MCLAREN - Constructors Champions

Mika Hakkinen, finished first and clinched the WC: "This is a very special day for me. It has taken a while for me to win the Formula One World Championship, but now it has happened and I am very happy. The team as a whole achieved a lot this season and this is the perfect result for all of us.The two false starts meant that I had to keep focused despite the disruptions and I have to say that the team did a fantastic job to keep the car at its optimum. Of course the fact that Michael started from the back relieved the pressure a little bit, but I knew he would be quick and that he would carve his way through the field. The team kept me informed all the time of what was going on, which was good and meant that I could concentrate on the car, keep my head and stay cool. A great day for the whole team - thank you!"

David Coulthard, finished 3rd at Suzuka and in the WC: "I spun the wheels at the start which allowed Frentzen to get ahead of me. I needed to finish the race in order to gain points for the Constructors Championship and make sure that I was available to support Mika so I didn't attack Frentzen as much as I would have normally. However, the team kept me aware of where Michael was and I could measure my pace. I am pleased that Mika is World Champion and I believe that I have contributed to that result. I would just like to thank and congratulate everyone at McLaren and Mercedes both those at the track and those back at the factory."

Ron Dennis, McLaren team owner: "A great day which has provided everyone both at the track and back at the factory the satisfaction that comes from success. The end of an arduous year which has seen the team maintain a calm approach. My sincere thanks to our engine Partner Mercedes, our Principal Partner West and Technology Partner Mobil. There are too many other contributors to mention but I hope they will accept my sincere thanks and appreciation."

Norbert Haug, Mercedes sporting director: "Everybody did a great job and many thanks to the whole team. When we had a few technical problems in the middle of the season nobody gave up or became disheartened, everyone pushed even harder and I am particularly pleased for Mika, he could have won the title much earlier. David did a great job finishing third in the championship having lost lots of points due to three engine failures during the season. We try to make sure that this will not happen again next year. Today we achieved a memorable result in Mercedes-Benz Motorsport history."

FERRARI - Runner up

Michael Schumacher, did not finish the race and finished second in the WC: "First of all I want to congratulate Mika Hakkinen and his team. They performed better throughout the season and so they deserve the title. I think we did not lose this championship today in Suzuka, but in the early stages of the season, when we were too far behind. I do not feel too disappointed, because I think the team can be proud of what we achieved this season. I feel sad for the boys, as all their hard work did not pay off in the end. At the second start, the engine stalled because the clutch did not free itself and I do not know why. All the work this weekend was then wasted as I had to start from the back. The first couple of laps were good fun. All the other drivers were very fair and did not try and make life difficult for me. I did not expect a rear tyre to explode as I had problems with a flat-spotted front, which caused a lot of vibration. Life goes on and now we must look forward to trying again next season."

Eddie Irvine, finished second at Suzuka and fourth in the WC: "I am very pleased to be second. Of course, with Michael at the back, everything changed and I had to flick a switch in my mind. We had looked at every possibility except me at the front and Michael at the back. I had a fantastic start and pushed very hard to try and put Mika under pressure. But towards the end of every stint, my tyres started to go off and I had to drop back a bit. It was just a race between me and Mika, but I could not push harder. The best thing for me was that the modifications we made to my seat really worked and I was able to drive and brake harder. It is a very positive sign for next season as my back has hurt all year until this weekend."

Jean Todt, team manager: "We knew we faced a difficult task and obviously Michael’s problem at the start made it virtually impossible. Despite his incredible climb through the field we did not reach our target. The unexpected tyre problem, whose cause we do not yet know, robbed us of any chance. Eddie had a great race to second place, but it was not enough for the championship. It was a very competitive season with many ups and downs. I want to mention the fabulous work of our strong and competitive team who have demonstrated their ability all season. Now we must think about next season and our objective is clear. We have the team and the necessary means to achieve it. I thank Goodyear, which is leaving F1 after so many successes with us. I also thank all our sponsors who have supported us, Philip Morris, Shell, Asprey, Telecom and Magneti Marelli."

WILLIAMS - 3rd in the CC

Williams have not released yet any quotes, will be added when it is made available...

JORDAN - 4th in the CC

Damon Hill, finished fourth at Suzuka and sixth in the WC: "I am absolutely delighted! This has been a remarkable season - quite exceptional. Everyone in the team has moved forward - everyone at Mugen-Honda, everyone at Goodyear, and of course everyone at Jordan Grand Prix. We can now look forward to next year and to being a top team. I even managed to overtake Heinz-Harald for good measure, so I am now going to celebrate with everyone at Jordan. I am also delighted for Mika. He has been solid all year and kept calm under attack. I said he would do it, and he has."

Ralf Schumacher, retired from the race and finished 10th in the WC: "This was a disappointing way for me to end my season and two years with Jordan. I would have loved to have won more points for the team, but it was not my lucky day. In fact it was not a lucky day for the Schumachers. The two re-starts meant the oil temperature in my car became very high and we were unable to do anything about it which meant that eventually the engine failed. I am very sorry for Michael. He came up so quickly behind me that it was normal for me to let him through, but sadly his race came to nothing as well. I would like to thank everyone at Jordan for a great two years and an excellent 1998 season - or at least the second half of it. Eddie and I had a quiet chat at the end of the race and it was really quite emotional."

Eddie Jordan, team owner: "If you think that half way through the season, before we scored our first point at Silverstone, we were 27 points behind Benetton, it is an amazing achievement to have beaten them. It is a very emotional moment - a combination of elation that we have finished higher in the Championship than ever in Jordan's F1 history, and sadness that we are losing Ralf. We have made a remarkable turnaround and can really say that we are on our on our way now that we have made it into the top four. It is fantastic! This result means a huge amount for the team - it is a just reward for everyone's hard work. It is difficult to express in words what it means. I would also like to add that it is sad that this is Tyrrell's final race. And I would like to give a personal thank you to Goodyear who have been fantastic to me and to Jordan."

BENETTON - 5th in the CC

Giancarlo Fisichella, finished 8th at Suzuka and 9th in the WC: "I pushed very hard all through the race. The car was quite well-balanced, better than during qualifying. I had some problems with the last set of tyres because of a bit of understeer. I tried to approach Villeneuve, but at the end I had a problem with the right front wheel bearing and I had to slow down. Obviously I am very sorry that we lost a position in the world championship, but we will recover next season."

Alexander Wurz, finished 9th at Suzuka and 7th in the WC: "I am quite disappointed. It was a very difficult race. The balance itself was not so bad, but I had absolutely no grip and I had to struggle a lot with the car always at the limit. It was difficult and now we have to recover from our disappointment and plan ahead."

Rocco Benetton, team manager: "The team worked very hard throughout the weekend and the drivers pushed to the limit. This is not the result we had hoped for, but we are happy to congratulate McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and Bridgestone on their championship success and Jordan, too, for taking fourth place ahead of us. Having said that, we are not going to allow them any rest. From tomorrow, we will be very strongly focussed on our plans for our 1999 car and next season when we will be determined to win back our place and to challenge again at the front."