Race
In the two weeks between the Brazilian and Argentine Grands Prix, the FIA rescinded the rule requiring that holes be cut in the airboxes; consequently, all the cars arrived at the circuit with their airbox holes filled. In dry conditions and with President Menem in attendance, Coulthard led away while, behind him, Alesi spun on the inside of the first corner. Salo, braking to avoid Alesi, was hit from behind by Luca Badoer 's Minardi , causing him to run into the side of the second Benetton of Johnny Herbert . In turn, Herbert hit Barrichello, as did Badoer, with the second Tyrrell of Ukyo Katayama also becoming involved. Behind them, Olivier Panis in the Ligier hit the back of Pierluigi Martini in the se... On the second formation lap, Karl Wendlinger stalled his Sauber and was forced to start at the back of the grid. Coulthard again led away, while behind him there were more collisions: Häkkinen trod on Irvine's front wing on the run down to the first corner and retired immediately, while Wendlinger tangled with both Pacifics , putting all three out. Irvine made it back to the pits for a replacement nose, but retired on lap 7 when his engine failed. Coulthard led until lap 6 when his throttle failed and restarted, allowing Schumacher and Hill past. Hill overtook Schumacher on lap 11 and led until making his first pit stop on lap 16. The recovering Coulthard passed Schumacher to take back the lead, only for his throttle to fail permanently almost immediately after. When Schumacher made his first stop, Alesi inherited the lead and held it for eight laps, before pitting himself. Behind them, Verstappen moved up to sixth in his Simtek, before s... After his stop, Alesi was nearly half a minute behind Hill, but ahead of Schumacher. Hill retained the lead for the rest of the race, though Alesi closed the gap to 6.4 seconds by the chequered flag. Despite setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 55, Schumacher finished 27 seconds behind Alesi, with teammate Herbert fourth. Salo was running fifth, close behind Herbert, when he collided with Aguri Suzuki in the second Ligier on lap 48; he angrily confronted the Japanese driver in the pit lane... Berger's point kept him in the lead of the Drivers' Championship, pending the appeals to Schumacher and Coulthard's disqualifications from the Brazilian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, in response to the criticism, the track was resurfaced over the winter of 1995–96, ready for the 1996 running of the race.
Practice and qualifying
As the No. 6 configuration of the circuit was new to the Formula One calendar, a familiarisation session was held on the Thursday. The first practice session proper was held on Friday morning, followed in the afternoon by the first one-hour qualifying session. On Saturday, the second practice session was held, followed by the second qualifying session.
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 Time | Q2 Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | David Coulthard | Williams-Renault | 1:54.670 | 1:53.241 |
| 2 | 5 | Damon Hill | Williams-Renault | 1:55.677 | 1:54.057 |
| 3 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton-Renault | 1:57.056 | 1:54.272 |
| 4 | 15 | Eddie Irvine | Jordan-Peugeot | 1:56.615 | 1:54.381 |
| 5 | 8 | Mika Häkkinen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:56.449 | 1:54.529 |
| 6 | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:55.213 | 1:54.637 |
| 7 | 4 | Mika Salo | Tyrrell-Yamaha | 1:57.738 | 1:54.757 |
| 8 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:56.260 | 1:55.276 |
| 9 | 30 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Sauber-Ford | 1:55.583 | 1:56.168 |
| 10 | 14 | Rubens Barrichello | Jordan-Peugeot | 1:56.746 | 1:56.114 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air in Buenos Aires hangs thick with more than just the scent of exhaust. That Benetton-Renault, Schumacher's machine, was running a revised 0J05B engine – a desperate gamble to squeeze an extra 30 horsepower from the V10. Ferrari, predictably, was meticulously analyzing tire degradation, anticipating a significant drop in grip after the first stint, a calculated risk given the track's abrasive surface. Coulthard's retirement, a flickering electrical issue, felt almost… convenient, didn't it?
The rain, a persistent, sullen guest, seemed determined to rewrite the script entirely. Seventy-two laps, yes, but consider this: Hill's victory, his first since '92, arrives with a curious symmetry. Just as the circuit returned after thirty-four years, so too does the Williams-Renault team's dominance—they've now secured a win in seven consecutive races, a statistical anomaly considering the evolving turbulence of the chassis regulations. Don't be fooled by the romantic notion of a comeback; numbers, as always, tell a far more intricate story.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain hadn't bothered Schumacher. Not a scrap. Watching Coulthard sputter to a halt – a cascade of sparks and shattered ambition – seemed almost… deliberate. Renault's whispers about a 'minor systems recalibration' were, of course, a carefully constructed narrative. Don't mistake ambition for a lack of foresight. The Benetton camp knew exactly what they were doing, and it wasn't about winning the race. It was about the data. It always is. The air in Buenos Aires suddenly felt thick with calculated risk.
Alistair Finch, the Williams engineer, wasn't sweating the rain. Not outwardly, at least. The man's face was a study in controlled calculation, a slight tightening around the eyes the only betrayer of the immense pressure he was under. You see, Finch had a peculiar relationship with victory – he chased it with a ferocious intensity, a hunger that bordered on obsession. The whispers in the garage suggested he'd been subtly undermining Coulthard's setup, a calculated move to ensure Hill's dominance. A brilliant tactic, undeniably, but one that hinted at a deeply ingrained rivalry simmering beneath the surface of the team's supposed unity. The air in the Williams garage was thick with it, wasn't it?