1996 European Grand Prix: Villeneuve Is Back

April 8, 2014 by Jeremy McMullen

In the first Formula One race of the 1996 season a Villeneuve name would be back in Formula One for the first time in more than 14 years. Gilles' son Jacques would demonstrate his father's blood ran heavily through his veins when he qualified on pole for his very first race. Unfortunately, the Canadian would have to give way throughout the first three races of the season. But that would only set the stage for the Villeneuve name to return to Europe.

Gilles Villeneuve would lose his life during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982. It would be the last time the Villeneuve name would take part in a race on European soil. However, after a strong showing in the early part of the 1996 season, Gilles' son Jacques would arrive in Germany with the Williams team poised to take the Villeneuve back to the top in the European Grand Prix.

The first race of the 1996 season would take place in Melbourne, Australia. Around the Albert Park circuit Jacques would be quick taking the pole in his very first Formula One race. Jacques would continue to impress when he led his teammate, Damon Hill, for 50 of the 58 laps. Unfortunately, the Villeneuve name would not immediately ascend to the top step of the podium. An oil leak would prevent that event from taking place. The other son of a Formula One driver, Damon Hill, would take the victory leaving Jacques with a bittersweet 2nd place.

Two races later, at the Argentine Grand Prix, Villeneuve would suffer a terrible start to the race but would show evidences of the family lineage by charging up through the field to finish in 2nd place once again. It had been a supreme effort that demonstrated like father like son. It also demonstrated that it was just a matter of time before Jacques joined his father as a winner in Formula One, and therefore, began to truly write his own chapter in the annals of Formula One history.

And so Formula One made its way back across the Atlantic for the run through the European nations. The first round of the European swing would be the European Grand Prix, which would take place at the famous Nurburgring.

It would be rather fitting Villeneuve would make an appearance at Nurburgring. Gilles had never raced in Formula One at the Nurburgring. The new-look 'Ring', which was vastly shorter, would make its appearance on the Formula One calendar in 1995, a decade after its last opportunity to host a grand prix. Jacques had not driven on the new Nurburgring. Therefore, it was only right such a circuit would be the place where the Villeneuve talented would have its moment in the sun.

It would be something of a shame not to have any memory of Villeneuve heading around the old 14 mile 'Green Hell'. If there is one track that likely would have offered up a whole catalog of Gilles memories on the limit it likely would have been the original Nurburgring. But it would be rather fitting the father never took part in a Formula One race at the circuit. It was an opportunity for his son to make a name for himself, and on a track without any memories of his father.

Right up through the 1970s, to mention the Nurburgring meant that 14 mile monster that wound its way through the Eifel Mountains around the Nurburg Castle like a constrictor serpent positioning itself for the kill. The circuit was nicknamed the 'Green Hell' for a reason. However, the latter Nurburgring would be nothing like its namesake.

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Instead of 14 miles, the new Nurburgring would be merely 2.82 miles in length and would be nothing like the heart-stopping beast that had earned such a fearsome reputation over the course of more than 50 years. Nonetheless, the newer Nurburgring would be the site for the fourth round of the championship in 1996.

Williams would arrive at the Nurburgring having started on pole at the circuit the year before with David Coulthard behind the wheel of their FW17. The team knew how to get around the circuit. Villeneuve also thought he knew how to get around the circuit, even though he had never visited the site before. Confident he could quickly learn the circuit, Villeneuve, like the rest of the field, would be thoroughly outpaced by Damon Hill all throughout practice. Hill's dominance would only continue when the cars took to the circuit for qualifying.

Damon would set a lap time of 1:18.941 around the 'Ring'. Villeneuve would come to grips with the circuit, but not with his teammate. The Canadian would end up on the front row with his teammate, but would be around eight-tenths of a second slower. This wouldn't be as bad as Michael Schumacher's troubles in the Ferrari. Though he would end up in 3rd place on the grid, his best lap would be over a second slower than Hill, despite being on the limit all throughout his lap.

Heading to the start of the 67 lap race on the 28th of April, Villeneuve was looking to take his place amongst the former winners in Formula One having turned 25 just a few weeks earlier. Warm-ups would be completed and the drivers would begin taking their cars around to the grid in preparation for the start. Though the sun was beginning to shine down on the circuit, a rather thick haze remained. Approaching the start, this haze began to fade and it was obvious the Eifel Mountains would bask in the glow of sunshine, totally opposite conditions from what had greeted the race the year before.

The pressure would be on Hill having won three-straight races. And, given the dominance of the Williams-Renault, it seemed if anyone would pick up the pieces should Hill stumble it would be Villeneuve. With that, Villeneuve would put on his helmet and would take his place behind the wheel looking for his opportunity to come through and take that first victory in Formula One.

Dominated by the large German crowd rooting on the double World Champion starting from the second row, the cars would finish the reconnaissance lap and would take their places for the start. The red lights would come on and the revs would go up. When the lights extinguished, Villeneuve would light up his tires and would jump to the lead while Hill would be momentarily stuck. Alesi would also be slow to get away. This would allow David Coulthard to make a jump from 6th place all the way up to 2nd behind Villeneuve heading into the first corner. Before the start of the race Villeneuve had been warned about keeping an eye out for Schumacher at the start. The Canadian would be shocked and nearly caught out when he saw the red and white McLaren of Coulthard instead.

Coulthard would scrap with Villeneuve through the first couple of corners but would soon give way to the superior Williams. And, at the completion of the first lap it would be Villeneuve leading the way by around seven-tenths of a second over the McLaren. Emotions and nerves would begin to settle down. Villeneuve had been in this position before throughout the first three races of the season so it wasn't too surprising to see the Villeneuve at the top. However, the son needed to close out a race to be able to join his father on the list as Formula One victors.

Out in the clear air, Villeneuve would continue to pull away from Coulthard at an ever-increasing rate. Such would be his advantage that all of the attention would be turned to Hill and his battle with Schumacher. Villeneuve had been surprised at just how much he trailed behind his teammate throughout practice and qualifying. But out in front, with Hill stuck behind Schumacher's Ferrari, there was no one better than the Canadian. He would quickly set fastest laps and would stretch his advantage with nearly every corner.

Throughout the first three races of the season it had been Hill that had mostly taken advantage of the Williams' performance running away from the competition. However, Villeneuve had had his moments too, including his first ever Formula One race in Australia. But now, it was well and truly his turn to rocket away as those following along behind the McLaren found it incredibly difficult to get by and challenge.

Villeneuve continued to show the way and only further enlarged his lead while his teammate would be making an early stop convinced of their being a problem with his Williams. Jacques was absolutely pulling away around a circuit he had never seen before. He was proving himself in every way and was showing that he was a worthy successor to his father.

After the first round of pitstops, Villeneuve continued to lead. However, Hill's troubles and poor stops by the other teams meant Schumacher was in 2nd place and actually closing on the Williams. With each passing lap, the margin between the two shrank. Villeneuve, who had been on cruise control throughout the first 30 laps of the race, seemed unable to click it off and get back to racing as Michael continued to get closer and closer.

Jacques would feel the backend of his Williams go light in the second stint and never really felt comfortable throughout that period of time. This enabled Schumacher to close in. If he were truly a Villeneuve he would prove himself when the pressure really began to be exerted. And that is exactly what would happen.

Following the last stop, the back of the car would feel better and Villeneuve, who would have the German all over his tail for the last 15 laps of the race, would be able to counter every move the Ferrari driver posed. It would be a telling display by the young Williams driver. Mistake-less, Villeneuve would hold Schumacher in check each corner, each lap. There would be moments in which Michael would feel he was stronger, but he would not be able to put it all together to take the position away from the Canadian, just as Rene Arnoux would find out in 1979.

In spite of the enthusiastic German crowds willing their man on, they would not be able to overcome the Canadian, whose last name is Villeneuve. Jacques would power his way to victory holding off the Ferrari by just seven-tenths of a second! David Coulthard would complete the podium after his sensational start. He would finish in 3rd place more than 30 seconds behind.

Villeneuve was back in Formula One. There had been flashes, but the name was firmly back at the top of the sport in which the name is so revered. Taking victory in just his fourth World Championship race, Jacques would also prove he was likely the one to finally achieve a World Championship for the Villeneuve family. That race at the Nurburgring, in April of 1996, would be the official rebirth of Villeneuve. The Villeneuve name was back.

Sources:
'1996 World Drivers Championship', (http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/1996/f196.html). 1996 World Drivers Championship. http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/1996/f196.html. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

'Europe 1996', (http://statsf1.com/en/1996/europe.aspx). Stats F1. http://statsf1.com/en/1996/europe.aspx. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

'Grand Prix Results: European GP, 1996', (http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr585.html). GrandPrix.com. http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr585.html. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

1996 Round 04—Europe Grand Prix. Video. (1996). Retrieved 4 April 2014 from http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTQwNjI5NTIw.html.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Jacques Villeneuve', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2 April 2014, 21:26 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jacques_Villeneuve&oldid=602475305 accessed 4 April 2014