S6 E3: 1996 Australian GP - Villeneuve’s stunning F1 debut

Jacques Villeneuve came heartbreakingly close to winning on his F1 debut in the 1996 Australian Grand Prix, only losing out when he was told to slow down to save his engine, allowing Williams team-mate Damon Hill through for victory. 

Glenn Freeman is joined by Matt Beer and former Jordan F1 designer Gary Anderson to look back at F1's first weekend in Melbourne, including Villeneuve's remarkable debut, and what Gary thought when he saw his yellow Jordan fly through the air and break in half in Martin Brundle's famous first lap crash. 

They also discuss the impact of the post-Schumacher upheaval at Benetton, Mika Hakkinen's return to racing after his horrific Adelaide crash in 1995, a wake-up call for David Coulthard with Ron Dennis, rules controversy as two teams took a clever approach to the new-for-'96 cockpit sides, and what the paddock thought of Bridgestone's announcement it was coming to F1 to take on Goodyear - originally for 1998. Plus, we do our best to get to the bottom of the various theories behind Villeneuve's engine problem, and the myths around his dramatic Turn 1 off that is often blamed for causing the oil leak.

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