After going off the road on his own, Michael Schumacher ensured his first World Championship in controversial style.
AII sorts of emotions must have been running through Damon Hill's head as he crept back to the pits on the 36th lap of a scintillating Australian Grand Prix, few of them printable. After driving his heart out he had challenged Michael Schumacher every inch of the way in their World Championship fight, only for both to collide in the East Terrace. As the world waited, Hill already knew from the suspension damage he could see and feel that, though he was mobile and Schumacher no longer was, the dream was over. The German, the cause of the incident, was already World Champion.
It was a tragic shame that the great confrontation had to end the way it did, because up until then the Australian GP was one of those rare F1 races that grabs you by the throat. In qualifying there had been Nigel Mansell's 32nd pole position, followed immediately by only the third big shunt of Schumacher's career as he overdid things in the Senna Chicane trying to beat the Briton's time. In their wake. Hill had struggled to third place, unhappy with his Williams' set-up on Friday and unable to have a second crack because of rain on Saturday.
