Back 1996 Formule Een-seisoen AF بطولة العالم لسباقات فورمولا 1 موسم 1996 Arabic Temporada 1996 de Fórmula 1 AST Световен шампионат на Формула 1 (1996) Bulgarian Kevezadeg bed ar Formulenn 1 1996 BR Temporada 1996 de Fórmula 1 Catalan Formule 1 v roce 1996 Czech Formel-1-Weltmeisterschaft 1996 German Παγκόσμιο πρωτάθλημα Φόρμουλα 1 (1996) Greek Temporada 1996 de Fórmula 1 Spanish

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.
Hill's teammate, Jacques Villeneuve (pictured in 2002), finished as runner-up with 4 wins in only his first year of F1 participation.
Defending double world champion Michael Schumacher (pictured in 1998) finished third in his first year with Scuderia Ferrari, taking 3 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] 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 20 years later in 2016.[3][4][5] 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.[6][7] Williams-Renault easily won the Constructors' title, as there was no other competitor strong enough to post a consistent challenge throughout the championship.[2][8] 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.[7][9][10]

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.[11] 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.[12][13] Olivier Panis took the only victory of his career at the Monaco Grand Prix.[14]

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

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference FIADrivers was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "1994 • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Like father, like son - the second-generation F1 racers". Formula1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Damon HILL • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Hill on Villeneuve | Motor Sport Magazine Archive". Motor Sport Magazine. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference FIAConstructors was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Williams admits mistake to let Newey go". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  10. ^ "The rise and fall of Williams". www.racefans.net. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  11. ^ Weeks, Jim (18 February 2016). "Schumacher and Ferrari: The Launch of F1's Greatest Partnership". Sports. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Working Within Benetton During the 1990s". UNRACEDF1.COM. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  13. ^ "Benetton • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  14. ^ "Olivier PANIS - Wins • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.