With Damon Hill out of the title equation, it was Jacques Villeneuve who carried the fight to Michael Schumacher with the now potent Ferrari. Once again, the title was to be decided controversially at the final round as the German attempted to push the Williams star off the track. Ironically it was the Ferrari that came off second best and bounced into retirement. It became almost as a side issue that the winner of the race was Mika Häkkinen, finally breaking his duck after 96 races.

Earlier in the year McLaren emerged from their long period out of the winner's circle with their first victories in the post-Senna era, David Coulthard taking a win in Melbourne (and later another at Monza). The season saw a final win for Benneton's Gerhard Berger in the German Grand Prix and in an astonishing performance, Damon Hill very nearly won the Hungarian Grand Prix for Arrows when his Bridgestone-shod car had the beating of the field.