Benetton B196
Formula One racing car
Racing car model
 Jean Alesi driving the B196 at the 1996 San Marino Grand Prix | |||||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Benetton Formula Ltd. | ||||||||||
| Designer(s) | Ross Brawn (Technical Director) Rory Byrne (Chief Designer) Pat Symonds (Head of R&D) Nikolas Tombazis (Head of Aerodynamics) Bernard Dudot (Chief Engine Designer) (Renault) | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | B195 | ||||||||||
| Successor | B197 | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications[1] | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon fibre monocoque | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbone, pushrod | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbone, pushrod | ||||||||||
| Engine | Renault RS8/RS8B, 3,000 cc (183.1 cu in), 72° V10, NA, mid-engine, longitudinally-mounted | ||||||||||
| Transmission | Benetton transverse 7-speed, with the possibility of running a 6-speed sequential semi-automatic | ||||||||||
| Power | 700 hp (522 kW; 710 PS) @ 16,000 rpm[2] | ||||||||||
| Fuel | Elf | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants |  Mild Seven Benetton Renault | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers | 3.  Jean Alesi4.  Gerhard Berger | ||||||||||
| Debut | 1996 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last event | 1996 Japanese Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
The Benetton B196 is a Formula One racing car with which the Benetton team competed in the 1996 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by the experienced pairing of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger, who both moved from Ferrari to replace departing 1994 and 1995 champion Michael Schumacher and his number two, Johnny Herbert. It was Berger's second stint with Benetton having last driven for them back in 1986.
Many thought, Benetton and Alesi included, that this could well be the Frenchman's year to seriously challenge for the title - something many had been predicting he would do since he signed for Ferrari in 1991. However, after achieving the double of Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in 1995, the 1996 season saw the team slip slightly from its position of eminence. A direct development of the B195, the new drivers found the B196 difficult to drive, as it had been designed with Schumacher's driving style in mind, but managed to score a series of points and podium finishes. The biggest disappointment was not winning a race for the first time since 1988, although Alesi led in Monaco until he suffered a suspension failure, and Berger led in Germany until his engine failed with three laps remaining.
The team lost second place in the Constructors' Championship to Ferrari at the final race of the season in Japan, at which Alesi crashed out early and Berger also made mistakes.
The B196 was the first Benetton car to race under Italian nationality. It was also test-driven by former Benetton race driver Alessandro Nannini, six years after the helicopter crash which ended his F1 career, and by Vincenzo Sospiri.[3]
Complete Formula One results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Mild Seven Benetton Renault | Renault V10 | G | AUS | BRA | ARG | EUR | SMR | MON | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | JPN | 68 | 3rd | |
| Jean Alesi | Ret | 2 | 3 | Ret | 6 | Ret | 2 | 3 | 3 | Ret | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | Ret | ||||||
| Gerhard Berger | 4 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 3 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 4 | 2 | 13 | Ret | 6 | Ret | 6 | 4 |
References
- ^ "Benetton B196 • STATS F1". Statsf1.com. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ "3rd Naturally-Aspirated Era (3NA), Part 2, 1995 - 2000; Egs. 79 to 85. The 3 Litre Formula" (PDF). grandprixengines.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ "Sandro's Benetton test". Grandprix.com. 25 November 1996. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
- Henry, Alan, ed. (1996). AUTOCOURSE 1996-97. Hazleton Publishing. pp. 52–55. ISBN 1-874557-91-8.
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Benetton Formula
- Founder
- Luciano Benetton
- Personnel
- James Allison
- Ben Agathangelou
- Giorgio Ascanelli
- John Barnard
- Bob Bell
- Rocco Benetton
- Ross Brawn
- Flavio Briatore
- Rory Byrne
- Nick Chester
- Peter Collins
- Frank Coppuck
- Tim Densham
- Pat Fry
- Mike Gascoyne
- Rob Marshall
- Steve Matchett
- Paul Monaghan
- Jarrod Murphy
- Steve Nielsen
- Alan Permane
- David Richards
- Sergio Rinland
- Mark Smith
- Nigel Stepney
- Pat Symonds
- Rob Taylor
- Willem Toet
- Nikolas Tombazis
- Dino Toso
- Naoki Tokunaga
- Joan Villadelprat
- John Walton
- Jonathan Wheatley
- Nick Wirth
- World Champions
- Michael Schumacher
- Drivers
- Teo Fabi
- Gerhard Berger
- Thierry Boutsen
- Alessandro Nannini
- Johnny Herbert
- Emanuele Pirro
- Nelson Piquet
- Roberto Moreno
- Michael Schumacher
- Martin Brundle
- Riccardo Patrese
- JJ Lehto
- Jos Verstappen
- Jean Alesi
- Alexander Wurz
- Giancarlo Fisichella
- Jenson Button
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