On this day in 1994, the trajectory of the Formula 1 World Championship was changed after a major disqualification at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Ahead of the race, Michael Schumacher led the Drivers’ title by 31 points from Damon Hill, having taken a further four points out of the Williams driver with a victory in Hungary last time out.
F1 made its usual jaunt to Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix, and once again, rain played a crucial part, but this time, in qualifying.
Before 1996, F1 qualifying was held over two days, the overall fastest times across both days determining the result. The Ardennes forest saw its usual microclimate interfere on the status quo.
Rubens Barrichello, in what was only his second F1 season, set one of the last times on Friday when the weather was dry. With rain beginning to fall, no-one could sufficiently or realistically set a time near to the Jordan driver’s, and secured his, and the Irish squad’s, maiden pole position.
The Spa circuit had, that year, been given a drastic facelift, as part of the FIA’s crackdown on safety in the wake of the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at Imola earlier in the campaign.
Its notorious Eau Rouge corner was turned into a tighter chicane, leading to heavier braking. Whilst guaranteeing cars to enter it slower, many disliked what was the alteration of one of F1’s most challenging and thrilling circuit segments into a pedestrian bore.
On race day, the wet weather stayed away, and despite leading into La Source in the lead, Barrichello lost the lead to Michael Schumacher going into Les Combes.
After the first round of pit stops, David Coulthard – one of two replacements for Senna at Williams – leapfrogged title contender Damon Hill, but later waved him through to pursue Schumacher out in front.
On Lap 19, what many felt was the defining moment of race happened, as Schumacher did a completed 360 spin at Fagnes. He recovered with no problems, and duly went on to win the race fron Hill in second, and Mika Hakkinen in third.
But it wasn’t over, and once again, the major mid-season rule changes played a part. With wooden planks on the bottom of cars introduced to promote better handling and truncate ground-effect, scrutineers determined that the plank on Schumacher’s Benetton had worn excessively thin, although it was determined that the spin was not the cause.
Regardless, Hill was declared winner, promoting Hakkinen to second place, and Jos Verstappen to third.
Schumacher was subsequently handed a two-race ban after the appeal against his disqualification at the British Grand Prix failed, giving Hill a way back into contention.
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