The F1 Career Story [1999-2024]
If you're a fan of the FIFA/EA FC games as much as you like your F1 games, you're probably familiar with the concept of Career Mode Stories. A writer is posting in a website / article format, tha...
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David Coulthard has converted his pole position into a race win! The opening race of the 1999 season is therefore prey to McLaren, which is there 117th race win; only two wins shy of the all-time record by Ferrari.
The rest of the podium sees Eddie Irvine (Ferrari) and Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan). Surprisingly absent are title favourites Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen. Schumacher already pitted just before the safety car neutralization and found himself in eighth after the last round of pit stops. However, the double world champion overtook his brother Ralf, his former rival Damon Hill, as well as Pedro Diniz and Johnny Herbert in the final 16 laps of the race, ending in 4th.
Mika Häkkinen was even more unlucky. Like Schumacher, the defending champion fell back during the safety car, due to an early pit stop. Then, the Finn caught debris and had damage due to the crash of Giancarlo Fisichella and Jarno Trulli. Häkkinen had to make a third long pit stop, which is why points or a podium disappeared out of sight.
The first race of 1999 also saw four rookies: only Mark Gené did not manage to finish his maiden race. Pedro de la Rosa (12th), Daniel Marzec (13th) and Ricardo Zonta (14th) all brought their cars home.
Because we're back in 1999, only the top 6 drivers are rewarded with points (10 points for 1st, 6 pts for 2nd, 4 pts for 3rd, 3 pts for 4th,
2 pts for 5th and a single point for the one coming home in 6th. All other results are done on countback of the highest finishing position outside of the point. Example: because Daniel Marzec brought his Minardi home in 13th, the team is in front of BAR (one car finished in 14th) and Prost (one car finished in 16th). This principle also applies to the drivers.
Even though Schumacher and Häkkinen did not get a result that resembled their speed, it is clear already after one round that the 1999 championship will be between winners McLaren and runners-up Ferrari. The next race is on Autodromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos, São Paolo, Brazil where rain could become a key factor.
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