: One of the most chaotic races in F1 history saw only three cars finish. Olivier Panis took a shock victory for Ligier, his only career win and the last for the team.
The season opened with a statement of intent. At the Australian Grand Prix, Jacques Villeneuve secured pole position in his very first F1 race, a feat not achieved since 1982. However, it was Damon Hill who took the victory after Villeneuve suffered an oil leak. 1996 f1 season
Michael Schumacher moved to a Ferrari team that had not won a title since 1979. The F310 was a difficult, unreliable car. Schumacher managed just 3 podium finishes (including a famous win in a torrential Spanish Grand Prix) and finished 3rd in the standings, far behind the Williams duo. : One of the most chaotic races in
McLaren, now powered by Mercedes and driven by Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard, showed flashes of pace but were hampered by reliability gremlins. The season was a "learning year" for the McLaren-Mercedes partnership, which would eventually bear fruit in 1998. Benetton, having lost Schumacher, struggled to adapt to the new drivers (Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger), turning from championship winners to mere midfield contenders. At the Australian Grand Prix, Jacques Villeneuve secured
The championship battle culminated at the Pacific Grand Prix and finally at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Hill entered the final race needing only to finish ahead of Villeneuve to secure the title. However, the defining moment of the season occurred at the start of the race. Villeneuve, pushing hard, retired after a wheel hub failure, handing the Drivers' Championship to Hill.
A major storyline was after winning back-to-back titles with Benetton. While Ferrari struggled with reliability, Schumacher delivered iconic performances, most notably his first win for the team at a rain-soaked Spanish Grand Prix , which is often cited as one of the greatest wet-weather drives in history. Key Highlights Damon Hill