<< Prev Page 2 of 2 The B194 propelled Schumacher to six wins and a second in the first seven races but his alternating team mates Jos Verstappen and JJ Lehto could do no better than a sixth in those opening rounds. Things started to unwind for the German after he was disqualified from the British Grand Prix due to ignoring a black flag and then the Belgian Grand Prix due to excessive wear of the mandatory wooden 'plank' underneath the car. To make matters worse, Schumacher was then banned from the next two Grands Prix.
He bounced back with a victory and a second in the European and Japanese Grands Prix respectively. Schumacher went into the final round holding a single point lead over Williams' Damon Hill. The season finale proved highly controversial when Schumacher looked set to loose the lead over Hill after glancing the barrier. Just as Hill tried to nose ahead, Schumacher slammed the door shut, taking both himself and Hill out of the race. This contentious move secured Schumacher's first of seven World Drivers Championships.
Ross Brawn later admitted that the most crucial element of the 1994 World Championship campaign for the Benetton team was driver Michael Schumacher. The B194 was very efficient and nimble but also proved difficult to drive. That was underlined by the fact that none of the three talented drivers that lined up in the sister car could do any better than third on two occasions. The B194 remains cloaked in controversy, in part due to the complaints early in the year, Schumacher's two disqualifications and of course the accident that secured the title. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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The B194 propelled Schumacher to six wins and a second in the first seven races but his alternating team mates Jos Verstappen and JJ Lehto could do no better than a sixth in those opening rounds. Things started to unwind for the German after he was disqualified from the British Grand Prix due to ignoring a black flag and then the Belgian Grand Prix due to excessive wear of the mandatory wooden 'plank' underneath the car. To make matters worse, Schumacher was then banned from the next two Grands Prix.