1996 Formula One World Championship

"F1 1996" redirects here. For the 1996 F1 video game, see Formula 1 (video game).

Damon Hill won his only Formula One World Championship in his last year with Williams. He became the first son of a Formula One Drivers' Champion to win the title.
Hill's teammate Jacques Villeneuve (pictured in 2002) finished as runner-up in his debut season with four wins.
Defending double world champion Michael Schumacher (pictured in 1998) finished third in his first year with Scuderia Ferrari, taking three wins for the team.

The 1996 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 50th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. The championship commenced on 10 March and ended on 13 October after sixteen races.[1][2][3] Two World Championship titles were awarded, one for Drivers and one for Constructors.

Damon Hill won the Drivers' Championship two years after being beaten by a point by Michael Schumacher, making him the first son of a World Champion (his father Graham having won the title in 1962 and 1968) to have won the title himself as well as the only until Nico Rosberg, son of 1982 champion Keke Rosberg, won the title 34 years later in 2016.[4][5][6] Hill, who had finished runner-up for the past two seasons, was seriously threatened only by his teammate, newcomer Jacques Villeneuve, the 1995 IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 champion.[7][8] Williams-Renault easily won the Constructors' title, as there was no other competitor strong enough to post a consistent challenge throughout the championship.[3][9] This was also the beginning of the end of Williams's 1990s dominance, as it was announced that Hill and designer Adrian Newey would depart at the conclusion of the season, with engine manufacturer Renault also leaving after 1997.[8][10][11]

Two-time defending world champion Michael Schumacher had moved to Ferrari and despite numerous reliability problems, they had gradually developed into a front-running team by the end of the season.[12] Defending Constructors' Champion Benetton began their decline towards the middle of the grid, having lost key personnel due to Schumacher's departure, and failed to win a race.[13][14] Olivier Panis took the only victory of his career at the Monaco Grand Prix.[15]

This was the last championship for a British driver until Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

  1. ^ "1996 RACE RESULTS". Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website. Archived from the original on 17 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference FIADrivers was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "1994 • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Like father, like son - the second-generation F1 racers". Formula1.com. 19 January 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Damon HILL • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  8. ^ a b Widdows, Rob (May 2009). "Damon Hill on Jacques Villeneuve: Williams team-mates". Motor Sport Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference FIAConstructors was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ GMM (28 February 2012). "Williams admits mistake to let Newey go". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  11. ^ Keith, Collantine (28 April 2010). "The rise and fall of Williams". www.racefans.net. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  12. ^ Weeks, Jim (18 February 2016). "Schumacher and Ferrari: The Launch of F1's Greatest Partnership". Vice. Vice Media. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  13. ^ Admin (31 July 2018). "Working Within Benetton During the 1990s". UNRACEDF1.COM. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  14. ^ "Benetton • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com (in French). Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  15. ^ "Olivier PANIS - Wins • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.