Argentine Grand Prix 1996 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Damon Hill completed a perfect start to the season with his third consecutive victory, leading home Jacques Villeneuve for another Williams one-two finish at the Argentine Grand Prix. The Englishman dominated from pole position, extending his championship lead to a commanding 21 points and establishing himself as the overwhelming title favorite.

Villeneuve finished second after a solid recovery drive, bouncing back from his Brazilian retirement to show maturity beyond his years. Jean Alesi completed the podium for Benetton in third place, continuing his strong early-season form. Michael Schumacher's difficult race ended with a fourth-place finish for Ferrari, the German unable to match Williams' pace despite showing flashes of speed. The result highlighted Ferrari's gap to the leading teams and the challenge Schumacher faced in rebuilding the Scuderia.

Hill's third straight victory equaled his best-ever winning streak and demonstrated that he had learned from his 1995 championship disappointment. The Williams FW18 was the class of the field, and Hill was extracting maximum performance from the car while making no mistakes. Villeneuve's second place showed he was adapting quickly to Formula 1, and their intra-team battle promised to be a defining storyline of the season. Benetton's struggles without Schumacher were becoming evident, with Alesi and Gerhard Berger unable to challenge for victories.