Editing Jacques Villeneuve (section)

====1996====
[[File:Jacques Villeneuve 1996.jpg|thumb|Villeneuve driving for Williams at the {{F1GP||1996 Canadian}}]]

Villeneuve drove the docile [[Williams FW18|FW18]] car equipped with a powerful, reliable Renault engine and a better [[Transmission (mechanics)|gearbox]].{{sfn|Camus|2007|p=187}}<ref name="Sportsworld" /> Villeneuve built up a rapport with his race engineer [[Jock Clear]] and learnt from his teammate Hill.<ref name="F1R2014Interview" /><ref name="JV2017Interview" /> Although not considered a title favourite by the media,{{sfn|Lecours|1998|p=251}} he contended for the [[List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions|World Drivers' Championship]] with Hill but never led the standings. Villeneuve's debut at the season-opening {{F1GP|1996|Australian}} saw him become the third driver ever to claim pole position on his first start,{{Sfn|Sparling|1999|pp=44–48}} and despite an [[Oil spill|oil leak]], he finished second.<ref name="Sportsworld">{{cite journal|last=Jacob|first=K. O.|title=Born to Drive |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.11836/page/n1037/|journal=[[Sportsworld (magazine)|Sportsworld]]|volume=17|issue=17|date=5–18 June 1996|access-date=31 May 2021|pages=33–36|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> He beat Ferrari's [[Michael Schumacher]] in the {{F1GP|1996|European}} three races later for his maiden F1 victory.{{Sfn|Sparling|1999|pp=44–48}} Villeneuve scored [[List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems|points]] in eight of the next eleven events and won the {{F1GP|1996|British}}, the {{F1GP|1996|Hungarian}} and the {{F1GP|1996|Portuguese}}.{{sfn|Collings|1997|pp=154–163, 167–189}} Entering the season-ending {{F1GP|1996|Japanese}}, he had nine fewer points than Hill, requiring him to win the event and for Hill to score no points to claim the title;{{sfn|Collings|1997|pp=154–163, 167–189}}{{Sfn|Walker|Arron|p=133|1996}} however, Villeneuve's right-rear tyre came off his car, forcing him to retire from the race. He finished runner-up to Hill in the drivers' standings with 78 points in his maiden season.{{sfn|Collings|1997|pp=154–163, 167–189}}{{Sfn|Collings|Edworthy|2011|pp=268–277}} Villeneuve was the first rookie to achieve four Grand Prix victories in his debut year and the first to finish runner-up overall.{{efn|[[Lewis Hamilton]] equalled each of these records driving for [[McLaren]] in the [[2007 Formula One World Championship|2007 season]].{{Sfn|Jones|2015|pp=18, 22}}}}{{Sfn|Jones|2015|pp=18, 22}}