1995 Brazilian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher opened the 1995 F1 World Championship with victory at Interlagos, but the result took weeks to settle. Damon Hill had threatened to win before a suspension failure, while a fuel dispute left Michael Schumacher and runner-up David Coulthard fighting to keep their places after the chequered flag.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Damon Hill	Williams
Pole time	1:20.081
Fastest lap	Michael Schumacher	Benetton
Fastest-lap time	1:20.921 on lap 51
First	Michael Schumacher	Benetton
Second	David Coulthard	Williams
Third	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
24 March 1995	Practice 1	Morning; start time unconfirmed
24 March 1995	Qualifying 1	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
25 March 1995	Practice 2	Morning; start time unconfirmed
25 March 1995	Qualifying 2	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
26 March 1995	Warm-up	Morning; start time unconfirmed
26 March 1995	Race	13:00

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

Championship background

Smaller three-litre engines and reduced aerodynamic grip gave the new cars a noticeably livelier appearance. Benetton had switched to Renault power, bringing Michael Schumacher into a direct engine comparison with Williams. The weekend also carried a sombre significance as Brazil remembered Ayrton Senna.

Race entries

Forti arrived with Pedro Diniz and Roberto Moreno, while Larrousse‘s financial difficulties kept it away. Mark Blundell deputised for Nigel Mansell at McLaren as the team worked on a roomier cockpit. Karl Wendlinger returned to Sauber‘s race line-up after his serious injuries the previous season.

Friday Free Practice

Friday morning began damp and improved as the surface dried. Damon Hill edged David Coulthard by just two thousandths, after the Ferraris had spent much of the session at the front. Häkkinen struggled with his steering, while Simtek lost running because its mandatory fire extinguishers had not arrived. The bumps made this a demanding first outing for the new cars.

Friday Practice Classification

1995 Brazilian Grand Prix Practice, 24 March 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Damon Hill	Williams	1:21.664	19
2	6	David Coulthard	Williams	+0.002s	22
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+0.804s	15
4	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+0.904s	14
5	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.289s	18
6	7	Mark Blundell	McLaren	+1.389s	17
7	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	+1.903s	23
8	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	+2.582s	8
9	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+3.565s	16
10	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+3.851s	10
11	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+4.000s	20
12	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+4.075s	15
13	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	+4.259s	8
14	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+4.354s	13
15	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	+4.488s	16
16	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	+4.650s	22
17	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+5.831s	13
18	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+5.873s	15
19	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	+8.993s	9
20	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+12.079s	12
21	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	+14.582s	11
22	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	+15.685s	5
23	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	+20.535s	10
24	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	No time	1

Friday Qualifying

Damon Hill took provisional pole on Friday. Michael Schumacher‘s steering failed and sent him heavily into the barriers; Benetton kept Johnny Herbert in the garage while it investigated. Replacement components allowed the team to continue, but Michael Schumacher had completed only two laps and Johnny Herbert still needed to qualify.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1995 Brazilian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 24 March 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	5	Damon Hill	Williams	1:20.081	12
2	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:21.015	10
3	6	David Coulthard	Williams	1:21.343	10
4	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:21.655	10
5	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:22.017	11
6	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:22.131	2
7	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:22.208	11
8	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	1:22.370	9
9	7	Mark Blundell	McLaren	1:22.821	11
10	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	1:23.251	11
11	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:23.350	8
12	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:23.403	11
13	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	1:23.470	6
14	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:24.065	8
15	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:24.165	6
16	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	1:24.443	12
17	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:24.723	11
18	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:25.819	11
19	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	1:27.036	12
20	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	1:27.204	12
21	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	1:27.440	5
22	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:56.532	2
23	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	2:01.610	4

Saturday Free Practice

Michael Schumacher recovered to lead Saturday practice despite damaging his front wing in an excursion. A ride-height adjustment helped the Benetton on a drying track. It was an encouraging response after Friday’s steering failure, although the team still faced a considerable repair workload and had little reason to relax before final qualifying.

Saturday Practice Classification

1995 Brazilian Grand Prix Practice, 25 March 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:23.607	16
2	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+0.353s	15
3	5	Damon Hill	Williams	+0.512s	21
4	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.876s	21
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+1.104s	9
6	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+1.274s	21
7	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+2.512s	19
8	7	Mark Blundell	McLaren	+3.015s	17
9	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+5.445s	16
10	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	+5.725s	20
11	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	+7.018s	19
12	6	David Coulthard	Williams	+7.591s	13
13	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+9.078s	7
14	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+9.129s	13
15	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+10.096s	19
16	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	+10.562s	8
17	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+11.749s	13
18	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	+12.756s	12
19	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	+12.810s	13
20	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	+12.956s	17
21	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	+13.080s	12
22	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+13.641s	15
23	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	+13.997s	14
24	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	+15.796s	18
25	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	+20.888s	7
26	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	+124.059s	1

Saturday Qualifying

Michael Schumacher was fastest on Saturday, but Damon Hill‘s Friday lap remained unbeaten. David Coulthard and Johnny Herbert completed an all-Renault top four, the latter recovering impressively from his lost session. Gerhard Berger led the Ferraris in fifth. Domenico Schiattarella crashed, while Rubens Barrichello‘s mechanical difficulties and a spin left the home favourite well down the order.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1995 Brazilian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 25 March 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:20.382	12
2	6	David Coulthard	Williams	1:20.422	11
3	5	Damon Hill	Williams	1:20.429	12
4	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	1:20.888	12
5	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:20.906	7
6	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:21.041	12
7	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:21.399	12
8	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	1:21.749	10
9	7	Mark Blundell	McLaren	1:21.779	10
10	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:21.914	12
11	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:22.325	10
12	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	1:22.416	12
13	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:22.468	10
14	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:22.872	10
15	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	1:22.971	11
16	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:22.975	5
17	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:24.383	11
18	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:25.127	11
19	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:25.161	11
20	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	1:25.205	4
21	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	1:25.225	12
22	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	1:25.886	12
23	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	1:26.269	12
24	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	1:26.323	6
25	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	1:27.792	7
26	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	1:28.106	2

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	5	Damon Hill	Williams	1:20.081	1:20.429	1:20.081	24
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:22.131	1:20.382	1:20.382	14
3	6	David Coulthard	Williams	1:21.343	1:20.422	1:20.422	21
4	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	No time	1:20.888	1:20.888	12
5	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:21.015	1:20.906	1:20.906	17
6	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:21.655	1:21.041	1:21.041	22
7	8	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:22.017	1:21.399	1:21.399	23
8	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	1:22.370	1:21.749	1:21.749	19
9	7	Mark Blundell	McLaren	1:22.821	1:21.779	1:21.779	21
10	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:22.208	1:21.914	1:21.914	23
11	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:24.165	1:22.325	1:22.325	16
12	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	1:23.470	1:22.416	1:22.416	18
13	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:23.403	1:22.468	1:22.468	21
14	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:24.065	1:22.872	1:22.872	18
15	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	1:23.251	1:22.971	1:22.971	22
16	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:23.350	1:22.975	1:22.975	13
17	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:56.532	1:24.383	1:24.383	13
18	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	1:24.443	1:25.205	1:24.443	16
19	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:24.723	1:25.161	1:24.723	22
20	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:25.819	1:25.127	1:25.127	22
21	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	1:27.036	1:25.225	1:25.225	24
22	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	1:27.440	1:25.886	1:25.886	17
23	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	1:27.204	1:26.269	1:26.269	24
24	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	2:01.610	1:26.323	1:26.323	10
25	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	No time	1:27.792	1:27.792	7
26	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	No time	1:28.106	1:28.106	2

Sunday warm-up

David Coulthard and Damon Hill put Williams first and second in the warm-up, reinforcing the team’s strong race prospects. Mechanical trouble meant Johnny Herbert and Ukyo Katayama would use spare cars. Fuel strategy promised another contest: Damon Hill intended two stops, while Michael Schumacher planned three, giving the championship rivals different routes through the afternoon.

Warm-up Classification

1995 Brazilian Grand Prix Warm-up, 26 March 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	6	David Coulthard	Williams	1:21.581	11
2	5	Damon Hill	Williams	+0.018s	14
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+0.543s	10
4	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+0.675s	10
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+0.682s	10
6	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.733s	12
7	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	+1.094s	5
8	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+1.121s	13
9	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	+1.150s	11
10	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.453s	11
11	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.685s	11
12	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	+1.880s	13
13	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+2.093s	12
14	7	Mark Blundell	McLaren	+2.127s	11
15	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	+2.286s	12
16	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+4.063s	10
17	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+4.208s	10
18	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+4.241s	11
19	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	+4.351s	15
20	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	+5.128s	11
21	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	+5.941s	11
22	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+12.681s	5
23	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	+16.527s	3
24	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	+334.204s	2

What happened in the 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix?

Michael Schumacher beat Damon Hill away and led the opening phase, but Williams had the pace to respond. Damon Hill took control through the first stops and appeared well placed until a rear suspension failure pitched him out. Initially suspected to be a gearbox problem, it ended his chance of converting pole into victory.

Michael Schumacher finished ahead of David Coulthard, with Gerhard Berger third after a troublesome pit stop. Häkkinen, Jean Alesi and Mark Blundell completed the points. Mika Salo had run strongly in the Tyrrell, only for physical discomfort to contribute to a spin and a fall to seventh.

The fuel samples from Michael Schumacher‘s Benetton and David Coulthard‘s Williams did not match the reference fuel lodged with the FIA. Both drivers were excluded, temporarily making Gerhard Berger the winner. An appeal later restored their finishing positions and drivers’ points, while Benetton and Williams lost their constructors’ points from the event. The standings below reflect that final decision.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 10 points, followed by David Coulthard on 6. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 6, with McLaren on 4.

1995 Brazilian Grand Prix race results

The 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix was held on 26 March 1995, with a scheduled start of 13:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	71	1:38:34.154	10
2	6	David Coulthard	Williams	71	+11.060	6
3	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	70	+1 lap	4
4	8	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	70	+1 lap	3
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	70	+1 lap	2
6	7	Mark Blundell	McLaren	70	+1 lap	1
7	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	69	+2 laps	0
8	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	69	+2 laps	0
9	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	65	+6 laps	0
10	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	64	+7 laps	0
Ret	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	62	Engine	0
Ret	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	48	Engine	0
Ret	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	47	Engine	0
Ret	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	47	Spun off	0
Ret	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	41	Electrical	0
Ret	5	Damon Hill	Williams	30	Gearbox	0
Ret	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	30	Collision	0
Ret	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	23	Gearbox	0
Ret	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	16	Gearbox	0
Ret	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	16	Gearbox	0
Ret	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	15	Spun off	0
Ret	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	15	Gearbox	0
Ret	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	12	Steering	0
Ret	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	10	Electrical	0
Ret	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	0	Collision	0
DNS	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	0	Gearbox	0

1995 Brazilian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	51	1:20.921
2	5	Damon Hill	Williams	25	1:20.982
3	6	David Coulthard	Williams	39	1:21.543
4	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	35	1:22.495
5	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	30	1:22.679
6	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	61	1:22.818
7	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	25	1:22.979
8	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	18	1:23.009
9	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	25	1:23.049
10	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	16	1:23.207
11	7	Mark Blundell	McLaren	38	1:23.252
12	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	13	1:23.346
13	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	11	1:23.355
14	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	4	1:23.718
15	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	10	1:24.087
16	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	23	1:24.387
17	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	3	1:26.017
18	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	13	1:26.349
19	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	34	1:26.470
20	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	22	1:26.826
21	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	7	1:27.447
22	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	31	1:27.829
23	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	9	1:28.467
24	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	49	1:28.811

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

1995 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix.

1995 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Benetton	10
2	David Coulthard	British	Williams	6
3	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Ferrari	4
4	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	3
5	Jean Alesi	French	Ferrari	2
6	Mark Blundell	British	McLaren	1
–	Mika Salo	Finnish	Tyrrell	0
–	Aguri Suzuki	Japanese	Ligier	0
–	Andrea Montermini	Italian	Pacific	0
–	Pedro Diniz	Brazilian	Forti	0
–	Gianni Morbidelli	Italian	Footwork	0
–	Taki Inoue	Japanese	Footwork	0
–	Luca Badoer	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Roberto Moreno	Brazilian	Forti	0
–	Karl Wendlinger	Austrian	Sauber	0
–	Damon Hill	British	Williams	0
–	Johnny Herbert	British	Benetton	0
–	Bertrand Gachot	Belgian	Pacific	0
–	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Jordan	0
–	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Simtek	0
–	Ukyo Katayama	Japanese	Tyrrell	0
–	Eddie Irvine	British	Jordan	0
–	Domenico Schiattarella	Italian	Simtek	0
–	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Sauber	0
–	Olivier Panis	French	Ligier	0
–	Pierluigi Martini	Italian	Minardi	0

1995 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	6
2	McLaren	4
3	Tyrrell	0
4	Ligier	0
5	Pacific	0
6	Forti	0
7	Benetton	0
8	Williams	0
9	Footwork	0
10	Minardi	0
11	Sauber	0
12	Jordan	0
13	Simtek	0

1995 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1995 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	26 March
2	1995 Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires	9 April
3	1995 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	30 April
4	1995 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	14 May
5	1995 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	28 May
6	1995 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	11 June
7	1995 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	2 July
8	1995 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	16 July
9	1995 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	30 July
10	1995 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	13 August
11	1995 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	27 August
12	1995 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	10 September
13	1995 Portuguese Grand Prix	Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril	24 September
14	1995 European Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	1 October
15	1995 Pacific Grand Prix	TI Circuit-Aida, Aida	22 October
16	1995 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	29 October
17	1995 Australian Grand Prix	Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide	12 November