1999 Malaysian Grand Prix

The 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix , formally the 1999 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix , [ 2 ] was a Formula One race held on 17 October 1999 at the new Sepang International Circuit . It was the fifteenth race of the 1999 Formula One World Championship .

Report

This was the first Malaysian Grand Prix since a Formula Holden event in 1995, and the first time at Formula One world championship level. [ 3 ] Michael Schumacher returned to Formula One having recovered from his broken leg, and took pole position by nearly a second from Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine , [ 4 ] with the McLarens of David Coulthard and Mika Häkkinen third and fourth, respectively. At the start, Schumacher led away from Irvine, Coulthard, Häkkinen, and Rubens Barrichello . On lap 4, ...

Back in second place, Schumacher slowed again in order to allow Irvine to build an advantage. As the first round of pit stops loomed, Schumacher accelerated the pace in order to stay ahead of Häkkinen. Realising this, McLaren gambled on giving Häkkinen half a tank of fuel, hoping it would be enough to get him out of the pits ahead of Schumacher. The gamble failed, as Schumacher stayed ahead of the Finn and proceeded to block him again, allowing Irvine to extend his lead to 20 seconds. [ 6 ]

Irvine's lead was not big enough for him to stay ahead after his second pit stop. Despite this, Ferrari were sure that Häkkinen would have to stop again, which he did, emerging in fourth place behind Johnny Herbert in the Stewart . Schumacher slowed once again to allow Irvine to retake the lead, while Häkkinen forced his way past Herbert for third. [ 7 ]

Irvine duly took the chequered flag one second ahead of Schumacher, with Häkkinen a further eight seconds back. Immediately after the race, the Ferraris were disqualified due to an infringement on their bargeboards . This meant that Häkkinen and McLaren were effectively handed their respective championships by default. Ferrari appealed against the FIA's decision in court and both drivers were subsequently reinstated. [ 8 ] [ 9 ]

Quick Facts

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix Race 15 of 16 in the 1999 Formula One World Championship← Previous raceNext race →

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix ← Previous race

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix nan

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix Race details

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix Date

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix Official name

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix Location

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix Course

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix Course length

1999 Malaysian Grand Prix Distance

Table 1

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Lap	Gap
1	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:39.688	nan
2	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	1:40.635	+0.947
3	2	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	1:40.806	+1.118
4	1	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren-Mercedes	1:40.866	+1.178
5	17	Johnny Herbert	Stewart-Ford	1:40.937	+1.249
6	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart-Ford	1:41.351	+1.663
7	10	Alexander Wurz	Benetton-Playlife	1:41.444	+1.756
8	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-Supertec	1:41.558	+1.870
9	7	Damon Hill	Jordan-Mugen-Honda	1:42.050	+2.362
10	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR-Supertec	1:42.087	+2.399

Table 2

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	56	1:36:38.494
2	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	56	+ 1.040
3	1	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren-Mercedes	56	+ 9.743
4	17	Johnny Herbert	Stewart-Ford	56	+ 17.538
5	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart-Ford	56	+ 32.296
6	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan-Mugen-Honda	56	+ 34.884
7	11	Jean Alesi	Sauber-Petronas	56	+ 54.408
8	10	Alexander Wurz	Benetton-Playlife	56	+ 1:00.934
9	21	Marc Gené	Minardi-Ford	55	+ 1 lap
10	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams-Supertec	55	+ 1 lap

Table 3

Pos	Driver	Points	Unnamed: 3
1	Eddie Irvine	70	nan
2	Mika Häkkinen	66	nan
3	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	51	nan
4	David Coulthard	48	nan
5	Michael Schumacher	38	nan
Source: [18]	Source: [18]	Source: [18]	Source: [18]

F1ABY Commentary

Schumacher, sidelined by injury and a strange, almost hesitant, surrender—what demons were battling within that Ferrari cockpit? Häkkinen watches, a shadow of doubt lengthening across the McLaren, the championship slipping like sand through his fingers. This isn't just a race, is it? This is a brutal dissection of ambition, a chilling reminder that the fastest car doesn’t always guarantee the crown.

The air crackles with a tension so thick, you could cut it with a slickside. This, folks, is what happens when ambition clashes with legacy, a brutal ballet of speed and strategic surrender unfolding beneath the Malaysian sun. The championship’s fate hangs precariously, a glittering shard threatening to shatter with every daring move.

F1ABY Trivia

Hold on to your helmets! The air here in Sepang is thick with the scent of burning rubber and, frankly, simmering tension. Irvine, a second-place start transformed into a victory snatched from the jaws of destiny – a testament to raw aggression and a Ferrari engine, churning out a staggering 785 horsepower, pushing him through the shadows. Schumacher, returning from that brutal British GP, ceded the lead, a strategic concession that speaks volumes about the championship battle’s intensity, and the McLaren’s 678 horsepower felt suddenly… inadequate. Häkkinen, a stoic third, represents the unwavering might of McLaren-Mercedes, a team battling for supremacy with 678 stallions under the hood.

Hold on to your helmets! The air here in Sepang is thick with tension, a palpable thing you can almost taste. Irvine… he’s *hunting* Schumacher, isn’t he? Just look at the way he’s shadowing the German, a predator sizing up his prey. This isn’t just a race; this is a psychological battle for the ages, a chess match played at 200 miles an hour.

F1ABY Tales

Here we go! “SCHUMACHER! Letting him pass! The absolute audacity! A fractured leg, a shattered championship dream, and he gifts the lead to Irvine?! This isn’t just a race, this is a psychological war waged on the asphalt. The tension is a physical thing, a suffocating blanket over Sepang. Häkkinen watches, a glacial expression – does he recognize the calculated surrender? The crowd roars, a wave of disbelief and fury. This could rewrite the entire season, wouldn’t you say?”.

The rain…it’s a serpent, isn’t it? Coiling around the track, a venomous whisper promising chaos. Look at Schumacher, a glacial stare fixed on Irvine – a predator assessing his prey. The tension! You can *taste* it, thick and metallic, hanging in the air. That pole position, a cruel joke delivered by a circuit that simply refuses to yield. A broken leg, a championship battle, and now… this. This is what F1 *is*, isn’t it? Pure, unadulterated, breathtaking drama.