What if Schumacher had gone to Williams in 1996 instead of Ferrari?

The simulation's verdict

Michael Schumacher would have won the 1996 title in 99% of the 200 simulations.

Based on 200 simulations of the 1996 season. Numbers can vary each time you play.

Historical context

In 1996 Schumacher chose Ferrari, a long and difficult project, over a Williams that was the fastest car on the grid. Damon Hill won the title with the FW18. Had the Kaiser signed for Williams instead of Maranello, 1996 would have been a walk for him and his legend might have been even greater.

The real 1996 season

The 1996 season confirmed Williams' crushing superiority in the post-Senna era. The FW18, designed by Adrian Newey, was one of the most dominant cars in history, and the two blue machines had barely any rivals all year. The title fight was an in-house affair between Damon Hill and rookie Jacques Villeneuve, the reigning IndyCar champion newly arrived in Europe. Hill, more experienced and consistent, prevailed with eight wins in sixteen races. Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher began his rebuild of Ferrari and moved the tifosi to tears with three memorable wins — Barcelona in the rain, Spa and Monza — in a clearly inferior car. The ending had a bitter twist: despite winning the championship, Williams had already decided not to retain Hill for 1997, leaving the brand-new champion without a seat in the dominant team. It was the last title for a driver who carried his father Graham Hill's name.

Real champion: Damon Hill in the Williams FW18. Hill clinched the title in Japan, closing a historic season for Williams. See the full 1996 season →

The driver

How it's simulated

The engine recreates qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) and every Grand Prix with the ~20 real drivers of 1996, weighing each car's performance, driver skill, weather, safety cars and tyre wear. Learn how the simulator works →