1996 Portuguese Grand Prix
The 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 22 September 1996 at Autódromo do Estoril in Estoril, Portugal. It was the 15th and penultimate race of the 1996 Formula One season.
| 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 15 of 16 in the 1996 Formula One World Championship
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| Race details | |||||
| Date | 22 September 1996 | ||||
| Official name | XXV Grande Prémio de Portugal | ||||
| Location | Autódromo do Estoril in Estoril, Portugal | ||||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
| Course length | 4.360 km (2.725 miles) | ||||
| Distance | 71 laps, 309.560 km (193.475 miles) | ||||
| Weather | Mostly sunny with ambient temperatures reaching 25 °C during the day. | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver | Williams-Renault | ||||
| Time | 1:20.330 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | |||
| Time | 1:22.873 on lap 37 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | Williams-Renault | ||||
| Second | Williams-Renault | ||||
| Third | Ferrari | ||||
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Lap leaders | |||||
Williams' Jacques Villeneuve won the race from team-mate Damon Hill and Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, having overtaken the latter on the outside of the final corner while the two were lapping the slow-moving back-marking Minardi of Giovanni Lavaggi (who at the time was described by BBC TV commentator Jonathan Palmer as "desperately slow" and "there because of his money"). This victory, Villeneuve's fourth of the season, ensured that the Drivers' Championship battle between him and Hill went to the final round in Japan three weeks later.
Benetton's Jean Alesi finished fourth, just behind Schumacher, while Eddie Irvine in the second Ferrari and Gerhard Berger in the second Benetton survived a last-lap collision to take fifth and sixth respectively.
The Portuguese Grand Prix would not be held again until 2020 but this race was held at a new venue at the Algarve International Circuit as opposed to Estoril.