The 1996 Australian GP at Melbourne was run under clear blue skies. Air temperature was 25c and the track was 37c. The two Williams drivers were on the front row, with F1 new boy Jacques Villeneuve on pole.
Frentzen pulled off on the parade lap with a problem, his GP seemingly over before it had even begun.
The race started well and Villeneuve got a clean start. On the first corner, hill went a little wide and his Williams skipped sideways, he slowed slightly and the Ferrari's of Irvine and Schumacher went past him.
As the cars approached turn three Coulthard's McLaren skipped left behind Salo and in front of Rosset. He moved right over to the left of the track and was almost touching Herbert, the two closed in together and briefly touched wheels. Both drivers were braking hard, while behind them Martin Brundle was left with nowhere to go, and no time to brake. He hit the back of Herbert and then Coulthard's cars, which launched his Jordan into a mid air roll. The flying Jordan landed upside down in the gravel and crashed into the retaining wall. His Gold coloured Jordan was split in two, with the engine being separated from the carbon fibre chassis. The driver cell was completely intact and the cockpit sides around the head of Brundle were not even scratched ! the roll bar taking most of the force. Miraculously Brundle climbed out seemingly un hurt. The race was stopped.
Brundle then sprinted down the pit lane to get race fitness approval from Professor Sid Watkins, which was granted and he started the GP in the spare car from the pit lane.
On the restart only Johnny Herbert was missing ( Frentzen had the T car).
The second start saw everyone get away in order. Alesi moved up to fifth and Schumacher started to press Irvine for third.
Brundle spun on lap two and retired after he tried to out brake Diniz, they touched lightly and Brundle's race was over. On lap 3 Irvine let Schumacher through and the German went on to set a fastest lap of 1.35.467 on lap 4.
F1 new boy Ricardo Rosset spun on lap 5 and touched Pedro Lamy, he lost two places but continued in the race. Damon Hill then set a fastest lap of 1.34.893 as he continued to press team mate Villeneuve. Villeneuve started to respond on lap 9 and posted a time of 1.34.781.
On lap 10 Jean Alesi attempted to cut inside Irvine, there wasn't room and Irvines rear wheel destroyed the left side pod covering on Alesi's Benetton, Alesi was forced to retire.
Villeneuve continued to post fastest times, and on lap 11 he managed 1.34.290. The running order was now Villeneuve, Hill, Schumacher, Irvine, Hakkinen, Barrichello, Berger, Salo and Frentzen.
Villeneuve posted another quickest time on lap 14 when he managed 1.34.116, the field was now settling down to the race and the pit stops were starting.
Jos Verstappen was forced to retire on lap 17, as Villeneuve posted another quick time 1.34.069. Schumacher responded with the first sub 1.34 lap when he managed 1.33.651.
Schumacher had a pit stop on lap 21 (12.9 secs) and rejoined in 4th position, Irvine's stop was 11.7 seconds and Berger 9.7 showing that Benetton are still king of the pit stops.
By lap 21 Villeneuve and Hill were right up behind former Williams driver David Coulthard, struggling in the spare car. Coulthard retired on lap 27 with a sticking throttle and on the same lap Villeneuve posted the fastest lap of the race 1.33.421.
During Villeneuve and Hill's pit stops Hill managed to get into the lead, he came out of the pits with Villeneuve right behind him, two corners later Villeneuve on warmer tyres had re taken the lead.
Schumacher pulled in on lap 33 with brake problems, a one minute pit stop meant that his race was virtually over. He did rejoin, but faulty brakes saw him leave the circuit at the first corner.
Villeneuve and Hill were now comfortably in the lead and brought back memories of Andretti and Peterson as they held station and continued to increase their lead. Villeneuve had one moment when he left the track, but he managed to recover and blocked Damon Hill from passing. The points running order was now Villeneuve, Hill, Irvine, Berger, Hakkinen and Salo.
By lap 42 Damon Hill's car was beginning to get covered in a film of oil and dirt, more than the normal amount of dirt expected from following another car. By lap 53 the situation had become much more serious and Villeneuve was shown a SLOW sign from the pit crew. Williams were concerned that both drivers should finish in the points, and Villeneuve was forced to let Hill past. The cars continued to the end of the race and the final result was Hill, Villeneuve, Irvine, Berger, Hakkinen and Salo.
FIA 1996 Formula 1 World Championship Round 1
Melbourne
| Position | Driver | Team | Time | Fastest Lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Damon Hill | Williams FW18 Renault | 1h.32m.50.491 | 1.33.621 |
| 2 | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams FW18 Renault | +38.020 | 1.33.421 |
| 3 | Eddie Irvine | Ferrari F310 | +1m.02.571 | 1.34.533 |
| 4 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton B196 Renault | +1m.17.037 | 1.34.757 |
| 5 | Mikka Hakkinen | McLaren MP4/11 Mercedes | +1m.35.071 | 1.35.843 |
| 6 | Mika Salo | Tyrrell 024 Yamaha | +1 lap | 1.35.280 |
| 7 | Olivier Panis | Ligier JS43 Mugen Honda | +1 lap | 1.34.767 |
| 8 | Heinz Harald Frentzen | Sauber C15 Ford | +1 lap | 1.35.596 |
| 9 | Ricardo Rosset | Footwork FA17 Hart | +2 laps | 1.36.557 |
| 10 | Pedro Diniz | Ligier JS43 Mugen Honda | +2 laps | 1.37.024 |
| 11 | Ukyo Katayama | Tyrrell 024 Yamaha | +3 laps | 1.36.377 |
| Retirements | ||||
| Driver | Team | Reason | Lap | Fastest Lap |
| Pedro Lamy | Minardi M195/B Ford | Broken Exhaust | 42 | 1.38.784 |
| Michael Schumacher | Ferrari F310 | Brakes | 32 | 1.33.651 |
| Giancarlo Fisichella | Minardi M195/B Ford | Clutch | 32 | 1.38.077 |
| Rubens Barrichello | Jordan 196 Peugeot | Engine | 29 | 1.35.064 |
| David Coulthard | McLaren MP4/11 Mercedes | Jammed Throttle | 24 | 1.37.746 |
| Jos Verstappen | Footwork FA17 Hart | Engine | 15 | 1.35.519 |
| Jean Alesi | Benetton B196 Renault | Accident Damage | 9 | 1.35.519 |
| Martin Brundle | Jordan 196 Peugeot | Spin | 1 | 1.56.481 |
| Did Not Start | ||||
| Johnny Herbert | Sauber C15 Ford | Accident First Start | -- | -- |
| Did Not Qualify | ||||
| Luca Badoer | Forti FG01B Ford | 107% | ||
| Andrea Montermini | Forti FG01B Ford | 107% |
