1996 F1 World Championship Season
| Season: | 47th World Championship season |
|---|---|
| Drivers’ Champion: |  Damon Hill (only title, 25th different world champion, 8th British champion) |
| Constructors’ Champion: | Williams-Renault (8th title for Williams) |
| Reigning drivers’ champion: |  Michael Schumacher |
| Reigning constructors’ champion: | Benetton |
| Races: | 16 |
| Winning drivers: | Damon Hill (8)  Jacques Villeneuve (4) Michael Schumacher (3)  Olivier Panis (1) |
| Winning constructors: | Williams (12)  Ferrari (3) Ligier (1) |
| First-time winners (driver): | Jacques Villeneuve Olivier Panis |
| First-time winners (constructor): | none |
| Other seasons: |
Jump to: Calendar | Driver & constructor entries | Race winners | Pole positions | Fastest laps | Qualifying results | Driver standings | Constructor standings | Statistics
Calendar
- DT: Drivers’ title decider
- CT: Constructors’ title decider
| No. | Grand Prix | Circuit | Date | Race Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia | Melbourne | 10 March | 1996 Australian Grand Prix |
| 2 |  Brazil | Interlagos | 31 March | 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| 3 |  Argentina | Buenos Aires | 07 April | 1996 Argentine Grand Prix |
| 4 |  Europe | Nurburgring | 28 April | 1996 European Grand Prix |
| 5 |  San Marino | Imola | 05 May | 1996 San Marino Grand Prix |
| 6 |  Monaco | Monte Carlo | 19 May | 1996 Monaco Grand Prix |
| 7 |  Spain | Catalunya | 02 June | 1996 Spanish Grand Prix |
| 8 | Canada | Montreal | 16 June | 1996 Canadian Grand Prix |
| 9 | France | Magny-Cours | 30 June | 1996 French Grand Prix |
| 10 | Britain | Silverstone | 14 July | 1996 British Grand Prix |
| 11 | Germany | Hockenheim | 28 July | 1996 German Grand Prix |
| 12 |  Hungary CT | Hungaroring | 11 August | 1996 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| 13 |  Belgium | Spa-Francorchamps | 25 August | 1996 Belgian Grand Prix |
| 14 | Italy | Monza | 08 September | 1996 Italian Grand Prix |
| 15 |  Portugal | Estoril | 22 September | 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix |
| 16 |  Japan DT | Suzuka | 13 October | 1996 Japanese Grand Prix |
Driver and constructor entries
| Constructor | Driver | Round(s) entered |
|---|---|---|
| Benetton | Jean Alesi | All |
 Gerhard Berger | All | |
| Ferrari | Eddie Irvine | All |
| Michael Schumacher | All | |
| Footwork | Ricardo Rosset | All |
 Jos Verstappen | All | |
| Forti | Luca Badoer | 1-11 |
| Andrea Montermini | 1-11 | |
 Jordan | Rubens Barrichello | All |
| Martin Brundle | All | |
| Ligier | Pedro Diniz | All |
| Olivier Panis | All | |
| McLaren | David Coulthard | All |
 Mika Hakkinen | All | |
| Minardi | Giancarlo Fisichella | 1, 4-10 |
| Pedro Lamy | All | |
| Giovanni Lavaggi | 11-16 | |
| Tarso Marques | 2-3 | |
 Sauber | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | All |
| Johnny Herbert | All | |
| Tyrrell | Ukyo Katayama | All |
| Mika Salo | All | |
| Williams | Damon Hill | All |
| Jacques Villeneuve | All |
Race winners
- Highlight: Home driver/constructor
| No. | Grand Prix | Circuit | Driver | Constructor | Start | Win Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | Melbourne | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 2 | 38.020s |
| 2 | Brazil | Interlagos | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 1 | 17.982s |
| 3 | Argentina | Buenos Aires | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 1 | 12.167s |
| 4 | Europe | Nurburgring | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | 2 | 0.762s |
| 5 | San Marino | Imola | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 2 | 16.460s |
| 6 | Monaco | Monte Carlo | Olivier Panis | Ligier-Mugen-Honda | 14 | 4.828s |
| 7 | Spain | Catalunya | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 3 | 45.302s |
| 8 | Canada | Montreal | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 1 | 4.183s |
| 9 | France | Magny-Cours | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 2 | 8.127s |
| 10 | Britain | Silverstone | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | 2 | 19.026s |
| 11 | Germany | Hockenheim | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 1 | 11.452s |
| 12 | Hungary | Hungaroring | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | 3 | 0.771s |
| 13 | Belgium | Spa-Francorchamps | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 3 | 5.602s |
| 14 | Italy | Monza | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 3 | 18.265s |
| 15 | Portugal | Estoril | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | 2 | 19.966s |
| 16 | Japan | Suzuka | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 2 | 1.883s |
Polesitters
- Highlight: Home driver/constructor
| No. | Grand Prix | Circuit | Driver | Constructor | Race | Pole Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | Melbourne | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | 2 | 0.138s |
| 2 | Brazil | Interlagos | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 1 | 0.981s |
| 3 | Argentina | Buenos Aires | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 1 | 0.252s |
| 4 | Europe | Nurburgring | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 4 | 0.780s |
| 5 | San Marino | Imola | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 2 | 0.215s |
| 6 | Monaco | Monte Carlo | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | DNF | 0.510s |
| 7 | Spain | Catalunya | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | DNF | 0.434s |
| 8 | Canada | Montreal | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 1 | 0.020s |
| 9 | France | Magny-Cours | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | DNS | 0.069s |
| 10 | Britain | Silverstone | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | DNF | 0.195s |
| 11 | Germany | Hockenheim | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 1 | 0.387s |
| 12 | Hungary | Hungaroring | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 9R | 0.053s |
| 13 | Belgium | Spa-Francorchamps | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | 2 | 0.406s |
| 14 | Italy | Monza | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | DNF | 0.317s |
| 15 | Portugal | Estoril | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 2 | 0.009s |
| 16 | Japan | Suzuka | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | DNF | 0.461s |
Fastest laps
- Highlight: Home driver/constructor
| No. | Grand Prix | Circuit | Driver | Constructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | Melbourne | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault |
| 2 | Brazil | Interlagos | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault |
| 3 | Argentina | Buenos Aires | Jean Alesi | Benetton-Renault |
| 4 | Europe | Nurburgring | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault |
| 5 | San Marino | Imola | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault |
| 6 | Monaco | Monte Carlo | Jean Alesi | Benetton-Renault |
| 7 | Spain | Catalunya | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
| 8 | Canada | Montreal | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault |
| 9 | France | Magny-Cours | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault |
| 10 | Britain | Silverstone | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault |
| 11 | Germany | Hockenheim | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault |
| 12 | Hungary | Hungaroring | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault |
| 13 | Belgium | Spa-Francorchamps | Gerhard Berger | Benetton-Renault |
| 14 | Italy | Monza | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
| 15 | Portugal | Estoril | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault |
| 16 | Japan | Suzuka | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault |
Qualifying results
World Drivers’ Championship standings
The top six classified finishers of each race were awarded points on the following basis: 1st (10), 2nd (6), 3rd (4), 4th (3), 5th (2), 6th (1)
- Highlight: Rookie
- Bold: pole position
- Underline: fastest lap
- Bold & underline: pole & fastest lap
| Pos | Driver | AUS | BRA | ARG | EUR | SMR | MCO | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | DEU | HUN | BEL | ITA | PRT | JPN | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Damon Hill | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | R | R | 1 | 1 | R | 1 | 2 | 5 | R | 2 | 1 | 97 |
| 2 | Jacques Villeneuve | 2 | R | 2 | 1 | 11R | R | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | R | 78 |
| 3 | Michael Schumacher | R | 3 | R | 2 | 2 | R | 1 | R | DNS | R | 4 | 9R | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 59 |
| 4 | Jean Alesi | R | 2 | 3 | R | 6 | R | 2 | 3 | 3 | R | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | R | 47 |
| 5 | Mika Hakkinen | 5 | 4 | R | 8 | 8R | 6R | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | R | 4 | 3 | 3 | R | 3 | 31 |
| 6 | Gerhard Berger | 4 | R | R | 9 | 3 | R | R | R | 4 | 2 | 13R | R | 6 | R | 6 | 4 | 21 |
| 7 | David Coulthard | R | R | 7 | 3 | R | 2 | R | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | R | R | R | 13 | 8 | 18 |
| 8 | Rubens Barrichello | R | R | 4 | 5 | 5 | R | R | R | 9 | 4 | 6 | 6 | R | 5 | R | 9 | 14 |
| 9 | Olivier Panis | 7 | 6 | 8 | R | R | 1 | R | R | 7 | R | 7 | 5 | R | R | 10 | 7 | 13 |
| 10 | Eddie Irvine | 3 | 7 | 5 | R | 4 | 7R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | 5 | R | 11 |
| 11 | Martin Brundle | R | 12R | R | 6 | R | R | R | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | R | R | 4 | 9 | 5 | 8 |
| 12 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | 8 | R | R | R | R | 4R | 4 | R | R | 8 | 8 | R | R | R | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| 13 | Mika Salo | 6 | 5 | R | DSQ | R | 5R | DSQ | R | 10 | 7 | 9 | R | 7 | R | 11 | R | 5 |
| 14 | Johnny Herbert | R | R | 9 | 7 | R | 3 | R | 7 | DSQ | 9 | R | R | R | 9R | 8 | 10 | 4 |
| 15 | Pedro Diniz | 10 | 8 | R | 10 | 7 | R | 6 | R | R | R | R | R | R | 6 | R | R | 2 |
| 16 | Jos Verstappen | R | R | 6 | R | R | R | R | R | R | 10 | R | R | R | 8 | R | 11 | 1 |
| Ukyo Katayama | 11 | 9 | R | DSQ | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | R | ||
| Ricardo Rosset | 9 | R | R | 11 | R | R | R | R | 11 | R | 11 | 8 | 9 | R | 14 | 13 | ||
| Giancarlo Fisichella | R | 13 | R | R | R | 8 | R | 11 | ||||||||||
| Pedro Lamy | R | 10 | R | 12 | 9 | R | R | R | 12 | R | 12 | R | 10 | R | 16 | 12 | ||
| Luca Badoer | DNQ | 11 | R | DNQ | 10 | R | DNQ | R | R | DNQ | ||||||||
| Giovanni Lavaggi | DNQ | 10R | DNQ | R | 15 | DNQ | ||||||||||||
| Andrea Montermini | DNQ | R | 10 | DNQ | DNQ | DNS | DNQ | R | R | DNQ | ||||||||
| Tarso Marques | R | R | ||||||||||||||||
| No. | Driver | AUS | BRA | ARG | EUR | SMR | MCO | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | DEU | HUN | BEL | ITA | PRT | JPN | Points |
Race to the title
The Race to the title graph shows how the title race played out over the course of the season between the top five drivers of 1996.
World Constructors’ Championship standings
The top six classified finishers of each race were awarded points on the following basis: 1st (10), 2nd (6), 3rd (4), 4th (3), 5th (2), 6th (1)
- Bold: pole position
- Underline: fastest lap
- Bold & underline: pole & fastest lap
| Pos | Constructor | AUS | BRA | ARG | EUR | SMR | MCO | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | DEU | HUN | BEL | ITA | PRT | JPN | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams-Renault | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | R | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 175 |
| 2 | R | 2 | 4 | 11R | R | R | 2 | 2 | R | 3 | 2 | 5 | R | 2 | R | |||
| 2 | Ferrari | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 7R | 1 | R | R | R | 4 | 9R | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 70 |
| R | 7 | R | R | 4 | R | R | R | DNS | R | R | R | R | R | 5 | R | |||
| 3 | Benetton-Renault | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 3 | R | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 68 |
| R | R | R | R | 6 | R | R | R | 4 | R | 13R | R | 6 | R | 6 | R | |||
| 4 | McLaren-Mercedes | 5 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 8R | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 3 | 49 |
| R | R | R | 8 | R | 6R | R | 5 | 6 | 5 | R | R | R | R | R | 8 | |||
| 5 | Jordan-Peugeot | R | 12R | 4 | 5 | 5 | R | R | 6 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | R | 4 | 9 | 5 | 22 |
| R | R | R | 6 | R | R | R | R | 9 | 6 | 10 | R | R | 5 | R | 9 | |||
| 6 | Ligier-Mugen-Honda | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 6 | R | 7 | R | 7 | 5 | R | 6 | 10 | 7 | 15 |
| 10 | 8 | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | |||
| 7 | Sauber-Ford Cosworth | 8 | R | 9 | 7 | R | 3 | 4 | 7 | R | 8 | 8 | R | R | 9R | 7 | 6 | 11 |
| R | R | R | R | R | 4R | R | R | DSQ | 9 | R | R | R | R | 8 | 10 | |||
| 8 | Tyrrell-Yamaha | 6 | 5 | R | DSQ | R | 5R | R | R | 10 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 11 | R | 5 |
| 11 | 9 | R | DSQ | R | R | DSQ | R | R | R | R | R | 8 | R | 12 | R | |||
| 9 | Footwork-Hart | 9 | R | 6 | 11 | R | R | R | R | 11 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 1 |
| R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | 13 | |||
| 10 | Minardi-Ford Cosworth | R | 10 | R | 12 | 9 | R | R | 8 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10R | 10 | R | 15 | 12 | |
| R | R | R | 13 | R | R | R | R | R | R | DNQ | R | DNQ | R | 16 | DNQ | |||
| 11 | Forti-Ford Cosworth | DNQ | 11 | 10 | DNQ | 10 | R | DNQ | R | R | DNQ | WD | ||||||
| DNQ | R | R | DNQ | DNQ | DNS | DNQ | R | R | DNQ | WD | ||||||||
| No. | Constructor | AUS | BRA | ARG | EUR | SMR | MCO | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | DEU | HUN | BEL | ITA | PRT | JPN | Points |
Race to the title
The Race to the title graph shows how the title race played out over the course of the season between the top five constructors of 1996.