Mika 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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