There was a lot of hype leading up to this year's championship. The main contenders being the constructors and driver's champions and Ferrari being the most famous and charismatic team in Formula 1. Big things were expected from the new BAR team.

The first race was the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Irishman Eddie Irvine claimed his first ever win after 82 races. Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard retired. Heinz-Harold Frentzen finished second for Jordan and Ralf Shumacher, brother of Michael, finished in third place. Michael Schumacher finished eighth.

The next race was the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. Mika Hakkinen pipped Michael Schumacher to victory. Frentzen was third. Eddie Irvine was fifth and David Coulthard again failed to finish.

San Marino was the venue for the next race, on the track at Imola. Michael Shumacher won and David Coulthard was second. Hakkinen crashed out after 17 laps after leading the race comfortably. Eddie Irvine failed to finish for the only time in 1999. At this point Michael Shumacher led the world championship from teammate Eddie Irvine.

The next race was the Monaco Grand Prix at Monte Carlo.Shumacher and Irvine gave Ferrari a one-two. Mika Hakkien was third and Coulthard retired. After four races Michael Shumacher led the world championship on 26 points ahead of Eddie Irvine on 18 points and Mika Hakkinen on 14 points.

The championship moved on to Spain and the Spanish Grand Prix took place in Barcelona.Hakkinen led from pole position to win, just ahead of his team mate Coulthard giving McClaren a one-two. Shumacher was third and Irvine was fourth.

The next race was the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.Shumacer started in pole position but retired leaving way for Finn, Mika Hakkinen to win the race. Irvine finished third in this thrilling race. Mika Hakkinen moved to the top of the world championship standings.

The next stop on the Formula 1 calendar was the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours.This was a rain-hit race in which Heinz-Harold Frentzen triumphed for Irish team Jordan, just ahead of Mika Hakkinen. Michael Shumacher, Borrichella and Coulthard had all led at different stages of the race.

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone was marred by a tragic accident involving Michael Shumacher.The race was stopped on the first lap when Michael Shumacer crashed head on into the tyre barriers. Many people feared for his life. He was alive and was removed by stretcher and rushed to hospital. Luckily he had only broken his leg. It looked like he was going to be out for the rest of the season. Irvine was runner up to Coulthard. Mika Hakkinen retired. At the halfway stage in the world championship Mika Hakkinen led on 40 points from Eddie Irvine and Michael Shumacher who were both on 32 points.

For the Australian Grand Prix at the A1-Ring, Mika Salo replaced the injured Michael Shumacher at Ferrari. Eddie Irvine won on his first outing as Ferrari team leader. On lap one David Coulthard shunted his teammate Mika Hakkinen but the Finn recovered to finish third behind Coulthard.

The next race was the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. Mika Salo allowed Eddie Irvine through to head Ferrari's second one-two of the season. Hakkinen retired with a tyre problem. At this stage Irishman Eddie Irvine led the world championship from Hakkinen with Frentzen moving up to third.

The 11 teams moved on to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Mika Hakkinen secured pole position and another race victory.

David Coulthard forced Eddie Irvine into making a late mistake, to pip him to second place.

The next race was the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. David Coulthard overtook Hakkinen at the first corner and went on to win the race. This annoyed Mika Hakkinen. Irvine finished fourth, Mika Hakkinen regained the lead in the world championship ahead of Irvine and Coulthard, who move up to third place.

Ferrari's home Grand Prix at Monza on Italy was the venue for the next race. Mika Hakkinen, literally cried his eyes out in the woods after spinning out of the race when leading. Heinz-Harold went on to win his second race of the season. Eddie Irvine was sixth. Hakkinen and Irvine were now level on 50 points.

The European Grand Prix brought us to the Nurburgring. Johnny Herbert won for Stewart-Ford. Eddie Irvine was hampered by a poor Ferrari pit stop and finished seventh, while Mika Hakkinen also struggled to fifth place. Hakkinen now led Irvine by 2 points and Frentzen remained in third position.

The penultimate race of the season was the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang. Michael Shumacher returned from injury to achieve pole position on Formula One's first visit to this new track in Malaysia. Shumacher allowed Irvine to head another Ferrari one -two. The pair were later disqualified from the race because car irregularities with the "Barge Boards". Mika Hakkinen was provisionally crowned world champion, but Ferrari won their appeal against the disqualification. This meant that Irvine led the world championship on 70 points ahead of Hakkinen on 66 points and German Heinz-Harold Frentzen on 51 points.

The final Grand Prix of the season was Suzuka in Japan. Shumacher qualified in pole position ahead of Hakkinen and Coulthard. Heinz-Harold Frentzen qualified in fourth and Eddie Irvine in fifth place. In the end Mika Hakkinen won the race after a brave fight from Ferrari and was crowned world champion. Shumacher finished second ahead of Eddie Irvine and David Coulthard. Mika Hakkinen finished the world championship with 76 points. Eddie Irvine was second with 74 points. Third was Heinz-Harold Frentzen with 54 points, fourth was Coulthard with 48 points, fifth was Ralf Shumacher with 44 points and sixth was Michael Shumacher with 35 points.

The consructors title went to the Ferrari with 128 points. Second were McClaren with 124 points and Jordan made the Irish proud with a third place finish on 61 points.

Next year Eddie Irvine will be racing for the new Jaguar team who were known as THE Stewart-Ford team this year. Rulers Barrichello replaces him at Ferrari, becoming Michael Shumacher's new teammate. Damon Hill has now retired and Jarno Trulli replaces him at Jordan.Next year the first race is at Melbourne in Australia sometime in March and the last race is in Malaysia in October 2000. If it is anything like this year's Formula One World Championship then it is bound to be a thriller.

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