Damon Hill won the fifth round of the 1996 Formula One season at Imola, with Schumacher surviving a brake failure to finish second.
Key Facts
- Race winner
- Damon Hill (Williams)
- Number of laps
- 63 laps
- Hill's starting position
- 2nd on the grid
- Season round
- 5th round of 1996 F1 season
- Runner-up
- Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
- Third place
- Gerhard Berger (Benetton)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1996 Formula One season brought intense competition between Williams and Ferrari. Damon Hill qualified on the front row but started from second position, while championship rivals including Jacques Villeneuve also lined up at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola for the fifth race of the year.
Damon Hill drove for Williams to win the 63-lap race at Imola on 5 May 1996. Michael Schumacher finished second for Ferrari despite his front-right brake seizing halfway around the final lap. Gerhard Berger took third for Benetton, while Jacques Villeneuve retired near the end after being struck by Jean Alesi.
Hill's victory strengthened his position in the 1996 Drivers' Championship standings. Schumacher's ability to hold second place despite a serious mechanical failure on the final lap underlined Ferrari's competitive resilience, while Villeneuve's retirement cost him valuable championship points.