Jack Christopherson's F1 career (1991-2004, 2010-????)

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
M. Schumacher 49
Hakkinen 38
Coulthard 34
Christopherson 30
Irvine 22
Frentzen 14
Fisichella 13
R.Schumacher 11
Villeneuve 5
Trulli 4
Zanardi 4
Barrichello 4
Wurz 3
Herbert 1
Zonta 1
Gene 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 72
Ferrari 71
Jordan 41
Williams 18
Benetton 16
BAR 6
Stewart 5
Prost 4
Minardi 1
Sauber 0
Arrows 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 10 - 1999 GERMAN GRAND PRIX - Hockenheim

QUALIFYING
Not much changed, McLaren was still the team to beat with Ferrari and Jordan providing the biggest threat. Stewart were close to the pace too, Barrichello was 7th and Herbert was 9th. Minardi once again just had the edge over Arrows, Takagi qualifying last in what could be his final race for Arrows, but he at least qualified this time.

1. Hakkinen 1.44.852
2. Coulthard 1.45.031
3. M.Schumacher 1.45.661
4. Irvine 1.46.081
5. R.Schumacher 1.46.255
6. Christopherson 1.46.361
7. Barrichello 1.46.939

22. Takagi 1.51.294

107% time - 1.52.192

RACE
Clouds covered the skies over the Hockenheimring, with the possibility of rain looming. Could this be a grand prix of big opportunities for the smaller teams? We shall see. I didn't make a great start, and Barrichello's getaway meant that I dropped out of the points positions. A very abrupt end for Jacques Villeneuve's race, electrical issues ending his race on the first lap. On lap 3, I outbraked myself whilst trying to pass Barrichello, and I consequently lost a position to Fisichella. On lap 13, Irvine passed Michael Schumacher to move up into 3rd place, and was lapping very slightly faster than the McLarens. 3 laps later, Pedro De La Rosa retired with throttle issues from 19th place. It took a few laps, but I eventually passed Fisichella again for 7th, thanks to getting a much better exit out of turn 1. On lap 25, David Coulthard's engine went up in smoke, doing his championship hopes no favours at all. The top 6 was then Hakkinen, Irvine, M.Schumacher, R.Schumacher, Barrichello and Christopherson. A good pitstop for the Ferrari mechanics meant that Irvine was just two seconds behind Hakkinen's McLaren. 10 laps from the finish, Ralf Schumacher pulled off to the side of the road, gearbox issues costing him an almost guaranteed 4th place. Olivier Panis also retired a lap later for the same reason, although he wasn't challenging for points. Eddie Irvine saw an opportunity 5 laps from the finish to take the lead, and he took it, diving down the inside of Mika Hakkinen going into the stadium section of the track. Eddie Irvine had the race of his life to take the chequered flag and win the German Grand Prix ahead of Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher. A close race for 4th resulted in Barrichello leading Christopherson and Fisichella, who rounded off the points. Johnny Herbert passed Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the very last corner for 7th place, if only points were at stake.

1. Irvine 1hr 25m 33.709s
2. Hakkinen +6.037s
3. M.Schumacher +14.508s
4. Barrichello +34.569s
5. Christopherson +35.914s
6. Fisichella +36.466s
7. Herbert +46.776s
8. Frentzen +47.208s
9. Wurz +1m 14.618s
10. Trulli +1m 36.330s
11. Zanardi +1 Lap
12. Alesi +1 Lap
13. Zonta +1 Lap
14. Diniz +1 Lap
15. Badoer +2 Laps
16. Gene +2 Laps
17. Takagi +2 Laps

Fastest lap: Giancarlo Fisichella - 1.45.628

REJECT OF THE RACE: German weather forecasts - Gave everyone false hope of rain

I genuinely couldn't think of anything else for ROTR

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
M. Schumacher 53
Hakkinen 44
Coulthard 34
Christopherson 32
Irvine 32
Frentzen 14
Fisichella 14
R.Schumacher 11
Barrichello 7
Villeneuve 5
Trulli 4
Zanardi 4
Wurz 3
Herbert 1
Zonta 1
Gene 1

Constructors Championship
Ferrari 85
McLaren 78
Jordan 43
Williams 18
Benetton 17
Stewart 8
BAR 6
Prost 4
Minardi 1
Sauber 0
Arrows 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 11 - 1999 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX - Hungaroring

PRE-RACE
To the surprise of nobody, Toranosuke Takagi was sacked by Arrows after an appalling season, quite the opposite of his promising debut last season with the Tyrrell team. Brazilian F3000 driver Bruno Junqueira will be making his debut at the Hungaroring, hoping to make an impression and land a permanent seat for 2000 alongside teammate Pedro De La Rosa who has been given a second year with the team, impressing and performing steadily so far this season. Most seats are still available, although things could change shortly, as Ralf Schumacher looks to be moving to Williams alongside Heinz-Harald Frentzen, possibly leaving Zanardi without a drive for 2000.

QUALIFYING
Rain affected the Hungaroring for the qualifying hour, although the track got drier as the hour went on. Michael Schumacher was untouchable when the track was fully wet, but the times started to tumble as the track dried. Frentzen went fastest, but I made an early switch to inters and went comfortably quickest. Although I slipped down the grid as I couldn't string a lap together on dry tyres when they became the tyres to be on. I was on a good lap and would have at least stayed in the middle of the pack, but I ran wide coming out of the last corner. That meant I was stuck in 20th on the grid, outqualified by De La Rosa and both Minardis. Junqueira qualified last on his debut, but not too far behind Panis in 21st, and he kept it on the road in a very tricky qualifying session. The McLarens were fastest again, hoping to reclaim the lead in the Constructors Championship that they surrendered to Ferrari in Hockenheim.

1. Hakkinen 1.24.318
2. Coulthard 1.24.634
3. M.Schumacher 1.25.066

5. R.Schumacher 1.25.495

19. Badoer 1.29.013
20. Christopherson 1.29.197
21. Panis 1.29.482
22. Junqueira 1.29.865

As most of qualifying was wet, the 107% rule does not apply. All 22 drivers were within the 107% time anyway.

RACE
There was no sign of rain, although the track was mildly damp, but not enough to convince any driver to start on inters. I made a good start, moving up to 17th after turn 1, but that was not the best start. Ricardo Zonta was practically a rocket off the line, making his way up from 16th on the grid to 12th, and even challenging Zanardi for 11th. Ralf Schumacher took 4th from Eddie Irvine, whilst Fisichella was battling Barrichello for 6th. After the first lap, the action died down, and there were no retirements either. A thrilling qualifying but a very boring race so far. On lap 32, I almost flipped the car on the exit of the kerb, a lucky escape for me. It took until lap 40 to pass Alesi for 14th place, although I managed to overtake Wurz for 13th just a lap later. Zonta didn't prove much of a challenge to pass, whilst Zanardi didn't either. At the front, Hakkinen was pressured by Coulthard and Schumacher, but was rarely threatened because of the nature of the Hungaroring circuit. It took until the last lap, heading into turn 1 for me to pass Jacques Villeneuve for 10th place. In the end, Hakkinen took the chequered flag, and closed the gap to just 3 points in the Drivers Championship, and reclaimed the lead in the Constructors Championship. Ralf Schumacher beat Eddie Irvine to 4th, whilst Johnny Herbert took the last point for Stewart. Fisichella was 7th until just two corners before the end of the race, but he had to coast to the line because of a lack of fuel, he eventually dropped to 9th, just behind me. All 22 drivers finished the race.

1. Hakkinen 1hr 50m 21.445s
2. Coulthard +4.323s
3. M.Schumacher +6.224s
4. R.Schumacher +29.006s
5. Irvine +31.293s
6. Herbert +42.236s
7. Barrichello +48.796s
8. Frentzen +49.801s
9. Fisichella +52.708s
10. Christopherson +52.982s
11. Villeneuve +53.997s
12. Zanardi +57.781s
13. Zonta +1m 03.462s
14. Wurz +1m 03.799s
15. Alesi +1 Lap
16. Trulli +1 Lap
17. Diniz +1 Lap
18. Panis +1 Lap
19. Badoer +2 Laps
20. De La Rosa +2 Laps
21. Gene +2 Laps
22. Junqueira +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: David Coulthard 1.23.579

REJECT OF THE RACE: Hungaroring - Produces the dullest race in years

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
M. Schumacher 57
Hakkinen 54
Coulthard 40
Irvine 34
Christopherson 32
Frentzen 14
Fisichella 14
R.Schumacher 14
Barrichello 7
Villeneuve 5
Trulli 4
Zanardi 4
Wurz 3
Herbert 2
Zonta 1
Gene 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 94
Ferrari 91
Jordan 46
Williams 18
Benetton 17
Stewart 9
BAR 6
Prost 4
Minardi 1
Sauber 0
Arrows 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 12 - 1999 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - Spa-Francorchamps

PRE-RACE
Ralf Schumacher has signed a multi-year deal with Williams from 2000, partnering Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Alessandro Zanardi does not yet have a drive for next year, and a switch with Schumacher is unlikely, as the second Jordan seat alongside 1997 World Champion Jack Christopherson is likely to be filled by Prost's Jarno Trulli, although nothing is confirmed as of yet. Jaguar have completed the purchase of the Stewart team, with intentions of racing in British Racing Green from next year. Johnny Herbert will remain with the team, but it is likely Rubens Barrichello will not, as the latest rumours are that he could be taking Eddie Irvine's Ferrari drive, with Irvine moving to Jaguar.

QUALIFYING
Spa's reputation for downpours was lived up to in qualifying, as rain hit the track in abundance for qualifying. A drying track similar to previous races failed to cause that much of a shake up in the grid. The two fastest drivers by a margin were David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher. Polesitter Coulthard was in need of a good weekend to keep himself in contention for the championship, although this race could signal a realistic end to his challenge. I qualified 9th, just hundredths behing Barrichello and Frentzen. The biggest strugglers in the session were Alexander Wurz, and Jean Alesi. Wurz could only manage a lowly 16th in the Benetton, whilst 1991 World Champion Jean Alesi was 21st, only ahead of Luca Badoer, and behind newcomer Bruno Junqueira. Possible future Jordan driver Jarno Trulli impressed, putting his severely underpowered Prost in 12th on the grid.

1. Coulthard 2.03.781
2. M.Schumacher 2.03.864
3. Hakkinen 2.04.616
4. R.Schumacher 2.05.331

8. Frentzen 2.06.455
9. Christopherson 2.06.490
10. Herbert 2.06.629

22. Badoer 2.11.840

Once again, the rain meant that the 107% rule didn't apply, but once again, all drivers were within that time anyway.

RACE
Just like last time out, the track was bone dry come race day. Coulthard did not get a good start, but McLaren teammate Hakkinen did, and took the lead, with Schumacher retaining second after passing Coulthard going into La Source. Pedro Diniz didn't get off the line at all, whilst I gained 2 places at the start, outbraking Frentzen and Barrichello. I dropped back down to 8th, and Barrichello used the slipstream from my car to take back the position. Barrichello made a mistake going into La Source on lap 2, losing places to both me and Frentzen. Giancarlo Fisichella retired very early too, spinning in the Les Combes-Malmedy complex and damaging his car beyond repair. Eddie Irvine's Ferrari engine blew on lap 10, ending what was a steady but unspectacular race. My race only lasted another 6 laps, as my car understeered entering Pouhon, and as was inevitable, I hit the barriers. Both Stewarts retired within 3 laps of each other roughly two-thirds of the way through the race, Barrichello with engine issues, whilst Herbert's retirement was caused by gearbox problems. One driver on the move was Alex Wurz, who had worked his way up to 7th, and was chasing Zanardi for the last point, and eventually passed him heading into Les Combes on lap 38. Heading into La Source on lap 40, Frentzen passed future teammate Ralf Schumacher for 4th place, 3 much needed points for Williams who have struggled this season. Mika Hakkinen took the lead of the Drivers Championship after beating Michael Schumacher to the finish, with David Coulthard completing the podium, but was 20 points behind with just four races to go. Frentzen was 4th for Williams, Ralf Schumacher in the Jordan was 5th, whilst Wurz beat Zanardi to the final point.

1. Hakkinen 1hr 29m 05.995s
2. M.Schumacher +8.826s
3. Coulthard +12.278s
4. Frentzen +41.530s
5. R.Schumacher +51.433s
6. Wurz +1m 12.747s
7. Zanardi +1m 19.774s
8. Villeneuve +1m 27.302s
9. Alesi +1m 48.924s
10. Zonta +1 Lap
11. Panis +1 Lap
12. Gene +2 Laps
13. De La Rosa +2 Laps
14. Junqueira +2 Laps

Fastest Lap: Mika Hakkinen 1.54.542

REJECT OF THE RACE: Stewart - Two retirements within the space of three laps

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 64
M.Schumacher 63
Coulthard 44
Irvine 34
Christopherson 32
Frentzen 17
R.Schumacher 16
Fisichella 14
Barrichello 7
Villeneuve 5
Trulli 4
Zanardi 4
Wurz 4
Herbert 2
Zonta 1
Gene 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 108
Ferrari 97
Jordan 48
Williams 21
Benetton 18
Stewart 9
BAR 6
Prost 4
Minardi 1
Sauber 0
Arrows 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 13 - 1999 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - Monza

QUALIFYING
McLaren once again dominated qualifying, looking impressive as ever, much to the chagrin of the loud Tifosi. I was best of the rest, just pipping Michael Schumacher's Ferrari to third place. The Jordan proved to be competitive, with Ralf Schumacher not far off the second Ferrari of Eddie Irvine. Probably the biggest disappointment of qualifying was Zanardi in the Williams, down in 15th place, slower than both Prosts, whilst teammate Frentzen qualified a respectable 8th. Zonta struggled in the BAR and only qualified 18th whilst Villeneuve in the sister car was 11th fastest, and only a couple of tenths off 7th. Bruno Junqueira was slowest in his first fully dry qualifying session, but wasn't too far off De La Rosa and the Minardis, and he was comfortably within the 107% time.

1. Hakkinen 1.25.543
2. Coulthard 1.25.711
3. Christopherson 1.26.112
4. M.Schumacher 1.26.137
5. Irvine 1.26.518
6. R.Schumacher 1.26.632

22. Junqueira 1.29.872

107% time - 1.31.531

RACE
I didn't make a great start, and I lost out to Michael Schumacher at the start, whilst my teammate Ralf Schumacher got ahead of his teammate Eddie Irvine. Coulthard looked to try and take the lead, but had to settle for 2nd for the time being. Olivier Panis in the Prost made a great start, and moved up from 14th to 11th. Heading into the Variante Della Roggia, Luca Badoer missed the braking point and hit Jean Alesi who was looking to make up positions. Alesi then collected Zanardi, with both drivers having to retire, even though Badoer only needed a front wing change. De La Rosa lost his front wing in the process, after hitting the back of a slow Badoer, who lost his rear wing as well. Schumacher closed up to the two McLarens, and I was trying to keep up. 19 laps in, Ralf Schumacher and Eddie Irvine had a coming together, causing both drivers to retire, leaving 5 drivers to fight for the final two points positions, Frentzen, Barrichello, Herbert, Fisichella and Panis, who was clearly punching above the Prost's weight. At the front, Coulthard was right on Hakkinen's tail throughout the entire race, but never looked like overtaking him, possibly due to not wanting to risk Hakkinen and McLaren's championship lead. A team player if there was one. Rubens Barrichello suffered another reliability problem with the Stewart, a problem too common during his time at the team. Panis passed Johnny Herbert on lap 31, up to 7th place, and looking like he could even score a point. It looked even more likely after passing Giancarlo Fisichella at the pitstops, although that was more down to a terrible pitstop by the Benetton pitcrew rather than any outright pace from Panis during that part of the race. Michael Schumacher tailed off a little bit in the last part of the race, same as I did, although I did to a greater extent, knowing that 4th was pretty much guaranteed. Truth is, I didn't want to jeopardise a solid points finish, after a difficult couple of races. Mika Hakkinen led home a 1-2 finish for McLaren in Ferrari's backyard, with Michael Schumacher salvaging a podium finish for the prancing horse. I finished a solid 4th, Frentzen scoring points for Williams to pull away from Benetton, whilst Olivier Panis scored his first World Championship point of the season, and his first since his somewhat lucky win at Magny Cours last season.

1. Hakkinen 1hr
2. Coulthard +0.198s
3. M.Schumacher +4.566s
4. Christopherson +16.611s
5. Frentzen +34.242s
6. Panis +40.672s
7. Herbert +41.583s
8. Fisichella +42.208s
9. Villeneuve +47.218s
10. Trulli +59.515s
11. Diniz +1 Lap
12. Wurz +1 Lap
13. Zonta +2 Laps
14. Gene +3 Laps
15. Junqueira +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Michael Schumacher 1.26.589s

REJECT OF THE RACE: Luca Badoer - Ruined several races

I had a chance today, but I couldn't capitalise and Coulthard made an excellent rear gunner for Hakkinen, unfortunately for me.

Some would argue we missed an opportunity today after a poor start, but frankly we never had the pace to challenge for a podium, let alone a win. That being said, it's good to score a few points, and hopefully get on track to end the season on a high.

It's a relief to finally score a point again, I almost forgotten what it was like. Of course we had luck on our side today, but it was long overdue, and I think it at least secures 8th for the team now.

That pitstop was costly today, and we needed every point we could get. It's going to be difficult to catch Williams now, and we probably need a race with high attrition to do so.

I was just minding my own business, and Jean hit my car and ended my race right there. I feel somewhat fortunate that it was in a race that I wasn't competitive at all.

I was looking to overtake, and I then saw Luca quickly closing up to me, and he forgot to hit the brakes. I was lucky not to hit more cars. I can only apologise to Zanardi, and hope that he is aware that I couldn't do anything to avoid it.

I missed the braking point, and unfortunately ruined races for other drivers because of it. I feel fortunate to avoid any further punishment.

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 74
M.Schumacher 67
Coulthard 50
Christopherson 35
Irvine 34
Frentzen 19
R.Schumacher 16
Fisichella 14
Barrichello 7
Villeneuve 5
Trulli 4
Zanardi 4
Wurz 4
Herbert 2
Panis 1
Zonta 1
Gene 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 124
Ferrari 101
Jordan 51
Williams 23
Benetton 18
Stewart 9
BAR 6
Prost 5
Minardi 1
Sauber 0
Arrows 0

[FullMetalJack]

2000 DRIVER LINE-UP

McLaren Mercedes
1. Mika Hakkinen
2. David Coulthard

Ferrari
3. Michael Schumacher
4. Rubens Barrichello

Jordan Mugen-Honda
5. Jack Christopherson
6. Jarno Trulli

Williams BMW
7. Ralf Schumacher
8. Heinz-Harald Frentzen

Benetton Playlife
9. Giancarlo Fisichella
10. Alexander Wurz

Jaguar Cosworth
11. Eddie Irvine
12. Johnny Herbert

BAR Honda
14. Jacques Villeneuve
15. Ricardo Zonta

Prost Peugeot
16. Jean Alesi
17. Nick Heidfeld

Minardi Ford
18. Marc Gene
19. Gaston Mazzacane

Sauber Petronas
20. Pedro Diniz
21. Mika Salo

Arrows Supertec
22. Pedro De La Rosa
23. Jos Verstappen

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 14 - 1999 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX - Nurburgring

PRE-RACE
A lot of driver confirmations were made between Monza and Nurburgring. Firstly, Rubens Barrichello to Ferrari has been completely finalised, making it a direct swap between Barrichello and Irvine. Jordan confirm Jarno Trulli to drive alongside Jack Christopherson for 2000. Prost sign both Jean Alesi and Nick Heidfeld to drive their Peugeot powered cars. Marc Gene is confirmed for another year at Minardi, in part due to his point at Monaco securing them ninth place in the Constructors Championship. There are now only four seats available, with the second BAR seat likely to be retained by Ricardo Zonta. Assuming Zonta keeps his BAR drive, then only Sauber, Arrows and Minardi will have available race seats left.

In other news, rumours are going around that Alessandro Zanardi may not even see out the season at Williams, but this could simply be speculation.

QUALIFYING
McLaren were once again the team to beat in qualifying, although Schumacher kept his championship hopes alive as he was not too far behind. Ferrari locked out the second row whilst the third row was locked out by the Jordans. Fisichella narrowly beat Barrichello and Frentzen to 7th on the grid. Luca Badoer was quickest out of the backmarkers, and was fairly close to the Saubers, Panis and Zonta.

1. Hakkinen 1.21.376
2. Coulthard 1.21.420
3. M.Schumacher 1.21.646
4. Irvine 1.21.952
5. R.Schumacher 1.22.213
6. Christopherson 1.22.455
7. Fisichella 1.22.624

22. Junqueira 1.25.346

107% time - 1.27.072

RACE
I hadn't finished a race here since 1995, so points would be a great result. I got a good start, and made 2 positions to jump straight up to 4th, whilst Michael Schumacher passed David Coulthard going into the first corner. Luca Badoer didn't get off the line at all, making it the second race in a row that he failed to complete a single lap. Jean Alesi also lost his front wing in turn 1, and both Panis and Gene ran wide, but not causing any trouble at the back of the grid. Irvine was clearly not quick, as the drivers behind him were forming a train of cars, Ralf Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella and Rubens Barrichello, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Alexander Wurz catching on. On lap 29, whilst in hot pursuit of Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher's car broke down, with his championship hopes in tatters. Bruno Junquiera retired a few laps later, believed to be clutch problems. The attrition rate was very low, as there was only one more driver that retired, that was Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who was in the hunt for the last point. Mika Hakkinen knew that a second World Championship was now almost guaranteed, so long as he finished the race. That wasn't an issue, as he led home a McLaren 1-2, and secured them the Constructors Championship, after it looked like Ferrari could win it at one point. I finished an unchallenged third in the end, and somewhat inherited a podium finish. Ralf Schumacher pressured Eddie Irvine the entire race, but couldn't take the position. Giancarlo Fisichella was being chased for the final point by Barrichello, and Wurz in the other Benetton. Although it was only for 13th place, Pedro Diniz passed Ricardo Zonta on the last lap. Trulli in the Prost was running well, even ahead of Zanardi in the Williams until the Prost began to lose power. He did manage to hold onto 12th place, and only lost that one position to Zanardi.

1. Hakkinen 1hr 35m 28.482s
2. Coulthard +6.500s
3. Christopherson +14.346s
4. Irvine +26.931s
5. R.Schumacher +27.354s
6. Fisichella +36.564s
7. Barrichello +37.002s
8. Wurz +37.552s
9. Villeneuve +40.584s
10. Herbert +54.828s
11. Zanardi +56.071s
12. Trulli +1m 02.781s
13. Diniz +1m 08.200s
14. Zonta +1m 09.974s
15. De La Rosa +1 Lap
16. Panis +1 Lap
17. Alesi +2 Laps
18. Gene +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Mika Hakkinen - 1.22.597

REJECT OF THE RACE: Jean Alesi - Race summed up miserable season for Sauber

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 84
M.Schumacher 67
Coulthard 56
Christopherson 39
Irvine 37
Frentzen 19
R.Schumacher 18
Fisichella 15
Barrichello 7
Villeneuve 5
Trulli 4
Zanardi 4
Wurz 4
Herbert 2
Panis 1
Zonta 1
Gene 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 140
Ferrari 104
Jordan 57
Williams 23
Benetton 19
Stewart 9
BAR 6
Prost 5
Minardi 1
Sauber 0
Arrows 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 15 - 1999 MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX - Sepang

PRE-RACE
Alessandro Zanardi has left Williams by mutual consent, with Mika Salo taking the seat for the final two races. Salo is also a strong contender for a Sauber seat for 2000 as Pedro Diniz's partner.

QUALIFYING
Monsoon conditions on a completely new circuit was sure to provide an extremely interesting qualifying session. Some teams excelled in the conditions, Williams in particular, with Frentzen 5th and Salo 9th in his first race for the team. Not bad for someone's first time driving the car, at a new circuit in horrendous conditions. Jarno Trulli was 10th in the Prost, whilst Jean Alesi was a respectable 12th in the Sauber. Both drivers will hope that rain continues on race day, as points may become a possibility. Stewart had a difficult session, Barrichello could only managed 14th, whilst Johnny Herbert was down in 17th.

1. Hakkinen 1.53.343
2. Coulthard 1.53.894
3. M.Schumacher 1.54.006
4. Irvine 1.55.636
5. Frentzen 1.55.683
6. R.Schumacher 1.55.787
7. Christopherson 1.56.277
8. Fisichella 1.56.672

20. Gene 2.00.841

107% time - 2.01.277

21. Badoer 2.01.372
22. Junqueira 2.01.510

Because of the rain, the 107% rule did not take affect. Badoer and Junqueira are allowed to start the race.

RACE
The rain stayed for Sunday, meaning we were in for an incredibly exciting race. Mika Hakkinen only needs a podium to guarantee the championship, whilst Michael Schumacher needs to win both races to have any chance of winning a 4th title. Coulthard took the lead thanks to having the inside line into turn 1, but Hakkinen shortly re-took the lead. Ralf Schumacher moved up to 4th. I moved up to 6th after a few corners as Eddie Irvine dropped places at the start. Pedro De La Rosa had yet another great first lap, and was 13th by the end of lap 1, after starting 19th. Surprisingly, all 22 drivers were still in the race, without any incidents to speak of. Ralf Schumacher lost 2 positions heading into turn 1 on lap 4. He ran slightly wide, and both Frentzen and I gained a position each. I was involved in a great battle for 4th with Frentzen, Schumacher and Irvine. Rubens Barrichello became the first retirement with gearbox issues. Stewart clearly not having a good penultimate race. Frentzen ran wide and dropped back to 6th, and I then used the clear air to my advantage to create some space between myself and the pack, which now included Fisichella, who was also looking for points. Lap 22, Frentzen tagged Ralf Schumacher, causing him to spin and collide with Fisichella, both drivers losing their front wings, and Fisichella's suspension damaged. Both drivers limped back to the pits, and then retired. Irvine benefitting from this, as he was back in the points. Lap 29, the McLarens were having a fantastic duel, Coulthard threatening to take the lead, and then did so, only to lose the position. Michael Schumacher spun seconds later, although he was too far ahead for me to catch him. Mika Hakkinen then led the rest of the race and took the chequered flag, and his second World Championship. An opportunistic Heinz-Harald Frentzen saw an opening going into the last corner on the last lap, and got better drive out of that corner to claim an extra point for Williams. Jarno Trulli finished a fine 8th for Prost, showing that Jordan didn't make a mistake by signing him.

1. Hakkinen 1hr 49m 13.808s
2. Coulthard +5.809s
3. M.Schumacher +10.758s
4. Christopherson +32.407s
5. Frentzen +56.232s
6. Irvine +56.448s
7. Villeneuve +1m 33.758s
8. Trulli +1m 45.983s
9. Wurz +1 Lap
10. Herbert +1 Lap
11. Alesi +2 Laps
12. Zonta +2 Laps
13. Panis +2 Laps
14. De La Rosa +3 Laps
15. Gene +4 Laps

Fastest Lap: David Coulthard - 1.59.074

REJECT OF THE RACE: Olivier Panis - Decent qualifying, but nowhere near Trulli come race day

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 94
M.Schumacher 71
Coulthard 62
Christopherson 42
Irvine 38
Frentzen 21
R.Schumacher 18
Fisichella 15
Barrichello 7
Villeneuve 5
Trulli 4
Zanardi 4
Wurz 4
Herbert 2
Panis 1
Zonta 1
Gene 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 156
Ferrari 109
Jordan 60
Williams 25
Benetton 19
Stewart 9
BAR 6
Prost 5
Minardi 1
Sauber 0
Arrows 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 16 - 1999 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX - Suzuka

QUALIFYING
It was a dry qualifying session, but rain was predicted for later on, meaning that setting banker laps could determine grid position. The rain came earlier than expected, so those of us who set early times benefitted. Both Jordans, Irvine, both Stewarts, Trulli and Alesi benefitted because of it. Therefore, I took pole position partly by default, ahead of Jacques Villeneuve in the BAR. Ricardo Zonta in the other BAR qualified quite well to, slotting his car into 10th place. McLaren had a disaster, with both cars well down the grid after dominating the last few races.

Code: Select all

1. Christopherson 1.40.584
2. Villeneuve 1.40.601
3. M.Schumacher 1.40.795
4. Irvine 1.41.555
5. R.Schumacher 1.42.387
6. Barrichello 1.42.921
7. Herbert 1.43.129
8. Trulli 1.43.381
9. Alesi 1.44.452
10. Zonta 1.44.720
11. Frentzen 1.45.262
12. De La Rosa 1.45.716
13. Fisichella 1.46.068
14. Coulthard 1.47.341
15. Wurz 1.47.768
16. Gene 1.48.890
17. Panis 1.49.227
18. Hakkinen 1.49.553
19. Junqueira 1.50.180
20. Badoer 1.51.071
21. Salo 1.51.610
22. Diniz 1.51.984

RACE
The rain disappeared come race day, but the mixed grid meant that we were in for a cracking race. I didn't make a great start, and Jacques Villeneuve took the lead for BAR. Further back, Panis hit the back of Wurz and Panis lost his front wing as a consequence. Wurz's car was completely undamaged. At the end of lap 1, the order was Villeneuve, Christopherson, M.Schumacher, Irvine, R.Schumacher, Barrichello, Herbert, Trulli, Zonta and Alesi. Zonta also gained a position, making it a very good first lap for BAR. Pedro De La Rosa moved up to 11th in his Arrows, making yet another lightning start, defying everyone's expectations of him to move swiftly down the grid. Michael Schumacher made a mistake and ran wide at the hairpin, dropping him down to 10th. On lap 6, Ralf Schumacher passed Eddie Irvine for 3rd place. I kept chasing Villeneuve, and being very careful about passing him, as a potential win was at stake. On lap 14, I passed Villeneuve down the inside of turn 1, after a great exit from the chicane on the previous lap. Villeneuve couldn't hold onto 2nd place forever, as by lap 22, Ralf Schumacher was up to 2nd. I was now leading a Jordan 1-2. Alexander Wurz ended what was a fairly disappointing season, going off at turn 1 and smashing into the barrier. Michael Schumacher quietly retired from the race, being quite anonymous whilst battling Trulli, Zonta and Alesi. Mika Hakkinen didn't have the pace and was struggling to overtake, and couldn't finish in the points. A bad way to end his recent run of form. I remained unchallenged for the rest of the race, and ended 1999 on a high, leading home a Jordan 1-2. Just 3 laps from the finish, Ricardo Zonta passed Jarno Trulli for 7th, but it was all for nothing other than pride in the end, as it didn't result in a points finish. Ralf Schumacher held off both Villeneuve and Irvine to the finish, Villeneuve not retaking 2nd position was costly for BAR, as they would have beaten Stewart on countback, and taken 6th in the Constructors Championship. The team's first podium finish however, is still a big achievement for the team. Stewart held onto their 6th place, after ending their time in Formula 1 on a high with a double points finish, Rubens Barrichello 5th and Johnny Herbert 6th.

1. Christopherson 1hr 30m 24.559s
2. R.Schumacher +20.924s
3. Villeneuve +21.366s
4. Irvine +21.698s
5. Barrichello +28.339s
6. Herbert +28.972s
7. Zonta +50.632s
8. Trulli +52.667s
9. Hakkinen +1m 12.023s
10. Alesi +1m 24.353s
11. Fisichella +1 Lap
12. Diniz +2 Laps
13. Badoer +2 Laps
14. De La Rosa +2 Laps
15. Gene +2 Laps

Fastest Lap: Jack Christopherson - 1.40.705

REJECT OF THE RACE: McLaren - Recent form came to a dramatic halt

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Mika Hakkinen 94
Michael Schumacher 71
David Coulthard 62
Jack Christopherson 52
Eddie Irvine 41
Ralf Schumacher 24
Heinz-Harald Frentzen 21
Giancarlo Fisichella 15
Jacques Villeneuve 9 (best result - 3rd)
Rubens Barrichello 9 (best result - 4th)
Jarno Trulli 4 (best result - 3rd)
Alessandro Zanardi 4 (best result - 5th x 2)
Alexander Wurz 4 (best result - 5th x 1)
Johnny Herbert 3
Ricardo Zonta 1 (best result - 6th, next best result - 7th)
Olivier Panis 1 (best result - 6th, next best result - 9th)
Marc Gene 1 (best result - 6th, next best result - 10th)
Pedro Diniz 0 (best result - 7th)
Pedro De La Rosa 0 (best result - 8th)
Jean Alesi 0 (best result - 9th, next best result - 10th)
Luca Badoer 0 (best result - 9th, next best result - 11th)
Bruno Junqueira 0 (best result - 14th)
Toranosuke Takagi 0 (best result - 16th)
Mika Salo 0 (best result - DNF)

Constructors Championship
McLaren Mercedes 156
Ferrari 112
Jordan Mugen-Honda 76
Williams Supertec 25
Benetton Playlife 19
Stewart Ford 12
BAR Supertec 10
Prost Peugeot 5
Minardi Ford 1
Sauber Petronas 0 (best result - 7th)
Arrows 0 (best result - 8th)

I'll do a review and Reject Of The Year within the next few days

[FullMetalJack]

Driver Rankings
1. Mika Hakkinen 9.0
2. Michael Schumacher 8.0
3. David Couthard 7.5
4. Jack Christopherson 7.5
5. Giancarlo Fisichella 7.5
6. Jacques Villeneuve 7.0
7. Ralf Schumacher 7.0
8. Heinz-Harald Frentzen 7.0
9. Rubens Barrichello 6.5
10. Jarno Trulli 6.5
11. Eddie Irvine 6.0
12. Pedro De La Rosa 6.0
13. Pedro Diniz 5.5
14. Johnny Herbert 5.5
15. Luca Badoer 5.0
16. Marc Gene 5.0
17. Ricardo Zonta 4.5
18. Alexander Wurz 4.5
19. Bruno Junqueira 4.5
20. Jean Alesi 4.0
21. Olivier Panis 4.0
22. Alessandro Zanardi 4.0
23. Toranosuke Takagi 2.5
N/A. Mika Salo

Constructor Rankings
1. McLaren Mercedes 8.5
2. Jordan Mugen Honda 7.5
3. Ferrari 7.5
4. BAR Supertec 6.5
5. Stewart Ford 6.0
6. Williams Mecachrome 5.5
7. Benetton Playlife 5.0
8. Minardi Ford 5.0
9. Prost Peugeot 4.0
10. Arrows 3.5
11. Sauber Petronas 2.5

REJECT OF THE YEAR

3RD - Alessandro Zanardi
Third place on the Reject Of The Year podium was a well thought out decision, as Olivier Panis almost took third place, whilst Jean Alesi and Arrows were not completely ruled out of it. After a few years away from Formula 1, it was clear that this was the popular Italian's last chance to become a big star in Formula 1 like he did in the states. Unfortunately, that was just not the case. A brace of 5th place finishes early on in the season looked somewhat promising even if fortunate, but that promise just never materialised. Towards the end of the season, it was abundantly clear that Zanardi was not going to be kept on for 2000, which resulted in a mutual early contract termination, resulting in Mika Salo standing in for the final two flyaway rounds. Back to America for another crack at CART perhaps?

2ND - Sauber
No team in the paddock disappointed more than Sauber. After what was a promising 1998 season, especially with 1991 World Champion Jean Alesi on board where they finished a very respectable 6th in the championship with 15 points, the Swiss outfit were hoping to continue that form. Even with more substantial backing due to Pedro Diniz in the second car, the team sunk to near the very back of the grid, and even finishing behind Minardi thanks to Marc Gene scoring a point at Monaco. The biggest surprise would probably be that Pedro Diniz was the driver who most looked like getting the important results for the team, losing a certain 5th place on at Imola because of clutch problems on the final lap. Surely things will get better for 2000, because how much worse can they get?

1ST - Toranosuke Takagi
What a difference a year makes! After a very impressive rookie season in what was a very underpowered Tyrrell, something happened to Takagi. It was supposed to be the team switch that propelled him up to at least the lower midfield and score the odd point. At the very least, with a year of experience under his belt, he was expected to have the measure of rookie Pedro De La Rosa, but that simply did not happen. He never got to grips with the car, and it showed, last on several occassions and usually at least a second off his teammate and the two Minardis. Just past the half way point of the season, he was sacked in favour of F3000 driver Bruno Junqueira, and quite frankly, nobody was surprised. A deserving Reject Of The Year.

[FullMetalJack]

2000 SEASON PREVIEW
All the signs suggest that 2000 will be another McLaren vs Ferrari showdown for both championships. But after that, it could well be anyone's game. Jordan look to continue their rise up the grid, and hope to finally become an absolute top team, as unlikely as that may be. Benetton will be looking to end their few years of disappointment, and return to 1995 form. Williams will be hoping their partnership with BMW makes them the juggernaut they were just a few years ago, whilst BAR look to build on an impressive debut season with Honda engines replacing Supertec. Jaguar are also talking up their chances, but testing times may suggest otherwise.

What is clear is that McLaren and Ferrari will be the main championship protagonists, with Hakkinen vs Schumacher round 3 set to be their most intense battle yet. Williams and Jordan look to be the main contenders of 'best of the rest' with Benetton and BAR providing very stiff competition. Jaguar could even be dark horses with a very capable driver line-up, if their pre-season confidence is not misplaced. That could mean roughly 14 drivers in the hunt for points on some weekends. Prost, Sauber and Arrows will probably need attrition to score points, whilst Minardi will just be aiming to keep up with their minimal budget, and score a point like Gene did at Monaco last year if the opportunity arises.

REJECTS IN 2000
Minardi's flourescent livery
Gaston Mazzacane
Nick Heidfeld
Supertec engine in the Arrows
BAR's boring white livery
Monza's new first chicane
The chances of anyone stopping McLaren and Ferrari

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 1 - 2000 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX - Melbourne

QUALIFYING
Qualifying was close, just as everyone expected. There is a bridge to gap to McLaren and Ferrari, but before I put in a lap to end the session in 5th, exactly 1.1 seconds separated Ralf Schumacher in 5th, to Jean Alesi in 20th. Prost were disappointing, Alesi putting in a lap to just pip Heidfeld to 19th position, not a move that the former World Champion was hoping for. Arrows were a pleasant surprise, showing competitiveness with Jos Verstappen 12th and Pedro De La Rosa 15th. Schumacher and the McLarens were almost inseparable in one of the closest battles for pole position Formula 1 has recently seen. How close? Take a look for yourself. Barrichello was 4th in his Ferrari debut, but just over a tenth off Coulthard's pole position time. Gaston Mazzacane outqualified teammate Marc Gene on his debut by just 0.004 seconds. Minardi were clearly the slowest team on the grid, as they were the only team that weren't in the hunt for a decent position for race day, and almost 2 seconds slower than the Prosts, but they did comfortably qualify inside the 107% time. What that shows other than how much Minardi are likely to struggle this year, is that for the other 10 teams, 2000 will be an incredibly close championship.

1. Coulthard 1.31.424
2. Hakkinen 1.31.446
3. M.Schumacher 1.31.465
4. Barrichello 1.31.537
5. Christopherson 1.32.023
6. R.Schumacher 1.32.207
7. Villeneuve 1.32.332
8. Trulli 1.32.272

22. Gene 1.35.092

107% time - 1.37.824

RACE
I made a pretty poor start, and lost out to former teammate Ralf Schumacher, and fast-starting Villeneuve who was 5th by turn 1, and hoping to harass the Ferraris. Mika Hakkinen made a slightly better start than Coulthard, and took the lead thanks to having the inside line in turn 1. On lap 4, a spin exiting turn 5 after running wide entering the turn caused me to drop down to 20th position, just ahead of Heidfeld. This resulted in me having to carve through the field if I had any hope of scoring points. Johnny Herbert, who had dropped down the grid at an alarming rate. Some drivers were fairly easy to overtake with a slipstream, Alesi and Herbert in particular. I had got as high as 12th before my first pitstop, I was pressuring Ricardo Zonta who was 11th. Herbert eventually retired with an engine failure in his Jaguar, not the best debut for The Big Cat. Not long after my first stop, I found myself trying to repass Wurz for 14th place, and it ended badly, a 50-50 collision caused us both to retire, we were both understandably unhappy. Rubens Barrichello was running a one-stop strategy, which explains why he fell back a bit at the start, but it paid dividends, as after the second round of stops for the other leaders, Rubinho found himself in second place, not too far behind Mika Hakkinen. Jacques Villeneuve kept a cool head, and despite being chased by Ralf Schumacher, he didn't give in to the pressure at all. Salo's engine caught fire in a spectacular fashion, although it had no effect on the race, as he was never in the hunt for points. Mika Hakkinen drove a faultless race to win the Australian Grand Prix, and make the perfect start to his title defence.

1. Hakkinen 1hr 35m 22.785s
2. Barrichello +12.480s
3. Coulthard +14.475s
4. M.Schumacher +18.302s
5. Villeneuve +32.233s
6. R.Schumacher +33.516s
7. Trulli +54.948s
8. Frentzen +57.851s
9. Fisichella +1m 23.670s
10. De La Rosa +1 Lap
11. Zonta +1 Lap
12. Verstappen +1 Lap
13. Irvine +1 Lap
14. Heidfeld +2 Laps
15. Diniz +2 Laps
16. Alesi +2 Laps
17. Gene +3 Laps
18. Mazzacane + 3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Mika Hakkinen - 1.33.764

REJECT OF THE RACE: Johnny Herbert - Dropped down the grid as if he was tied to an anvil

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 10
Barrichello 6
Coulthard 4
M.Schumacher 3
Villeneuve 2
R.Schumacher 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 14
Ferrari 9
BAR 2
Williams 1
Jordan 0
Benetton 0
Arrows 0
Jaguar 0
Prost 0
Sauber 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 2 - 2000 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX - Interlagos

QUALIFYING
The first wet session of the season came in qualifying. The question was, would this help any team catch McLaren and Ferrari? Yes was the answer. Ralf Schumacher set the early pace, followed by myself after a couple of laps, then Hakkinen took pole position, and never looked back. Johnny Herbert was the biggest struggler, as he could only qualify his Jaguar in 19th place, whilst Pedro De La Rosa starred, putting his Arrows in 10th place on the grid; with his lightning starts, he could be in the points by the end of lap 1. Barrichello was down in 7th, behind Jacques Villeneuve, who alongside myself and Ralf Schumacher was leading 'the best of the rest' group of drivers. Trulli could only manage 11th place in the other Jordan, separating the Arrows.

1. Hakkinen 1.22.641
2. M.Schumacher 1.22.859
3. Christopherson 1.22.958
4. R.Schumacher 1.23.280

11. Trulli 1.24.438

22. Mazzacane 1.27.978

107% time - 1.28.426

The wet weather prevented the 107% rule for being in place, although it was irrelevant as all drivers were within that time. It is just there for reference.

RACE
The downpour continued. Monsoon tyres were the order of the day. I made a great start and was leading by turn 1. I however knew that it wasn't going to last long, in fact, it lasted merely a couple of corners. Jean Alesi didn't get off the line at all, 2000 looks like it could be just as bad as 1999 for him. The top 10 after lap 1 was Hakkinen, Christopherson, M.Schumacher, R.Schumacher, Coulthard, Barrichello, Villeneuve, Fisichella, Trulli and De La Rosa. Other than an Eddie Irvine retirement, not much else happened in the early parts of the race. On lap 31, it dried enough for most drivers to switch to wets or intermediates rather than monsoons. I however did not make that change. It became clear after just a couple of laps that intermediates were the way to go, but not for long. This benefitted Jos Verstappen and Alexander Wurz greatly, as well as David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello, who were now in a prime position to take at least podium finishes. After the second round of tyre changes, Jos Verstappen found himself in an incredible 3rd. Those who changed tyres in fact changed to dries, giving them the advantage once more, and other drivers then had to pit again. Unforunately, I wasn't given the chance to do that, as I punted Jacques Villeneuve, and caused us both to retire. Unlike the incident with Wurz at Melbourne, this one was completely my fault. Coulthard and Barrichello still found themselves in 1st and 2nd after pitting, but Hakkinen was just behind them, and once again in the hunt for the win. Trulli and Frentzen found themselves in the points. Trulli was 4th, trying to hold off Michael Schumacher for the remaining laps, whilst Frentzen was 6th, not bad after qualifying near the back of the grid. Trulli held 4th place until lap 55, but he made life hard for Schumi, a lot of praise from Murray Walker and Martin Brundle for what was a very mature and level-headed drive in tricky conditions. Frentzen held onto 6th, as the two Williams and Benetton drivers, along with Mika Salo in the Sauber were all after the last point. David Coulthard took the win in what was an eventful and exciting race, even if there wasn't a lot of overtaking going on, Rubens Barrichello continues to fight for his first win, which could well be around the corner, with Mika Hakkinen scoring a podium. Michael Schumacher finished 4th just ahead of Jarno Trulli, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen held off

1. Coulthard +1hr 47m 46.766s
2. Barrichello +2.255s
3. Hakkinen +3.995s
4. M.Schumacher +17.431s
5. Trulli +18.337s
6. Frentzen +53.015s
7. Wurz +53.610s
8. Salo +54.908s
9. R.Schumacher +55.081s
10. Fisichella +55.383s
11. De La Rosa +1m 03.866s
12. Verstappen +1m 04.723s
13. Herbert +1m 06.944s
14. Zonta +1m 11.135s
15. Diniz +1 Lap
16. Heidfeld +1 Lap
17. Gene +1 Lap
18. Mazzacane +2 Laps

Fastest Lap: Mika Hakkinen - 1.18.697

REJECT OF THE RACE: Jack Christopherson - 2 races, 2 crashes, 0 points

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 14
Coulthard 14
Barrichello 12
M.Schumacher 6
Trulli 2
Villeneuve 2
Frentzen 1
R.Schumacher 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 28
Ferrari 18
Jordan 2
BAR 2
Williams 2
Benetton 0
Sauber 0
Arrows 0
Jaguar 0
Prost 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 3 - 2000 SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX - Imola

QUALIFYING
In Ferrari's backyard, McLaren had the edge as David Coulthard led home a McLaren 1-2 in qualifying, but Ferrari ran them close. I was best of the rest, but still that little bit off the leading quartet. Trulli was impressive in the other Jordan too, qualifying 7th. Jaguar were in the wars, in one side of the garage anyway, as Eddie Irvine was dead last on the grid, meaning that Marc Gene secured Minardi's best qualifying position of the season, with 20th place. Johnny Herbert in the other Jaguar didn't have too many problems, as he was 12th.

1. Coulthard 1.25.290
2. Hakkinen 1.25.321
3. M.Schumacher 1.25.490
4. Barrichello 1.25.570
5. Christopherson 1.25.726
6. R.Schumacher 1.26.166
7. Trulli 1.26.249

22. Irvine 1.29.026

107% time - 1.31.260

RACE
I made a decent start and held position, until Tosa where I passed Rubens Barrichello. Coulthard held the lead. Michael Schumacher was all over the back of Hakkinen in the opening laps, but couldn't quite find a way past. Jacques Villeneuve got a great start and in the early stages, he was all over the back of Rubens Barrichello for 5th. Giancarlo Fisichella was the first retirement in his Benetton, the gearbox only lasted 12 laps. On lap 26, Coulthard got a bad drive out of Tosa, and Hakkinen took advantage to take the lead. Lap 34, Ralf Schumacher retired from 7th whilst chasing Villeneuve, a huge weight of the Canadian's shoulders, and he held onto 6th place for the remainder of the race. Despite hoping to chase Michael Schumacher for 3rd place, I couldn't do so. I found myself dropping back slowly, so slowly I barely noticed. Mika Hakkinen was being closely followed by teammate Coulthard, but was never under any real threat as he crossed the finish line and took the chequered flag to take his 2nd win of the season, and 3 out of 3 for McLaren. I finished 4th, not challenging Schumacher for 3rd, but not threatened by Barrichello either. Not a particularly exciting race, hopefully Silverstone will be different.

1. Hakkinen 1hr 30m 22.569s
2. Coulthard +5.468s
3. M.Schumacher +8.878s
4. Christopherson +19.964s
5. Barrichello +26.315s
6. Villeneuve +49.285s
7. Trulli +55.639s
8. Frentzen +57.076s
9. De La Rosa +1m 21.803s
10. Herbert +1 Lap
11. Wurz +1 Lap
12. Diniz +1 Lap
13. Verstappen +1 Lap
14. Alesi +1 Lap
15. Irvine +2 Laps
16. Mazzacane +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Jack Christopherson - 1.25.783

REJECT OF THE RACE: Eddie Irvine - Languished amongst the Minardis

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 24
Coulthard 20
Barrichello 14
M.Schumacher 10
Christopherson 3
Villeneuve 3
Trulli 2
Frentzen 1
R.Schumacher 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 44
Ferrari 24
Jordan 5
BAR 3
Williams 2
Benetton 0
Sauber 0
Arrows 0
Jaguar 0
Prost 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 4 - 2000 BRITISH GRAND PRIX - Silverstone

QUALIFYING
McLaren were the team to beat once again in qualifying, but Schumacher was only a tenth slower. Coulthard was less than one hundredth off Hakkinen's pole position time. Could he be the local hero come race day. Ralf Schumacher shined, and was literally hundredths slower than Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello. The cars were much quicker here, roughly 3 seconds quicker than last year's times, despite cooler temperatures due to being staged in April rather than in July. Jean Alesi in 20th was 1.3 seconds quicker than last year's pole time, whilst the Minardis were only a few tenths off. Up until my last lap, I was slower than the Prosts, but a good lap put me up to 10th on the grid, 3 places behind Jarno Trulli. The back of the grid had a Noah's Ark formation, Saubers on row 9, Prosts on row 10 and Minardis on row 11. Minardi were over a second off the pack, but still qualified comfortably.

1. Hakkinen 1.22.389
2. Coulthard 1.22.397
3. M.Schumacher 1.22.490

7. Trulli 1.23.329

9. Fisichella 1.23.640
10. Christopherson 1.23.671
11. De La Rosa 1.23.791

22. Mazzacane 1.25.967

107% time - 1.28.156

RACE
Grey clouds were in the sky, and rain was reportedly coming. Everyone started on dry tyres though, and I wasn't willing to take a risk either. It started raining, and several drivers ran wide in turn 1. Hakkinen was the big loser, and the big winners were Schumacher and Villeneuve who climbed up to 1st and 3rd respectively, Coulthard held onto second as he ran less wide than Hakkinen. Ralf Schumacher spun off in the Becketts complex and was relegated to last place. I moved up to 8th, passing Trulli at the hangar straight, a crucial move as I then got to pit first, Villeneuve also passed Coulthard for 2nd, something that allowed Schumacher to open up a reasonable lead in the first lap. I was the only driver to pit on the first lap, and it was a big mistake, as the rain didn't materialise early on, and nobody pitted in the early laps. I was still catching the other drivers slowly, and then very quickly when it was wet enough to pit. I cut my way through the grid like a hot knife through butter, as others were struggling on the dries. A few drivers even spun off, they were Fisichella, Alesi and Trulli. Drivers that decided to pit a lap earlier benefitted the most, Verstappen, Wurz and Herbert, as in the second half of the race when all drivers were on wet or intermediate tyres, those three found themselves fighting over a World Championship point. I had worked my way up to 5th, a very comfortable 5th as well. On lap 41, Ricardo Zonta's gearbox failed him, although he wasn't in the hunt for points at all during the weekend. Lap 46, Johnny Herbert passed Alexander Wurz for 7th, but Verstappen remained ahead of both of them. Jordan's weekend went from disaster to catastrophe, as on lap 53, just 7 laps from the finish, my engine blew on the exit of the final corner, losing a certain 5th place. This promoted Johnny Herbert into the points, and Verstappen into 5th, on a weekend where De La Rosa generally had the better of him. Michael Schumacher ended McLaren's winning streak, to take his and Ferrari's first win of the season. A great race, and a great answer to those who were wondering if it was game over for Schumacher and Ferrari. The answer is no, game on!

1. M.Schumacher 1hr 36m 35.034s
2. Hakkinen +12.883s
3. Coulthard +16.895s
4. Barrichello +19.031s
5. Verstappen +43.006s
6. Herbert +44.835s
7. Wurz +47.135s
8. Villeneuve +1m 04.420s
9. Salo +1m 05.518s
10. Frentzen +1m 14.422s
11. Irvine +1 Lap
12. Heidfeld +1 Lap
13. Diniz +1 Lap
14. Mazzacane +3 Laps
15. Gene +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: David Coulthard 1.29.051

REJECT OF THE RACE: Ralf Schumacher - Saturday's hero becomes Sunday's zero

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 30
Coulthard 24
M.Schumacher 20
Barrichello 17
Christopherson 3
Villeneuve 3
Trulli 2
Verstappen 2
Frentzen 1
R.Schumacher 1
Herbert 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 54
Ferrari 37
Jordan 5
BAR 3
Arrows 2
Williams 2
Jaguar 1
Benetton 0
Sauber 0
Prost 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 5 - 2000 SPANISH GRAND PRIX - Barcelona

QUALIFYING
I had a shocker, there are no other ways to accurately describe it. 20th, and slowest other than the Minardis. Even if I was able to put 3 sectors together, i'd have only beaten the Prosts and possibly Zonta and the Saubers. At the end of the grid I would preferably been at, David Coulthard took pole position for McLaren in another qualifying session where Ferrari lacked that extra tenth or two to beat McLaren. Other than Eddie Irvine breaking into the top 10 for Jaguar, there's not much else to say. It goes to show how close the grid is, I was only about 1.4 seconds slower than Trulli, and yet he was 7th.

1. Coulthard 1.21.707
2. Hakkinen 1.21.731
3. M.Schumacher 1.21.774

7. Trulli 1.22.697

19. Heidfeld 1.23.771
20. Christopherson 1.24.119
21. Mazzacane 1.25.138
22. Gene 1.25.189

107% time - 1.27.426

RACE
Trulli was the first retirement of the race, after not even getting off the line. He was the only first lap casualty, as the rest of the grid avoided him. Coulthard retained the lead going into lap 1, and there were no position changes at the front. Michael Schumacher ran wide at Campsa, and Barrichello looked for an opportunity, but hit the back of his teammate. At the end of lap 1, I was 14th and challenging both Herbert and Zonta. Barrichello retired from the race after hitting Schumacher, his suspension had sustained damage. Throughout the race, the most interesting battle was over 4th place, between Ralf Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve, as they would exchange positions a few times during the afternoon, with Ralf eventually coming out on top. This wasn't the best circuit for overtaking, as I failed to make much more progress throughout the race. Towards the end of the race, I had caught De La Rosa, and I was close to the points, as were at the back of a 5 car battle for the final point. Fisichella was 6th, followed by Frentzen, Irvine, De La Rosa and myself. Frentzen passed Fisichella for the final point on lap 55, and it looked like Benetton were still not going to get off the mark, but on lap 62, Fisichella retook the position, and held it. David Coulthard held onto the lead, to claw back four points on teammate Mika Hakkinen in what was another 1-2 for McLaren. Another low rate of attrition, how long will this continue?

1. Coulthard 1hr 34m 22.683s
2. Hakkinen +7.164s
3. M.Schumacher +13.802s
4. R.Schumacher +26.854s
5. Villeneuve +27.050s
6. Fisichella +50.268s
7. Frentzen +50.495s
8. Irvine +50.766s
9. De La Rosa +51.204s
10. Christopherson +52.156s
11. Verstappen +1m 12.568s
12. Wurz +1m 12.910s
13. Herbert +1m 13.694s
14. Zonta +1m 14.445s
15. Alesi +1 Lap
16. Salo +1 Lap
17. Gene +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: David Coulthard 1.23.285

REJECT OF THE RACE: Rubens Barrichello - Could have ended Ferrari's race there and then

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 36
Coulthard 34
M.Schumacher 24
Barrichello 17
Villeneuve 5
R.Schumacher 4
Christopherson 3
Trulli 2
Verstappen 2
Frentzen 1
Fisichella 1
Herbert 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 70
Ferrari 41
Jordan 5
Williams 5
BAR 5
Arrows 2
Benetton 1
Jaguar 1
Sauber 0
Prost 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 6 - 2000 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX - Nurburgring

QUALIFYING
Qualifying may not have been great, but it was a significant improvement over last time out, and I qualified 11th. I was top 10 for the majority of the season, until Eddie Irvine put in a quick lap on his last attempt. The McLaren drivers traded pole times, but it was Mika Hakkinen who emerged on top by a narrow margin. Michael Schumacher was a few tenths behind, Ferrari further behind than usual. Trulli was 7th again, but just over one hundredth off Villeneuve's time. Only a second separated Jacques Villeneuve in 6th to Pedro Diniz in 20th, this year continuing to be close, even Minardi were only 1.3 seconds off Diniz. It shows how much Arrows have progressed, where 13th and 16th in qualifying can be perceived as a major disappointment. In 1999, they would have killed to be that quick.

1. Hakkinen 1.19.427
2. Coulthard 1.19.486
3. M.Schumacher 1.19.809

7. Trulli 1.20.615

10. Irvine 1.20.876
11. Christopherson 1.20.957
12. Zonta 1.20.989

22. Gene 1.22.757

107% time - 1.24.987

RACE
I made a good start and I got up to 11th, whilst Irvine got away well too. Jean Alesi lost his front wing at turn 1, after hitting the back of Johnny Herbert's Jaguar. David Coulthard suffered from brake problems and had to retire from 2nd place. When chasing Irvine and Frentzen, Frentzen got out of shape out of the Dunlop Kurve and I passed him round the outside of the Shell Kurve. Mika Hakkinen spun off on lap 41 and never recovered, a double DNF for McLaren, a stark contrast to the rest of their season so far. I was then up to 6th, looking to score points for only the second time all season. Jacques Villeneuve's engine in the back of the BAR blew when he was in 4th place. Michael Schumacher had a fairly comfortable lead, something he maintained for the rest of the race. Towards the end of the race, I was closing in on Trulli, and was looking to take 4th place, but I didn't do so. This was partly because I was being careful, as I didn't want to cost the team 5 world championship points, in our fight for 3rd in the constructors championship. Michael Schumacher led home a Ferrari 1-2, whilst Ralf Schumacher in the Williams finished 3rd. Trulli beat me to 4th, whilst Eddie Irvine claimed the final point for Jaguar.

1. M.Schumacher 1hr 31m 55.447s
2. Barrichello +14.290s
3. R.Schumacher +37.961s
4. Trulli +42.484s
5. Christopherson +45.735s
6. Irvine +1 Lap
7. Zonta +1 Lap
8. Fisichella +1 Lap
9. Wurz +1 Lap
10. De La Rosa +1 Lap
11. Verstappen +1 Lap
12. Salo +2 Laps
13. Heidfeld +2 Laps
14. Gene +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Mika Hakkinen - 1.21.144

REJECT OF THE RACE: McLaren - Double DNF at Mercedes' home grand prix

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 36
Coulthard 34
M.Schumacher 34
Barrichello 23
R.Schumacher 8
Christopherson 5
Trulli 5
Villeneuve 5
Verstappen 2
Frentzen 1
Fisichella 1
Irvine 1
Herbert 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 70
Ferrari 57
Jordan 10
Williams 9
BAR 5
Arrows 2
Jaguar 2
Benetton 1
Sauber 0
Prost 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 7 - 2000 MONACO GRAND PRIX - Monte Carlo

QUALIFYING
Qualifying was strange, and the grid was somewhat mixed up. Both Ralf Schumacher and Johnny Herbert crashed during qualifying, and were on the back row. Fortunately, they set good enough lap times to make the grid. This greatly benefitted Prost and Sauber, who were considered midfield runners here, should things continue. I took a very unlikely pole position, and with Trulli in 4th, it was a great day for Jordan. Benetton had probably their most competitive weekend so far, Fisichella and Wurz qualified 7th and 8th respectively.

1. Christopherson 1.21.106
2. Barrichello 1.21.374
3. Hakkinen 1.21.725
4. Trulli 1.21.755

22. Herbert 1.25.366

107% time - 1.26.783

RACE
I knew it was unlikely that I would win today, but I went into the race hoping for the best. The track was wet, but there was no more sign of rain, an interesting race surely on the cards. I didn't make a great start, and dropped to 3rd, whilst Barrichello immediately pulled away from the rest of the field. Coulthard didn't get off the line at all, and was out immediately. On lap 4, Hakkinen and Trulli came together at the Nouvelle Chicane in what was simply a racing incident. Both drivers had to immediately retire. Eddie Irvine's race didn't last much longer, he ran wide and hit the barrier in the tricky conditions. On lap 12, after a few drivers required front wing changes, Gaston Mazzacane found himself 12th. That became 11th after Michael Schumacher's clutch in the Ferrari failed him, and we were down to 17 cars. Ralf Schumacher continued what had been a miserable weekend with a heavy accident. At around lap 30, drivers were starting to pit for dry tyres. Unfortunately, I got a stop-go penalty for speeding in the pitlane, ending my chances of victory. The drive through penalty dropped me to 6th, just ahead of the two Arrows drivers. Mika Salo found himself in 5th, and with a great chance to score Sauber's first points since 1998. Lap 54, and I hit the barrier, resulting in me changing my front wing and ending up 10th, behind De La Rosa who found himself 6th, Zonta and the Prosts. Benetton were the biggest benefits of all this attrition, Fisichella was 2nd and Wurz was 4th. At the left hand turn after Nouvelle Chicane, Nick Heidfeld had an accident similar to Ralf Schumacher's, whilst running 8th, the best he had done all season. In the end, it was Rubens Barrichello who dominated the race, and took the chequered flag and his first win in Formula 1, with Fisichella hoping to kick-start Benetton's season and Villeneuve completing the podium positions. Wurz scored 3 points for 4th, whilst Mika Salo scored Sauber's first points in 25 races. Pedro De La Rosa was finally rewarded with his first ever world championship point. Ricardo Zonta was once again just one place away from the points.

1. Barrichello 1hr 57m 31.784s
2. Fisichella +26.134s
3. Villeneuve +26.865s
4. Wurz +39.419s
5. Salo +45.794s
6. De La Rosa +1m 10.667s
7. Zonta +1m 18.666s
8. Alesi +1 Lap
9. Christopherson +1 Lap
10. Mazzacane +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Rubens Barrichello - 1.25.219

REJECT OF THE RACE: Ralf Schumacher - Everything went wrong for the younger Schumacher

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 36
Coulthard 34
M.Schumacher 34
Barrichello 33
Villeneuve 9
R.Schumacher 8
Fisichella 7
Christopherson 5
Trulli 5
Wurz 3
Salo 2
Verstappen 2
Frentzen 1
Irvine 1
De La Rosa 1
Herbert 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 70
Ferrari 57
Benetton 10
Jordan 10
BAR 9
Williams 9
Arrows 3
Sauber 2
Jaguar 2
Prost 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 8 - 2000 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX - Montreal

QUALIFYING
Mika Hakkinen once again took pole position from David Coulthard, and the Ferraris were just behind. So what else is new? I was 5th, with Trulli doing well to qualify 8th. Eddie Irvine broke the top 10, whilst Sauber's points in Monaco were clearly just a one-off event with their drivers 17th and 18th. Minardi were as slow as always.

1. Hakkinen 1.21.581
2. Coulthard 1.21.626
3. M.Schumacher 1.21.778
4. Barrichello 1.21.838
5. Christopherson 1.22.187
6. R.Schumacher 1.22.400
7. Villeneuve 1.22.543
8. Trulli 1.22.563

22. Mazzacane 1.24.995

107% time - 1.27.292

RACE
I made a pretty decent start and worked my way up to 4th. Pedro De La Rosa's Arrows didn't make it to turn 1, back down to reality after scoring his first point last time out. Coulthard took the lead from Hakkinen at turn 6. Rubens Barrichello spun half way round the first lap and lost a few positions. Nobody hit him, something that proves how quick driver's reactions are. After a couple of laps, grey clouds covered the sky, with rain being a real possibility. Ralf Schumacher had to coast around the first lap, as he was stuck in first gear, making him the second retirement of the race. On lap 2, Hakkinen retook the lead at the hairpin, where it didn't look like there was enough space for him to make a move. A very crucial move if it were to rain later on in the race. Jacques Villeneuve was in a promising 6th, where clutch problems forced him out of his home grand prix. Teammate Ricardo Zonta was hanging onto the upper midfield, whilst on a one-stop strategy, so points were a possibility today, at the same place where he scored his only point of last season. Rubens Barrichello was fighting his way through the field, where on lap 42, his race was over. A collision with Giancarlo Fisichella put both of them out, perhaps Barrichello could have waited, perhaps Fisichella could have gave him room. The rain never materialised, which would have spiced up the action on track even more. Mika Hakkinen wasn't really challenged towards the end of the race, and he led home yet another McLaren 1-2 to get back on track after 2 straight DNFs, Michael Schumacher beat me to the final podium spot. Frentzen finally had a bit of luck, and scored 2 well deserved points whilst Ricardo Zonta quietly scored the last point, his first one since last year's Canadian Grand Prix.

1. Hakkinen 1hr 38m 11.257s
2. Coulthard +7.478s
3. M.Schumacher +11.639s
4. Christopherson +13.299s
5. Frentzen +44.156s
6. Zonta +1m 03.271s
7. Trulli +1m 05.039s
8. Irvine +1 Lap
9. Wurz +1 Lap
10. Verstappen +1 Lap
11. Herbert +1 Lap
12. Salo +2 Laps
13. Alesi +2 Laps
14. Heidfeld +2 Laps
15. Diniz +3 Laps
16. Gene +4 Laps
17. Mazzacane +4 Laps

Fastest Lap: Michael Schumacher - 1.22.259

REJECT OF THE RACE: Rubens Barrichello - Monaco's hero, Canada's zero

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 46
Coulthard 40
M.Schumacher 38
Barrichello 33
Villeneuve 9
R.Schumacher 8
Christopherson 8
Fisichella 7
Trulli 5
Wurz 3
Frentzen 3
Salo 2
Verstappen 2
Zonta 1
Irvine 1
De La Rosa 1
Herbert 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 86
Ferrari 61
Jordan 13
Williams 11
Benetton 10
BAR 10
Arrows 3
Sauber 2
Jaguar 2
Prost 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 9 - 2000 FRENCH GRAND PRIX - Magny Cours

PRE-RACE
The first major move in the drivers market for 2001 has been announced, as after three years with the team, Jack Christopherson has signed a contract with another Formula One team, that team will be announced at the German Grand Prix. His replacement has not yet been announced, but it is strongly rumoured that it will be Williams driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

I'd like to thank the Jordan team for what has been a great few years with the team, even if I was unable to take the team to the very top like I was hoping to help them do. Also, i'd like to thank Jarno Trulli for being a great teammate so far this season, and a future race winner. That being said, I remain committed to Jordan until the very end of the season in their quest to maintain 3rd place in the Constructors Championship from what is some stiff competition. I have signed a contract for 2001, and until the German Grand Prix, I won't be saying a word about who it is. Just be prepared for a surprise.

QUALIFYING
A rare occurrence happened at Ferrari, as Barrichello outqualified Michael Schumacher by 0.01 seconds. Coulthard's gap to Hakkinen was similarly miniscule. The Minardi intra-team battle was just as close, with Gene being just 0.003 seconds quicker than teammate Gaston Mazzacane, although the two were over 1.5 seconds off the rest of the pack.

1. Hakkinen 1.15.624
2. Coulthard 1.15.646
3. Barrichello 1.15.732
4. M.Schumacher 1.15.742
5. Christopherson 1.16.109
6. R.Schumacher 1.16.302
7. Villeneuve 1.16.416
8. Trulli 1.16.445

22. Mazzacane 1.18.823

107% time - 1.20.918

RACE
Everyone got off the line cleanly, and I was up to 4th by the end of the first lap, as I passed Schumacher into the Adelaide hairpin. On lap 2, at that corner, Rubens Barrichello passed David Coulthard for 2nd, much to the delight of Mika Hakkinen. Lap 19 saw one of the most significant moments of the race, as Barrichello nudged Hakkinen into a half spin going into the same hairpin, and David Coulthard cruised into the lead. Both Hakkinen and Barrichello had suffered terminal suspension damage from the coming together, even though it didn't look so to start with. Pedro Diniz was the next retirement, as he retired with clutch problems on lap 32, although he was a lowly 15th out of the remaining 20 drivers. Unlike other drivers who were three stopping, Frentzen and Verstappen decided to go for a two stop strategy to try and score some points. Frentzen temporarily found himself leading the race, even though it only lasted 2 laps before he was caught by Coulthard on fresher tyres. Verstappen didn't really have the pace in his Arrows to make it work, but it didn't exactly hinder his chances of points either. My mid-race pace wasn't great, and during the second round of stops, Schumacher put in some excellent laps to leapfrog me, dropping me down to 3rd as a result. Williams were having a good race, with both drivers in the points, but Ralf Schumacher was under threat from Trulli, Villeneuve and Fisichella. The four way battle for minor points became a three way tussle, as Trulli's engine blew, just 15 laps from the finish when he looked set to take a point. Lap 59, Fisichella passed Villeneuve going into the final chicane to take 6th place, a much needed point for Benetton. David Coulthard cruised to a victory that was very much handed to him, but he stayed out of trouble to win the French Grand Prix, and take the lead of the World Championship. I couldn't retake 2nd place from Schumacher, but I scored my first podium of the season.

1. Coulthard 1hr 39m 09.129s
2. M.Schumacher +22.716s
3. Christopherson +27.495s
4. Frentzen +37.582s
5. R.Schumacher +49.231s
6. Fisichella +51.519s
7. Villeneuve +52.786s
8. Verstappen +1m 11.003s
9. Zonta +1 Lap
10. Herbert +1 Lap
11. Irvine +1 Lap
12. De La Rosa +1 Lap
13. Salo +1 Lap
14. Alesi +1 Lap
15. Heidfeld +1 Lap
16. Gene +2 Laps
17. Mazzacane +2 Laps

Fastest Lap: David Coulthard 1.16.490

REJECT OF THE RACE: Rubens Barrichello - Risky passing attempt didn't pay off

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Coulthard 50
Hakkinen 46
M.Schumacher 44
Barrichello 33
Christopherson 12
R.Schumacher 10
Villeneuve 9
Fisichella 8
Frentzen 6
Trulli 5
Wurz 3
Salo 2
Verstappen 2
Zonta 1
Irvine 1
De La Rosa 1
Herbert 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 96
Ferrari 67
Jordan 17
Williams 16
Benetton 11
BAR 10
Arrows 3
Sauber 2
Jaguar 2
Prost 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 10 - 2000 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX - A1 Ring

QUALIFYING
I had won the last 3 races here, but that was less likely, as the car just hadn't been to the standard of McLaren and Ferrari this season. Villeneuve set the early pace, whilst Frentzen's early attempts were hampered by Nick Heidfeld, who decided to make life as difficult as possible for his fellow German. Not that it mattered, as Frentzen was nowhere in qualifying, even in his other laps, so Heidfeld is probably not to blame. Frentzen could only manage 20th position, ahead of the two Minardis. I was best of the rest behind the McLarens and Ferraris, with Hakkinen taking yet another pole position. BAR were competitive all around, with both drivers in the top 10, Villeneuve 7th and Zonta 10th, hoping to score some more points.

1. Hakkinen 1.11.394
2. Coulthard 1.11.475
3. M.Schumacher 1.11.575
4. Barrichello 1.11.602
5. Christopherson 1.11.988
6. R.Schumacher 1.12.174
7. Villeneuve 1.12.220
8. Trulli 1.12.287

22. Mazzacane 1.14.740

107% time - 1.16.392

RACE
I made a good start and was up to 4th at turn 1, despite having to fight off Ralf Schumacher. BAR had mixed fortunes at the start, Jacques Villeneuve stalled at the start, whilst Ricardo Zonta was up to 7th by turn 1. At turn 2, a very late braking move got me ahead of Schumacher, and up to 3rd. Mika Salo lost his front wing at the first turn, hitting Eddie Irvine's Jaguar, but not damaging his car. Salo was then hit by Marc Gene who was unaware of his missing front wing, leaving 19 cars left in the race after 1 lap. The order was Hakkinen, Coulthard, Christopherson, M.Schumacher, R.Schumacher, Barrichello, Zonta, Fisichella, Trulli and Wurz. At the start of lap 6, Schumacher spun whilst trying to overtake me, and when rejoining the track, he collided with De La Rosa, both drivers retired on the spot. This promoted Ricardo Zonta into the points. Lap 13, Barrichello passed Ralf Schumacher, after spending the last few laps pressuring him. By this point, I had pulled away, and the McLarens were a long way ahead. Heinz-Harald Frentzen retired from the race halfway through, finishing off his worst weekend in a long time, he had only worked his way up to 13th out of 17 runners, just ahead of Diniz, Mazzacane and the Prosts. Lap 44, Barrichello passed Ralf Schumacher for 4th place again, after losing out to him in the first round of stops. 50 laps into the race, Eddie Irvine's Cosworth engine in the back of his Jaguar went up in smoke, ending his race. Not much else happened after that, although Coulthard was right behind Hakkinen the entire race, but couldn't quite overtake. Hakkinen led home a McLaren 1-2, to retake the lead of the Drivers Championship on countback. I took my second consecutive podium of the season. Ferrari only walked away with 3 points, courtesy of Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher finished 5th, whilst Ricardo Zonta took the final point, after race long pressure from both Trulli and Fisichella.

1. Hakkinen 1hr 26m 55.207s
2. Coulthard +2.263s
3. Christopherson +24.472s
4. Barrichello +37.568s
5. R.Schumacher +49.871s
6. Zonta +1m 04.555s
7. Trulli +1m 06.458s
8. Fisichella +1m 07.464s
9. Wurz +1m 10.366s
10. Verstappen +1m 12.760s
11. Herbert +1m 13.764s
12. Alesi +1 Lap
13. Diniz +1 Lap
14. Heidfeld +2 Laps
15. Mazzacane +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Mika Hakkinen - 1.12.368

REJECT OF THE RACE: Heinz-Harald Frentzen - Weekend from hell

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Hakkinen 56
Coulthard 56
M.Schumacher 44
Barrichello 36
Christopherson 16
R.Schumacher 12
Villeneuve 9
Fisichella 8
Frentzen 6
Trulli 5
Wurz 3
Salo 2
Verstappen 2
Zonta 2
Irvine 1
De La Rosa 1
Herbert 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 112
Ferrari 70
Jordan 21
Williams 18
Benetton 11
BAR 11
Arrows 3
Sauber 2
Jaguar 2
Prost 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 11 - 2000 GERMAN GRAND PRIX - Hockenheim

PRE-RACE
Jack Christopherson has announced his drive for 2001, Arrows on a one-year contract. Neither Pedro De La Rosa or Jos Verstappen is confirmed for 2001, but one of them will definitely be leaving the team at the end of the season. Rumours that Ricardo Zonta's contract at BAR will not be renewed at the end of the season have quietened slightly after his great performance in Austria, but his seat is still not safe. Williams have confirmed test driver Jenson Button will drive for the team on a one-year contract for 2001.

I'm here to confirm that I have signed for the Arrows team for 2001 on a one-year contract with a option for a second year, the details of which I will reveal at some point next year. Arrows are a team with some potential, as they have showed this year with the progress they have made. I do not know who my teammate will be yet, but if it is Pedro or Jos, i'm sure I will have a great working relationship with them. It's a challenge that I am very much looking forward to.

QUALIFYING
David Coulthard narrowly missed out on pole position on what was probably Jordan's strongest qualifying so far. Both drivers in the top 6. The only other notable events were Alexander Wurz being down in 15th, and Minardi being as far off the pace as they've been all season. Both drivers 2.4 seconds off Nick Heidfeld who was 20th fastest. Minardi even looked at danger of not qualifying at one point. Prost were almost half a second off the Saubers, who were at the tail end of the midfield.

1. Hakkinen 1.44.521
2. Coulthard 1.44.534
3. M.Schumacher 1.44.723
4. Barrichello 1.44.808
5. Christopherson 1.44.980
6. Trulli 1.45.656

22. Mazzacane 1.49.565

107% time - 1.51.837

RACE
I made a poor start, and ran wide going into turn 1, dropping me down to 11th place. Coulthard made a bad start too, and the Ferraris both jumped ahead of him. The clouds turned grey early on, with a real possibility of rain. The first retirements of the race came not long after, Fisichella was slowing with car problems, De La Rosa hit him not knowing how slow he was going, Wurz and Herbert got caught up. De La Rosa was able to continue after a front wing change, which could be used to change tyres. The other three were instant retirements though. Ricardo Zonta was the first driver to pit, and I followed him in, followed by Irvine, Verstappen, Alesi, Salo and Gene. I switched to full wets, which may have either been a stroke of genius, or a mistake, as everyone else switched to intermediates. It turned out to be a mistake, as the track soon dried, and those who didn't pit benefitted. M.Schumacher, Coulthard, Villeneuve, Button, Diniz and Heidfeld being those drivers. Gaston Mazzacane didn't pit either, but he just didn't have the pace to make that matter, unless the attrition rate was high. Eventually, everyone was back on dries, and the top 6 were M.Schumacher, Coulthard, Villeneuve, Frentzen, Diniz and Heidfeld. On lap 36, I spun off after driving over some track that was still damp. Heidfeld easily set to record his best ever finish, even if he doesn't score points, with 12th being his best so far. That being said, Hakkinen and Barrichello were chasing him in the dying laps. Diniz was slightly further ahead, so he had more hope of remaining in the points. With just 4 laps to go, Hakkinen passed Heidfeld for 6th, with Diniz about 4 seconds ahead on the road. Lap 42, Frentzen passed Villeneuve for the final podium position. That lap, Hakkinen took 5th place from Pedro Diniz. On the penultimate lap, Heidfeld relinquished 7th from Barrichello. Michael Schumacher took a popular victory at his home Grand Prix just ahead of David Coulthard to keep his championship hopes alive, but Coulthard retook the lead. Frentzen scored his first podium of the season, whilst Pedro Diniz scored his first point since the 1998 Monaco Grand Prix. Heidfeld secured his career best result with 8th place, and ran in the points until near the end.

1. M.Schumacher 1hr 29m 17.870s
2. Coulthard +3.477s
3. Frentzen +21.919s
4. Villeneuve +23.588s
5. Hakkinen +44.946s
6. Diniz +47.313s
7. Barrichello +48.946s
8. Heidfeld +50.898s
9. Trulli +1m 05.756s
10. R.Schumacher +1m 06.227s
11. Zonta +1m 17.382s
12. Mazzacane +1m 47.961s
13. Irvine +1 Lap
14. Salo +1 Lap
15. Alesi +1 Lap
16. Gene +1 Lap

Fastest Lap: Michael Schumacher - 1.47.559

REJECT OF THE RACE: Pedro De La Rosa - Caused the incident he was involved in

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Coulthard 62
Hakkinen 58
M.Schumacher 54
Barrichello 36
Christopherson 16
Villeneuve 12
R.Schumacher 12
Frentzen 10
Fisichella 8
Trulli 5
Wurz 3
Salo 2
Verstappen 2
Zonta 2
Irvine 1
De La Rosa 1
Herbert 1
Diniz 1

Constructors Championship
McLaren 120
Ferrari 80
Williams 22
Jordan 21
BAR 14
Benetton 11
Sauber 3
Arrows 3
Jaguar 2
Prost 0
Minardi 0