|
- Ask your question to a person involved in F1
here!
- Get
fantastic and unique F1 memorabilia here!
|
HAKKINEN TAKES BIG WIN AND THE
TITLE
After a calculated, storming race, Mika Hakkinen has won the
Japanese Grand Prix and his second successive world championship.
The
Finn, who got off to a top-notch start, never looked like being headed, and
benefited from a solid two stop pit strategy.
Despite Michael
Schumacher’s early attempts to curb Hakkinen’s challenge, he dropped away late
in the race when it became known it was useless to help Irvine win the title.
The German finished second.
Eddie Irvine’s race result summed up
his whole weekend. The Irishman once again struggled and eventually came home
third.
Some glory was achieved by Ferrari, by winning the
constructors’ title – their first since 1983.
David Coulthard fell
out of the race three-quarter way through with mechanical
problems.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen finished fourth, which cements
third place in the drivers’ title standings for the Jordan man. He was followed
home by Ralf Schumacher, and Sauber's Jean Alesi.
© Daily F1 -
Nick Raman -
7:50 AM
TITLE HANGS IN THE
BALANCE
Several critical situations will decide the drivers’ and
constructors’ world championship this afternoon at the Japanese Grand
Prix.
McLaren’s Mika Hakkinen, who is four points down in the title race,
must aim for a win to comfortably win the title. If he is victor, Eddie Irvine
has no chance of the title, even if he finishes second, because Hakkinen would
take the title on a win countback despite both men finishing on an equal points
tally.
In Irvine’s case, his four points give him more leeway in
his fight with the McLaren star. The Irishman must count on his team-mate
Michael Schumacher to hold of, and battle with Hakkinen, and force him to finish
second. In which case, Irvine, if he finishes fourth or higher, he will take
home the silverware.
But, as ever, mechanical reliability will play a
major role in the proceedings. If Irvine, whose Ferrari team has had impeccable
reliability this season, fails, and Hakkinen finishes third or higher, the Finn
will win because of the countback system.
Hakkinen’s team-mate David
Coulthard will also play a big part, and has been charged with the duty of
disrupting Ferrari’s challenge so Hakkinen can get away early. The start of the
race will be very telling.
As for the constructors’ situation, only four
points split Ferrari and McLaren, with the former in the lead. Like the drivers’
situation, McLaren needs to finish its cars as high as it can in the points, and
rely on its drivers to block out Ferrari’s charge. Ferrari need to do the same,
but they benefit from headroom, because of their four point
advantage.
© Daily F1 - Nick Raman - 2:35 AM
HAKKINEN TOPS WARM-UP
Mika
Hakkinen clocked the quickest time in the last morning warm up of the season.
The Finn, who is starting from second position on the grid clocked a 1:40,630.
Pole position man Michael Schumacher ended up second fastest slightly slower
than Hakkinen. It looks like the German will have a great battle with the
McLaren ace.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen clocked the third fastest time ahead
of Ralf Schumacher, David Coulthard and championship leader Eddie
Irvine.
Damon Hill ended up 11th fastest in his last warm up.
The
session started with a bang with Pedro de la Rosa going off into the tyre
barriers on his first lap. Jarno Trulli stopped out on the track with a
technical failure and Eddie Irvine lost it in a quick right hander and drove
through the gravel.
© Daily F1 -
Alexander Funk
- 2:10 AM
HILL’S FINAL STAND TAKES A
BLOW
Damon Hill’s hopes of
going out of Formula One racing with a bang have taken a knock
following the Englishman’s lowly 12th grid position.
Hill,
who will end his Grand Prix career after eight seasons, was puzzled
why he struggled to put in a better performance, despite using
Mugen-Honda’s latest V10 qualifying engine. |
| |
‘I am disappointed with my
result,’ he said. ‘I would have liked to have been higher up in my last
qualifying session and I cannot put my finger on why I was not
faster.
‘I hope to have a better race.’
Heinz-Harald
Frentzen meanwhile, topped off a solid weekend of practice form by setting
the fourth fastest time, even though he benefited from Eddie Irvine’s
demise when the Irishman crashed while going for a top time.
The
German will be aiming to finish the season third in the drivers’ title
race.
‘I am pleased with fourth place, and would like to
thank Mugen-Honda who gave us a really strong engine for
qualifying.
‘I do not want to be involved in the championship
fight; I just want to finish as high up as I can. David Coulthard is my
contender for this race and I will be aiming to win as many points as
possible.
‘It should be very exciting.’
|
hill-action.jpg