1995 British Grand Prix

British Grand Prix – SIlverstone, 9 July 1995 – 61 laps of 3.142 mile circuit (191.662 miles)

1: Johnny Herbert – Benneton B195-Renault V10 – 1h 34m 35.093s
2: Jean Alesi – Ferrari 412 T2-Ferrari V12 – 1h 34m 51.572s
3: David Coulthard – Williams FW17-Renault V10 – 1h 34m 58.981s
4: Olivier Panis – Ligier JS41-Mugen Honda V10 – 1h 36m 08.261s
5: Mark Blundell – McLaren MP4/10-Mercedes V10 – 1h 36m 23.265s
6: Heinz-Harald Frentzen – Sauber C14-Ford Zetec-R V8 – 60 laps

The race in brief

Damon Hill leads from the start. But Jean Alesi bursts through from the third row to be second, ahead of Schumacher, at Copse. Rubens Barrichello and Olivier Panis are both jump the start and are awarded stop-go penalties for the third time in four races.

Eddie Irvine spins at Abbey and retires on lap 3 with a damaged crankshaft sensor.

Martin Brundle’s race ends when he spins off into the gravel on lap 17. David Coulthard is the first of the front-runners to make a pit stop, dropping from fourth to ninth, and he experiences electrical trouble from this point on.

Having led Schumacher from the off, Alesi stops for fuel on lap 18 and drops to seventh.

On lap 21 Gerhard Berger retires with a loose front wheel, which had not been tightened during his pit stop moments before. Milka Hakkinen also retires, his fourth place lost to a hydraulic systems failure. Johnny Herbert makes his first stop and maintains his third place in the process.

It becomes clear that runaway leader Hill is adopting a two-stop strategy when he pits for fuel and tyres on lap 22, letting Schumacher take the lead. The Brit emerges from the pits 9.7s in arrears. Fourth-placed Mark Blundell also stops and resumes in seventh.

On lap 31 Schumacher loses the lead to Hill when he makes his sole pit stop. He rejoins in second place, over 20 seconds behind Hill. Herbert is third from Alesi, Coulthard and Blundell.

Alesi loses a place on lap 39 when he stops for a second time, as does Herbert when he pits on lap 40. The order now is: Hill, Schumacher, Coulthard, Herbert, Alesi, Blundell.

The ebb and flow continue when leader Hill stops on lap 41. This apparently sets the stage for a thrilling lead battle to the flag as he resumes right on the tail of Schumacher.

Herbert takes third on lap 43 when Coulthard makes his second stop. Crucially, the young Scot exceeds the pit lane speed limit – his limiter crippled by the electrical problem…

Hill attempts to wrest the lead from Schumacher at Priory on lap 46. At best his move is ambitious and the cars collide, pitching them both into gravel and out of the race. Herbert leads.

But only until lap 49. Coulthard closes rapidly on the Benetton, and when Jean-Christophe Boullion momentarily hampers Herbert, the Scot drafts by into the lead along Hangar Straight.

His efforts are for naught, however, as his earlier pit lane transgression results in a stop-go penalty on lap 51, which he knew of before he passed Herbert. The Benetton leads once more.

Barrichello and Blundell clash at Abbey on lap 60 as they battle for fourth. The Brazilian retires on the spot.

Blundell limps to the finish with a flat left-rear tyre, losing fourth to Panis on lap 61. By which time Herbert has secured his first Grand Prix victory. Alesi finishes second with dropping oil pressure. Coulthard is third.