How Monaco 1996 typified a hard-charger’s F1 career

A race that is best remembered for a shock victory by Olivier Panis on home soil could easily have been won by his compatriot Jean Alesi were it not from a suspension failure while clearly in the lead. It was to prove entirely fitting of a promising yet often unfulfilled F1 career.

The 1996 Monaco Grand Prix is one of the mostly fondly remembered races in Formula 1 history. In a chaotic, rain-struck affair that ended with just three cars classified as finishing the race, Olivier Panis claimed the underdog victory of all underdog victories for Ligier.

The race's enduring popularity is such that F1 picked it as the fourth race it would live stream in full via its social media channels today, as part of its bid to fill the void fans are currently dealing with.

Share Or Save This Story

Author Luke Smith

Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.

Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.