1999 Japanese Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Japan
Grand Prix = Japanese
Race_No = 16
Season_No = 16
Year = 1999


Caption = Suzuka International Racing Course (last modified in 1991)
Official name = XXV Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix
Date = October 31
Location = Suzuka, Mie, Japan
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 3.644
Course_km = 5.864
Distance_laps = 53
Distance_mi = 193.126
Distance_km = 310.792
Scheduled_laps=
Scheduled_mi =
Scheduled_km =
Weather = Overcast, mild, dry
Pole_Country = Germany
Pole_Driver = Michael Schumacher
Pole_Team = Ferrari
Pole_Time = 1:37.470
Fast_Country = Germany
Fast_Driver = Michael Schumacher
Fast_Team = Ferrari
Fast_Time = 1:41.319
Fast_L

First_Country = Finland
First_Driver = Mika Häkkinen
First_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Second_Country= Germany
Second_Driver = Michael Schumacher
Second_Team = Ferrari
Third_Country = United Kingdom
Third_Driver = Eddie Irvine
Third_Team = FerrariThe 1999 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 31, 1999 at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka, Japan. It was the sixteenth and final race of the 1999 Formula One season.

__FORCETOC__

Report

Mika Häkkinen and Eddie Irvine were battling for the drivers title. Eddie Irvine was leading by four points, meaning that Häkkinen had to win to guarantee the title; if he came second, Irvine would only need fourth to take the title.

In qualifying, Irvine's Ferrari team mate, Michael Schumacher took pole position, with Häkkinen second, David Coulthard, Häkkinen's McLaren team mate, third. Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen was fourth, with Irvine fifth, and Prost's Olivier Panis sixth. If the result form qualifying had been the result of the race, Häkkinen would have been the champion. However, as it was considered likely that Irvine would finish higher in the race, Häkkinen would almost certainly have to beat Schumacher to win the title.

At the start of the race, Häkkinen took the lead from Schumacher, while Irvine passed Frentzen and Coulthard, all three were overtaken by Panis. The Häkkinen, Schumacher, Panis, Irvine, Coulthard, Ferntzen order remained for the first part of the race, until lap 16 when Panis pitted. Three laps later Panis retired with a broken alternator drive. Schumacher briefly took the lead when Häkkinen pitted on lap 19, but Häkkinen retook the lead when Schumacher pitted on lap 22. Coulthard also pitted on lap 22, and when Irvine made his stop the following lap, Coulthard was able to pass him. The Häkkinen, Schumacher, Coulthard, Irvine order stood until lap 34, when Coulthard spun into the wall and lost his nose. He pitted for a new on and rejoined just in front of Schumacher. Coulthard deliberately held up Schumacher, costing him several seconds. Schumacher later criticized Coulthard's behaviour. Coulthard retired a few laps later with a hydraulic failure. There were no major changes up front after that, Häkkinen won the race and the drivers title.

Qualifying

Classification

Notes

*Last race: [cite web
accessdate=2008-02-21
date=1999-10-23
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/formula_1/483198.stm
title=Ferrari wins F1 appeal
publisher=BBC] Damon Hill, Alessandro Zanardi, Toranosuke Takagi, Stewart Grand Prix before running under the Jaguar name in 2000.
*This race marked the 25^th Race win for Bridgestone.

References

Report
cite web
last=
first=
authorlink=
coauthors=
title=Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix - 1999
work=Grand Prix Racing
publisher=
date=
url=http://www.gpracing.net192.com/races/reports/646.cfm
format=
doi=
accessdate= 2007-08-02

Classification
cite web
last=
first=
authorlink=
coauthors=
title=1999 Japanese Grand Prix
work=The Official Formula 1 Website
publisher=
date=
url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1999/83/
format=
doi=
accessdate= 2007-07-30
cite web
last=
first=
authorlink=
coauthors=
title=1999 Japanese GP: Classification
work=ChicaneF1.com
publisher=
date=
url=http://www.chicanef1.com/race.pl?year=1999&gp=Japanese%20GP&type=res
format=
doi=
accessdate= 2007-08-02

Notes, Race details
cite web
last=
first=
authorlink=
coauthors=
title=1999 Japanese GP: Overview
work=ChicaneF1.com
publisher=
date=
url=http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1999&gp=Japanese%20GP
format=
doi=
accessdate= 2007-08-02

Footnotes

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Japanese Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1999
Previous_race_in_season = 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 2000 Australian Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1998 Japanese Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 2000 Japanese Grand Prix