1995 Australian Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Australia
Grand Prix = Australian
Official name = LX EDS Australian Grand Prixcite web|url=http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?gp=Australian%20GP&year=1995|publisher=ChicaneF1.com|title=1995 Australian GP - LX EDS Australian Grand Prix|accessdate=2008-03-10]

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Date = November 12
Year = 1995
Race_No = 17
Season_No = 17
Location = Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide, Australia
Course = Temporary street circuit
Course_mi = 2.362
Course_km = 3.780
Distance_laps = 81
Distance_mi = 191.362
Distance_km = 306.180cite web|url=http://www.f1db.com/f1/page/EDS_Australian_Grand_Prix_1995|publisher=The Formula One DataBase|title=EDS Australian Grand Prix - 1995|accessdate=2008-03-10]
Weather = Dry and cloudy
Attendance = 210,000cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr581.html|publisher=GrandPrix.com|title=GRAND PRIX RESULTS: AUSTRALIAN GP, 1995|accessdate=2008-03-02]
Pole_Driver = Damon Hill
Pole_Team = Williams-Renault
Pole_Time = 1:15.505
Pole_Country = United Kingdom
Fast_Driver = Damon Hill
Fast_Team = Williams-Renault
Fast_Time = 1:17.943
Fast_L

Fast_Country = United Kingdom
First_Driver = Damon Hill
First_Team = Williams-Renault
First_Country = United Kingdom
Second_Driver = Olivier Panis
Second_Team = Ligier-Mugen-Honda
Second_Country = France
Third_Driver = Gianni Morbidelli
Third_Team = Footwork-Hart
Third_Country = ItalyThe 1995 Australian Grand Prix (officially known as the LX EDS Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on November 12, 1995 at the Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide. It was the 17th and final race of the 1995 Formula One season. The race was contested over 81 laps, with Damon Hill winning the race for Williams after starting from pole position. Olivier Panis finished second in a Ligier car, with Gianni Morbidelli third in a Footwork car. cite web|url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1995/130/|publisher=The Official Formula 1 Website|title=1995 Australian Grand Prix|accessdate=2008-03-10] Only eight drivers finished the race out of the twenty two that started, the lowest amount of finishers in the 1995 season. The race holds the record for the amount of people that have attended a Formula One race, with 210,000 watching the event.

Report

Pre-Race

Heading into the final round of the 1995 Formula One season, both the Drivers' Championship and Constructors' Championship were already settled, with Michael Schumacher having claimed the Drivers' Championship two rounds earlier in the Pacific round.cite web|url=http://www.gpracing.net192.com/races/reports/579.cfm|publisher=Grand Prix Racing|accessdate=2008-03-02|title=Schumacher - simply the best - again] It was Schumacher's last race with the Benetton team, having already announced that he was going to Ferrari for the 1996 season.cite web|url=http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-information/history/1995/|publisher=F1Fanatic|title=1995 - Glimpses of greatness|accessdate=2008-03-02] Benetton claimed the Constructors' Championship at the penultimate round of the championship - the Japanese Grand Prix, with Williams too many points behind to be able to catch them.cite web|url=http://www.gpracing.net192.com/races/reports/580.cfm|publisher=Grand Prix Racing|accessdate=2008-03-02|title=Constructors title goes to Benetton - care of Mr Schumacher] It was announced before hand that it would be the last Formula One event to be held at the Adelaide Street Circuit, with the Australian Grand Prix moving to Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne from the 1996 season.cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gt/gt00063.html|title=GLOBETROTTER - Thank you Adelaide|date=1995-11-12|accessdate=2008-03-25|first=Joe|last=Saward|publisher=GrandPrix.com]

In the Friday Afternoon session, Mika Häkkinen in his McLaren car suffered a puncture heading towards Brewery Bend, causing him to crash heavily. Häkkinen was given an emergency tracheotomy at trackside, before getting rushed to hospital.

The Williams' cars dominated qualifying, with Damon Hill in pole position and David Coulthard alongside him. Schumacher was third in his Benetton, with the Ferrari drivers fourth and fifth, Gerhard Berger ahead of Jean Alesi. Heinz-Harald Frentzen rounded out the top six in his Sauber.

Race

Despite starting in pole position, Hill lost the lead at the start, with Coulthard taking the lead at the beginning. Schumacher also lost ground at the start, with Berger moving into third and Alesi moving into fourth. Schumacher made his way back up to third, overtaking Alesi on lap three, before overtaking Berger a few laps later. Coulthard kept the lead until the first round of pitstops. However, he came into the pitlane too fast, locking his front tyres and ran into the pitwall. He was forced to retire from the race. A few laps later, Forti's Roberto Moreno spun and caused terminal damage to his suspension in the same place where Coulthard had crashed earlier.

After the first round of pitstops, Schumacher and Alesi collided, with both retiring. Schumacher's Benetton team-mate, Johnny Herbert took second place briefly before coming in for his first stop later than many of the other drivers, while surviving a potential accident which was very similar to Coulthard's, missing, however, the pit entry and rejoining the track. Berger was promoted to second, but his Ferrari encountered an engine problem, forcing him to retire. This promoted Frentzen to second, but he too retired due to a gearbox problem. With many of the front-runners out, Hill lead at the front, with Herbert second. Jordan driver Eddie Irvine rounded out the top three, before retiring after losing all of his pneumatic pressure. Herbert was still second, and look set as a result to claim third place in the Drivers' Championship.cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20030520235038/www.gpracing.net192.com/races/reports/581.cfm|publisher=Grand Prix Racing|accessdate=2008-03-25|title=Hill take a consolation win] He was, however, forced out of the race as his Benetton suffered a driveshaft failure. Olivier Panis was now second in his Ligier a lap behind Hill, with Footwork driver Gianni Morbidelli third, two laps down. However, with a few laps remaining, Panis' Ligier was suffering an oil leak. Hill lapped him for a second time on his way to victory. Panis remained second, with Morbidelli third for his only career podium. Behind the top three, Mark Blundell was fourth in the sole McLaren, with Mika Salo fifth in the Tyrrell. Pedro Lamy rounded out the points with sixth in his Minardi - his only Formula One point Only eight cars finished the race.

It was only the second time the winner won by two lapsndash the first time was at the 1969 Spanish Grand Prix when Jackie Stewart won.

Post-Race

Classification

Qualifying

;Constructors' Championship standings

Notes

*Last race: Mark Blundell, Roberto Moreno, Karl Wendlinger, Taki Inoue, Bertrand Gachot. Mark Blundell finished 4th in his finale.
*It was also the last Grand Prix to be held at the Adelaide Street Circuit. The circuit would later return in a truncated format for V8 Supercars.
*This was the last race that all cars used the traditional numbers. Starting 1996 and beyond, the car number will be based on their championship standings.
*Pedro Lamy became the most successful Portuguese driver ever, until Tiago Monteiro achieved a podium at the 2005 United States Grand Prix.
*Gianni Morbidelli scored the only podium finish of his career.
*Mika Häkkinen suffered head injuries in a massive crash during Friday morning's free practice. Only an emergency tracheotomy saved his life at trackside. He made a full recovery to take his seat back for 1996.
*This was Michael Schumacher's and Johnny Herbert's last race with the Benetton team.
*This was Jean Alesi's and Gerhard Berger's last race with the Ferrari team. Schumacher went to Ferrari, and Alesi and Berger went to Benetton.
*This was David Coulthard's last race for the Williams team, ending in an inauspicious fashion when he crashed while entering the pit lane, having been leading the race at the time. He moved to McLaren for 1996.
*This was the last race for the Pacific F1 team.
*Diniz's 7th place was the best ever finish for Forti Corse.
*Ferrari were the last team to use a V12 engine and this was the last time they raced it. Both drivers failed to finish.
*Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Johnny Herbert, David Coulthard, Eddie Irvine, Michael Schumacher, Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi all retired from a top 3 spot during the race.
*Heinz-Harald Frentzen had problems lapping Mark Blundell for a few laps. When he finally passed he was clearly upset and gave Blundell the middle finger, labelled by Eurosport commentator and former F1 driver John Watson as "Ooooh! A finger! It's the international way of saying THANK YOU!"
*This was the last race to feature a grid of more than 22 cars, until Mika Häkkinen's crash at Brewery Corner.

References

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Australian Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1995
Previous_race_in_season = 1995 Japanese Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1996 Australian Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1994 Australian Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1996 Australian Grand Prix
Previous_promotional_trophy_winner = 1994 Pacific Grand Prix
Next_promotional_trophy_winner = 1996 Australian Grand Prix