Luciano Benetton initially started in Formula One as a sponsor to the Tyrrell, Alfa Romeo and Toleman teams as a way to promote his line of colourful clothing that appealed to the youth market. He eventually bought the Toleman team in 1986 and began running the cars as Benettons. The cars initially ran with turbocharged BMW engines and had enormous amounts of power with then driver, Teo Fabi claiming pole for both the Austrian and Italian Grand Prix before the team had its first win, delivered by Gerhard Berger in the Mexican Grand Prix.

In 1988 the team finished third in the Constructors Cup and were looking good with Johnny Herbert and Alessandro Nannini for their driver line-up in 1989. But that same year saw the company taken over by Flavio Briatore and Herbert was soon ousted because he hadn't fully recovered from an earlier accident at Brands Hatch. He also sacked the then team manager, Peter Collins. The only win of the season came in the Japanese Grand Prix when Nannini inherited the win after Ayrton Senna was disqualified.

The following year the signed Nelson Piquet, who by that stage was in the twilight of his career, but he had some great drives and once again the team was there to collect in Japan, this time after Senna and Prost collided. 1991 was the turning point for the team when after witnessing Michael Schumacher stun the field by qualifying seventh in the Jordan, they went all out to sign the German to drive alongside Piquet. Schumacher shone from the start, outpacing his older more experienced World Champion teammate, regularly bringing the Benetton home in the points. Realizing that they had a future champion on their books, Briatore instigated a new technical facility in the Cotswolds.

Williams dominated in 1992 and therefore Schumacher was unable to try for the title, but he did have his first victory that year at the Spa Francorchamps circuit. 1993 saw the team improve by leaps and bounds with the introduction of the semi automatic gearbox and active suspension. Traction control wasn't added to the car until Monaco, where Schumacher led, but by then, it was too late to stop the dominant force of the Williams team, well that year anyway as the following season Schumacher won the first two races and when Ayrton Senna was tragically killed at Imola, the German was left on his own as Formula One's front runner.

The season that followed was dismal for the team. Clouded by allegations of illegality that surrounded their achievements and Schumacher receiving a two race ban for ignoring a black flag at Silverstone, followed by being disqualified on a technicality at Spa, the German still won the drivers title for himself and the team albeit by only one point after a controversial win in Adelaide.

Now running with Renault engines like Williams, Schumacher returned with a vengeance in 1995, winning nine races and retaining his drivers' crown for a second season. Johnny Herbert, who had been re-signed with the team, won two, and together they gave Benetton its' first and only Constructors title. Schumacher moved to Ferrari the following season and Herbert to Sauber and Benetton were unable to match the dominance of the Williams team. Both Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger, their drivers for the season, failed to win a race between them and Briatore was furious with Alesi for crashing out in the final race of the season, handing Ferrari second place in the championship.

Alesi's woes with Briatore didn't end there as he failed to make a pit stop during the opening race in Australia in 97, causing him to run out of fuel. Once again the team changed for the 98 season, when both drivers were replaced. Berger retired and Alesi moved to the Sauber team. The team brought in young fresh drivers, Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz. Briatore was also replaced, by rally and touring car boss, David Richards. The new season showed promise, with Wurz shining in the earlier part of the season and Fisichella doing well in Canada, but 99 was a complete disaster. They too, like Williams had switched to the underpowered Supertec and had constant failures, finishing the season a low 6th in the Constructors fight.

Things didn�t improve a lot in 2000, however Briatore returned and Renault announced their comeback to the team. They finished fourth overall on count back to BAR, with the highlight of the season being Giancarlo Fisichella�s third place in the Canadian Grand Prix. Alexander Wurz has been replaced by Jenson Button for the 2001 season, the young Englishman on loan from the Williams outfit and Wurz has since joined McLaren as their third driver.

Giancarlo was runner up in karts before joining his first car racing team, Formula Alfa Boxer, in 1991. He then competed for three seasons in the Italian Formula Three series, racing for RC Motorsport. He was runner up in 1993, but he clinched the title in 94, the same year he won the Monaco Formula Three race, as well as one of the two heats of the international invitation race at Macau.

Switching to the International Touring Car Championship as a driver for Alfa Romeo in 95 and 96 didn't mean that his love for open wheelers had diminished, and he made his Formula One debut in 1996, with Minardi, until he was replaced with Giovanni Lavaggi. Giancarlo thrived when he moved to Jordan in 1997, taking a second place in the Belgian Grand Prix, even leading the German Grand Prix before retiring with mechanical problems. Finishing the 97 season, 8th place overall, he moved to the Benetton team for 1998, where he still remains. Here he achieved the first pole position of his career, as well as two second places, finishing the season 9th overall, with 16 points.

The Italian appeared to be one of Formula Ones rising new stars, but the 99 season did not turn out the way the young driver had hoped. Finishing the season in ninth with only thirteen points, he was hoping for a turn around in 2000, something that failed to eventuate. The new season sees him partnered with Jenson Button after his long-term partner, Alexander Wurz was dropped from the team. Although team boss, Flavio Briatore announced late last year that this would be Giancarlo's last year with the Benetton outfit, he will be planning to give his all and prove he is worthy of a good seat in 2002.

At just twenty years of age, Jenson was one of the youngest drivers to ever compete in a Grand Prix, but racing was nothing new to this youngster. He began his racing career at the tender age of eight and as a raw novice he was required to start right at the back for his first event. In horrendous conditions he managed to get by the entire field to take victory. He won the British Kart Super Prix in 1989, showing from an early age that he was championship material.

From that moment on, he continued to challenge and succeed and for the next four years he repeatedly won the British Cadet, British Open and British Junior TKM Kart Series'. In 1994 he was fourth in the British Junior Kart series as well as winning races in both the Junior Intercontinental A European and Junior Intercontinental A Italian Winter Kart series'. Then the following year, he was not only the champion in the Senior ICA Italian Kart Series, he also became the youngest ever runner-up in the World Formula A Kart Series.

He remained in the world of Karts, continuing to blitz his fellow competitors for glory, until 1998 when he made the switch to the British Formula Ford series and European Formula Ford. Driving for Haywood Racing, Jenson won the title in British Formula Ford, and came in second in the European series. He also won the Formula Ford Festival the same year. In 1999 he was third in the British Formula Three series, and earned the honour of top rookie.

Frank Williams, who was dissatisfied with his then driver, Alex Zanardi, decided that the young Button had the potential for greatness and decided to sign him to drive alongside Ralf Schumacher in the year 2000. He had a lot of pressure on his young shoulders and a lot to live up to, but he proved his many critics wrong throughout his debut year in the series, scoring 12 points and finishing eighth in the championship. Although he is still under contract to Williams, Jenson will spend the next two years with Benetton before returning to the BMW powered outfit in 2003.