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After qualifying an amazing 7th for his his first grand prix, leaped up to 5th at the start, only to be taken around the outside by Piquet at the La Source. Only made it to Eau Rouge before the clutch gave out.
In his efforts to outqualify Schumacher, Piquet had a crash during qualifying. Stayed in 7th at the start, moving up to 6th when a move by Alesi on Patrese failed, forcing Alesi to make an early pit stop. Was up as high as 4th mid to late race, but was passed by Senna moving through the field after a pit stop, leaving Michael to finish 5th.
Moved up to 8th at start, but was soon passed by Capelli in the Leyton House, dropping down to 9th. Was 8th after Mansell's tyre stop, and gained two further places when Prost and Berger retired mid-race, although one position was lost to teammate Piquet at the tyre stops. Would've finished 7th, but a mistake by Capelli as Capelli was being lapped by leader Patrese saw Capelli damage the nose of his car against the guard rail, allowing Michael to move up a spot and finish 6th.
On a damp track, Michael gained a place at the start. Passed Mansell for 3rd on lap 1, then soon after caught Senna, but was unable to pass. This was soon followed by Mansell regaining 3rd by passing Michael around the outside. Changing to slicks from wets on lap 6, Michael was again right behind Mansell, when Senna spun in the slightly damp conditions, moving Michael back in to 3rd. After Mansell passed Berger for the lead, Michael moved up on to Berger. While he was following Berger, Michael hit a damp patch, sending him into a spin, stopping just short of the barrier, rejoining the race in 6th place. After a further tyre stop dropped him to 7th, Berger's retirement allowed Michael to score points for the second time in his first 3 races.
Had a big off at 130R in qualifying (200 km/h plus). Gained one place at the start, gained another as Alesi's Ferrari blew an engine on the first lap. Mansell's sandy exit at the 1st corner moved Michael up another place, but he was not to finish, as an engine failure put him out of the race.
Gained one place at the start (again!), but spun early on, allowing Piquet through. Had pulled out to pass Piquet, when Alesi attempted to pass both Benettons, resulting in a collision with Alesi and subsequent retirement.
Stayed 6th at start, then 5th at 2nd corner as he passed Berger. Remained in 5th, catching Alesi in 4th, who Michael eventually passed on lap 39 after many laps behind him. On lap 40 Alesi's engine blew... Michael finished in that 4th place, just one place away from the podium.
After being outqualified only be the Williams team, made a bad start, losing positions to Brundle, Senna and Berger by the 1st corner, down to 6th. Repassed Berger on the opening lap, then Brundle on lap 2, then closed in on Senna, who made things easier by retiring when his transmission broke on lap 12, moving up to 3rd, where he finished, scoring his first ever podium finish.
Moved up a place to 4th at the start, behind Senna. During the time he was behind Senna, Senna's McLaren developed an intermittent engine problem, which frustrated not only Senna, but Michael as well, as he attempted to pass a car which was often slow through the turns but quick on the straights - at one time Michael got past coming on to the pit straight only to be passed back going into the 1st corner. Eventually moved up to 3rd on lap 13 when the problem got really bad, where Michael stayed to score his second podium finish in two races.
Scored his first ever front row start, despite a high speed off during qualifying. Starting on wets on a damp track, Michael lost a place to both Patrese and Alesi. Passed Alesi on lap 7, moving up to 3rd. When Patrese spun on lap 20, Michael moved up to 2nd. With the weather getting worse as the race went on, heavy rain falling halfway through the race, he actually started to close the gap to Mansell, with it getting to less than 10 seconds around lap 50, but Mansell pulled away again, leaving Michael to finish 2nd, a tremendous result in the situation.
Lost a place on the run down to Tosa on the 1st lap. Was trailing Brundle when he spun at the 2nd part of Rivazza, hitting the armco and damaging the rear suspension, putting hin out of the race.
Gained a place on the run to St Devote, moving up to 5th. Trailed Alesi for several laps, looking for a way through. Took an opportunity to make a move at Loews hairpin, resulting in contact between the nose of the Benetton and the sidepod of Alesi, damaging both, though not significantly. As the race wore on, Michael began to catch Patrese, only to have trouble with 1st gear in the gearbox as well as the damaged front wing, allowing Patrese to pull away again, leaving Michael in 4th position at the end.
Stayed 5th at the start, but moved up to 4th when Mansell retired after making a move on Senna at the Esses just before the startline on lap 14. Moved up to 3rd when Senna's electronics failed on lap 38, and 2nd when Patrese's gearbox failed on lap 44. At about this stage, Brundle, who was right behind Michael, managed to pass him as Morbidelli moved across on Michael as he was trying to lap him. However, a lap later Brundle was out as his gearbox failed, leaving Michael to finish 2nd.
Stayed in 5th at start, but at Adelaide hairpin on opening lap, made a move on Senna which resulted in a collision that put Senna out and left Michael with a broken front wing, which he pitted to have replaced. After rain caused the race to be stopped, at the 2nd start (which took place on a dry track!), made another unsuccessful move, this time on Modena, this time breaking his front suspension.
Kept 4th at the start, made a move on Brundle at Becketts on lap 1, which was unsuccessful, and led him to running over some gravel, as well as slightly damaging the suspension. On the run down Hangar straight, still on lap 1, Michael was passed by both Berger and Senna, dropping down to 6th. Soon managed to repass Berger, and closed on Senna, but lost downforce when right behind him, causing Michael to lock the rear wheels under braking, leading to a tyre stop, at which he dropped down to 6th place. On lap 40, as he attempted to lap Modena, the two had a wheel-banging session, bringing Michael almost to a stop, losing another position. Moved up to 6th on lap 52 when Senna's gearbox failed, passed Häkkinen soon after and made it up to 4th where he finished when Berger's engine failed on the very last lap.
His first race at home saw Michael have several off-track excursions in practice and qualifying as he went all-out for his fans. Moved up one spot at the start, but ran over a kerb at the 1st chicane on lap 1 which damaged a radiator, spraying fluid on his left rear tyre for the rest of the race. Moved past Berger and Patrese when they both stopped for tyres. Patrese on his new tyres closed in, and they fought for 8 laps until Patrese eventually found a way past. Seemed destined to finish 4th until Patrese, who had spent several laps trying to take 2nd from Senna, spun on the last lap as he made one last attempt to take the place, promoting Michael up to 3rd, thereby finishing on the podium at his home Grand Prix.
Stayed in 5th at the start (and for most of the race). During the race, Brundle had tapped the rear of Michael's car when Michael drifted wide just behind Berger. Had moved up to 3rd when rear wing fell off coming down pit straight on lap 64, causing a spin as Michael lost rear downforce.
Lost 2 places at the start, moving up to 4th on lap 2 as it started to rain. Stopped for wet tyres on lap 3, and had dropped two spots as everyone (except Senna) stopped for wets by lap 6. Moved up to 5th as Alesi and Mansell collided on lap 7, causing Alesi to retire there and then. Passed Herbert soon after to move in to 4th. Senna, still on slicks in the damp to wet conditions, was caught by the pack, with Michael passing him on lap 13, dragging Brundle through with him. At this stage the rain got harder, but then it began to ease and stop. On lap 30, Michael understeered off onto the grass at Stavelot, Brundle nipping past to 3rd. As Michael regained the track, he noticed that Brundle's wets were blistering, so he came in for slicks at the end of that lap. Still 4th as he exited the pits, he took a reasonable lead as the other drivers stopped in the next couple of laps. Mansell, the leader before the stops, was now charging again towards Michael, and was within 5 seconds of Michael when he had a problem with the exhaust system, losing top-end power and allowing Michael to take a comfortable victory, the first in his career.
Despite Berger starting from pit lane (Michael now having only 4 cars in front), still fell to 7th. Collided with Boutsen on lap 1, damaging the nose of the car in the process, pitting at the end of lap 1 for a new nose. Made a charge back through the field as follows - lap 2 : 25th; lap 5 : 22nd; lap 6 : 20th; lap 7 : 19th; lap 8 : 18th; lap 9 : 16th; lap 11 : 15th; lap 12 : 14th; lap 13 : 11th; lap 14 : 10th; lap 15 : 9th; lap 18 : 7th; lap 19 : 6th; lap 27 : 5th; lap 42 : 4th and finally, lap 50 : 3rd, an unlikely result one would have thought considering his position at the end of lap 1!
Engine problems before the start caused Michael to start from the bank (memories of Monza!) Moved through the field, and was up to 7th when Patrese collided with the back of Berger's McLaren on pit straight. As Michael went down the pit straight, he ran over some of the debris, leading to a puncture and some damage to the nose of the car, preventing any further improvement (after the tyre stop for the puncture) than 7th again.
Stayed 5th at the start, moving up to 4th when Senna's engine seized on lap 3 at Honda's home race. This didn't prove to be a great help when the gearbox failed, causing Michael to retire.
Gained a place at the start, up to 4th. Berger then passed Michael on lap 3, demoting Michael back to 5th. When Mansell and Senna argued over the same bit of road on lap 19, he moved up to 3rd, still a few seconds behind Berger. Moved up to 2nd when Berger pitted for tyres on lap 35, but Berger passed him and pulled away, dropping Michael back to 3rd. When the leader, Patrese, had the electronics fail in his Williams on lap 51, Michael moved back to 2nd, but 25 seconds away from the new leader Berger, Michael having stopped later than he wanted to for new tyres. As leader Berger tried to conserve fuel, Michael set a string of fastest laps, forcing Berger to increase his speed to keep the lead, which he managed to do all the way to the end ... just! Berger managing to hold on by less than a second.
Stayed in 4th at start, but then move up to 2nd at the Esses om lap 1 as Prost avoided Hill's car during a spin. However, Prost passed Michael on lap 3, who then caught Senna and took the lead. Michael also caught Senna, and passed him too, moving up to 2nd. Unfortunately, when the two of them pitted at the tyre stops, nose to tail, the McLaren crew got Senna back past Michael. Was on Senna's tail, when he attempted to pass Senna, got along side, but had the door shut on him, causing Michael to spin and could not rejoin.
Lost 2 places at the start, but moved up a spot on lap 1. Passed Senna on lap 24, moving up to 3rd. Lost a lot of time after a disastrous pit stop. Rained halfway through the race, causing the safety car to come out for several laps. Given stop-go penalty for passing under yellow, losing more time. As the track dried out, Michael moved back up through the field, catching Herbert on lap 65, whom he diced with for several laps, and eventually passed, taking 3rd position.
The race started on a wet track, which at various times during the race it was and wasn't, as the rain fell and then stopped several times. Lost 2 places at the start, passed by Senna and Wendlinger. Lost another place to Andretti at McLeans, but then gained two placed up to 4th when Andretti and Wendlinger tried to be in the same place at the same time ... they both went off, still on lap 1. Before the end of lap 1, Michael dropped back to 5th as he was passed by Alesi before Melbourne hairpin. Michael's race ended when he spun off on lap 24 on slicks on the wet track.
A damp track at the start, Michael lost a place. Ran in 4th until Hill understeered off at Tosa when he moved off-line to lap Zanardi, and moved up again when Senna had hydraulic problem on lap 43. Although not a spectacular race, it was a very good result nonetheless.
Didn't lose a place at the start, and like Imola, ran in that position until Hill's engine expired on lap 42. Closed in on Senna towards end of race, getting to within a couple of seconds, until lap 63 when Zanardi's Lotus had an engine let go. Zanardi decided that staying on the track would be much more fun than pulling off, thankfully dropping oil on the racing line, which Michael slid wide on (and temporarily on to the dirt) as he entered the main straight. Despite this, and suffering tyre vibrations for the second half of the race (which caused some unprompted gear changes), Michael finished 3rd.
Had several spins in qualifying, but still qualified 2nd. Remained in 2nd at the start, and took the lead when Prost was called in for a stop-go penalty for jumping the start. Was in a commanding lead when forced to retire on lap 33 with hydraulic failure.
A terrible start (caused by the traction control system) meant that by the 1st corner, Michael had dropped to 11th, although was 9th after the next corner, and 8th going into the corner after that. By the end of lap 1, he had moved up another place to 7th, and overtook Patrese on lap 2 to move up to 6th. By the end of lap 3 he had moved past Alesi to 5th, and followed this by passing Berger a few laps later, moving up to 4th. Gained another place (back to 3rd where he started!) when Williams botched Hill's tyre stop. Chased and caught Senna, who eventually retired on lap 63. As Senna pulled off the track, Michael moved to the right to avoid the slowing McLaren ... just as Senna pulled off to the right, although thankfully there was no collision. This moved Michael up to 2nd, where he finished.
Gained a place at the start, and moved up again when Blundell was forced off the road attempting to lap a backmarker on lap 21. After having stopped twice for tyres during the race, Michael was flying, and caught Senna (who had stopped once) towards the end of race, passing him around the outside as they entered the first corner after the pit straight. Finished in 3rd position.
Had a high speed off in qualifying at Copse. After Patrese had qualified, took over Patrese's car and did a time nearly 2 seconds quicker than Patrese had managed, netting Michael 3rd position on the grid. Lost a place at the start, but moved up towards Senna after Prost passed Senna on lap 7. Passed Senna on lap 10, moving up to 3rd. The safety car came out just after halfway through the race, thanks to a car that had stopped near the edge of the track (many observers believed the safety car was sent out to bunch the field up to provide a more exciting race!). After the restart, Michael stayed close to the front, when the leader Hill had the engine of his Williams call it a day on lap 42, allowing Michael to move up and finish 2nd.
Gained a place at the start, but was passed by Prost on lap 6. However, Michael regained 2nd on lap 10 when Prost took a stop-go penalty, given for taking a shortcut while Prost avoided a spinning Brundle. Lost a position to Prost at tyre stop on lap 16, but when Hill suffered a flat on the second last lap, moved back in to 2nd position where he finished.
After Prost stalled at start of warm-up lap, Michael now had only 1 car in front of him. Stayed 2nd at the start, but went too deep into the 1st corner, dropping down to 5th. Passed Patrese for 4th on lap 2, and then Berger for 3rd a few laps later. Followed this with a spin a couple of laps later, dropping to 10th. Moved back up to 7th by lap 10, then 6th, and was in 5th by lap 17. Moved up to 3rd on lap 18 as he passed Patrese (again) and Senna, who had retired. Moved up to 2nd briefly after tyre stops until he retired on lap 26 with engine problems.
Traction control system caused another dreadful start, falling to 10th by La Source. Moved up past Brundle to 9th at the end of lap 1, past Warwick, Lehto and Herbert to move up to 6th by the end of lap 2, then passed Suzuki on lap 3, and Alesi on lap 4 to be in 4th position after 4 laps. Closed in on Senna, whom he passed (on the grass) after Michael had stopped for tyres a lap before Senna did, with Senna drifting wide as he exited them in front of an on-the-move Michael, who had the choice of taking to the grass (and take what comes), colliding with Senna or slowing down to let Senna continue ahead of him. Now in 3rd, he maintained the gap to the leaders until after the 2nd round of tyre stops, when he managed to get close to Prost after Prost had some trouble with traffic. On lap 32, Michael passed Prost at Les Combes, but was unable to make up all the distance between himself and Hill, finishing 2nd. If only he'd had a decent start...
Stayed 5th, but moved up to 3rd when Senna and Hill collide at 1st chicane. Passed Alesi for 2nd position on lap 4. Not far away from leader Prost when engine expired on lap 23.
Had several spins during practice and qualifying. After Hill stalled at start of warm-up lap, Michael had 4 cars in front of him. Remained 5th at the start. Gained a place when Senna's engine expired on lap 20. After making an early stop, he moved up through the field, with Häkkinen getting friendly with the guard rail. Moved up to 1st when Prost stopped, and this led to Michael abandoning his planned 2nd stop, Prost catching Michael after his stop, but was unable to pass him, leaving Michael to take the 2nd victory of his career.
Lost one place at the start, then another when Irvine passed him around the outside at turn 1 on lap 1. Passed Irvine back on lap 3, only for Hill to pass Michael a few laps later, back to 6th again. Collided with Hill as Hill attempted to pass Berger at the chicane on lap 11.
Stayed 4th at the start. Made an early stop for tyres, which seemed to pay off, until the engine expired on lap 20. Not a very good end to the season.
Lost a place at the start to Alesi, regaining 2nd on lap 2. Closed to within 2 seconds of Senna by lap 10. Trailed Senna in to the pits on lap 21, taking the lead as the Benetton crew beat the Williams crew. Led the rest of the way, with Senna less than 10 seconds behind until he spun out of the race on lap 56. With Senna out of the race, Michael had lapped every other driver.
Took the lead from Senna at the start, who was nudged into a slow spin at the 1st corner by Häkkinen, Larini colliding with Senna as Senna spun. Led every lap, winning easily as the rest of the field floundered in his wake.
After Rubens Barrichello's crash at Variante Bassa on the Friday, then Roland Ratzenberger's fatal accident on the Saturday, Formula 1 had had its blackest weekend in man years. No one was to know that it was only going to get worse... Michael held 2nd at the start, which was marred by Pedro Lamy colliding with a stalled Lehto, who had just returned after recovering from a huge testing accident. This accident led to the safety car being sent out on to the track. The safety car set the cars loose again as the cars started their 6th lap. Senna maintained a small gap over Michael until at Tamburello on lap 7, when inexplicably, Senna's car went straight ahead halfway around the corner, crashing into the concrete wall and fatally injuring Ayrton. At the restart, Berger took the on-the-road lead from Michael (who started the restart from "pole"), although Michael led on aggregate. Michael passed Berger on lap 13, then pitted, losing 1st on aggregate as well as on the road. Passed Katayama on lap 20, having regained the lead on aggregate on lap 19. Continued on to take an easy win, a race that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Took his first career pole, taking it by almost a full second. Led away at the start, and was never threatened, leading from flag to flag.
Kept the lead at the start, pulling away from the field easily. However on lap 21, he had trouble changing up, and when he short-shifted up into 5th a corner after, it stayed there - for the rest of the race. Pitting for his first stop at the end of lap 21, he made it a few corners round lap 22 before being passed by cars that were unlapping themselves! Häkkinen passed Michael for the lead on lap 23, while Hill passed Michael for 2nd on lap 24. Moved up to 2nd on lap 31 when Häkkinen made his second stop, and even led for 5 laps after Hill's 2nd stop. Dropping to 2nd after his 2nd stop, Michael finished there, after a charging Häkkinen in 3rd had another Peugeot engine failure. Despite being stuck in 5th gear, Michael lapped for most of the race at almost exactly the same pace as Damon Hill, who had 6 gears at his disposal as well as the Renault V10.
Led at the start, and led all the way, after making one stop on lap 40.
After being outqualified by the Williams boys, made a fantastic start and led into the 1st corner. Was pushed by Hill until the 1st stop, at which stage he pulled away. Led the rest of the way except a period mid-race between stops.
Passed Hill a couple of times, for a short time, on each of the two parade laps (the second one necessary when Coulthard stalled his Williams). Stayed in 2nd place at start, taking over the lead after the 1st round of stops. Was eventually given a 5 second "penalty", then black flagged for not taking the "penalty" on laps 21 to 23. Eventually took the "penalty" on lap 27, dropping to 4th. Moved up and finished 2nd, only to be disqualified hours later.
Stayed 4th at the start, while behind him many cars fell off at the 1st corner. Passed Alesi for 3rd heading up the 1st straight on lap 1 as Alesi retired with failed electrics, and passed Katayama for 2nd also on lap 1 at the 2nd chicane (after the Ostkurve). Quickly caught leader Berger, but couldn't find a way past with the Ferrari's awesome straight line speed. Pitted on lap 12, resuming still in 2nd. In pursuit again, the engine failed on lap 20.
Led away from pole and led all the way except between Michael's and Hill's 1st pit stop, not letting anyone else a look in.
Remained in 2nd at the start, but passed Barrichello by Les Combes on lap 1. Was leading comfortably when he slid wide, caused by the different line he was using to everyone else. This different line had marbles on it from the other cars' tyres, leading to the Benetton going over the outside kerb, and having a quick 360 degree spin, Michael resuming his race again still in the lead. Led all the way except one lap led mid race by Coulthard, only to be disqualified for having a plank that was "too worn" in the eyes of the officials.
Race one of two race suspension as a result of what took place at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Race two of two race suspension as a result of what took place at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Fell to 2nd after a bad start, and struggled on 1st set of tyres, although tailed Hill all the way to Hill's 1st stop, at which point he took over the lead, which he maintained and then extended the rest of the way, except for a couple of laps which Hill led after Michael's 2nd stop and before Hill's own 2nd stop.
Dire wet conditions, with Michael keeping the lead at the start. Safety car came out at start of lap 4, after many cars had already crashed or spun out of the race. The safety car then pulled off at the end of laps 10, only for the race to be red-flagged on lap 15 after another spate of incidents. Led from rolling restart, but pitted early on lap 18. Fell to 2nd on aggregate after the stop, and was passed by Alesi on aggregate on lap 22. Regained 2nd on aggregate when Alesi pitted on lap 29. On the road in this same period, Michael couldn't find a way past Häkkinen, let alone Alesi and Mansell who were behind him on aggregate but ahead on the road. He passed Häkkinen on the road on lap 26, and Alesi and Mansell pitted before they got in the way. By lap 30 he was now 2nd on the road and also on aggregate. Catching Hill, on lap 36 he took the lead on aggregate, building up a lead as he closed on Hill on the road. At the end of lap 40, Michael went in for his second stop, remaining 2nd on the road but losing the aggregate lead. Could he catch Hill on aggregate? It was a tough ask but it seemed remotely possible. Unfortunately, Michael didn't quite make it, finishing a close 2nd to Hill.
Had a big crash at 1st chicane at the end of Friday qualifying. At the start of the race, he passed Mansell for the lead, with Hill following through into 2nd place. Hounded by Hill, who pitted at the same time as Michael, neither losing nor gaining time. Michael had just started to pull out a gap, when he lost the rear end over a bump turning in to the first left handed 90 degree corner, leading to him running wide and over the grass. Made contact with the wall, damaging the rear suspension, when Hill attempted to pass. The two cars collided, with Michael out of the race on the spot and Hill out with broken suspension in pit-lane, making Michael World Champion, although not in the circumstances he would have liked to have done it in.
During Friday qualifying, Michael suffered steering failure, causing a very big accident, reminding people how dangerous Formula 1 can be. At the start of the race, Michael grabbed the lead, but he was hounded by Hill until his 1st stop on lap 18, dropping to 5th after the stop. He regained 4th when he passed Berger on lap 20, and up to 2nd after the rest of the stops, with Hill now leading, and edging away. However, on lap 31 Hill's rear suspension failed, allowing Michael to take over the lead again. Led until his 2nd stop on lap 35, handing the lead to Coulthard for 11 laps until Coulthard's 2nd and final stop. Despite stopping again, Michael led the rest of the way, taking the victory. Hours after the race finished, Michael and Coulthard were disqualified over fuel irregularities, however their placings were reinstated soon after.
Was passed by Häkkinen at the 1st start, however a multi-car collision caused by a spinning Alesi led to a restart. At the 2nd start, Michael moved up to 2nd, and took the lead when leader Coulthard suffered an electrical problem coming on to the main straight on lap 6. However, he had been hounded by Hill since the start, and was passed by Hill at the end of the start/finish straight at the start of lap 11, Coulthard repeating the move 5 laps later, dropping Michael to 3rd. Moved back up to 1st as Coulthard retired for good when the engine stopped again, and Hill had just made his 1st stop. This lead only lasted until his own stop on lap 17, dropping to 3rd behind Alesi and Hill after the stops, where he remained for the rest of the race, thanks to inconsistent tyre performance - the 1st set were so-so, the 2nd set good, the 3rd set were dreadful while the last set were brilliant.
Held the lead at start, using wets on a damp track, being closely followed by Berger. Came in on lap 10 for slicks, but did not complete another lap after leaving the track at Piratella, colliding with the tyres.
After a lousy qualifying on Friday, took pole easily on Saturday. Kept lead at the start, and pulled steadily away from the field, never losing the lead throughout the race, taking a comfortable win.
Kept 2nd place at 1st start, to no avail as Berger, Coulthard and Alesi blocked the track after all 3 tried to claim ownership of one bit of track. At the restart, he kept 2nd again, hounding Hill closely until Hill stopped on lap 23, taking over the lead at this time. Michael then stopped on lap 35, losing the lead to Alesi for 1 lap until Alesi stopped the following lap. Was never threatened from that point onwards, taking a comfortable win, the 1st for Renault in Monaco.
Took the 100th pole for a Renault-engined car. Led from the start, pulling away from the field. Stopped on lap 38 without losing the lead, and had a substantial lead on lap 58 when the car got stuck in 3rd gear. Limped back to pits, and lost a further minute at the pit stop rectifying the problem. Rejoined the race in 7th, setting a series of fastest laps, which resulted in him finishing 5th, only a few seconds off the podium.
Remained in 2nd position at the start, but hounded Hill until Michael's 1st stop on lap 19. In the two laps between this and Hill's stop, Michael set two blisteringly quick laps that enabled him to easily take the lead, despite the fact he had only just exited the pits. From this point on, Michael pulled away, and led the rest of the way to the flag.
Lost a position at the start to Alesi, who made an absolutely unbelievable start from 6th on the grid to be 2nd into Copse. Alesi proved to be a mobile roadblock, with Michael trailing him until Alesi stopped on lap 18, moving Michael up to 2nd, and took the lead when Hill stopped on lap 22. Michael then made his one and only stop on lap 31, dropping to 2nd, and hoped that in the time he hadn't been following Alesi, that he had been able to build up a lead that would prevent Hill from exiting from his 2nd stop ahead of him. When Hill left the pits after his 2nd stop on lap 41, he resumed just a couple of seconds behind Michael, reducing this gap to nothing almost immediately. On lap 46, Hill made an ambitious move on Michael at Priory, resulting in both finishing their race playing in the gravel.
Remained in 2nd at the start. Took the lead when Hill spun off at the start of lap 2. Pulled out a gap over 2nd placed Coulthard, which he needed to do, as Coulthard was stopping once to Michael's twice. Michael dropped to 3rd when he stopped on lap 19, moving back to 2nd when Häkkinen stopped on lap 20, and regained the lead when Coulthard made his one and only stop on lap 23. At this point Michael pushed hard, setting a couple of fastest laps as he attempted to build up his lead. Kept the lead after his 2nd stop on lap 34, which he never relinquished, taking the flag a few seconds clear.
In qualifying, Michael did a lap that included a 360 degree spin as he exited the last corner, and yet it was still faster than teammate Johnny Herbert's best effort. At the start, Michael kept 3rd, stuck behind Coulthard. Passed Coulthard for 2nd on lap 13 when he ran wide at the chicane at the back of the circuit, where Michael remained until his 1st stop. At this stop, however, the refuelling rig malfunctioned, shortchanging him fuel, leading to an early 2nd stop just 9 laps later. Stayed in 2nd, but was forced to run further on last 2 sets of tyres because of the fuel rig problem, costing him any chance of catching Hill, when it all came to nothing as a fuel pump failed on lap 74.
Crashed at Malmedy on Saturday morning on a damp track when he hit the inside kerb. Qualified 16th after having to wait for car to be repaired for the, quicker (as it turned out) 2nd qualifying session, setting a time on a fairly damp but drying track, improving on his Friday best. On his 2nd run, which would've been quicker, the gearbox changed down 6th from 5th twice without prompting, one of these occurring at maximum revs on the main straight, buzzing the engine to over 19000 rpm ... one well-used engine, meaning no further run could be taken. At the start of the race, Michael had moved up to 14th by La Source on lap 1, 13th by the end of lap 1, 10th by the end of lap 2, 8th by the end of lap 3, 7th by the end of lap 4 and 5th by the end of lap 6, these last two places gained thanks to Herbert spinning at the Bus Stop, and inadvertantly blocking Blundell, with Michael passing them both. Followed Irvine for several laps until passing him at Bus Stop on lap 11. Moved to 3rd when Coulthard had gearbox failure on lap 13, and took the lead when Hill and Berger pitted on lap 15. Fell to 2nd behind Hill when Michael himself stopped on lap 18. At this point it began to rain, and by lap 21 it was heavy enough for Hill to change to wets, handing the lead back. By the start of lap 23, Hill had moved right onto Michael's tail. The two of them headed up through Eau Rouge, with Hill pulling alongside as they headed towards Les Combes. Despite being on slicks to Hill's wets on a wet track, Michael hung around on the outside to keep the lead! During the remainder of lap 23, Hill made a couple more unsuccessful attempts to wrest the lead from Michael. At Les Combes on lap 24, Hill made it through, Michael oversteering before heading over the grass and rejoining the track. By now the rain had stopped and the track was drying out again, which led to Michael catching Hill, whom he passed on lap 25 when Hill ran wide at Stavelot. At the end of lap 26 Hill changed to slicks ... just as it started to rain again. However, Hill reduced the gap to nothing after the Safety Car came out on lap 29, with both drivers stopping for wets and fuel on lap 30. At the start of lap 33, the race resumed, Michael leading with Hill right behind, but Hill's hopes were dashed when he received a stop-go penalty for speeding in pit lane, as well as a spin at La Source, leaving Michael well clear to take the win. A protest by Williams led to Michael receiving a 1 race ban, suspended for 4 races.
After Coulthard spun off at Variante Ascari on the formation lap, Michael had no cars in front of him. He took the lead at the start, but this was all for nothing as a multi-car collision occurred at Variante Ascari on the 1st lap. At the 2nd start, with Coulthard on pole this time, he dropped to 3rd behind Berger, moving up to 2nd when Coulthard spun off again on lap 14. Michael was still only a couple of seconds behind Berger, and just ahead of Hill. On lap 24, Michael and 3rd placed Hill came up to lap Inoue, Michael doing it successfully, and so did Hill, only for Hill to slam into the back of Michael's Benetton, removing both cars from the race.
Stayed 3rd at 1st start, which was then red flagged when Katayama rolled. At 2nd start Michael passed Hill for 2nd, where he remained until after his 2nd stop on lap 35, when he dropped to 3rd behind both Williams. Moved to 2nd after Hill's 2nd and final stop on lap 44, but then dropped to 3rd after his own final stop on lap 54. On fresher tyres, Michael caught Hill by lap 60, passing him for 2nd at the Corkscrew on lap 62, however Coulthard was too far away to move any further up.
The race started on a damp, almost wet track, which dried throughout the race. The 1st start was aborted when Papis didn't take up his correct grid position, while at the 2nd start Michael moved up to 2nd, dropping to 4th after his stop for slicks on lap 11, moving back to 3rd when Irvine did the same on lap 15. Hill, who was just behind Michael, passed him around the outside on lap 16 at the Bit-Kurve, only for Michael to regain the position when Hill ran wide coming on to the pit straight on that very same lap. Dropped to 4th after his 2nd stop on lap 34, but moved up to 2nd after both Williams made stops. Chased after Alesi with great verve and determination, setting several fastest laps, and despite another pit stop, caught Alesi on lap 63. Passed Alesi on lap 65 around the outside at the Veedol-Schikane, to take an astonishing victory.
At the start, Michael got alongside Hill, who forced Hill wide at the 1st corner, stopping Michael passing but costing Hill 1 place and Michael 2 places to be in 5th. Passed Berger for 4th on lap 5, and closed in on Hill, making an attempt to pass on lap 11. On lap 19, Alesi, Hill and Michael all made their 1st stops. Thanks to Benetton's pit work, Michael pulled out first, managing to retain 4th place, moving up to 2nd after Berger's and Herbert's stops. Pursued leader Coulthard, catching him just before Michael took his 2nd stop on lap 37. Returned to the track still in 2nd, and set off after Coulthard again. Took the lead when Coulthard made his final stop on lap 49, but Michael still had a stop to go, so he piled on the speed as he attempted to pull out enough time to leave the pit in the lead. He suceeded in doing so, taking a win which clinched Michael's 2nd World Drivers' Championship, despite gearchange problems in the last 20 laps.
Led away at the start on a wet track, pulling away steadily. Stopped for slicks on lap 10, dropping to 2nd for a lap before Häkkinen stopped, with Michael retaking the lead. However, Alesi was on a charge, and by lap 19 he was right behind Michael. There Alesi stayed until lap 25, when Alesi suffered a differential problem, putting him out of the race, with Hill now 2nd. Dropped to 2nd after final stop on lap 31, but regained lead on lap 35 as leader Hill stopped. Despite light rain falling again between lap 35 and 40, Michael won, equalling Mansell's 1992 record of 9 wins in a season.
Dropped to 5th after poor start, but passed Alesi at end of Brabham straight on lap 1, repeating the manoeuvre on Berger on lap 5. Unable to close gap to 2nd placed Hill, but moved to 2nd when Hill stopped on lap 17, and took lead when Coulthard collided with the pit wall entering the pits on lap 20. Michael stopped on lap 22, coming out 3rd just behind Alesi. As he attempted to replicate his lap 1 move, Alesi moved across, hitting Michael's left rear wheel, damaging Michael's rear suspension, putting him out of the race.
Lost a flap off rear wing on last run in qualifying, preventing any improvement on earlier time. Stayed in 4th at the 1st start, moving to 3rd past Hill as Hill recovered from a wild slide. Brundle's somersault act called a halt to proceedings however. At the 2nd start, Michael temporarily dropped to 5th, before passing around the outside at turn 1 on lap 1 to move to 4th. Passed Irvine for 3rd on lap 2, moving quickly up behind Hill where he remained until Michael made his 1st stop on lap 21, dropping to 4th. Moved back to 3rd when Irvine made his 1st stop 2 laps later. However, not long after this Michael started losing seconds to the leaders, encountering serious brake problems which the Ferrari pit crew attempted to fix but proved unable to.
On a very wet track, Michael dropped to 6th at the start, moving up to 5th as he passed Brundle on the backstraight on lap 1. Followed 3 car train of Villeneuve, Alesi and Barrichello, with Frentzen tacking on behind, temporarily being passed by Frentzen at one stage. Made 1st stop on lap 24, dropping to 12th, and was still as low as 9th on lap 30, but started moving up through the field as other cars stopped, moving to 7th on lap 31, 4th on lap 36 and 3rd on lap 37. Fell to 9th after 2nd stop on lap 40 for slicks, but had moved back up to 3rd again by lap 44 as other cars switched to slicks on a now fairly dry track. However, Barrichello in 4th was catching him, moving on to Michael's tail on lap 55. He looked for a way past, making it through temporarily on lap 60 before Barrichello spun off on that same lap. Finished 2nd after being lapped by Hill on lap 62.
Stayed 2nd at the start, following Hill closely, and with Alesi and Berger right behind, with this still being the situation after the 1st round of stops, with Hill starting to edge clear at this point. On lap 27, the Safety Car came out as Badoer's Forti had rolled. During this period Diniz's Ligier got rather warm when it caught fire. The race was restarted on lap 33. Soon after the restart, Hill's car flicked up some debris from an accident, hitting Michael's rear wing, damaging it, allowing the top plane of the wing to flex. Michael took his 2nd stop on lap 40, but retired soon after when the top plane departed company with the rest of the wing, making the car undrivable.
Dropped to 4th at start, sitting just behind Coulthard and Barrichello, with Hill keeping Michael company behind him. At the start of lap 6, Hill demoted Michael to 5th, although Michael followed Hill until the 1st round of stops. After this 1st round of stops, Michael moved up to 2nd, and was catching leader Villeneuve. By lap 37 he was right behind Villeneuve. Michael stopped on lap 44, hoping that he could gain some time by running by himself, but when he exited the pits, he was following Coulthard who had not yet stopped and was in no mood to make things easy. When Villeneuve came out after his stop he was still in the lead. Although Michael caught him again, he still couldn't find a way throught, finishing an extremely close 2nd.
Fell to 3rd at start, before passing Hill at Tamburello on lap 2. Moved up onto Coulthard's tail, where he remained until Coulthard's 1st stop on lap 20, when Michael took the lead until his own stop a lap later. Rejoined 5th, with Hill now leading as he was yet to stop. Moved up to 2nd as other drivers made their 1st stops. When Hill came out after his 1st stop on lap 29, he was only just in front of Michael, but Michael was unable to move past Hill. After his 2nd stop on lap 39, Michael returned to 2nd after Coulthard's stop a lap later. Michael then lost about 15 seconds behind the dicing Häkkinen and Diniz, who baulked him for several laps as he tried to lap them. Hill made his final stop on lap 50, emerging clearly in the lead, Michael unable to improve his 2nd place, especially when on the last lap the front left brake disc exploded, locking the wheel solid. He was very lucky it didn't happen earlier.
Dropped to 2nd at wet start. Had a wild slide exiting Casino Square, before hitting the barriers at the right hander after Loews. Probably Michael's worst race performance of his career.
Dropped to at least 9th at the start, which was very wet. Had hauled his way up to 6th by the end of lap 1, passed teammate Irvine for 5th on lap 2, moving up to 4th past a rallycrossing Hill on lap 4, and passed Berger on lap 5. Now he closed quickly on Alesi, reeling him in almost immediately. Passed Alesi at SEAT on lap 9, moving in to 2nd, and repeated the move on Villeneuve on lap 12. At this point, Michael pulled away, opening the gap by between 4 and 5 seconds a lap for several laps, allowing him to make his 1st stop on lap 24 without losing the lead. Despite a 2nd stop on lap 42, and engine problems during the 2nd half of the race, Michael won easily. What a difference two weeks can make.
Started in last position on grid after engine failed to fire at start of formation lap. Moved up to 17th by end of lap 1, 15th by the end of lap 2, and was 14th by the end of lap 4. From this point on, an ever changing front-rear brake bias, as well as an engine problem, meant that he was unable to pass cars, gaining places when others retired. Michael did this himself when exiting the pits on lap 40, as a driveshaft fell off.
Not much to say. Engine detonated just after Adelaide hairpin on formation lap.
Dropped to 4th at start. Was in the middle of a pack of cars when hydraulic failure led to the gearbox being stuck in 6th gear at the end of Hangar straight on lap 3.
Dropped to 4th at the start, with Coulthard and Villeneuve just behind, staying that way until Coulthard's 1st stop. On lap 22, both Michael and the following Villeneuve stopped, almost colliding as they exited the pits, with Villeneuve sneaking past Michael at the next chicane as Michael suffered brake problems. This pass dropped Michael to 6th, which became 5th when Coulthard made his 2nd stop on lap 32. However, Coulthard was soon on Michael;s tail again, pressuring him right to the finish, where Michael took 4th after leader Berger's engine detonated on lap 43.
Led away from start, just clear of Villeneuve, which is how it stayed until the 1st round of stops, when Michael fell to 2nd, dropping away from Villeneueve. This continued until Michael's 3rd stop, when he was passed by Hill, and although Michael was losing time, he looked like he would finish 3rd. However a sticking throttle led to Michael's retirement from the race on lap 71.
Had a high-speed crash during practice for the 2nd year running, this time on Friday at Fagnes. Moved up to 2nd after making a good start. Followed leader Villeneuve closely, and was still right behind him when Verstappen had a huge crash at Stavelot on lap 11, causing the Safety Car to come out soon after. Michael ducked into the pits on lap 14 before the other leaders, moving up to 3rd behind the two McLarens who were running a one stop strategy. When the race restarted on lap 18, he stayed in the wheel tracks of the McLarens, with Villeneuve soon following Michael. Michael took the lead on lap 24, after both McLarens had stopped. Still with Villeneuve on his tail, Michael made his 2nd stop on lap 30, resuming the race in 2nd, handing the lead to Villeneuve, who stopped on lap 32. As Villeneuve exited the pits, Michael rounded La Source, with Michael flying past into the lead as Villeneuve got up to speed. Led the rest of the way, keeping his good record at Spa intact.
Dropped to 6th at the start, but moved up to 4th on lap 2 with Coulthard's demise and passing Villeneuve. Moved to 3rd on lap 4 when Häkkinen's damaged front wing caused him to pit, and moved up to 2nd when Hill collided with the tyres on lap 6. Now Michael closed in on new leader Alesi, and although he caught him, he couldn't find a way past. Alesi stopped on lap 31, handing Michael the lead. With a clear track, Michael flew around the track as he extended his lead over Alesi before his own stop on lap 33. Rejoined the race in the lead, pulling steadily away for the rest of the race, taking the win in front of the famous tifosi, despite clipping the tyres at the 1st chicane on lap 40.
Moved up to 3rd at start, following Alesi, with Villeneuve right behind. The order stayed this way until lap 15, when Villeneuve passed Michael around the outside, demoting Michael to 4th. Resumed in 3rd after the 1st round of stops, then dropping to 4th after his 2nd stop. Michael now began to catch Alesi, eventually catching him. Both Michael and Alesi made their final stop on lap 44, with Michael getting the Ferrari out of the pits before Alesi, moving Michael to 3rd where he finished.
1st start was aborted when Coulthard stalled. Fell to 4th at the 2nd start, moving to 3rd on lap 4 after Berger had made a ridiculous move to pass Hill at the chicane on lap 3, damaging his front wing. Followed Häkkinen to 1st round of stops, where he moved up to 2nd ahead of him. Remained in 2nd for the rest of the race, even after his 2nd stop, although Häkkinen didn't give up without a fight, pushing right until the end.
Qualified 3rd, behind both Williams. Lost 4 places by the entry of turn 1, but was 3rd by the exit of it due to a multi-car collision. Shadowed Coulthard, moving up to 2nd when leader Frentzen made his 1st stop. Dropped down to 5th temporarily after stop around half-distance. Lost any chance of getting ahead of Coulthard as he came out of the pits right behind traffic. Moved back to 3rd after other drivers' stops, soon shadowing Coulthard again. Moved up to 2nd when Frentzen stopped on lap 40. Had Frentzen closing in on him when forced to make a stop for a splash of fuel on lap 51, dropping to 3rd. Regained 2nd when Frentzen spun off with brake problems, remaining there until the finish.
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