1995 Formula One World Championship Explained

The 1995 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 49th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1995 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1995 Formula One World Championship for Constructors, which were contested concurrently over a seventeen-race series that commenced on 26 March and ended on 12 November.

Michael Schumacher won his second consecutive Drivers' Championship, and Benetton won the Constructors' Championship, the first and only Constructors' title for the Benetton team. Schumacher won nine races en route to the championship, equalling the record set by Nigel Mansell in . He also continued his rivalry with Williams-Renault driver Damon Hill, including collisions at the British and Italian Grands Prix.

Both those races were won by Schumacher's teammate Johnny Herbert, taking his first two F1 victories. Hill's Williams teammate, David Coulthard, claimed his first victory in Portugal, while Ferrari's Jean Alesi achieved his only F1 victory in Canada. Just like Honda in, Renault engines won all but one race in this season.

1995 was also the last season in which the numbering system introduced in 1974 was used. From 1996 car numbers would generally allocated based on the Constructors' Championship order of the previous season.

Drivers and constructors

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1995 FIA Formula One World Championship. All teams competed with tyres supplied by Goodyear.[1] [2]

EntrantConstructorChassisEngineNoDriverRounds
Mild Seven Benetton RenaultBenetton-RenaultB195Renault RS7 3.0 V101 Michael SchumacherAll
2 Johnny HerbertAll
Nokia Tyrrell YamahaTyrrell-Yamaha023Yamaha OX10C 3.0 V103 Ukyo Katayama1–13, 15–17
Gabriele Tarquini14
4 Mika SaloAll
Rothmans Williams RenaultWilliams-RenaultFW17
FW17B
Renault RS7 3.0 V105 Damon HillAll
6 David CoulthardAll
Marlboro McLaren MercedesMcLaren-MercedesMP4/10
MP4/10B
MP4/10C
Mercedes FO 110 3.0 V107 Mark Blundell1–2, 5–17
Nigel Mansell3–4
8 Mika Häkkinen1–14, 16–17
Jan Magnussen15
Footwork HartFootwork-HartFA16Hart 830 3.0 V89 Gianni Morbidelli1–7, 15–17
Massimiliano Papis8–14
10 Taki InoueAll
MTV Simtek FordSimtek-FordS951Ford EDB 3.0 V811 Domenico Schiattarella1–5
12 Jos Verstappen1–5
Total Jordan PeugeotJordan-Peugeot195Peugeot A10 3.0 V1014 Rubens BarrichelloAll
15 Eddie IrvineAll
Pacific Team LotusPacific-FordPR02Ford EDC 3.0 V816 Bertrand Gachot1–8, 15–17
Giovanni Lavaggi9–12
Jean-Denis Delétraz13–14
17 Andrea MonterminiAll
Junior Larrousse F1Larrousse-FordLH95Ford ED 3.0 V819 Christophe BouchutNone
20 Éric BernardNone
Parmalat Forti FordForti-FordFG01Ford EDD 3.0 V821 Pedro DinizAll
22 Roberto MorenoAll
Minardi Scuderia ItaliaMinardi-FordM195Ford EDM 3.0 V823 Pierluigi Martini1–9
Pedro Lamy10–17
24 Luca BadoerAll
Ligier Gitanes BlondesLigier-Mugen-HondaJS41Mugen-Honda MF-301 3.0 V1025 Aguri Suzuki1–3, 9, 15–16
Martin Brundle4–8, 10–14, 17
26 Olivier PanisAll
Scuderia FerrariFerrari412T2Ferrari 044/1 3.0 V1227 Jean AlesiAll
28 Gerhard BergerAll
Red Bull Sauber FordSauber-FordC14Ford ECA Zetec-R 3.0 V829 Karl Wendlinger1–4, 16–17
Jean-Christophe Boullion5–15
30 Heinz-Harald FrentzenAll

Background

There was a threat of a drivers' strike over the terms of the 1995 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Super Licences, which allowed the FIA to demand promotional appearances and forbade the drivers from criticising the championship. This was resolved by the governing body prior to the race, ensuring full driver participation.[3]

Team changes

Driver changes

Mid-season changes

Calendar

RoundGrand PrixCircuitDate
1Brazilian Grand Prix Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo26 March
2Argentine Grand Prix Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires9 April
3San Marino Grand Prix Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola30 April
4Spanish Grand Prix Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Montmeló14 May
5Monaco Grand Prix Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo28 May
6Canadian Grand Prix Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal11 June
7French Grand Prix Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours2 July
8British Grand Prix Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone16 July
9German Grand Prix Hockenheimring, Hockenheim30 July
10Hungarian Grand Prix Hungaroring, Mogyoród13 August
11Belgian Grand Prix Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot27 August
12Italian Grand Prix Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza10 September
13Portuguese Grand Prix Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril24 September
14European Grand Prix Nürburgring, Nürburg1 October
15Pacific Grand Prix TI Circuit, Aida22 October
16Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka29 October
17Australian Grand Prix Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide12 November
Sources:[23] [24]

Background

The calendar was initially announced at the beginning of 1995, but there were doubts over the selected dates:[25]

On 6 February, a revised calendar was announced. However, some tracks still needed clearance to race.[26]

Calendar changes

Regulation changes

Regulations from 1994

In the aftermath of the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna, during the weekend of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix,[27] a number of regulation were implemented as of the 1994 German Grand Prix, intended to increase safety of the cars and to limit their performance.[28] These regulations were formalised going into 1995:

New regulations

More regulation changes followed before the start of the 1995 season:[28] [29] [30] [31] [32]

Power

The allowed engine capacity was reduced to 3 litres (down from 3.5 litres) and the description for the type of fuel that was allowed was stringently specified, to reach an approximate 100 BHP reduction in power.

Aerodynamics

All aerodynamic changes summed up were expected by reduce downforce by 30-40%.

Safety and other

Season review

Pre-season

The cars were still in various stages of development heading into the new season; the Footwork FA16 and Simtek S951 chassis arrived at the event with virtually no testing, having been completed shortly beforehand.[33] [34]

Luckily for them and other teams that were expected to be fighting over last places, the withdrawal of teams Larrousse and Lotus dropped the number of participating cars to 26, guaranteeing all entrants of a race start, without the threat of failing to qualify, for the first time since the 1994 Canadian Grand Prix.

At the front of the field, Michael Schumacher for Benetton and Damon Hill for Williams were the favourites to battle for the Drivers' Championship, with Schumacher anticipating a "struggle" for the championship.[35] Bernard Dudot, Renault's Chief Engineer, said that he believed Benetton was less well-prepared than Williams, as the former team had just changed its engine supplier to Renault, whereas Williams had been in partnership with the company since .[36]

McLaren were concerned about the standard refuelling equipment provided for 1995 by suppliers Intertechnique, having suffered a major leak in a test of the new rig outside of its factory. Intertechnique had redesigned the fuel equipment, which was used by all of the teams, in the wake of the pit lane fire suffered by driver Jos Verstappen during the previous year's German Grand Prix.[33] The new fuel rigs, in addition to being half the size of the 1994, also featured longer nozzles, and were designed to lock onto the car before any fuel could begin to flow.[37] Intertechnique traced the problem to a faulty valve within the equipment, which caused of fuel to leak, and modified the parts accordingly.[38]

Rounds 1 to 4

runner-up Damon Hill for Williams achieved pole position for the first race of the season in Brazil. Champion Michael Schumacher lined up in second in his Benetton. Hill had a bad start and was immediately overtaken by Schumacher.[39] They utilised different pit stop strategies and the battle was heating up until, on lap 31, the Williams driver spun off the track when his gearbox seized. Schumacher comfortably won the race ahead of Hill's teammate David Coulthard. Third place was contested by Mika Salo in the Tyrrell until he spun on lap 39, suffering from cramp in his hand, and was overtaken by Mika Häkkinen in the McLaren and the Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi. After the second round pit stops, Berger took third place and stayed there.[40] [41]

After the race, Schumacher and Coulthard were both disqualified, as the fuel sample taken from their cars after qualifying did not match the regulations. All classified drivers moved up two places and Berger was declared the victor.[42] [43] However, a successful appeal by the two teams saw their drivers' results reinstated, since the illegal fuel did not offer a performance advantage.[44] Still, the teams did not receive any points for the Constructors' Championship and were penalized $200,000. This division between car and driver was met with criticism.[35]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Henry, Alan . Team-by-Team Review . Alan Henry . Autocourse 1995–96 . 1995 . Hazleton Publishing . 1-874557-36-5 . 42–81. registration.
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20110604003103/http://www.fia.com/resources/documents/249180022__24_03_1995_F1_Entry_95.pdf 1995 FIA Formula One World Championship Entry List
  3. Book: Domenjoz, Luc . The 17 Grand Prix – Grande Prêmio do Brasil . Formula 1 Yearbook 1995 . 1995 . Chronosports Editeur . 2-940125-06-6 . 83 .
  4. Web site: 24 March 1995 . Press Release: 1995 FIA Formula One World Championship Entry List . Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (fia.com) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121019134458/http://www.fia.com/resources/documents/249180022__24_03_1995_F1_Entry_95.pdf . 19 October 2012. 23 January 2016.
  5. Walker, Murray (Commentators) . 26 March 1995 . Grand Prix: Brazil . Television production . . London, England . 17:15–17:45.
  6. Web site: Larrousse to miss opening GPs. GrandPrix.com . Inside F1. 20 March 1995. 15 April 2009.
  7. Web site: Larrousse goes to the wall. 24 April 1995. 22 May 2009. GrandPrix.com . Inside F1.
  8. Web site: Larrousse: a deal with DAMS?. GrandPrix.com . Inside F1. 30 January 1995. 9 March 2007.
  9. News: Hope fades for Larrousse. 17 April 1995. 4 January 2009. grandprix.com.
  10. Web site: Larrousse-DAMS – on or off?. GrandPrix.com . Inside F1. 13 February 1995. 17 March 2007.
  11. Web site: Forti. ESPN. 5 November 2019.
  12. Book: Henry, Alan . 1995 Grands Prix: Brazilian Grand Prix . Alan Henry . Autocourse 1995–96 . Hazleton Publishing . 1-874557-36-5 . 87 . 1995 . registration.
  13. "Brundle returns to Ligier" GrandPrix. Retrieved 10 March 2007
  14. Web site: When is a Benetton not a Benetton? . GrandPrix.com . Inside F1 . 13 March 1995 . 11 April 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090402201509/http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns00052.html. 2 April 2009 . live.
  15. "Minardi takes legal action against Mugen Honda" GrandPrix. Retrieved 10 March 2007
  16. "Mansell en route to McLaren" GrandPrix. Retrieved 10 March 2007
  17. "Pacific loses Salo" GrandPrix. Retrieved 17 March 2007
  18. "Tyrrell unveils 1995 package" GrandPrix. Retrieved 17 March 2007
  19. "McLaren confirms Mansell" GrandPrix. Retrieved 10 March 2007
  20. "Who goes where in 1995" GrandPrix. Retrieved 16 March 2007
  21. "Verstappen signs for Simtek" GrandPrix. Retrieved 17 March 2007
  22. "Forti – getting ready for action" GrandPrix. Retrieved 10 March 2007
  23. Web site: 1995. Chicane F1. 6 August 2023.
  24. Web site: Formula One Calendar 1995. Motorsport Stats. 6 August 2023.
  25. "Doubts over dates" GrandPrix. Retrieved 9 March 2007
  26. "Formula 1 calendar rethink" GrandPrix. Retrieved 10 March 2007
  27. Book: Henry, Alan . 1995 Grands Prix: Brazilian Grand Prix . Alan Henry . Autocourse 1995–96 . 1995 . Hazleton Publishing . 1-874557-36-5 . 86 . registration.
  28. Web site: Formula 1 rule changes in 1994 and 1995 . motorsport.com . 21 January 2024.
  29. Web site: Preview of 1995 Formula1 Cars. How the Technical Regulations have influenced design. . 23 February 1995 . grandprix.com . Peter Wright . 21 January 2024.
  30. Web site: Joe. Saward. The new engine formula for 1995. https://web.archive.org/web/20011230182451/http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ft00183.html. grandprix.com. Inside F1, Inc.. 1 September 1994. 30 December 2001.
  31. http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr557.html "Grand Prix Results: German GP, 1994
  32. Tanaka, Hiromasa. Transition of Regulation and Technology in Formula One. Honda R&D Technical Review 2009 - F1 Special (The Third Era Activities), 2009, p. 8.
  33. Book: Henry, Alan . 1995 Grands Prix: Brazilian Grand Prix . Alan Henry . Autocourse 1995–96 . Hazleton Publishing . 1-874557-36-5 . 90 . 1995 . registration.
  34. Book: Henry, Alan . 1995 Grands Prix: Brazilian Grand Prix . Alan Henry . Autocourse 1995–96 . Hazleton Publishing . 1-874557-36-5 . 88 . 1995 . registration.
  35. Book: Hilton, Christopher . Michael Schumacher: The Whole Story . 1-84425-008-3 . Haynes Publishing . 157–163 . 2006.
  36. Book: Domenjoz, Luc . The 17 Grand Prix – Grande Prêmio do Brasil . Formula 1 Yearbook 1995 . 1995 . Chronosports Editeur . 2-940125-06-6 . 76 .
  37. Web site: F1 updates its refuelling equipment . GrandPrix.com . Inside F1 . 13 March 1995 . 21 April 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090402201514/http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns00054.html. 2 April 2009 . live.
  38. Web site: More worries over refueling . GrandPrix.com . Inside F1 . 27 March 1995 . 21 April 2009.
  39. Web site: Grand Prix Results: Brazilian GP, 1995 . GrandPrix.com . Inside F1 . 2009-04-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090211003701/http://grandprix.com/gpe/rr565.html . 2009-02-11 . live .
  40. 1995-12-11 . FIA Formula 1 World Championship – 1995 Season Review . . . 2008-08-20 . 15:00–27:00 . EAN-13 5 017559 034955 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080627091052/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Formula-Grand-Prix-Review-1995/dp/B00004CRI7 . 2008-06-27 . live .
  41. Book: Henry, Alan . 1995 Grands Prix: Brazilian Grand Prix . Alan Henry . Autocourse 1995–96 . 1995 . Hazleton Publishing . 1-874557-36-5 . 91–93 . December 1995 . registration.
  42. Web site: 1995-03-29 . Exclusion of Car.1 (Schumacher / Benetton) and Car No. 6 (Coulthard / Williams) from the results of the Brazilian Grand Prix . 2009-04-11 . . fia.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050302043419/http://www.fia.com/resources/documents/314726189__29_03_1995_F1_BRA_GP_Fuel.pdf . March 2, 2005 .
  43. Web site: F1's weight problems . GrandPrix.com . Inside F1 . 1995-03-27 . 2009-04-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100105040919/http://grandprix.com/ns/ns00072.html . 2010-01-05 . live .
  44. News: Allsop . Derick . 14 April 1995 . Schumacher and Coulthard reinstated . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/schumacher-and-coulthard-reinstated-1615631.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live . . London . 8 January 2019.