Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill renewed their rivalry at the beginning of the 1995 Formula 1 season. Schumacher won the opening race in Brazil and Hill was victorious in the Argentine Grand Prix. The next race was at Imola, the scene of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna’s fatal accidents the previous year. For many, it was a difficult and emotional weekend.
Hill Scores Fitting Victory in San Marino Grand Prix
Pole position went to Schumacher at Imola, but the race belonged to Hill and Williams. At the circuit where the team had lost its star driver 12 months previously they scored an emotional victory. Schumacher crashed out of the race in spectacular style, shortly after changing to dry tyres after the Grand Prix started in damp conditions.
Gerhard Berger looked like giving the tifosi reason to celebrate, until the Austrian stalled his Ferrari at a pit stop. He eventually finished third, one place behind his team-mate Jean Alesi. David Coulthard crossed the line in fourth, after an eventful race. Mika Hakkinen was fifth and Heinz-Harald Frentzen sixth for Sauber. The winner, Hill, is quoted in the 2002 book, “Formula 1, The Autobiography”, describing his feelings upon finishing first;
“I felt elation from winning, but then I looked across at the picture of Ayrton on the wall at the spot where he crashed. I really felt his loss at that moment. I was told that some drivers [Mika Salo and Johnny Herbert] laid flowers where Roland Ratzenberger had crashed.”
Benetton 1-2 in Spanish Grand Prix
Nigel Mansell had finally got to drive a McLaren at Imola, after the team had built an enlarged chassis to fit him. In Barcelona he retired from the race because he thought the car was undriveable and walked away from Formula 1 for good.
Schumacher started from pole in Spain, with Alesi joining him on the front row. Berger was third in the other Ferrari, followed by Coulthard in fourth and Hill fifth. Alesi posed a genuine threat to Schumacher’s leading Benetton in the race, before the Frenchman dropped out with engine failure. Coulthard also retired, when his gearbox broke.
There was plenty of action on the final lap of the race. Hill suffered a hydraulic failure, dropping from second to fourth. Rubens Barrichello was also out of luck, suffering a throttle problem which allowed the Ligier of Olivier Panis through to claim sixth position and the final World Championship point. Schumacher won the race from his team-mate Herbert. Berger was third, ahead of Hill. Eddie Irvine scored two points for Jordan with a fifth place finish.
1995 Formula 1 season review continues.
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