Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger were quickest on Friday, but many of the top runners were not using new tyres, (Hill, Villeneuve, Schumacher).

On Saturday Damon Hill blasted his way on to pole with a time that was nearly a whole second ahead of second place Rubens Barrichello. Ten drivers were covered by less than a second and Jacques Villeneuve found himself in third place alongside Michael Schumacher.

The two Ligier cars were penalised for receiving push starts and started at the back of the grid. The two Forti cars of Badoer and Montermini also managed to qualify.

On race day the weather was very wet, as the race started it was still raining and visibility was very poor.

Damon Hill got a good start and blocked Villeneuve and Barrichello and went into the first corner in the lead. Villeneuve managed to move into second and Alesi into third, ahead of Barrichello leaving Schumacher in fifth with Martin Brundle behind him.

With a clear track, clear visibility and confidence in the wet Hill was lapping three seconds quicker than Villeneuve. Alesi and Barrichello were having a remarkable tussle for third place, Barrichello did manage to pass Alesi on more than one occasion by outbreaking at the end of the main straight. Each time though, he ran wide allowing Alesi to retake at the next corner. Thrilling stuff

By lap 12 Hill was comfortable with a 15 second lead and the two drivers doing most to impress were Jos Verstappen in the Arrows and Heinz Harald Frentzen in the Sauber. Verstappen had started from 13th on the grid and had moved up to 7th. Frentzen was challenging Schumacher and did pass him when the Ferrari went for a pit stop.

Frentzen and Verstappen were trading fastest lap times when sadly Verstappen was forced to retire with engine problems.

By lap 24 Hill was 17 seconds ahead of Villeneuve and the running order was Hill, Villeneuve, Alesi, Barrichello, Frentzen, Hakkinen.
Alesi was now up with Villeneuve and on lap 26 he managed to squeeze inside the young Williams driver, Jacques attempted to defend his line into the corner but inexperience of wet weather racing saw him slide off the track and into the gravel.

Between lap 27 and 34 pit stops affected the running order, the only drivers who stayed out were Hill and Alesi, which underlined once again how well the two drivers were doing as they obviously started with very heavy fuel loads.

Alesi and Hill both pitted on lap 40 when the track had dried enough for them to switch to slick tyres. It was Alesi and Hill who had judged the conditions to perfection as all the other teams had to pit again to switch to dry tyres.

From lap 44 onwards it was Hill and Alesi who traded fastest lap times. Hill had a comfortable 25 second lead over the Benetton and had lapped everyone up to fourth placed Barrichello. The running order on lap 51 was Hill, Alesi, Schumacher, Barrichello, Hakkinen and Salo.

Barrichello closed right up on the World Champion and passed him at the end of the back straight, just like his passing moves on Alesi earlier he ran wide and Schumacher re took third place. Barrichello then spun off at the next corner in bizarre fashion. He did not appear to be trying to overtake Schumacher when his jordan suddenly slid sideways and off into the gravel that had claimed Villeneuve earlier.

This promoted Hakkinen up to fourth, Salo to fifth and Panis to sixth. Damon Hill then went on to lap Michael Schumacher. On lap 65 he set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1.21.547.

The race ended Hill, Alesi, Schumacher, Hakkinen, Salo and Panis.