1995 San Marino Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Damon Hill won an emotional San Marino Grand Prix as Formula 1 returned to a substantially revised Imola. A year after the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, the paddock paused to remember them before a race shaped by changing grip, pit-stop trouble and Michael Schumacher‘s early exit.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Michael Schumacher	Benetton
Pole time	1:27.274
Fastest lap	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:29.568 on lap 57
First	Damon Hill	Williams
Second	Jean Alesi	Ferrari
Third	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
28 April 1995	Practice 1	Morning; start time unconfirmed
28 April 1995	Qualifying 1	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
29 April 1995	Practice 2	Morning; start time unconfirmed
29 April 1995	Qualifying 2	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
30 April 1995	Warm-up	Morning; start time unconfirmed
30 April 1995	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 3 leading the 1995 F1 World Championship on 14 points, with Damon Hill on 10. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 13 points.

New chicanes at Tamburello and Villeneuve were among the major changes to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. The Brazilian appeal had now restored Michael Schumacher‘s victory and drivers’ points, while withholding Benetton‘s and Williams‘s constructors’ points from that race.

Race entries

Nigel Mansell made his first McLaren race appearance after missing the opening rounds because of the cramped cockpit. He replaced stand-in Mark Blundell alongside Mika Häkkinen. Larrousse did not return, leaving thirteen teams at Imola.

Friday Free Practice

David Coulthard set the pace as the teams learned the revised circuit on Friday morning. Williams and Benetton also had an updated Renault engine intended to improve delivery at lower and middle revs. Ferrari arrived with aerodynamic and exhaust changes, so the first session combined circuit familiarisation with assessment of new equipment.

Friday Practice Classification

1995 San Marino Grand Prix Practice, 28 April 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	6	David Coulthard	Williams	1:27.685	23
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+0.784s	23
3	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+1.256s	22
4	5	Damon Hill	Williams	+1.399s	17
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+1.619s	23
6	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	+1.792s	22
7	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.921s	19
8	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+1.932s	23
9	7	Nigel Mansell	McLaren	+2.090s	23
10	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	+2.573s	23
11	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	+3.252s	22
12	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+3.303s	20
13	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+3.534s	21
14	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+3.848s	22
15	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+4.130s	14
16	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	+5.068s	16
17	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+5.898s	22
18	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	+6.298s	23
19	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	+6.579s	23
20	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	+6.614s	22
21	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+7.080s	23
22	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	+7.384s	22
23	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	+7.815s	9
24	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+7.943s	4
25	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	+10.785s	22
26	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	+11.030s	14

Friday Qualifying

Friday produced a wonderfully close contest. David Coulthard briefly held the fastest time before Michael Schumacher improved, then Gerhard Berger missed the Benetton by only eight thousandths. Ferrari‘s challenge delighted the home crowd, while Jean Alesi used his allocation early and could not join the final exchanges.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1995 San Marino Grand Prix first qualifying session, 28 April 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:27.274	10
2	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:27.282	12
3	6	David Coulthard	Williams	1:27.459	11
4	5	Damon Hill	Williams	1:27.537	12
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:27.813	12
6	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:28.343	11
7	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	1:28.516	8
8	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	1:29.403	12
9	7	Nigel Mansell	McLaren	1:29.517	11
10	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:29.580	12
11	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:29.582	12
12	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:30.801	11
13	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	1:31.221	10
14	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:31.358	12
15	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:31.630	11
16	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	1:32.156	11
17	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	1:32.297	11
18	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:32.445	8
19	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	1:32.988	12
20	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	1:33.071	12
21	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:33.494	11
22	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:33.892	12
23	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	1:33.965	9
24	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	1:35.169	11
25	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	1:36.686	12
26	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	1:37.612	5

Saturday Free Practice

Damon Hill headed a Williams one-two in Saturday practice, while Häkkinen again demonstrated promising speed in third. Nigel Mansell managed only eight laps in the other McLaren. Rising temperatures changed the challenge for the afternoon: Friday’s qualifying times would prove difficult to beat, placing extra value on the preparation already completed.

Saturday Practice Classification

1995 San Marino Grand Prix Practice, 29 April 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Damon Hill	Williams	1:28.251	22
2	6	David Coulthard	Williams	+0.088s	23
3	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.662s	19
4	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+0.829s	22
5	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+0.902s	14
6	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.246s	20
7	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+1.347s	22
8	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	+1.674s	22
9	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+2.613s	23
10	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+3.225s	11
11	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	+3.230s	13
12	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+3.352s	23
13	7	Nigel Mansell	McLaren	+3.465s	8
14	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	+3.659s	23
15	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+3.856s	16
16	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	+3.986s	20
17	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	+4.184s	20
18	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	+5.281s	21
19	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	+5.475s	11
20	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	+5.515s	14
21	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+5.904s	23
22	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	+7.026s	22
23	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+7.222s	7
24	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+7.464s	7
25	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	+8.882s	15
26	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	+30.076s	2

Saturday Qualifying

Hotter conditions meant the leading Friday times survived. Michael Schumacher was quickest again but could not improve his pole lap; Gerhard Berger retained second ahead of David Coulthard and Damon Hill. Nigel Mansell qualified ninth on his McLaren debut, three places behind Häkkinen, with traffic adding to the returning champion’s difficulties.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1995 San Marino Grand Prix second qualifying session, 29 April 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:27.413	8
2	5	Damon Hill	Williams	1:27.512	12
3	6	David Coulthard	Williams	1:27.600	10
4	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:28.431	11
5	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	1:29.350	10
6	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:29.551	11
7	7	Nigel Mansell	McLaren	1:29.966	10
8	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:30.760	12
9	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	1:31.035	12
10	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:31.147	5
11	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:31.423	12
12	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:31.736	12
13	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	1:31.913	12
14	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	1:32.425	11
15	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	1:32.710	12
16	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	1:33.430	12
17	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:33.554	12
18	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:33.832	12
19	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	1:34.064	11
20	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:35.253	7
21	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	1:35.282	9
22	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	1:36.065	12
23	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	1:36.624	12
24	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:38.801	3
25	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	1:41.247	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	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:27.274	1:27.413	1:27.274	18
2	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:27.282	1:38.801	1:27.282	15
3	6	David Coulthard	Williams	1:27.459	1:27.600	1:27.459	21
4	5	Damon Hill	Williams	1:27.537	1:27.512	1:27.512	24
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:27.813	1:28.431	1:27.813	23
6	8	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:28.343	no time	1:28.343	11
7	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	1:28.516	1:41.247	1:28.516	11
8	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	1:29.403	1:29.350	1:29.350	22
9	7	Nigel Mansell	McLaren	1:29.517	1:29.966	1:29.517	21
10	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:29.580	1:29.551	1:29.551	23
11	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:29.582	1:31.147	1:29.582	17
12	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:30.801	1:30.760	1:30.760	23
13	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	1:31.221	1:31.035	1:31.035	22
14	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:31.358	1:31.423	1:31.358	24
15	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:31.630	1:31.736	1:31.630	23
16	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	1:32.297	1:31.913	1:31.913	23
17	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	1:32.156	1:32.425	1:32.156	22
18	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:32.445	1:33.832	1:32.445	20
19	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	1:32.988	1:32.710	1:32.710	24
20	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	1:33.071	1:33.430	1:33.071	24
21	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:33.494	1:33.554	1:33.494	23
22	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:33.892	1:35.253	1:33.892	19
23	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	1:33.965	1:34.064	1:33.965	20
24	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	1:35.169	1:35.282	1:35.169	20
25	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	1:37.612	1:36.065	1:36.065	17
26	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	1:36.686	1:36.624	1:36.624	24

Sunday warm-up

Rain transformed the warm-up. Jean Alesi led Gerhard Berger in a Ferrari one-two while the championship contenders repeatedly spun on the slippery surface. Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and David Coulthard all had moments, making it clear that choosing settings and tyres for a drying track would be anything but straightforward. The dry-weather hierarchy offered no guarantee of a clean race.

Warm-up Classification

1995 San Marino Grand Prix Warm-up, 30 April 1995

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:59.555	12
2	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+2.036s	7
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+2.804s	8
4	7	Nigel Mansell	McLaren	+3.826s	11
5	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+4.254s	11
6	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+4.624s	9
7	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+5.763s	11
8	6	David Coulthard	Williams	+5.975s	8
9	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+7.212s	10
10	5	Damon Hill	Williams	+8.089s	8
11	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	+8.590s	6
12	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	+8.697s	6
13	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	+8.754s	6
14	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+10.949s	8
15	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	+12.137s	8
16	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	+12.930s	8
17	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+13.337s	7
18	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+14.861s	6
19	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+20.318s	4
20	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	+21.060s	8
21	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	+21.454s	7
22	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	+25.349s	7
23	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+27.567s	5
24	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	+35.580s	4
25	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	+200.994s	2
26	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	+349.280s	2

What happened in the 1995 San Marino Grand Prix?

The drivers observed a minute’s silence before the start. With the circuit still damp, the leading runners began on wet tyres and quickly established an advantage over those on slicks. The balance changed as the surface dried, bringing the first round of tyre changes into play.

Michael Schumacher crashed soon after switching to slicks, handing the initiative to Gerhard Berger. Ferrari then lost time when Gerhard Berger stalled during a stop, allowing Damon Hill to take control. David Coulthard‘s contest with Jean Alesi left him with front-wing damage; a pit-lane speeding penalty required another visit before the damaged wing could be replaced.

Damon Hill survived a delay when a refuelling hose proved reluctant to disconnect and won ahead of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger. David Coulthard recovered to fourth, with Häkkinen fifth and Heinz-Harald Frentzen taking the final point. Williams left Imola with a second consecutive victory, while Ferrari had the consolation of both cars on the podium.

After the race, Damon Hill headed the drivers’ standings with 20 points, followed by Michael Schumacher on 14. Williams led the constructors’ table on 23, with Ferrari on 23.

1995 San Marino Grand Prix race results

The 1995 San Marino Grand Prix was held on 30 April 1995, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	5	Damon Hill	Williams	63	1:41:42.522	10
2	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	63	+ 18.510	6
3	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	63	+ 43.116	4
4	6	David Coulthard	Williams	63	+ 51.890	3
5	8	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	62	+ 1 Lap	2
6	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	62	+ 1 Lap	1
7	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	61	+ 2 Laps	0
8	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	61	+ 2 Laps	0
9	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	61	+ 2 Laps	0
10	7	Nigel Mansell	McLaren	61	+ 2 Laps	0
11	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	60	+ 3 Laps	0
12	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	59	+ 4 Laps	0
13	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	59	+ 4 Laps	0
14	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	59	+ 4 Laps	0
NC	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	56	+ 7 Laps	0
NC	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	56	+ 7 Laps	0
Ret	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	43	Wheel	0
Ret	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	36	Gearbox	0
Ret	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	35	Suspension	0
Ret	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	31	Transmission	0
Ret	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	23	Spun Off	0
Ret	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	19	Engine	0
Ret	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	15	Gearbox	0
Ret	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	14	Gearbox	0
Ret	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	12	Spun Off	0
Ret	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	10	Accident	0

1995 San Marino Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	57	1:29.568
2	5	Damon Hill	Williams	42	1:29.710
3	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	42	1:30.008
4	6	David Coulthard	Williams	59	1:30.049
5	2	Johnny Herbert	Benetton	60	1:30.055
6	15	Eddie Irvine	Jordan	53	1:30.868
7	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	54	1:31.029
8	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	44	1:31.135
9	7	Nigel Mansell	McLaren	41	1:31.251
10	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	60	1:31.754
11	25	Aguri Suzuki	Ligier	55	1:32.280
12	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	59	1:32.505
13	9	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	54	1:33.415
14	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	30	1:33.540
15	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	43	1:33.617
16	24	Luca Badoer	Minardi	49	1:33.838
17	11	Domenico Schiattarella	Simtek	31	1:35.534
18	16	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	35	1:36.136
19	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	23	1:37.243
20	22	Roberto Moreno	Forti	52	1:37.529
21	21	Pedro Diniz	Forti	52	1:37.872
22	4	Mika Salo	Tyrrell	17	1:39.837
23	12	Jos Verstappen	Simtek	12	1:44.585
24	1	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	8	1:45.701
25	17	Andrea Montermini	Pacific	12	1:47.102
26	10	Taki Inoue	Footwork	11	1:59.717

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 San Marino Grand Prix.

1995 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Damon Hill	British	Williams	20
2	Michael Schumacher	German	Benetton	14
3	Jean Alesi	French	Ferrari	14
4	David Coulthard	British	Williams	9
5	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Ferrari	9
6	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	5
7	Johnny Herbert	British	Benetton	3
8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Sauber	3
9	Mark Blundell	British	McLaren	1
–	Olivier Panis	French	Ligier	0
–	Mika Salo	Finnish	Tyrrell	0
–	Aguri Suzuki	Japanese	Ligier	0
–	Ukyo Katayama	Japanese	Tyrrell	0
–	Eddie Irvine	British	Jordan	0
–	Domenico Schiattarella	Italian	Simtek	0
–	Andrea Montermini	Italian	Pacific	0
–	Pedro Diniz	Brazilian	Forti	0
–	Nigel Mansell	British	McLaren	0
–	Pierluigi Martini	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Gianni Morbidelli	Italian	Footwork	0
–	Luca Badoer	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Roberto Moreno	Brazilian	Forti	0
–	Taki Inoue	Japanese	Footwork	0
–	Karl Wendlinger	Austrian	Sauber	0
–	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Jordan	0
–	Bertrand Gachot	Belgian	Pacific	0
–	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Simtek	0

1995 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Williams	23
2	Ferrari	23
3	Benetton	7
4	McLaren	6
5	Sauber	3
6	Ligier	0
7	Tyrrell	0
8	Jordan	0
9	Pacific	0
10	Simtek	0
11	Forti	0
12	Minardi	0
13	Footwork	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