Canadian Grand Prix, June 1999

Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal, June 1999

That winning feeling again	F1 burst back into life, and Mika Hakkinen leapt back to the front of the championship standings, in a typically incident packed Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. In a dramatic reversal of fortune, Michael Schumacher crashed out whilst looking certain to pick up maximum points, the Ferrari having been fastest all weekend. But this time it was McLaren's turn to inherit the spoils, and put the pressure back onto the Italian team. Qualifying had simply confirmed Ferrari's dominance, Schumacher leading Hakkinen for the front spot and Eddie Irvine heading David Coulthard on the second row.
Rubens Barrichello was best of the rest in the Stewart claiming fifth place, followed by Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Jordan, Giancarlo Fisichella's Benetton and Jean Alesi in the Sauber. The start was almost a carbon copy of last year. This time it was Jarno Trulli in the Prost, from ninth on the grid, who came steaming down the inside towards the first corner. Suddenly he lost it, spinning over the grass and across the track beyond the corner, collecting the unfortunate Barrichello and Alesi in passing. Although Barrichello made it back to the pits he retired later, and all three were effectively out. Fisichella made a brilliant start and, taking advantage of the confusion, managed to beat David Coulthard round the second corner to slot in behind the top three who maintained grid order. Frentzen retained sixth but Johnny Herbert benefitted from the carnage to move up to seventh from tenth on the grid in the second Stewart. The safety car came out for one lap to allow the wreckage to be cleared, and then Coulthard immediately set to work on Fisichella, passing him to reclaim fourth within a lap. It wasn't long before the safety car was out again though. Ricardo Zonta, returning for BAR after injury, made it to lap 4 before crashing heavily into the concrete wall following turn 13, the first of several drivers to end their race at this particular point. The safety car was out again until lap 7. Michael Schumacher began to open up a lead of a few seconds over Mika Hakkinen as the field strung out, interrupted only by Damon Hill's Jordan going the way of Zonta on lap 14, although without the need to stop the race. Most of the cars were on a one-stop strategy but Herbert made the first of two stops on lap 24, dropping back to tenth.
And then on lap 32 the unthinkable happened. Michael Schumacher, having just lapped some back markers, got it wrong into the dreaded turn 13 and ploughed into the wall himself. Schumacher later owned up to one error per campaign, and this year there was no David Coulthard to blame, but it could yet prove costly at the end of the season. Hakkinen gleefully inherited the lead, followed by Irvine, Coulthard, Fisichella and Frentzen.	The Mika shall inherit the earth?
Ralf Schumacher in the Williams now found himself in sixth following his brother's misfortune, although not for long. On lap 34 he slid off allowing Pedro Diniz to pass in his Sauber, Schumacher rejoining in hot pursuit. On lap 35 it was Jacques Villeneuve's turn to attack the concrete on turn 13 in the remaining BAR, and once again the safety car was out. Almost the entire field pitted over the next 6 laps, Ralf Schumacher and Johnny Herbert both passing Diniz in the process. From the off on lap 41 David Coulthard tried a brave manouevre on Eddie Irvine, pushing his nose in front briefly but then losing out into the following corner, where Irvine squeezed him and inevitably both cars ended up in the gravel. Both rejoined at the back of the field but Coulthard had to pit, during which he incurred a stop-go penalty for speeding, effectively putting him out of contention. Fisichella now found himself second, although pursued closely by Frentzen. On lap 43, the Jordan man took advantage of a back marker scrap to reverse the positions. Schumacher was now fourth with Herbert fifth and Diniz sixth. Irvine now began an exhilarating comeback drive which must surely increase his standing as a driver and provided some brilliant entertainment to boot. By lap 43 he was harassing Diniz and passed him on 46. In no time Herbert got the treatment, Irvine driving the wheels off the Ferrari to pass at turn 13 on lap 54. Both cars short cut the corner, and Irvine did well not to lose the car as it got well out of shape. By 58 he was outdragging Schumacher junior down the main straight for fourth and the 12 second gap to Fisichella didn't seem very far at all. Unfortunately, the race came to a premature end before Irvine could close the gap as Frentzen had a nasty spin 4 laps from home. The safety car came out yet again, and history was made as Canada 1999 became the first Grand Prix ever to finish in this way. Hakkinen's win took him into the championship lead, Fisichella and Irvine joined him on the podium, and Schumacher, Herbert (in his first finish this season) and Diniz completed the points scoring. But thank goodness for Canada, this was just the tonic Formula 1 needed.