Summary

The Ferrari team showed an excellent strategy today to insure that Michael Schumacher has a very realistic chance to win the championship. The main thing for Villeneuve was to let Schumacher score as little points as possible but in a sportsman like manner, because Villeneuve still risks disqualification. But the whole thing came down on Villeneuve when the Villeneuve's strategy wasn't as good as Schumachers' and Villeneuve also had a slow second pitstop.

Both the Ferrari's drove an excellent race with just Heinz-Harald Frentzen in between to complete the podium. With Frentzen's second place Williams is sure of the constructors championship title.

The Notes

• Morbidelli's accident from yesterday was more serious than everyone thought because his hand hurt to much during this morning warm-up so he doesn't start.

  • Weather during race: Some Clouds (20 Degrees Celsius)

The Result (53 Lap Race)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.   15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.

M. Schumacher (Ferrari) G Frentzen (Williams-Renault) G Irvine (Ferrari) G Hakkinen (McLaren-Mercedes) G Villeneuve (Williams-Renault) G Alesi (Benetton-Renault) G Herbert (Sauber-Petronas) G Fisichella (Jordan-Peugeot) G Berger (Benetton-Renault) G R. Schumacher (Jordan-Peugeot) G Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes) G Hill (Arrows-Yamaha) B Diniz (Arrows-Yamaha) B Verstappen (Tyrrell-Ford) G Not Classified Marques (Minardi-Hart) B Salo (Tyrrell-Ford) G Panis (Prost-Mugen) B Nakano (Prost-Mugen) B Katayama (Minardi-Hart) B Barrichello (Stewart-Ford) B Magnussen (Stewart-Ford) B Morbidelli (Sauber-Petronas) G B: Bridgestone G: Goodyear

1h 29m 48.446s + 0m 01.378s + 0m 26.389s + 0m 27.129s + 0m 39.776s + 0m 40.403s + 0m 41.630s + 0m 56.825s + 1m 00.429s + 1m 22.036s 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap   7 laps: gearbox 7 laps: engine 17 laps: engine 31 laps: wheel bearing 45 laps: engine 47 laps: spin 50 laps: spin DNS: injury

        Fastest lap: Heinz-Harald Frentzen 1m 38.942s

The Quotes

• M. Schumacher: "It is a long time since I had so much satisfaction from a win, mainly because it brings me closer to the Championship. We knew Jacques would try and make my life difficult and try to get other cars to pass me. Initially I made a good start but then I had too much wheelspin. Jacques did brake a bit harder than usual a few times and I nearly touched him. Before the race, Eddie told me he might try and pass me at that point and it was quite funny when it happened. It was a very good manoeuvre. After the pitstops, when Jacques came out of the pits he moved right across but I managed to dive inside him. Thanks to Eddie we were in a good situation and he took care when he let me pass. It is thanks to him that I have this victory. I have always said he is a great driver and a great team-mate. Hill made life very difficult for me. There were a lot of blue flags and he should have let me through. In Jerez the situation is open. Whoever is in front will be the Champion. I am looking forward to it. I hope to perform in the same way and win the Championship."

• Irvine: "We knew Jacques would try and hold Michael up and I had ideas how to pass him and had spoken to Michael about it before the race. Then the opportunity to pass presented itself and although Jacques tried to block me, I went round the outside of him. Then I was off and it was a great feeling to be leading by such a distance. Then I just waited for the phone call. I had to wait a long time but then I was told to let Michael through and try and slow Villeneuve. It was not very difficult to do as I have three years of F 3000 experience here. It all went to plan, except Heinz getting past at the pit stop. He moved over onto the racing line, which you should not do when you came out of the pits. On my last set of tyres I kept locking the front brakes but I did not have a problem to keep Hakkinen behind me. I just had to make sure I was fast onto the straight."

• Villeneuve: "The start went well for and then it was just a question of racing knowing that there is a good chance the result will be void in a week's time -- but I just got on with it. I was racing against Michael and my only objective was to try and slow him but I was surprised that nobody tried to overtake him. Then we lost the battle in the pitstops. We came out a little ahead of him but he was on the track and his momentum carried him past me. Then, of course, Irvine let him go by and into the lead and the rest of the race was very difficult and very frustrating for me."

• Herbert: "I made probably my worst start of the season, with too much wheelspin, but I was fortunate not to lose any places. In the early stages the balance of the car was not very good and I was struggling, but it got better on my second and third set of tyres. This was a very tough race, where I just had to concentrate on being as steady and consistent as possible. I couldn't really run close with anyone, and though I could catch people through the esses, I was losing a lot down the straights. Right at the end I was pushing as hard as I could after Villeneuve and Alesi, but I just couldn't get close enough to challenge either of them. It's a shame that I lost that momentum at the start, and then lost more during my in lap for my second stop, but the best thing was our strategy, which was absolutely right."

• Katayama: "During this morning's warm-up I noticed that the engine on my spare car was faster than on my race car. We decided not to change engines and unfortunately it didn't last the distance. I'm very disappointed because I really wanted to finish my last F1 race in front of my fans."

• Marques: "I had a really good start, moving up the grid from 20th to 16th on my first lap. Unfortunately I had problems with my gearbox and I lost second gear after my first pit-stop. Even though I drove carefully, the problem got gradually worse until I was forced to stop."

• Morbidelli: "I'm really disappointed that I had to watch this race on the television, following advice from the doctors. I feel much better seeing it from the cockpit of a race car!"

• R. Schumacher: "The car ran well for me today. In the first part of the race I was held up in traffic, and in the second stint I was stuck behind Hill for a while until I was able to overtake him in the chicane. The third stint was the best as I had a clear run, and you can see from my lap times what the car was capable of. I was lucky not to spin at the end because there was oil on the track."

• Hakkinen: "Suzuka is a very difficult circuit and it makes it hard to get the best out of the car. Finally we managed to do it, but a little too late. At the end of the day it was good to finish fourth. We can go to Jerez with a positive mind."

• Coulthard: "A bad result to a terrible weekend. I really struggled with the balance of the car until my last set of tyres when I began to feel more comfortable. The engine then failed on the final lap as a result of which the rear axle locked up and pitched me off the circuit. So, not only do we have a broken engine but the car is badly damaged as well."

• Berger: "This was a frustrating race. I made the wrong choice of tyres and had to go for a three-stop strategy. But even that did not help as I did not manage to get a good performance out of the tyres and I was left behind. It was a gamble which unfortunately did not work!"

• Alesi: "It was a difficult race. We went for a brave three-stop strategy which turned out to be very close to the two-stops, so it's hard to say if we really got an advantage from it. The car was going reasonably, except for a slight understeer. I got stuck behind Villeneuve and, although I was quicker, I could not overtake him. At least, we got one point today and there is still one more race - so, I have another chance to get my third place in the drivers' championship."

• Verstappen: "I made a good start, passing Nakano and Katayama before the first corner, and the car handled well throughout the race. Mika and I were really closely matched all day, but I was disappointed to lose time at the second pit stops. New tyres were worth over two seconds a lap here and when they brought Mika's stop forward I felt that it should have been me to come in early as I was ahead on the track. In the end, however, it didn't matter."

• Hill: "I got quite a few cars at the start, and I am pleased about that, but to be honest that is the only thing I can say I am pleased about. All the way through the race I had a problem with high tickover in first gear and it was pushing me on at the hairpin and the chicane, so I had a lot of understeer there. Then after about 20 laps I started to get automatic down shifts, which I wasn't demanding and the car was changing up from 3rd to 4th. Then later on in the race it decided to change down where I needed to change up, so I had an automatic down shift, which I think is illegal! Then after the second pit stop I started to get over blips on down shifts and that kept on pushing me forward. My head rest came off, it was pushing my head forward so I found it and pulled it off and threw it out - at Ralph Schumacher I think. I was Just hoping that more cars would drop out - but they didn't!"

• Diniz: "I didn't make a very good start and lost some positions, as I had too much wheelspin. This was because I had a problem with my clutch, but we decided not to change it as it was a bit dangerous to do this on the grid. The biggest problem in the race was that the tyre degradation was too big. I think I chose the wrong wing level, maybe too low, and this didn't help much with the tyre wear either. I think this compromised my race, as I couldn't keep up a good pace, but it is good to finish, proving that the car and engine are reliable."

• Salo: "Jos and I were able to keep each other on the pace all afternoon, which is good for the concentration, but it is frustrating when you push yourself as hard as you can for most of the race and then don't make it to the finish. Just before braking for the Triangle chicane, I felt the engine let go. There was no warning at all and I just drove off the track."

• Fisichella: "This was a difficult one. The car did not feel very well balanced at the start and the grip was not very good. Although the handling improved during the race and my lap times became faster, I was not able to find enough speed to make up any places. At least I finished the race, although it would have been better to have won more points in the championship."

• Barrichello: "The wind was quite strong today and it just caught me."

• Frentzen: "I ran very little downforce, and in the beginning it didn't work out behind the other guys. I had a bit of understeer. My target was to keep on going. We would have appreciated being in front of Michael taking any points away. Jacques was really fair to Michael. Many people said Villeneuve would go into the race to push out Michael, but that was not his target."

These tables are still provisional because Villeneuve could still be disqualified and lose two points.

Drivers Championship table

Villeneuve (Williams)	79
M. Schumacher (Ferrari)	78
Frentzen(Williams)	41
Alesi (Benetton)	35
Coulthard (McLaren)	30
Berger (Benetton)	24
Irvine (Ferrari)	22
Fisichella (Jordan)	20
Hakkinen (McLaren)	17
Panis (Prost)	16
Herbert (Sauber)	14
R. Schumacher (Jordan)	13
Hill (Arrows)	7
Barrichello (Stewart)	6
Wurz (Benetton)	4
Trulli (Prost)	3
Salo (Tyrrell)	2
Nakano (Prost)	2
Diniz (Arrows)	2
Larini (Sauber)	1

Constructors Championship table

Williams-Renault G	120
Ferrari G	100
Benetton-Renault G	63
McLaren-Mercedes G	47
Jordan-Peugeot G	33
Prost-Mugen B	21
Sauber-Petronas G	15
Arrows-Yamaha B	9
Stewart-Ford B	6
Tyrrell-Ford G	2
B: Bridgestone G: Goodyear