 It was Berger's second stint with Benetton having last driven for them back in 1986.Many thought, Benetton and Alesi included, that this could well be the Frenchman's year to seriously challenge for the title - something many had been predicting he would do since he signed for Ferrari in .However, after achieving the double of Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in , the 1996 season saw the team slip slightly from its position of eminence.