1996 Japanese Grand Prix
The 1996 Japanese Grand Prix (officially known as the XXII Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held at Suzuka on 13 October 1996. It was the sixteenth and final race of the 1996 Formula One World Championship.
| 1996 Japanese Grand Prix | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 16 of 16 in the 1996 Formula One World Championship
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| Race details | |||||
| Date | 13 October 1996 | ||||
| Official name | XXII Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix | ||||
| Location |
Suzuka Circuit Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan | ||||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
| Course length | 5.859 km (3.641 miles) | ||||
| Distance | 52 laps, 304.718 km (189.343 miles) | ||||
| Scheduled distance | 53 laps, 310.577 km (192.984 miles) | ||||
| Weather | Sunny, mild and dry | ||||
| Attendance | 303,000 | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver | Williams-Renault | ||||
| Time | 1:38.909 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | |||
| Time | 1:44.043 on lap 34 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | Williams-Renault | ||||
| Second | Ferrari | ||||
| Third | McLaren-Mercedes | ||||
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Lap leaders | |||||
The 52-lap race was won by Damon Hill, driving a Williams-Renault. Hill took his eighth win of the season, and with it the Drivers' Championship, after teammate and pole-sitter Jacques Villeneuve made a poor start and then retired when a wheel fell off. Villeneuve had needed to win the race, without Hill scoring, in order to win the Championship himself. Michael Schumacher finished second in a Ferrari, enabling the Italian team to steal second place in the Constructors' Championship from Benetton, with Mika Häkkinen third in a McLaren-Mercedes.
Hill was the first son of a World Champion to win the championship himself, his father Graham having been champion in 1962 and 1968. This was also the final race for Martin Brundle, who had been competing in F1 since 1984 and finished on the podium 9 times since 1992, as well as the last race for Pedro Lamy, Giovanni Lavaggi, Footwork and Ligier.