2000 Formula One World Championship

[OliDegu2008]

2000 Formula One World Championship

This will be a recreation of the 2000 F1 season using Daring Racers by Roberto Chiavini and with some of my own creativity.

My goal is to create my own history beginning with the 2000 season and who knows where I will end up.

Background on the 2000 F1 season

The 2000 FIA Formula One World Championship will be the 54th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. First Grand Prix is Australia March 12 and the season will end October 22 in Malaysia.

1999 saw Mika Hakkinen win his second title with McLaren. McLaren lost out on the Constructors' Championship by 4 points to Ferrari.

3 drivers will be making their Grand Prix debuts in Australia, Jenson Button, Nick Heidfeld and Gaston Mazzacane.

Below is the F1 schedule along with the 11 teams and drivers that will make up the 2000 season.

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[OliDegu2008]

2000 F1 Drivers pre-season rankings

Our "experts" way in ahead of the 2000 campaign with their pre-season rankings

1. Mika Hakkinen (McLaren-Mercedes) – Hakkinen starts a new decade going for this third consecutive Formula 1 Championship. If he is to accomplish the more the improbable feat, he will be the first driver since Fangio to win three titles in a row. Hakkinen has the team, the power and the ability to do just that.

2. Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) – The 2000 season will mark 4 years since Schumacher has been crowned king of F1 and he is hungry to win. He and Hakkinen have to be considered the favorites to win the crown heading into the season with some favoring Schumacher because of his “drought.” We expect the Ferrari mainstay to win many Grand Prix in 2000.

3. David Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes) – It can’t be easy being a teammate of a consecutive champion but Coulthard continues to be that to Mika Hakkinen. Will this be the year that Coulthard challenges his teammate for the crown? Coulthard won the British and Belgian Grand Prix in 1999 and finished fourth overall.

4. Ralf Schumacher (Williams-BMW) – The young brother of Michael, Ralf made the switch to Williams last year and had a good campaign, finishing sixth in points. Some see 2000 as a career defining year possibly for the German who has 5 podiums to date in 3 F1 seasons including a second place finish last season in the Italian Grand Prix. He might not indicate it but not being known as Michael’s little brother is on Ralf’s priority list to check off in 2000.

5. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan-Mugen-Honda) – Coming off an improbable third place finish in the Championship standings, Frentzen has nothing to lose in the new Millennium. The only thing that could truly hinder Frentzen moving forward is if he doesn’t perform to the high standard he has set for himself during his last three years in F1 which include that third place in 1999 and a second place finish in 1997 in the championship standings. We are placing him in the top 5 for pre-season rankings because it’s not a matter of if he can, it’s a matter of will he step up and do it.

6. Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari) – The Brazilian has been in F1 since 1993 and has yet to score a win. He did manage to score three podiums in 1999 and with him signing with Ferrari this year, it has to be asked if this is the year that he scores his first Grand Prix victory? The real test will be if Schumacher lets him enjoy a moment in the sun or keep him in the dark.

7. Jenson Button (Williams-BMW) – Well here we go, arguably the biggest sensation to enter F1 in many years, Button has enormous pressure riding on his shoulders. The 20-year-old is predicted to be World Champion someday but before he can take the F1 world by storm – he has many obstacles and learning curves to get through. Though we are confident in saying he will have some solid finishes this year (maybe even a podium or two), this year we want to temper expectations and say a top 10 table finish would be more than fine for the young upstart.

8. Jarno Trulli (Jordan-Mugen-Honda) – This will be Trulli’s third full F1 season and the expectations are plenty. In the garages, the Jordan team seems to have an immense amount of momentum and Trulli is a talented enough driver to build upon that. Is this the season that Trulli matures into the constant threat that he can be and puts Jordan into the top constructor discussion?

9. Giancarlo Fisichella (Benetton-Playlife) – As Fisichella enters his third year at Benetton, some feel that it’s now or never for the 27-year-old Italian. There’s no doubt he is insanely talented but being on an underfunded team does not help. He is looking to snag points and hopefully finish above ninth in the final standings which he has done the last two seasons.

10. Jacques Villeneuve (BAR-Honda) – Possibly the most interesting driver in terms of you just don’t know what to expect, the former world champion has said he wants to be competitive and knows he can with his talent. Villeneuve has made it clear he does not intend on staying with BAR beyond 2000 if the current situation with the team persists which has made many within the team wonder if this year is going to be a wash.

11. Eddie Irvine (Jaguar-Cosworth)– Maybe one of the more surprising finishers in recent memory, Irvine finished the 1999 season in second – more than impressive. However, his move to Jaguar is a questionable one and there aren’t many who think the Britain can repeat his incredible 99 campaign which saw him win four times and podium nine. We might regret putting him outside the Top 10 in the pre-season ranking at the end of the season, or we might not.

12. Alexander Wurz (Benetton-Playlife) – In what has been a relatively successful Formula 1 career to this point, the Austrian superstar is looking to build on his last two years with Benetton and bring the team home some podiums. Wurz can be a real force if everything goes right in 2000 and could surprise many.

13. Nick Heidfeld (Prost-Peugeot) – Maybe the interesting rookie driver this year, Heidfeld brings an impressive resume to Prost-Peugeot which includes German F3 and international F3000 championships. Having been placed by Mercedes at Prost for a “learning year” this year, it cannot be understated that Heidfeld has the opportunity to do well if he puts it all together. Though he will most likely be on the back burner due to Jenson Button, Heidfeld still can make huge strides in 2000 in terms of learning and moving forward.

14. Jos Verstappen (Arrows-Supertec) – There have been very few drivers in F1 who have seemed so promising yet delivered so little as Verstappen has so far in his career. Having finished no higher than tenth in the Driver’s Championship – Verstappen was rideless in 1999 which makes the outlook for him this year even more questionable. Everyone around him knows he has the talent and raw ability to do well and Verstappen is definitely one of the true question marks of this season.

15. Gaston Mazzacane (Minardi-Fondmetal) – Considered to have “bought” himself a seat for Minardi, the Argentinian will be making his first F1 attempt with the upstart Minardi team. Mazzacane spent three years in F3000 without much success and was a test driver for Minardi last year before getting the seat in 2000. Though it is very easy to overlook him at first glance, he might have a few surprises up his sleeves….or not.

16. Marc Gene (Minardi-Fondmetal) – Gene has the undarning task of competing for the underfunded Italian Minardi team in 2000. He superseded expectations in 1999 and looks to do the same this season.

17. Pedro de la Rosa (Arrows-Supertec) – Heading into his second year with Arrows, de la Rosa does not have very high expectations expected of him this season. Considered a mid to bottom at best finisher in the Grand Prix, de la Rosa will be hard pressed to see any podiums in 2000, might even be hard to get points for the Spaniard.

18. Mika Salo (Sauber-Petronas) – In what has been a rather disappointing career for Salo, the Finnish native has only two podiums in six years. In what was a rather turbulent 1999 saw him make Grand Prix for both BAR and Ferrari. Now that Salo has a full ride for 2000, he should be more stable although heading into the season it doesn’t appear he will pose much of a threat in the broad picture.

19. Johnny Herbert (Jaguar-Cosworth) – In what has to be considered the twilight years of his Formula 1 career, Herbert finds himself apart of the Jaguar team for the 2000 season. Not much is expected of Herbert in reality but it is possible the veteran could be in contention for some podiums if he regains his early F1 career form – though that is unlikely.

20. Ricardo Zonta (BAR-Honda) – Having struggled in 1999 which was also his rookie campaign in F1, Zonta looks to rebound in 2000. Those around him are saying this is a second chance for the Brazilian who was on the chopping block in the holiday season. He is looking to score points and maybe even a podium or two.

21. Jean Alesi (Prost-Peugeot) – Marking his 10th year in Formula One, the French speedster has one Grand Prix victory to his name. It really is a tale of two different drivers for Prost as you have the veteran Alesi and the young upstart German Heidfeld – it may be more interesting to watch how their relationship matures through the course of the season than if either of them can score any true results.

22. Pedro Diniz (Sauber-Petronas) – Sauber is hoping that by teaming Diniz up with Mika Salo that the familiarity between the two turns into some points for the team. Though that isn’t necessarily unlikely, it’s an uphill climb for the team – especially for Diniz who in five years in Formula One has zero podiums.

[OliDegu2008]

2000 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne (58 Laps, 191 Miles)

Weekend of March 12 ---- Schedule of events
Friday, March 10 ---- Practice (Morning), Practice (Afternoon)
Saturday, March 11 ---- Practice (Morning 1), Practice (Morning 2), Qualifying (Afternoon)
Sunday, March 12 ---- Warm-up (Morning), Grand Prix

Drivers
McLaren - Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard
Ferrari - Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello
Jordan - Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli
Jaguar - Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert
Williams - Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button
Benetton - Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz
Prost - Jean Alesi and Nick Heidfeld
Sauber - Pedro Diniz and Mika Salo
Arrows - Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen
Minardi - Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane
BAR - Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta

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[OliDegu2008]

2000 Australian Grand Prix weekend report

• McLaren's David Coulthard captures the pole position for Sunday's Grand Prix
• Ferrari's team of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher will start 2nd and 3rd on the grid
• 1999 World Champion Mika Hakkinen had traction issues and qualified 8th
• The Minardi team of Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane had a horrendous Friday/Saturday and will start 21st and 22nd
• Rain is expected to impact Sunday's Grand Prix

Friday (3/10) - Practice's 1 and 2 – Both practice sessions (a.m. and p.m.) were an hour and were largely uneventful. The McLaren team of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard looked fast.

Posting solid lap times besides McLaren was Rubens Barrichello of Ferrari, Eddie Irvine (1999 Australian Grand Prix winner) and Jos Verstappen. Verstappen not having raced in F1 last season gave his Arrows team some real jubilation.

The track surface was quite slippery through both practice sessions Friday as rain moved in and out all day causing several drivers like Pedro de la Rosa, Johnny Herbert and Nick Heidfeld to lose control and have minor dust-ups. All cars were able to be repaired.

Saturday (3/11) - Practice's 3 and 4 – Both practice sessions were held in the morning and each lasted 45 minutes. Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jarno Trulli, Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button all posted good times. Hakkinen paced the field for most of the third practice while Coulthard led the way in the 4th practice session.

Marc Gene driving for Minardi spun out in turn 15 but continued on. His teammate Gaston Mazzacane had a mechanical failure and had to retire to the his box for further evaluation. His team worked tirelessly and was able to get him into qualifying. Sauber's Pedro Diniz had a chassis issue in the third practice session but was able to make up some laps in the 4th session.

Saturday – Qualifying – Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix lasted an hour and each driver was limited to twelve laps with the starting grid decided by the drivers’ fastest laps.

It was thought that a McLaren or Ferrari would lead the way during qualifying and that is what happened as McLaren’s David Coulthard captured the pole position during qualifying. Its Coulthard’s ninth pole win of his F1 career. Following Coulthard was the Ferrari team of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher.

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Williams driver and younger brother to Michael Schumacher, Ralf posted the 4th quickest time and will start fourth. Rounding out the top 5 was Jaguar driver Eddie Irvine. Irvine having won the 1999 Australian Grand Prix is looking to start his 2000 campaign off on the same foot as last season.

Not having a good qualifying run was the other McLaren driver and current champion Mika Hakkinen who will start eighth (for most that is considered good but not to Hakkinen). Hakkinen was good during practice but just could not get the car to where he wanted it to be during qualifying.

Along side Hakkinen will be the young upstart Jenson Button whose team was ecstatic with his performance.

It was a difficult and tough day for the Minardi team as both of its machines will start in the back to begin the race.

It appears to be a wet day tomorrow in Melbourne as rain is expected to impact the Grand Prix.

[OliDegu2008]

Michael Schumacher wins the 2000 Australian Grand Prix

3/12/2000 - Melbourne, Australia – Race #1 - The Australian Grand Prix

It was a rainy, putrid day in Melbourne as Formula 1 kicked off its 2000 season with the Australian Grand Prix.

The circuit was quite slick as were the 16 turns and 3.295 mile laps the 22 world class drivers had to navigate for 58 laps.

Englishman David Coulthard, the driver who earned the pole position for the race led the field into turn 1 successfully and then also thru turns 3 and 4 on the first lap.

Gaston Mazzacane spun out entering turn 9 and dropped to the end of the field. After one lap, Coulthard would maintain his lead.

Running behind Coulthard closely as the drivers entered lap 2 was Brazilian speedster Rubens Barrichello whose Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher was right behind him in third place.

In a move of absolute brilliance, Barrichello was able to overtake Coulthard on the second lap and was trailed by Mika Hakkinen, Jenson Button, Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher.

Coulthard when overtaken by Barrichello experienced power issues and fell to the middle of the pack inadvertently slowing down Michael Schumacher in the process, splitting the team of Ferraris.

As Barrichello continued to lead, lap 7 saw Ricardo Zonta’s race end early as an oil leak forced the BAR driver to retire.

Not too far after Zonta on lap 9, fellow Brazilian Pedro Diniz would retire his Sauber due to suspension issues.

On lap 16, 1999 Australian Grand Prix victor Eddie Irvine retired his car due to issues with the power unit. Entering the 18th lap, Barrichello was still in front followed by Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, and Button.

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Italian Jordan driver Jarno Trulli ran off the track in the 13th corner on lap 19 and was not able to continue making Trulli the 4th retirement of the race to that point.

The Finnish driver and current champion Mika Hakkinen overtook Barrichello with a daring move entering the 8th turn and took the lead from Barrichello.

Right behind Hakkinen and breathing down his neck was Barrichello, Button and Michael Schumacher.

As Hakkinen continued to lead the Grand Prix, Rubens Barrichello experienced heartbreak on lap 24 as he had to retire due to a gearbox issue.

Sensing blood in the water, Michael Schumacher took advantage of the Barrichello misfortune and pulled an insane overtake on Hakkinen to slingshot his Ferrari into the lead position.

With M. Schumacher firmly in control it seemed, lap 37 saw some serious drama unfold as Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher both were forced to retire due to a collision with one another.

It appeared as if Coulthard attempted an overtake of R. Schumacher, Coulthard was blocked successfully but hit Coulthard causing him to lose control and spin around into R. Schumacher.

It was a beyond disappointing end of the day for both drivers who were chasing points and had a good shot at earning some.

As the day turned into late afternoon, the rain picked up from a drizzle to a downpour.

The rain picked up so much that on lap 39, Prost driver Nick Heidfeld misjudged his box and ran right into the pit box wall ending his day. At the time of Heidfeld’s accident he was running in second to last place.

As the laps continued to be counted, Michael Schumacher continued to lead. It appeared as if no one was going to take this victory away from the two time former world champion.

As Schumacher paced the field, more retirements happened as we enetered the final 1/4 of the race.

Jos Verstappen would spin out and retire on lap 43 while Spaniard Marc Gene would spin out of control on lap 49 and slam into the catch fence in turn 6.

Gene was ok and his Arrows machine would be the last car to retire in the race.

Entering the final lap Michael Schumacher had a comfortable lead over Mika Hakkinen, Jacques Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Frentzen really made a push around lap 30 which landed him
in a prime spot to earn a podium and but that did not happen. Instead today, he was beaten out for 3rd place Canadian Jacques Villeneuve.

Michael Schumacher would cross the finish line soon thereafter and earn his first Grand Prix win of 2000, followed by Hakkinen, Villeneuve, Frentzen and Mike Salo.

With points being awarded to the top 6 finishers, Schumacher earned 10 points while Hakkinen earned 6, Villeneuve 4, Frentzen 3, Salo 2 and Pedro de la Rosa 1.

Earning Constructors' point were Ferrari with 10, McLaren with 6, BAR with 4, Jordan with 3, Sauber with 2 and Arrows with 1.

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[OliDegu2008]

2000 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX
Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Sao Paulo (71 Laps, 190 Miles)

Weekend of March 26 ---- Schedule of events
Friday, March 24 ---- Practice (Morning), Practice (Afternoon)
Saturday, March 25 ---- Practice (Morning 1), Practice (Morning 2), Qualifying (Afternoon)
Sunday, March 26 ---- Warm-up (Morning), Grand Prix

Drivers
McLaren - Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard
Ferrari - Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello
Jordan - Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli
Jaguar - Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert
Williams - Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button
Benetton - Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz
Prost - Jean Alesi and Nick Heidfeld
Sauber - Pedro Diniz and Mika Salo
Arrows - Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen
Minardi - Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane
BAR - Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta

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[OliDegu2008]

2000 Brazilian Grand Prix weekend report

• McLaren's David Coulthard captures the pole position for Sunday's Grand Prix - his 2nd consecutive in 2000
• Sao Paulo's own Rubens Barrichello will start next to Coulthard in the 2nd position
• After their collision in Australia, it appears that Ralf Schumacher and Coulthard have made amends
• Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher start 3rd and 4th on the grid
• Rain is expected to impact Sunday's Grand Prix

Friday (3/24) - Practice's 1 and 2 - Both practice sessions each lasted an hour, in the morning and one in the afternoon.

In the Friday morning practice session the weather was hot and humid. Once again, like during the practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix, McLaren driver David Coulthard had a fast car and paced the field followed by teammate Mika Hakkinen and Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. As expected these two teams are the favorites coming into the weekend, especially Barrichello who was born in Sao Paulo and will be racing literally almost in his backyard.

Not having the expectations of Barrichello but still facing some hometown pressure will be Pedro Diniz who was also born in Sao Paulo. Ricardo Zonta, driving for BAR is also from Brazil but was born roughly six hours away in Curitiba. Nonetheless you better believe these three drivers will have the backing of the entire Brazilian population heading into Sunday.

After their dust up during the Australian Grand Prix, Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher were asked by Formula One to hold a joint press conference Thursday afternoon when both drivers arrived in Brazil to give comments and answer any questions about their collision that led to both drivers retiring in Melbourne nearly two weeks ago. Both drivers have had time to cool down and have made amends heading into race weekend was the gist of the entire press conference.

Englishman Johnny Herbert had a rough Friday morning practice as he spun out and brushed the wall in turn 3. His car was repaired but he was unable to get back out until the afternoon session. Also having issues Friday morning was Prost driver Jean Alesi who retired from the session due to suspension issues.

Australian podium placer Jacques Villeneuve held his own Friday morning pacing fellow BAR teammate Zonta and the Williams’ cars piloted by Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button.

The Friday afternoon session saw some rain move into the area and it was very, very humid in Sao Paulo. Formula 1 meteorologists indicate there could be rain tomorrow for qualifying and during the Grand Prix on Sunday.

The humidity and heat was not kind to some drivers such as Sauber’s Mika Solo who lost control heading into turn 6 and had to retire very early in the session. Jenson Button complained of severe fatigue and as a cautionary move was retired by his team in advance of Saturday’s qualifying.

As the afternoon session continued, so did the fast lap times of Coulthard, Barrichello, Hakkinen, Schumacher and fellow German Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Both Prost drivers (Nick Heidfeld and Jean Alesi) were forced to retire from the afternoon session early due to overheating issues while Jos Verstappen had a gearbox malfunction and only managed 2 timed laps.

Saturday (3/25) - Practice's 3 and 4 – Both practice sessions were held in the morning and each lasted 45 minutes. It was a bit cooler Saturday morning with a constant drizzle of rain in Sao Paulo as the teams prepared their machines for the final practices before the afternoon qualifying session.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was blazin’ during both sessions and appeared to be very confident heading into qualifying. He paced the field which included good lap times by Frentzen, Coulthard, Eddie Irvine and Button.

Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa who snagged an impressive point in Australia had to retire from both sessions due to an oil leak that was ultimately caused by track debris. Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari machine was also retired after only a lap in practice 3 due to overheating. Both drivers would make it to qualifying.

Minardi drivers Gaston Mazzacane and Marc Gene had a slew of problems both days which included many spinouts and a very heated exchanged among the two drivers after Gene appeared to accidentally force Mazzacane off the track during a Mazzacane fly lap.

Saturday – Qualifying – Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix lasted an hour and each driver was limited to twelve laps with the starting grid decided by the drivers’ fastest laps.

The constant drizzle rain (if there’s such a thing) seemed to stop for the hour that the cars were on the circuit. The Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace track temperature was much cooler than it had been all weekend up until this point.

As was the case in the first Grand Prix of the year in Australia, McLaren driver David Coulthard qualified on the pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix in Brazil. He edged out hometown favorite Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher and his McLaren teammate Mika Hakkinen.

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Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jacques Villeneuve posted fantastic qualifying times and will start in 5th and 6th respectively. Eddie Irvine, Ralf Schumacher, Jenson Button and Jarno Trulli round out the top 10 grid spots.

Being cheered on by their country, Brazilians Ricardo Zonta and Pedro Diniz will start near each other on the grid in spots 12 and 13. Pedro de la Rosa ran the 15th fastest qualifying lap of the session and that is where he will start on the grid.

In what has been an absolutely dreadful start to the season for the Minardi team, both of its drivers qualified in the last two grid positions. It appears the ongoing dispute between Mazzacane and Gene that occurred in the last practice session bled over into qualifying – hopefully they can patch it up Saturday night heading into race day on Sunday.

The weather forecasts in Sao Paulo call for high temps and rain. It is safe to say participation will impact the Grand Prix.

[OliDegu2008]

Mika Hakkinen dominates, wins the Brazilian Grand Prix

3/26/2000 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Race #2 - The Brazilian Grand Prix

It was a very hot, humid and rainy day in Sao Paulo and many drivers felt the wrath of the slick 2.6 mile course over 71 blistering laps.

Entering Sao Paulo, Michael Schumacher was atop the points standings followed by Mika Hakkinen, Jacques Villeneuve, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mika Salo and Pedro de la Rosa. Ferrari led the Constructors' table 4 points ahead of McLaren.

England's own David Coulthard who earned the pole position for the second straight Grand Prix led the field thru a very pedestrian lap one with little movement in terms of the starting grid as the rain continued to fall very hard.

The first driver to fall to the harsh weather conditions was Spaniard and Arrows driver Pedro de la Rosa. De la Rosa scored a point in Australia but would not have the same fate in this race as he retired on lap 2 due to tire traction issues.

As Coulthard continued to lead the field early with hometown favorite Rubens Barrichello chasing him, rookie driver Nick Heidfeld suffered an engine failure and retired his Prost machine on lap 6.

Coulthard relinquished the lead to Barrichello and the Brazilian crowd erupted as they watched their hometown “son” lead the field of 18 thru the circuit and cross the start/finish line in first entering the ninth lap.

It was shortly thereafter during lap 9 that Jos Verstappen would be forced to retire due to irregular oil pressure. That retirement marks two consecutive exits for Verstappen and most definitely not the way his Arrows team envisioned the start of the season going for the Dutch driver.

As Barrichello kept the lead, The Flying Finn Mika Hakkinen had overtaken 2nd place from Michael Schumacher and was tracking down the Ferrari driver for the top spot. Following Schumacher was Ralf Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve, Coulthard and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Lap 16 saw Italian speedster Giancarlo Fisichella retire as he lost control in a slick turn 9 and would wreck himself out of the race. It was the start of a not good day for the Benetton team.

Using the safety car as an opportunity to pounce, Hakkinen patiently waited for the restart and then overtook Barrichello entering turn 4 and completed the overtake exiting turn 5 on lap 19. Hakkinen, a 2-time consecutive World Champion of Formula 1 apparently wanted to remind us all that he, not Michael Schumacher or someone else is still top of the food chain. That was a world class overtake of a very talented driver in Barrichello.

The next few laps saw Hakkinen extend his margin while being trailed by R. Schumacher, Villeneuve, Frentzen and Barrichello. Michael Schumacher had fallen to the middle of the pack after a loose tire forced the German to have to box twice costing him several seconds of track time.

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As the rain continued to fall, so did the field. On lap 27 Sauber’s Mika Salo was forced off the track by Alexander Wurz during an overtake and never recovered. Salo would be forced to retire, the 5th retirement of the day.

Then on lap 37, Marc Gene lost control of his Minardi machine and crashed into a safety barricade entering turn 12. Gene’s day was more than finished.

Lap 38 saw Michael Schumacher be forced to do something you usually don’t see in one lap of a Grand Prix, he passed 2 drivers and was now knocking on the door of a possible podium spot. The drivers he blew by were Frentzen and pole winner Coulthard.

On lap 41 Jarno Trulli was forced to retire his Jordan machine after spinning off the track and not being able to recover – he was visibly upset as he was running in a spot to finish for possible points. On the very next lap one of the Brazilian racers Ricardo Zonta would be forced to retire due to a fuel pump issue. Zonta's retirement ended what was turning out to be a fantastic day for the Brazilian.

Then in complete heartbreak on lap 44, hometown hero Pedro Diniz was forced to retire due to an engine issue. Exiting his broken down Sauber machine to a standing ovation, there is no doubt about it that Diniz wanted to at least finish the race for his family, friends and fans in the stands. As it stood Diniz was in 10th position at the time of his retirement.

As we entered the final 1/3 of the race, it appeared as if Mika Hakkinen was simply better than the rest of the field as he was well in front of his competition which included Ralf and Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

On lap 47 Argentinian Gaston Mazzacane was the circuits latest retirement victim, retiring his race car after spinning off the slippery asphault entering turn 10.

Lap 55 saw the 11th and final retirement occur when Alexander Wurz retired his Benetton mobile due to electrical issues. Meanwhile, Hakkinen continued to lead and had a healthy gap over 2nd and 3rd positions.

As the race entered its final laps, it was clear baring any sort of error on Hakkinen’s part, he was going to win the race. Battling for points and the final two podium spots behind him were Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

As the field crossed the start/finish line for the final time it would be Mika Hakkinen well in front of the field which would then see Michael Schumacher narrowly beat hometown favorite Rubens Barrichello for second. Both would be placed on the podium and rightfully deserved.

For Schumacher it was a tough day as he fell to middle of the pack early and had to pace himself back to the front. Barrichello who was near the front the entire Grand Prix received the loudest ovation when crossing the finish line and the cheers were even louder when he was standing on the podium. Barrichello was born in Sao Paulo and it was a bittersweet moment for the Brazilian to have such a good day at his home circuit.

Finishing fourth was the Ralf Schumacher in his Williams machine followed by Heinz-Harald Frentzen and then pole winner David Coulthard.

The rest of the finishing field was Jenson Button in 7th, Jacques Villeneuve in 8th, Johnny Herbert in 9th, Eddie Irvine in 10th and Jean Alesi in 11th.

Earning Constructors' point were McLaren with 11, Ferrari with 10, Williams with 3 and Jordan with 2.

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