1997 The return win. David Coulthard on his way to victory in the 1997 Australian Grand Prix, the first win for Mercedes-Benz as an engine supplier, and a first time win for McLaren in the new slightly retro silver colours reminiscent of the Mercedes of the 30s, 50s, late 80s and early 90s, combined with the white of the Mercedes of the early 1900s. This brilliant start aside, 1997 would be a year of frustraion with wins at the A-1 Ring and the Nurburgring disappearing in clouds of smoke and dribbles of oil along with the Mercedes-Ilmor engines. But against the might of Williams and Ferrari, three wins managed to come McLaren's way. And Williams would step backwards without Renault in 1998. Ferrari was the goalpost for 1998.... |
1998 Finally, an endeavour rewarded. Mika Hakkinen drove a brilliant Japanese Grand Prix at a moment when circumstances called for a drive from the top drawer. All year it had been Mika and Michael Schumacher, and on this day Mika Hakkinen, McLaren and Mercedes grabbed the glory of being world champions. For Mercedes it had taken far longer this time than it did in the 30s, 50s or late 80s, and had been much harder. From the top there is only one direction to go. |
1999 An image which sums up 1999 perhaps better than the results indicate. Against a Ferrari without Michael Schumacher, McLaren-Mercedes stumbled to the line in 1999. David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen in their McLaren MP4/14 Mercedes collided here at La Source at Spa-Francorchamps, just two races after a similar collision at the A-1 Ring. Once Schumacher was out with a broken leg from his shunt at Silverstone, the pressure seemed to be off, but mechanical failures, driver error and poor fortune allowed Ferrari's Eddie Irvine and Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen to push Hakkinen and Coulthard all the way. Hakkinen maintained his driver's title - but McLaren-Mercedes constructors' title was taken by Ferrari. |
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