Formula 1's history books remember many impressive inaugural performances, but Jacques Villeneuve's achievement in Melbourne on this day in 1996 was perhaps one of the most remarkable. Admittedly, when the 24-year-old Canadian entered F1 with Williams he wasn't exactly an unknown quantity, having enjoyed a distinguished career in the US, capped in 1995 by a CART Indycar title and a huge triumph at the showpiece Indy 500. In order to offer Villeneuve the very best prospects, Williams had provided its young debutant with a lengthy test program during the winter, and no efforts were spared to enable his talent to get to grips with the team's machinery. Off the bat, Villeneuve pipped his...
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