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| Michael Schumacher's last lap was in the pit-lane Image Courtesy - Daily mail |
The race at Silverstone is always nostalgic. It is at this
very circuit the first race of the modern F1 championships was held on 13th
May 1950. British Grand Prix over the years have been hosted by other circuits
and personally this remains my favourite British circuit among the others.
In this post, I would not be writing about Silverstone or
its history or its struggles to stay relevant in the modern business of Formula
One. Instead, I would like to look back on a 'wet' afternoon in 1998 when the
race leader pitted on the last lap and yet emerged victorious. Protests were
lodged by McLaren-Mercedes and the final verdict didn't alter the results of
the Grand Prix. Instead it cost the jobs of the three stewards who awarded the
penalty - unclear and ill-timed.
McLaren Mercedes was the car to beat. Ferrari was close and
yet so far. In the eight races prior to the British Grand Prix that season,
McLaren had won five (Mika Hakkinen four out of them) and Ferrari had three. If
at all, the only consolation was that - the last two races were won by Ferrari
and Michael Schumacher. Ferrari was not a force to reckon with at all - it was
Michael Schumacher who drove not just the car but also the team forward ever
since he took the seat in 1996.
PRE-RACE
McLaren cars were the quickest on all the three practice
sessions and on the pre-race warm-up. Mika Hakkinen courtesy of a swift lap put
his team on pole ahead of his immediate rival Michael Schumacher.
With heavy rains on the race day morning, the track was not
completely dry and this prompted many of the teams to start the race with
intermediate tyres. The two Stewarts took the brave decision to start with dry
tyres!
THE RACE
There was no major shakeup at the top for the first 12 laps
of the race barring for David Coulthard moving to the second position - a move
aided by the unsurprising choice of Schumacher and Ferrari to go with a dry
set-up, hoping the track to dry as the race progressed. Then Michael Schumacher
clocks in a stunner of a lap, 1.6 seconds quicker than any other car on a track
that was starting to get wet with dark clouds looming around the 5.89 km
circuit. These harsh conditions of wind and wet track made driving a little
difficult as the first of the casualties happened to be Damon Hill on lap 13
and Heinz Harald Frentzen two laps later.
RAIN, RAIN - WHY YOU BACK AGAIN?
Rain upset the strategies of all the teams forcing the
drivers to make an unscheduled pit stops. From lap 18 onwards, the pit lane saw
a parade of cars making their way in to make this change - some like McLaren on
Bridgestone and few other like Ferrari on Goodyear. Most of them braved the
track with intermediate tyres (Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard) while
Mika Hakkinen was given a fully-threaded wet weather tyres.
DRAMA
Up until the lap 35, Mika Hakkinen controlled the race and
drove around the circuit comfortably than most others could manage. Coulthard
had to win the race to keep his championship alive managed to put in two
stunning laps to catch Hakkinen. The track became wet with a fresh round of
downpour and in a moment of frowziness while overtaking a back-marker,
Coulthard slid off the track and off he went on to the gravel. David Coulthard
retired from the race on lap 37.
Mika Hakkinen having the advantage of wet-weather tyres had
built a lead in excess of 40 seconds to the now second placed Michael
Schumacher. Was this lead under the treacherous weather conditions enough? It
sure was, unless you make any mistakes!
SAFETY CAR
Mika Hakkinen had a 'heartbeat moment' when his car on lap
42 turned 360 degrees at the high speed exiting corner 'Bridge'. He lost control
for few seconds before recovering and turning the car on the circuit in the
right direction - what reflex!. A deficit of 10 seconds would not damage his
chances of victory, though there were concerns if his machinery and aerodynamic
parts were intact.
Safety car was deployed to aid the drivers on track. Yes, it
was such a race that - by the end of it all, only nine cars out of twenty-two
were on track when the chequered flag was waved. Unsurprisingly, nine of those
thirteen cars were as a result of 'slippery' track conditions.
The advantage built up by Hakkinen went in vain as Michael
Schumacher and him were separated by a lapped Benetton car. On lap 49, the
safety car went into the pits. Two laps later, Hakkinen straight-lined his car
at Beckets - which put Schumacher into the lead and he was away! The damage
caused by that spin on lap 42 was clearly visible as Hakkinen soon came under
pressure from the second Ferrari of Eddie Irvine.
MELODRAMA
While Michael was leading the race, behind the scenes at the
steward's control room there were discussions surrounding his overtake
manoeuvre (to lap) on Alexander Wurz's Benetton on lap 43 - under the
stationary yellow flag (safety car period). Normally in such cases back then,
the penalty verdict must be informed to the team (in this case Ferrari) within
25 minutes of the time of the incident under investigation. The trio - Canada's
Roger Peart, India's Nazir Hoosein and Britain's Howard Lapsley took about 24
minutes to make the decision.
The decision of the penalty was handwritten and it stated
'10 seconds penalty' to Michael Schumacher. It was brought to the notice of
Ferrari seven minutes after the decision was taken by the three stewards. The
verdict did not specify if the penalty was a 'stop-go' (Article 57C) or whether
10 seconds would be added to Schumacher's time post race (Article 57E). To top
it all, the official who delivered the note to the Ferrari did not know which
rule was to be enforced.
While all this confusion was going on, the race was reaching
its climax with just about two laps to go. Ferrari pit-crew were ready but were
waiting for the instructions. Keeping in mind of the ramifications of the ignored
penalty at the 1994 British Grand Prix (Schumacher later disqualified for the
same driving for Benetton), Ferrari did not want to take any chances. Having a
lead in excess of twenty seconds coming onto the last lap - he entered the pits
to take the stop-go penalty. In doing so, he had to cross the 'start/finish'
line to enter the Ferrari pit-lane. Michael Schumacher won the British Grand
Prix. With-in minutes after the race, the stewards confirmed - they had applied
Article 57E.
THE ARGUMENT CONTINUED....
McLaren were disappointed and wasted no time to appeal the
decision. Technically, article 57E applies only if the incident took place in
the last 12 laps - which clearly was not the case. McLaren argued that it was a
clear case of 'stop-go' penalty. The hearing was called at the FIA
International Court of Appeal before the next race at Austria which was
scheduled to start in fortnight's time.
After hearing out F1 race director Charlie Whiting, his
deputy Herbie Blash and the three stewards, the World Council concluded that -
the stewards applied the wrong rule in the situation and failed to communicate
their decisions as per the regulations. The three stewards accepted the verdict
and gave up their licences.
Ferrari could rejoice
as Michael Schumacher finally managed to win at Silverstone. It was his first
of the three victories he managed to secure at this historic venue. Murray
Walker, veteran F1 commentator commented at the end of the race aptly - "
I have never, ever in the years I have been watching Grand Prix racing seen a
finish like that - it is absolutely unprecedented". And he start
commentating in 1949!
TO END IT.....
Whether or not, Michael Schumacher would watch this year's
British GP - he can never forget the memories from the Silverstone circuit. It
was here in 1999, he suffered a major blow - an injury which made him sit out
most part of the 1999 World Championship and eventually cost him that year's
driver's crown. He bounced back from that setback and what a comeback he has had
after that. And hoping his bounce-back ability is the same this time around as
he fights to lead a normal life.
