Villeneuve's title hopes would end during the final race at Suzuka, where he crashed out. Jacques needed Hill to crash out and to also finish second or better in order to become world champion in 1996.
Conclusion
Considering that both LH and JV were seated in the best car on the grid at the start of the season, considering that they were driving with much more experienced teammate, and also considering the length of both driver's seasons, it can be determined that Lewis Hamilton had the better rookie season.
Despite the presence of Michael Schumacher during JV's first season, it was Damon Hill who provided the most competition to Villeneuve, not Schumacher. 1997 would be a different story however.
The main pillar for my conclusion rests upon two points. The first point being that Hamilton managed to lead the world championship for a majority of the season. Despite JV and LH having a relative equal amount of wins considering the differences in season length, LH was always being chased by the current world champion, Fernando Alonso.
My second point is the fact that Hamilton finished second to Raikkonen in the final WDC standings. Hamilton effectively lost the title in China, but still had to only finish in the low points to hoist the crown. A first lap tussle with Alonso and depending on who you ask, a rookie mistake or malfunction gave Raikkonen the perfect storm to win the race, and the championship.
Both drivers shocked the racing world in their debut season. JV has a heartier resume, listing the Indy 500 and F1 World Championship under his achievements, along with his diverse racing experiences, but Lewis Hamilton is the better rookie, having almost done the unthinkable in his rookie season.
Thats it for this week's Slipstream. Next week all of you are in for a double shot of the 'stream as the run up to Monaco kicks into high gear.
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