2000 Formula One World Championship

**OliDegu2008** · 04-27-2021, 09:11 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 F1 Drivers pre-season rankings

Our "experts" way in ahead of the 2000 campaign with their pre-season rankings

1. Mika Hakkinen (McLaren-Mercedes) – Hakkinen starts a new decade going for this third consecutive Formula 1 Championship. If he is to accomplish the more the improbable feat, he will be the first driver since Fangio to win three titles in a row. Hakkinen has the team, the power and the ability to do just that.

2. Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) – The 2000 season will mark 4 years since Schumacher has been crowned king of F1 and he is hungry to win. He and Hakkinen have to be considered the favorites to win the crown heading into the season with some favoring Schumacher because of his “drought.” We expect the Ferrari mainstay to win many Grand Prix in 2000.

3. David Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes) – It can’t be easy being a teammate of a consecutive champion but Coulthard continues to be that to Mika Hakkinen. Will this be the year that Coulthard challenges his teammate for the crown? Coulthard won the British and Belgian Grand Prix in 1999 and finished fourth overall.

4. Ralf Schumacher (Williams-BMW) – The young brother of Michael, Ralf made the switch to Williams last year and had a good campaign, finishing sixth in points. Some see 2000 as a career defining year possibly for the German who has 5 podiums to date in 3 F1 seasons including a second place finish last season in the Italian Grand Prix. He might not indicate it but not being known as Michael’s little brother is on Ralf’s priority list to check off in 2000.

5. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan-Mugen-Honda) – Coming off an improbable third place finish in the Championship standings, Frentzen has nothing to lose in the new Millennium. The only thing that could truly hinder Frentzen moving forward is if he doesn’t perform to the high standard he has set for himself during his last three years in F1 which include that third place in 1999 and a second place finish in 1997 in the championship standings. We are placing him in the top 5 for pre-season rankings because it’s not a matter of if he can, it’s a matter of will he step up and do it.

6. Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari) – The Brazilian has been in F1 since 1993 and has yet to score a win. He did manage to score three podiums in 1999 and with him signing with Ferrari this year, it has to be asked if this is the year that he scores his first Grand Prix victory? The real test will be if Schumacher lets him enjoy a moment in the sun or keep him in the dark.

7. Jenson Button (Williams-BMW) – Well here we go, arguably the biggest sensation to enter F1 in many years, Button has enormous pressure riding on his shoulders. The 20-year-old is predicted to be World Champion someday but before he can take the F1 world by storm – he has many obstacles and learning curves to get through. Though we are confident in saying he will have some solid finishes this year (maybe even a podium or two), this year we want to temper expectations and say a top 10 table finish would be more than fine for the young upstart.

8. Jarno Trulli (Jordan-Mugen-Honda) – This will be Trulli’s third full F1 season and the expectations are plenty. In the garages, the Jordan team seems to have an immense amount of momentum and Trulli is a talented enough driver to build upon that. Is this the season that Trulli matures into the constant threat that he can be and puts Jordan into the top constructor discussion?

9. Giancarlo Fisichella (Benetton-Playlife) – As Fisichella enters his third year at Benetton, some feel that it’s now or never for the 27-year-old Italian. There’s no doubt he is insanely talented but being on an underfunded team does not help. He is looking to snag points and hopefully finish above ninth in the final standings which he has done the last two seasons.

10. Jacques Villeneuve (BAR-Honda) – Possibly the most interesting driver in terms of you just don’t know what to expect, the former world champion has said he wants to be competitive and knows he can with his talent. Villeneuve has made it clear he does not intend on staying with BAR beyond 2000 if the current situation with the team persists which has made many within the team wonder if this year is going to be a wash.

11. Eddie Irvine (Jaguar-Cosworth)– Maybe one of the more surprising finishers in recent memory, Irvine finished the 1999 season in second – more than impressive. However, his move to Jaguar is a questionable one and there aren’t many who think the Britain can repeat his incredible 99 campaign which saw him win four times and podium nine. We might regret putting him outside the Top 10 in the pre-season ranking at the end of the season, or we might not.

12. Alexander Wurz (Benetton-Playlife) – In what has been a relatively successful Formula 1 career to this point, the Austrian superstar is looking to build on his last two years with Benetton and bring the team home some podiums. Wurz can be a real force if everything goes right in 2000 and could surprise many.

13. Nick Heidfeld (Prost-Peugeot) – Maybe the interesting rookie driver this year, Heidfeld brings an impressive resume to Prost-Peugeot which includes German F3 and international F3000 championships. Having been placed by Mercedes at Prost for a “learning year” this year, it cannot be understated that Heidfeld has the opportunity to do well if he puts it all together. Though he will most likely be on the back burner due to Jenson Button, Heidfeld still can make huge strides in 2000 in terms of learning and moving forward.

14. Jos Verstappen (Arrows-Supertec) – There have been very few drivers in F1 who have seemed so promising yet delivered so little as Verstappen has so far in his career. Having finished no higher than tenth in the Driver’s Championship – Verstappen was rideless in 1999 which makes the outlook for him this year even more questionable. Everyone around him knows he has the talent and raw ability to do well and Verstappen is definitely one of the true question marks of this season.

15. Gaston Mazzacane (Minardi-Fondmetal) – Considered to have “bought” himself a seat for Minardi, the Argentinian will be making his first F1 attempt with the upstart Minardi team. Mazzacane spent three years in F3000 without much success and was a test driver for Minardi last year before getting the seat in 2000. Though it is very easy to overlook him at first glance, he might have a few surprises up his sleeves….or not.

16. Marc Gene (Minardi-Fondmetal) – Gene has the undarning task of competing for the underfunded Italian Minardi team in 2000. He superseded expectations in 1999 and looks to do the same this season.

17. Pedro de la Rosa (Arrows-Supertec) – Heading into his second year with Arrows, de la Rosa does not have very high expectations expected of him this season. Considered a mid to bottom at best finisher in the Grand Prix, de la Rosa will be hard pressed to see any podiums in 2000, might even be hard to get points for the Spaniard.

18. Mika Salo (Sauber-Petronas) – In what has been a rather disappointing career for Salo, the Finnish native has only two podiums in six years. In what was a rather turbulent 1999 saw him make Grand Prix for both BAR and Ferrari. Now that Salo has a full ride for 2000, he should be more stable although heading into the season it doesn’t appear he will pose much of a threat in the broad picture.

19. Johnny Herbert (Jaguar-Cosworth) – In what has to be considered the twilight years of his Formula 1 career, Herbert finds himself apart of the Jaguar team for the 2000 season. Not much is expected of Herbert in reality but it is possible the veteran could be in contention for some podiums if he regains his early F1 career form – though that is unlikely.

20. Ricardo Zonta (BAR-Honda) – Having struggled in 1999 which was also his rookie campaign in F1, Zonta looks to rebound in 2000. Those around him are saying this is a second chance for the Brazilian who was on the chopping block in the holiday season. He is looking to score points and maybe even a podium or two.

21. Jean Alesi (Prost-Peugeot) – Marking his 10th year in Formula One, the French speedster has one Grand Prix victory to his name. It really is a tale of two different drivers for Prost as you have the veteran Alesi and the young upstart German Heidfeld – it may be more interesting to watch how their relationship matures through the course of the season than if either of them can score any true results.

22. Pedro Diniz (Sauber-Petronas) – Sauber is hoping that by teaming Diniz up with Mika Salo that the familiarity between the two turns into some points for the team. Though that isn’t necessarily unlikely, it’s an uphill climb for the team – especially for Diniz who in five years in Formula One has zero podiums.

**OliDegu2008** · 04-27-2021, 09:15 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne (58 Laps, 191 Miles)

Weekend of March 12 ---- Schedule of events
Friday, March 10 ---- Practice (Morning), Practice (Afternoon)
Saturday, March 11 ---- Practice (Morning 1), Practice (Morning 2), Qualifying (Afternoon)
Sunday, March 12 ---- Warm-up (Morning), Grand Prix

Drivers
McLaren - Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard
Ferrari - Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello
Jordan - Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli
Jaguar - Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert
Williams - Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button
Benetton - Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz
Prost - Jean Alesi and Nick Heidfeld
Sauber - Pedro Diniz and Mika Salo
Arrows - Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen
Minardi - Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane
BAR - Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta

F1 2000 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX COURSE MAP.jpg

**OliDegu2008** · 04-27-2021, 11:16 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 Australian Grand Prix weekend report

McLaren's David Coulthard captures the pole position for Sunday's Grand Prix
Ferrari's team of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher will start 2nd and 3rd on the grid
1999 World Champion Mika Hakkinen had traction issues and qualified 8th
The Minardi team of Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane had a horrendous Friday/Saturday and will start 21st and 22nd
Rain is expected to impact Sunday's Grand Prix

Friday (3/10) - Practice's 1 and 2 – Both practice sessions (a.m. and p.m.) were an hour and were largely uneventful. The McLaren team of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard looked fast.

Posting solid lap times besides McLaren was Rubens Barrichello of Ferrari, Eddie Irvine (1999 Australian Grand Prix winner) and Jos Verstappen. Verstappen not having raced in F1 last season gave his Arrows team some real jubilation.

The track surface was quite slippery through both practice sessions Friday as rain moved in and out all day causing several drivers like Pedro de la Rosa, Johnny Herbert and Nick Heidfeld to lose control and have minor dust-ups. All cars were able to be repaired.

Saturday (3/11) - Practice's 3 and 4 – Both practice sessions were held in the morning and each lasted 45 minutes. Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jarno Trulli, Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button all posted good times. Hakkinen paced the field for most of the third practice while Coulthard led the way in the 4th practice session.

Marc Gene driving for Minardi spun out in turn 15 but continued on. His teammate Gaston Mazzacane had a mechanical failure and had to retire to the his box for further evaluation. His team worked tirelessly and was able to get him into qualifying. Sauber's Pedro Diniz had a chassis issue in the third practice session but was able to make up some laps in the 4th session.

Saturday – Qualifying – Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix lasted an hour and each driver was limited to twelve laps with the starting grid decided by the drivers’ fastest laps.

It was thought that a McLaren or Ferrari would lead the way during qualifying and that is what happened as McLaren’s David Coulthard captured the pole position during qualifying. Its Coulthard’s ninth pole win of his F1 career. Following Coulthard was the Ferrari team of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher.

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Williams driver and younger brother to Michael Schumacher, Ralf posted the 4th quickest time and will start fourth. Rounding out the top 5 was Jaguar driver Eddie Irvine. Irvine having won the 1999 Australian Grand Prix is looking to start his 2000 campaign off on the same foot as last season.

Not having a good qualifying run was the other McLaren driver and current champion Mika Hakkinen who will start eighth (for most that is considered good but not to Hakkinen). Hakkinen was good during practice but just could not get the car to where he wanted it to be during qualifying.

Along side Hakkinen will be the young upstart Jenson Button whose team was ecstatic with his performance.

It was a difficult and tough day for the Minardi team as both of its machines will start in the back to begin the race.

It appears to be a wet day tomorrow in Melbourne as rain is expected to impact the Grand Prix.

**OliDegu2008** · 04-28-2021, 09:37 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

Michael Schumacher wins the 2000 Australian Grand Prix

3/12/2000 - Melbourne, Australia – Race #1 - The Australian Grand Prix

It was a rainy, putrid day in Melbourne as Formula 1 kicked off its 2000 season with the Australian Grand Prix.

The circuit was quite slick as were the 16 turns and 3.295 mile laps the 22 world class drivers had to navigate for 58 laps.

Englishman David Coulthard, the driver who earned the pole position for the race led the field into turn 1 successfully and then also thru turns 3 and 4 on the first lap.

Gaston Mazzacane spun out entering turn 9 and dropped to the end of the field. After one lap, Coulthard would maintain his lead.

Running behind Coulthard closely as the drivers entered lap 2 was Brazilian speedster Rubens Barrichello whose Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher was right behind him in third place.

In a move of absolute brilliance, Barrichello was able to overtake Coulthard on the second lap and was trailed by Mika Hakkinen, Jenson Button, Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher.

Coulthard when overtaken by Barrichello experienced power issues and fell to the middle of the pack inadvertently slowing down Michael Schumacher in the process, splitting the team of Ferraris.

As Barrichello continued to lead, lap 7 saw Ricardo Zonta’s race end early as an oil leak forced the BAR driver to retire.

Not too far after Zonta on lap 9, fellow Brazilian Pedro Diniz would retire his Sauber due to suspension issues.

On lap 16, 1999 Australian Grand Prix victor Eddie Irvine retired his car due to issues with the power unit. Entering the 18th lap, Barrichello was still in front followed by Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, and Button.

2000 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX RESULTS.png

Italian Jordan driver Jarno Trulli ran off the track in the 13th corner on lap 19 and was not able to continue making Trulli the 4th retirement of the race to that point.

The Finnish driver and current champion Mika Hakkinen overtook Barrichello with a daring move entering the 8th turn and took the lead from Barrichello.

Right behind Hakkinen and breathing down his neck was Barrichello, Button and Michael Schumacher.

As Hakkinen continued to lead the Grand Prix, Rubens Barrichello experienced heartbreak on lap 24 as he had to retire due to a gearbox issue.

Sensing blood in the water, Michael Schumacher took advantage of the Barrichello misfortune and pulled an insane overtake on Hakkinen to slingshot his Ferrari into the lead position.

With M. Schumacher firmly in control it seemed, lap 37 saw some serious drama unfold as Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher both were forced to retire due to a collision with one another.

It appeared as if Coulthard attempted an overtake of R. Schumacher, Coulthard was blocked successfully but hit Coulthard causing him to lose control and spin around into R. Schumacher.

It was a beyond disappointing end of the day for both drivers who were chasing points and had a good shot at earning some.

As the day turned into late afternoon, the rain picked up from a drizzle to a downpour.

The rain picked up so much that on lap 39, Prost driver Nick Heidfeld misjudged his box and ran right into the pit box wall ending his day. At the time of Heidfeld’s accident he was running in second to last place.

As the laps continued to be counted, Michael Schumacher continued to lead. It appeared as if no one was going to take this victory away from the two time former world champion.

As Schumacher paced the field, more retirements happened as we enetered the final 1/4 of the race.

Jos Verstappen would spin out and retire on lap 43 while Spaniard Marc Gene would spin out of control on lap 49 and slam into the catch fence in turn 6.

Gene was ok and his Arrows machine would be the last car to retire in the race.

Entering the final lap Michael Schumacher had a comfortable lead over Mika Hakkinen, Jacques Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Frentzen really made a push around lap 30 which landed him
in a prime spot to earn a podium and but that did not happen. Instead today, he was beaten out for 3rd place Canadian Jacques Villeneuve.

Michael Schumacher would cross the finish line soon thereafter and earn his first Grand Prix win of 2000, followed by Hakkinen, Villeneuve, Frentzen and Mike Salo.

With points being awarded to the top 6 finishers, Schumacher earned 10 points while Hakkinen earned 6, Villeneuve 4, Frentzen 3, Salo 2 and Pedro de la Rosa 1.

Earning Constructors' point were Ferrari with 10, McLaren with 6, BAR with 4, Jordan with 3, Sauber with 2 and Arrows with 1.

2000 F1 CONSTRUCTORS POINTS.png

**OliDegu2008** · 05-01-2021, 12:03 AM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX
Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Sao Paulo (71 Laps, 190 Miles)

Weekend of March 26 ---- Schedule of events
Friday, March 24 ---- Practice (Morning), Practice (Afternoon)
Saturday, March 25 ---- Practice (Morning 1), Practice (Morning 2), Qualifying (Afternoon)
Sunday, March 26 ---- Warm-up (Morning), Grand Prix

Drivers
McLaren - Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard
Ferrari - Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello
Jordan - Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli
Jaguar - Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert
Williams - Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button
Benetton - Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz
Prost - Jean Alesi and Nick Heidfeld
Sauber - Pedro Diniz and Mika Salo
Arrows - Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen
Minardi - Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane
BAR - Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta

1024px-aut--dromo_jos--_carlos.png

**OliDegu2008** · 05-01-2021, 11:37 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 Brazilian Grand Prix weekend report

McLaren's David Coulthard captures the pole position for Sunday's Grand Prix - his 2nd consecutive in 2000
Sao Paulo's own Rubens Barrichello will start next to Coulthard in the 2nd position
After their collision in Australia, it appears that Ralf Schumacher and Coulthard have made amends
Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher start 3rd and 4th on the grid
Rain is expected to impact Sunday's Grand Prix

Friday (3/24) - Practice's 1 and 2 - Both practice sessions each lasted an hour, in the morning and one in the afternoon.

In the Friday morning practice session the weather was hot and humid. Once again, like during the practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix, McLaren driver David Coulthard had a fast car and paced the field followed by teammate Mika Hakkinen and Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. As expected these two teams are the favorites coming into the weekend, especially Barrichello who was born in Sao Paulo and will be racing literally almost in his backyard.

Not having the expectations of Barrichello but still facing some hometown pressure will be Pedro Diniz who was also born in Sao Paulo. Ricardo Zonta, driving for BAR is also from Brazil but was born roughly six hours away in Curitiba. Nonetheless you better believe these three drivers will have the backing of the entire Brazilian population heading into Sunday.

After their dust up during the Australian Grand Prix, Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher were asked by Formula One to hold a joint press conference Thursday afternoon when both drivers arrived in Brazil to give comments and answer any questions about their collision that led to both drivers retiring in Melbourne nearly two weeks ago. Both drivers have had time to cool down and have made amends heading into race weekend was the gist of the entire press conference.

Englishman Johnny Herbert had a rough Friday morning practice as he spun out and brushed the wall in turn 3. His car was repaired but he was unable to get back out until the afternoon session. Also having issues Friday morning was Prost driver Jean Alesi who retired from the session due to suspension issues.

Australian podium placer Jacques Villeneuve held his own Friday morning pacing fellow BAR teammate Zonta and the Williams’ cars piloted by Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button.

The Friday afternoon session saw some rain move into the area and it was very, very humid in Sao Paulo. Formula 1 meteorologists indicate there could be rain tomorrow for qualifying and during the Grand Prix on Sunday.

The humidity and heat was not kind to some drivers such as Sauber’s Mika Solo who lost control heading into turn 6 and had to retire very early in the session. Jenson Button complained of severe fatigue and as a cautionary move was retired by his team in advance of Saturday’s qualifying.

As the afternoon session continued, so did the fast lap times of Coulthard, Barrichello, Hakkinen, Schumacher and fellow German Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Both Prost drivers (Nick Heidfeld and Jean Alesi) were forced to retire from the afternoon session early due to overheating issues while Jos Verstappen had a gearbox malfunction and only managed 2 timed laps.

Saturday (3/25) - Practice's 3 and 4 – Both practice sessions were held in the morning and each lasted 45 minutes. It was a bit cooler Saturday morning with a constant drizzle of rain in Sao Paulo as the teams prepared their machines for the final practices before the afternoon qualifying session.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was blazin’ during both sessions and appeared to be very confident heading into qualifying. He paced the field which included good lap times by Frentzen, Coulthard, Eddie Irvine and Button.

Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa who snagged an impressive point in Australia had to retire from both sessions due to an oil leak that was ultimately caused by track debris. Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari machine was also retired after only a lap in practice 3 due to overheating. Both drivers would make it to qualifying.

Minardi drivers Gaston Mazzacane and Marc Gene had a slew of problems both days which included many spinouts and a very heated exchanged among the two drivers after Gene appeared to accidentally force Mazzacane off the track during a Mazzacane fly lap.

Saturday – Qualifying – Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix lasted an hour and each driver was limited to twelve laps with the starting grid decided by the drivers’ fastest laps.

The constant drizzle rain (if there’s such a thing) seemed to stop for the hour that the cars were on the circuit. The Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace track temperature was much cooler than it had been all weekend up until this point.

As was the case in the first Grand Prix of the year in Australia, McLaren driver David Coulthard qualified on the pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix in Brazil. He edged out hometown favorite Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher and his McLaren teammate Mika Hakkinen.

2000 BRAZILIAN GP Q.png

Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jacques Villeneuve posted fantastic qualifying times and will start in 5th and 6th respectively. Eddie Irvine, Ralf Schumacher, Jenson Button and Jarno Trulli round out the top 10 grid spots.

Being cheered on by their country, Brazilians Ricardo Zonta and Pedro Diniz will start near each other on the grid in spots 12 and 13. Pedro de la Rosa ran the 15th fastest qualifying lap of the session and that is where he will start on the grid.

In what has been an absolutely dreadful start to the season for the Minardi team, both of its drivers qualified in the last two grid positions. It appears the ongoing dispute between Mazzacane and Gene that occurred in the last practice session bled over into qualifying – hopefully they can patch it up Saturday night heading into race day on Sunday.

The weather forecasts in Sao Paulo call for high temps and rain. It is safe to say participation will impact the Grand Prix.

**OliDegu2008** · 05-03-2021, 02:47 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

Mika Hakkinen dominates, wins the Brazilian Grand Prix

3/26/2000 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Race #2 - The Brazilian Grand Prix

It was a very hot, humid and rainy day in Sao Paulo and many drivers felt the wrath of the slick 2.6 mile course over 71 blistering laps.

Entering Sao Paulo, Michael Schumacher was atop the points standings followed by Mika Hakkinen, Jacques Villeneuve, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mika Salo and Pedro de la Rosa. Ferrari led the Constructors' table 4 points ahead of McLaren.

England's own David Coulthard who earned the pole position for the second straight Grand Prix led the field thru a very pedestrian lap one with little movement in terms of the starting grid as the rain continued to fall very hard.

The first driver to fall to the harsh weather conditions was Spaniard and Arrows driver Pedro de la Rosa. De la Rosa scored a point in Australia but would not have the same fate in this race as he retired on lap 2 due to tire traction issues.

As Coulthard continued to lead the field early with hometown favorite Rubens Barrichello chasing him, rookie driver Nick Heidfeld suffered an engine failure and retired his Prost machine on lap 6.

Coulthard relinquished the lead to Barrichello and the Brazilian crowd erupted as they watched their hometown “son” lead the field of 18 thru the circuit and cross the start/finish line in first entering the ninth lap.

It was shortly thereafter during lap 9 that Jos Verstappen would be forced to retire due to irregular oil pressure. That retirement marks two consecutive exits for Verstappen and most definitely not the way his Arrows team envisioned the start of the season going for the Dutch driver.

As Barrichello kept the lead, The Flying Finn Mika Hakkinen had overtaken 2nd place from Michael Schumacher and was tracking down the Ferrari driver for the top spot. Following Schumacher was Ralf Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve, Coulthard and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Lap 16 saw Italian speedster Giancarlo Fisichella retire as he lost control in a slick turn 9 and would wreck himself out of the race. It was the start of a not good day for the Benetton team.

Using the safety car as an opportunity to pounce, Hakkinen patiently waited for the restart and then overtook Barrichello entering turn 4 and completed the overtake exiting turn 5 on lap 19. Hakkinen, a 2-time consecutive World Champion of Formula 1 apparently wanted to remind us all that he, not Michael Schumacher or someone else is still top of the food chain. That was a world class overtake of a very talented driver in Barrichello.

The next few laps saw Hakkinen extend his margin while being trailed by R. Schumacher, Villeneuve, Frentzen and Barrichello. Michael Schumacher had fallen to the middle of the pack after a loose tire forced the German to have to box twice costing him several seconds of track time.

2000 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX RESULTS.png

As the rain continued to fall, so did the field. On lap 27 Sauber’s Mika Salo was forced off the track by Alexander Wurz during an overtake and never recovered. Salo would be forced to retire, the 5th retirement of the day.

Then on lap 37, Marc Gene lost control of his Minardi machine and crashed into a safety barricade entering turn 12. Gene’s day was more than finished.

Lap 38 saw Michael Schumacher be forced to do something you usually don’t see in one lap of a Grand Prix, he passed 2 drivers and was now knocking on the door of a possible podium spot. The drivers he blew by were Frentzen and pole winner Coulthard.

On lap 41 Jarno Trulli was forced to retire his Jordan machine after spinning off the track and not being able to recover – he was visibly upset as he was running in a spot to finish for possible points. On the very next lap one of the Brazilian racers Ricardo Zonta would be forced to retire due to a fuel pump issue. Zonta's retirement ended what was turning out to be a fantastic day for the Brazilian.

Then in complete heartbreak on lap 44, hometown hero Pedro Diniz was forced to retire due to an engine issue. Exiting his broken down Sauber machine to a standing ovation, there is no doubt about it that Diniz wanted to at least finish the race for his family, friends and fans in the stands. As it stood Diniz was in 10th position at the time of his retirement.

As we entered the final 1/3 of the race, it appeared as if Mika Hakkinen was simply better than the rest of the field as he was well in front of his competition which included Ralf and Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

On lap 47 Argentinian Gaston Mazzacane was the circuits latest retirement victim, retiring his race car after spinning off the slippery asphault entering turn 10.

Lap 55 saw the 11th and final retirement occur when Alexander Wurz retired his Benetton mobile due to electrical issues. Meanwhile, Hakkinen continued to lead and had a healthy gap over 2nd and 3rd positions.

As the race entered its final laps, it was clear baring any sort of error on Hakkinen’s part, he was going to win the race. Battling for points and the final two podium spots behind him were Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

As the field crossed the start/finish line for the final time it would be Mika Hakkinen well in front of the field which would then see Michael Schumacher narrowly beat hometown favorite Rubens Barrichello for second. Both would be placed on the podium and rightfully deserved.

For Schumacher it was a tough day as he fell to middle of the pack early and had to pace himself back to the front. Barrichello who was near the front the entire Grand Prix received the loudest ovation when crossing the finish line and the cheers were even louder when he was standing on the podium. Barrichello was born in Sao Paulo and it was a bittersweet moment for the Brazilian to have such a good day at his home circuit.

Finishing fourth was the Ralf Schumacher in his Williams machine followed by Heinz-Harald Frentzen and then pole winner David Coulthard.

The rest of the finishing field was Jenson Button in 7th, Jacques Villeneuve in 8th, Johnny Herbert in 9th, Eddie Irvine in 10th and Jean Alesi in 11th.

Earning Constructors' point were McLaren with 11, Ferrari with 10, Williams with 3 and Jordan with 2.

2000 F1 CONSTRUCTORS POINTS (2).png

**OliDegu2008** · 05-04-2021, 09:55 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 Formula One World Drivers' Championship standings

World Drivers' Championship standings.jpg

**OliDegu2008** · 05-04-2021, 11:04 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (62 Laps, 189 Miles)

Weekend of April 9 ---- Schedule of events
Friday, April 7 ---- Practice (Morning), Practice (Afternoon)
Saturday, April 8 ---- Practice (Morning 1), Practice (Morning 2), Qualifying (Afternoon)
Sunday, April 9 ---- Warm-up (Morning), Grand Prix

Drivers
McLaren - Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard
Ferrari - Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello
Jordan - Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli
Jaguar - Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert
Williams - Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button
Benetton - Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz
Prost - Jean Alesi and Nick Heidfeld
Sauber - Pedro Diniz and Mika Salo
Arrows - Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen
Minardi - Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane
BAR - Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta

F1 2000 SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX COURSE MAP.png

**OliDegu2008** · 05-07-2021, 09:48 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 San Marino Grand Prix weekend report

Mika Hakkinen nabs his first pole of 2000
Ferrari looked impressive all weekend, its cars starting 2nd and 3rd
David Coulthard qualified fourth, his first non-pole start of 2000
Italians Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella start 10th and 13th
Strong winds and light rain is expected to impact Sunday's Grand Prix

Friday (4/7) - Practice's 1 and 2 - Both practice sessions Friday each lasted an hour, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Friday morning’s practice saw nice temperatures and sunshine as the drivers who took the track proceeded with excitement and eagerness.

The weather is expected to do a complete 180 after the morning session with rainy/overcast skies and wind for the next few days here in Imola.

Jordan’s Jarno Trulli ran the most laps during the first practice session on Friday morning at 34 while Ferrari’s team of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher paced the field. Behind them was Ralf Schumacher, David Coulthard and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Brazilian Grand Prix winner Mika Hakkinen did not like the setup of his McLaren so he only completed 4 laps in the session and retired to his garage so his team could get to work. Hakkinen currently sits atop the Championship standings with Michael Schumacher, both tied with 16 points after two Grand Prix.

Bad news early for Prost driver Jean Alesi who had to retire late in the first practice session for a wheel issue. He would be up and running for the afternoon practice.

The afternoon practice would see considerably less sunshine and more wind as once again the field was paced by the Ferrari team of Barrichello and Schumacher. Their speed was a notch above the rest of the field Friday it seemed.

Showing solid laps times behind the Ferrari’s was the Benetton pair of Alexander Wurz and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella. Following behind the Benetton’s was Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jenson Button, Jacques Villeneuve and David Coulthard.

For the second consecutive practice session, Mika Hakkinen complained to his team over the course of 15 firmly ran laps that his McLaren wasn’t good enough. Hakkinen yet again would retire early from the practice session so his mechanics could try and get his car to his liking entering Saturday's practice sessions and qualifying.

Early on in the session a scary moment occurred for Nick Heidfeld who lost his brakes entering turn 14 and ran off the circuit. He was ok and would eventually get his Prost machine back on track for the final minutes of the practice.

Heidfeld along with Jos Verstappen and Gaston Mazzacane would post the slowest lap times during the Friday practice sessions.

Saturday (4/8) - Practice's 3 and 4 – Both practice sessions were held in the morning and each lasted 45 minutes.

The weather was noticeably cooler with a hint of rain and lots of wind. Forecasters said on Saturday that the forecast for Sunday calls for even stronger winds, rain and much more colder temperatures than the teams have experienced so far this weekend.

However, given the not so comfortable conditions, Mika Hakkinen blew the field away during both practice sessions. Whatever adjustments his McLaren team did to his machine worked flawlessly as the Fin posted the fastest laps in both practice sessions out muscling his Ferrari rivals.

The Flying Finn was trailed by his McLaren teammate David Coulthard and then followed by the Ferrari team of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

It appears as if it might be a 4 driver race to see who grabs the pole position for the start of tomorrow’s Grand Prix with all 4 drivers coming from McLaren or Ferrari.

Posting good laps but not anywhere fast enough to be on the front of grid as it stands were Ralf Schumacher, Eddie Irvine, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and BAR driver Jacques Villeneuve.

Villeneuve’s teammate Ricardo Zonta lost control entering turn 7 and was not able to finish the 3rd practice and the 4th practice saw him absent.

Also having issues during the Saturday practice sessions was both Minardi machines driven by Gaston Mazzacane and Marc Gene. For Mazzacane it was hydraulics issues while Gene was having engine issues. It has been a horrendous start to 2000 for Minardi as thru two grand prix, they’ve only had 1 car finish a race.

Pedro de la Rosa and Mika Salo both radioed into their teams during the final practice session that the wind was taking them off the course and causing them to drive cautiously and making them slow down.

It will be interesting to see how many teams (if any others) have this issue during qualifying.

Saturday – Qualifying – Qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix lasted an hour and each driver was limited to twelve laps with the starting grid decided by the drivers’ fastest laps.

The weather seemed to get a bit better as the day went on Saturday as the precipitation cleared and an overcast sky overcame the circuit. The wind was whipping still but that did not seem to slow down Mika Hakkinen who posted the fastest lap time and earned his first pole position of 2000.

Hakkinen who was outspoken about how bad his car was Friday was beaming with glee Saturday night about just how good his car is heading into Sunday.

The Ferrari team of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher qualified second and third on the grid. Both Ferrari’s have looked very fast during practice and now in qualifying – look for the teammates to hook up and lock horns Sunday and try to make it a 1-2 Ferrari finish at the end.

Next to Schumacher will be David Coulthard who surprisingly isn’t starting on the pole for the 1st time this season. Coulthard’s McLaren qualified in the top spot for both the Australian and the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve qualified fifth followed by Eddie Irvine, Ralf Schumacher and another German, Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Alexander Wurz and Jarno Trulli round out the top 10 grid spots.

Minardi’s Gaston Mazzacane had issues during qualifying and was only able to register two fast laps and he will start last.

Pedro de la Rosa and Mika Salo who both had solid starts with points finishes in Australia start 17th and 21st respectively.

The weather forecasts in Imola call for cold temps with significant wind and a strong possibility of rain.

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**OliDegu2008** · 05-09-2021, 01:30 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

Rubens Barrichello notches first win of F1 career in Imola

4/9/2000 – Imola, Italy – Race #3 - The San Marino Grand Prix

With a mist in the air, whipping winds and colder than usual temperatures for April in Italy, to say the conditions for drivers were bad would be a nicety.

2000 marks the 19th consecutive year for the San Marino Grand Prix which is held in Imola, Italy.

Starting out in front on the grid was current points leader Mika Hakkinen and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello. Barrichello driving for Ferrari is still looking for his first career Formula One victory. Behind them are their teammates Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) and David Coulthard (McLaren).

The race got off to a relatively clean start with Hakkinen leading the field for the first 7 laps.

The mist continued to intensify and on lap 8 saw trouble as Italian Jarno Trulli attempted an overtake of Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa which saw the two drivers touch tires and both spin out of control. Both cars were damaged beyond repair and we would have our first two retirements of the Grand Prix.

Also occurring on lap 8 was a lead change as Michael Schumacher chased down his arch nemesis Mika Hakkinen and took the lead from the Flying Flynn. Schumacher's lead would be short lived however.

3 laps later would see Schumacher make an uncharacteristic mistake entering turn 7 which allowed Rubens Barrichello to pass him and take the top position. Schumacher would drop back to fourth behind Barrichello, Mika Hakkinen and rookie sensation Jenson Button.

Lap 16 saw Canadian Jacques Villeneuve retire his BAR machine due to steering issues. As Jacques Villeneuve entered his pit box, Barrichello crossed the start/finish line and continued to extend his lead over the field being trailed by Mika Hakkinen in second.

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With the mist turning to a light rain and the winds increasing just a tad, we saw another victim of the track conditions – this time it was Jean Alesi on lap 21. Alesi entered turn 11 too quickly and ran off the track. As his Prost machine sat there lifeless the replays showed he entered the turn too quickly after contact with Marc Gene. Nonetheless, Alesi would be forced to retire and his day would be finished.

Shortly thereafter with Barrichello continuing to lead, Johnny Herbert caught a slick spot and slid off the track and had to retire. After a pair of 9th place finishes in the first two Grand Prix of the season, this is Herbert’s first retirement of 2000.

As we entered the middle stages of the race, excitement was building for Barrichello as he looked to be in complete control.

Sensing he had a legitimate chance of winning his first Grand Prix Barrichello was near perfect. Seconds behind him was Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Could this be Barrichello’s day?

Unfortunate luck on lap 39 saw McLaren’s David Coulthard be forced to retire after an accident which saw the Englishman lose control leaving his box and strike the pit wall. It has not been a kind start to 2000 for Coulthard who has two poles to his name but just one point in three races including 2 retirements.

Not too long after Coulthard’s mishap, Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s day would come to end as the German suffered a gearbox problem. Frentzen was running in 6th place at the time of his retirement.

Entering the last 20 laps of the race, Barrichello still held a solid lead over Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher but the pair seemed to be closing the gap.

Lap 43 saw the other Fin in the field, Mika Salo spin off the circuit and end his day – retiring in 15th position. Alexander Wurz’s day would come to an unfortunate end thereafter on lap 46 due to a fuel line problem.

The very next lap saw Arrows driver Jos Verstappen collect his third straight retirement of the season due to an oil leak. They played some of Verstappen’s radio chatter back through the television and it was not PG.

With just about 12 laps remaining Michael Schumacher had shrunk the gap between himself and his Ferrari teammate to just a mere second. Hakkinen had fallen back a tad, most likely to conserve fuel and or his tires.

Lap 49 would see Gaston Mazzacane retire his Minardi machine after catching a slick spot entering turn 14 and losing control.

After a cycle of pit stops Barrichello was still out in front with 5 laps remaining. The Brazilian could almost taste his first victory but to do so he would need to stave off Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen who were breathing down his neck.

The laps lasted for days it seemed as Barrichello twisted and drove around the 3 mile circuit with precision.

With 2 laps to go, Pedro Diniz retired to his box for an engine issue that would see the Brazilian not be able to complete the race. Diniz was the last official retirement of the Grand Prix.

The final lap saw no drama as Rubens Barrichello had pulled away from Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher who were in a battle of their own for second and third place.

As Barrichello crossed the start/finish line the crowd erupted in Imola – what a sight to behold as the Brazilian earned in fullness his first Grand Prix victory of his career while holding off World Champions Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher!

Hakkinen would be able to overtake and hold Schumacher on the last lap as the final two podium positions were confirmed.

Ralf Schumacher finished an impressive 4th while Jenson Button had a fantastic day finishing in 5th place. Rounding out the points positions was Giancarlo Fisichella who finished 6th. Williams had a solid day earning 5 constructors’ points due to the wonderful finishes of Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button.

Brazilian Ricardo Zonta finished 7th followed by Eddie Irvine in 8th, Marc Gene in 9th and Button’s fellow rookie Nick Heidfeld finished 10th in his Prost machine.

Ferrari led the way earning 14 constructors’ points followed by McLaren’s 6, Williams’ 5 and 1 for Benetton.

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**OliDegu2008** · 05-10-2021, 09:52 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Silverstone, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, England (60 Laps, 191 Miles)

Weekend of April 23 ---- Schedule of events
Friday, April 21 ---- Practice (Morning), Practice (Afternoon)
Saturday, April 22 ---- Practice (Morning 1), Practice (Morning 2), Qualifying (Afternoon)
Sunday, April 23 ---- Warm-up (Morning), Grand Prix

Drivers
McLaren - Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard
Ferrari - Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello
Jordan - Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli
Jaguar - Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert
Williams - Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button
Benetton - Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz
Prost - Jean Alesi and Nick Heidfeld
Sauber - Pedro Diniz and Mika Salo
Arrows - Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen
Minardi - Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane
BAR - Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta

F1 2000 BRITISH GRAND PRIX COURSE MAP.png

**OliDegu2008** · 05-13-2021, 11:36 AM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

2000 British Grand Prix weekend report

Michael Schumacher earns his first pole position of 2000
The McLaren team of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard are 2 and 3 on the grid
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve had two brutal days, qualifies 13th
The Jordan team of Jarno Trulli and Heinz-Harald Frentzen will start 5th and 6th Sunday
The weather at Silverstone is going to be spectacular for Sunday's Grand Prix

Friday (4/21) - Practice's 1 and 2 - There were two practice sessions Friday, one that was held in the morning and one in the afternoon. Both practice sessions were one hour in length.

As the teams took the track for Friday morning’s practice at the Silverstone Circuit AKA “the home of British motor racing”, the weather was very enjoyable with a slight crisp in the air.

Silverstone is the home circuit for David Coulthard, Jenson Button, Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert.

Entering the fourth Grand Prix of 2000, Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher are atop the standings trailed by Rubens Barrichello in third.
The McLaren team of David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen posted the fastest laps of the session with the Ferrari’s of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello slightly behind.

Jacques Villeneuve’s car had an electrical issue and the BAR driver was unable to post a lap time.

Also experiencing issues was both of the Jaguar cars driven by Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert. Irvine was complaining of a rattle in the engine while Herbert’s ride was leaking oil.

The Jordan team of Jarno Trulli and Heinz-Harald Frentzen were quick but well behind the McLaren’s and the Ferrari’s during the morning session.
Also posting solid first practice lap times were Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Alexander Wurz.

Minardi’s Marc Gene had to retire to his box for a lengthy stay following an electrical failure leaving turn 5.

The afternoon session was graced with beautiful weather and the crisp air changed to milder temperatures as the teams sent their drivers back onto the circuit for the second practice of the day.

Maybe the biggest surprise of the afternoon session was Jarno Trulli who picked off the fastest lap time out of any driver at any point Friday. Also posting quick lap times behind Trulli was David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen and Pedro de la Rosa.

Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari ride was forced to his pit box early in the practice due to tire wear issues. Schumacher did not make it back onto the circuit for the rest of the session.

His teammate Rubens Barrichello fresh off of his San Marino Grand Prix victory (his first F1 win!) misjudged the turn 7 corner and was forced to retire. To say that Ferrari issues during the second practice session would be correct.

The Benetton team of Alexander Wurz and Giancarlo Fisichella looked strong Friday, as strong as they have during any practice session this year.

The same cannot be said for Jean Alesi who spun off the circuit and was forced to retire. Also spinning of the circuit about halfway thru the practice was Jos Verstappen, however, Verstappen was able to gain control of his car and make it back onto the track and complete the lap before pitting.

Jenson Button had several issues and was only able to complete 2 laps in the afternoon session.

Saturday (4/22) - Practice's 3 and 4 – Saturday’s practice sessions were both held in the morning before afternoon qualifying and each lasted 45 minutes.

The weather for both practices was awesome with good temps, little wind and sunshine.

Pacing the field in the first practice session Saturday morning was the McLaren’s of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard. Coulthard comes into the fourth Grand Prix a two-time pole winner in 2000 and winner of the 1999 British Grand Prix.

Other drivers posting fast lap times during the third practice session were Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button, Alexander Wurz and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Ralf Schumacher had a rough go of things having to retire his Williams machine due to steering issues.

After having a good run late Friday, Ricardo Zonta was forced to retire his BAR machine early due to vibration issues.

Jacques Villeneuve continued to experience issues (as he had Friday) and was only able to register 3 laps in the session.

Mika Salo driving for Sauber crashed hard entering turn 8 and would not be back out onto the circuit until very late in the second practice session.
Speaking of the second practice session of Saturday, the weather stayed beautiful and there were no issues with Mother Nature.

Jarno Trulli and Mika Hakkinen paced the field in the fourth and final practice session while the likes of Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello took time to run a few laps but make sure their cars were fined tuned for qualifying Saturday afternoon.

Prost’s Nick Heidfeld had a real rough final practice session retiring due to illness. He would be able to qualify Saturday afternoon.

Pedro de la Rosa had to retire early from the final practice session due to hydraulics issues while his Arrows teammate Jos Verstappen spun out entering turn 14 ending his session.

Saturday – Qualifying – Saturday’s one hour qualifying session saw each driver limited to twelve laps, with the grid order decided by their fastest laps.

You literally could not ask for any better weather for a qualifying session, it was shall I dare to say close to perfect conditions.

Blazing to the top of the qualifying field was Michael Schumacher earning his first pole position of 2000. Qualifying behind him in a distant second was Championship Points leader Mika Hakkinen.

Hakkinen’s McLaren teammate David Coulthard qualified third followed by Jarno Trulli, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Ricardo Zonta. Barrichello was only able to complete 4 qualifying laps due to tire issues but still managed the seventh fastest lap time.

Rounding out the top ten on the grid were Englishman Johnny Herbert and Alexander Wurz.

Jacques Villeneuve still suffering from issues with his BAR machine qualified 13th – his lowest starting grid position of 2000 so far.

Eddie Irvine driving for Jaguar managed just five fast laps but was only able to qualify 15th, not where he nor his team envisioned they’d be entering the Englishmen’s home race.

Nick Heidfeld and Marc Gene both spun out on separate laps entering turn 10 and they both will start the Grand Prix in the final two positions on the grid.

The weather for the Grand Prix continues in fantastic fashion as mild temps are expected with little wind and absolutely no chance of any kind of precipitation!

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**OliDegu2008** · 05-16-2021, 01:07 PM

Re: 2000 Formula One World Championship

Mika Hakkinen dominates in Silverstone

4/23/2000 – Silverstone Circuit, England – Race #4 - The British Grand Prix

In what some would call a near perfect day from Mother Nature, 22 drivers from 12 nations took the circuit at Silverstone looking for glory. The weather was beautiful with no rain in sight, mild temperatures and a hint of wind.

As the circuit went lights out Michael Schumacher lead the field into the first series of turns flawlessly. Entering the British Grand Prix, Schumacher trailed Mika Hakkinen by two points in the Championship standings. Hakkinen is looking for his third straight consecutive Formula One championship.

As the field completed the first couple laps Michael Schumacher continued to lead followed closely by Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard, Jarno Trulli and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Jarno Trulli radioed to his Jordan team that his racecar was suffering from a vibration in the rear of the car on lap 5. Using caution and the data provided to them, Trulli was requested to address the issue by boxing - dropping the Italian from 4th to last place.

Trouble struck Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari on lap 9 when he lost power heading into turn 7. For Schumacher this error would ultimately allow several cars to get past him including Hakkinen, Coulthard, Frentzen and Barrichello. Schumacher’s mishap did self-correct but saw the German drop from 1st to 5th position and allowed Mika Hakkinen to take the lead.

On lap 15 the crowd of nearly 251,000 would see its first official retirement of the race, that being the Arrows ride of Pedro de la Rosa due to steering issues. The Spaniard started 2000 off with a points finish in Australia but has since had to retire out of the last three Grand Prix’s.

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Not too long after the de la Rosa retirement Eddie Irvine retired his Jaguar machine due to suspension problems.

As the field spun around the circuit, lap 20 would see a hefty battle start to form for the second position between David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher. Both drivers are fierce competitors who would not be willing to give an inch to the other.

An engine issue forced Prost driver Jean Alesi to retire on lap 21.

As the race entered its halfway point on lap 30 Mika Hakkinen was in firm control with well extended lead over the rest of the field.

Behind Hakkinen, the battle between David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher was eventually eased down when Coulthard had to box on lap 29 due to radio interference problems.

Lap 31 saw excitement at the front of the field as Michael Schumacher had chased down Mika Hakkinen with unspoken momentum and was nose to tail entering the first turn at Silverstone. As the two World Champions continued to battle around the circuit, David Coulthard, Jacques Villeneuve, Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button were not far behind.

Then a safety car on lap 33 would bunch up the field thanks to a Jarno Trulli spin. Trulli was forced to retire his car due to tire issues. This swift end to what looked to be a promising day for the Italian marks the fourth consecutive retirement for Trulli in four races.

As the field started to race at maximum speed again on lap 35 Mika Hakkinen broke away from the rest of the field thanks to a Michael Schumacher wheel lockup that seemed to halt the grid behind them.

Minardi’s Marc Gene spun out in traffic on lap 38 entering turn 10 but would be able to get back on the circuit and finish the race in 15th position.

As the race entered its final third of laps, Mika Hakkinen continued to dominate. What once was a very close battle for the lead now was just a battle between Hakkinen and himself.

Trailing the ‘Flying Finn’ was Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button. Button, a first year F1 driver has made a large splash early in this season having notched 2 championship points and zero retirements entering Silverstone.

Lap 54 saw the other rookie of 2000 Nick Heidfeld suffer an alternator issue and be forced to box for several of the races final laps. Heidfeld did manager to cross the finish line but was 6 laps down.

Entering the final lap of the 2000 British Grand Prix it was decided that Mika Hakkinen was going to claim victory, his second Grand Prix win of 2000.

Trailing Hakkinen was Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello who briefly engaged in a battle for position but were promptly told by their Ferrari team to back down and let it be. Barrichello seemed not happy with the request but did oblige.

And that’s what the podium would look like. Mika Hakkinen the victor (leading 52/60 laps), Michael Schumacher placing second and his teammate Rubens Barrichello placing third.

The Englishman Jenson Button earned his best place of the year so far in fourth while Ralf Schumacher finished fifth. David Coulthard would bring him sixth place being followed in order by Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jacques Villeneuve, Ricardo Zonta and Giancarlo Fisichella.

McLaren led the way earning 11 constructors’ points followed by Ferrari’s 10 and Williams’ 5.

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2000 Formula One World Championship

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