Author Archives: PressBox

Damon Hill won the 1996 Formula 1 World Championship at Suzuka on Oct. 13, taking the Japanese Grand Prix and clinching the title in the season’s final race. Hill entered the race with a nine-point lead over Jacques Villeneuve, started from second on the grid and took control early after a strong start. Villeneuve, who had started from pole position, dropped to sixth after a poor start, and Gerhard Berger briefly challenged Hill before Hill pulled clear.

Hill sealed the championship when Villeneuve retired on lap 36 after his right-rear wheel came off. Hill finished ahead of Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen, and Murray Walker’s emotional call could be heard as he crossed the finish line. The victory made Hill Formula 1’s first second-generation world champion and the first son of a Formula 1 World Champion to win the title.

The triumph also came as Hill was leaving Williams, which had already decided to replace him with Heinz-Harald Frentzen for 1997. After the race, Hill said, “I am sorry to be going, but what a way to leave.”

Laurent Mekies said Max Verstappen’s technical sensitivity has been outstanding and that his feedback has played a massive role in Red Bull’s comeback by helping engineers identify the RB22’s weaknesses. Mekies said the team’s direct, transparent relationship with Verstappen has also been a major boost for both chassis development and power unit development.

Red Bull’s resurgence has been built on gradual chassis improvements, with the biggest gains coming from better power-unit performance, especially in energy harvesting and deployment. The team introduced upgrade packages in Austria and Azerbaijan, and Mekies said the car became more driveable after them. The Austria package covered eight areas, including the floor, sidepods, rear suspension and rear wing.

Verstappen converted pole position into victories in both the Sprint and the race at the Singapore Grand Prix on his 250th Formula 1 start, and Red Bull have now won back-to-back races in Malaysia and Singapore. The team are within seven points of McLaren in the fight for third in the constructors’ standings. Mekies said Red Bull have finished this season’s upgrade program, are already looking toward 2027 while still trying to learn from the remaining races, and are not getting carried away because the competitive order can change quickly if rivals bring upgrades.

Formula 1 will return to Africa for the first time since 1993 under a 10-year deal that will see Rwanda host a new Grand Prix, with the race expected to join the calendar in the early 2030s. Formula 1 has not yet decided where the event will fit in the schedule, which remains capped at 24 races a year.

The race will be held on a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, about 40 kilometers south of Kigali and next to the under-construction Bugesera International Airport. The track will be completed to FIA Grade 1 standards and designed by former driver Alex Wurz and his company. Formula 1 said the circuit will use Bugesera’s hilly landscape and elevation changes to create a fast, challenging track.

The agreement was announced in Kigali by Paul Kagame, Stefano Domenicali and Mohammed Ben Sulayem. President Kagame said the race would bring jobs, skills, tourism and business. Domenicali called the deal “a landmark moment for the sport’s return to every inhabited continent.” The event is presented by Visit Rwanda and is part of a wider sports, tourism, infrastructure and commercial development led by the Rwanda Development Board, with goals that include long-term economic, social and motorsport benefits, support for local talent and a lasting legacy.

Fernando Alonso said his Honda turbo was broken before the Singapore Grand Prix and had to be replaced, but Honda said the turbo unit was not broken and was changed because of Alonso’s feedback. Shintaro Orihara said Honda had not found any problem in its data and that the team would conduct a deeper investigation at its Sakura base before the United States Grand Prix. Orihara also said, “the driver is the best sensor.”

Aston Martin changed components on both cars before qualifying in Singapore, and the pre-qualifying changes sent Alonso and Lance Stroll to the pit lane to start the race. Alonso later said his car lacked power, and he said energy deployment problems cost him positions, especially after virtual safety cars.

Alonso finished 16th in Singapore after starting from the pit lane with a new power unit.

McLaren’s recent slide from race-winning pace to clearly fourth-best over the last three races has raised pressure on the team to find a deeper fix for its Formula 1 car. Across Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Singapore, McLaren scored 33 points and risked being overtaken by Red Bull for third place in the constructors’ championship. Team principal Andrea Stella said the car needs something more fundamental than added downforce, citing weakness in low-speed corners, on corner entry and on the straights. Lando Norris said the car is too difficult to drive and a long way off.

The struggles were on display again in Singapore, where Norris finished fourth and Oscar Piastri finished fifth. Norris said McLaren was clearly the fourth-fastest team, and both drivers said the team still lacked the pace shown by Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari. Piastri said McLaren are not quick enough and need a significant step forward to fight for podiums and wins.

McLaren said the slump also reflected circumstances and driver mistakes, including a fuel-system issue for Norris, along with poor tire and strategy calls and a lack of raw speed. Norris apologized after admitting impatience in battles with Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli, while Piastri recovered from a slow puncture and passed Hamilton on the penultimate lap to finish fifth. McLaren expects an aerodynamic upgrade at the Austin Grand Prix, is planning further updates for 2026 and is targeting a deeper fix for the 2027 MCL41.