Michael v Mika

(28-Oct-98) - Event: 16th and final round of the 1998 FIA Formula 1 World
Championship: The race where the championship will be decided

Date: November 1, 1998

Venue: Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka, Japan

Championship contenders: Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen

The rest: The supporting cast

Points and positions: Championship standings

Mika Hakkinen

Age: 30
Nationality: Finnish
'98 Wins: 7
'98 Seconds: 2
Career Wins: 8
Career Seconds: 5
Fastest laps: 7
Championships: 0
Career GPs: 110

Year so far:

Built up a seemingly unassailable lead in a brilliant first half of the
season. Shaky reliability and bad luck, as well as some great drives by
Schumacher, has cut this to nothing, however. Built crucial four-point gap
with superb Schumacheresque victory in the Luxembourg GP.

What he has to do:

If he wins the race, the crown is his. If the German wins, he can still
come out on top by finishing second. If Schumacher is second, he needs to
be fifth or above for the championship. If the Ferrari man is anywhere
lower than second, he is champion.

Suzuka stats:

'97 - fourth
'96 - third
'95 - second
'94 - seventh
'93 - third
'92 - retired
'91 - retired.

Suzuka track record:

Pretty good considering that until this year he has rarely had a car
capable of victory in Formula 1. His second place in the recalcitrant
McLaren MP4/10 in '95 must be one of the best drives of his career.

Ability under pressure:

Questionable until Luxembourg, when he drove superbly. Has made one mistake
this year - in the rain at Silverstone. Otherwise, he has been flawless
during a season in which many thought he might crack if pushed too hard.

Possible spanners in the works:

The two Rs - rain and reliability. If it's wet, he is in real trouble.
McLaren's Bridgestone wet tyres are no match for Ferrari's Goodyears. The
Italian team's tyre producer is also reputed to have made a quantum leap
with its wets, possibly by as much as four seconds a lap. If so, he could
have trouble holding off other Goodyear-shod cars, let alone Schumacher. A
question mark also hangs over McLaren's mechanical integrity. It has had
significantly more failures than Ferrari in 1998.

Our tip:

Narrow title favourite. If it's dry, he'll win. If it's wet, he won't.

Schumacher on Hakkinen

"Mika has been there a long time. He is very fast and on the edge. It
is a good situation to have him fighting for the championship, because I
will know that if I beat him I will have beaten a fast driver."

Hakkinen on Hakkinen

"It would be too personal for me to describe myself. But talking of
the strengths of our team, you have very clearly seen [where we are strong]
since the start of the season. We have an extremely competitive package and
our car definitely still feels as though it is the fastest on the track. We
have a very powerful, strong engine and a strong chassis which was designed
extremely carefully. We also have good, reliable tyres. If you look back,
you will see that our performances this year have been extremely good. The
experience, commitment and work of the members of the team is really good.
They are all motivated and excited about the championship, which they are
committed to win."


Michael Schumacher

Age: 29
Nationality: German
'98 Wins: 6
'98 Seconds: 3
Career Wins: 33
Career Seconds: 20
Championships: 2
Fastest laps: 33
Career GPs: 117

Year so far:

Poor start to the season, when the car and tyres were not up to the job.
Reliability and determination kept him in the frame. When Goodyear made a
step forward mid-season, he started a remorseless assault, which included
one of the greatest wins of all time. However, his rival's brilliant
victory at the Luxembourg GP stopped him in his tracks. Now he has it all
to do again.

What he needs to do:

He has to win. Even then, he needs another driver to keep Hakkinen out of
second. If he is second, Hakkinen can win the title by finishing fifth or
higher. If he is lower than second, he's blown it.

Suzuka stats:

'97 - first
'96 - second
'95 - first
'94 - second
'93 - retired
'92 - retired
'91 - retired.

Suzuka track record:

Excellent. Two wins and two second places in the last four years
demonstrates his mastery of the Japanese circuit.

Ability under pressure:

He applies relentless pressure to the man he is chasing, like a tireless
wolf pack hunting a deer. He is vulnerable when trying to maintain a lead,
however. He has made massive mistakes in the two championship deciders he
has been involved in. One lost him the title. The other he got away with.

Possible spanners in the works:

He has to win, so he must throw caution to the wind. He also has to finish,
so he cannot afford to make any errors. The Ferrari has not quite been a
match for the McLaren on pace, and Bridgestone is said to have made a step
forward worth a second a lap on its dry tyres. He has had only one
mechanical failure all year, which means two things: one, the Ferrari is
incredibly strong; two, it is due for a breakdown.

Our tip:

A good outside chance. If it rains, he will win the championship. If it's
dry, Hakkinen and the McLaren will be too much for him.

Hakkinen on Schumacher

"Weaknesses and strengths of Michael? Can I tell you later? I guess
this is really difficult to answer. We all have, er ... I would say ... the
talent to be a fast driver. And I would say that in achieving two world
championships already, Michael has proved he is a really fast driver. The
negative about it is ... it is probably quite uncomfortable for me to start
explaining it. It is a subject that nobody should know."

Schumacher on Schumacher

"Our strongest point has been reliability. This is due to loads of
winter testing, when we concentrated on that. At the beginning of the
season we were a little short of speed, due to the car and several other
factors. But now we have a package which is close to the top. We have won
races, and been competitive, at different types of circuit. We were even
competitive at Monza, which was not expected by many people. Overall I
believe there is a 50-50 opportunity to win the championship."

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