Monaco GP: Olivier Panis, the last Frenchman to win in the Principality
Trintignant, Beltoise, Depailler or even Prost, Frenchmen who made the legend of Formula 1. Each of them won a race in the Principality. The last to have done so was Olivier Panis. Winner on May 19, 1996 following a broken race, the Ligier driver had shown himself to be opportunistic and had won his one and only race in Formula 1.
This victory, no one could guess at this moment. It then became the starting point of a long period of scarcity for French pilots. A period of 24 years 3 months and 18 days where no French driver won in F1. Even if Pierre Gasly stopped this dark series at Monza in 2020, this period has continued inexorably in Monaco for more than 25 long years now. Story of the last French success on Monegasque lands.
In Monaco in 1996, there are only 3 left
At the start of this 1996 Monaco Grand Prix, the big names were hoping for victory. Dominated by Williams-Renault, this 96 season was the scene of a battle between Damon Hill and his teammate, but also rookie, Jacques Villeneuve. However, neither of them took pole position. Indeed, while Hill conceded the first place, Villeneuve started in tenth position. The poleman of the day is none other than Michael Schumacher. Alesi, Coulthard, Häkkinen all set off ahead of Olivier Panis who qualified in 14th position. The Ligier driver was then far from imagining what was to follow.
F1 — Monaco GP: the complete TV program for the weekend in the Principality
A few minutes before the race, a heavy downpour fell on Monaco, covering the entire track. At the start of the race, the rain stopped falling but the track remained wet. At the first corner, Damon Hill passed in front of Michael Schumacher and took the lead of the race. Jean Alesi, then 3rd, recounts the difficulties he encountered during the first lap of the race. “In the rise of the Casino, I did not lose control of the car but I was skating everywhere”, he told F1TV. So very close to Schumacher, the Benetton-Renault driver was at the forefront of the accident of Michael Schumacher who hit the rail at the exit of turn 7, Mirabeau low. The reigning world champion then leaves the field open to Hill who escapes far ahead.
Victim of an engine failure, Damon Hill was upset to retire on the 40th lap of the race and then left the race lead to Jean Alesi. At this point in the race, there are only 10 drivers left on the track out of 21 drivers on the starting grid. Between collisions, off-tracks or even engine failures, this race is a real hell for many drivers. Moreover, the drivers still have more than 25 laps to complete.
After two hours, Panis winner
Following the retirement of Damon Hill, Alesi is in the lead and is followed by Panis and Coulthard. Starting 14th on the grid, the Frenchman is then in the race for victory despite the precision of his compatriot in the streets of Monaco. However, 20 laps after Damon Hill, it was the Benetton driver’s turn to be hit by bad luck. While it is necessary to have a puncture, the Frenchman returns to the pits. However, once in the pit lane, his mechanics stopped him dead. Rear suspension broken, race over. “It was a horror”, he admitted more recently. Olivier Panis then finds himself at the head of this race for the Hollywood script.
A few seconds ahead of Coulthard, Olivier Panis saw his lead shrink, lap after lap. Indeed, Coulthard’s McLaren is faster, with a better rhythm and very quickly proves dangerous on the Frenchman. Villeneuve, still in the race, still hopes to score big points in the championship to catch up with his teammate. However, as he attacked Luca Badoer, Villeneuve crashed into the Italian who did not give him the necessary space. The two cars on the mat and more than 7 drivers on the track. A final accident two laps from the finish occurs between 3 cars due to a pile-up initiated by Eddie Irvine’s Ferrari which sends the two Finns Mika Häkkinnen and Salo to the mat.
Olivier Panis will resist until the end of the race, finishing 3 laps before the end with the two-hour rule of the Monaco Grand Prix. Indeed, the race in the Principality lasts a maximum of two hours if you cannot complete the 78 loops on the program. An unprecedented victory for Mugen-Honda, Ligier’s engine manufacturer, after 75 laps ahead of Coulthard’s McLaren and Frentzen’s Sauber. Panis’ one and only Formula 1 win in his 158-start Formula 1 career.