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The Monaco Grand Prix has long divided fans, with some labelling it as a “boring procession”. But in 1996 it had one of the most bizarre results ever seen in Formula 1.
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About The Monaco Grand Prix
The Monaco Grand Prix has been part of Formula 1 from the very beginning. Astonishingly, the race has only been absent from the calendar on four occasions in its 75 year history – 1951, 1953, 1954 and 2020.
The circuit itself is instantly recognisable, with a number of unique features that include the iconic sight of the magnificent yachts in Port Hercule. There’s the famous hairpin at Turn 6, which requires drivers to navigate at just 48 km/h (30 mph), creating a concertina effect in the opening laps. Then there’s the tunnel, which throws its own challenge for the drivers with the sudden change from light to dark, then back to light. Cars can also lose between 20-30% of their downforce whilst they fly through the tunnel towards the Nouvelle Chicane, adding to the difficulty and testing their skill.
The Monaco Grand Prix has been the topic of debate amongst Formula 1 fans for a considerable amount of time. It’s certainly one of the most divisive races on the calendar. Some soak in the heritage that the race holds, arguing that it’s the crème de la crème of races to attend. Others see the narrow streets and lack of overtaking opportunity as the relic of a bygone era, branding it as a procession of cars rather than a race. Whatever your thoughts on Monaco, it can catch even the most experienced teams and drivers out, producing some surprising results.
The 1996 Monaco Grand Prix
In 1996 it looked to be another dry race weekend in Monaco, but heavy rain fell between the warm-up session and the race. To allow drivers to get used to the sudden change in conditions, an additional 15 minute warm-up session was added. Some drivers opted to skip the session for fear of damaging their cars. Others tried to gain an understanding of the conditions, only to end up going off the track. The formation lap got underway, and a strange series of events soon followed.
Race Start
During the formation lap, Andrea Montermini crashed in the tunnel. The Forti Corse team didn’t have a spare car, so Montermini’s race was over before it even started. The remaining 21 cars lined up on the grid, the lights went out and the race was on. Damon Hill got past Michael Schumacher into the first corner to take the lead. Jos Verstappen, who had qualified 12th and opted to skip the additional warm-up session, slid straight into the wall as his slick tyres struggled whilst overtaking in damp conditions. Further back in 18th and 19th, Giancarlo Fisichella and Pedro Lamy took eachother out into the first turn, ending Minardi’s race..
As they went through lower Mirabeau, Schumacher hit the wall and slid to a stop just before Portier. Rubens Barrichello lost the back end as he went through Rascasse, hitting the wall backwards. Ukyo Katayama and Ricardo Rossett also fell victim to accidents that took them out of the race, whilst Pedro Diniz suffered a race-ending transmission failure. By the end of lap five, there were just 13 cars left
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Falling By The Wayside
On lap 10, Gerhard Berger developed gearbox issues that saw him become the ninth driver to retire from the race. There were now just 12 cars remaining in the race, with a train of cars stuck behind the slow Ferrari of Eddie Irvine. Heinz-Harald Frentzen tried to make a move past Irvine, but clipped the Ferrari in doing so. The resulting front-wing damage dropped Frentzen to the back of the field, just ahead of last-place man Luca Badoer. Up front, Hill extended his lead and set an incredible pace, finding himself almost 25 seconds ahead by lap 21.
On lap 30, the track began to dry out and Hill came into the pits to switch to the slick tyres. He emerged back onto the track behind Jean Alesi, but quickly reclaimed the lead one lap later. Lap 31 also saw Martin Brundle spinning off and out of the race, leaving 11 cars making their way around the streets of Monaco. Alesi pitted on lap 32, allowing Hill to take his lead back up to around 30 seconds. But it was not to be Hill’s day, as on lap 40 his engine blew coming out of the tunnel thanks to an oil pump failure.
Final Stint
Alesi led comfortably for the next 20 laps, but then…disaster. The Frenchman was forced to retire with a broken suspension. Olivier Panis, driving for Ligier, was the new race leader at the Monaco Grand Prix. On lap 66, Luca Badoer (who was six laps down) ran into Jacques Villeneuve at Mirabeau. The collision took them both out of the race, leaving just seven cars in the running.
The final messy moment was thrown into the mix courtesy of the still-struggling Eddie Irvine. He spun his Ferrari at the same point that had caught Schumacher out, but avoided any damage. However, as he attempted to rejoin the track, a chain reaction was set off. Tyrrell’s Mika Salo collided with Irvine’s Ferrari, and this in turn caused McLaren’s Mika Häkkinen to run into Salo. The collision forced all three to retire…and then there were just four cars remaining in the race.
Running in fourth, Heinz-Harald Frentzen tucked into the pits on the final lap to withdraw from the race. The two-hour time limit had kicked in and the race had been cut short, leaving no chance to try and catch up. Ahead of him (a long, long way ahead of him) the chequered flag waved as the three remaining survivors filtered across the finish line. Johnny Herbert claimed third place for Sauber, whilst David Coulthard took second for McLaren. But the story of the day was Olivier Panis crossing the line to take the race win – the first for the Ligier team in 15 years.
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Summary
Crashes and technical issues are commonplace in Formula 1, but the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix really took the biscuit. Whilst Frentzen, Häkkinen, Salo and Irvine all ended up being classified as finishers, it’s always unusual when less than half the grid make it to the chequered flag. For Panis and the Ligier team, the misfortune of others played right into their hands. The result was a shock win in a Grand Prix that will go down in history as one of the most bizarre Formula 1 races in history.
Which Monaco Grand Prix do you think is a race to remember? Let us know in the comments!