Hakkinen, McLaren wins Grand Prix and Championship (Japanese Grand Prix)
Hakkinen, McLaren win Grand Prix and Championship (Japanese Grand Prix)
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Sunday November 1st, 1998

a champagne shower to the new WCMika Hakkinen won his first FIA Formula One World Championship on lap 32 when contender Michael Schumacher retired due to blown rear tire. Hakkinen went on to grab victory in Japan with ease. Ferrari's Eddie Irvine finished second and Hakkinen's team-mate David Coulthard came third. Damon Hill took fourth place for Jordan when having passed Heinz-Harald Frentzen on the final lap.

Michael Schumacher faced an uphill battle before the race began as his car stalled on the grid, presumably due to clutch problems, which forced him to start from the back. He shook his head in obvious frustration at the subsequent re-start. Prost's Jarno Trulli had already stalled once making the Schumacher incident the second aborted start of the race. As a result, the race was reduced from 53 to 51 laps.

Schumacher did leap through the field, making up 9 positions in one lap and eventually finding himself in seventh position by lap five, behind Damon Hill. He remained there for quite a few laps, eventually though gaining positions on both Hill and Heinz Harald Frentzen after the first round of pit stops. After 21 laps, Schumacher passed a pitted Coulthard to take third position but was some 27 seconds behind the Finn. 11 laps later, Schumacher was forced to retire into the grass as the Ferrari suffered damage due to a blown rear Goodyear tire, damaged from debris on the track from Esteban Tuero, who crashed into Shinji Nakano's retired car a lap before.

Mika Hakkinen never lost his lead, and Irvine, having stayed second from start to end, was never able to challenge the Flying Finn. Behind them, little position changes were made, with Williams securing their third position of the Constructors Championship with the three points gained by fifth place Frentzen and sixth place Jacques Villeneuve. Jordan, on the other hand, managed to make up one place in the Constructors Championship with the three points Hill gained on his fourth position and despite Ralf Schumacher retiring with a blown engine on lap 13.

As soon as the leaders came into the pitlane, Michael Schumacher, wearing casual jeans and a Ferrari sweater, was one of the first to congratulate an ecstatic Hakkinen. The Finn has won his World Championship with 100 points, 14 ahead of Schumacher. McLaren secured the 1998 FIA Formula One Constructors' title, Bridgestone won their first championship, and Finland acquired its second F1 World Champion today as Keke Rosberg won the title in 1982.

A full race report will appear on Atlas F1 on Wednesday

Timing


JAPANESE GRAND PRIX RESULTS
World Championship of Drivers Round 16
Suzuka, November 1st, 1998
51 laps, 298.868 kms

1     M.Hakkinen        McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13     1h 27m 22.535s     205.229 kph
2     E.Irvine          Ferrari F300                1h 27m 29.026 secs
3     D.Coulthard       McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13     1h 27m 50.197 secs
4     D.Hill            Jordan-Mugen-Honda 198      1h 28m 36.026 secs
5     H.H.Frentzen      Williams-Mecachrome FW20    1h 28m 36.392 secs
6     J.Villeneuve      Williams-Mecachrome FW20    1h 28m 38.402 secs
7     J.Alesi           Sauber-Petronas C17         1h 28m 38.402 secs
8     G.Fisichella      Benetton-Mecachrome B198    1h 29m 03.837 secs
9     A.Wurz            Benetton-Mecachrome B198      50 laps
10    J.Herbert         Sauber-Petronas C17           50 laps
11    O.Panis           Prost-Peugeot AP01            50 laps
12    J.Trulli          Prost-Peugeot AP01            48 laps  D.N.F.

Fastest Lap: M.Schumacher  lap 19                       1m 40.19 secs  210.703 kph
Lap Leaders: M Hakkinen    laps 1-51

Retirements:

Lap 2   P.Diniz           Arrows A19                Spun off
Lap 13  R.Schumacher      Jordan-Mugen-Honda 198    Engine
Lap 14  M.Salo            Arrows A19                Hydraulic failure
Lap 21  Jos Verstappen    Stewart-Ford SF2          Gearbox
Lap 25  R.Barrichello     Stewart-Ford SF2          Differential
Lap 28  E.Tuero           Minardi-Ford M198         Accident with Takagi
Lap 28  T.Takagi          Tyrrell-Ford 026          Accident with Tuero
Lap 31  M.Schumacher      Ferrari F300              Puncture
Lap 40  S.Nakano          Minardi-Ford M198         Fly by wire failure
Lap 48  J.Trulli          Prost-Peugeot AP01        Engine

All Timing Unofficial

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