1994 Belgian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Damon Hill was awarded victory in the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix after Michael Schumacher was disqualified for excessive wear to his Benetton‘s underfloor plank. Rubens Barrichello had earlier earned a landmark first pole for himself and Jordan during a rain-soaked qualifying weekend.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan
Pole time	2:21.163
Fastest lap	Damon Hill	Williams
Fastest-lap time	1:57.117 on lap 41
First	Damon Hill	Williams
Second	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren
Third	Jos Verstappen	Benetton

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
26 August 1994	Practice 1	Morning; start time unconfirmed
26 August 1994	Qualifying 1	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
27 August 1994	Practice 2	Morning; start time unconfirmed
27 August 1994	Qualifying 2	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
28 August 1994	Warm-up	Morning; start time unconfirmed
28 August 1994	Race	14:00

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Michael Schumacher arrived at round 11 leading the 1994 F1 World Championship on 76 points, with Damon Hill on 45. Benetton headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 81 points.

Race entries

Häkkinen returned to McLaren after his suspension. Philippe Alliot moved across to Larrousse in place of Olivier Beretta, while local newcomer Philippe Adams replaced Alessandro Zanardi at Lotus. The Belgian faced a demanding introduction, with unfamiliar machinery, changeable weather and a home crowd watching closely.

Friday Free Practice

Damon Hill led Friday practice as the drivers adjusted to the temporary chicane installed at Eau Rouge. The alteration removed much of the speed carried into the climb and changed the demands on braking and acceleration. Philippe Adams crashed during the morning, disrupting his first Grand Prix weekend, while the unsettled weather complicated preparation for qualifying.

Friday Practice Classification

1994 Belgian Grand Prix Practice, 26 August 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams	2:04.700	13
2	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+0.154s	14
3	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	+1.946s	17
4	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+2.188s	8
5	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+4.135s	17
6	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+4.577s	14
7	2	David Coulthard	Williams	+5.787s	14
8	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	+6.416s	13
9	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	+7.227s	15
10	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+7.676s	13
11	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	+8.102s	13
12	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+9.685s	13
13	31	David Brabham	Simtek	+11.551s	9
14	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	+19.292s	12
15	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+20.197s	13
16	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	+24.433s	10
17	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+24.650s	9
18	32	Jean-Marc Gounon	Simtek	+24.996s	3
19	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	+25.046s	11
20	29	Andrea de Cesaris	Sauber	+28.045s	14
21	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	+28.202s	13
22	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+28.262s	8
23	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+28.888s	7
24	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+29.817s	10
25	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	+30.477s	8
26	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+30.824s	5
27	11	Philippe Adams	Lotus	+37.274s	3
28	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+38.844s	7

Friday Qualifying

Rubens Barrichello seized his opportunity late on Friday as the track dried. Jordan sent him out on slicks and he beat Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill to provisional pole, with Eddie Irvine fourth in the sister car. It was a bold decision at exactly the right moment.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1994 Belgian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 26 August 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	2:21.163	9
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	2:21.494	7
3	0	Damon Hill	Williams	2:21.681	10
4	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	2:22.074	11
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	2:22.202	11
6	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	2:22.218	12
7	2	David Coulthard	Williams	2:22.359	10
8	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	2:22.441	11
9	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	2:22.634	11
10	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	2:23.326	9
11	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	2:23.895	5
12	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	2:24.048	9
13	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	2:24.117	11
14	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	2:25.114	12
15	29	Andrea de Cesaris	Sauber	2:25.695	11
16	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	2:26.044	12
17	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	2:26.079	12
18	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	2:26.738	11
19	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	2:26.901	12
20	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	2:27.155	12
21	31	David Brabham	Simtek	2:27.212	11
22	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	2:28.156	11
23	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	2:28.979	5
24	32	Jean-Marc Gounon	Simtek	2:31.755	8
25	11	Philippe Adams	Lotus	2:33.885	11
26	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	2:34.582	7
27	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	2:35.729	7
28	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	16:56.162	1

Saturday Free Practice

Heavy rain transformed Saturday practice into a wet-weather exercise. Martin Brundle was fastest, with lap times far slower than Friday’s as the drivers searched for grip. With Rubens Barrichello already holding provisional pole, the continuing rain also increased the likelihood that Friday’s qualifying times would decide the grid. The session offered little guidance for a potentially dry race.

Saturday Practice Classification

1994 Belgian Grand Prix Practice, 27 August 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	2:32.600	9
2	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.651s	6
3	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+2.433s	9
4	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+2.678s	6
5	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+2.747s	5
6	2	David Coulthard	Williams	+5.030s	5
7	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+7.570s	6
8	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+8.565s	6
9	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	+8.577s	10
10	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+8.685s	3
11	32	Jean-Marc Gounon	Simtek	+11.945s	3
12	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+13.042s	8
13	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	+16.247s	3
14	11	Philippe Adams	Lotus	+21.036s	6
15	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+25.380s	3
16	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	+26.704s	6
17	29	Andrea de Cesaris	Sauber	+32.503s	4
18	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+144.958s	1
19	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	+158.128s	1
20	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+294.962s	1
21	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	+314.695s	1
22	31	David Brabham	Simtek	+338.148s	1
23	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+1385.136s	2

Saturday Qualifying

Saturday’s rain prevented the leading runners from improving, confirming Rubens Barrichello‘s first pole and Jordan‘s first. Christian Fittipaldi did improve enough to qualify, displacing Bertrand Gachot from the final grid places. The best-time-across-two-sessions format had rewarded Friday’s gamble and left a very different order from a conventional dry contest.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1994 Belgian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 27 August 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	2:25.099	9
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	2:25.501	5
3	0	Damon Hill	Williams	2:25.570	9
4	2	David Coulthard	Williams	2:27.180	9
5	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	2:28.026	9
6	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	2:28.164	5
7	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	2:28.428	4
8	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	2:28.576	3
9	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	2:28.997	7
10	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	2:29.391	7
11	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	2:29.925	8
12	29	Andrea de Cesaris	Sauber	2:30.475	7
13	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	2:30.524	8
14	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	2:30.896	5
15	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	2:30.931	11
16	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	2:31.025	6
17	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	2:31.350	7
18	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	2:31.403	7
19	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	2:31.501	5
20	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	2:32.286	3
21	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	2:32.610	4
22	11	Philippe Adams	Lotus	2:34.733	9
23	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	2:34.951	8
24	32	Jean-Marc Gounon	Simtek	2:40.280	2
25	31	David Brabham	Simtek	2:41.593	3

Combined Qualifying Classification

Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Friday Time	Saturday Time	Best Time	Laps
1	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	2:21.163	no time	2:21.163	9
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	2:21.494	2:25.501	2:21.494	12
3	0	Damon Hill	Williams	2:21.681	2:25.570	2:21.681	19
4	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	2:22.074	no time	2:22.074	11
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	2:22.202	2:25.099	2:22.202	20
6	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	2:22.218	2:28.576	2:22.218	15
7	2	David Coulthard	Williams	2:22.359	2:27.180	2:22.359	19
8	7	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	2:22.441	2:28.997	2:22.441	18
9	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	2:22.634	2:28.026	2:22.634	20
10	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	2:23.326	2:30.896	2:23.326	14
11	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	2:23.895	2:29.391	2:23.895	12
12	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	2:24.048	2:28.164	2:24.048	14
13	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	2:24.117	2:28.428	2:24.117	15
14	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	2:25.114	2:31.403	2:25.114	19
15	29	Andrea de Cesaris	Sauber	2:25.695	2:30.475	2:25.695	18
16	25	Éric Bernard	Ligier	2:26.044	2:31.025	2:26.044	18
17	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	2:26.079	2:31.501	2:26.079	17
18	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	2:26.738	2:32.286	2:26.738	14
19	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	2:26.901	2:31.350	2:26.901	19
20	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	2:27.155	2:32.610	2:27.155	16
21	31	David Brabham	Simtek	2:27.212	2:41.593	2:27.212	14
22	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	2:28.156	2:30.524	2:28.156	19
23	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	2:28.979	2:29.925	2:28.979	13
24	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	16:56.162	2:30.931	2:30.931	12
25	32	Jean-Marc Gounon	Simtek	2:31.755	2:40.280	2:31.755	10
26	11	Philippe Adams	Lotus	2:33.885	2:34.733	2:33.885	20
DNQ	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	2:34.582	2:34.951	2:34.582	15
DNQ	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	2:35.729	no time	2:35.729	7

Sunday warm-up

The warm-up was still wet after overnight rain, and Michael Schumacher was more than three seconds clear of David Coulthard. McLaren‘s experiments with slicks proved troublesome: Martin Brundle went through the gravel, while Häkkinen damaged his car against the barriers near the pits. Repairs were completed for the race, which began on a dry track despite the morning’s conditions.

Warm-up Classification

1994 Belgian Grand Prix Warm-up, 28 August 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	2:18.934	9
2	2	David Coulthard	Williams	+3.019s	10
3	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+4.834s	8
4	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	+5.093s	9
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+5.176s	8
6	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	+5.679s	9
7	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+6.466s	10
8	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+6.634s	9
9	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	+6.724s	9
10	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+7.079s	8
11	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	+7.121s	9
12	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+7.528s	9
13	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+7.553s	9
14	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	+7.702s	8
15	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+8.491s	7
16	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+9.049s	8
17	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+9.503s	9
18	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	+9.740s	8
19	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	+10.994s	8
20	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+11.217s	9
21	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+11.614s	8
22	32	Jean-Marc Gounon	Simtek	+12.443s	7
23	11	Philippe Adams	Lotus	+15.256s	7
24	31	David Brabham	Simtek	+18.130s	7
25	29	Andrea de Cesaris	Sauber	+19.572s	5
26	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	+253.960s	3

What happened in the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix?

Rubens Barrichello led initially, but Michael Schumacher passed him on the opening lap and Jean Alesi followed. Ferrari‘s challenge soon disappeared through engine failures, while Michael Schumacher built a substantial advantage. Rubens Barrichello later spun out, ending Jordan‘s hopes of turning pole into a strong result.

Michael Schumacher survived a spin and crossed the line ahead of Damon Hill. David Coulthard had run ahead of his team-mate during the pit-stop sequence, but an extra stop to inspect his rear wing and subsequent gearbox trouble cost him ground. Häkkinen and Jos Verstappen moved into the positions that would ultimately become podium places.

Post-race inspection found excessive wear on Michael Schumacher‘s underfloor plank. Benetton attributed the damage to his spin, but the stewards rejected that explanation and excluded the car. Damon Hill inherited victory, followed by Häkkinen, Jos Verstappen, David Coulthard, Mark Blundell and Gianni Morbidelli. The result cut Michael Schumacher‘s championship lead to 21 points.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 76 points, followed by Damon Hill on 55. Benetton led the constructors’ table on 85, with Williams on 62.

1994 Belgian Grand Prix race results

The 1994 Belgian Grand Prix was held on 28 August 1994, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams	44	1:28:47.170	10
2	7	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	44	+ 51.381	6
3	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	44	+ 1:10.453	4
4	2	David Coulthard	Williams	44	+ 1:45.787	3
5	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	43	+ 1 Lap	2
6	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	43	+ 1 Lap	1
7	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	43	+ 1 Lap	0
8	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	43	+ 1 Lap	0
9	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	43	+ 1 Lap	0
10	25	Éric Bernard	Ligier	42	+ 2 Laps	0
11	32	Jean-Marc Gounon	Simtek	42	+ 2 Laps	0
12	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	41	+ 3 Laps	0
13	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	40	Alternator	0
Ret	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	33	Engine	0
Ret	31	David Brabham	Simtek	29	Wheel	0
Ret	29	Andrea de Cesaris	Sauber	27	Throttle	0
Ret	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	24	Spun off	0
Ret	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	19	Spun off	0
Ret	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	18	Engine	0
Ret	11	Philippe Adams	Lotus	15	Spun off	0
Ret	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	11	Engine	0
Ret	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	11	Engine	0
Ret	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	10	Halfshaft	0
Ret	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	3	Engine	0
Ret	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	2	Engine	0
DSQ	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	44	Worn skid block	0

1994 Belgian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams	41	1:57.117
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	37	1:57.198
3	2	David Coulthard	Williams	36	1:57.793
4	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	24	1:58.839
5	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	24	1:59.001
6	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	38	1:59.031
7	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	10	1:59.359
8	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	30	1:59.502
9	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	15	1:59.527
10	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	10	2:00.068
11	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	29	2:00.353
12	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	11	2:00.372
13	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	12	2:00.531
14	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	17	2:00.605
15	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	33	2:01.209
16	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	39	2:01.295
17	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	27	2:01.653
18	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	24	2:02.298
19	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	2	2:02.587
20	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	31	2:02.665
21	29	Andrea de Cesaris	Sauber	19	2:03.501
22	32	Jean-Marc Gounon	Simtek	24	2:04.732
23	31	David Brabham	Simtek	10	2:06.145
24	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	10	2:06.157
25	11	Philippe Adams	Lotus	15	2:06.759
26	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	3	2:07.153

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

1994 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix.

1994 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Benetton	76
2	Damon Hill	British	Williams	55
3	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Ferrari	27
4	Jean Alesi	French	Ferrari	19
5	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	14
6	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Jordan	10
7	Martin Brundle	British	McLaren	9
8	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Benetton	8
9	Mark Blundell	British	Tyrrell	8
10	Olivier Panis	French	Ligier	7
11	David Coulthard	British	Williams	7
12	Nicola Larini	Italian	Ferrari	6
13	Christian Fittipaldi	Brazilian	Footwork	6
14	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Sauber	5
15	Ukyo Katayama	Japanese	Tyrrell	5
16	Éric Bernard	French	Ligier	4
17	Karl Wendlinger	Austrian	Sauber	4
18	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Jordan / Sauber	4
19	Pierluigi Martini	Italian	Minardi	4
20	Gianni Morbidelli	Italian	Footwork	3
21	Érik Comas	French	Larrousse	2
22	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Minardi	1
23	JJ Lehto	Finnish	Benetton	1
24	Eddie Irvine	British	Jordan	1
–	Johnny Herbert	British	Lotus	0
–	Olivier Beretta	Monegasque	Larrousse	0
–	Pedro Lamy	Portuguese	Lotus	0
–	Jean-Marc Gounon	French	Simtek	0
–	Alessandro Zanardi	Italian	Lotus	0
–	David Brabham	Australian	Simtek	0
–	Roland Ratzenberger	Austrian	Simtek	0
–	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	Williams	0
–	Paul Belmondo	French	Pacific	0
–	Bertrand Gachot	Belgian	Pacific	0
–	Nigel Mansell	British	Williams	0
–	Aguri Suzuki	Japanese	Jordan	0
–	Philippe Adams	Belgian	Lotus	0
–	Philippe Alliot	French	McLaren / Larrousse	0
–	Andrea Montermini	Italian	Simtek	0

1994 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Benetton	85
2	Williams	62
3	Ferrari	52
4	McLaren	23
5	Jordan	14
6	Tyrrell	13
7	Ligier	11
8	Sauber	10
9	Footwork	9
10	Minardi	5
11	Larrousse	2
–	Lotus	0
–	Simtek	0
–	Pacific	0

1994 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1994 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	27 March
2	1994 Pacific Grand Prix	TI Circuit-Aida, Aida	17 April
3	1994 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	1 May
4	1994 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	15 May
5	1994 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	29 May
6	1994 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	12 June
7	1994 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	3 July
8	1994 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	10 July
9	1994 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	31 July
10	1994 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	14 August
11	1994 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	28 August
12	1994 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	11 September
13	1994 Portuguese Grand Prix	Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril	25 September
14	1994 European Grand Prix	Circuito de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera	16 October
15	1994 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	6 November
16	1994 Australian Grand Prix	Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide	13 November