1999 F1 World Championship
Frentzen Scored Surprise Victory in French Grand Prix
Despite having the fastest car in the field Mika Hakkinen arrived in Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix behind Michael Schumacher in the Formula 1 World Championship. The German driver had won the preceding two races, at Imola and Monaco.
Hakkinen Leads McLaren 1-2 in Spanish Grand Prix
Hakkinen was on pole for the Spanish Grand Prix, with Ferrari’s Eddie Irvine joining him on the front row of the grid. David Coulthard started from third and Michael Schumacher was fourth. In fifth place was Jean Alesi’s Sauber, but the Frenchman would retire early from the race with a gearbox problem. Jacques Villeneuve lined up sixth in his BAR.
The race was a dull affair, with Hakkinen and Coulthard pulling away at the front. Villeneuve managed to pass both Michael Schumacher and Irvine at the start. The French-Canadian then held them up long enough to leave them with no chance of catching the leaders. Hakkinen won from Coulthard, with Michael Schumacher third and Irvine fourth. Ralf Schumacher’s Jordan was fifth and Jarno Trulli took the final point in his Prost.
Canadian Grand Prix Won by Hakkinen
Michael Schumacher ended Hakkinen’s monopoly of pole position at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The McLaren driver had to settle for second on the grid, with Irvine third and Coulthard fourth. Rubens Barrichello was fifth and shared the third row with Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s Jordan.
Alesi, Trulli and Alex Wurz didn’t make it past turn one at the start of the Grand Prix, as they collided with each other. Michael Schumacher led from Hakkinen, but the Ferrari driver made a mistake and crashed into a concrete wall. Hakkinen went on to win the race, which ended under yellow due to an accident involving Frentzen. Giancarlo Fisichella was delighted to finish second, having started seventh. Irvine completed the podium in third, with Ralf Schumacher fourth, Johnny Herbert fifth and Pedro Diniz sixth for Sauber.
Frentzen Wins in the Rain at Magny-Cours
The weather over the French Grand Prix weekend was miserable. Wet qualifying produced an unusual grid, with Barrichello on pole and Alesi second. Panis was third in his Prost, with Coulthard fourth, Frentzen fifth and Michael Schumacher sixth. Hakkinen was well down the grid in 14th position. Race day would also be damp and cold.
Barrichello led early on, before Coulthard slipped past. It was not to be the Scotsman’s day, as he dropped out soon after with an electrical problem. Michael Schumacher then passed Barrichello’s Stewart to take the lead, but his Ferrari developed a problem which slowed him and he dropped back. Hakkinen made remarkable progress through the field, eventually catching and passing Barrichello for the lead.
Late in the race both Hakkinen and Barrichello needed to stop for fuel, but Frentzen didn’t. The Jordan driver took the lead and held it until the end, scoring the second Grand Prix victory of his career. Hakkinen was second and Barrichello third. Ralf Schumacher finished fourth in his Williams, ahead of his brother Michael Schumacher and Irvine. Over the weekend Jordan driver Damon Hill announced his intention to retire from the sport at the end of the 1999 season.
Frentzen won the French Grand Prix
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