Glenn Freeman

The Athletic.

Benetton were on top of the world in the middle of the 1990s, winning back-to-back F1 titles with Michael Schumacher to become F1's new elite team, sitting above titans like Williams, McLaren and Ferrari.

But after winning the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in 1995, Benetton faced a new challenge.

Schumacher was off to Ferrari, and the team now had to prove its success wasn't just about the driver.

It banked on Jean Alessi as its new star,

paired him up with his old Ferrari teammate Gerhard Berger, and for the first time since the 1980s, it failed to win a race.

So where did it all go wrong?

And was this simply a case of a Michael Schumacher hangover?

To help me, Glenn Freeman, dive into that on this episode of Bring Back V10s, we have Matt Beer and Ben Anderson.

Matt, when you think of Benetton's first year in its post-Schumacher era in 1996, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

Yeah, the image you're describing there to me is Melbourne, the first race, when he clatters into Eddie Irvine.

That's what I thought you were describing.

Yeah, particularly shambolic, the Imola race.

Ben, what about you?

Oh, wow.

I should have seen that coming.

I should have seen that coming, but I genuinely didn't.

i'm back yeah yeah hopefully that's hopefully that is the only mention of damon hill in this episode i don't think i've put any in no way um but before we get on then to how benetton did without schumacher let's look at how team boss flavio briatore felt about michael leaving

Briatore said years later on F1's Beyond the Grid podcast that he wasn't surprised Schumacher wanted to go to Ferrari, but he did try to convince him to stay.

Flavio's message to Schumacher was, let's take two more years, win two championships.