Remembering Adelaide '94, a Suitably Shitty Conclusion to F1's Year From Hell

The 1994 Formula One season will forever be remembered for the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. Serious accidents also befell the Austrian driver Karl Wendlinger (who was left in a coma), Andrea Montermini (broken ankle), while the terrifying pit lane fire that engulfed Jos Verstappen's Benetton crew was a terrifying, if spectacular, spectacle.

In short, 1994 was a shitty year for Formula One that no one looks back on with much joy. Its name is only uttered in discussions over safety and used as an example of what happens when the sport lets its guard down.

The season ended 21 years ago this week. And, befitting of such a horrible year, it concluded with an on-track collision that left a bitter taste in the mouth of many fans.

In fact, from a sporting perspective, the whole season was something of a mess. It had kicked off with the emergence of a new force: Michael Schumacher, now in his third full year of F1, was clearly ready to secure a world title at Benetton. By round seven Schumacher had won six races and held a comfortable points advantage over Damon Hill. The Englishman – son of two-time world champion Graham and a very popular figure – had stepped up to become the Williams team's lead driver after Senna's death, but given the shadow the great Brazilian cast and a very talented opponent in Schumacher, he barely seemed to have a hope.

Things began to change at the British Grand Prix.

Hill won with Schumacher second, but the German was disqualified for ignoring a black flag (having been advised to do so by his team, who were negotiating with officials) and banned for two races. He appealed and was able to race on, albeit with the possibility that he would lose the points.

Neither driver scored in Germany, while in Hungary Schumacher won from Hill. His advantage was still a very healthy 31 points.

In Belgium Michael won again but was then disqualified for a technical infringement. That handed Hill the victory, and Schumacher was duly banned for the next two rounds, and also lost his British Grand Prix points.

Advantage Damon.

And the Williams driver grabbed his opportunity with both hands. Schumacher could only watch from the sidelines as Hill won the next two races and reduced the deficit at the top to just one point. Schumacher was back for the next round in Spain and won from Hill, but at the penultimate race in Japan the result was reversed – Hill beat Schumacher in insanely wet conditions, sending the title fight to the last round in Australia. (As an aside, there is a case to argue that Japan 94 was Hill's greatest achievement in a Formula One car).

Entering the finale in Australia, the gap between them was back down to a single point.

Schumacher remained the favourite. He had tended to be the faster on track all season and would have wrapped up the title early but for some questionable decisions by his team. (That said, the legitimacy of this would have been dubious – Benetton were dogged by allegations of cheating throughout the campaign).

The race took place on the Adelaide street circuit on 13 November 1994, where Nigel Mansell briefly stole the title protagonists' limelight by taking pole. The Englishman was back in F1 as a part-time replacement for Senna, and after three outings looked back to his best (unfortunately, an ill-fated comeback the following year rather spoiled this). Schumacher was second on the grid and Hill third; the same order at the finish would have made the German world champion for the first time.

At the start Mansell got too much wheelspin, allowing the two younger men through. In a tense contest, the pair remind out front together until lap 36. At this stage Hill was catching Schumacher, putting the German under considerable pressure. Trying to fight back, Schumacher made a mistake and went off the track; he hit the wall but was able to swerve back on to the circuit.

Schumacher seemed to have thrown away his title hopes – the car was clearly damaged and even if he could continue Hill seemed certain to pass him and pull away. Hill did not know that he could bide his time, however, and immediately dived into the gap to take the lead. Schumacher hit him, ended up on two wheels, and came to a rest in the barriers. The Benetton was now fatally wounded; for a moment, Hill appeared to have the title won.

But the Williams was also badly damaged. Hill limped back to the pits, but his race was over – meaning Schumacher, who was by this stage distraught at the side of the track, had clinched his first world title. While this was happening, Mansell assumed the lead and went on to take what turned out to be his final Formula One victory.

There was, of course, huge controversy. Hill believed Schumacher had hit him intentionally in a last-ditch attempt to save his title; Michael always maintained that the damage he had suffered was the reason he made contact with the Williams.

Racing fans – particularly in the UK – saw it as an entirely intentional move; even after winning seven world titles, many British fans refused to forgive Schumacher for "what he did to Damon." His attitude was seen as the antithesis of British sporting behaviour; Hill would never have pulled such a move. The British driver later wrote:

"There are two things that set Michael apart from the rest of the drivers in Formula One – his sheer talent and his attitude. I am full of admiration for the former, but the latter leaves me cold."

It is a near-impossible case to judge 21 years on, particularly as Schumacher had the legitimate excuse of a damaged car – only he could know how the Benetton handled after his brush with the wall. However, the fact that he tried (and failed) to do the same thing to Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 does not help his argument.

More broadly, he was always an utterly ruthless man behind the wheel, an image that stuck throughout his career. You could call up a host of incidents that suggest he was at least capable of taking Hill out to save his own title hopes. Ultimately, that same ruthlessness is what allowed him to win seven word titles.

And the fact remains that Michael Schumacher was the 1994 Formula One World Champion. It was the first of his record-breaking seven titles and undoubtedly the most controversial. It is also likely to be the one that he, like many people associated with the sport, would most wish to be forgotten.