Former Williams System 1 team-mates Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve have recounted the behind-the-scenes celebrations on the Grove outfit when Hill clinched the 1996 drivers’ championship.
Villeneuve joined Hill at Williams in 1996 for his rookie season within the sequence, and the 2 have been straight right into a championship battle. In the end, the Canadian driver completed as runner-up behind Hill, who had been on the group since 1993.
Whereas he had misplaced out on the championship, Villeneuve revealed that one in every of his favorite off-track moments with the group was celebrating Hill’s victory at a karaoke cabin.
“I’d say karaoke cabin,” Villeneuve defined on a particular episode of the Williams Staff Torque podcast alongside Hill. “I feel that after you gained the championship and we have been within the cabin there.
“There was a normal… Folks have been joyful you had gained within the paddock as a result of that they had been there the earlier years. That they had seen the laborious work you place into it.
“And I used to be the newcomer. So, it was a very good partnership, and it was a very good normal second, smiling, and in order that was actually a cool, joyful, optimistic second.”
Jacques Villeneuve, Williams congratulates race winner Damon Hill, Williams and Charlie Whiting, FIA official delegate
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
In the identical interview, Villeneuve talked about lacking out on the 1996 title, admitting that he had no bitterness over his team-mate’s success.
“We had fun that night time,” he mentioned. “We had a very good celebration, and I used to be very joyful for him. It did not really feel like ‘Oh, , I misplaced the championship’. After all, I used to be not joyful to not have gained, but additionally he was deserving it a lot that I used to be cool with it.”
Hill moved to Arrows in 1997 whereas Villeneuve remained at Williams, partnering Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Villeneuve claimed his maiden drivers’ championship title that yr, along with his team-mate ending second after Michael Schumacher was disqualified.
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