1995 French Grand Prix

The LXXXI Grand Prix de France, otherwise known as the 1995 French Grand Prix, was the seventh round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in Magny-Cours, France, on the 2 July 1995.'French GP, 1995', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr571.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019) The race would go down as one of the dullest in F1 history, as Michael Schumacher claimed victory at a canter for .
The build-up to the weekend had been anything but dull, with Benetton boss Flavio Briatore involving himself in a legal battle between and their third part engine suppliers. However, Briatore was on the verge of losing his lead driver for , with Schumacher reportedly very close to signing a contract with with a wage estimated at $20 million.
Qualifying too was also full of intrigue, with Schumacher fighting throughout the session with the two s of Damon Hill and David Coulthard. Ultimately it was Hill who prevailed to claim pole position, a last-gasp running seeing the Brit find a quarter of a second on the German, while Coulthard was three quarters of a second down in third.
Unfortunately practice had revealed that the only feasible strategy for the race would be a two stop, meaning everyone would have the same pit rotation. That meant that all of the pressure would be at the start of the race, with drivers effectively having one shot at improving their position.
It was Hill who got away form the grid best, sprinting away from Schumacher to claim the lead. Rubens Barrichello also got a good launch to sweep ahead of Coulthard and Jean Alesi, although the Brazilian was quickly put under investigation for a jump start.
Hill and Schumacher quickly cleared off at the head of the field, leaving Coulthard to try and find a way past Barrichello's stubborn . Unfortunately for the Scot he would lose any chance of challenging for victory in the eleven laps he was stuck behind the Brazilian, and would only get past once Barrichello was slapped with a stop-go penalty for jumping the start.
Further back Alesi was defending heavily from a frustrated Johnny Herbert, who was fighting for his future at Benetton. The Frenchman and the Brit duly collided in the midst of their fight, Herbert getting sent straight into the barriers, gifting Martin Brundle fourth place for as Gerhard Berger, who had been behind the pair, had to take avoiding action.
Out front, meanwhile, the race would be decided during the first pitstop window, with Schumacher staying out a few laps longer than Hill and delivering a series of fastest laps. He duly claimed an eight second lead with his overcut, and would spend the rest of the afternoon easing clear of the #5 Williams.
With that the race was effectively over, with Schumacher cruising home thirty seconds clear of Hill to extend his Championship lead. Coulthard was next, but had to fend off a late charge from Brundle late on, while Alesi and Barrichello claimed the remaining points.
==Background==
In-spite of his late race failure, Michael Schumacher would leave the Canadian Grand Prix with his lead having been enhanced to seven points, having claimed 36 points across the opening six races. Damon Hill remained his closest challenger, although race winner Jean Alesi had made ground, moving onto 24 points for the season. Gerhard Berger was next ahead of Johnny Herbert, with thirteen drivers on the board.
In the Constructors Championship there had been another shuffle at the top of the field, with taking a turn at the top of the table on 41 points. They hence bumped down to second, who dropped three behind the Scuderia, while slipped to third, nine off the lead. A twenty point gap then followed to , fresh from their strongest weekend, with completing the top five.
===Entry List===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
1 	Michael Schumacher 	Mild Seven Benetton Renault 	 	B195 	 	RS7B 3.0 V10 	
2 	Johnny Herbert 	Mild Seven Benetton Renault 	 	B195 	 	RS7B 3.0 V10 	
3 	Ukyo Katayama 	Nokia Tyrrell Yamaha 	 	023 	 	OX10C 3.0 V10 	
4 	Mika Salo 	Nokia Tyrrell Yamaha 	 	023 	 	OX10C 3.0 V10 	
5 	Damon Hill 	Rothmans Williams Renault 	 	FW17 	 	RS7B 3.0 V10 	
6 	David Coulthard 	Rothmans Williams Renault 	 	FW17 	 	RS7B 3.0 V10 	
7 	Mark Blundell 	Marlboro McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4/10B 	 	FO 110 3.0 V10 	
8 	Mika Häkkinen 	Marlboro McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4/10B 	 	FO 110 3.0 V10 	
9 	Gianni Morbidelli 	Footwork Hart 	 	FA16 	 	830 3.0 V8 	
10 	Taki Inoue 	Footwork Hart 	 	FA16 	 	830 3.0 V8 	
14 	Rubens Barrichello 	Total Jordan Peugeot 	 	195 	 	A10 3.0 V10 	
15 	Eddie Irvine 	Total Jordan Peugeot 	 	195 	 	A10 3.0 V10 	
16 	Bertrand Gachot 	Pacific Grand Prix Ltd. 	 	PR02 	 	EDC 3.0 V8 	
17 	Andrea Montermini 	Pacific Grand Prix Ltd. 	 	PR02 	 	EDC 3.0 V8 	
21 	Pedro Diniz 	Parmalat Forti Ford 	 	FG01 	 	EDD 3.0 V8 	
22 	Roberto Moreno 	Parmalat Forti Ford 	 	FG01 	 	EDD 3.0 V8 	
23 	Pierluigi Martini 	Minardi Scuderia Italia 	 	M195 	 	EDM 3.0 V8 	
24 	Luca Badoer 	Minardi Scuderia Italia 	 	M195 	 	EDM 3.0 V8 	
25 	Martin Brundle 	Ligier Gitanes Blondes 	 	JS41 	 	MF301 3.0 V10 	
26 	Olivier Panis 	Ligier Gitanes Blondes 	 	JS41 	 	MF301 3.0 V10 	
27 	Jean Alesi 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	412T2 	 	044/1 3.0 V12 	
28 	Gerhard Berger 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	412T2 	 	044/1 3.0 V12 	
29 	Jean-Christophe Boullion 	Red Bull Sauber Ford 	 	C14 	 	ECA Zetec-R 3.0 V8 	
30 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	Red Bull Sauber Ford 	 	C14 	 	ECA Zetec-R 3.0 V8 	
Source:'France 1995: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Friday Qualifying===
===Saturday Qualifying===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Time 	Time 	Gap
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Q1 	Q2 	Gap
1 	5 	Damon Hill 	 	1:18.556 	1:17.225 	—
2 	1 	Michael Schumacher 	 	1:18.893 	1:17.512 	+0.287s
3 	6 	David Coulthard 	 	1:18.585 	1:17.925 	+0.700s
4 	27 	Jean Alesi 	 	1:19.254 	1:18.761 	+1.536s
5 	14 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	1:19.763 	1:18.810 	+1.585s
6 	26 	Olivier Panis 	 	1:19.466 	1:19.047 	+1.822s
7 	28 	Gerhard Berger 	 	1:19.051 	1:19.295 	+1.826s
8 	8 	Mika Häkkinen 	 	1:20.218 	1:19.238 	+2.013s
9 	25 	Martin Brundle 	 	1:19.384 	1:19.524 	+2.159s
10 	2 	Johnny Herbert 	 	1:19.555 	1:20.000 	+2.330s
11 	15 	Eddie Irvine 	 	1:20.713 	1:19.845 	+2.620s
12 	30 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	 	1:21.111 	1:20.309 	+3.084s
13 	7 	Mark Blundell 	 	1:20.804 	1:20.527 	+3.302s
14 	4 	Mika Salo 	 	1:21.921 	1:20.796 	+3.571s
15 	29 	Jean-Christophe Boullion 	 	1:22.382 	1:20.943 	+3.718s
16 	9 	Gianni Morbidelli 	 	1:21.756 	1:21.076 	+3.851s
17 	24 	Luca Badoer 	 	— 	1:21.323 	+4.098s
18 	10 	Taki Inoue 	 	1:23.355 	1:21.894 	+4.669s
19 	3 	Ukyo Katayama 	 	1:22.959 	1:21.930 	+4.705s
20 	23 	Pierluigi Martini 	 	— 	1:22.104 	+4.879s
21 	17 	Andrea Montermini 	 	1:24.172 	1:23.466 	+6.241s
22 	16 	Bertrand Gachot 	 	1:24.509 	1:23.647 	+6.422s
23 	21 	Pedro Diniz 	 	1:25.787 	1:24.184 	+6.959s
24 	22 	Roberto Moreno 	 	1:26.445 	1:24.865 	+7.640s
Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'France 1995: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'France 1995: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'France 1995: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'France 1995: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'France 1995: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'France 1995: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1995/races/627/france/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019)'France 1995: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session.
*Bold indicates a driver's best/qualifying time.
===Grid===
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	1 	Michael Schumacher 	 	72 	1:38:28.429 	2 	10
2 	5 	Damon Hill 	 	72 	+31.309s 	1 	6
3 	6 	David Coulthard 	 	72 	+1:02.826 	3 	4
4 	25 	Martin Brundle 	 	72 	+1:03.293 	9 	3
5 	27 	Jean Alesi 	 	72 	+1:17.869 	4 	2
6 	14 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	71 	+1 Lap 	5 	1
7 	8 	Mika Häkkinen 	 	71 	+1 Lap 	8 	
8 	26 	Olivier Panis 	 	71 	+1 Lap 	6 	
9 	15 	Eddie Irvine 	 	71 	+1 Lap 	11 	
10 	30 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	 	71 	+1 Lap 	12 	
11 	7 	Mark Blundell 	 	70 	+2 Laps 	13 	
12 	28 	Gerhard Berger 	 	70 	+2 Laps 	7 	
13 	24 	Luca Badoer 	 	69 	+3 Laps 	17 	
14 	9 	Gianni Morbidelli 	 	69 	+3 Laps 	16 	
15 	4 	Mika Salo 	 	69 	+3 Laps 	14 	
16 	22 	Roberto Moreno 	 	66 	+6 Laps 	24 	
NC* 	17 	Andrea Montermini 	 	62 	+10 Laps 	21 	
Ret 	29 	Jean-Christophe Boullion 	 	48 	Gearbox 	15 	
Ret 	16 	Bertrand Gachot 	 	24 	Gearbox 	22 	
Ret 	23 	Pierluigi Martini 	 	23 	Gearbox 	20 	
Ret 	2 	Johnny Herbert 	 	2 	Collision 	10 	
Ret 	10 	Taki Inoue 	 	0 	Collision 	18 	
Ret 	3 	Ukyo Katayama 	 	0 	Collision 	19 	
Ret 	21 	Pedro Diniz 	 	0 	Spin 	23 	
Source:'France 1995: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)	Source:'France 1995: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
** Montermini was still classified despite retiring as he had completed 90% of the race distance.
==Milestones==
* started their 300th Grand Prix as a constructor.'7. France 1995', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/france.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019)
* Fourteenth career victory for Michael Schumacher.
* Nineteenth victory for as a constructor.
** secured their 64th victory as an engine supplier.
==Standings==
Victory for Michael Schumacher ensured that he left France with a controlling stake in the Championship hunt, with 46 points to his credit after seven races. That translated to an eleven point lead over Damon Hill, meaning Schumacher could afford to miss a race and still lead the Championship. Behind, Jean Alesi had lost more ground in third ahead of teammate Gerhard Berger, while David Coulthard had moved ahead of Johnny Herbert.
In the Constructors Championship it was 's turn to lead the Championship, moving five points clear on 48 points. had hence had to make way for them and dropped to second, and were just a point ahead of in third. Elsewhere, kept their tally rolling with another points finish, enhancing their hold on fourth, with completing the top five.
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Michael Schumacher 	46 	
2 	Damon Hill 	35 	
3 	Jean Alesi 	26 	
4 	Gerhard Berger 	17 	
5 	David Coulthard 	13 	1
6 	Johnny Herbert 	12 	1
7 	Rubens Barrichello 	7 	
8 	Eddie Irvine 	6 	
9 	Mika Häkkinen 	5 	
10 	Olivier Panis 	4 	
11 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	4 	
12 	Martin Brundle 	3 	8
13 	Mark Blundell 	3 	1
14 	Gianni Morbidelli 	1 	1
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	48 	1
2 	 	43 	1
3 	 	42 	
4 	 	13 	
5 	 	8 	
6 	 	7 	
7 	 	4 	
8 	 	1 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
*
References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:1995 Grands Prix
Category:French Grand Prix
Category:Formula One races in France