Race Report
1996 Pole: 1m 18.941s Damon Hill (Williams)
The Starting Grid
| Mika Hakkinen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1m 16.602s |
| Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | 1m 16.691s |
| Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Williams-Renault | 1m 16.741s |
| Gianni Fisichella | Jordan-Peugeot | 1m 17.289s |
| Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1m 17.385s |
| David Coulthard | McLaren-Mercedes | 1m 17.387s |
| Gerhard Berger | Benetton-Renault | 1m 17.587s |
| Ralf Schumacher | Jordan-Peugeot | 1m 17.595s |
| Rubens Barrichello | Stewart-Ford | 1m 17.614s |
| Jean Alesi | Benetton-Renault | 1m 17.620s |
| Olivier Panis | Prost-Mugen | 1m 17.650s |
| Jan Magnussen | Stewart-Ford | 1m 17.722s |
| Damon Hill | TWR Arrows-Yamaha | 1m 17.795s |
| Eddie Irvine | Ferrari | 1m 17.855s |
| Pedro Diniz | TWR Arrows-Yamaha | 1m 18.128s |
| Johnny Herbert | Sauber-Petronas | 1m 18.303s |
| Shinji Nakano | Prost-Mugen | 1m 18.699s |
| Tarso Marques | Minardi-Hart | 1m 19.347s |
| Gianni Morbidelli | Sauber-Petronas | 1m 19.490s |
| Mika Salo | Tyrrell-Ford | 1m 19.526s |
| Jos Verstappen | Tyrrell-Ford | 1m 19.531s |
| Ukyo Katayama | Minardi-Hart | 1m 20.615s |
1996 Winner: Jacques Villeneuve (Williams) 1h 33m 26.473s
The Result
| Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | 1h 31m 27.843s |
| Jean Alesi | Benetton-Renault | 1h 31m 39.613s |
| Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Williams-Renault | 1h 31m 41.323s |
| Gerhard Berger | Benetton-Renault | 1h 31m 44.259s |
| Pedro Diniz | TWR Arrows-Yamaha | 1h 32m 10.990s |
| Olivier Panis | Prost-Mugen | 1h 32m 11.593s |
| Johnny Herbert | Sauber-Petronas | 1h 32m 12.197s |
| Damon Hill | TWR Arrows-Yamaha | 1h 32m 12.620s |
| Gianni Morbidelli | Sauber-Petronas | 1 lap down |
| Mika Salo | Tyrrell-Ford | 1 lap down |
| Jos Verstappen | Tyrrell-Ford | 50 laps - spun off |
| Rubens Barrichello | Stewart-Ford | 43 laps - engine failure |
| Mika Hakkinen | McLaren-Mercedes | 43 laps - engine failure |
| David Coulthard | McLaren-Mercedes | 42 laps - engine failure |
| Jan Magnussen | Stewart-Ford | 40 laps - broken halfshaft |
| Eddie Irvine | Ferrari | 22 laps - engine failure |
| Shinji Nakano | Prost-Mugen | 16 laps - engine failure |
| Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 2 laps - broken suspension |
| Ukyo Katayama | Minardi-Hart | 1 lap - |
| Tarso Marques | Minardi-Hart | 1 lap - |
| Gianni Fisichella | Jordan-Peugeot | 0 laps - collision with R.Schumacher |
| Ralf Schumacher | Jordan-Peugeot | 0 laps - collision with Fisichella & M.Schumacher |
Fastest Lap
1997 : Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Williams) 1m 18.805s
Previous Lap Record: 1m 21.180s Michael Schumacher (Benetton) - 1995
Analysis :
At the first corner Ralf Schumacher squeezed his Jordan team-mate Gianni Fisichella onto the inside kerb, the Italian lost control and collided with the German, sending him into the air and into the Ferrari of elder brother, Michael.
As the race settled down the McLarens of first time polesitter Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard sprinted away. The Finn, with a lighter fuel load, opened a commanding lead but it was to be for nothing, as first Coulthard and then Hakkinen succumbed to engine failures on the pit straight within one lap of each other. There were definitely some red faces at Mercedes.
Once again the Stewart's of Rubens Barrichello and Jan Magnussen ran well in the early going but mechanical failures again put paid to the chances of a points finish.
With a nine point lead and two races left, things have definitely swung in Jacques Villeneuve's favour, though Michael Schumacher won't be conceding the Championship just yet.
For the second weekend in a row, Jacques Villeneuve kept his wild side in check and let the Championship come to him.
In the chaos, several cars went through the gravel trap, including Gerhard Berger, while Villeneuve and Williams team-mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen banged wheels causing Frentzen to accidentally turn off his ignition switch with his knee as he was jolted around. This dropped the Austrian and the sole remaining German way down the leaderboard.
After another dismal qualifying performance, Jean Alesi got it right when it counted to take second while Berger followewd Frentzen back through the field to take more points for Benetton.
Clearly the suprise of the afternoon though was Pedro Diniz who managed to keep the returning Olivier Panis at bay for the final 20 laps with a great drive for fifth.
Photo credits : AP /