1996 Formula 1 Racing Season

Jacques Villeneuve Won Maiden Grand Prix at the Nurburgring

Dec 27, 2008

Damon Hill started the 1996 F1 season well, but his team-mate Jacques Villeneuve showed that he was capable of fighting for the title.

Jacques Villeneuve was a Formula 1 newcomer in 1996, driving for Williams. In the first race of the year, at the new Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, he outqualified his more experienced team-mate Damon Hill and very nearly won. When the Grand Prix season reached circuits known to Hill, however, he began to outperform Villeneuve.

Hill on Top in Argentine Grand Prix

In Argentina Hill was suffering from a stomach bug, but still managed to qualify on pole position for the Grand prix. Ferrari showed signs of improvement, with Michael Schumacher joining Hill on the front row. Villeneuve was third fastest, with Jean Alesi fourth in the Benetton. Gerhard Berger started fifth in the other Benetton and Rubens Barrichello was sixth for Jordan.

Hill led away from the line, followed by Schumacher. Villeneuve made a disastrous start, dropping six places. The French-Canadian showed his fighting spirit to recover to second place by the end of the race, but the victory went to Hill. Schumacher retired when his rear wing was damaged by debris. Berger looked set for a second place finish until a suspension problem sidelined the Austrian.

Despite Hill winning the race it was Ligier’s Pedro Diniz who grabbed the headlines in Argentina. The Brazilian was involved in an accident with Luca Badoer, which ended with the latter’s car upside down. Diniz managed to continue, only for his Ligier to be consumed in a fireball shortly after completing a refuelling stop. Luckily, he escaped from the frightening situation uninjured.

Villeneuve Wins First Formula 1 Race at Nurburgring

Hill was on pole again for the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. Villeneuve managed to make it onto the front row, with Schumacher third. Alesi lined up fourth in his Benetton, followed by Barrichello’s Jordan and David Coulthard’s McLaren.

This time it was Hill’s turn to make a mess of the start, and Villeneuve led from Coulthard, Barrichello and Schumacher. Alesi also made a dreadful start and his race ended on lap two after a collision with Mika Salo’s Tyrrell.

After the pit stops Villeneuve maintained his lead, but an inspired Schumacher quickly closed on the Williams driver. In the end the German crossed the line in second place, less than one second behind Villeneuve. Coulthard scored a very welcome third place for McLaren, while Hill could only finish fourth. Barrichello finished where he started, in fifth place, and his Jordan team-mate Martin Brundle was sixth.

The copyright of the article 1996 Formula 1 Racing Season in Formula 1 is owned by Kevin Guthrie. Permission to republish 1996 Formula 1 Racing Season in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.