Google+ Jack Leslie F1: F1 Flashback - Villeneuve wins, Hill surprises

22 July 2015

F1 Flashback - Villeneuve wins, Hill surprises

Damon Hill surprised many at the 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix by finishing in second place for Arrows, behind former team-mate Jacques Villeneuve.
© Williams/LAT
The British driver had looked set to give the team its first victory in Formula 1, but lost the lead on the final lap after a reliability problem.

Michael Schumacher lined up on pole position for Ferrari at the Hungaroring, with Villeneuve second and Hill - who had suffered a tough 1997 season prior to the 11th round - in third.

It was not only an incredible turn-around for Hill, but he was also over two seconds faster than his team-mate Pedro Diniz, who qualified down in 19th. Villeneuve had a sluggish start and dropped to fifth, with Hill moving up to second on the opening tour.

He spent several laps following Schumacher before making a move at Turn 1 and snatching the lead on lap 11. A train of cars started to form behind the Ferrari, with Mika Hakkinen looking to find a way through. However, he retired with a hydraulics problem on lap 12.

Hill quickly established a formidable advantage at the front, in a league of his own through the pit stops. However, in the closing stages, the 1996 world champion started to drop into the clutches of Villeneuve with a mechanical issue.

It was later confirmed that Hill's hydraulic pump failed, causing his Arrows to become stuck in third gear and suffer throttle problems. Villeneuve quickly caught up and after dominating proceedings, took over first place on the final lap.

The Canadian took the chequered flag to win in Hungary, with Hill limping across the line in a painful second place. It proved to be the Arrows team's best result in F1. Johnny Herbert, Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher and Prost's Shinji Nakano completed the top six.

No comments: