2000 Japanese GP

OSRN 1

Round 16 of the 2000 F1 season at Suzuka.

Transcript

00:00:00The best two racing drivers in the world.

00:00:03The two greatest race teams in the world.

00:00:06Taking very different routes toward the one prize only one of them can win.

00:00:11Michael Schumacher today can become Ferrari's first world driving champion since 1979.

00:00:20Mika Hakkinen is trying to become the first driver since Fangio in the mid-1950s to win

00:00:25three consecutive world driving championships.

00:00:30Thus far this season each has taken unbelievable risks at breathtaking speeds and made incredible

00:00:36passes.

00:00:37And today each must call on all of their skills and all of their team's engineering here in

00:00:42Suzuka now.

00:01:07Fox sports net welcomes you to Suzuka and the grand prix of Japan.

00:01:11The penultimate round of the 2000 world championship.

00:01:17Cars are on track for their reconnaissance laps.

00:01:19In 30 minutes we could decide the 2000 world champion.

00:01:24Hello everyone.

00:01:25I'm Mike joy alongside Derek bell, former Ferrari F1 driver and Peter Williams, a former

00:01:30manager at Williams and Ferrari.

00:01:32Gets set for the best half hour in television our Mercedes-Benz pre-race.

00:01:37The title showdown is uppermost in everyone's mind.

00:01:41A qualifying duel that was settled by thousands of a second.

00:01:45You'll see it.

00:01:48We'll look back at Indianapolis and get the formula one community's impressions of the

00:01:52U.S. Grand Prix.

00:01:54And we'll go one on two with the two championship combatants, Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen.

00:02:01A light drizzle falling here at Suzuka.

00:02:06As cars are on track for their recon laps.

00:02:10Much anticipation, Derek, and I don't know, just a little bit of not just anticipation,

00:02:15but foreboding?

00:02:16Well, there is really.

00:02:18I mean, this race could decide it as we're going to find out in a minute when we show

00:02:22them the graphics.

00:02:23But in fact, it's just so exciting as far as these two men, the whole race is about

00:02:27not this man so much, but this is Rubens Barrichello, but the two, the Ferrari versus Mika Hakkinen.

00:02:33It's all about those two men today.

00:02:36The points stand like this in quite a turn from entering Indy when Schumacher was two

00:02:41points back.

00:02:42Now he's eight points up on Mika Hakkinen and can clinch today.

00:02:45Everyone else is out of the championship chase.

00:02:48And then the constructors.

00:02:51We have Ferrari with 143 points to McLaren's 133.

00:02:55Williams only 34, Benetton 20, Jordan 17, VAR 17, and that's your top grouping.

00:03:01If Schumacher wins the race, he wins the title.

00:03:04The rest of the scenarios come down to this simple fact.

00:03:07If Michael earns two more points than Mika does today, Michael is the champion.

00:03:12If not, we go on to Malaysia to decide it.

00:03:17Their records are pretty equal at Suzuka, but note that Michael has four poles here

00:03:21to Mika's none.

00:03:23That was, of course, before this weekend, it's now five zip and three fast laps to Mika's

00:03:27none.

00:03:28Otherwise, they're pretty even here.

00:03:29It is amazing.

00:03:30Yeah.

00:03:32So recon laps continues there for arrows and Ferrari and one of the McLarens coming out.

00:03:39And just a little bit of a raindrop here and there.

00:03:41You wouldn't call the track wet.

00:03:43But maybe the weather is a little foreboding, much like today is for these drivers and teams.

00:03:52What of their teammates, though?

00:03:54David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello.

00:03:56What are their roles in deciding this championship between Schumacher and Hakkinen?

00:04:01Here's David.

00:04:02You know, there's been so much talk about this, and I think everyone's overplaying what

00:04:08teams can actually do.

00:04:09You know, I can't be miraculously put in front of Michael or anything like that.

00:04:15You know, we've got to go racing and see what happens.

00:04:17And clearly, if I make a good start, then, you know, at the moment, I'm not as quick

00:04:22as Michael and Mika.

00:04:23So presumably, then if I get in front of one of them, then I'm not going to be as quick.

00:04:30Who knows what can happen?

00:04:31But let's just see what happens at the start, first of all.

00:04:35Well, those are interesting thoughts from David Coulthard.

00:04:38But they have been warned very vehemently this weekend, a black and white flag may well

00:04:43be waived.

00:04:44And that means that you are behaving in an unsportsmanlike way.

00:04:47If that happens, they're going to take it very seriously.

00:04:49The first time's a warning.

00:04:50The second time could be a three-race ban.

00:04:52Pretty major.

00:04:53And the way the rule is written is very vague.

00:04:55It's very much subject to interpretation, and the teams just aren't sure how that rule

00:05:01might be applied.

00:05:03So we'll see.

00:05:04A lot of talk at Indy about a shakeup at British American Racing.

00:05:08Many in the F1 European community shrugged it off.

00:05:11But now, Peter, it may have come to pass.

00:05:14B.A.R., British American Racing, Jack Villeneuve's trouble-torn team in the news again here at

00:05:20Suzuka.

00:05:21The rumor is that a management buyout team has been formed.

00:05:25And that includes, in no particular order, Adrian Reynard, his designer, Malcolm Osler,

00:05:29and also Barry Green, who, of course, won the Indy 500 with Jack Villeneuve and is currently

00:05:33a champ car team owner.

00:05:35Not in that team, unsurprisingly, Craig Pollack.

00:05:37So a split rumored to be occurring right down the middle there.

00:05:41Craig Pollack is denying everything, of course.

00:05:42So is Adrian Reynard.

00:05:44But rumors are that this is certainly very, very likely.

00:05:47Jack Villeneuve, meanwhile, taking a place in the middle.

00:05:50But we know where his loyalties lie.

00:05:51They are with Craig Pollack.

00:05:53Also in the news, Tom Moser, the man who was Craig Pollack's ally, the man that enabled

00:05:58the B.A.T. money to be poured into this team two or three years ago.

00:06:02He's resigned from B.A.T.

00:06:03So big changes at B.A.R.

00:06:05Meanwhile, Bridgestone have one tyre here this weekend.

00:06:08That's very significant because this is the first time they've run a 98-spec tyre, a tyre

00:06:13that goes back to the days of competition with Goodyear.

00:06:16Everybody in the pit lane says it's a brilliant tyre.

00:06:18The quality is very different from that of anything we've seen over the last 18 months.

00:06:22And certainly at Magny-Cours last week, the first test took place where both Bridgestone

00:06:27and Michelin were present on the same day.

00:06:29So the tyre war is certainly hotting up for next year.

00:06:31Well, of course, that just brings another angle into this exciting racing for next season.

00:06:35When you're going to have Michelin versus Bridgestone, it's going to be pretty tough

00:06:39out there.

00:06:40It certainly is.

00:06:41There is Jenson Button, and we'll see more from him in a minute because he was one of

00:06:45the stars of qualifying.

00:06:46Just a stellar result for his Williams BMW.

00:06:47We'll have a look at qualifying when we come back.

00:06:52Welcome back to our Mercedes-Benz pre-race for the Grand Prix of Japan, penultimate round

00:07:03in this year's World Championship.

00:07:06Suzuka has been the home of the Japanese Grand Prix since 1987.

00:07:10And, Derek, very unique circuit.

00:07:12Yes, well, it was designed by John Huggins-Holtz, who designed Zandvoort in Holland.

00:07:17Very exciting track.

00:07:18The only track we actually race on with a figure of eight, as it were.

00:07:21There are three of the possible areas.

00:07:23One is into turn one for overtaking.

00:07:24I don't think it's ideal.

00:07:26The second is actually into the hairpin.

00:07:27It is possible there.

00:07:28And the other, of course, is into the chicane before the pits.

00:07:31It's 3.6 miles, the second longest circuit in the world, 18 turns.

00:07:36Let's go and ride with Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

00:07:38He's steaming down the hill past the pits up to 195 miles an hour.

00:07:43He'll actually brake lightly and then downshift one gear as he goes to the first part, brakes

00:07:47some more and down another gear, tries to get it back under control.

00:07:51Brakes his way out of there at 90 miles an hour, then up through the S-curves.

00:07:54These, believe me, go on and on.

00:07:57You've got to get on the apex each time, but you mustn't use all the road on the exit.

00:08:00Otherwise, you're going to find yourself not lining up for the next corner, and you have

00:08:03to get the rhythm right.

00:08:04Coulthard, for example, had a bit of trouble this weekend getting it right.

00:08:07Now we go to the Dunlop curve.

00:08:09This has a bump in it, which actually upsets the car.

00:08:12And he's working his way along the top bit up to the Dania curves at 135 miles an hour

00:08:17between the two.

00:08:19Down to 80 for this corner.

00:08:21Under the bridge, that's the other part of the circuit going overhead.

00:08:23Accelerates all his way up to 170 miles an hour, hard braking as he goes into the hairpin.

00:08:29This is a first gear 40 mile an hour corner.

00:08:32Car always seems to understeer coming out of there, right out to the outside, but you've

00:08:35got to be right under control to get all that power down.

00:08:38Works his way through this 175 mile an hour long, long right-hander, and he's coming up

00:08:43to 180 miles an hour.

00:08:44He's going to brake into the first part of the Spoon curve.

00:08:47The second part, you can see there, the adverse camber.

00:08:49The road actually drops away.

00:08:50And you've got to keep the car right in the middle of the, or to the left of the road

00:08:53as you come out there.

00:08:54Otherwise you have to back off and you need all the throttle you can get down the straight.

00:08:59Now he's coming up to 130 R. He's doing 195 miles an hour as he gets up here.

00:09:06Works his way through that little bit of lift off as he goes through there.

00:09:09Accelerating again up to 185, braking hard for the chicane.

00:09:12He's going to bounce over the curbs as they all do to get a little bit more grip when

00:09:15the car lands.

00:09:17And out he comes onto the pit straight.

00:09:19That was a lap with Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

00:09:22They have the track.

00:09:23Surface is smooth.

00:09:24The grip level is very high here.

00:09:26The drivers like it.

00:09:27Tire compound is soft.

00:09:29Tire wear is medium.

00:09:30Brake wear is low.

00:09:31Maximum throttle, 62% of the lap, and fuel consumption is high.

00:09:36Well, it's certainly a track that produces exciting racing, and it's one where Ferrari

00:09:42and McLaren have been very even all through the weekend.

00:09:44Here's Ralph Schumacher, who will line up sixth right alongside his young teammate,

00:09:49Jensen Button.

00:09:50With Jensen pipping Ralph again in qualifying.

00:09:53Not by much, but considering that Jensen hasn't raced here, perhaps that is significant.

00:09:57As we said, qualifying was a game of thousands.

00:10:01Perhaps the best qualifying we've seen all season, Derek.

00:10:04Yes, it really was the most exciting.

00:10:05I must admit, I was on the side of my seat watching it as it happened.

00:10:09The drama was building up, of course, for this showdown at Suzuka, as I like to call

00:10:13it.

00:10:15Schumacher seemed very relaxed all weekend, had been quickest in most of the sessions.

00:10:17Mika Hakkinen a little bit more serious about it.

00:10:19Schumacher went out after 35 minutes, and he sets the pole time.

00:10:24There it is, straight away a quick time.

00:10:25Mika responds.

00:10:26He goes out.

00:10:27He's trying to do it.

00:10:28Can he do it?

00:10:29Yes, he gets polled.

00:10:33So Michael goes out again.

00:10:34He says, right, I better take the wand back from you.

00:10:37He goes out.

00:10:38Look at it.

00:10:391.35.9.

00:10:400.1, a tenth of a second, Mika says.

00:10:43I can't believe it.

00:10:44That means I've got to go out again.

00:10:45I can't believe it.

00:10:46Look, here's the first sector.

00:10:47Hakkinen, in fact, is slower.

00:10:48Ferrari think, oh, we've got it.

00:10:50But it's his second sector.

00:10:52He's still a little bit slow, and you think, that's it.

00:10:54Michael has got to go out again.

00:10:55But as he goes over the line, he's seven hundredths quicker.

00:10:59Wonderful bit of driving.

00:11:00Michael says, OK, boys.

00:11:01I'm the best.

00:11:02I'm going to just go and show you that I am.

00:11:04And believe it or not, that is exactly what he tries to do.

00:11:08There he is.

00:11:09He's one hundredth of a second quicker, and over the line, he goes nine thousandths of

00:11:14a second quicker.

00:11:15Jubilation.

00:11:16Mika Hakkinen goes out one more time in the dying segment of the session, trying to get

00:11:21up to it.

00:11:22He's very close to Michael all the way around.

00:11:23Will he do it?

00:11:24He goes over the line.

00:11:25No.

00:11:26Two tenths.

00:11:27He lost a bit of time as he went over the line.

00:11:30Look at the Ferrari boys.

00:11:31They were so happy.

00:11:32The fans were not as ecstatic as they were at the U.S. Grand Prix, but my goodness me.

00:11:36Let's go and listen to Michael Schumacher at the press conference.

00:11:38Naturally, this is not the race as any other.

00:11:42So as you know, we can finish this championship here.

00:11:47The game raises, but I guess I'm used to this.

00:11:52On the other side, there's no point to celebrate now a big time this full position because

00:11:57it's nice, but it doesn't mean really the end result.

00:12:02And we have to fight for that very hard tomorrow, in my view.

00:12:05Are we ready to do this?

00:12:06Well, basically, yes.

00:12:07You know, my last run was pretty good and made adjustments to the car, which helped

00:12:11me to go quicker, but just in the last chicane, I obviously wasn't able to accelerate out

00:12:18of the corner as fast as I wanted to.

00:12:19So obviously I'm a bit disappointed to be in second position, yes.

00:12:24Let's hear from Ross Brawn, the technical director at Ferrari, who's one of the men

00:12:28right behind this Ferrari resurgence.

00:12:30You had only three runs instead of the four.

00:12:33Was that planned in advance?

00:12:35We hoped to, yes.

00:12:36I mean, we want to save tyres for the race, so we were hoping we could manage it in three

00:12:40runs.

00:12:41And so the whole thing was scheduled around three runs.

00:12:45Well, on the pole, and they've conserved tyres.

00:12:47There's confidence.

00:12:48Back to you.

00:12:49Well, of course, it really matters just what happens when that flag drops or the red lights

00:12:54go out.

00:12:55We'll see what happens at the start, mate.

00:12:56And the cars are as even as they have been all season, just thousands apart in qualifying

00:13:00and close all through practice.

00:13:02Still a few umbrellas up, but it has stopped raining around most of the circuit.

00:13:08So we expect a dry race.

00:13:10When we come back during our Mercedes-Benz pre-race, we'll have a look back at the U.S.

00:13:15Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

00:13:16Was it as truly wonderful for the Europeans as us Americans felt?

00:13:21We'll see.

00:13:24Coming up in two weeks' time, the final round of the world championship, the Grand Prix

00:13:27of Malaysia.

00:13:28Most of you in the east and midwest will see it live.

00:13:31Not made to be delayed in some western markets.

00:13:34Check your local listings, as Fox Sportsnet is a network of regional affiliates who sometimes

00:13:39have local programming commitments.

00:13:41But most of you will see it live, Saturday, October 21st.

00:13:46Michael Schumacher giving an on-the-grid interview.

00:13:49Very rare, may I add.

00:13:50You can't normally get him on the grid.

00:13:52To a German...

00:13:53That's German television, of course, and, you know, you can...

00:13:56If he's that loose before the race is ready to go, it's a good sign for Ferrari fans,

00:14:00isn't it?

00:14:01It's a big and astonishing arrest.

00:14:03Well, we had a wonderful time at Indianapolis two weeks ago as Formula One returned to the

00:14:08United States for the first time in nine years.

00:14:11A quick look back at some of the highlights.

00:14:14David Coulthard on the grid and rolling just a little bit prematurely in front of 220,000

00:14:19fans.

00:14:20He would eventually get a ten-second penalty after the officials had reviewed the tape.

00:14:25So there they are off on the start, gray then red.

00:14:28The minority holding off the McLaren for fourth place.

00:14:31That was too much for Mika's engine, pneumatic valve trouble, and poof, up in smoke.

00:14:36Jack Villeneuve had a little bit of a spin not to win.

00:14:39Look at this.

00:14:40Dive bomb pass.

00:14:41J.V. trying it on Princeton didn't quite work.

00:14:44And then Michael rather falls asleep while in the lead, and he does the spin and win,

00:14:49leading Ferrari to a one-two and taking over the lead in the world championship as he and

00:14:55Barrichello celebrate.

00:14:57Well, what did the European Formula One community think of Indy?

00:15:01I thought it was great.

00:15:02I mean, I saw a lot of Brazilian flags and a lot of people.

00:15:05I don't know if they were drunk or anything like this, but they were saying, I mean, some

00:15:10of them were saying nice things.

00:15:12Some of them were saying really bad things on that crowd, but they were all Brazilian.

00:15:16So the Americans don't have to worry.

00:15:18The main thing of the start was walking out onto the grid to cover the cars sitting there,

00:15:24looking left and right and seeing 200,000 people.

00:15:26That was just, well, it took your breath away.

00:15:28So look at this cool few parts.

00:15:30I mean, it showed that overtaking is good there, which is similar to my hometown in

00:15:34Austria, home race.

00:15:35Well, we have race fans all over the world, especially there have been a lot of Jordan

00:15:42fans in Indianapolis, and I was quite amazed how many Jordan fans actually there are.

00:15:50And I think most of them are a huge crowd of them.

00:15:55Most of them are basically Irish, what I understood, but you have Jordan fans all over the world.

00:15:59So it was a great pleasure to see them there.

00:16:04Probably the best U.S. Grand Prix ever, and, well, I was impressed with the spectators.

00:16:08They cheered, they stood up, they gave us a big applause when the first car was running

00:16:14on the racetrack, and it was a fantastic mood.

00:16:17Especially to turn one, you didn't see it so much during the weekend from an engineer's

00:16:20point of view, but when we saw it from the podium, because we finished third there, it

00:16:25was unbelievable.

00:16:25And the drivers were saying into turn one, it was just like driving into a sea of people.

00:16:29Definitely the starting grid and the sea of people.

00:16:31Never seen anything like it.

00:16:32I get a pass to go on the starting grid.

00:16:34Normally I leave before the race starts, but I just had to stay there to just see the reaction

00:16:38of the crowds.

00:16:39It was amazing, phenomenal.

00:16:40The first time a car came through the pit lane, I've never heard so many people shouting,

00:16:44you know, because they were very happy.

00:16:46So I hope they were happy.

00:16:48We won't know until next year, but if next year all the seats are taken three months

00:16:52before, I think Formula One's been a big success.

00:16:54A huge venue, a huge success.

00:16:56I think Formula One performed the way it had to for the American fans.

00:17:01I know Formula One enjoyed it, they seem to, but what Formula One really needs is an American

00:17:06driver.

00:17:06I don't know how far away we are from that.

00:17:09Well, I thought there was an incredible atmosphere, and I think the fact that 200,000 fans stood

00:17:13up to cheer their drivers around at the end really says it all, Mike.

00:17:17This young fellow, Jenson Button, loved it.

00:17:20Not a great day for Eddie Irvine there back at Indy, but we just had a wonderful time.

00:17:23Both Bernie Eccleston and Tony George both very happy and both exclaimed how great it

00:17:29is that Formula One has a permanent home in the United States.

00:17:32I'll tell you, Derek, I hope we're there next year for Fox SportsNet, but if we're not,

00:17:36Gay and I are going to buy tickets.

00:17:37I wouldn't miss it.

00:17:38I'm going to be there with you, Mike.

00:17:39Great.

00:17:41Well, Indy was the first of three consecutive flyaway races for the Europe-based Formula

00:17:45One teams.

00:17:46It takes seven 747s to load all the cars, equipment, and digital TV gear.

00:17:53So we sent Peter Windsor deep inside Formula One to see what it takes to fly away.

00:18:00Yes, an 82-page manifest here from the Williams team, and that means 82 of these packhorse

00:18:05boxers have been on the road now, effectively since just after the Italian Grand Prix, what,

00:18:10a month ago.

00:18:11After that race, the teams had to prepare the cars not only for America, but also for

00:18:15the three-race cycle that they're now into.

00:18:18In this particular one here, box number six, for example, oil and water, suspension, fuel

00:18:23hosing, suspension front, anti-roll bars, fuel equipment, steering, rose joints.

00:18:26It's all there.

00:18:27It's all packed in these boxers like this.

00:18:29Here, for example, you can see the sort of detail they have to go to.

00:18:32This yellow cable, find, that's got an American plug on the end, used in Indianapolis, obviously.

00:18:37No good here in Japan or Malaysia, but they had to bring it with them.

00:18:40Inside here, look at these tailpipes.

00:18:42Beautifully stacked BMW tailpipes.

00:18:44This is the sort of detail of the packing and the logistics that Formula One is very

00:18:48typical for.

00:18:49Inside, that's where we really see it come to a head.

00:18:52That's where all the detailed drawers are barcoded, and when a mechanic needs a bolt,

00:18:56when he needs something that actually is going to make the car run in 30 seconds, he knows

00:19:01exactly where to go.

00:19:02So there we've got, for example, everything you need to make up a set of pedals.

00:19:06We have brake ducts for qualifying, brake ducts for the race.

00:19:09We have all sorts of nuts and bolts, all made by Williams, of course, gloves, everything

00:19:13you could possibly want.

00:19:14And, of course, the main thing here is to maximize space.

00:19:16So how do you get a workbench with a vice on it?

00:19:19What you do, you turn one of these packhorses into a bench by bolting a carbon plate on

00:19:23the top.

00:19:24Hey, presto, you've saved a lot of space and, of course, valuable weight there.

00:19:28For the crews, it is unbelievably tiring.

00:19:32They had to race-prepare the cars for the American Grand Prix at Indianapolis, four

00:19:36days less time than they would normally have in order to get them on those freighters to

00:19:40Indianapolis.

00:19:41Same after the Japanese Grand Prix.

00:19:43The boys are going to be working until midnight Sunday night, most of Monday, going to Malaysia

00:19:47and then starting five days later, building cars for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

00:19:52Thank you, Peter.

00:19:52I wish my garage was that organized, but then I don't have $150 million a year to spend

00:19:56on it.

00:19:57There is Michael Schumacher.

00:19:58He's just donned his helmet, climbed aboard the car.

00:20:01When he takes that helmet off, will he be the world champion?

00:20:04We will find out.

00:20:06We're less than eight minutes from the start as that car awaits the current and perhaps

00:20:11future world champion, Mika Hakkinen.

00:20:14We'll be right back and talk to them both in our next segment.

00:20:23The Grand Prix of Japan on Fox Sportsnet is brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, located on

00:20:27the web at mbusa.com.

00:20:30And by mysap.com.

00:20:33You can, it does.

00:20:34Well, there's the second quickest ride at Suzuka, the roller coaster at the adjacent

00:20:41fairgrounds and amusement park.

00:20:44We'd like to hear from you.

00:20:45We'd like your comments, your questions and suggestions about our coverage.

00:20:49Formula1 at foxsports.net is our email address.

00:20:52We read them all, but scheduled questions should go to your local Fox Sportsnet affiliate.

00:20:57There is Michael Schumacher.

00:20:58The only question on his mind right this minute is can he beat Mika on the start?

00:21:02And Derek Ferrari made a lot of changes to the clutch, as we're told, after trouble with

00:21:06practice starts during this weekend.

00:21:08McLaren Mercedes reported no problems whatsoever in that regard.

00:21:11Yeah, well, I'm sure they must be worried about Michael's starts because he's had some

00:21:14pretty poor starts this year and that really cost him dearly at the US Grand Prix.

00:21:19And Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who hoped to be a bit further up in this championship than

00:21:22he is and further up on the grid.

00:21:24He'll start eighth today.

00:21:26Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen.

00:21:28One of them will be world champion.

00:21:30Peter Windsor talked to them both.

00:21:32First to Mika about racing Suzuka.

00:21:35For me, it is the most ideal place to race the situation where we are at the moment,

00:21:43because I have been going very well past here in Suzuka.

00:21:46So I'm ready to fight over here and to get back on the top.

00:21:51Tell us about the difference between the McLaren and the Ferrari.

00:21:54First in qualifying and then in race conditions.

00:21:57I'm very confident at the moment with the car.

00:22:00More than confident probably what I was in Indianapolis in general.

00:22:05Even if we were in the race very fast, I think here we can be even quicker.

00:22:09And we have something different in the car what we had in the last race, what we've been

00:22:17testing and we know which is something better.

00:22:22So in terms of lap time, it's going to make us go a little bit quicker.

00:22:27Is that going to be enough?

00:22:28I don't know, but that's what we'll see.

00:22:31They had some noticeable low points in the year.

00:22:33Monaco, Hockenheim, Austria.

00:22:35What was it like on the Monday after those races in terms of the championship and the

00:22:39year ahead of you?

00:22:41It's never a good feeling.

00:22:42On the other side, I have a family and when I'm back home, my kids don't care whether

00:22:47the father won the race or lost the race.

00:22:50It's always the same for me and for them.

00:22:53So it comes very quickly down to normal life.

00:22:59How close do you think Ferrari and McLaren are now in race conditions?

00:23:03As you see, pretty close.

00:23:08We feel optimistic because we know that we have a very good car and if we get the maximum

00:23:13out of this car, then we know we can do it.

00:23:16But then it's the point.

00:23:17Do we always get the maximum or not?

00:23:19And what about the other side?

00:23:20What was that moment like on the podium at Indianapolis in front of that crowd?

00:23:24Great.

00:23:25You have in particular down there, you have the tribune on double surface and it means

00:23:31many spectators and people in front of you celebrate together with you.

00:23:36And being the first time there, seeing all that, the amount of people, we all look forward

00:23:45to going back there next year.

00:23:46One final question going back to Suzuka.

00:23:48A fine line between what your teammates can do and you talked about that after the race

00:23:52in Indianapolis.

00:23:53Can you give us your thoughts again on how far a teammate can go to help you or Micah?

00:23:59The point is pretty easy.

00:24:01If he's in the race in a normal condition, he can slow down somebody as what we have

00:24:06seen in Indianapolis, what David did or what I did in Malaysia.

00:24:10That's part of the game and you simply have to accept it.

00:24:13Even though when you're on the part of receiving, you're not very happy naturally, but then

00:24:20that's part of it.

00:24:21You have to adapt to it.

00:24:24But on the other side, I'd rather see no teammates influencing any situation.

00:24:29I'd rather fight on a straight fight with Micah.

00:24:31From my position, that's natural.

00:24:33Obviously, Micah would like to see that differently.

00:24:37Well, he certainly seems pretty relaxed, doesn't he?

00:24:39I think so.

00:24:41He struck out at David Coulthard about the incident bumping during the passing in Indianapolis.

00:24:45But since, Michael has recanted.

00:24:47He said, I've looked at the video.

00:24:48There was nothing untoward.

00:24:50It looked different from the cockpit.

00:24:51He said, but he apologized to David for his outburst and said it was a fair move.

00:24:57Coming up, the start that could decide the season.

00:25:00Stay right here.

00:25:11Welcome back to Suzuka.

00:25:12The grid now beginning to clear.

00:25:13The signal been given to clear the starting grid as we get set for the formation lap.

00:25:18There's Michael Schumacher on your right.

00:25:2176 degrees.

00:25:2363 percent humidity.

00:25:24Chance of rain now 60 percent.

00:25:26But within the course of the race, that will drop to 30 percent.

00:25:33So, Schumacher on the outside there.

00:25:36Hakanen.

00:25:38Right alongside.

00:25:39And everybody else is no place.

00:25:40One of those two for the championship.

00:25:42Well, remember, they are actually about 20 foot apart.

00:25:44I have to say, Mike, you said they're side by side.

00:25:46Well, yeah.

00:25:47I think we should point that out.

00:25:49I wanted to do it before because it just gives Schumacher, the front man,

00:25:52that little bit of extra clearance when he leaves the line.

00:25:55So he's not bottlenecked next to the other guy.

00:25:56Puff of smoke as the engines rev up a bit.

00:25:58Remember, this is, they're allowed to do a start off the line as they go.

00:26:03And with that, let's have a look at our Mercedes-Benz starting grid for today's race.

00:26:0631st career pole for Michael Schumacher by just nine one thousandths.

00:26:11Mika Hakanen was pretty happy.

00:26:13Remember, he's won twice from this position on the grid.

00:26:17David Coulthard, from his comments,

00:26:19I don't think his car is quite at the same spec of Mika's,

00:26:22but it appears he got all out of it there was for third.

00:26:24Yeah, Rubens Barrichello hasn't had that brilliant of a weekend,

00:26:27but fourth isn't too bad.

00:26:28How about Jenson Button in the Williams BMW,

00:26:30who called qualifying fifth one of the greatest moments of his season?

00:26:34Well, poor Ralph Schumacher.

00:26:35He's found it very hard to match Jenson Button this weekend.

00:26:39Eddie Irvine for Jaguar.

00:26:40Big aerodynamic developments in the last week paid off,

00:26:43and he's pretty thrilled with seventh.

00:26:45Trenton hasn't been happy with his car.

00:26:46They've been trying to sort it out,

00:26:47so I hope it's okay for the race.

00:26:50Jacques Villeneuve will line up ninth.

00:26:52His hair is dyed red, and he joked it was to support Michael.

00:26:55Uh-huh.

00:26:57Big developments there,

00:26:57but a lack of grip in the high-speed corners for Jacques.

00:27:00Yeah, aerodynamic changes have improved it for Herbert.

00:27:05Alexander Wurz.

00:27:06He said the car felt a little down on power,

00:27:08but he's out-qualified Fizzi again.

00:27:10Yeah, and it wasn't the first time this year either.

00:27:13Back to row seven in the Arrows.

00:27:15De La Rosa cited electric and hydraulic problems,

00:27:18but even two more tenths would not have moved him up a row.

00:27:21Josh Verstappen's been complaining about the steer all the time.

00:27:25Jarno Trulli way back in 15th.

00:27:27Power steering problems.

00:27:28They continued during the warm-up,

00:27:29and he's now gone to the spare car.

00:27:32Nick Heidfeld for Prost.

00:27:33Back there in 16th position.

00:27:35Not terribly thrilled.

00:27:37Then Jean Alesi.

00:27:38Car has no balance.

00:27:38He's not confident with it, he says.

00:27:40And Zonta struggling a bit with his BAR.

00:27:43The Saubers are way back in the 10th row.

00:27:46Mika Salo had to go to the T-car,

00:27:47which was set up for Denis.

00:27:49Denis blew up and stayed on line during practice,

00:27:52so they penalized him by throwing out his two best qualifying laps.

00:27:56Puts him 20th.

00:27:57Marc Genet 1.6 seconds faster than he was last season,

00:28:01but still the Minardis are slow.

00:28:03Matsukani anchors the grid as per usual.

00:28:14Car's coming back to the grid,

00:28:15and these next few minutes,

00:28:17Derek could decide the World Championship.

00:28:19How vital is it to get off this grid first?

00:28:22Well, it's absolutely paramount that Schumacher makes the best start he's made all year.

00:28:25The McLaren, for some reason,

00:28:26does seem to get more traction off these starts.

00:28:29Ferrari seem to leave a bit of smoke.

00:28:31I'm sure Michael has been practicing and practicing and practicing,

00:28:33but that's what it's all about.

00:28:34They look like they're side by side now,

00:28:36but believe me, they are slightly offset.

00:28:39Very, very critical time for Albon,

00:28:40but it is still a long race,

00:28:42as the others all get in line behind.

00:28:44Again, they've changed the dynamics of the clutch in Schumacher's car

00:28:49after trouble with practice starts,

00:28:50and smoke still.

00:28:51And is that fluid dripping?

00:28:53Oh, no, I'm sorry.

00:28:54No.

00:28:54It looks like a fluid, doesn't it, back there?

00:28:56It looks most unusual,

00:28:57but I don't like that smoke coming off his car at this stage.

00:29:00Remember, he fell out of the last race, didn't he?

00:29:02Let's go with the Japanese Grand Prix.

00:29:04Schumacher slices across, but cannot deny Häkkinen.

00:29:13Mika, Michael, David, and is that Button up for fourth?

00:29:26Well, Schumacher tried to get across in front of Häkkinen,

00:29:27but his start, again, is not good.

00:29:29He's got a bit of a problem with the clutch.

00:29:31He's got a bit of a problem with the clutch.

00:29:33His start, again, is just not up to it.

00:29:34Those McLarens, I have to say,

00:29:36do have something that helps them get better traction off the line.

00:29:39We saw it at Indy the other week,

00:29:41and it seemed the same here.

00:29:48Now, we know so well that that McLaren

00:29:50is always just a little bit better than the Ferrari.

00:29:54It's always just that better in race form,

00:29:56and that's what I think worries most Ferrari fans.

00:29:59Here they are as they come into the hairpin.

00:30:00First gear corner.

00:30:02Accelerate out.

00:30:03Boy, Barrichello also did not get a good start, Derek.

00:30:08He's back about sixth.

00:30:10Michael did need a little bit of assistance up at the front.

00:30:16Here they are just coming around now,

00:30:17what they call the spoon.

00:30:20And that leads on to the back straight.

00:30:22As I said in the earlier bit,

00:30:24when we saw the track map,

00:30:25you've got to be right in on the inside of the corner.

00:30:27Don't let the car drift out too wide.

00:30:28Keep it in.

00:30:29And then you slipstream down this back straight

00:30:32and through 130R.

00:30:33It's very difficult because they take that

00:30:34at some 170 miles an hour,

00:30:37and you can't really get in somebody's slipstream into it.

00:30:39Braking into the chicane.

00:30:41Over the kerb.

00:30:45Eddie Irvine moved up to fifth from seventh on the grid.

00:30:48Yeah, Ralph Schumacher had a stunning start.

00:30:50It's him in fourth place now.

00:30:51It was Ralph, not Jensen, who's back in seventh.

00:30:53So Barrichello slipped from fourth to sixth.

00:30:56That's the turn one.

00:30:57They downshift once, downshift again,

00:31:00and then start to work their way up through the S's.

00:31:06Drowning out the top 10,

00:31:07Johnny Herbert, Jack Villeneuve just for stopping.

00:31:10Let's have another look at the start.

00:31:14No way he was going to block Mika Hakkinen.

00:31:16Look at the way that McLaren goes.

00:31:18Look at Ralph up there too.

00:31:19Gosh, what a move.

00:31:20David Pauldon has to give him a bit of room.

00:31:21Ralph almost got up for third as he squeezed into third.

00:31:24Ralph almost got up for third as he squeezed Rubens.

00:31:27Look for wheelspin here.

00:31:28Let's see.

00:31:31Well, not much.

00:31:32Michael knows where he's going, but he's already lost out.

00:31:34He's lost those feet already.

00:31:36He's had some appalling starts this year.

00:31:38And Eddie came up the outside to fifth.

00:31:41Look for any wheelspin on Mika's car.

00:31:43You won't see any.

00:31:44You never do.

00:31:46He tried to make it tight for Mika Hakkinen as he went off the line,

00:31:48but of course he was far too slow off the line.

00:31:51He could have done that if he'd had a better start.

00:31:55Here they come again up to the Spoon.

00:31:56You can see them come.

00:31:57Beautiful aerial shot as they work their way around.

00:31:59175 mile on the right side.

00:32:01Coming out of the Spoon, then down this long, long back straight,

00:32:04which of course has a grid of its own for one of the other circuits

00:32:06that they use here at this wonderful facility at Suzuka.

00:32:09Then up to 130R, this very, very famous corner.

00:32:12Radial treated a bit like Eau Rouge at Spa.

00:32:15160 mile out.

00:32:16They just feather the throttle as they go through there.

00:32:18Remember, they're on fairly fuel tanks right now.

00:32:20We don't know what their strategy is going to be.

00:32:22Last year, everybody did two stops.

00:32:24This year, we understand that truly, way back on the grid,

00:32:27we know he's only going for one,

00:32:29and we don't know who others might be doing that too.

00:32:33Schumacher one second back.

00:32:38The one second is pretty inconsequential,

00:32:40but the fact that Hakkinen is the man in front of him means everything.

00:32:44Yes, I'm afraid it's going to all go down to,

00:32:46unless other things come into being,

00:32:48it's going to come down to just how close they are

00:32:51when they go for their stops for tires and fuel,

00:32:53and we've seen some wonderful work going on by both teams this year.

00:32:59Irvine doing a stunning job there in fifth place,

00:33:01one has to say, in the Jaguar.

00:33:03The Jaguar does work well when they have,

00:33:06if you like to call it, an abrasive surface,

00:33:09when they can get more grip out of it,

00:33:11and they can use the downforce of the car.

00:33:13Well, Eddie really benefited by everybody else diving to the inside on the start

00:33:17as Barrichello tried unsuccessfully to hold off Ralf Schumacher,

00:33:21and then Coulthard had to battle with Ralf.

00:33:22Everybody was pinched down there.

00:33:24Eddie just took the high road, went around the outside,

00:33:26brought himself up to fifth on the start.

00:33:27Yeah, why not? It's the way to go.

00:33:29Everybody went to the right.

00:33:30It's such a wide corner.

00:33:31Eddie has raced here a lot.

00:33:32He raced here a lot, tremendous amount in sports cars in 3000,

00:33:35and of course he had his first Grand Prix here

00:33:37when he ended up having a touch-up with Ayrton Senna.

00:33:40We understand that at least one driver is under investigation

00:33:43for perhaps jumping the start.

00:33:47We'll try to find out more.

00:33:49Well, I hope it's not...

00:33:50It is common, excuse me, it is common to take some time

00:33:54in reviewing all the available videotape angles before a decision is made.

00:33:58So some folks may have been critical that it took so long

00:34:01to penalize Coulthard at Indianapolis,

00:34:04but that is pretty much the matter of course.

00:34:10So Mika Hakkinen trying to regain the lead in the World Championship

00:34:14and send the title fight on to Malaysia,

00:34:16and the final round of the season leads Michael Schumacher.

00:34:19You're watching Formula One on Fox Sports Net.

00:34:25Welcome back to Suzuka where Mika Hakkinen leads Michael Schumacher.

00:34:28There are the two drivers fighting for the World Championship.

00:34:34If Schumacher wins, it's over.

00:34:36If he earns two points more than Mika today, it's over.

00:34:40For Schumacher, this is a one-race season.

00:34:42For Hakkinen, it needs to be a two-race season.

00:34:46And the gap is constant, one second.

00:34:49They're just in the class of their own, these two, aren't they?

00:34:51They've just been battling it out for the last few races,

00:34:53just nose to tail like this.

00:34:55We saw Mika catching Michael at the United States Grand Prix,

00:34:58and today Michael is just hanging in there with Mika.

00:35:02Look at the lead.

00:35:02They've got four seconds and a half over Coulthard

00:35:04and about six seconds over Ralph Schumacher in the Williams

00:35:09after only four laps.

00:35:10Barrichello back at sixth.

00:35:13That battle on the start where everyone squeezed to the inside,

00:35:16Bud Irvine put him back in sixth.

00:35:20Jensen Button got caught up in all that.

00:35:22He's seventh.

00:35:23Johnny Herbert eighth.

00:35:25Jack Villeneuve ninth.

00:35:28And look back through the field.

00:35:31For Hakkinen and Schumacher, for both of them,

00:35:33this is their tenth Japanese Grand Prix.

00:35:35They've each won it twice.

00:35:36I'm not sure what the problem is on Fisichello,

00:35:38but he is well back in twentieth.

00:35:41See, he's not been happy the last two races.

00:35:42And he got quite a...

00:35:43You know, got a lot of trouble from his boss, Flavio Briatore,

00:35:47for not being quite on top of the show in Indianapolis,

00:35:50allowing Wurtz to actually go quicker.

00:35:52And Wurtz has been getting a hammer all day,

00:35:54and even though he's been ahead of the game,

00:35:56he's not been very happy with this.

00:35:57He's got the lead in the final,

00:35:58and he's trying to pull it back.

00:36:00He's got to be careful.

00:36:01He's got to be careful.

00:36:02He's got to be careful.

00:36:03He's got to be careful.

00:36:03But he's got a lot of trouble.

00:36:05Berts has been getting a hammer all year and we agree that Berts is leaving the team and

00:36:08now he's signed up as test driver for McLaren, which is a wonderful job to have, so his confidence

00:36:14is up and suddenly he's driving exceptionally well.

00:36:16Well, he's driving the way he drove last season, Berts is, and the way he should have been

00:36:19driving this season, and he probably still have a ride for next season.

00:36:26In Formula 1, rather than in testing, we're told also that Zonta has picked up a test

00:36:30drive, he'll be the test driver with Jordan next season, which Jordan used to have fellows

00:36:36come in and the test drive position was kind of like, give us some money and we'll let

00:36:40you run the car a little bit, but I guess now they're getting quite serious about it

00:36:43and to have someone who's raced on all these circuits is going to be quite valuable to

00:36:47Jordan.

00:36:48Well, talking about that, you start to think about just how incredibly well Jenson Button's

00:36:52gone versus Ralph Schumacher, and Frank Williams is sort of still keeping pretty open-minded

00:36:57about how poor Juan Pablo Montoya's going to go, because he just doesn't know half these

00:37:02circuits and he's just going to be on the back foot all the time, everywhere he's going,

00:37:05he's going to have to learn them.

00:37:06I was a bit surprised, Eric, that Montoya was there at Indianapolis, of course, almost

00:37:10every living Indy 500 winner was in attendance at the Grand Prix, but was forbidden by his

00:37:16Williams contract to give any interviews to Radio or TV.

00:37:19Strange, that?

00:37:20It's most strange, isn't it?

00:37:21Most.

00:37:22I don't understand it.

00:37:26Second to third, might as well be a whole season between Michael and David Coulthard.

00:37:30Yes, it's a whole way.

00:37:32David, you know, one can't help but think that McLaren would be putting that last bit

00:37:37of effort into Mika Häkkinen's car at this point, which is pretty tough on David, and

00:37:42obviously the same one has to say with Ferrari.

00:37:44Ferrari have been running their, they've had a C1 engine that they've been using for qualifying,

00:37:49but they only used their B2 engine for the race, and that is the situation this weekend.

00:37:54So the car obviously hasn't got quite the power that it was having in qualifying yesterday.

00:37:58Now, as I said during the grid, I'm well convinced from David's comments, not from just what

00:38:04he said, but what he didn't say, that his car is not quite at the same spec of Mika's.

00:38:08I mean, it sounded as if he got everything that was out of the car, didn't talk about

00:38:11anything else they could have done.

00:38:13Let's have another look.

00:38:14Watch the white car, middle of the grid, behind the red car, Barrichello, and watch Ralph Schumacher

00:38:18come sliced down across the yellow line, into the pit lane, and there's that schmazel

00:38:23between the three of them that allows Eddie Irvine to come up for fifth.

00:38:27Ah, but Ralph got quite a start.

00:38:30Well, of course, he had a clean start and just kept his foot in, and the others didn't

00:38:35have such good starts, and they end up balking one another as they went into the turn.

00:38:39The thing is, Schumacher doesn't want to get too close behind Häkkinen, because there

00:38:50is that turbulent air.

00:38:52This circuit does have probably the most fast corners on it of any circuit.

00:38:57They're all medium to fast corners, apart from the hairpin he just saw, but they're

00:39:00all these fast corners, and if you get behind somebody like that too close, you get turbulent

00:39:05air, and therefore you get understeer or push, and your tires start to go away, and

00:39:08the car becomes most unstable.

00:39:10So you've got to keep that little bit of extra distance back behind the car in front.

00:39:14All those fast corners and the length of the circuit comes into play.

00:39:17It's one of the fastest, or excuse me, one of the longest in Formula 1, third longest

00:39:22behind Spa and Häkkinen, but at Indy, everyone had to learn a new racetrack, and here at

00:39:29Suzuka, all the teams have had to deal with a brand new tire, what Bridgestone is calling

00:39:34its medium spec tire, actually softer than last year's soft compound tire, and quicker

00:39:40than the current soft tire, and the times here, 1.6 seconds quicker than last year in

00:39:47qualifying for the pole.

00:39:50There's that smoke, and maybe that's some liquid from Mika's car on the grid.

00:39:55So he doesn't look too good on that right-hand side of his motor, that's for sure.

00:39:59Remember, it was his left-hand side that had the problems, that hydraulic problem, didn't

00:40:04it, Mike, at the last race, followed by the engine actually expiring, so...

00:40:08Yes, Norbert Haug said the pneumatic valve train, no valve springs in these cars, they're

00:40:14air operated, air pressure operated valves in the engine, and that was the failure that

00:40:19put Häkkinen out of the race.

00:40:23But McLaren has said, Derek, they're not concerned.

00:40:26Well, they're not going to say they are, are they?

00:40:27No, not as long as the car's running, no!

00:40:28Somebody might tell Ferrari about that.

00:40:32No, we don't have a lot of concerns Ferrari have either.

00:40:35There was once a star driver who drove for a very proud engine builder, and while leading

00:40:40a very important race, the car just, it just blew up, the engine just blew up, and knowing

00:40:46what the builder would say when he got back, if he said the engine blew up, he said, darn

00:40:50starter fell out of the car, because he just wouldn't put the blame where it belonged,

00:40:54because nobody wanted to hear that.

00:40:56So, yep, McLaren says everything's fine, and I'm sure that's just what they're telling

00:41:00Mika.

00:41:04Many folks brought scanners to the United States Grand Prix, as you do to kart and NASCAR

00:41:09races, and were disappointed, because unlike American racing, all the radio transmissions,

00:41:14most all the radio transmissions amongst the Formula 1 teams are scrambled, a lot of high

00:41:18tech scrambling to prevent eavesdropping, and other teams listening in, so the folks

00:41:24with the scanners got to hear the various broadcast channels, and that's pretty much

00:41:28about it.

00:41:34You'll see Ralph Schumacher there, behind him Irvine, behind Barry Kellow.

00:41:41Barry Kellow, I'm a bit disappointed in this year, he's not really, he had that wonderful

00:41:45win of course at Hockenheim, but I've been disappointed in his performance, he's not

00:41:49really come out really storming, has he? The way I really thought he would.

00:41:55Now here we go, oh, Jacques getting him.

00:42:00Oh, locking up too. There you are, that's the overtaking place we mentioned, coming

00:42:04in the chicane, but you've got to storm through that 130 yards to do that, and just get the

00:42:09lovely toe as you go up, up into the chicane.

00:42:13I think the greatest shining light at Indianapolis

00:42:18for the media was this man, Jacques Villeneuve, he took charge of the Thursday press conference,

00:42:24of course he's raced at Indianapolis, he's won the 500 there, but when Mika Hakkinen

00:42:29and Michael Schumacher Thursday struggled for an answer, Jacques would jump in and say

00:42:33let me expand on that, let me explain that, let me tell you what it's like here, and he

00:42:38was very gracious with interviews all through the weekend, that dive-bomb-pass attempt on

00:42:43Frentzen was one of the great thrills, not just of the race, but of the season, and for

00:42:48me, the Ferrari 1-2 victory aside, Villeneuve was the star of the weekend.

00:42:53Yes he was, he was outstanding, I have to say, and he doesn't normally say much at all,

00:42:56he doesn't like doing any PR work, so it was, I guess he felt he's back at Indy, and he

00:43:00was back home where it all happened before.

00:43:08Trouble for one of the arrows, off to the side, and coasting along.

00:43:24And at a halt, just over that brow, so there'll be flags waving, nope, now it looks like he's

00:43:28able to make it, hopefully on around to the pits.

00:43:34So the championship chase remains, Hacken and Schumacher, but the gap is increasing

00:43:44somewhat, you're watching Formula One on Fox Sportsnet.

00:43:49Fox Sportsnet coverage of the Grand Prix of Japan, Mika Hacken leading Michael Schumacher,

00:43:56Schumacher leads the points, Hacken trying to three-peat, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart,

00:44:03Ricky Lowden, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna, each with three world championships, one of

00:44:09these two drivers will join that list.

00:44:12It's quite remarkable when you think about it, wonderful group of drivers and his peers

00:44:16there ahead of him, ahead of them, right, shall I say.

00:44:19And this morning, Derek, much like the parade of past Formula One cars at Indianapolis,

00:44:25Honda, which owns the Suzuka circuit, had a parade this morning of Formula One cars

00:44:31that made Honda history, and Jack Brabham was driving the lead car, John Surtees, Nakajima,

00:44:36Berger, and Suzuki, and that as we ride along with Rubens.

00:44:43We're going up the S's now.

00:44:50That proved Dunlop, there's a bit of a bump through there, very fast corner.

00:45:01Goes under the other part of the circuit.

00:45:06Works his way down to the hairpin.

00:45:12Next time you see that onboard view, I won't interrupt it to tell you this, but right at

00:45:16the A in Marlborough, you'll see that little camera that gives you what we call the bug

00:45:20on the windshield view that we saw there at Indianapolis.

00:45:24And again, our thanks to all the folks at Formula One for being able to provide us those

00:45:29additional views for our home Grand Prix that we could share with our US audience.

00:45:41I cannot believe that Rubens cannot do anything about Eddie Irvine in front of him,

00:45:45the power of that Ferrari.

00:45:48But it just shows how much grip the Jag does have.

00:45:50Now they've got it together, they worked on some aerodynamic effects at Silverstone

00:45:54when they came back to the United States Grand Prix on their training cars,

00:45:57and they bought it for both the cars here, and it's obviously worked quite well.

00:46:01Jos Verstappen took his arrows to the garage, pulled into the pit, backed it in the garage.

00:46:05He is still in the car.

00:46:07They're trying to make repairs, and now there's activity at Sauber,

00:46:11which had dismal qualifying.

00:46:13Mika Salo in the T-car, which was set up for Donitz,

00:46:16and Donitz had a much better run than 20th would indicate,

00:46:20but the penalty that took away his two best qualifying laps

00:46:24stuck him well back on the grid, so activity there.

00:46:28We're told that Jarno Trulli, instead of being on a one-stop strategy with nothing to lose,

00:46:32that they may in fact, Derek, have started with a very, very light fuel load

00:46:36and be on a three-stop strategy.

00:46:39Well, he's come up five places since the start of the race,

00:46:42so I guess it's working, but he's going to lose it all when he goes into stop.

00:46:47Trulli up to tenth with that extra time along pit lane and getting service.

00:46:53They have altered the pit lane a bit this year, everybody.

00:46:55The pit entrance used to be before the chicane,

00:46:58and this year they've got it just afterwards.

00:47:00You go through the chicane, and then, of course, you tuck into it.

00:47:03So in fact, it's actually a bit slower,

00:47:05because you have to speed down past the chicane on a nice straight bit of road.

00:47:09You'll see the exit just as they go out of it,

00:47:11or the entrance to the chicane as they go out this corner.

00:47:13There it is.

00:47:14Ah!

00:47:22There's been a bit of reconstruction here, too, with the garage area at Suzuka,

00:47:26and there was an earthquake earlier in the weekend

00:47:29in the region that was felt here at the circuit.

00:47:31Peter can tell us more.

00:47:34Well, yes, there was an earthquake here on Friday at Suzuka.

00:47:36Not everybody in the pit lane felt it,

00:47:38but shortly afterwards, Jacques Villeneuve left the road in his BAR,

00:47:41and the rumour was that it was because of the earthquake.

00:47:43Jacques, of course, denied that.

00:47:45But take a good look at the pit lane, guys,

00:47:47because on the Monday after this race,

00:47:49or once the boys have finished packing up,

00:47:51this entire paddock and pit lane area is to be demolished

00:47:54and rebuilt in time for the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix.

00:47:58So this will be the last time you see the pit lane in its current form at Suzuka.

00:48:02There goes Mezzacane going off at the Dania curves,

00:48:05just before he goes under the...

00:48:07There he goes.

00:48:08He'll now turn into the corner, hopefully, to go under the bridge,

00:48:10but he's not making a very good job of it at the moment.

00:48:12Lucky there was a lot of run-up area there.

00:48:14He also went off in the warm-up,

00:48:16so he's not having too good a weekend.

00:48:18I wonder if we'll see much of him next year.

00:48:20I wonder.

00:48:21Well, it's Pedro Diniz who's in

00:48:23very, very early

00:48:26for a scheduled stop.

00:48:27It's only 12 laps in.

00:48:30But it appears they're just doing normal service.

00:48:34Can he be on a three-stop?

00:48:36And if so, why?

00:48:37Well, exactly.

00:48:38I still think he's coming a bit too early for a three-stopper

00:48:41because he only makes 39 laps if he's on a...

00:48:43Right.

00:48:44He'd be on a four-stopper at this rate,

00:48:45just to make 52.

00:48:50Well, with him only doing routine service,

00:48:53we'd have to guess it was a wheel imbalance

00:48:55or something of that sort.

00:48:56Well, he could...

00:48:57You can lock a tyre up,

00:48:58and we're not going to see it

00:48:59out the far side of the circuit.

00:49:00He's going to lock a tyre up,

00:49:01listen to, you know, get it,

00:49:02and it gives a lot of vibration to the steering,

00:49:04and can upset the car a lot.

00:49:05The right old train of them here,

00:49:07but it's only Villeneuve up front of them

00:49:09who's been actually doing much work about overtaking.

00:49:16So Hakkanen has doubled his lead on Schumacher

00:49:18here at 14 laps.

00:49:202.1 seconds.

00:49:31Zonta battling Heidenfeld.

00:49:34Had a look there.

00:49:35By the way, you could, uh...

00:49:39You could win...

00:49:40Actually, you could buy or bid on

00:49:42one of those Prosts.

00:49:44Uh, the Prost team

00:49:45and its Internet sponsor, Yahoo,

00:49:48are going to auction one of the cars

00:49:50and donate the proceeds to UNICEF.

00:49:55No engine.

00:49:56There's not much good to you,

00:49:57and it wasn't much good with the engine in it.

00:50:01The other, the other amazing thing

00:50:02is that all the drivers have, uh...

00:50:04have given all their overalls

00:50:05to the United States Grand Prix,

00:50:07and they will be auctioned,

00:50:08and the money will go

00:50:09to the widow of that, uh, poor fire marshal

00:50:12that was hit at Monza and killed

00:50:14in the Italian Grand Prix four weeks ago.

00:50:16Paolo Gilimberti, the, uh, the fire marshal

00:50:18who was struck by debris in that turn,

00:50:22uh, or second chicane accident

00:50:24on the first lap there at Monza,

00:50:26and that's a very, very nice gesture

00:50:28by the Formula One community.

00:50:31There are other fund- fundraising activities

00:50:33underway to take care of his family,

00:50:35and that's...

00:50:37should be well recognized.

00:50:39Very much appreciated.

00:50:42Hacking him with a look in his mirrors,

00:50:44and all he sees is red.

00:50:48Only a spot of red, let me tell you.

00:50:50Yes, it's a dwindling spot, isn't it?

00:50:52Well, he hasn't changed much.

00:50:53Two seconds.

00:50:54We'll see what happens

00:50:55when he gets towards the, uh, pit stop,

00:50:57you know, pit stop

00:50:58to see just if Michael will start

00:51:00to pull up a bit.

00:51:01Remember, if he pushes Mika all the time,

00:51:03he's not gonna get by him,

00:51:05so he may as well settle back a bit,

00:51:07let Mika get in a false sense of security,

00:51:09and Michael save his car and tires

00:51:11to go- go the distance,

00:51:12or go, you know, to the stop.

00:51:15Well, the Jordan mechanics have come out,

00:51:17and that would presumably be for truly...

00:51:21I say presumably, of course it is.

00:51:31Woo-hoo!

00:51:36The Yana truly ended that in 15th.

00:51:38The first of what we're told

00:51:40could be three stops.

00:51:42And, uh, interesting,

00:51:43in one of the press conferences this weekend,

00:51:45that Mugen, uh, may remain in Formula One.

00:51:48We had been told earlier

00:51:49that both Jordan and BAR

00:51:51would receive official Honda- Honda engines,

00:51:54uh, but the Mugen people may remain involved.

00:51:56They have been supplying the engines to Jordan,

00:51:58a- a different engine

00:51:59than Honda has been supplying to BAR.

00:52:03So, news on that, for sure,

00:52:05in Malaysia in two weeks' time.

00:52:08But we'll be back for the first round of pitstops.

00:52:10Mika Hakkinen leads Michael Schumacher

00:52:12in the Japanese Grand Prix.

00:52:21Eddie Irvine is in at lap 16.

00:52:23Irvine.

00:52:26Because he's lying in fifth place.

00:52:34Oh, dear, what have they done?

00:52:35They haven't lowered the car.

00:52:36They're the cars.

00:52:37Ten seconds, that wasn't part of the plan.

00:52:39Remember, he goes out on the rev limiter,

00:52:41limiting the speed as he goes up the pit lane.

00:52:43And off he can go and lets it fly.

00:52:45He's still out in front of this group.

00:52:50So Irvine will slip from fifth.

00:52:53Made his debut here.

00:52:551993 for Eddie Jordan.

00:53:01Last corner, a little bit of smoke off

00:53:05off Jack's left rear.

00:53:11As he chases Jensen Button.

00:53:19Well, Jack didn't get the start that he'd gotten

00:53:21in three of the last five Grand Prixs,

00:53:23but he's been the one doing the passing

00:53:25and moving up the board.

00:53:27As he's making the move, he's doing a super job.

00:53:30Remember, the Honda have been, have got a

00:53:32sort of a special engine for this race weekend.

00:53:34It didn't show much in qualifying,

00:53:36but Jack is certainly showing the strength

00:53:38with the car now.

00:53:39He hasn't been happy with the setup of the car.

00:53:41He's closing right up on Jensen Button.

00:53:43He's going to give him a lot of pushing

00:53:45at the chicane very shortly.

00:53:46Remember, that's where he overtook just now.

00:53:48A very super move on Herbert.

00:53:51Matsukane in for an 8.3 second stop for Minardi.

00:54:02It's been pretty evident, Derek,

00:54:04the last half dozen or so races

00:54:06that Jack's confidence level in the car

00:54:08is way, way up.

00:54:09He's been taking chances with it,

00:54:11and the car has really been

00:54:13much closer to being a contender

00:54:15than we've seen since B.A.R. started

00:54:17nearly two years ago.

00:54:18Well, they seem to have settled down.

00:54:20They've given themselves a bit more rhythm as a team.

00:54:22Let's ride with Jack.

00:54:24Slowest corner on the circuit.

00:54:54Activity at Sauber.

00:54:56You can see Villeneuve closing up

00:54:58on Jensen Button as they go around.

00:55:00Whoa!

00:55:01Jensen had the tail out there

00:55:03as they go around,

00:55:04and we're going around.

00:55:05Coming out of the spoon,

00:55:06that would have given Jack

00:55:07a bit of extra momentum

00:55:08onto the straight.

00:55:10As they come up to 1.30 R,

00:55:12he's much closer than before,

00:55:13but remember,

00:55:14he's going to have a lot of turbulence

00:55:15as they go in here.

00:55:16A little bit of lift off the straight.

00:55:18A little bit of lift off the straight.

00:55:20A little bit of lift off the straight.

00:55:22A little bit of turbulence

00:55:23as they go in here.

00:55:24A little bit of lift off

00:55:25as they turn in,

00:55:26and then, woof,

00:55:27you just go through that corner.

00:55:28Here he is again.

00:55:42Remember, he's giving Jensen Button a workout.

00:55:44Remember, Jack has been IndyCar champion,

00:55:46won the Indy 500,

00:55:47and world champion.

00:55:48This is Jensen Button's first year

00:55:50and his first time

00:55:51in a racing car actually

00:55:52as Herbert comes in.

00:55:53First time in a racing car

00:55:54at Suzuka.

00:55:57Johnny Herbert with

00:55:58the tire pressure problem

00:56:00in at lap 18.

00:56:13And there's the lead.

00:56:14Hakanen to Schumacher.

00:56:16And it's Wurz, Salo

00:56:18and Heidfeld

00:56:19in the pit lane.

00:56:20What a contrast

00:56:21to last year

00:56:22when they came in a course

00:56:23on a slightly harder tire.

00:56:24Therefore, they could do it all

00:56:26on two stops.

00:56:27This year, they're really pushing

00:56:28the envelope.

00:56:29These softer tires

00:56:30are working extremely well,

00:56:31giving the guys

00:56:32much more confidence.

00:56:33I wonder what Ferrari's

00:56:35and McLaren's strategy

00:56:36is going to be.

00:56:37Verstappen is now

00:56:38a climb from his car.

00:56:39He's out of the race

00:56:40with hydraulic problems

00:56:41on his arrows.

00:56:42He's going to have to

00:56:43get back on track

00:56:45with hydraulic problems

00:56:46on his arrows.

00:56:55Neither Hakanen

00:56:56or Michael Schumacher

00:56:57are doing exceptionally...

00:56:58not doing exceptionally

00:56:59fast laps.

00:57:00They're only in the 39th.

00:57:02In the warm-up this morning,

00:57:03they were running

00:57:04in the 38th zero,

00:57:05Michael did,

00:57:06in race set-up.

00:57:08And pole, of course,

00:57:09was a factor of what...

00:57:10was a 135

00:57:13point 825.

00:57:17Nine thousandths

00:57:18of a second quicker

00:57:19than Mika,

00:57:20so they're way off pole.

00:57:21Ralf Schumacher

00:57:22in for his first stop

00:57:23at lap 19.

00:57:26And Jacques Villeneuve

00:57:27in as well.

00:57:29Well, Jacques was being held up

00:57:30by Jenson Button,

00:57:31so that was quite a good idea

00:57:32for them to bring Jacques in.

00:57:35Good stop by Williams.

00:57:40Right front wing adjustment

00:57:41on Ralf's car.

00:57:43Some 23 people

00:57:44involved in this pit stop.

00:57:47Nice, good, clean stop

00:57:48for Jacques,

00:57:49under 7 seconds.

00:57:51That should be Jenson.

00:58:03They're already

00:58:04getting ready.

00:58:05And there's a possibility

00:58:07that Barrichello's

00:58:08running this race

00:58:09on a one-stop.

00:58:11And that may be

00:58:12a little bit of strategy

00:58:13knowing that he started

00:58:14well off...

00:58:15Oh, look!

00:58:16We have a spinner!

00:58:18Is that a Lacey?

00:58:19It is.

00:58:20Oh, sadly.

00:58:21What a...

00:58:22dreadful season.

00:58:23I think that's on the way

00:58:24up through the S's.

00:58:25At the back of the circuit

00:58:26there's going to be cars

00:58:27flying up their beds

00:58:28to get him off that road

00:58:29quickly,

00:58:30and he's going to have

00:58:31to do it.

00:58:32At the back of the circuit

00:58:33there's going to be

00:58:34cars flying up their beds

00:58:35to get him off that road

00:58:36quickly, boys.

00:58:37A lot of fluid

00:58:38pouring out of the car.

00:58:39I think he's spun

00:58:40on his own engine.

00:58:41His engine expired

00:58:42and he flew around.

00:58:43Those Peugeot engines

00:58:44have been diabolical

00:58:45this year.

00:58:46And you saw him

00:58:47looking nervously

00:58:48toward the oncoming traffic.

00:58:49You see the line

00:58:50is right where

00:58:51his car was sitting.

00:58:52Well, those guys

00:58:53are coming up there

00:58:54pretty quickly,

00:58:55you have to admit, Michael.

00:58:56They're coming up there

00:58:57at 130,

00:58:58up to 150,

00:58:5960 miles an hour.

00:59:00So I'd want to get

00:59:01a little closer

00:59:02with the 962.

00:59:03Here comes Barrichello

00:59:04into the pits.

00:59:05He's up 20.

00:59:10Lacey will be back

00:59:11with Ross next season.

00:59:16Under seven seconds

00:59:17for Barrichello.

00:59:23Judging by the way

00:59:24they're coming in now,

00:59:25he's going to have

00:59:26one more stop

00:59:27to go before the end.

00:59:28So we were told

00:59:29he was on a one-stop.

00:59:30McLaren work...

00:59:31Sorry, McLaren

00:59:32of Hackett

00:59:33working his way

00:59:34through the traffic.

00:59:35Schumacher

00:59:36then has to follow

00:59:37behind him

00:59:38in that traffic

00:59:39as well.

00:59:41With all the talk

00:59:42about team tactics

00:59:43at Indianapolis

00:59:44we saw

00:59:45when Coulthard

00:59:46was in the lead

00:59:47off the start

00:59:48of the race

00:59:49that his lap times

00:59:50fell off

00:59:51such that

00:59:52Mika Hackett

00:59:53could catch up

00:59:54the lead duo

00:59:55of Coulthard

00:59:56and Schumacher.

00:59:57Here comes the explosion

00:59:58on that Peugeot engine.

00:59:59Look, I'd hate to be

01:00:00the guy behind

01:00:01and you wouldn't know

01:00:02where to go,

01:00:03would you?

01:00:04Goodness gracious me.

01:00:05Look at it.

01:00:06Really blew up.

01:00:07Yeah.

01:00:08And then right

01:00:09into the groove.

01:00:10Yeah, look at it.

01:00:11You can see the fluid

01:00:12pouring out the back

01:00:13of the car.

01:00:14Not nice for him

01:00:15at all.

01:00:16Probably quite happy

01:00:17it's all over.

01:00:18He hasn't had

01:00:19a happy weekend

01:00:20this weekend.

01:00:21Not happy with the car.

01:00:22Very nervous, twitchy.

01:00:23And it's certainly

01:00:24not what you want

01:00:25around this circuit.

01:00:26I was saying, Derek,

01:00:27I wonder,

01:00:28is it possible

01:00:29that Ferrari

01:00:30could come up

01:00:31with a strategy

01:00:32whereby with the timing

01:00:33of stops, Rubens

01:00:34might end up

01:00:35on the track

01:00:36somewhere

01:00:37just ahead of Mika?

01:00:38I suppose

01:00:39if you made

01:00:40an extra pit stop.

01:00:41Yeah, but I don't think

01:00:42he was far enough.

01:00:43Oh, the extra

01:00:44by the final one.

01:00:45Maybe.

01:00:46Yes, not at the moment.

01:00:47Yes, he could be.

01:00:48No, but.

01:00:49Yeah, they'd be

01:00:50pretty cunning.

01:00:51As in chess,

01:00:52you're always thinking

01:00:53several moves out ahead.

01:00:54I wonder.

01:00:55Not that they do that

01:00:56on purpose.

01:00:59Mika Hakkinen

01:01:00leads from Michael Schumacher.

01:01:012.4 seconds

01:01:02the last time by

01:01:03is the difference

01:01:04between the two

01:01:05championship contenders.

01:01:06You're watching

01:01:07Formula One

01:01:08on Fox Sportsnet.

01:01:11Lap 22.

01:01:12Mika Hakkinen

01:01:13comes to the pit lane.

01:01:17Is activity

01:01:18at Ferrari

01:01:19with Schumacher

01:01:20or did he go on by?

01:01:22They weren't getting

01:01:23ready for him,

01:01:24but he's not come

01:01:25in this time.

01:01:27Good stop

01:01:28by McLaren.

01:01:29Superb stop.

01:01:30They can't afford

01:01:31to make any errors

01:01:32at all.

01:01:33Now Ferrari

01:01:34can't afford to either.

01:01:35Now he's going

01:01:36to have some

01:01:37pretty quick laps.

01:01:38Now is Michael Schumacher

01:01:39turning in some

01:01:40quick laps

01:01:41right at the end

01:01:42of his run here.

01:01:43And now Ferrari

01:01:44is out.

01:01:45They'll come in

01:01:46this time.

01:01:48They have come out

01:01:49into the pit lane

01:01:50with McLaren,

01:01:51but it was kind

01:01:52of a half-hearted.

01:01:53They can't come

01:01:54out until the lap

01:01:55that the car

01:01:56is due in on.

01:02:12There we come.

01:02:13Beautiful shot.

01:02:15Second part

01:02:16of the Spoon.

01:02:17Keep it in fairly

01:02:18tight.

01:02:19You can see all

01:02:20that white cement

01:02:21there.

01:02:22He's going

01:02:23to finish

01:02:24the day

01:02:25qualifying

01:02:26and then proceed

01:02:27to drive around

01:02:28the whole track

01:02:29to get back

01:02:30to the wall.

01:02:31And he got

01:02:32penalized badly.

01:02:33Lost the first

01:02:34fastest two laps

01:02:35of his qualifying

01:02:36session.

01:02:37Michael going

01:02:38around 130R.

01:02:39Down the chicane.

01:02:40From this view

01:02:41you really get a

01:02:42sense of just how

01:02:43fast that is.

01:02:44Now they're

01:02:45going to pop

01:02:46into the pit lane.

01:02:47Here he comes

01:02:48and he'll just

01:02:49flick a right.

01:02:50There he goes.

01:02:52He was ready

01:02:53to go but the

01:02:54fueler hadn't got

01:02:55the pipe off

01:02:56at that point.

01:02:57Here he comes.

01:02:58There's Hackanen

01:02:59coming by the pits

01:03:00now.

01:03:01Now Schumacher's

01:03:02going to be on it

01:03:03and off he goes.

01:03:04There it is.

01:03:05Out he goes.

01:03:06Status quo.

01:03:07But that's seven tenths

01:03:08of a second longer

01:03:09on the stop.

01:03:10He's of no help

01:03:11to the car.

01:03:12Schumacher's

01:03:13going to be

01:03:14on it and off

01:03:15he goes.

01:03:16There it is.

01:03:17Out he goes.

01:03:18Status quo.

01:03:19But that's seven tenths

01:03:20of a second longer

01:03:21on the stop.

01:03:22He's of no help

01:03:23to Michael Schumacher.

01:03:36So David Coulthard

01:03:37has yet to pit.

01:03:39And he's currently

01:03:40in the lead of the race

01:03:41of course.

01:03:43Look at that tyre.

01:03:44Whoa.

01:03:45They've really worn

01:03:46that tyre down.

01:03:51And the wear was

01:03:52to the outside

01:03:53of the rear tyre.

01:03:54Not sure if that was

01:03:55a left or a right

01:03:56but we had seen

01:03:57a little bit of tyre smoke

01:03:58off the left rear

01:04:00in some of those.

01:04:01I just said it.

01:04:02It happened

01:04:03in the left rear.

01:04:04That's the tyre

01:04:05that takes all the loading.

01:04:06Almost the loading.

01:04:12And now McLaren

01:04:13is ready for Coulthard.

01:04:14Sloppy round there.

01:04:17What a good chase

01:04:18he and Jakob had there.

01:04:22Little shake-up there

01:04:23back beyond

01:04:25fourth place

01:04:26after the pit stop.

01:04:27Barrichello

01:04:28now ahead of

01:04:29Ralf Schumacher

01:04:30and Button

01:04:31in front of Irvine

01:04:32and Villeneuve

01:04:33who's

01:04:35slipped back.

01:04:36Here he comes.

01:04:38Great stop.

01:04:39Super stop

01:04:40by McLaren yet again.

01:04:41Best job!

01:04:42Went sixth.

01:04:43This is the guy

01:04:44that we thought

01:04:45had the opportunity

01:04:46to get a first.

01:04:47He's in.

01:04:48He's 2nd.

01:04:49And now

01:04:50he's 2nd.

01:04:51He's in.

01:04:52And he's coming

01:04:53back to the pit stop.

01:04:54Now

01:04:55he's in

01:04:56and then he's

01:04:57coming back

01:04:58and he's

01:04:59coming back

01:05:00and he's coming

01:05:01back

01:05:02and he's coming

01:05:03back

01:05:04and he's coming

01:05:05back

01:05:06had the makings of being world champion this year. He was storming mid-season, absolutely

01:05:11outrageous for the driving mid-season. His confidence was up and he was giving Mika Hakkinen

01:05:15a really hard time when Mika's confidence was low.

01:05:28So with the first round of pit stops complete, they've cycled through the field, Hakkinen

01:05:31back to the front, Schumacher second, Coulthard, Barrichello, now Ralf Schumacher ahead of

01:05:37Butt.

01:05:43I have to say, whenever we get this McLaren into race trim, it just does the business.

01:05:48It's just such a perfect machine. Everything about it is just right. And of course, they

01:05:53have a lot of history on this circuit. A lot of work here, a lot of testing over the years.

01:05:58Here we go. Oh, what a super bit of move there. Oh dear.

01:06:07But rather like turn one at Indy, he only just did it. So he says, well, I'll take the bottom of the car off

01:06:12on these rocks as I go over it now. Instead of taking the right side of it off on Eddy.

01:06:16But has he been doing some wonderful work today in the overtaking.

01:06:28Villeneuve with 14 points on the season. And that's 14 more than VAR had in their inaugural season.

01:06:39As Peter tipped, big shakeups coming at VAR and British American Tobacco, which owns the team.

01:06:49There's the gap. 2.4 seconds. First to second.

01:06:56And look at what's happened to Mika Hakkinen's fortune since joining McLaren Mercedes.

01:07:0018 wins and 48 starts. That is a pretty good average. It's about a 3.75 if you're a hitter.

01:07:11So that's knocking a few of them out of the park.

01:07:13Amazingly is that actually Michael and he, in their last 40 races, both won 13 Grand Prixs.

01:07:20And they're both on the same number of Grand Prixs competed in. 134 members.

01:07:26Of course, they both had accidents. Michael had his last year.

01:07:29And of course, Mika had his in Australia two years before that.

01:07:39And here we find them at Suzuka. So evenly matched in practice and qualifying and in statistics at this track.

01:07:48But Mika got off to a better start. And that has made half of the difference that you see here.

01:07:54Now probably the other half is a few tenths on the pit stop.

01:07:58And just the fact, as you stated, that the McLaren in race trim is consistently just a tick better than the Ferrari.

01:08:08You've just got to remember that Ferrari, though, do build every darn component on that car.

01:08:12They build the engine, the gearbox, the chassis, everything.

01:08:15McLaren's engines, one has to say, are made by Mercedes-Benz or whoever.

01:08:21And that makes it more difficult for Ferrari. They have to compete against a manufacturer and an engine manufacturer.

01:08:28And that is pretty tough for them to do. They actually have, they built nine cars already this year, Ferrari.

01:08:33They've got 45 engineers working on the Formula One project.

01:08:37And they have a 50% model in the wind tunnel that runs 24 hours a day.

01:08:42They've got to get the perfection out of that chassis. So they are doing it, working at it very, very hard.

01:08:57I thought that Michael might have tried to push Hakkinen towards the end of that stint and catch him up a little bit,

01:09:02to put pressure on him at the pit stop. But he didn't quite make it.

01:09:05And he didn't really get a dynamically quick lap on his last lap.

01:09:12But he's got to be really close at the next pit stop, right up the back of Mika,

01:09:16if he's to make any sense out of having a worthwhile pit stop.

01:09:19Because there's two seconds between them, and if he only makes half a second at a pit stop, it isn't too much good.

01:09:24No.

01:09:26So for the first six positions, we're right back to grid positions, although mirror image.

01:09:31Hakkinen, Schumacher, Coulthard, Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, but 26 laps complete, we'll be right back.

01:09:39Welcome back to the Japanese Grand Prix from the garage of Williams,

01:09:42where Jenson Button again has been a star all weekend.

01:09:45I was fortunate enough to drive into the circuit with him on Saturday morning,

01:09:48and I have to say, I imagine what it was like when the Beatles were touring Japan.

01:09:52The girls were ten deep as he got out of his BMW by the swipe area.

01:09:57It was extremely impressive. Derek, I'm sure you know what that feels like.

01:10:00Let's hear all about it. Back to you.

01:10:02I don't know what he's talking about. I've never experienced anything like that, Peter.

01:10:05But I've certainly seen it with those other drivers.

01:10:08I was never in Formula One long enough, and I was never good enough either.

01:10:11Well done, Peter. Jarno Trulli was in. You just saw him exiting the pits at lap 29.

01:10:16And on a couple of the camera lenses, we've seen raindrops.

01:10:20So the flags are straight out. And last lap, Jacques Villeneuve was there.

01:10:24You see the raindrops. Jacques Villeneuve was two and a half seconds off on his last lap.

01:10:28We didn't see quite what happened to him.

01:10:29Well, Michael Schumacher's pulled back three quarters of a second on Mikko in the last lap.

01:10:33So he's reveling in this damp conditions, and you can see the gap there now.

01:10:36He's hauling in Mikko Häkkinen. As soon as he gets damp, Michael is on a flyer.

01:10:40He's out wide around that turn 2, coming up the hill at 160 miles an hour.

01:10:44And he's really going to close in right now.

01:10:46He was six tenths quicker than Mikko last lap.

01:10:50Nice of Trulli to move aside.

01:10:53Speaking to Atlas F1, Schumacher said,

01:10:56I have a principle in life. What you shout into a forest will echo back at you.

01:11:00And we've seen a definite thawing of the relationship between Häkkinen and Schumacher.

01:11:04You couldn't call them close friends because they're bitter rivals on the racetrack.

01:11:08But I think there's a very, very healthy respect.

01:11:12Schumacher softened as Häkkinen showed a very professional attitude toward him.

01:11:17Michael went on to say there are people who look for trouble and people who don't look for trouble.

01:11:22They look for fighting on the track, and I think that's why he and Mikko have such a good relationship.

01:11:27Well, Mikko actually never says anything bad about anybody.

01:11:30I have to say, he always reserves his opinions. He's very, very good about it.

01:11:34Here's what it looks like. Frenzel's pulled off the road.

01:11:39And out.

01:11:40And out. That's the end of the Jordan-Mugen Honda.

01:11:44But there was the other day at Spa,

01:11:46I remember that wonderful overtaking maneuver of Mikko overtaking Michael up the hill.

01:11:50Afterwards, they were seen in the Ferrari hospitality, both drinking beer and smoking on a cigar.

01:11:56So they do get on pretty well together.

01:11:58They have to relax together from time to time.

01:12:01He puts that steering wheel back on the car, which you have to do.

01:12:04You have to put it back on within 10 seconds, because they have to be able to move the car, otherwise you get penalized.

01:12:08Look now how Mikko got really badly held up there.

01:12:11Michael's all over the back of him now.

01:12:20Well, when it's been raining,

01:12:23there is how Ferrari has prevailed.

01:12:26You'd call the U.S. Grand Prix a rain race for those first 10 laps, at least,

01:12:30with the damp track and everyone starting on rain tires.

01:12:33All but one driver.

01:12:35Can you imagine just how Hakkinen is feeling now?

01:12:38He knows it's damp.

01:12:39It's not raining much, because there's not as much rain on that camera lens.

01:12:42But it's raining enough on Schumacher.

01:12:44He always has this bit over Mikko when it starts to get damp.

01:12:48Mikko does not like this varying condition.

01:12:52You see only in certain parts of the circuit do we have a bit of rain on the lens

01:12:57and a little bit of dampness on the track.

01:12:59But there is...

01:13:01You can talk all day about which is the world's best race car,

01:13:04who is the greatest driver, but in the rain,

01:13:06no one really compares with Michael.

01:13:08Well, look at him in the last two laps, how he's caught Mikko up.

01:13:10It has to be the damp, dampish conditions.

01:13:12It certainly isn't that damp, because they're still doing the same lap times.

01:13:15But as soon as it got a little scud of wet on the road,

01:13:18Mikko backed off just a little bit.

01:13:20Very cautiously, I don't blame him, because he's not going to win the World Championship

01:13:23if he spins off the road.

01:13:2795, Schumacher 1 here in the rain.

01:13:29It's rained during the race in 88.

01:13:32Winsena 1, 93.

01:13:34Winsena 1, 94, Damon Hill.

01:13:37And 95, Michael.

01:13:40The four rain races.

01:13:41Now, the last four Japanese Grands Prix have been running the dry.

01:13:44The fans are getting a bit excited now.

01:13:46You can hear the old sirens going and the trumpets going.

01:13:49All of the Japanese crowds are very, very calm.

01:13:51I remember arriving there one morning thinking, where are all the people?

01:13:53Because there's no traffic on the road.

01:13:55And when we walked in, they're all sitting in the stands, absolutely silent.

01:13:57They're already there, waiting for the action.

01:14:03McLaren have won five times at Suzuka, including the last two years.

01:14:10Also hold the absolute qualifying record here, set by Gerhard Berger in 1991.

01:14:16We expect Mika Hakkinen possibly on lap 35.

01:14:19And Michael two laps later on lap 37.

01:14:22Michael is worrying Mika right now.

01:14:24And if I was Mika, I would be not looking in my mirror.

01:14:27I'd just be driving as flat as I possibly could.

01:14:29You start to look at that red car zooming up under braking.

01:14:32Here's a little bit more rain on the screen now.

01:14:35And that puts Mika off.

01:14:37And as soon as you start getting deterred by that in these conditions,

01:14:39when it starts to get damp, you're going to go off the road.

01:14:42You've got to concentrate 1,000% of the time.

01:14:45We saw that with Michael at Indianapolis.

01:14:58The times have dropped a couple of seconds a lap.

01:15:00Now they're down to lapping in the 1.41s.

01:15:02They were lapping in 1.39s.

01:15:04So it shows it is getting damper.

01:15:08And now, of course, it's going to be critical that Michael is sitting behind Mika.

01:15:11And there's Mika's wife nervously watching.

01:15:13We look at the Ferrari pit as well.

01:15:15Now, Mika's got to make the move to go in

01:15:18because Michael can sit about him as long as he likes.

01:15:20As soon as Mika makes that move for the pits,

01:15:22Michael will stay out and he'll gain that very valuable time.

01:15:25That's assuming if it really gets wet.

01:15:27At the moment, it isn't wet enough for wet tires.

01:15:35We saw the wear on Michael's left rear

01:15:37that came off on the first stop.

01:15:39It is pretty well worn down slick on the outer half of the tire.

01:15:43And if these conditions deteriorate much further,

01:15:45to be dancing around out there on old, worn tires

01:15:48is not going to be a lot of fun.

01:15:50No, he possibly hasn't got the situation he's worn on out yet

01:15:53because he did sort of steady back there for a while.

01:15:56They can't do any adjustments, of course, to the car.

01:15:58There's that sort of suspension adjustment.

01:16:00If you do some aerodynamic moves, they can't do much.

01:16:02Now they're catching up some traffic,

01:16:04which will make it a little bit more interesting.

01:16:10Well, in qualifying, it was a game of thousands.

01:16:13And it is here in the race as well.

01:16:16These two do seem to be in a class of their own.

01:16:20They're back onto the straight again,

01:16:24working their way back up to 185, 190 miles an hour.

01:16:27Just a dab of the brakes, in some cases,

01:16:29a little bit of feathering of the throttle

01:16:31to flick through this Castro, this 130R.

01:16:34Wow.

01:16:38The gap at .7 seconds.

01:16:42At least one more pit stop.

01:16:46If Schumacher wins this race, he is the world champion.

01:16:50There is no way that Hakkinen can clinch the title today.

01:16:55If Schumacher scores two or more points,

01:16:58more than Hakkinen, it's over.

01:17:02If Hakkinen finishes anywhere ahead of Schumacher,

01:17:05we go on to Malaysia.

01:17:07To decide where we will anyway,

01:17:09but to decide the championship, we go on to Malaysia.

01:17:11It's not easy to overtake these cars.

01:17:13They're catching up a Sauber in front there.

01:17:15It's not easy to overtake them on these S's on the way up the hill.

01:17:17He's kept right over.

01:17:18My goodness, these backmarkers are being a little bit too reverent today.

01:17:22They're really getting out of the way, these guys.

01:17:24They don't fancy that black and white flag coming out.

01:17:27But they were just told,

01:17:28do not get in the way, and boom.

01:17:39That's Ricciardo Zonta just ahead in the D.A.R.

01:17:49Well, nobody wants to be the driver that would cost one of these to the championship.

01:17:54Well, Mika Salo gave up about, you know, quite a fair old...

01:17:58He is right up behind Zonta, 0.9 of a second behind him.

01:18:01He gave up a lot of room there.

01:18:03As you can see, Zonta's still in front.

01:18:05You can see Salo right at the back.

01:18:06He gave a lot of room up to back off on those S's.

01:18:08That was very, very gentlemanly of him, very sportsmanlike.

01:18:12Zonta had a moment with Michael Schumacher in Austria

01:18:14when he punched him up on the first corner.

01:18:16Come on, Zonta, don't get in the way again.

01:18:18No, he doesn't. Not this time, Michael.

01:18:19I promise I won't do it again.

01:18:20Oh, that was close.

01:18:22Michael was trying to use all the road.

01:18:24There is that black spot that you just cannot see out the side of the car.

01:18:28And you have very little peripheral vision.

01:18:34Yeah, there is a certain breed of driver, and Schumacher appears to be one,

01:18:38that when his front wheel clears the other car,

01:18:40he's assumed he's clear that it's his racetrack and over we come.

01:18:43Here's another look.

01:18:44You'll see just how close they come.

01:18:46Well, Michael moves right out wide,

01:18:48and he doesn't think Zonta's giving him over a minute.

01:18:50Zonta was very, very careful there.

01:18:52Very lucky, too, that he didn't just get that little bit more on the grass.

01:18:59So Schumacher throwing most caution to the wind

01:19:02and trying to prevail here in Japan.

01:19:05We'll be right back.

01:19:09Welcome back to Suzuka.

01:19:10Ralph Schumacher and Mika Salo have been in for their second pit stop.

01:19:14Hackett now leads Michael Schumacher by less than a second.

01:19:18The question will be, if Hackett stops first,

01:19:21can Schumacher put a couple of quick laps on the board,

01:19:24enough so that if he gets as fast a pit stop as Mika,

01:19:28which he didn't the first top end,

01:19:30would he have the lead when he comes out?

01:19:32And that could be the whole championship right there.

01:19:35Absolutely, and that's when you realize teamwork is such a major part of this,

01:19:38and Ferrari have put so much into it.

01:19:40McLaren have, too.

01:19:41The incredible amount of testing they do.

01:19:43Something like 20 practice pit stops on a Thursday

01:19:46before every Grand Prix at the Grand Prix Circuit they're at.

01:19:49McLaren are getting ready now.

01:19:51It's about time that Hackett did come in.

01:19:53They're going to have to be so sharp.

01:19:54Remember, they're just going to be just as nervous as those drivers as they come in.

01:19:57A very, very critical time for all the teams right now,

01:20:01because this is the win or lose of the championship as far as today's concerned.

01:20:04Hackett hopes that it will carry on to the next.

01:20:06Here they're getting held up a little bit by back markers.

01:20:09Is Hackett in? Hackett is in.

01:20:11Yep, that's what will bring Mickey in, is that traffic.

01:20:13That traffic is a good move, because those two cars in front will now hold up Schumacher.

01:20:17Quite a shrewd move by McLaren to bring Maker in there,

01:20:20although he was due in at around this time.

01:20:23He's due in at lap 35, so he's a couple of laps over that.

01:20:32Seven and a half seconds, a bit slower than the last one.

01:20:35But perhaps a bit more fuel.

01:20:36Same time that Michael took, actually, 7.4.

01:20:40Now he goes out. There's Barry Kellow going by the pits.

01:20:43With a flash of red.

01:20:45And what did I say earlier about positioning him just in front of Maker?

01:20:49My goodness.

01:20:51Well, if they're getting ready for him in the pits, maybe.

01:20:53He's not going to be much good.

01:20:54No, but would now. Might they leave him out of it?

01:20:57Now Michael's got to contend with these two cars in front of him.

01:21:01Now the Jags pulled over to let him through.

01:21:03Thank you very much.

01:21:05You need just a nice clear wood.

01:21:07It's a bit slippery in there, I'll tell you.

01:21:09It doesn't look that dry as they go in there.

01:21:11No.

01:21:12Well, in chess, you'd sacrifice a knight or a rook to save a queen.

01:21:17And there is Rubens.

01:21:19And Maker's going to be not far back.

01:21:22And a little bit of rain falling.

01:21:24You can see the rain falling.

01:21:25Yeah.

01:21:26Ross Braun looking up in the air.

01:21:28Remember, Maker, of course, is on newer tyres.

01:21:31Hacken's on newer tyres.

01:21:32Michael's on the sort of worn tyres.

01:21:35But in these conditions, actually the tyres don't really affect it at all

01:21:39because it's the heat of the tyres that really works.

01:21:41But for Michael to capitalise, he's got to get through this traffic.

01:21:45Otherwise, being out there is of no value to him.

01:21:49And Ferrari rushes to position.

01:21:51But who is it for?

01:21:52It's not for him.

01:21:53He decided not to come.

01:21:54They were ready.

01:21:55The trouble is, you don't know how wet it is around the track.

01:21:58Come on, Johnny.

01:21:59You better not give Michael a hard time down here into Turn 1.

01:22:03Plenty of room.

01:22:04No, he doesn't.

01:22:05You just have to keep going around because the rain is in various areas on the track.

01:22:08And so you come through one section and go,

01:22:10Oh, it's wet.

01:22:11I've got to come in, boys.

01:22:12I'm coming in for tyres.

01:22:13And then you get to the other part and you go,

01:22:15Oh, no.

01:22:16It's all right.

01:22:17It's not too bad out here.

01:22:18And it moves around the circuit.

01:22:20So Schumacher now has some clear track to run on.

01:22:3026 seconds nearly.

01:22:34Here's the gap.

01:22:36And they're going to put dry tyres on Reuben's car when he comes in.

01:22:45So Barrichello is in.

01:22:46So, Barrichello is in, he does not stay out on the track and hold up Hakkanen.

01:22:55Obviously, the Bridgestone people want to check the tires out, but he's taken off the

01:23:00car to see what, where there is on his tires and just, and just how bad or how that might

01:23:05affect Michael.

01:23:06Of course, Schumacher is running quicker.

01:23:09That was Jensen Button we saw going by.

01:23:10Now, will he come out ahead of Ralph Schumacher?

01:23:12Remember, he was ahead of Ralph Schumacher.

01:23:14He'd got by him before Ralph pitted.

01:23:18Let's just see if Jensen goes out in front of him now.

01:23:22Jensen gave up fifth place to pit, and Michael's still out there.

01:23:31Well, everybody's lapping in like 142s.

01:23:35Michael is lapping in 140s, as you'd expect, as he does in these conditions.

01:23:44So, McLaren setting up for Coulthard, and leaving Michael out there to burn up some

01:23:57fast laps.

01:23:58Once he got past Herbert, that could just be the move that makes his season.

01:24:03Well, they'll be telling him exactly how far Mika is behind him.

01:24:08They're getting ready for him now, but they'll know exactly, and this will be the most critical

01:24:11point, as you said, Michael.

01:24:13Yeah, this will have to be a world championship pit stop right here.

01:24:19Schumacher must get back on track ahead of Hakanen to have a chance to clinch this championship

01:24:25today.

01:24:28Dry tires ready for Schumacher.

01:24:34Now, he won't need much fuel.

01:24:40He'll have, what, 12 laps to run.

01:24:45That is the other advantage of coming in later, and historically, over the years, we've always

01:24:48seen Ferraris coming in later than McLaren, sorry, McLarens coming in later than Ferraris,

01:24:53and therefore Ferraris have had to take on more fuel, but Ferraris seem to have got their

01:24:57cars running much more efficiently this season.

01:25:01And these three laps that Michael stayed out makes a tremendous amount of difference.

01:25:09Well, he makes quite a lot of difference.

01:25:14Oh, a spinner!

01:25:16One of the two Benetons.

01:25:19Not a good place to spin.

01:25:21Alexander Wurz, we're told, and...

01:25:23It's the second time he's done that.

01:25:28Now then, boys, this has got to be the cleanest bit of work you've ever seen.

01:25:34Oh, six seconds!

01:25:36Whoa, what a stop by Ferrari.

01:25:39Hark up the crowd, here comes Hakanen coming around the chicane, and Michael's already

01:25:42out of the pit road.

01:25:43He's in front this time.

01:25:44Here he goes, Hakanen's coming to view now.

01:25:47Michael Schumacher goes out of the pits.

01:25:49Hark up the crowd!

01:25:50Just hark up that Ferrari crowd in Japan.

01:25:53Unbelievable.

01:25:56Fantastic work by the Ferrari crew.

01:25:59And Schumacher, after getting past Herbert, just burning up some really fast laps.

01:26:04And that may be the season.

01:26:07Right there.

01:26:09Look at the comparison of pit times.

01:26:12Six tenths quicker for Hakanen on the first stop, but Schumacher, and some of it due to

01:26:17the fact that he would have needed less fuel when he made his stop with less laps to run,

01:26:22high fives around, stone-faced in the McLaren garage.

01:26:25A 1.4 second faster stop for Michael Schumacher.

01:26:29Yeah, an outstanding stop by Ferrari.

01:26:31I have to say, great tactics by Ross Brawn, as always, working very closely with Schumacher.

01:26:36They talked the whole way through.

01:26:38All the way through, towards these pit stops, they would have been talking about how do

01:26:42we do it.

01:26:43And as soon as they had settled on how far Mika Hakanen was behind, or how many seconds

01:26:47he was behind, they allowed Michael to come in and put on that fuel.

01:26:52Beautiful strategy.

01:26:54We did not see David, but Kugler pitted at lap 40.

01:27:09But that doesn't mean it's over.

01:27:13Schumacher still has to, you see the lead there, 4.2 seconds, and while it's a sizable

01:27:18advantage, still plenty of laps to run.

01:27:23It's still a little bit moist out there, but they're running in the 1.42s, so it's still

01:27:28not perfect conditions, but Mika seems to have made up just a little bit of room.

01:27:3812 laps to go, Michael Schumacher, is he en route?

01:27:42To his third world championship today?

01:27:44We'll come back and find out.

01:27:48Fox Sportsnet's third season of Formula 1 concludes in two weeks' time.

01:27:53With the Grand Prix of Malaysia, most of you in the east and midwest will see it live,

01:27:58something like 2.30am eastern time.

01:28:01Check your local listings for the Grand Prix of Malaysia on Fox Sportsnet.

01:28:07Ralf Schumacher is out of the race.

01:28:09He has spun off at turn one, bounced up on the curve, spun into the gravel, high-sided

01:28:15or centred the car, and spun the wheels helplessly in the gravel and climbed out from 6th place,

01:28:21that moves Villeneuve up to 6th behind Jenson Button.

01:28:25Well, Button was already 6 seconds ahead of Ralf, so he was going incredibly well as we

01:28:30ride with Jack.

01:28:37He's going up to the S's.

01:28:43And we were on board with Jack Villeneuve.

01:28:45We're chasing this young man.

01:28:48And let's show you what happened to Ralf Schumacher.

01:28:51He comes into turn one right behind the Minardi.

01:28:53We just missed just where he did it, but I would suggest he had to back off a bit because

01:28:57he caught the Minardi up too much, because you come in in 6th, drop it down again, another

01:29:01gear for the second part, and he caught the white line as well, which would have been

01:29:05a good ramp, and therefore very slippery.

01:29:07The Minardi went.

01:29:10You see a lot of those Cannon billboards here at Suzuka.

01:29:13It's expected that we'll see those on the side of the Prost next year.

01:29:17Galois, Jetan, which the cigarette company has backed Ligier since 1976, it says, which

01:29:24then became Prost.

01:29:26They are getting out of Formula One, and so that's likely to be the Cannon Prost.

01:29:31Cannon Ecclestone, as some folks feel in Formula One, that Bernie has provided the

01:29:35float to keep Alain Prost's team upright.

01:29:39Well, you have to say that about Bernie Ecclestone.

01:29:41I mean, he gets a lot of criticism, but he, when a team is in difficulties, Bernie will

01:29:45often step in and finance, as we see one of the two Benetons off the road there as well.

01:29:51But, no, Bernie will step in and put the finance up to get the team running.

01:29:56Also, he's obliged to provide 22 to 24 cars for every Grand Prix, and he wants the Prost

01:30:01team in there.

01:30:02He doesn't want to lose it.

01:30:04Rumored that Marc Genet is headed for Prost and bringing Telefonica along with him.

01:30:08The gap is now up to 4.8 seconds between Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen.

01:30:14It was 4.5.

01:30:15It's 4.8 now.

01:30:17So Michael is very, very firmly on it, in charge of this race at the moment.

01:30:22Let's just pray for Ferrari that that engine keeps running.

01:30:25Well, Ferrari came in with a 10-point lead over McLaren Mercedes.

01:30:29As you remember, there's not one but two championships at stake here.

01:30:34And presently, Ferrari could, with the present positions, leave here with 13 points to McLaren's

01:30:4210 and expand that gap even further, though not clinch the Constructor's title here at

01:30:49Suzuka.

01:30:50Well, if Michael does manage to pull this one off, he'll become another Ferrari world

01:30:55champion, another statistic with Ferrari.

01:30:57Alberto Ascari won in 52 and 53, Fangio in 56, Mike Hawthorne in 58, Phil Hill was world

01:31:03champion, the great Phil Hill, American driver in 61, John Surtees in 64, Niki Lauda, 75

01:31:09and 77, and Jodie Schechter in 79.

01:31:12Michael Schumacher will be the world champion in the year 2000.

01:31:17It would be Michael's third title, but he joined Ferrari after winning two world championships

01:31:21for Benetton.

01:31:22Yes, and he's stuck with them for the last five years, developing, bringing his team,

01:31:27gelling it all around him, building it up into this incredible setup that they have

01:31:31now from a team that really had lost its way.

01:31:34And he's the man that's done this with Ross Brawn.

01:31:36He's brought Ross Brawn in, who was with him at Benetton, Rory Byrne that was with him.

01:31:40He's got a group of men around him that have stayed there, and I haven't seen anybody even

01:31:43leaving Ferrari and going anywhere else.

01:31:45They're very happy to provide the equipment to try and make this man into world champion,

01:31:49and it could well be happening today.

01:31:55Schumacher seeking his 43rd victory today.

01:31:59Hakkinen has 18, Jacques Villeneuve 11, and Cotard 9.

01:32:08And you've got a feel for Mika Hakkinen,

01:32:11who Derek Ophiel has developed through these three championship seasons,

01:32:17not just as a driver.

01:32:18We did say over the past two years that he's driving the world's best car,

01:32:24so certainly not only deserves to be world champion, but is expected to be world champion.

01:32:28But to see him mature as a driver and a person, and as a fellow who last year

01:32:32had trouble dealing with tremendous pressure, and this year it seems to be

01:32:36a whole different Mika Hakkinen, and a fellow that I think this year

01:32:39win or lose this championship, at the end of this season,

01:32:42he will considerably gain fan support from where he was the two years prior.

01:32:47There's no getting away from it, Mika's always been a very nice person,

01:32:50a delightful person, but he's just, he's not good with a crowd.

01:32:53And I think you develop, you end up maturing, and both Schumacher's matured.

01:32:57Remember, Schumacher's made some pretty diabolical moves on the track over the years,

01:33:01and he's calmed down a bit, he's much better about what he does,

01:33:04and Mika is maturing in the same way.

01:33:06And the two of them are an on-the-road comedy act.

01:33:08Thursday, they broke up the press conference.

01:33:11Michael's saying, will he do anything different?

01:33:15He was asked if he'd do anything different in this race.

01:33:17And he says, well, you know, not really, no.

01:33:20Mika, what will you do differently?

01:33:21Well, I'll try to break three meters later, three yards later at every corner.

01:33:24Well, Michael, will you do anything different?

01:33:26Well, if he breaks three meters, I'll break five meters later.

01:33:29Mika says, we'll see you in the gravel trap.

01:33:31Michael goes, we'll be in there together.

01:33:32And the whole press conference breaks up.

01:33:34Don't laugh, it might just happen any minute.

01:33:36Gosh, I hope not.

01:33:37Still 4.6 seconds between them.

01:33:39Mika is obviously trying everything he can,

01:33:42but he knows that if he catches him, he's then got to try and get by him.

01:33:45And Michael just has that bit at the moment.

01:33:47I tell you what, to take that world champion from Schumacher now,

01:33:50although he's pulled in three tenths that lap, he's going to be pretty tough.

01:33:58Coulthard is third, Barrichello fourth.

01:34:00Jensen Button is fifth.

01:34:02Jack Villeneuve is sixth.

01:34:05Johnny Herbert, Eddie Irvine.

01:34:07The rest of the top ten, Zonta and Salo.

01:34:09Michael's led 12 of the 46 laps, four lead changes,

01:34:13all coming on pit stops.

01:34:16Eighteen cars remain, low attrition for Suzuka.

01:34:19Out of the race are Alesi, Verstappen,

01:34:22Frentzen with transmission problems,

01:34:24and Ralf Schumacher spun into the gravel.

01:34:29Not a bad race for attrition at all.

01:34:31No.

01:34:32You're thinking with the...

01:34:34Michael's taking very cautiously around the inside as he goes around the hairpin.

01:34:38Yes, very wise there, too. You never know.

01:34:40Look at the two Jags, though. Fantastic.

01:34:42Seventh for Herbert, eighth for Irvine.

01:34:44Remember, Johnny Herbert's in his penultimate Formula One race.

01:34:47He'll be leaving and moving on elsewhere next year.

01:34:50Irvine in eighth place.

01:34:53All that testing last week at Silverstone

01:34:55and the aerodynamic changes that they've made at Jaguar

01:34:58and whatever other development changes they've made,

01:35:01putting them up into seventh and eighth,

01:35:03so a very good weekend for Jaguar.

01:35:06You just can't imagine what Schumacher must be feeling.

01:35:09He's starting to feel that that world championship

01:35:12with that Ferrari is within his grasp.

01:35:15What'll be the primary emotion, Derek?

01:35:17Elation or relief?

01:35:19Oh, it'll be unbelievable.

01:35:20I mean, there'll be such relief for everybody.

01:35:22Remember, just think of last year and the year before.

01:35:24I mean, the crash last year and the fact how close they've been

01:35:27over the last two seasons.

01:35:29Then to actually put the whole thing together and win.

01:35:31They haven't won yet, but if they do get it together,

01:35:34I mean, amazing for them.

01:35:36Wonderful for the whole team, and I believe they really deserve it.

01:35:39And excellent for Formula One.

01:35:41Formula One needs Ferrari to win a world championship.

01:35:44It is the most recognizable name in the world, I have to say.

01:35:47McLaren still do a brilliant job, as with Mercedes,

01:35:50but it's still Ferrari.

01:35:54♪♪

01:36:03Traffic will be a little bit of a factor.

01:36:05That's Eddie Irvine in eighth place just ahead of Michael

01:36:08on the racetrack.

01:36:11And you see his lap times compare favorably there with Mika's.

01:36:15We'll be back for the finish of the Japanese Grand Prix.

01:36:18You're watching Formula One on Fox Sportsnet.

01:36:22♪♪

01:36:26Welcome back to Fox Sportsnet coverage of the Grand Prix of Japan.

01:36:29Michael Schumacher has dispensed with Eddie Irvine

01:36:32and Johnny Herbert.

01:36:34And is that Marc Genet by the side of the road with his Minardi?

01:36:38And he becomes the fifth retiree from this race.

01:36:42And there may be trouble for Schumacher's teammate,

01:36:44Rubens Barrichello.

01:36:46Two laps ago, his lap was three seconds off Schumacher's pace,

01:36:50and his last lap was nearly five seconds off pace.

01:36:54And he's now just six seconds ahead of Jenson Button

01:36:58in that fourth and fifth place position.

01:37:03So Barrichello considerably slower

01:37:06than any of the first six contenders

01:37:08these last couple of laps.

01:37:10And there he's fallen into the clutches of Button.

01:37:13Well, we just saw Michael go by Jacques Villeneuve.

01:37:15Jacques pulled over very generously

01:37:17on the way up the hill.

01:37:19The guy that this weekend,

01:37:21Jacques Villeneuve's wearing his hair red

01:37:23says that it's because he's favoring Michael Schumacher.

01:37:26But we all know that in reality,

01:37:28he's a great friend of Mika Hakkinen's.

01:37:30They live in Monaco together, or close together.

01:37:36I must say, Derek, unlike last season,

01:37:39there's been a tremendous amount of awareness and courtesy

01:37:42on the part of drivers staying out of this championship battle

01:37:46and giving plenty of, like, way too much room for overtaking.

01:37:50Well, they have, and as the season progressed,

01:37:52I mean, it's become very apparent

01:37:54that some of the players were getting a little bit too personal about it.

01:37:57And if you're not really fending for the championship,

01:37:59you should let the other drivers by.

01:38:01But nonetheless, it is still motor racing,

01:38:03and you can't go pandering to people all the time now.

01:38:06And there's the gap up to 5.1 seconds.

01:38:09Michael will now start to take it a little easier.

01:38:11He'll start to cruise just a little bit.

01:38:13Short shift the gears, but you don't want to change too much,

01:38:16because if you suddenly change your rhythm, things can happen.

01:38:19And Barrichello's back on pace.

01:38:21Button has knocked down that gap to 6 seconds,

01:38:24but Barrichello's back lapping within half a second of Schumacher.

01:38:29Three laps to go.

01:38:35After pulling half a second that lap,

01:38:37Mika's all but given up the fight.

01:38:41Remember, Jody Schechter was the last world champion.

01:38:44He said, I've carried the mantle long enough.

01:38:46I'm ready to hand it over to somebody.

01:38:48And he reckons that Schumacher deserves it, and Ferrari deserves it.

01:38:51But there won't be many people that don't think they don't deserve it.

01:38:54McLaren have had a good run for two years.

01:38:56Ferrari deserve a victory. So does Schumacher.

01:38:58He's fought with these guys.

01:39:00He could have gone to McLaren five years ago.

01:39:02He could have probably won the world championship

01:39:04two or three times with McLaren,

01:39:06but he opted to go the hard route and bring Ferrari back through.

01:39:09And it's amazing that he has done that.

01:39:11Enzo Ferrari would be very proud.

01:39:16And the big beneficiary of all this are the fans.

01:39:19Derek, this season has been such a seesaw fight

01:39:22for the world championship,

01:39:24and so close between Ferrari and McLaren,

01:39:26it's going to sell a lot of tickets for next year.

01:39:28Oh, yes. It's going to be, you know,

01:39:30a lot more people are watching it,

01:39:32and it's been close. It's been exciting.

01:39:34There's been drama.

01:39:36And now we've got this.

01:39:38We've got a really close championship at the end.

01:39:40Mika Hakkinen was leading.

01:39:42Now look at Michael. He's up in front of him.

01:39:44Some great work in the pits.

01:39:46And some great strategy in keeping him out on track.

01:39:48A little wiggle there.

01:39:50A cool 160-mile-an-hour wiggle.

01:39:52I don't think there'll be any falling asleep at the wheel here.

01:39:54No, you can't around this place.

01:39:56When he went around Indy, I had to let him tell you.

01:39:59Stay with us after the checkered flag

01:40:01for trophies, champagne,

01:40:03and we'll hear from the three-podium finishers.

01:40:09Schumacher must...

01:40:11He's just got it. There's Ross Braun,

01:40:13the man technically behind the whole team.

01:40:15John Topp, the competent director,

01:40:17in there with him as well.

01:40:19They cannot give up yet. They cannot be too confident.

01:40:21You don't go around bringing the champagne out yet, boys.

01:40:23There's still about another six or seven miles to go.

01:40:26Two laps to go, Derek,

01:40:28and the kid is pushing the button.

01:40:30Jensen's got it down to 4.7 seconds on Rubens.

01:40:33What a tremendously inspired drive

01:40:35this 20-year-old has had today.

01:40:3721-year-old. He became of age

01:40:39somewhere around the U.S. Grand Prix.

01:40:43But as a driver, he's really come of age this season.

01:40:45Oh, yes, he's done magnificently.

01:40:47And he was out... He actually outpaced

01:40:49his teammate, Ralph Schumacher.

01:40:51Ralph was here winning the Formula 3000 championship.

01:40:54He raced here for two to three seasons,

01:40:56but he came here having only driven Super 8 karts here,

01:41:00which can't have been very exciting around this circuit.

01:41:02Comes here and he goes out,

01:41:04apart from being a second-half behind,

01:41:06Ralph, who caught him up and is ahead of him.

01:41:11You know, for the last two years,

01:41:13Ferrari had prepared a batch of, uh,

01:41:16hats congratulating Michael Schumacher,

01:41:19world champion,

01:41:21and they all had to go into the shredder.

01:41:23This year, they didn't make any.

01:41:25No, would I. No.

01:41:27I used to hate it when people bring the champagne out

01:41:29and you know the car hadn't got another five laps to go.

01:41:31Believe me, there'll be no celebrating

01:41:33in that Ferrari pit until he comes

01:41:35out of this chicane for the last time.

01:41:37And he's only got to do it twice more.

01:41:404.8-second lead may seem like eternity,

01:41:43but for cars like these

01:41:45that are so highly stressed every lap

01:41:47and the concentration that's demanded,

01:41:49well, anything can happen,

01:41:52and it just did to our video.

01:41:56We're coming to the final lap,

01:41:58not the final lap of this season,

01:42:00but the final lap of Michael Schumacher's

01:42:03long chase for Ferrari

01:42:05to win a world driving championship

01:42:08for Ferrari.

01:42:10They won the Constructors' Championship last year,

01:42:13and certainly that brought great notice to Ferrari,

01:42:16but this is what they wanted.

01:42:18Michael Schumacher atop all the drivers in the world.

01:42:20Can you imagine what it's like in Maranello

01:42:22and Modena right now?

01:42:24They say they have it on a big screen in the square.

01:42:26It'll be on in the big screen in the square

01:42:28in Modena tonight all through the night.

01:42:30Can you imagine the newspapers in Italy?

01:42:32It's outrageous.

01:42:33It's been 21 seasons

01:42:35since Ferrari won a world championship with Schecter.

01:42:37They've done 333 races since then.

01:42:40They've had 55 wins.

01:42:42They've run her up four times,

01:42:43in 85, 90, 98 and 99,

01:42:46and they're about a mile and a half from victory

01:42:48in the world championship in the year 2000.

01:42:51Unbelievable.

01:42:53Michael will have some real reason

01:42:55for having some tears and emotion

01:42:57if he gets to that chequered flag,

01:42:58and you can bet right now

01:42:59he'll have a few tears even in his eyes

01:43:01as we go around that last lap.

01:43:02You know you're nearly home and dry.

01:43:04Please, car.

01:43:05You're holding the steering wheel and saying,

01:43:07please, car, bring me home.

01:43:09Just be good to me this one.

01:43:10Mika Häkkinen is mirrors behind.

01:43:12Two seconds to get now,

01:43:13but of course only one corner to go.

01:43:15Häkkinen has cut the gap in half.

01:43:20Last time through the chicane.

01:43:22Flashbulbs in the stand.

01:43:24I wonder what they call Tofosi in Japan.

01:43:27Look at this.

01:43:28Unbelievable.

01:43:29Ferrari win the world championship.

01:43:31Michael Schumacher wins his third world championship

01:43:34and goes to the history books

01:43:35along with some real greats.

01:43:36Look how excited he is.

01:43:43Amazing for Ferrari.

01:43:44Look at that crowd.

01:43:46Schumacher said yesterday,

01:43:48let's not get too excited

01:43:49about celebrating the pole position.

01:43:51Tomorrow is what everything is about.

01:43:54And you see the emotion of everything right there.

01:43:59Well, he does show consummate emotion.

01:44:01Mika Häkkinen, the Finn, the Scandinavian,

01:44:03doesn't show quite as much maybe,

01:44:05but Michael Schumacher, the hard man, the iron man,

01:44:07he shows emotion.

01:44:08Look at these Italians.

01:44:13And it came down to what Michael and Mika

01:44:16both said they wanted,

01:44:17a fair fight between the two of them

01:44:19on the racetrack.

01:44:20No teammates, no back markers,

01:44:24no unfair moves,

01:44:26good, hard, heads up racing,

01:44:28pit stops, strategy.

01:44:30That was a team effort and a half.

01:44:32Absolutely magnificent.

01:44:34Absolutely magnificent.

01:44:35All that year, those years of toil.

01:44:37Ross Braun, Rory Byrne,

01:44:39John Todd who put it all together,

01:44:41Michael Schumacher gelled the whole thing,

01:44:43worked hours and hours.

01:44:44He's one of the last ones ever to leave the paddock

01:44:46after the day of practice qualifying.

01:44:48He's always in there working.

01:44:51We will have the trophies and the champagne

01:44:54and hear from the 2000 World Champion

01:44:57when we come back.

01:45:03The Grand Prix of Japan on Fox Sportsnet

01:45:05is brought to you by Toyota.

01:45:07Toyota, making it happen every day.

01:45:10Michael Schumacher made it happen today,

01:45:12winning the Japanese Grand Prix

01:45:14and with it the World Driving Championship

01:45:16over the McLarens of Hackett and Kulthar

01:45:18his teammate Barrichello, Jensen Button

01:45:20and Jacques Villeneuve in the points.

01:45:22Then the two Jaguars, Zonta's VAR,

01:45:25the two Saubers and De La Rosa's Arrows,

01:45:27Trulli Fisichella and Matsukane,

01:45:29the rest of the finishers.

01:45:31Schumacher's point lead is unassailable

01:45:33over Hackett and Kulthar, Barrichello,

01:45:35Ralph Schumacher and Fisichella.

01:45:38And here are the rest who scored points

01:45:40over the 16 races in the World Championship thus far.

01:45:46And in the Constructors' Championship

01:45:48we have Ferrari out there at 156 points

01:45:51followed by McLaren, Williams, Benetton,

01:45:53B.A.R., Honda and Jordan.

01:45:55Arrows next, Sauber next, followed by Jaguar last.

01:45:58So let's go to the podium and watch Michael Schumacher

01:46:01celebrate his third World Driving Championship.

01:46:15FCSp4 3.200,0.400

01:46:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:46:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:47:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:47:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:47:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:47:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:47:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:47:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:48:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:48:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:48:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:48:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:48:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:48:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:49:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:49:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:49:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:49:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:49:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:49:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:50:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:50:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:50:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:50:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:50:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:50:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:51:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:51:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:51:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:51:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:51:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:51:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:52:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:52:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:52:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:52:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:52:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:52:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:53:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:53:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:53:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:53:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:53:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:53:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:54:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:54:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:54:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:54:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:54:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:54:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:55:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:55:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:55:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:55:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:55:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:55:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:56:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:56:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:56:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:56:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:56:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:56:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:57:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:57:15StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:57:25StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:57:35StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:57:45StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:57:55StSq3 3.300,0.400

01:58:05StSq3 3.300,0.400

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