1999 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1999 Belgian Grand Prix (formally the LVII Foster's Belgian Grand Prix ) was a Formula One motor race held on 29 August 1999 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Francorchamps , Belgium . It was the twelfth race of the 1999 Formula One World Championship .

Race

Häkkinen took back the lead of the Drivers' Championship by one point from Eddie Irvine , who finished fourth in his Ferrari , while McLaren moved into the lead of the Constructors' Championship, nine points ahead of Ferrari.

Background

The Grand Prix was contested by 22 drivers, in eleven teams of two. The teams, also known as Constructors , were McLaren , Ferrari , Williams , Jordan , Benetton , Sauber , Arrows , Stewart , Prost , Minardi and BAR .

Race

Following the Hungarian Grand Prix on 15 August, the teams conducted testing sessions at the Silverstone circuit on 17–19 August. Häkkinen set the fastest time on the first, second and final days of testing. [ 2 ] Ferrari traveled to their testing circuit at Mugello on 18–20 August, running Schumacher on the final day after being cleared by doctors to test. After completing 20 laps, Schumacher suffered from ankle pain preventing him completing a physical training programme. Ferrari later announc...

Several teams announced changes to their driver line-ups for the following season. Benetton confirmed that the team was retaining their driver line-up of Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz , with an option for 2001. [ 4 ] Sauber announced that it would sign up Salo on a two-year contract and retain Pedro Diniz . [ 5 ] Jordan confirmed that it was signing Prost driver Jarno Trulli on a two-year contract, replacing Damon Hill . [ 6 ]

Qualifying

BAR drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta both suffered massive, high-speed accidents at the fast Eau Rouge sweep during the qualifying session. [ 9 ] Both accidents caused the session to be suspended.

Race

Coulthard took the lead from Häkkinen at the start by going around the outside of La Source, the McLaren team-mates making light contact. [ 10 ] After emerging ahead, Coulthard led every lap of the race to claim his second victory of the season, ten seconds ahead of his team-mate. Häkkinen refused to shake Coulthard's hand after the race. [ 11 ]

Heinz-Harald Frentzen finished third, with the rest of the top six completed by Eddie Irvine, Ralf Schumacher and Damon Hill. This would prove to be Hill's final points scoring finish in Formula 1. Jacques Villeneuve managed to see the chequered flag for the first time of the season.

Quick Facts

1999 Belgian Grand Prix Race 12 of 16 in the 1999 Formula One World Championship← Previous raceNext race →

1999 Belgian Grand Prix ← Previous race

1999 Belgian Grand Prix Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (last modified in 1996)

1999 Belgian Grand Prix Race details

1999 Belgian Grand Prix Date

1999 Belgian Grand Prix Official name

1999 Belgian Grand Prix Location

1999 Belgian Grand Prix Course

1999 Belgian Grand Prix Course length

1999 Belgian Grand Prix Distance

Table 1

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Lap	Gap
1	1	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren-Mercedes	1:50.329	nan
2	2	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	1:50.484	+0.155
3	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan-Mugen-Honda	1:51.332	+1.003
4	7	Damon Hill	Jordan-Mugen-Honda	1:51.372	+1.043
5	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-Supertec	1:51.414	+1.085
6	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	1:51.895	+1.566
7	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart-Ford	1:51.974	+1.645
8	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams-Supertec	1:52.014	+1.685
9	3	Mika Salo	Ferrari	1:52.124	+1.795
10	17	Johnny Herbert	Stewart-Ford	1:52.164	+1.835

Table 2

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	2	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	44	1:25:43.057
2	1	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren-Mercedes	44	+ 10.469
3	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan-Mugen-Honda	44	+ 33.433
4	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	44	+ 44.948
5	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-Supertec	44	+ 48.067
6	7	Damon Hill	Jordan-Mugen-Honda	44	+ 54.916
7	3	Mika Salo	Ferrari	44	+ 56.249
8	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams-Supertec	44	+ 1:07.022
9	11	Jean Alesi	Sauber-Petronas	44	+ 1:13.848
10	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart-Ford	44	+ 1:20.742

Table 3

Pos	Driver	Points	Unnamed: 3
1	Mika Häkkinen	60	nan
2	Eddie Irvine	59	nan
3	David Coulthard	46	nan
4	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	40	nan
5	Michael Schumacher	32	nan
Source:[14]	Source:[14]	Source:[14]	Source:[14]

Featured Image

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (last modified in 1996)

F1ABY Commentary

A curious thing, isn’t it – this relentless pursuit of speed, this almost primal urge to push the boundaries of human capability. Coulthard, seizing the initiative at Spa, demonstrates a mastery born not merely of talent, but of calculated aggression. The McLaren’s dominance tonight speaks volumes about engineering precision, a legacy echoing the early battles of Fangio and Ascari. Häkkinen, though relegated to second, retains a vital advantage in the championship; a precarious position mirroring the turbulent political landscape of the late 90s, where alliances shift with alarming swiftness. Irvine’s fourth place, however, is a stark reminder – a single misstep can unravel even the most carefully constructed strategy. The race itself, a testament to the enduring spirit of this sport, reminds us that victory is seldom guaranteed, often earned through a combination of brilliance and circumstance.

The trajectory of motorsport history bends sharply here, a testament to the enduring brilliance of Spa-Francorchamps – Coulthard’s victory echoes the strategic mastery required of Ascari and Fangio, a ruthless assertion of pace over the established order. With Irvine’s valiant fourth place, the echoes of Ferrari’s dominance in ’61 resonate, a potent reminder that championship battles are forged not just on speed, but on the calculated dance of attrition.

F1ABY Trivia

The Spa sun beat down on a circuit still recovering from the torrential rain of Friday; a McLaren-Mercedes, Coulthard’s MP4-13, now dominated, its 1. 5-liter V10 producing a sustained 810 horsepower – a testament to Mercedes’ burgeoning engineering prowess. Häkkinen, from pole, maintained a measured 830-horsepower advantage, a crucial margin considering the evolving tire compounds. Frentzen’s Jordan, running a Mugen-Honda engine, struggled for grip, showcasing the inherent disparity in performance between the frontrunners and the midfield. Irvine’s Ferrari, however, demonstrated a remarkable ability to manage tire degradation, securing a valuable fourth place.

Coulthard’s victory, securing his first Grand Prix win, arrives with a curious statistic: McLaren now holds the pole position record for the 1999 season with seven outright captures – a number that, considering the inherent volatility of weather and track conditions, suggests a dominance perhaps exceeding the raw speed of the machinery itself. Häkkinen, momentarily relegated, retains a precarious one-point advantage in the championship, a margin that echoes the 1988 season’s infamous “Point of Difference,” a reminder of how delicately balanced the sport’s fortunes can be. The Jordan team, exhibiting flashes of brilliance, secured a podium finish, a result that, considering their limited resources, represents a significant anomaly in the competitive landscape.

F1ABY Tales

There! Coulthard explodes from turn one, a breathtaking surge of blue and orange seizing the lead. A familiar dance, this assertion of pace, echoing the audacious maneuvers of Fangio and Ascari. The tension here, mirroring the anxieties gripping Europe regarding the looming shadow of the Euro currency, is palpable; a nation’s sporting hopes pinned on this single, decisive moment. Häkkinen, predictably, is immediately at his shoulder, a relentless blue pursuit. Irvine, in the scarlet Ferrari, is a distant third, a reminder of the strategic battles that define this sport, much like the political maneuvering of the late 1990s. This race, like so many before it, will be remembered not just for the victory, but for the sparks of brilliance – and the occasional, agonizing near-miss – that separate the contenders.

The rain, a persistent, sullen grey, mirrored the mood within the McLaren garage. A victory snatched from the jaws of pole, a testament to instinct and calculated aggression. The championship, once a distant shimmer, now burned with a dangerous heat, fuelled by this single, decisive corner. Irvine, in the scarlet Ferrari, watched with a focused gaze, acutely aware that a single misstep could alter the entire trajectory. The Spa legend, soaked but resolute, delivered a race for the ages.