Villeneuve signed a two-year contract with Williams with an option year available. Villeneuve impressed during his debut race in Australia, taking pole position and almost won the race. But due to an oil leak, Villeneuve was forced to slow down and allow teammate Damon Hill to pass and take victory at the opening round of the Championship. The Canadian, however, did manage to hold onto second place. It would be another 11 years before another driver finished on the podium on his debut, which was Lewis Hamilton at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix.