1996 Monaco Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Monaco in 1996 was on 19 May at the Circuit de Monaco in Monaco instead and was the sixth race of the Formula 1 season 1996.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
After the Grand Prix of San Marino Damon Hill led the Drivers' Championship with 21 points, ahead of Jacques Villeneuve and 27 points ahead of Michael Schumacher. Williams -Renault resulted in the constructors' championship with 40 points ahead of Ferrari with 47 points, ahead of Benetton -Renault.
With Schumacher (once ) entered a former winner of this Grand Prix.
David Coulthard had to borrow a helmet from Schumacher for this race, since the own had been soaked in the warm-up with water. With this same helmet Schumacher had driven the Grand Prix of Brazil and has thus become a third party.
Training
In free practice on Thursday Mika Häkkinen scored the fastest lap in front of Hill and his teammate David Coulthard. In free Saturday workout Hill sat in front of Coulthard and Schumacher at the top of the field.
Qualifying
As in the previous run to Ferrari driver Schumacher secured the pole position. From the second and third Hill and Jean Alesi went into the race. There was a controversial situation between Gerhard Berger, who was on his fast lap, and Schumacher, as Berger ran aground on the slow-moving Schumacher after the tunnel. Berger turned and went backward into the chicane.
Warm Up
In the warm-up on Sunday morning Olivier Panis set the best lap time ahead of Häkkinen and Schumacher. Andrea Montermini had an accident in which he damaged so greatly his Forti Ford that he was unable to start the race.
After it came on Sunday noon to rainfall, an additional training was held in wet conditions, in front of race in which Häkkinen before Alesi and Barrichello took the top position.
Race
After Montermini could not participate in the race due to an accident in the warm up and a lack of spare car, launched 21 pilot for the Grand Prix of Monaco. Hill started better than Schumacher and could take the lead of the race in the Sainte Devote. Already at the first corner, the race for three other pilots had been completed: Jos Verstappen, who had gone on slicks at the start, slipped directly into the wall and both Minardi - Ford drivers came the exit of the first corner together and retired from. While Hill drove away the front, lost Schumacher in the Mirabeau control of his Ferrari and retired. In the Rascasse Barrichello spun for which the race was finished. After Ukyo Katayama and Ricardo Rosset also were eliminated because of an accident and Pedro Diniz with a gearbox problem, went to five rounds with only 13 pilots. There was a significant gap between the leader and the fourth placed Eddie Irvine, behind a line formed with eight cars opened at the top. Berger was forced to retire in the tenth round with gearbox problems and Heinz -Harald Frentzen came after he had his front wing damaged in an attack on Irvine, Luca Badoer prior to the second-lowest rank back.
Once in the 31st round Martin Brundle was excreted after a spin, was half of the pilots out of the race. Three laps later, Irvine lost after an attack of Panis control of his vehicle and got stuck. With the help of the marshals was the Briton, who had already released his seatbelts, rejoin the race. In the meantime, Hill had briefly lost the lead after a pit stop in which he changed to dry tires at Alesi. One lap later he was able to overtake the French and take the lead again. After Alesi, who was still on rain tires on the road, had also completed a pit stop, it Hill managed to expand his lead to 30 seconds. In the 40th round, however, also be race was stopped because he had to give up the exit of the tunnel for the first time this season with a transmission error. Alesi, who had previously finished second, took the lead and held it for 20 laps until he was forced to retire with a damaged suspension. His compatriot Panis assumed a leadership. Badoer, who had already overtaken some rounds, collided with Jacques Villeneuve Mirabeau, who wanted to overtake the Italians. For the Canadians, the race was stopped immediately. Badoer was able to continue initially, had his car but then leave with electronic problems. After the race, Badoer has been banned for two races.
Panis was leading the race with a bit of projection on to Coulthard. At this time, only seven pilots were in the race. Irvine had an eventful race, that after he had turned to the spot where his team-mate Schumacher crashed into the wall, was completed. When trying to go back to the track, he met Mika Salo, who had previously been hit by Häkkinen. All three pilots dropped out, were, however, as they had completed enough laps counted. Frentzen, who was in third place, collided on the penultimate lap with his teammate Johnny Herbert and had to abandon the race in fourth place in the pits. The race did not go the full distance of 78 rounds, but was in the 75th round, after the 2 -hour time limit was reached, the checkered flag. With Panis, Coulthard and Herbert only three pilots reached the goal. A total of seven pilots counted.
The race went as the race with the fewest pilots who reached the goal in the history books. Panis in a Ligier JS43 won the first and - as it turned out later - only Grand Prix of his career.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
The first six of the race were 10, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).