Monaco Grand Prix carnage as only THREE cars finish with shock winner

Every year we have the same conversation about the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix and we pretty much get the same takes.

F1 has outgrown Monaco, whoever is on pole position wins, it's the most boring race of the year, it should be axed etc.

Now, these are all valid concerns about the iconic race, and while it is often boring beyond belief, every now and then you really can get a barnstorming classic around the streets of Monte Carlo.

The 1996 Monaco Grand Prix was just such a race, one that from the very first lap to the last was the scene of mayhem, shocks, agonising moments, an underdog win... and just three cars finishing the race.

Heading into race day, the scene was set for Michael Schumacher to gain his first ever win for Ferrari, having produced an astonishing pole lap to beat Damon Hill's Williams by over half-a-second. It was a lap so good that even Ferrari team boss Jean Todt raised a smile in almost disbelief.

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Michael Schumacher out, Verstappen gamble backfires

Just hours before the start though a downpour hit the track, leaving it soaked for the start of the race. Not soaked enough for Jos Verstappen though, who took an outrageous gamble to start on slicks in his Footwork Arrows in the hope that the track would dry out. That gamble lasted just one corner as Max Verstappen's dad went straight into the barrier at Ste Devote.

The first corner also saw Hill snatch the lead from Schumacher but any anticipation of a race-long battle between the old rivals was over just half a lap later when Schumacher punted his Ferrari into the barrier at Mirabeau, destroying his left front wheel and suspension in the process.

Along with Schumacher and Verstappen, there were three other first-lap retirees as Rubens Barrichello spun off in his Jordan while the Minardis of Pedro Lamy and Giancarlo Fisichella collided. With Andrea Montermini having not started the race for Forti after a crash in the warmup left him with no spare parts, that meant six drivers had already been eliminated already.

After just five laps only 13 cars remained, with Pedro Diniz's Ligier, Ricardo Rosset's Footwork and Ukyo Katayama's Tyrrell all adding to the early carnage.

Up front Hill was comfortably leading in front of Jean Alesi's Benetton by over 30 seconds - having made the switch to slick tyres on the drying track. It looked set to be the best chance for the British star to win the race for the first time and follow in his father Graham HIll's footsteps. But not so fast...

Damon Hill and Jean Alesi meet cruel fate

Fate would go against Hill as coming out of the tunnel on lap 40 a failed oil pump saw his Renault engine explode, leaving him to pull over before the chicane in a run-off area to retire.

Thus Alesi inherited the lead, and the Frenchman was now on course to win only his second ever race following the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix. Incredibly, technical problems hit his Benetton too and 20 laps after the previous race leader retired, suspension problems eliminated Alesi too.

By this point the grand prix had already lost Gerhard Berger's Benetton and Martin Brundle's Jordan too, leaving just nine drivers left fighting for the six points positions.

If there was any consolation for Hill in his title bid, Williams team-mate Jacques Villeneuve was also forced to retire after being squeezed into the barrier by Luca Badoer's Forti - putting both out of the race and leaving seven cars remaining.

Alesi's retirement meant Olivier Panis took the lead for Ligier, putting him on course for his first win ever and the French's team first (and last) for 15 years having started way down in 14th.

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How many cars finished the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix?

Still there was time for yet more total nonsense. Eddie Irvine, who had already been nudged into the barrier once by Panis at the hairpin, spun at Mirabeau. While trying to get his Ferrari pointing the right way again, he was hit by the blindsided Tyrrell of Mika Salo, who in turn was hit by the McLaren of Mika Hakkinen. This was more Wacky Races than F1.

Then there were four, and that became three after the Sauber of Heinz-Harald Frentzen, running fourth and last, pulled into the pits on the final lap (with no loss of his fourth place).

Panis eventually crossed the line just under five seconds to spare from McLaren's David Coulthard and 37 seconds in front of the other Sauber of Johnny Herbert who despite being on the podium was in last place after only three cars crossed the finish line.

To sum up just how mad the podium trio combination was, Panis would finish in the points once more for the rest of the season, while Herbert wouldn't score a point at all. Coulthard's second podium for McLaren was the last time he saw the top three for the rest of 1996.

If the Monaco Grand Prix has the potential to deliver a race like this then there should always be a place for it on the F1 calendar.

1996 Monaco Grand Prix Results

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Written by

Dan Ripley - Global Editor

I've been a massive F1 fan since the mid 1990s and continue to study the history of the sport long before that. As an experienced motor sport reporter covering F1, MotoGP and the LeMans 24 Hour race, being part of GPFans has allowed me to work with a diverse team with all sorts of different backgrounds in watching the sport and given me a greater appreciation of F1.

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