F1: Belgian GP report
- Stephen M Baines
- MNI - Motorsport News International
- Sun Aug 25 21:09:01 EDT 1996
Report
The race started with the track still damp, but a clear dry line. Rain and
thunderstorms were threatened for the race. At the start of the race it was
Villeneuve who got the better start of the two Williams', and so took the
lead, with the Ferrari of Schumacher demoting Hill to 3rd. It all started
to go pear-shaped for most of the field at the first corner, when Frentzen,
Herbert and Panis tangled. Herbert was lauched in the air in the process.
All three were out. A very bad day for Sauber with their new improved
Ford-V10s. Coulthard wasn't happy to settle for 4th place, and made short
work of Hill.
Villeneuve Schumacher Coulthard Hill Hakkinen Berger
1 lap 0.883 1.992 2.554 3.480 4.110
Barrichello was to have a very eventful race, with him having to pit at the
end of the first lap.
Villeneuve Schumacher Coulthard Hill Hakkinen Berger
2 laps 1.509 2.432 3.662 4.932 5.587
3 laps 1.188 3.023 4.193 5.818 6.452
Over the first few laps Villeneuve and Schumacher were in a race of their
own, as they put in fastest laps. It was about now that the extent of
Panis' crash at the first corner was known, when the Ligier was shown stuck
in the tyre wall. It would be some laps before it could be removed. There
were also worrying signs from Hill, with his car giving puffs of smoke in
the Bus Stop chicane.
Villeneuve Schumacher Coulthard Hill Hakkinen Berger
5 laps 1.439 4.344 6.225 7.642 8.062
6 laps 1.290 6.030 7.006 8.404 8.910
7 laps 0.457 5.331 6.657 7.986 8.533
On lap 7, Villeneuve came up to lap the final runner - Barrichello. In an
especially worthy move he took him on the approach to the Bus Stop chicane.
With Schumacher close behind, Villeneuve was trying very hard. Very hard.
For several laps his right front tyre was locking at the Bus Stop chicane.
Villeneuve Schumacher Coulthard Hill Hakkinen Berger
8 laps 1.069 6.157 7.749 8.967 9.713
9 laps 1.113 6.500 9.114 10.055 10.669
Verstappen was into the pits on lap 10, as the mechanics examine the car.
It was later reported that he had been suffering from a sticking throttle.
This would be significant within a few moments of leaving, as the had a
huge accident (which wasn't seen). The result was no left hand side of the
car, and no wings. Verstappen got out of the car looking rather shaken, and
was taken into an ambulance. The safety car was sent out, and there
followed a number of rather confusing laps, when it wasn't exactly clear
what was going on, or who was in what place. All the cars bar the two
McLaren's stopped for fuel and tyre stops (the reasoning for this was later
explained as the McLaren's couldn't go the distance with a stop that
early). The only "drama" during all this was when Hill started to go into
the pits, then didn't, and this move cost him any chance of being up with
the front runners. He later pitted properly, but him the race was now lost.
During his stop the front wing of his car was adjusted, due to the car
suffering with understeer. Villeneuve had also reported that his right
front tyre had been a problem. This seemed to be sorted during the pit stop
until later on into the race. On lap 18, the safety car peeled off into the
pit lane, and the race restarted:
Coulthard Hakkinen Schumacher Villeneuve Alesi Salo
18 laps 1.817 2.257 4.484 5.525 8.789
The order prior to the restart had been: Coulthard, Hakkinen, Schumacher,
Villeneuve, Alesi, Salo, Irvine, Berger, Brundle, Katayama, Hill, Lamy,
Diniz, Rosset and Barrichello. Barrichello stopped again (his third stop),
and had the suspension checked. Berger then went off at the Bus Stop
chicane, but kept the car going, and rejoined the race. The McLaren's,
whilst leading, were not really in front as they had yet to make their
stops.
Coulthard Hakkinen Schumacher Villeneuve Alesi Salo
20 laps 1.744 2.930 4.215 6.788 12.890
At this stage of the race clouds were gathering over the track. Clear
shadows were seen on the track. Would the rain finally come? Hill was now
in 9th place, and battling with Brundle for 8th. Before the start of the
race Brundle had said that he "need(ed) a result today - very badly - for
all kinds of reasons", and wasn't going to give up the place easily.
Finally on lap 21 Coulthard pitted, and dropped back behind Hill. Diniz was
the next to be out of the race.
Hakkinen Schumacher Villeneuve Alesi Salo Irvine
23 laps 2.233 3.566 7.148 17.814 19.749
About now it was reported that Verstappen was "OK. He is suffering with a
stiff neck". Hakkinen decided to make an impression on the race, and set
his fastest lap before pitting. Everyone had now pitted, and Schumacher was
now leading the race. Hill was now having another go at Brundle as he went
wide, and finally did it in a rather dodgy looking move. Irvine pitted for
his second stop, and was out in 9.8 seconds, but surely the sign of a
problem so early on...
Schumacher Villeneuve Alesi Salo Hakkinen Hill
26 laps 1.448 6.560 21.350 23.011 24.173
Salo, a very creditable 4th place, was now holding up the fast pursuing
Hakkinen and Hill. Hakkinen finally took him at LeCombe. Hill did likewise
in the following laps. Schumacher was now in for his second stop, as was
Alesi. Schumacher rejoined the race with Villeneuve now in the lead. Salo
also pitted, and so his run in the top 6 was over. One person whose race
was totally over though was Irvine. Again. The Ferrari stopping again with
smoke from the transmission again. Barrichello was back in the pits again
as Villeneuve came in for his stop. It would be very close when he
rejoined. Both cars came past the pit exit at the same time, and in a
frighteningly lurid move, the Ferrari of Schumacher jinked across the nose
of Villeneuve who had just kept the lead on exiting the pits and so lost
the lead.
Schumacher Villeneuve Hakkinen Alesi Hill Coulthard
33 laps 0.939 8.068 10.309 10.973 21.365
Hill was yet to stop. Ideally he needed to keep his 5th place. He had said
before the race that he could finish second to Villeneuve in every race and
still win the championship. Equally he could finish 5th to his 2nd in this
race and have the same effect.
Schumacher Villeneuve Hakkinen Alesi Hill Coulthard
34 laps 0.549 8.332 11.307 PIT 22.406
Hill was now in the pits, and in the process Coulthard moved up to 5th.
Hill fell back to 6th. The race was now over for Brundle, however, who
toured back to the pits. It was now reported that Verstappen had left the
circuit in a helicopter to the local hospital with his neck in a brace for
precautionary x-rays. The clouds were now gathering over La Source. Berger,
now up to 6th, was battling it with Hill. Both were massively faster than
the field, setting a string of fastest laps. Coulthard was the next to go
out, allowing Hill back up to 5th place, and the 2 points he needed to
Villeneuve's 6.
Schumacher Villeneuve Hakkinen Alesi Hill Berger
39 laps 0.634 11.219 14.684 31.955 34.860
40 laps 1.170 11.935 15.714 31.325 34.188
Villeneuve continued to put the pressure on Schumacher, but then he seemed
to either settle back or had a problem. The wheel locking was clearly
visible again. Berger was not going to settle for 6th place, and continued
to harry Hill. And so to the finish, which Schumacher won with a large
margin over Villeneuve.
1. Schumacher 1h28m 15.125 seconds
2. Villeneuve
3. Hakkinen
4. Alesi
5. Hill
6. Berger
7. Salo
8. Katayama
9. Rosset
10. Lamy
--
Stephen M Baines
"[The Autosport sticker] started to peel off in the middle of Eau Rouge
and it distracted me. In fact it was the first thing to hit the barrier"
Tiff Needell - Jaguar XJR-15 Challenge - Interview with Autosport
F1/TouringCars http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Members/stephen.baines/index.html
All information courtesy of MNI
- Motorsport News International
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