1999 Australian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Eddie Irvine seized his first Formula 1 victory in an incident-packed Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit. McLaren‘s formidable pace came to nothing as both cars retired, leaving Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Ralf Schumacher to complete an unexpected podium.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren
Pole time	1:30.462
Fastest lap	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:32.112 on lap 55
First	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari
Second	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan
Third	Ralf Schumacher	Williams

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
5 March 1999	Practice 1	11:00
5 March 1999	Practice 2	13:00
6 March 1999	Practice 3	09:00
6 March 1999	Practice 4	10:15
6 March 1999	Qualifying	13:00
7 March 1999	Warm-up	09:30
7 March 1999	Race	14:00

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Mika Häkkinen began the defence of his drivers’ crown as McLaren sought to repeat its championship double. Ferrari again paired Michael Schumacher with Eddie Irvine, while new team BAR entered the championship and Bridgestone became the sole tyre supplier after Goodyear’s withdrawal.

Race entries

BAR made its debut with Jacques Villeneuve and newcomer Ricardo Zonta. Pedro de la Rosa joined Arrows, Marc Gené arrived at Minardi alongside returning driver Luca Badoer, and Alessandro Zanardi returned to Formula 1 with Williams. Heinz-Harald Frentzen moved to Jordan, Ralf Schumacher to Williams and Johnny Herbert to Stewart.

Free Practice

Häkkinen led opening practice ahead of David Coulthard, while Stewart showed encouraging speed with both cars in the leading group. Michael Schumacher and Olivier Panis completed little running because of technical problems. The newcomers and returning drivers had a difficult introduction as they learned their cars on a slippery street circuit.

David Coulthard edged Häkkinen by a hundredth in the afternoon, but the session was disrupted when Häkkinen hit the wall at the final corner. He escaped injury, although the McLaren was badly damaged and the red flag cost valuable running. Jean Alesi also struck the wall, while transmission trouble stopped Ricardo Zonta‘s BAR.

Friday Practice Classification — Combined

1999 Australian Grand Prix opening-day practice, 5 March 1999

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:31.971	30
2	1	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.014s	21
3	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	+0.976s	30
4	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+1.058s	38
5	17	Johnny Herbert	Stewart	+1.195s	28
6	7	Damon Hill	Jordan	+1.449s	38
7	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+1.605s	17
8	19	Jarno Trulli	Prost	+1.899s	31
9	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams	+1.980s	30
10	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+1.986s	26
11	10	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	+2.075s	31
12	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.164s	25
13	11	Jean Alesi	Sauber	+2.570s	17
14	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	+2.624s	23
15	18	Olivier Panis	Prost	+2.722s	23
16	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+2.724s	25
17	12	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	+3.282s	24
18	15	Toranosuke Takagi	Arrows	+3.728s	30
19	14	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	+3.785s	35
20	21	Marc Gene	Minardi	+4.510s	38
21	20	Luca Badoer	Minardi	+5.987s	22
22	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	+6.104s	12

The McLarens again traded the fastest laps in Saturday’s first practice, with Häkkinen narrowly ahead before the break. Damon Hill and Gené became stranded in the gravel, and Ricardo Zonta suffered another transmission problem. The repeated stoppages left BAR‘s rookie short of useful preparation.

Alexander Wurz crashed into the tyre barriers in final practice and brought out another red flag. Numerous drivers struggled with the reduced grip from the new four-groove front tyres, with both Saubers among those spinning off. Häkkinen nevertheless finished the morning well clear, while Johnny Herbert‘s third place gave Stewart further encouragement.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

1999 Australian Grand Prix Saturday practice, 6 March 1999

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:30.324	26
2	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.645s	30
3	17	Johnny Herbert	Stewart	+2.245s	26
4	7	Damon Hill	Jordan	+2.337s	29
5	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+2.393s	20
6	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+2.398s	25
7	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	+2.504s	22
8	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+2.552s	23
9	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.651s	28
10	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	+2.670s	24
11	12	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	+2.675s	22
12	10	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	+2.786s	16
13	19	Jarno Trulli	Prost	+2.928s	21
14	11	Jean Alesi	Sauber	+2.981s	14
15	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+2.999s	24
16	18	Olivier Panis	Prost	+3.805s	28
17	14	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	+3.870s	17
18	15	Toranosuke Takagi	Arrows	+4.062s	28
19	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams	+5.120s	7
20	20	Luca Badoer	Minardi	+5.515s	29
21	21	Marc Gene	Minardi	+6.524s	19
22	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	+17.903s	3

Each practice table combines that day’s two sessions, showing each driver’s best time and total laps.

Qualifying

Häkkinen claimed pole with a late 1:30.462 after David Coulthard had briefly moved ahead. The McLarens locked out the front row, with Michael Schumacher heading the opposition and Rubens Barrichello an impressive fourth for Stewart. Jacques Villeneuve qualified eleventh on BAR‘s debut.

Gené’s session ended in the gravel, and Häkkinen’s final improvement left the Minardi fractionally outside the 107% threshold. The stewards nevertheless allowed him to start. Alessandro Zanardi could manage only fifteenth on his return, while Olivier Panis struggled to twentieth.

Qualifying Classification

1999 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying, 6 March 1999

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:30.462	12
2	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:30.946	11
3	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:31.781	11
4	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	1:32.148	12
5	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	1:32.276	11
6	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	1:32.289	12
7	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	1:32.540	12
8	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:32.691	10
9	7	Damon Hill	Jordan	1:32.695	12
10	10	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	1:32.789	12
11	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:32.888	10
12	19	Jarno Trulli	Prost	1:32.971	11
13	17	Johnny Herbert	Stewart	1:32.991	12
14	12	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	1:33.374	9
15	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams	1:33.549	12
16	11	Jean Alesi	Sauber	1:33.910	10
17	15	Toranosuke Takagi	Arrows	1:34.182	12
18	14	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	1:34.244	12
19	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	1:34.412	11
20	18	Olivier Panis	Prost	1:35.068	10
21	20	Luca Badoer	Minardi	1:35.316	11
22	21	Marc Gené	Minardi	1:37.013	11

Marc Gené failed to set a time within 107% of pole position but was allowed to start by the stewards due to setting appropriate free practice times.

Sunday warm-up

David Coulthard headed warm-up, but several rivals had worrying final checks. Damon Hill crashed after his throttle stuck open, Alessandro Zanardi switched to the spare Williams because of electrical trouble, and Jean Alesi and Ricardo Zonta collided. The frequency of excursions suggested that finishing the race could prove as important as outright pace.

Warm-up Classification

1999 Australian Grand Prix Warm-up, 7 March 1999

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:32.560	13
2	1	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.110s	14
3	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+1.078s	14
4	12	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	+1.900s	14
5	18	Olivier Panis	Prost	+1.958s	11
6	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams	+1.996s	12
7	17	Johnny Herbert	Stewart	+2.147s	11
8	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+2.187s	9
9	19	Jarno Trulli	Prost	+2.224s	15
10	11	Jean Alesi	Sauber	+2.245s	12
11	10	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	+2.413s	12
12	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.453s	15
13	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	+2.486s	13
14	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+2.525s	16
15	14	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	+2.575s	12
16	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	+2.681s	12
17	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	+2.734s	10
18	15	Toranosuke Takagi	Arrows	+3.008s	10
19	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+3.116s	8
20	20	Luca Badoer	Minardi	+4.729s	14
21	21	Marc Gene	Minardi	+5.911s	12
22	7	Damon Hill	Jordan	+925.158s	2

What happened in the 1999 Australian Grand Prix?

The first start was aborted after fires affected both Stewarts. Johnny Herbert could not take the restart, while Rubens Barrichello used the spare car and began from the pit lane. Michael Schumacher then stalled before the second formation lap and had to start at the back. The McLarens initially pulled clear, only for David Coulthard to retire with transmission trouble.

Jacques Villeneuve‘s rear-wing failure brought out the safety car, and Häkkinen lost drive at the restart before retiring with a throttle problem. Eddie Irvine inherited the lead, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Ralf Schumacher in pursuit. Michael Schumacher‘s recovery was interrupted by a puncture and further pit stops, while Rubens Barrichello‘s charge included a stop-go penalty.

Eddie Irvine held off Heinz-Harald Frentzen to secure his maiden Grand Prix win and the early championship lead. Ralf Schumacher finished third on his Williams debut, ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella and Rubens Barrichello. De la Pedro de la Rosa took sixth for Arrows, earning a point in his first Formula 1 race.

After the race, Eddie Irvine headed the drivers’ standings with 10 points, followed by Heinz-Harald Frentzen on 6. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 10, with Jordan on 6.

1999 Australian Grand Prix race results

The 1999 Australian Grand Prix was held on 7 March 1999, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	57	1:35:01.659	10
2	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	57	+1.027	6
3	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	57	+7.012	4
4	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	57	+33.418	3
5	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	57	+54.698	2
6	14	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	57	+1:24.317	1
7	15	Toranosuke Takagi	Arrows	57	+1:26.288	0
8	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	56	+1 Lap	0
Ret	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	48	Gearbox	0
Ret	20	Luca Badoer	Minardi	42	Gearbox	0
Ret	10	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	28	Suspension	0
Ret	12	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	27	Transmission	0
Ret	21	Marc Gené	Minardi	25	Collision	0
Ret	19	Jarno Trulli	Prost	25	Collision	0
Ret	18	Olivier Panis	Prost	23	Wheel	0
Ret	1	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	21	Throttle	0
Ret	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams	20	Spun off/accident	0
Ret	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	13	Hydraulics	0
Ret	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	13	Rear Wing Failure	0
Ret	7	Damon Hill	Jordan	0	Collision	0
Ret	11	Jean Alesi	Sauber	0	Gearbox	0
DNS	17	Johnny Herbert	Stewart	0	Fire before start	0

1999 Australian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	55	1:32.112	207.256
2	16	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	29	1:32.894	205.511
3	1	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	9	1:33.309	204.597
4	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	33	1:33.378	204.446
5	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	32	1:33.407	204.382
6	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	29	1:33.560	204.048
7	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	9	1:33.603	203.955
8	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	34	1:33.657	203.837
9	12	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	13	1:34.748	201.490
10	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	13	1:34.756	201.473
11	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	12	1:34.771	201.441
12	19	Jarno Trulli	Prost	21	1:34.980	200.998
13	14	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	39	1:35.220	200.491
14	15	Toranosuke Takagi	Arrows	50	1:35.877	199.117
15	18	Olivier Panis	Prost	13	1:35.910	199.049
16	10	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	20	1:36.068	198.721
17	20	Luca Badoer	Minardi	29	1:37.073	196.664
18	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams	20	1:37.146	196.516
19	21	Marc Gene	Minardi	20	1:37.454	195.895

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. Average speeds are in km/h. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

1999 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1999 Australian Grand Prix.

1999 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Eddie Irvine	British	Ferrari	10
2	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Jordan	6
3	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	4
4	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Benetton	3
5	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Stewart	2
6	Pedro de la Rosa	Spanish	Arrows	1
–	Toranosuke Takagi	Japanese	Arrows	0
–	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	0
–	Ricardo Zonta	Brazilian	BAR	0
–	Luca Badoer	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Alexander Wurz	Austrian	Benetton	0
–	Pedro Diniz	Brazilian	Sauber	0
–	Marc Gené	Spanish	Minardi	0
–	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Prost	0
–	Olivier Panis	French	Prost	0
–	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	0
–	Alessandro Zanardi	Italian	Williams	0
–	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	0
–	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	0
–	Damon Hill	British	Jordan	0
–	Jean Alesi	French	Sauber	0
–	Johnny Herbert	British	Stewart	0

1999 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	10
2	Jordan	6
3	Williams	4
4	Benetton	3
5	Stewart	2
6	Arrows	1
–	BAR	0
–	Minardi	0
–	Sauber	0
–	Prost	0
–	McLaren	0

1999 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1999 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	7 March
2	1999 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	11 April
3	1999 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	2 May
4	1999 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	16 May
5	1999 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	30 May
6	1999 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	13 June
7	1999 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	27 June
8	1999 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	11 July
9	1999 Austrian Grand Prix	A1-Ring, Spielberg	25 July
10	1999 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	1 August
11	1999 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	15 August
12	1999 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	29 August
13	1999 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	12 September
14	1999 European Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	26 September
15	1999 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	17 October
16	1999 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	31 October