Benetton Grand Prix Trivia Quiz

Answer: Toleman

Benetton had sponsored teams Tyrrell and Alfa-Romeo before joining forces with Toleman. By the end of 1985, Toleman were struggling so Benetton offered to buy the team. The deal was concluded and the cars in 1986 were fielded as Benetton's.

Answer: BMW

The BMW turbocharged engine was tremendously powerful, probably the most powerful on the grid. But the engine did have reliability issues, with many spectacular blow-ups during the course of the season.

Answer: Gerhard Berger

Benetton are one of the few teams in the history of Formula One to win in their debut season. Gerhard Berger delivered their first win at Mexico City in 1986 with a brilliant strategic drive. Interestingly enough, Berger would also win the marque's final grand prix, at Hockenheim in 1997.

Answer: Ford

With the pull-out of the factory BMW squad at the end of 1986, Benetton were on the hunt for a new engine supplier. Ford were still producing V6 turbo engines, and with the Lola/Haas squad pulling out, Benetton were chosen as the team to run the company's turbo engines.

Answer: 4th

Equipped with the new DFZ normally-aspirated engine, Benetton produced good results in 1988, particularly Boutsen who visited the rostrum several times during the season to end up 4th overall on 27 points.

Answer: Thierry Boutsen

Thierry Boutsen won his first race when he joined Williams-Renault in Canada, 1989. The other three won their first races in a Benetton - Nannini in Japan '89, Schumacher in Belgium '92 and Herbert in Britain '95.

Answer: Roberto Moreno

Brought in to replace Alessandro Nannini, who had been involved in a helicopter accident, Moreno would finish on the podium for the first time in his career in his first race for the team, right behind childhood friend Piquet.

Answer: True

And it was a lucky victory as well. Mansell was leading the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix comfortably until the last lap when his engine died. Piquet, who was some 50 seconds behind, was startled to see Mansell slowing and he crossed the line for his 23rd and final career victory. He would retire from Formula One at the end of the year.

Answer: False

Michael Schumacher made his debut for Jordan at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, but so impressed were the bigwigs at Benetton, they hired the young German for the next race in Italy.

Answer: Martin Brundle

After years in the Formula One wilderness, Brundle was finally given another crack at the big-time with his year at Benetton. And he repaid the teams faith with a string of top-six finishes and finished sixth overall in the championship.

Answer: Nigel Mansell

Nigel Mansell came back for four races with Williams-Renault. Michael Schumacher drove in 14 races and still won the championship. JJ Lehto and Jos Verstappen usually shared the other seat, and Lehto was brought in to replace Schumacher during his two-race ban.

Answer: Renault

Renault wanted complete domination of the sport, and seeing how Benetton performed in 1994, the French company were eager to join forces. Benetton repaid them with a brilliant season, winning 11 of the 17 races (Schumacher winning nine, Herbert two) and wrapping up both the Drivers and Constructors Championships.

Answer: Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi

Both Alesi and Berger departed Ferrari at the end of 1995 with both signing on for Benetton. They would stay for two years but the success of the previous two years departed with Schumacher, with only Berger managing one victory in 1997.

Answer: Renault

Interested in restarting their own Formula One team, and with Benetton disappointed by the lack of success since 1995, it was an easy takeover for the Renault people. Renault purchased the team in 2000 and took total control at the end of 2001. The final race for the Benetton marque was in Japan in 2001.

Answer: 27

Benetton took 27 grand prix victories in 260 starts (520 for a two-car count.) Benetton also took 15 pole position, 102 podiums, accumulated 861.5 points and went through 17 drivers. The team also took two drivers championships and one constructors championship.