1996 Monaco Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Monaco
Grand Prix = Monaco
Official name = LIV Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco


Date = May 19
Year = 1996
Race_No = 6
Season_No = 16
Location = Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo
Course = Street circuit
Course_mi = 2.080
Course_km = 3.328
Distance_laps = 78
Distance_mi = 162.240
Distance_km = 259.584
Weather = Overcast, mild and wet
Pole_Driver = Michael Schumacher
Pole_Team = Ferrari
Pole_Time = 1:20.356
Pole_Country = Germany
Fast_Driver = Jean Alesi
Fast_Team = Benetton-Renault
Fast_Time = 1:25.205
Fast_L

Fast_Country = France
First_Driver = Olivier Panis
First_Team = Ligier-Mugen-Honda
First_Country = France
Second_Driver = David Coulthard
Second_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Second_Country = United Kingdom
Third_Driver = Johnny Herbert
Third_Team = Sauber-Ford
Third_Country = United KingdomThe 1996 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 19, 1996. The race was run in wet weather and was notable for having the fewest number of drivers to finish a Grand Prix.

Report

Michael Schumacher had taken pole position but had caused minor controversy on his slowing down lap when he impeded Gerhard Berger right at the end of the session. Coming out of the tunnel Schumacher was cruising slowly, acknowledging the crowd, while Berger was on a hot lap. Schumacher tried to get out of Berger's way but the Austrian was going too fast and had to spin at high speed to avoid the Ferrari, entering the chicane backwards.

In the warm-up Andrea Montermini crashed his Forti coming out of the tunnel, and the team's lack of a spare car meant the Italian was unable to start the wet race, therefore 21 cars would take the start. Damon Hill got the jump on Schumacher into Ste Devote while further back there was trouble already. Jos Verstappen, who had started on dry tyres, slid straight into the wall. The two Minardis were then eliminated when they tangled coming out of the first corner. And so 18 cars climbed the hill on the first lap. Hill began to pull away while polesitter Schumacher lost control coming out of Lower Mirabeau and hit the wall, leaving 17 cars running. Coming into the Rascasse, Rubens Barrichello's race was over as he spun. After five laps, there were only 13 cars remaining as Ukyo Katayama (accident), Ricardo Rosset (accident) and Pedro Diniz (transmission) joined the list of retirements. A significant gap began to open between the leaders and Eddie Irvine in fourth. Indeed there was a queue of eight cars behind the slow Ferrari. Berger retired from third place on the 10th lap with gearbox trouble leaving 12 cars while Heinz-Harald Frentzen damaged his front wing trying to pass Irvine, dropping to second last. Martin Brundle's spin on the 31st lap left only 11 cars in the race.

Irvine was eventually passed when Olivier Panis forced his way through at the Loews hairpin in an electrifying move. Irvine lost control, became stuck and had even undone his seatbelts before he restarted his car with the assistance of the marshals. Hill, meanwhile, had been untroubled at the front until an apparent gearbox mistake led to engine failure coming out of the tunnel. Jean Alesi took over the lead after having had a quiet race in second. He only lasted 20 laps in the lead when his suspension failed, handing the lead to Panis. Luca Badoer was running six laps down in the Forti when he collided with Jacques Villeneuve at Mirabeau, taking both cars out.

The race did not run its full distance as the 2 hour time limit came into effect. Panis was leading David Coulthard by a small margin with only five other cars behind them. Irvine capped an eventful afternoon by spinning at the same point that team mate Schumacher crashed. As he tried to rejoin he was hit by Mika Salo, who was in turn hit by Mika Häkkinen. All three cars retired and the marshals had their work cut out to clear the track. Fortunately there were only four cars circulating with Frentzen running last. The German, who so easily could have been leading the race, decided to pull into the pits on the penultimate lap as he was running last anyway. Therefore only Panis, Coulthard and Johnny Herbert finished the race, with the Frenchman winning his one and only Grand Prix. Frentzen, Salo and Häkkinen were classified in the final points positions with Irvine credited with seventh place.

Classification

Qualifying

Race

Notes

* This race was run under wet conditions and stopped at the 2 hour mark after only 75 of the scheduled 78 laps.
* In this race, McLaren's David Coulthard ran with the spare crash helmet of Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, after the visor on his own helmet persistently misted up. [1996 Monaco Grand Prix report [http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr587.html www.grandprix.com] Retrieved 27 January 2007]
* First Win: Olivier Panis.
* Last Win: Olivier Panis and Ligier.
* Ligier's first win in 15 years.
* Sole victory for a French team in the 1990s.
* Last time a French driver won a race.
* Fastest Lap: Jean Alesi 1:25:205 (140.611 km/h)
* Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello,Gerhard Berger, Damon Hill, Jean Alesi, Mika Salo and Mika Häkkinen retired while they were into the top 6, but the last two drivers scored respectively 2 points and 1 point.
* During the 33rd lap, some marshals continued waving blue flags to Eddie Irvine, third, although he was not lapped and he was fighting for the position with Olivier Panis, fourth. During lap 34, Panis pushed his car past at Loews forcing Irvine into the wall. He was able to continue before retiring on lap 69.

References

External links

* [http://www.f1rejects.com/centrale/submitted/monaco96/index.html F1 Rejects article]

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Monaco Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1996
Previous_race_in_season = 1996 San Marino Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1996 Spanish Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1995 Monaco Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1997 Monaco Grand Prix