special (The Third Era Activities), 2009, p. 8.
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Formula One Indoor Trophy
