Autosport 70: Herbert wins in Italy
14 September 1995
It wasn’t quite as surprising as Pierre Gasly’s recent Italian Grand Prix victory, but there was plenty of drama at Monza 25 years ago this week.
Poleman David Coulthard kicked things off by throwing his Williams off the road on the warm-up lap of the 1995 Italian GP. The Scot got a second chance when a multi-car accident at Ascari on the opening lap brought out the red flags, and he led the race when it finally got under way again.
Coulthard looked confident up front until wheelbearing failure put him out, allowing Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari into the lead. The home team got another boost when Damon Hill’s Williams hit the back of Michael Schumacher’s Benetton as they battled over second, allowing Jean Alesi’s Ferrari into second.
Somewhat dramatically, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said: “If these guys want to carry on like this, it is OK by me. But I warn them that they must be prepared for the consequences, which are that they may get hurt, killed, or find themselves in trouble.”
Alesi jumped Berger in the pitstops and Ferrari looked set for a 1-2 until more chaos struck. First, Alesi’s onboard camera came adrift and smashed Berger’s suspension. Then, just eight laps from victory, Alesi suffered a wheelbearing failure, leaving Johnny Herbert to take his second win of the season for Benetton.
Elsewhere, Vauxhall’s John Cleland clinched the British Touring Car crown with two podium finishes at Oulton Park, while Jacques Villeneuve secured the Indycar title at Laguna Seca.
Undoubtedly the saddest news of the week was the death of tin-top ace Kieth O’dor following a crash during the German Super Tourenwagen round at Avus. Having won the first race, the Nissan driver lost control in the second and was T-boned by Frank Biela’s Audi, O’dor succumbing to his injuries the following Monday.