-May 1, 1994 is a day that will live forever in the minds of Formula 1 fans. It goes back to 1991, when Nigel Mansell was gone from racing and Alain Prost retired. A young Michael Schumacher, who was on Team Jordan then moved onto Benetton, took on Ayrton Senna. Both would test the new cars of the 1990s. Everyone almost expected Senna and Williams to take the World Championship. In the first three races of the 1994 season, Senna failed to finish and Schumacher won each time, giving him 30 points in the championship. As Senna had predicted earlier, when he said at a pre-race interview at Interlagos in Brazil "It's going to be a season with lots of accidents, and I'll risk saying that we'll be lucky if something really serious doesn't happen", something did. During practice, two separate crashes occurred. Both were incredibly violent crashes. One killed first year Simtek driver Roland Ratzenberger, making him the first Formula One death in 12 years and the other was Brazilian Rubens Barrichello. Luckily, he survived and was taken to the hospital.
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| Michael Schumacher |
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| Ayrton Senna |
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| Rubens Barrichello |
-The next day, at Lisbon, Senna was racing as usual and was in first place ahead of Schumacher. On lap seven, his Rothmans Williams-Renault car bottomed out at the fast Tamburello corner, struck the wall at 180+ mph and bounced back onto the track, a tangled mess of car. After track marshals hoped for a quick twitch of the head to signal a pulse, their hopes died off as Senna's head was motionless. He was extracted from the car and flown to a nearby hospital after being given first aid. He died hours later in the hospital. The cause of death was a suspension arm from the car puncturing his helmet. When asked about the incident, Michael Schumacher was devastated. He was quoted as saying "For me, dying on a race track was something related to the past, to the times I didn’t know a lot about, but clearly not to ‘our’ times. The Sunday night after the race I was totally shattered. I was seriously thinking about quitting F1, as I struggled with the fact that people could lose their lives there."
-The FIA now inserted more rules to protect the drivers. One of these rules or changes included emergency changes to slow the cars further, requiring speed limits coming into/out of the pits, "stepped" bottoms to reduce downforce, limiting the wing sizes, increasing the cockpit openings. As a sign of respect, the next race at Monaco, the first two spaces were left empty and a moment of silence was performed.
-Nigel Mansell had returned to F1 in 1995, lasting only three races in a specially designed "fat" McLaren to fit his size. 1996 seen Damon Hill capturing the World Championship and Jacques Villeneuve joining Team Williams. Michael Schumacher had, by that time, moved onto Ferrari Racing and won three races for Maranello. This seemed to set the stage for a new era of drivers to come in and try their hand at victory
-As the late 20th century was coming to a close, a new batch of drivers were coming in. People like Mika Hakkinen, Eddie Irvine had come in and were making success in the world of F1. Of course, issues would come up occasionally. Michael Schumacher had gotten the black flag for "overtaking" on the pre-race formation lap at Silverstone. Schumacher was, once again, punished at Hungaroring, where he was disqualified for the wooden undertray plank being considered "too thin" to comply with new FIA regulations. 1995 seen controversy of all kinds. This included Damon Hill colliding with Schumacher at Silverstone, spinning out while in the lead at Hockenheim and making a mountain of a mess at Nurburgring when Schumacher tested rain tires and pit strategy to clearly pass Jean Alesi with three laps to finish to win while Hill crashed in the process of trying to catch the German
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| Eddie Irvine |
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| Mika Hakkinen |
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| Damon Hill |
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| Hockenheim |
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| Silverstone |
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| New Nurburgring track |
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| Original Nurburgring track |
1996-1997
-Off track feuds were starting once more. Frank Williams had dumped British driver David Coulthard for Jacques Villeneuve. The French driver outpaced Damon Hill at the 1996 Australian GP at Melbourne's Albert Park. He almost won but had to accept second place due to an oil leak. Damon was fired by Williams, but moved on to Tom Walkinshaw TWR Arrows racing, which wasn't very competitive. The 1996 season seen Oliver Panis coming through to take first place at Monaco while the major downpour had only three cars finishing. In 1997, Jacques Villeneuve caused controversy by winning the World Championship race. He had dyed his hair blonde at that point and was driving the last of the Adrian Newy-designed Williams race team cars. He won the pole position in the first GP of the racing season, but he was shunted into the gravel at the first corner by Eddie Irvine of Ferrari Racing. Despite some erratic driving, Villeneuve managed to score some great statistics thereafter, especially for a second year F1 driver
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| David Coulthard |
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| Jacques Villeneuve |
-1997 seen the introduction of Jackie Stewart's Stewarts Racing team. It was backed by Ford and won second place with Rubens Barrichello at the rainy race in Monaco. Team Tyrrell, however, introduced the "ugly" X-wings, which were sidepod mounted winglets. These would be banned in 1998. The rules had changed once more and thus would alter the sport for good. Refueling was added as a change, but F1 enthusiasts whined about GP racing had become more about technical skill such as overtaking on the track and pit stop strategies rather than passing cars on the track itself. Strategists for the races deduced that cars could gain benefit from not one stop, but two or three for refuelling, tires and more. It would mean the car would run quicker on a lower fuel load, which meant less weight and using the soft tire compounds which had more grip on the track. It saved 30+ seconds being used in the pit lanes. Michael Schumacher was leading the charge here. His technical savvy from Benetton had moved onto Ferrari, where he used quick "in laps", allowing him to pass faster cars
-McLaren Racing had changed their team colors from orange and white when Marlboro withdrew from Formula One. They now returned to F1 racing with new silver cars powered by Mercedes, reminding people of the "Silver Arrows" from the 1950s. Around this time, the drivers for McLaren International were Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard. The Scottish-British driver won the opening race to kick off the 1996 season and with his good sportsmanship, he allowed the Finnish driver to win his first GP at Spain's Jerez.
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| Circuito Jerez |
1998
-The Formula One season for 1998 proved to be the most exciting it's ever been in years. The cars were faster, overtaking was just as difficult as it's always been and there were new drivers coming in, adding fresh air to the races. Mike Hakkinen's McLaren won four of the six races. After Hakkinen won at Monaco, it looked like Ferrari's shining star was slowly fading, leading to another season of doom as F1 fans now seen McLaren's star getting brighter. At the Spa-Francordchamp track in Belgium, it was a controversial race. 13 cars were put out of action after a 13-car shunt at the La Source hairpin turn. The shunt was initiated by David Coulthard and many cars went out of action after the first corner. During the restart, Hakkinen spun out and devastated his McLaren when he hit driver Johnny Herbert's Sauber-Petronas. The rain started pouring hard and Schumacher was in the lead. He hit a slow-moving Coulthard in the spray from his car, ripping off the entire right side of his Ferrari. Schumacher wanted to get a little payback with "DC", but mechanics pushed him away from the fight to be in the pit lanes. Damon Hill won, giving Team Jordan their first GP win
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| Spa Francordchamps Race Track in Belgium |
1999
-1999 marks the 50th anniversary of Formula One racing and the end of the first century and first millennium of grand prix racing. Driver Alex Zanardi had returned to F1 racing after CART racing in the US. Many expected a return to success for Williams racing and another Schumacher-Hakkinen rivalry. Instead, Zanardi never got the hand of the modern F1 cars, with its twitchy mechanics and handling and grooved tires. He was at the back at most of the races. Williams did indeed score with high success with Ralf Schumacher driving. Stewart Gran Prix was having a great season, earning Johnny Herbert his third win, Jacques Villeneuve was leading a highly funded British American Racing (BAR) team, using a modernized Reynard chassis that was dominating American IndyCar racing, but ended with a pointless finish
-The "other" Schumacher, Michael, was seemingly having a bad season. He broke his legs on one lap at Silverstone after a full wheel lock sent him crashing into the tire barrier. His Ferrari racing team mate Eddie Irvine took the lead and won four races and finishing 98% of the laps in the season.
2000
-With the dawn of the new millennium, fans were hoping to see Team Jaguar come up and race, particularly because of Ford's acquisition of Team Stewart. But nothing came about. McLaren and Ferrari were still the reigning kings. Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, were still winning for Ferrari. Barrichello had won the German GP in place of Schumacher. At the US GP at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Schumacher won the race in September, after returning to F1 racing after nine years. He also won the Japanese GP at Suzuka. At the race in Monza, he managed to tie Ayrton Senna for most career wins.
-The 2000s witnessed the rebirth of Scuderia Ferrari. With this new rebirth and the sixth decade in which Formula One racing had been around, new faces and now familiar F1 names were throwing their hats into the ring and joining the F1 world. French tire company Michelin returned and two now familiar names, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, started at the back of the grid. Fernando Alonso was with Minardi Racing and Kimi Raikkonen was with Sauber Racing. Another name from CART/IndyCar, Juan Pablo Montoya, was even in the race. He was on Williams Racing team in addition to young British driver Jenson Button.
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| Fernando Alonso |
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| Kimi Raikkonen |
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| Jenson Button |
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| Juan Pablo Montoya |
-Button managed to become the youngest driver to score a Formula One point at 1999's Brazilian GP. He had replaced Alex Zanardi in 2000. During the long ban on traction control, the FIA re-allowed its use in 2001 because of the software in digital engine control units (ECUs) was not being used to re-create the traction control functions. None the less, results still came out the same. Michael Schumacher won with a record 558 points, winning nine races, five 2nd places and, together with his team mate Rubens Barrichello, Scuderia Ferrari won the constructor's award. 2001 seemed to be the year for Schumacher, as he had five straight World Championships under his name. 2001 also marked the end for GP racing on several points. It was the final GP race for Jean Alesi, who competed in his final race, the Japanese GP. It was the end for world famous British Formula One TV announcer Murray Walker. It was to be Mika Hakkinen's last win for Formula One. F1 teams Benetton and Prost disappeared from the world they knew so well. Prost quit F1 due to lack of financing while Team Benetton was changed to Renault after the French automobile company the bought the team
-2003 seen a more interesting season for GP racing. Malaysia's Sepang Circuit would have its own challenges. Because of the tropical rainy season in Malaysia, conditions got so bad that two Ferraris, driven by Schumacher and Barrichello, spun off the road at almost the same corner. They luckily recovered and won the race for Scuderia Ferrari. Other major highs from that season included Juan Pablo Montoya winning three poles in six races and his win at Monza. It was an especially special day because it was the first Formula One race after the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington D.C. That weekend was certainly the most calm because, unlike usual races where the winner gets sprayed with champagne and more, there was none of that. Ferrari was painted with black noses in honor of those who lost their lives in 9/11. And in Germany, driver Alex Zanardi was seriously injured in a CART race crash. It led to the emergency amputation of both of his legs
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| Sepang race track in Malaysia |
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| Monza race track in Italy |
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| The crash that cost Alex Zanardi his legs |
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| Alex Zanardi |
2002
-During the 2002 season, Michael Schumacher managed to finish in first or second place in every race except the Malaysian GP, where he came in third. He also dominated the newly renovated Hockenheimring. This track had been renovated to remove any dangerous areas and was now filled with 100,000 fans. Schumacher won that race too in a Ferrari F2002. The Monaco GP seen David Coulthard emerging on top to the only victory he and his McLaren would have for the 2002 season. The Canadian GP seen Ferrari's 150th win in Formula One. Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen had gone from Sauber Racing to McLaren Racing, but had retired in 10 out of 17 of the season's races. Felipe Massa was brought in to replace him. Fernando Alonso left in 2001, joining Renault as a driver, while his former seat was taken by Australian driver Mark Webber.
2003
-Ferrari dominated the race season once again. The 2003 season is where the FIA once again looked at the rules and edited the technical regulations. One-lap qualifying was introduced to get smaller teams more exposure on TV, thus giving them a chance to get their name out. Friday testing was made optional at GP events to exchange for fewer miles on stand alone test days. This allowed less affluent race teams the chance to have a cheaper option to off season testing. Only one type of rain tire was allowed for wet races. Cars were to start with the same fuel load used in qualifying. The point scoring strategy was extended. This meant that it went from 10, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 for the first six finishers to 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for the top eight finishers. It was an attempt at equality for the drivers.
2004
-Michael Schumacher was, once again, on top with Scuderia Ferrari. The final race of 2003 had fans biting their nails in anticipation of a win and they suspected 2004 was going to try and top that. It certainly did. Schumacher scored 12 wins in 13 races, while scoring his seventh (and last) World Championship. His series of wins was broken at Monaco when Juan Pablo Montoya struck Schumacher from behind in the tunnel. Michael's brother Ralf Schumacher was in a massive accident at the US GP at Indianapolis and was out of commission for six races. The 2004 season introduced new regulations concerning reusable car parts. Each driver had had one engine for the entire GP weekend otherwise a 10-spot grid penalty was issued. The F1 season calendar now featured two new locations, Bahrain and China. They were to be held at two entirely new tracks in Sakhir and Shanghai. It was the new F1 season to feature races outside of Europe, with 8 new races held in the US, Asia, Oceania. The Brazilian GP was moved to the season finale from its early season spot while the US GP was moved to late June instead of late September. It would be a back-to-back race with the Canadian GP
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| Sakhir race track in Bahrain |
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| Shanghai race track |
-Ford announced that it would not be racing in Formula One during 2005, selling its Cosworth divisions. The Ford Jaguar Team was bought by energy drink company Red Bull and renamed Red Bull Racing. The closing of the 2004 season saw Montoya's Williams-BMW clearly outpacing future teammate Kimi Raikkonen's Mercedes-McLaren at the race in Brazil. They were so close that they often ran side by side into the pit lanes.
2005-2006
-2005 seen another revision of regulations by FIA. In an effort to cut speeds down, the rules had demanded that the front wings be raised, bringing the rear wing forward and changing the rear diffuser appearance, all to reduce downward force. This didn't deter the designers. They came up with interesting designs, such as the "horn" winglets first seen on the McLaren MP4-20. Every part of the modern F1 cars had been modified. It's all related to aerodynamics, from the shape of the suspension arms to the driver's helmet. Schumacher saw a new post-Ferrari era coming forth when 22-year-old Spanish driver Fernando Alonso, now driving for Renault, came forth to challenge Schumacher. Alonso already looked like a good driver; he took the pole at the 2003 Malaysia GP, claiming a podium finish. He got Schumacher to a second place win at Circuit de Catalunya and became the youngest F1 winner at Hungaroring. 2005 seen a slight rivalry between Alonso and Schumacher building. At the German GP, they'd won ever race between them except for Malaysia. That race fell to Alonso's teammate Gianarlo Fischella. Alonso overtook Schumacher and won at Imola and then won again at the US GP at Indianapolis. Ferrari won the 2006 season's finale at Interlagos, with driver Felipe Massa at the wheel
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| Interlagos race track in Brazil |
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| Fernando Alonso |
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| Hungaroring track in Hungary |
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| Circuit de Catalunya Barcelona in Spain |
