The 1999 British Grand Prix
9th-11th July

Race screenshots

Sunday - Race

STEWART-FORD NOTES & QUOTES

British Grand Prix: Race (60 laps)

Weather: Dry, warm & sunny. Ambient temperature 25 degrees, Track temp 38 degrees.

• Rubens Barrichello was forced to make an unscheduled third pit stop with 13 laps remaining to replace a front left puncture. He rejoined in 13th position but fought his way up to eighth place by the finish.
• Johnny Herbert moved up steadily to seventh position, but incurred a stop-go penalty for overtaking Jean Alesi when the safety car came in on lap 32. He finished 12th.

JOHNNY HERBERT Car No.17 (SF3-05)12th Place

This is probably not a home Grand Prix to remember?

‘It’s such a shame to come away from Silverstone empty-handed when I had a real chance to pick up points. We put in a lot of hard work over the last two days and I was feeling quite comfortable with the car. It was pretty disheartening when I saw the pit board come out telling me I had a stop-go penalty.’

Did you think the stop-go penalty decision was harsh?

‘Yes, because when we came up to the line for the restart I could sense that Alesi had a problem because I could hear him revving the engine. It seemed to me like he had gear selection trouble so I had to swerve to avoid him. If I had braked I would have been passed by the cars behind me on the restart.’

RUBENS BARRICHELLO Car No.16 (SF3-04)8th Place.

Where do you think you could have finished without the problems?

‘The race was going really well for me - I was really enjoying my battle with Damon early on and I had Frentzen in my sights about mid-race, and he finished fourth. As for the puncture, it’s just terrible bad luck. To have to throw away points like that is frustrating.’

You seemed really fired up when you rejoined after the puncture?

‘Yes. I was charging at the end because you never know what can happen. If one or two of the guys in front had not made the finish then I had another chance to get back in the points. I was really pleased with the way I fought back. It’s not very easy to overtake in these cars, but I think I showed it could be done.’

PAUL STEWART, SGP Deputy Chairman

‘Unfortunately, when things were starting to look really good for us with Rubens fifth and Johnny seventh it all went awry. Rubens had a puncture, which seems to have been caused by a stone piercing the wheel rim. Johnny was also looking good for points when he incurred his penalty. The team did a very good job today: our race strategy worked well and the cars ran reliably. Rubens did particularly well to come up from 13th position to eighth at the finish.’

MARTIN WHITAKER, Director, Ford Racing, Europe

‘The team put in a really strong performance today with both Rubens and Johnny driving great races and looking set for points-scoring positions going into the final quarter of the race. Sadly it was not to be, with Rubens’ puncture and Johnny seemingly caught in a situation he simply couldn’t avoid behind Jean Alesi when the pace car came in. We deserved better from today’s British Grand Prix.’

Johnny's race

The first start was red-flagged due to two stalled cars on the grid and the restart was delayed after Michael Schumacher had a serious accident which resulted in him being taken to hospital by helicopter with a broken leg. On the restart, Johnny got away reasonably well and then proceeded to work his way up through the field. He was up to 6th place when a 10s stop-go penalty, imposed for passing when the Safety Car was out on the track, robbed him of his second points finish for Stewart-Ford. The good news was that both of the team's cars made it to the end of the race; the bad news was that neither was in the points.

Race results

Saturday - Qualifying

STEWART-FORD NOTES & QUOTES

Weather: Dry, warm & sunny. Ambient temp 23 deg, track temp 36 deg.

• Rubens Barrichello maintained his record of qualifying in the top seven for every Grand Prix this season. He will start tomorrow’s race in seventh place on the grid.
• Johnny Herbert improved from yesterday’s performance to qualify 11th

JOHNNY HERBERT Car No.17 (SF3-05)

Time: 1.26.873 Position: 11th 12 laps

You’ve improved today, but still aren’t as high as the sector times indicate you could be?

"We made some set up changes overnight which improved the car. What was missing today was consistency over a full lap. I was getting quicker in the first section and the car felt good through Copse but I was unable to carry that speed through in the mid and final sections. The wind may have played a part early on. It tends to hit you as you turn in to a corner and then grabs the car and takes it in a direction you don’t want on the exit which means you have to change your driving style to suit."

What are your chances for tomorrow?

"Obviously I’d like to be starting the race from higher up the grid, but I’m pretty optimistic for tomorrow. Silverstone and I are old friends. I think I’ll do my best work in the race."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO Car No.16 (SF3-04)

Time: 1:26.194 Position: seventh 12 laps

Why haven’t you been able to repeat the form from testing?

"It’s upsetting that all the good work we put in at the test seems to have gone to waste. I was expecting to be in the top six in qualifying at least. I felt that the car was a lot more sensitive to change today. I struggled a little with understeer in the low-speed corners - that’s where I lost most of my time. I didn’t feel as if I could commit to the corners which you have to do at Silverstone. I had to be more patient to try and find a good balance but it was costly. We tried runs of two consecutive flying laps. There was improvement in the first section of the second lap but I was unable to sustain it throughout the rest of the lap."

Are you still optimistic for tomorrow’s race?

"Yes, absolutely. We know we can be quick here and what we did prove in last week’s test was that the SF3 has the ability to run quickly in race trim over more than a handful of laps."

MARTIN WHITAKER, Director, Ford Racing, Europe

"The encouraging signs from yesterday’s sessions were unfortunately not repeated this afternoon. Both drivers had a trouble-free session with the Cosworth CR1 V10 engines running reliably."

Qualifying times from F1Today

Friday - practice

STEWART-FORD NOTES & QUOTES

Weather: Dry, warm & sunny (Ambient temperature 22 deg, track temperature 29 deg)

• Rubens continued his run of good form by setting the fifth fastest time today.
• Johnny lost time due to an engine change early in the first session

JOHNNY HERBERT Car No.17 (SF3-05)

Time: 1:29.130 Position: 18th 28 laps

No doubt you’ll be looking to put today behind you fairly quickly?

"Yes, it was a pretty frustrating day all round. The engine change in the first session restricted my track time and then I had a problem with the steering wheel, which meant I had to come in and change it. I was not able to get a real feel for the car. I’m hoping for a trouble-free run tomorrow morning so I can be in better shape for qualifying."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO Car No.16 (SF3-04)

Time: 1:27.158 Position: 5th 35 laps

You had a good test last week. Have you been able to continue your progress?

"I’m reasonably happy with my time at the end. We were able to improve the car’s handling to suit the track characteristics today. I was able to attack the car a lot more towards the end. On a day like today it’s difficult to get a true picture of where we stand because we’re not sure exactly what are rivals are running in terms of fuel and tyres."

GARY ANDERSON, SGP Technical Director

"We had to start from scratch today because the conditions were nothing like they were in last week’s test here. With less grip because of the track temperature it was a battle to find a good balance for the car. We were closer to where we want to be towards the end but it looks like it’s going to very tight in qualifying. We will need to think long and hard over tyre choice if the conditions stay as they are."

MARTIN WHITAKER, Director, Ford Racing, Europe

"The team worked to find a consistent set-up and we’re very encouraged by Rubens’ late run into fifth position, particularly as the times are so close. Johnny had a less productive day because his original engine suffered an internal water leak and it had to be changed for the second session."

Practice times from F1Today

Race Preview from Stewart-Ford

STEWART-FORD NOTES AND QUOTES

• The Stewart-Ford team completed four days of testing at Silverstone last week. Rubens ended the test second fastest overall to McLaren's Mika Hakkinen. The team carried out a programme of tyre evaluation and staged several simulation runs in an effort to find the optimum race set-up for the weekend. Inclement weather meant that the team was able to run the car in wet and dry trim over the four days.
• Johnny will take time out on Friday morning for a spot or surfing ... for the live launch of the official Stewart-Ford web site - www.stewart-ford.com
• Silverstone was the scene of Johnny's first Formula One race victory in the British Grand Prix of 1995. He was also fourth in 1993. Rubens highest placing was fourth in 1994 and 1996.

JOHNNY HERBERT, Car 17 (SF3-05):

How much will 'home advantage' mean for you this weekend?

"The support for the British drivers from the fans is tremendous. You know that when you walk through the gate on Friday morning that all the screams and shouts are aimed in your direction. I always approach the weekend in a very positive mood because the race has a special feeling. I don't necessarily feel any extra pressure. It's natural to want to do well at your home Grand Prix, but we all want to do well in every race we contest, that's what we're paid to do."

What was the most abiding memory or your Silverstone victory In 1995?

"During the last few laps I thought about how hard the recovery period had been after my accident in 1988 and about the wonderful support I had received from my wife and family. I was looking at all the British flags waving and hoping that nothing was going to fall off or break on the car. When I came across the line to the chequered flag, I felt a tremendous sense of relief that I had finally won a Grand Prix. To do it at home, in front of my home fans was extra special."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO, Car 16 (SF3-04):

Your performance in last week's Silverstone test was impressive. Can you translate that into a successful race?

"I don't necessarily think that I can expect to be first or second on the grid at Silverstone based on last weeks test because there was a lot of evaluation going on among the teams including ours. However, the test confirmed that the car is faster than it has been during the last couple of races. What encouraged me most was the pace I was able to maintain during a 2O-lap run. The aerodynamic modifications we tested gave us better performance in the high speed sections of the circuit and we have improved the car's braking and traction."

What qualities does the circuit demand from car and driver?

"Silverstone is a circuit where you're forever playing with the set-up. It's unlikely that we will stick with the same set-up for the whole weekend. The wind can affect the handling characteristics of the car because the circuit is so exposed. As a driver you have to be really committed into the fast corners like Copse, and Becketts because you have to get in and out of the corner quickly so you can carry your speed onto the straight that follows. Most people automatically assume that I know more about Interlagos than any other circuit but in fact I know more about Silverstone because I have driven in Junior Formula in Britain for so long including Formula 3. I must have driven 180,000KM round Silverstone"

PAUL STEWART, SGP Deputy Chairman:

"The aerodynamic and mechanical modifications we ran during last week's test proved very successful. The last two years at Silverstone have not been kind to the Stewart-Ford team but we are in much better shape this year for a strong assault on our home Grand Prix. Silverstone is a vitally important race for us - we have a major hospitality programme in place over the weekend and we hope to be able to give our guests something to really cheer about come Sunday."

MARTIN WHITAKER, Director Ford Racing Europe:

"Both Rubens and Johnny set competitive times throughout the four day test at Silverstone last week during which we got through a lot of work on the engine in readiness for the next upgrade and further honed the driveability. Over the four days we ran over 2500km and experienced no major problems."

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Last updated 11th July 1999