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A look back at Canada: 1999

Published on 07 Jun 2017 14:10
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By: Fergal Walsh

At F1Today, we continue our look back at some of the most memorable races from Canada. Today it's the Grand Prix of 1999, where the infamous turn 13 received its name as the 'Wall of Champions'.

1999 Canadian Grand Prix

Coming into the race, Michael Schumacher led the standings by 6 points over eventual world champion Mika Hakkinen. The German produced the goods in qualifying and started from pole. Hakkinen sat alongside him, with the gap between the two just three-hundredths of a second. The second row also consisted of a Ferrari and a McLaren, with Eddie Irvine and David Coulthard starting third and fourth respectively.

The front-runners stayed out of trouble off the line and Schumacher kept his lead down the short run to turn 1. As the lights went out, the German pulled across and blocked Hakkinen from getting by. Further back, Jarno Trulli spun and collected Jean Alesi and Rubens Barrichello. Barrichello was able to continue, however, Trulli and Barrichello were out. There was also transmission problems for Alex Wurz, who was the third retirement.

The safety car came out for a short period while the mess at turn 1 was cleared up. It peeled away but was the reappear one lap later as turn 13, called the Montreal Wall, claimed its first victim of the day. Ricardo Zonta spun off and hit it, forcing the Brazilian to park at the side of the track.

After the second safety car period, all was relatively calm until lap 15. Damon Hill was the second driver to hit the barriers at turn 13, and the 1996 world champion was out: "I lost the car and hit the wall. There's nothing more to it than that," said a disappointed Hill after the race.

There was no safety car period and the track remained green. Michael Schumacher led from Mika Hakkinen, but that all changed on lap 30 when Schumacher made a costly mistake.

The barriers at turn 13 were starting to get a battering as Schumacher became the third driver of the day to hit them. He slid out of the final turn and whacked the barriers, and was out. Hakkinen then inherited the lead, and no safety car was brought out.

However, there was still two safety car periods to come in the race, the next of which came 5 laps after Schumacher's crash. The third world champion to come to blows with the Montreal Wall was Jacques Villeneuve, who also slid into the barrier and into retirement.

The safety car came out for five laps and at the end of the period, there was yet another collision, this time between Coulthard and Irvine. Coulthard attempted to pass Irvine around the outside of turn 1, which turned to the inside of turn 2. They collided but were able to continue (albeit at the back of the field).

The race ended under the safety car as four laps from the end, second placed Heinz-Harald Frentzen suffered a brake failure and had a huge collision with the barriers. Thankfully, he was unhurt and the safety car was deployed. On the final lap, it pulled off to allow Mika Hakkinen to take the chequered flag and win the race.

Completing the podium was Giancarlo Fisichella in the Benetton and Eddie Irvine's Ferrari. After the race, turn 13 received the name 'Wall of Champions' due to three world champions crashing there during the race. It is now recognised as one of the most famous corners in Formula 1.

Fergal Walsh

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