Overview[]
The 1999 British Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 1999 FF1M Season.
Report[]
Although there were four British drivers in the field and generally doing well, none of them had been able to score wins this season with David Coulthard's 2nd at Montreal the best of the lot. It was far more likely that a British team would succeed at their home race as only two out of the 11 teams weren't based underneath the Union Jack. That would be the case in qualifying as Dodgem scored their second pole position of the season courtesy of Jacques Villeneuve thanks to a brilliant first lap. FJR's qualifying woes appeared to have been resolved with Heinz-Harald Frentzen using a bit of slipstream to qualify 2nd and Mika Hakkinen 4th. The best of the British drivers was Coulthard, albeit down in 9th.
Villeneuve had a good start from pole position while Nick Heidfeld initially jumped Frentzen for 2nd off the line but was boxed and ended up dropping to 4th behind both FJR drivers. Of the two cars in light blue, Hakkinen seemed the quicker driver in the early corners and took Frentzen for 2nd going into Stowe. Further back, Alex Yoong completely missed his braking point going into Club, clattered into the back of Jorg Muller, and spun round.
On lap 2, Ralf Schumacher challenged Heidfeld for 4th and succeeded going into Club, while at the front, Hakkinen appeared quicker than Villeneuve and took the lead into Copse at the start of lap 3. While Heidfeld was going backwards, his teammate Jarno Trulli was going in the opposite direction as he overtook Juan Pablo Montoya for 6th down the Hangar straight, and then challenged his teammate for 5th. He got ahead by virtue of Heidfeld hitting the back of a slowing Villeneuve at Becketts and spinning round to the back of the field. Villeneuve's issue became more obvious as black smoke signalled a broken Ferrari engine. The Canadian also nearly influenced the battle for 2nd as Ralf closed up to Frentzen and had a go into Club, but the FJR driver held on.
It looked like FJR were the team to beat as Hakkinen had an 10 second lead over Frentzen on lap 16, who was gradually pulling away from Ralf. The Gui Racing driver then lost 2nd when Trulli powered ahead down the Hangar straight, the Ferrari in the back of the MRD seemingly having more power the Ford in the back of the Gui Racing. Reliability then played its part as gearbox problems put Hakkinen out of the race and gave Frentzen the lead. The battling Trulli and Ralf pitted on consecutive laps with Ralf's extra laps putting him ahead, although Trulli quickly got back in front on the Hangar straight, but their battle allowed both Michael and Montoya to jump them after their first pirstops.
Heidfeld was doing everything he could to try and salvage his race after his unfortunate collision with Villeneuve, but was destined to finish outside of the points. Worse for MRD was Trulli's engine failing on lap 52 whilst running 4th. With three laps to go, 3rd-placed Montoya's engine also failed, indicating some fragility with the Ferrari powerplant. Unlike Hakkinen, Frentzen's car ran impeccably all race and had built up a lead of 20 seconds before taking his third win of the season, his first since his double in the opening two races. The Schumacher brothers were 2nd and 3rd with Michael ahead of Ralf, while Coulthard was the best of the Brits in 4th after a good drive from 9th. Rubens Barrichello and Alessandro Zanardi were next on the road and last of those on the lead lap, while Alexander Wurz and Jan Magnussen scored their first points of the season.
Qualifying[]
Conditions: Dry
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Tyre | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |  Jacques Villeneuve
|
 Dodgem-Ferrari
|
|
1:20.670 | |
| 2 | 7 |  Heinz-Harald Frentzen
|
FJR-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:20.942 | +0.272 |
| 3 | 21 | Nick Heidfeld
|
MRD Racing-Ferrari (W)
|
|
1:21.035 | +0.365 |
| 4 | 8 |  Mika Hakkinen
|
FJR-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:21.072 | +0.402 |
| 5 | 2 | Ralf Schumacher
|
 Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
1:21.250 | +0.580 |
| 6 | 18 |  Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Maestro-Ferrari
|
|
1:21.299 | +0.629 |
| 7 | 20 |  Jarno Trulli
|
MRD Racing-Ferrari (W)
|
|
1:21.440 | +0.770 |
| 8 | 1 | Michael Schumacher
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
1:21.550 | +0.880 |
| 9 | 19 | David Coulthard
|
Maestro-Ferrari
|
|
1:21.560 | +0.890 |
| 10 | 4 | Rubens Barrichello
|
Dodgem-Ferrari
|
|
1:21.734 | +1.064 |
| 11 | 11 | Alessandro Zanardi
|
Willow Images-Mugen Honda
|
|
1:21.828 | +1.158 |
| 12 | 6 | Mika Salo
|
 Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
1:22.281 | +1.611 |
| 13 | 16 | Eddie Irvine
|
Dark Wolf-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:22.285 | +1.615 |
| 14 | 9 | Allan McNish
|
VTR-Supertec
|
|
1:22.369 | +1.699 |
| 15 | 10 | Johnny Herbert
|
VTR-Supertec
|
|
1:22.377 | +1.707 |
| 16 | 5 | Jan Magnussen
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
1:22.474 | +1.804 |
| 17 | 22 |  Olivier Panis
|
Ajay Motorsports-Supertec
|
|
1:22.625 | +1.955 |
| 18 | 17 |  Alexander Wurz
|
Dark Wolf-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:22.657 | +1.987 |
| 19 | 14 | Pedro Diniz
|
Talent Racing-Ilmor
|
|
1:23.167 | +2.497 |
| 20 | 12 | Jorg Muller
|
Willow Images-Mugen Honda
|
|
1:23.882 | +3.212 |
| 21 | 23 |  Alex Yoong
|
Ajay Motorsports-Supertec
|
|
1:24.025 | +3.355 |
| 22 | 15 | Ricardo Rosset
|
Talent Racing-Ilmor
|
|
1:24.120 | +3.450 |
Race[]
Conditions: Dry
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Tyre | Time/Retired | Grid | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen
|
FJR-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:24:53.770 | 2 | 12 |
| 2 | 2 | Ralf Schumacher
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
+20.331 | 5 | 8 |
| 3 | 1 | Michael Schumacher
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
+28.164 | 8 | 6 |
| 4 | 19 | David Coulthard
|
Maestro-Ferrari
|
|
+55.156 | 9 | 5 |
| 5 | 4 | Rubens Barrichello
|
Dodgem-Ferrari
|
|
+1:14.031 | 10 | 4 |
| 6 | 11 | Alessandro Zanardi
|
Willow Images-Mugen Honda
|
|
+1:14.801 | 11 | 3 |
| 7 | 17 | Alexander Wurz
|
Dark Wolf-Peugeot (W)
|
|
+1 Lap | 18 | 2 |
| 8 | 5 | Jan Magnussen
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
+1 Lap | 16 | 1 |
| 9 | 16 | Eddie Irvine
|
Dark Wolf-Peugeot (W)
|
|
+1 Lap | 13 | |
| 10 | 10 | Johnny Herbert
|
VTR-Supertec
|
|
+1 Lap | 15 | |
| 11 | 21 | Nick Heidfeld
|
MRD Racing-Ferrari (W)
|
|
+1 Lap | 3 | |
| 12 | 9 | Allan McNish
|
VTR-Supertec
|
|
+1 Lap | 14 | |
| 13 | 6 | Mika Salo
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
+1 Lap | 12 | |
| 14 | 22 | Olivier Panis
|
Ajay Motorsports-Supertec
|
|
+1 Lap | 17 | |
| 15 | 14 | Pedro Diniz
|
Talent Racing-Ilmor
|
|
+1 Lap | 19 | |
| 16 | 12 | Jorg Muller
|
Willow Images-Mugen Honda
|
|
+2 Laps | 20 | |
| 17 | 15 | Ricardo Rosset
|
Talent Racing-Ilmor
|
|
+2 Laps | 22 | |
| 18 | 18 | Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Maestro-Ferrari
|
|
+3 Laps/Engine | 6 | |
| Ret | 20 | Jarno Trulli
|
MRD Racing-Ferrari (W)
|
|
Engine | 7 | |
| Ret | 8 | Mika Hakkinen
|
FJR-Peugeot (W)
|
|
Transmission | 4 | |
| Ret | 23 | Alex Yoong
|
Ajay Motorsports-Supertec
|
|
Engine | 21 | |
| Ret | 3 | Jacques Villeneuve
|
Dodgem-Ferrari
|
|
Oil Leak | 1 |
Driver of the Day: Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Fastest Laps[]
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Tyre | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen
|
FJR-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:22.862 | |
| 2 | 1 | Michael Schumacher
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
1:23.014 | +0.152 |
| 3 | 18 | Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Maestro-Ferrari
|
|
1:23.046 | +0.184 |
| 4 | 2 | Ralf Schumacher
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
1:23.130 | +0.268 |
| 5 | 8 | Mika Hakkinen
|
FJR-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:23.159 | +0.297 |
| 6 | 20 | Jarno Trulli
|
MRD Racing-Ferrari (W)
|
|
1:23.226 | +0.364 |
| 7 | 21 | Nick Heidfeld
|
MRD Racing-Ferrari (W)
|
|
1:23.263 | +0.401 |
| 8 | 19 | David Coulthard
|
Maestro-Ferrari
|
|
1:23.481 | +0.619 |
| 9 | 11 | Alessandro Zanardi
|
Willow Images-Mugen Honda
|
|
1:23.721 | +0.859 |
| 10 | 16 | Eddie Irvine
|
Dark Wolf-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:24.095 | +1.233 |
| 11 | 4 | Rubens Barrichello
|
Dodgem-Ferrari
|
|
1:24.106 | +1.244 |
| 12 | 10 | Johnny Herbert
|
VTR-Supertec
|
|
1:24.108 | +1.246 |
| 13 | 6 | Mika Salo
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
1:24.154 | +1.292 |
| 14 | 17 | Alexander Wurz
|
Dark Wolf-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:24.168 | +1.306 |
| 15 | 5 | Jan Magnussen
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
1:24.243 | +1.381 |
| 16 | 22 | Olivier Panis
|
Ajay Motorsports-Supertec
|
|
1:24.442 | +1.580 |
| 17 | 3 | Jacques Villeneuve
|
Dodgem-Ferrari
|
|
1:24.476 | +1.614 |
| 18 | 9 | Allan McNish
|
VTR-Supertec
|
|
1:24.572 | +1.710 |
| 19 | 12 | Jorg Muller
|
Willow Images-Mugen Honda
|
|
1:25.145 | +2.283 |
| 20 | 14 | Pedro Diniz
|
Talent Racing-Ilmor
|
|
1:25.363 | +2.501 |
| 21 | 15 | Ricardo Rosset
|
Talent Racing-Ilmor
|
|
1:26.480 | +3.618 |
| 22 | 23 | Alex Yoong
|
Ajay Motorsports-Supertec
|
|
1:26.882 | +4.020 |
Championship Standings[]
| Drivers Championship | Teams Championship | Engine Trophy | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Driver | Pts. | Wins | -/+ | Pos. | Team | Pts. | Wins | -/+ | Pos. | Engine | Pts. | Wins | -/+ |
| 1 | Juan Pablo Montoya
|
57 | 2 | = | 1 | Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
94 | 3 | = | 1 | Ferrari
|
121 | 3 | = |
| 2 | Ralf Schumacher
|
54 | 1 | = | 2 | Maestro-Ferrari
|
81 | 2 | = | 2 |  Ford
|
94 | 3 | = |
| 3 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen
|
46 | 3 | = | 3 | FJR-Peugeot (W)
|
76 | 3 | = | 3 | Peugeot
|
86 | 3 | = |
| 4 | Michael Schumacher
|
40 | 2 | = | 4 | MRD Racing-Ferrari (W)
|
42 | 1 | = | 4 |  Supertec
|
15 | = | |
| 5 | Mika Hakkinen
|
30 | = | 5 | Dodgem-Ferrari
|
33 | = | 5 |  Mugen Honda
|
13 | = | |||
| 6 | Jarno Trulli
|
29 | 1 | = | 6 | Willow Images-Mugen Honda
|
13 |  1
|
6 | Mercedes
|
3 | = | ||