Damon Hill finally won a Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, after coming close on several occasions. With his first Formula 1 victory under his belt there was no stopping the Williams driver, who went on to finish on the top step of the podium at the next two races.
Hill Victorious at Spa-Francorchamps
Lotus driver Alex Zanardi had a miraculous escape on the Friday in Belgium. His car left the track at the fearsome Eau Rouge corner and piled into a wall, destroying the car but fortunately not Zanardi’s carbon-fibre survival cell.
Alain Prost again qualified on pole, with Hill again second. Michael Schumacher was third fastest, while an inspired Jean Alesi set the fourth quickest time in his Ferrari. Ayrton Senna was far from happy at being down in fifth.
Prost led at the start while Senna managed to pass Alesi, Schumacher and Hill. The latter was soon back in front of Senna, and Schumacher also got past the McLaren driver later. Prost’s race was compromised by a long second pit stop, which allowed Hill into the lead and Schumacher into second. The order stayed the same to the finish, with Hill taking his second Formula 1 win. Senna came home fourth, followed by Johnny Herbert’s Lotus in fifth and Riccardo Patrese’s Benetton sixth.
Italian Grand Prix Win Goes to Hill
Alesi gave the tifosi at Monza some cause for hope by qualifying the ungainly Ferrari third, behind Prost’s pole-sitting Williams and the similar car of Hill. Gerhard Berger was sixth in the other Ferrari, despite having a frightening high-speed crash.
Prost led the early stages of the race from Alesi, but at the first chicane all hell broke loose behind. Senna and Hill tangled, and the Englishman was then collected by Berger’s Ferrari. Despite this Hill was able to continue, although Berger would eventually retire with broken suspension. Another accident eliminated Derek Warwick, Aguri Suzuki, Marco Apicella, Rubens Barrichello and JJ Lehto. This meant that Footwork and Jordan’s day was over before the end of the first lap.
Schumacher was soon past Alesi into second, while Senna exited the race along with Martin Brundle when the two collided. Schumacher’s engine failed, as did the one in Prost’s car. This left Hill to cruise home to victory, ahead of Alesi. Michael Andretti, who had qualified ninth, drove a mature race to finish third. Approaching the finish line Minardi drivers Pierluigi Martini and Christian Fittipaldi were dicing for seventh. Fittipaldi clipped the back of his team-mate’s car, performed a loop in the air and crossed the line on three wheels.
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