1993 French Grand Prix

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1993 French Grand Prix

The 1993 French Grand Prix was held at Magny-Cours on 4 July 1993. It was race eight of the 16 in the season. The 72-lap, 306-kilometer race was won by French driver Alain Prost in a Williams-Renault, starting from second place. His British teammate Damon Hill finished second after starting from pole, and German Michael Schumacher was third in a Benetton-Ford. Ayrton Senna finished fourth in a McLaren-Ford. Prost’s victory gave him a 12-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship, and it marked Prost’s 100th Formula One podium.

Key moments and facts:
- Pole position: Damon Hill (Williams-Renault). Fastest lap: Michael Schumacher (Benetton-Ford) on lap 47.
- The race featured a notable crash when Mark Blundell was pushed off the road by Andrea de Cesaris on lap 21, causing Blundell to retire.
- Prost led after mid-race pit stops, with Hill stay­ing close; Schumacher moved up to third after overtaking Senna in traffic.
- Prost’s win meant Williams achieved a 1-2 finish with Hill second and Schumacher third, followed by Senna, Brundle, and Andretti.

Championship impact:
- At the halfway point of the season, Prost led the World Championship with 57 points, ahead of Senna on 45 and Hill on 28. Schumacher was fourth with 24 points.
- In the Constructors’ standings, Williams led with 85 points, McLaren had 48, Benetton 29, and Ligier 15.

Other notes:
- This race was the first Grand Prix with BBC commentary by Jonathan Palmer, replacing James Hunt after Hunt’s death following the Canadian Grand Prix. Palmer teamed with Murray Walker until ITV took over in 1997.
- Fabrizio Barbazza competed in this race; it would be his last Grand Prix.
- Prost became the first driver to reach 100 career podiums with this result.