Panis pulls off a stunner in the Principality

©Twitter/LigierAutomotive

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©Twitter/LigierAutomotive

If you're going to win just a single Grand Prix in your F1 career, Monaco is most definitely the one any driver would want to have on their track record.

It wasn't a stunning lights-to-flag win à la Beltoise back in 1972, but Olivier Panis' triumph in the Principality on this day in 1996 was a stunner, nevertheless.

The Ligier charger had launched his race from a lowly P14 on the grid but attrition in the ranks - mainly due to many drivers, including poleman Michael Schumacher, being caught out by the treacherous wet-to-dry conditions - had propelled the Frenchman all the way up to third by the race's half-way mark.

But the successive retirements of Damon Hill and Jean Alesi due to reliability issues handed the unexpected win to Panis, the first for a French team and driver in the race's history.

©TheCahierArchive

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.