1994 French Grand Prix

The 1994 French Grand Prix, otherwise officially known as the LXXX Grand Prix de France, 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 3 July 1994.'French GP, 1994', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr555.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019) The race would see Michael Schumacher secure his sixth win in seven races, managing to beat the two s off the line at the start.
The weekend was heralded by the return of a former Champion to the field, with Nigel Mansell returning to the paddock to take over the #2 Williams-Renault from David Coulthard. , meanwhile, would also make a change, placing Jos Verstappen back in their second car at the expense of JJ Lehto.
The Dutchman would go on to have a lucky escape during Friday practice, with a heavy accident resulting a piece of his suspension scraping across the top of his legs. Indeed, the suspension arm managed to tear through Verstappen's overalls, although the Benetton team were able to get the Dutchman's car repaired in time for qualifying.
Qualifying would see Damon Hill beat his new teammate Mansell to pole position, ending Schumacher's run of front-row starts. The German ace would, however, start the race from third, with the two and the s ahead of Verstappen in the second Benetton.
Off the line at the start it would be advantage Schumacher, who instantly shot between the two Williams' to claim the lead. Hill was therefore left to lead the chase, fending off a challenge from teammate Mansell, with Jean Alesi heading the Ferrari-Jordan battle.
Schumacher and Hill quickly pulled clear of Mansell in third, leaving the Brit to fend off a sustained attack from Alesi for third. However, there would be little change to the order in the early stages, until Mansell sparked a wave of pitstops on lap eighteen.
Indeed, there would be a mix of two and three stoppers among the top ten, resulting in numerous position changes as strategies played out. At the head of the field, meanwhile, Schumacher would ease clear of Hill during the pit-window, although the Brit would lead for five laps in between their stops.
Once Hill made his final stop, however, the battle for victory was effectively over, with Hill slipping twenty seconds off the lead. Behind, Alesi would hold third until he spun out of contention, getting wiped out by Rubens Barrichello as he rejoined. That handed the position to Gerhard Berger in the sister Ferrari, who duly pitted a few moments later, leaving Mansell in third until his transmission failed.
Out front, meanwhile, there would be no stopping Schumacher, who cruised across the line to claim another impressive victory, twelve seconds ahead of Hill. Berger, meanwhile, would claim third after the late run of retirements, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Pierluigi Martini and Andrea de Cesaris claiming the remaining points.
==Background==
Michael Schumacher used his fifth victory of the season to once again extend his Championship lead, leaving Canada with 56 points to his name. That ensured that he held a 33 point advantage in the Championship, with Damon Hill his closest "challenger" with a third of the season gone. Best of the rest was Gerhard Berger, level on points with his teammate Jean Alesi, while Rubens Barrichello retained his spot in the top five.
It was a similar story in the Constructors Championship, with adding to their lead at the head of the field. Indeed, their gap over second placed now stood at 25 points, with the Italian squad themselves looking over their shoulders at . The defending Champions left Canada just seven behind the Scuderia, with and losing ground behind.
===Entry list===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
0 	Damon Hill 	Rothmans Williams Renault 	 	FW16 	 	RS6 3.5 V10 	
2 	Nigel Mansell 	Rothmans Williams Renault 	 	FW16 	 	RS6 3.5 V10 	
3 	Ukyo Katayama 	Tyrrell Racing Organisation 	 	022 	 	OX10B 3.5 V10 	
4 	Mark Blundell 	Tyrrell Racing Organisation 	 	022 	 	OX10B 3.5 V10 	
5 	Michael Schumacher 	Mild Seven Benetton Ford 	 	B194 	 	ECA Zetec-R 3.5 V8 	
6 	Jos Verstappen 	Mild Seven Benetton Ford 	 	B194 	 	ECA Zetec-R 3.5 V8 	
7 	Mika Häkkinen 	Marlboro McLaren Peugeot 	 	MP4/9 	 	A6 3.5 V10 	
8 	Martin Brundle 	Marlboro McLaren Peugeot 	 	MP4/9 	 	A6 3.5 V10 	
9 	Christian Fittipaldi 	Footwork Ford 	 	FA15 	 	HBE7/8 3.5 V8 	
10 	Gianni Morbidelli 	Footwork Ford 	 	FA15 	 	HBE7/8 3.5 V8 	
11 	Alex Zanardi 	Team Lotus 	 	109 	 	MF351HC 3.5 V10 	
12 	Johnny Herbert 	Team Lotus 	 	109 	 	MF351HC 3.5 V10 	
14 	Rubens Barrichello 	Sasol Jordan 	 	194 	 	1035 3.5 V10 	
15 	Eddie Irvine 	Sasol Jordan 	 	194 	 	1035 3.5 V10 	
19 	Olivier Beretta 	Tourtel Larrousse F1 	 	LH94 	 	HBF7/8 3.5 V8 	
20 	Érik Comas 	Tourtel Larrousse F1 	 	LH94 	 	HBF7/8 3.5 V8 	
23 	Pierluigi Martini 	Minardi Scuderia Italia 	 	M194 	 	HBC7/8 3.5 V8 	
24 	Michele Alboreto 	Minardi Scuderia Italia 	 	M194 	 	HBC7/8 3.5 V8 	
25 	Éric Bernard 	Ligier Gitanes Blondes 	 	JS39B 	 	RS6 3.5 V10 	
26 	Olivier Panis 	Ligier Gitanes Blondes 	 	JS39B 	 	RS6 3.5 V10 	
27 	Jean Alesi 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	412T1B 	 	043 3.5 V12 	
28 	Gerhard Berger 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	412T1B 	 	043 3.5 V12 	
29 	Andrea de Cesaris 	Sauber Mercedes 	 	C13 	 	2175B 3.5 V10 	
30 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	Sauber Mercedes 	 	C13 	 	2175B 3.5 V10 	
31 	David Brabham 	MTV Simtek Ford 	 	S941 	 	HBD6 3.5 V8 	
32 	Jean-Marc Gounon 	MTV Simtek Ford 	 	S941 	 	HBD6 3.5 V8 	
33 	Paul Belmondo 	Pacific Grand Prix 	 	PR01 	 	2175A 3.5 V10 	
34 	Bertrand Gachot 	Pacific Grand Prix 	 	PR01 	 	2175A 3.5 V10 	
Source:'France 1994: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)
==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 	0 	Damon Hill 	 	1:17.539 	1:16.282 	—
2 	2 	Nigel Mansell 	 	1:18.340 	1:16.359 	+0.077s
3 	5 	Michael Schumacher 	 	1:17.085 	1:16.707 	+0.425s
4 	27 	Jean Alesi 	 	1:17.855 	1:16.954 	+0.672s
5 	28 	Gerhard Berger 	 	1:17.441 	1:16.959 	+0.677s
6 	15 	Eddie Irvine 	 	1:19.463 	1:17.441 	+1.159s
7 	14 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	1:18.326 	1:17.482 	+1.200s
8 	6 	Jos Verstappen 	 	1:18.669 	1:17.645 	+1.363s
9 	7 	Mika Häkkinen 	 	1:19.041 	1:17.768 	+1.486s
10 	30 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	 	1:19.318 	1:17.830 	+1.548s
11 	29 	Andrea de Cesaris 	 	1:20.145 	1:17.866 	+1.584s
12 	8 	Martin Brundle 	 	1:18.112 	1:18.031 	+1.749s
13 	26 	Olivier Panis 	 	1:19.697 	1:18.044 	+1.762s
14 	3 	Ukyo Katayama 	 	1:19.969 	1:18.192 	+1.910s
15 	25 	Éric Bernard 	 	1:19.292 	1:18.236 	+1.954s
16 	23 	Pierluigi Martini 	 	1:20.084 	1:18.248 	+1.966s
17 	4 	Mark Blundell 	 	1:20.001 	1:18.381 	+2.099s
18 	9 	Christian Fittipaldi 	 	1:20.801 	1:18.568 	+2.286s
19 	12 	Johnny Herbert 	 	1:20.108 	1:18.715 	+2.433s
20 	20 	Érik Comas 	 	1:20.576 	1:18.811 	+2.529s
21 	24 	Michele Alboreto 	 	1:20.097 	1:18.890 	+2.608s
22 	10 	Gianni Morbidelli 	 	1:20.707 	1:18.936 	+2.654s
23 	11 	Alex Zanardi 	 	1:20.122 	1:19.066 	+2.784s
24 	31 	David Brabham 	 	1:22.527 	1:19.771 	+3.489s
25 	19 	Olivier Beretta 	 	1:21.964 	1:19.863 	+3.581s
26 	32 	Jean-Marc Gounon 	 	1:23.264 	1:21.829 	+5.547s
DNQ 	34 	Bertrand Gachot 	 	1:24.048 	1:21.952 	+5.670s
DNQ 	33 	Paul Belmondo 	 	1:24.637 	1:23.004 	+6.722s
Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'France 1994: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'France 1994: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'France 1994: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'France 1994: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'France 1994: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'France 1994: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'Grand Prix de France - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1994/races/611/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 03/08/2019)'France 1994: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)
*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 	5 	Michael Schumacher 	 	72 	1:38:35.704 	3 	10
2 	0 	Damon Hill 	 	72 	+12.642s 	1 	6
3 	28 	Gerhard Berger 	 	72 	+52.765s 	5 	4
4 	30 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	 	71 	+1 Lap 	10 	3
5 	23 	Pierluigi Martini 	 	70 	+2 Laps 	16 	2
6 	29 	Andrea de Cesaris 	 	70 	+2 Laps 	11 	1
7 	12 	Johnny Herbert 	 	70 	+2 Laps 	19 	
8 	9 	Christian Fittipaldi 	 	70 	+2 Laps 	18 	
9 	32 	Jean-Marc Gounon 	 	68 	+4 Laps 	26 	
10 	4 	Mark Blundell 	 	67 	+5 Laps 	17 	
11* 	20 	Érik Comas 	 	66 	Engine 	20 	
Ret 	3 	Ukyo Katayama 	 	53 	Spin 	14 	
Ret 	7 	Mika Häkkinen 	 	48 	Engine 	9 	
Ret 	2 	Nigel Mansell 	 	45 	Gearbox 	2 	
Ret 	27 	Jean Alesi 	 	41 	Collision 	4 	
Ret 	14 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	41 	Collision 	7 	
Ret 	25 	Éric Bernard 	 	40 	Gearbox 	15 	
Ret 	19 	Olivier Beretta 	 	36 	Engine 	25 	
Ret 	8 	Martin Brundle 	 	29 	Engine 	12 	
Ret 	10 	Gianni Morbidelli 	 	28 	Collision 	22 	
Ret 	26 	Olivier Panis 	 	28 	Collision 	13 	
Ret 	31 	David Brabham 	 	28 	Transmission 	24 	
Ret 	6 	Jos Verstappen 	 	25 	Spin 	8 	
Ret 	15 	Eddie Irvine 	 	24 	Gearbox 	6 	
Ret 	24 	Michele Alboreto 	 	21 	Engine 	21 	
Ret 	11 	Alex Zanardi 	 	20 	Engine 	23 	
DNQ 	34 	Bertrand Gachot 	 	 	 	 	
DNQ 	33 	Paul Belmondo 	 	 	 	 	
Source:'France 1994: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)	Source:'France 1994: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
** Comas was still classified despite retiring as he had completed 90% of the race distance.
==Milestones==
* 25th race entry for a car using #0 as its race number.'1994 French GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1994&gp=French%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 03/08/2019)
* Eighth career victory for Michael Schumacher.'7. France 1994', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1994/france.aspx, (Accessed 03/08/2019)
* picked up their thirteenth victory as a constructor.
** secured their 172nd win as an engine supplier.
* Damon Hill claimed the 180th podium finish for .
* registered their 60th fastest lap as an engine supplier.
==Standings==
Michael Schumacher's sixth win of the season ensured that the German racer left France with an ever enhanced lead, moving onto 66 points for the season. Damon Hill was still the closest thing the German had to a pretender, although the Brit left France 37 points behind, meaning he would need four race wins just to catch up. Gerhard Berger, meanwhile, had solidified his grip on third, with Jean Alesi and Rubens Barrichello retaining their top five status.
In the Constructors Championship, meanwhile, it was still advantage , who left France with their tally inflated to 67 points. remained their biggest threat, although with some 31 points between the top two it seemed as if it was already Benetton's Championship to lose. , meanwhile, had inched closer to their Italian rivals, sitting just five behind, with and 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 	66 	
2 	Damon Hill 	29 	
3 	Gerhard Berger 	17 	
4 	Jean Alesi 	13 	
5 	Rubens Barrichello 	7 	
6 	Martin Brundle 	6 	
7 	Nicola Larini 	6 	
8 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	5 	6
9 	Mark Blundell 	4 	1
10 	Mika Häkkinen 	4 	1
11 	Karl Wendlinger 	4 	1
12 	Andrea de Cesaris 	4 	1
13 	Pierluigi Martini 	4 	2
14 	Ukyo Katayama 	4 	3
15 	Christian Fittipaldi 	3 	3
16 	David Coulthard 	2 	
17 	JJ Lehto 	1 	
18 	Érik Comas 	1 	
19 	Michele Alboreto 	1 	
20 	Eddie Irvine 	1 	
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	67 	
2 	 	36 	
3 	 	31 	
4 	 	11 	
5 	 	10 	
6 	 	10 	1
7 	 	8 	1
8 	 	5 	1
9 	 	3 	1
10 	 	1 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
*
References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:1994 Grands Prix
Category:French Grand Prix
Category:Formula One races in France