1996 - F1

If Hill provided the consistency, Ferrari provided the romance. The 1996 Italian Grand Prix stands as one of the greatest team performances in F1 history. Schumacher, driving a car that was arguably the second or third best that year, put it on pole and dominated the race in front of the Tifosi. It was the first sign that the sleeping giant was waking up. To see a Ferrari win in Italy that year wasn't just a racing result; it was a religious experience.

The 1996 season is remembered less for its racing and more for its cruel postscript.

Despite the tension, Hill drove flawlessly to secure his first and only World Championship at the at Suzuka. By finishing third, he gained the point he needed, making him, at 36, one of the oldest first-time champions in F1 history. f1 1996

Behind the white-and-blue Williams steamroller, the real drama was in red.

Jacques Villeneuve nearly won on his debut in Australia and remained Hill's only title rival until the final race at Suzuka Circuit . If Hill provided the consistency, Ferrari provided the

With Schumacher's departure, Benetton recruited Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger from Ferrari. 1996 Race Winners and Highlights Grand Prix Australian Damon Hill Season opener in Melbourne Olivier Panis A chaotic race where only three cars finished Michael Schumacher Schumacher's first win for Ferrari in torrential rain Portuguese Jacques Villeneuve Villeneuve kept the title race alive until the finale Damon Hill Hill clinched the title as Villeneuve retired Rule Changes and Innovations

dominated the season to become the first son of a world champion to win the title himself. It was the first sign that the sleeping giant was waking up

After a disappointing 1995 season where Michael Schumacher’s Benetton took the drivers’ crown, the team reasserted its engineering dominance. The car was the Williams FW18 , widely regarded as one of the most dominant cars of the 1990s.