Strategy bears out Mika Hakkinen in 5th win of season at Austrian GP

   Copyright c 1998 Nando Media
   Copyright c 1998 Associated Press

SPIELBERG, Austria (Jul 27, 1998 - 2:34 EDT) -- The Flying Finn made the
most of a flying start in the Austrian Grand Prix.

By winning the chaotic race Sunday, Mika Hakkinen opened an eight-point
lead over Michael Schumacher in the Formula Open standings. Schumacher
finished third, but did well to move from the back after damaging his car.

"It was an excellent victory," said Hakkinen, a five-time winner
this year in his McLaren-Mercedes. "The team played a very important
part in this race with their tactics. The one-stop strategy was ideal for
me. I was able to charge and go flat out. I didn't have any problems."

With six races left, Hakkinen is far from secure. But Schumacher had come
into the race with the momentum of three straight victories and was closing
in on Hakkinen, whose once big lead was down to two points.

Schumacher did not give up without a magnificent battle.

He and Hakkinen had started from the second row and both blasted past pole
leader Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi. It was Hakkinen, however, who
was in the lead at the first corner.

A number of accidents brought out the safety car before the first lap was
over. Once it was gone, Schumacher tried twice to overtake Hakkinen but the
Finn stayed ahead. Schumacher lost the second place briefly when he braked
too late coming into a curve in the first attempt to overtake, but quickly
regained the second spot from Fisichella.

However, there was more trouble for the German on lap 18, when he swerved
out in a corner, hit the gravel hard and lost the nose cone of his Ferrari.

"It was a stupid mistake, I went off the line and hit the dust, there
was nothing I could do," Schumacher said. "There was less damage
than I thought, but there was enough damage. This was an extraordinary
race. Considering what happened to me, I am extremely satisfied."

In a race filled with accidents, Fisichella and Alesi went out on lap 22,
after Fisichella's Benetton bumped into the Frenchman's Sauber following a
pit stop. Scotland's David Coulthard finished second to confirm McLaren's
exit from a slump.

After winning five of the season's first six races, the McLaren team has
watched Schumacher give Ferrari three straight victories and four overall.

Coulthard was one of the victims of the early crashes and also had to fight
his way through from the back of the field after making a pit stop for
quick repairs.

"It's quite easy to pass when you have a quick car," Coulthard said.

Hakkinen and Coulthard have finished 1-2 four times this season.

Eddie Irvine of Ireland finished fourth, after slowing down in the last few
laps and being overtaken by Schumacher with three laps to go. Both drivers
blamed brake problems and rejected suggestions that Irvine had helped
Schumacher finish higher.

Hakkinen completed the 71-lap, 190.543-mile race in 1 hour, 30 minutes,
44.086 seconds, averaging 121.666 mph. Coulthard was 5.289 seconds behind,
and Schumacher 39.093.

By picking up 10 points for his victory, Hakkinen has 66 points. Schumacher
got four points and has a total of 58. Coulthard remains third with 36.

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