Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Ferrari’s F310 had made the start of 1996 difficult. In heavy Barcelona rain, Schumacher nevertheless turned it into the benchmark. After a poor start he recovered and built the advantage needed for his first Scuderia victory. This was not yet the Ferrari of the dominant years, which made the performance especially significant. With normal reference points disappearing, his feel for grip and ability to sustain speed became decisive.

Verstappen’s first Red Bull race became his first victory. The Mercedes collision opened an opportunity, but he still had to manage his strategy and withstand Räikkönen’s Ferrari. He became Formula 1’s youngest race winner at a circuit usually associated with methodical testing work: a team change was followed immediately by a historic result.