Mika Hakkinen was battling Michael Schumacher and his Ferrari for the 1998 F1 world champion title, which was decided in a thrilling battle on the Japanese Suzuka circuit. Schumacher took pole for that Japanese GP, but stalled his car on the formation lap, forcing him to start from the back of the grid.
Hakkinen held a four-point lead and led the race from the start to the checkered flag, confirming the first of his two world championships.
Schumacher’s comeback ended on lap 31, when debris from a car from a previous accident punctured his right rear tyre, forcing him to retire.
Hakkinen remembers it like this: “I was leading and I knew I could open a gap. I just had to be regular and not make any mistakes.”
“I didn’t have a single moment of relaxation, until I saw him [Michael Schumacher] on the big screen. So I said ‘yes!’ It was fantastic to finish the grand prix and become world champion after all those years. “.
“Then Michael came to congratulate me [in the parc ferme after the race], which was very nice of him.”
Motorsport Heroes is available on Motorsport.tv . Written and directed by Manish Pandey, screenwriter of the award-winning Senna , the 111-minute film intersperses the narration of our motorsport heroes, telling their stories, with archive footage and first-hand accounts.
Motorsport Heroes is available on Motorsport.tv . Written and directed by Manish Pandey, who previously directed the award-winning film Senna , this 1:51 feature film brings together the stories of our motoring heroes, whose stories are illustrated by previously unseen films.
Discover the full film on Motorsport.tv.
