Video: British GP history 1993-2008

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This is the last part of Journeyer’s guide to the history of the British Grand Prix. Here’s part one and part two.

1994: After Nigel Mansell retired from F1 for the first time (or the second, depending how you look at it), it was Damon Hill who became the British F1 hero. Although not as popular as Mansell, he was still the favorite.

And much like Senna with Mansell, the fans despised Michael Schumacher. If anything, this race further established that, with Schumacher overtaking Hill on the formation lap, then getting black-flagged for it, only for Schumacher and Benetton to ignore it, causing his disqualification. Hill, though, won his home race on his the attempt. It would be his only win on home turf.

1995: Hill was contending for the win again in 1995, and just like the previous year, he had to go against Schumacher for it. But his move on Schumacher was questionable, to say the least. It took both of them out, leaving their respective British teammates to go at it.

But with David Coulthard having to do a stop-and-go penalty, it was Johnny Herbert who took the chequered flag, becoming the third Briton in four years to win at home.

1998: This was a wild race from start to finish, and then some. Thanks to a lack of speed on the part of the stewards, Ferrari out-manoeuvred them using the loopholes in the rules about taking penalties.

Coupled with a pass on Mika Hakkinen after the flying Finn made a mistake, Michael Schumacher took his first British Grand Prix win. The start of the clip was also funny, with Murray Walker and Martin Brundle trying to say the same thing!

1999: But fortunate as Schumacher was the previous year, he was very unfortunate the following year. He suffered a massive brake failure at Stowe, crashing and breaking his leg.

It automatically took him out of contention of the 1999 title, and forced him to take a vacation. Many people have said that that vacation did him a lot of good: he was world champion for the next five years.

2002: Williams and Juan Pablo Montoya could have won the race if it stayed dry. Unfortunately for them, it rained. The track was just wet enough for the Bridgestone runners to deploy their stunningly quick Bridgestone intermediates – to which the Michelin runners had no answer.

From then on, no one else had much of a chance. Rubens Barrichello even managed to get second back after throwing it away when he stalled on the formation lap. Ferrari were unstoppable that year.

2003: The weather stayed normal. But that was the only normal thing about this race. From a running priest to a short-lived Toyota one-two to a huge number of overtaking manoeuvres, this British Grand Prix had it all. The best British Grand Prix of the decade so far for me.

2007: Last year’s race was pretty good as well. Lewis took pole in a magical moment, but wasn’t really a contender for the race win. This clip shows Felipe Massa’s battle from the back to finish fifth. But the win was being contested by Fernando Alonso, who eventually got outrun by Kimi Raikkonen.

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2 comments on “Video: British GP history 1993-2008”

  1. Pedro Andrade
    4th July 2008, 9:09

    I noticed Massa was having a good race last year, but going by the video it was great!

  2. Indeed, he had a great race. A pity he stalled at the start, otherwise, he could’ve been contesting for the win.

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