The season opener saw a Williams 1-2 in qualifying, with Villeneuve taking pole. The race was a demonstration of Williams' power, but Ferrari's pace was concerning. Villeneuve won the race, becoming the first driver since Jacques Laffite (1979) to win his debut Grand Prix (though Giuseppe Farina won the first ever WC race).
The 1995 Indy 500 winner and CART champion joined Williams. He took 4 wins and pushed Hill all season, finishing 2nd in the championship. 1996 formula 1 season
Ferrari introduced the F310, their first car to utilize a V10 engine configuration (previous years used V12s). While the engine produced immense power, the chassis suffered from a lack of rigidity and aerodynamic inconsistency. The car’s handling was notoriously unpredictable, a trait that would become central to the season’s narrative. The season opener saw a Williams 1-2 in
Olivier Panis won the chaotic Monaco GP (only 3 finishers) — Ligier’s final win before Prost took over the team. The 1995 Indy 500 winner and CART champion joined Williams
A race of high attrition. Damon Hill took victory after a fierce battle, while Schumacher suffered engine failure. This began a trend of Ferrari unreliability that would plague their season.