1999 European Grand Prix

Qualification

Race

The race took place under bad weather conditions, during the race the rain began and stopped several times, so the audience saw collisions, several sorties and many pit stops. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who started from the pole, at the start, retained his first position and was already leading 25 laps when it started to rain and behind him began a series of pit stops with tire changes and settings for weather vagaries. Thirteen riders have already visited the boxes. Johnny Herbert, starting from the 14th position, rode on “dry” tires and thanks to this he methodically moved closer to the head of the field. By the 29th circle, he was already closing the first six. Frentzen's Jordan motor stalled on lap 33, and Coulthard took the lead, Herbert was fifth after Ralph Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Fisichella. At lap 35, it started to rain again. Herbert, like many, drives into the pits and "changes shoes" in the rain tires. Coulthard flies out on the 37-lap rain track and Ralph Schumacher, who had already made his pit stop by that time, takes the lead. Rubens Barrichello, retaining the third position, drives into the pits after Herbert, but so that at least one of the Stuart riders does not lose, they put him on “dry” tires. Herbert becomes the third. Barrichello returns to the track fourth, but a fresh “dry” set of rubber failed the Brazilian, he drives too slowly and soon catches up with him and passes almost without a fight by Trulli. “Stuart” does not want to take any more risks, and the Brazilian does not organize another pit stop with a change in the type of rubber, but is ordered to continue the race. Ralph Schumacher's Williams puncture on lap 44 makes Herbert second, and the German calls the next pit stop and soon returns, but only sixth behind both Minardi pilots, and the race is lost for the German. Suddenly becoming the leader of Giancarlo Fisichella leads only 4 laps and flies on 48 laps. Herbert leads the race and for the last 18 full laps he goes the leader and wins by a decent margin of 22 seconds from the second running Jarno Trulli. Barrichello, by the end of the race walking on empty tanks and heated rubber, begins to catch up with Trulli and the last few laps fights for second place, but Trulli creates a sensation, on the weak and unreliable race car of the Prost team heroically withstands all attacks and comes to the finish line second , bringing himself and his team to the first podium both in his own career and this season.

Interesting Facts

• The last pole position in the history of the Jordan team.
• The only victory in the history of the Stuart team.
• The first podium in the career of Jarno Trulli.
• The last victory in the career of Johnny Herbert.
• It was the first grand prix in 10 years when both Minardi team pilots could be in the points zone, but first came Luca Badoer, who rode fourth for 13 laps to the finish line, and then Marc Genet, who rode fifth, first missed Hakkinen, and then barely not lost the sixth position in the fight against Irvine.

Marc Genet, having arrived sixth to the finish line, brought the Minardi team the first point in the last 4 years.

• Best lap: Mika Hakkinen 1m 21,282s