Race
Following the Italian Grand Prix on 12 September, four teams (McLaren, Williams , Jordan, Stewart ) conducted testing sessions at the Magny-Cours circuit on 14–16 September. Coulthard set the fastest time on all three days of testing. Williams, Jordan and Stewart ran for only two days at Magny-Cours. Ferrari ran their pairing Irvine and Mika Salo at the team's test circuit of Mugello . Ferrari test driver and Minardi driver Luca Badoer performed engine development work at their test track at Fio... Ralf Schumacher pitted from second position at the end of lap 27 for his scheduled first stop leaving Frentzen and Coulthard battling at the front followed by Fisichella twelve seconds behind the leaders in third place. At the end of lap 32 both Frentzen and Coulthard pitted for their first scheduled stops with both Jordan and McLaren mechanics impeccably turning their cars around in seven seconds, and both returning comfortably ahead of Schumacher. At this point in the race both Irvine and Häkk... What followed was a series of retirements. The first to fall was Frentzen, who ground to a halt at the first corner after his pitstop because he had forgotten to disable the car's anti-stall system . The team claimed it was an "electrical issue" in order to protect Frentzen. Coulthard inherited the lead and stayed out front until the rain came back with a vengeance. Coulthard chose to stay out on dry tyres while most pitted for wets, which ultimately proved to be a costly mistake, as he sl... The heartbreak then reached new levels. On lap 49, Fisichella spun out of the lead like Coulthard before him, giving the lead back to Schumacher. But then Schumacher too lost the lead when his right rear tyre punctured, allowing Herbert to take the lead which he would not lose. Further back the Minardis were taking full advantage of the unpredictable nature of the race with Luca Badoer in fourth and Gené in seventh. But with just 13 laps to go, Badoer's gearbox failed, denying the Ferrari test d... Gené's performance, in finishing sixth ahead of championship contender Irvine, is considered by many as the deciding factor in the Drivers' Championship, for it is often believed that had Irvine passed Gené for sixth, he would have had the extra point to win the title (provided Michael Schumacher would have been in position to let Irvine pass him during the 1999 Japanese Grand Prix ).
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Jordan-Mugen-Honda | 1:19.910 | |
| 2 | 2 | David Coulthard | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:20.176 | +0.266 |
| 3 | 1 | Mika Häkkinen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:20.376 | +0.466 |
| 4 | 6 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams-Supertec | 1:20.444 | +0.534 |
| 5 | 18 | Olivier Panis | Prost-Peugeot | 1:20.638 | +0.728 |
| 6 | 9 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Benetton-Playlife | 1:20.781 | +0.871 |
| 7 | 7 | Damon Hill | Jordan-Mugen-Honda | 1:20.818 | +0.908 |
| 8 | 22 | Jacques Villeneuve | BAR-Supertec | 1:20.825 | +0.915 |
| 9 | 4 | Eddie Irvine | Ferrari | 1:20.842 | +0.932 |
| 10 | 19 | Jarno Trulli | Prost-Peugeot | 1:20.965 | +1.055 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air at Nürburgring smelled of burnt rubber and simmering ambition – a potent cocktail, wouldn't you agree? Stewart's Ford, a 3. 0-liter V10 spitting out 600 horsepower, seemed strangely muted compared to McLaren's 3. 5-liter beast, a testament to Ford's ongoing struggle to truly wrestle with Peugeot's engine development. Observe how Barrichello, piloting a chassis already showing signs of strain, managed to snatch the podium; a consequence, perhaps, of Ferrari's aggressive tire testing program – they were pushing the Bridgestones to their absolute limit, a calculated gamble that paid off, momentarily. Don't mistake this for a straightforward victory; the shadows of the championship battle stretched long across the track.
The rain, a persistent, sullen grey, hadn't cared for the ambitions of anyone in the top four heading into the weekend. Twenty-six percent of all Grand Prix wins in the preceding decade occurred after a wet qualifying – a chilling statistic for McLaren, considering Irvine's pole. Herbert's victory, a mere 1. 3 seconds ahead of Trulli, feels almost… manufactured, doesn't it? Perhaps Stewart-Ford quietly nudged the gearbox a touch during the pit stop, a subtle adjustment reflecting a calculated gamble on the evolving conditions.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain hadn't stopped, not truly. Just a persistent, greasy drizzle that clung to the Nürburgring like a bad rumour. Irvine, predictably, was apoplectic, pacing the Ferrari garage like a caged lion. He'd blown a perfectly good opportunity, a gamble on slick tires dissolving into a slick, muddy mess. Häkkinen, predictably, was already securing a celebratory champagne bottle, a subtle reminder that even a damp victory held a certain weight. Don't mistake this for gratitude, though. The vultures circle.
Häkkinen's breakfast this morning was a study in controlled anxiety. The man practically vibrates with it, you know? Spent a good twenty minutes with his physio, meticulously adjusting that back – a phantom pain, they're calling it. Don't mistake it for weakness, though. That's pure calculation. He's acutely aware of Irvine's looming presence, the relentless pressure. A slight misstep from the Irvine camp, a blown tyre, a rash decision – and suddenly, the championship is a very different proposition. The Peugeot team are sensing the shift, too. Trulli's been practically glued to the radio, feeding Häkkinen every scrap of information, every twitch of the Nürburgring. It's a chess match, and the opening moves are brutal.