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EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX EXCLUSIVE
Villeneuve Wins a Beauty
by Nicholas Frankl
TACH European Bureau
Damon Hill's run of 4 successive victories ended this afternoon when French-Canadian team mate Jacques Villeneuve clinched his first Grand Prix win. Hill, who started from pole, made what he described as a "ghastly start", dropping back to fifth position by the first corner behind arch rival Micheal Schumacher in the Ferrari, who himself had been pipped by Barrichello in the Jordan.
A group of four emerged, headed by Coulthard in the McLaren Mercedes who had stormed from sixth on the grid to second.
" It wasn't the best start I've ever made, I managed eighth to second once in F3" explained the Scot." But it's was nice to fly past the pack, at one stage I thought I was going to be first into the corner but Jacques held on."
Indeed with Barrichello holding off the Williams, and Schumacher right on Hill's exhaust pipe, ready to pounce if the Brit slipped up, Villeneuve was able to extend a sizable lead which by his first pit stop on lap 26 was over fifteen seconds. Casualties at this stage included Alesi (Benetton), Panis (Ligier) and Irvine (Ferrari).
Hill was fortunate not to join them when he dived down the inside of Diniz. The Brazilian, choosing not to notice the large white and Blue object, shut the door and forced Hill off the track, allowing Barrichello to re-pass him. Hill was not amused.
"That incident cost me the podium, I knew it was expecting a lot for Diniz to use his mirrors but I had no option but to go for it". The resulting pit stop, to check over the rear of the car, cost the Championship leader over a minute, rejoining in tenth place. "
From then on I drove my socks off and the car was really great". said Hill, who mounted a concertive attack, which produced a drive of unfamiliar aggression from a man who has had it all his own way of late, eventually closing on ex-team mate Coulthard in third place who made his car extremely wide.
"There was no way I was going to let him past, not with the podium at stake and this being Mercedes's home track". Acknowledged the McLaren driver.
It was Coulthard who unwittingly held up Schumacher after his final pit stop. Those few seconds were enough to enable Villeneuve to pit and rejoin on lap 46 still in the lead. The Ferrari, steered with all the courage the Champ could muster in front of a sea of patriotic Germans launching fire works into the air, and screaming wildly at every sight of their hero, quickly made up the deficit and was soon looming large in the Williams mirrors. Try as he did, even on a track he knows well, Schumi was unable to find the final few feet necessary for a move.
"I was thinking about last year, when I took the lead in the last laps, but the car just didn't have the speed on the straights to get me close enough," said a very relieved Schumacher, " I'm just please to have finished in second place, it shows that we are making progress, we will make it I'm sure."
With ten laps to go and everyone of them under extreme pressure, the young blood Canadian kept a cool head, driving with a control and confidence that has made him the Champion he is and the future Champion he will no doubt be. His only worry, that of back makers and the possibility of this allowing the Black Stallion to pounce. With half the field already lapped, and Berger some three seconds ahead, the threat never materialised. Villeneuve blasting out of the last corner arm raised ready to salute the chequered flag.
Wearing a broad grin, one reservered for every drivers first win, Villenevue agreed that he'd been fortunate at the beginning.
"The car was much better than in qualifying, and particularly good after my second pit stop, which was useful as Micheal was going really strongly. It is a great feeling to win here and win my first race. We have worked hard to get there and it's good to get there so early. I was worried about Micheal, at times he was too close to be comfortable but he made it fun - as long as I stayed in front it was fun, but if he'd gone by me I wouldn't have thought it was!"
But the real winner today was Formula One. The Tv got a good show and so did the crowd, and Hill secretly will admit that a Championship with only one winner is no Championship at all. But he'll have to watch it, Hill now tally's 33 points, his team mate stands on 22. It's most definitely not over yet.
