| | Results
NUERBURGRING, Germany -- Briton Johnny Herbert gave Stewart-Ford its first Formula One victory on Sunday in an extraordinary European Grand Prix that saw Mika Hakkinen move two points clear in the title race.
Herbert, a veteran with a trail of bad luck behind him this season, gambled on an early switch to wet tires in intermittent rain and took advantage of the misfortune of the main contenders to clinch the third victory of his decade-long career.
|  | | Pedro Diniz crashes at the start of the race. |
Italy's Jarno Trulli was second in a Prost, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello finished third for Stewart and Germany's Ralf Schumacher was fourth.
The surprising result at a wet Nuerburgbring left the championship wide open with two races remaining. Three of the four title rivals failed to score any points and McLaren's
reigning champion Hakkinen managed only fifth place.
However, McLaren boss Ron Dennis was pleased enough: "That's the best two points we've ever had," he declared.
Hakkinen, who had started the day level at the top of the standings on 60 points with Ferrari's Eddie Irvine, was second early on but fell back as rain made the track slippery.
The Finn spent much of the race out of the top 10, but moved back up as a succession of leaders went out.
Irvine, who lost a lot of time at an early pitstop when Ferrari mechanics appeared to mislay his right rear tire, finished seventh after making a mistake and being overtaken by
Hakkinen with four laps remaining.
To add to his nightmare, Spaniard Marc Gene gave the struggling Italian Minardi team their first point since 1995 with a sixth place ahead of the leading Ferrari.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen of Germany, who started in pole position in his Jordan, and Hakkinen's McLaren teammate David Coulthard, both retired while in the lead on laps 33 and 38 respectively.
Frentzen, who is third in the championship with 50 points, suffered an engine failure and Coulthard, in fourth place overall on 48 and likely to be out of the title running now,
spun off into the barriers on the wet track.
Herbert had been a distant 14th on the starting grid and did not take the lead until the 50th of the 66 laps. But he held on for his first win since Monza in 1995 with Benetton.
"It was a race that just came to me and I was lucky," said the 35-year-old. "I saw a big black cloud and guessed it was coming our way. I went in and went for wets and it paid off. I guessed right this time."
Herbert had only scored points in one other race this season, a fifth place in Canada, but his drive ensured Stewart a win before the Ford-owned team becomes Jaguar next season.
It also led to team chief Jackie Stewart being soaked in
champagne on the podium.
"We were lucky today," said Barrichello. "But I am truly
happy for Johnny from the bottom of my heart."
Trulli's second place was the best result of his career, while Schumacher's fourth in a Williams lifted him above his injured Ferrari-driving brother Michael in the title race.
The race start was aborted when Gene stalled on the grid and
the safety car then came out after an opening corner crash that
left Brazilian Pedro Diniz trapped in his overturned Sauber.
Frentzen led for 33 laps, Coulthard for five, Schumacher for the next seven until he pitted and then Italian Giancarlo Fischella in a Benetton.
Fisichella crashed out, allowing Schumacher to lead again
before being slowed by a puncture after just one lap, which
allowed Herbert to come through and steer his Stewart home.
Irvine, who needed a good result, was fifth until he lost precious time in the pits.
"We got it all wrong all the way through. We made too many mistakes today," the Northern Irishman said.
Hakkinen, who cried after crashing out in the lead at the last Italian Grand Prix, said he had enjoyed his opportunity to fight and beat Irvine in the final laps.
"I was much faster than him, but it was very hard for me to overtake," Hakkinen said. "I loved every second of it. We both braked quite hard but our car was better under braking and that was it."
| |
 |
