Sunday September 26th, 1999

Stewart

Johnny Herbert: "I'm absolutely over the moon. It's particularly pleasing for Jackie since this is the last year the team will carry his name. It's also a fantastic result for Ford Motor Company because they showed a big commitment by purchasing the team earlier this year and have now stated their intention to win the World Championship with Jaguar Racing. A big credit also to my crew, Gary Anderson and my engineers - they did a great job. When I was in the lead, I was just hoping and praying towards end that everything would hold together. I was able to relax a little since I had quite a gap down to Trulli. I was able to change the gears earlier and brake earlier and just concentrate on not putting too much strain on the car. After what was not a very good qualifying I had not expected to be top of the podium today. There is always an element of luck in a race and today was our day."

Rubens Barrichello: "From the bottom of my heart I'm really happy for Johnny because he has had such a difficult time this season. However to be honest I have two hearts because even though I'm pleased for Johnny it would have been nice to have been the one to bring the Stewart-Ford team its first victory - particularly since this is my last season with them. But I don't want to take anything away from Johnny - he drove a really good race. I was trying so hard at the end to get past Trulli but just couldn't manage it. The only place I could overtake was at the Chicane but I had seen what had happened to Alesi and Irvine there and didn't want to risk too much."

Jackie Stewart: "It's difficult to describe how I feel. It's just tremendous for the whole team. This is undoubtedly the most important moment in my racing career. I have won Grands Prix, I have won World Championships, but to win as a Constructor is the highest emotion imaginable. The drivers made no mistakes at all. Our strategy was absolutely right. It was a complete team effort and every member of the team deserves equal praise. It is also a fitting reward for Ford and it justifies the confidence they have shown in us."

Prost

Jarno Trulli: "I am truly very happy. It is my best result in Formula One and I am overall very happy for the whole team. Everyone has worked fantastically well. At the start, I had a bit of a clutch problem and I got away pretty slowly. At the first corner, I avoided the accident but lost some places at the same time and collected some debris on my helmet and one of my hands. When it started to rain, the pits called me to come in and change to rain tyres, but I looked at the sky and saw it was clearing and the track was still dry. I preferred to continue the race. After my first pit stop, I went out again on slicks but eight laps later it rained harder. I came in for rain tyres and enough fuel to reach the end of the race, and then I was fastest at that time on the track. I went for slicks at my last stop and afterwards was careful., It was then that Barrichello, faster than me, caught me. Knowing the circuit well, I knew where to take a dry line and a few laps from the end, I had not intention of letting him take my second place."

Alain Prost: "Jarno drove his race very well. I knew he was going to wait for Barrichello and would stay in front as he did. Olivier made a logical and more comfortable decision in chosing to stop as soon as it began to rain to take rain tyres. It was the kind of race he likes. He was very fast and I am truly disappointed for him. A big 'well done' to all the team. Our two cars both fiished, we have shown that we are reliable and we made no mistakes, despite the difficult circumstances for everyone. Today's race rewards our efforts and all the work done. At a time when we are building our new car, a result like this is truly very motivating."

Williams

Ralf Schumacher: "I feel that I narrowly missed a good podium opportunity today. My car was really good and even in the wet conditions it was very quick. Today's race was heavily affected by the mad weather and resembled yesterday's qualifying which was, as I said, a gamble. We made the right choice in terms of which type of tyre to put on but I was very unlucky, as I had a puncture to my right rear tyre when I was leading the race. I couldn't make it into the pit lane, so I had to drive a whole lap with the tyre in that condition and unfortunately the tyre exploded. If course it is good to have three more points under my best, even if I can't stop thinking that it could have been... ten!"

Alex Zanardi: "I had a vey good start, when I overtook five or six cars. I didn't to take any risk so I stayed ont the inside of the track - which is usually the safest place. But in the acident between Wurz and Diniz's Sauber all I could do was avoid it by going into the gravel and when I went back to the track I was last. My car wasn't damaged and I coult also overtake a few cars and have some fun. But my race had to be aggressive, if I wanted to gain some positions. An opportunity arose when Zonta and De La Rosa drove badly out of the chicane. I passed Zonta but De La Rosa - maybe because his tyres were wet - braked too early and didn't leave me any way out. I finished out of the track and the gearbox broke, so I could not restart."

McLaren

Mika Hakkinen: "Today I scored two very hard earned but valuable points. We will now build on this as we focus on the next race in Malaysia."

David Coulthard: "I am very disappointed to have gone off in these conditions, as I had a good lead and it is more acceptable to go off whilst you are chasing, than when you are leading. I am sorry for the team for that. It is the first time I have put the car off in a race this year, but that is little consolation."

Ron Dennis: "I never thought that I could be so pleased with a fifth place. The team has to take responsibility for calling Mika in during what turned out to be a brief period of rain. Both drivers gave their best, but David of course knows that to finish first, first you have to finish. That said we still lead both World Championships and we are looking forward to the remaining Grands Prix."

Norbert Haug: "What a crazy and spectacular race we had today. It's a pity for David, but Mika was lucky in the end as he still maintains his World Championship lead with two additional points. The positive aspect is that Ferrari has not scored points on this occasion. Congratulations to the Stewart team."

Minardi

Marc Gene: "I am very happy for the team because this is the result of a whole year's work. The car was very good. Gustav Brunner and the technical staff made a very competitive car. Today Fiorio's strategy proved excellent. Also, my engineers did an extraordinary job setting up the car in the best way. I therefore feel truly satisfied especially for the team; they have been waiting for this outcome for a long time. They all did an extraordinary job."

Gabriele Rumi: "My first words are for Luca who did an excellent race climbing very high up the classification; his lap times were unbelievable, among the fastest and he, therefore, deserved really much more. His retirement, in such a favourable day, ruines a little bit our joy. Gen? picked up the result performing very well, thus proving that the whole Team is doing a very good job. Since the very first race in the current Championship we worked flat out in order to develop the car, unfortunately our work was not seen nor understood. But in the end, the will to persevere, notwithstanding the innumerable difficulties, brought us this result."

Cesare Fiorio, sporting director: "At the pit wall we decided twice to leave both drivers out on dry tyres while it was raining. It proved to be a risky decision that both drivers have interpreted in the best way, managing to drive their cars very well on a very slippery surface without committing any mistake. They really did an excellent job. The risk we took repaid us."

Ferrari

Eddie Irvine: "Our strategy was a bit wrong. We stayed out when we should have come in. It was yet another great opportunity missed. As for my first pit stop, the pit crew was ready for me, but Salo came in first and so the mechanics got rid of my tyres to put his tyres on. Then when I came in they could not find one of my tyres. They eventually found it and I lost a lot of time. It is difficult when you have one group of mechanics serving two cars. We got our pit stops out of sequence. We should have been attacking ahead, instead of covering Hakkinen but there were too many mistakes. At the end, when the track was drying, I was unable to keep on the pace as the balance of my car was not right. Even so, we have got off lightly as I am still only two points behind the championship leader."

Mika Salo: "When I first changed onto wet tyres was a mistake, but then I had a problem with the brakes as they were on all the time. It felt as though I had a handbrake on. The car was very difficult to drive, even in a straight line, as every time I backed off the throttle, I locked up the rear wheels. When the track started to dry out it was impossible to continue. I am not sure what went wrong with the pit stop."

Jean Todt: "The race was a series of problems enlivened with much drama. We were unable to make the most of the continual changes in the weather and the situations these created. At the first pit stops, we were waiting for Eddie, but Salo came in first to change his damaged front wing, losing valuable time. Irvine came in immediately after Mika, when a last minute change of tyre choice also lost us time. At the end of lap 45, Salo stopped with a brake problem which we are currently analysing. In these unusual circumstances, our main rivals coped with the conditions better than us. The championships are still up for grabs. This is not the time for recriminations. If we want to fight to the end of the championship we must not stumble like this in the remaining races."

BAR

Ricardo Zonta: "It was my choice to come in for wets during the first rainstorm and this was a mistake because the rain was not that bad. It's a pity because the car was fast and good to drive and I could have finished higher without that extra pit stop. The guys did a great job for me, particularly 'Rocky' Rocquelin who was my engineer for the first time. We had the opportunity over the weekend to change a lot to see which would be the best set-up. I think if I could start the weekend from now, I would qualify better."

Jacques Villeneuve: "It was extremely disappointing to stop with four laps to go, but I had been expecting it because I had problems changing gear for 10 laps before that. Our one-stop race strategy was good because we had to take risks, although maybe we should have gone to wets, because during the first rain I spun at the chicane and had to take it easy for a bit until the rain eased off. The positive thing now is that the car is competitive and we just have to go for it in the last two races. Points should now be our aim, not just finishing races."

Craig Pollock, Chairman & CEO: "In spite of another non-finish for Jacques, things are starting to come together now. The car proved very competitive today - both drivers were able to lap quickly, and Ricardo's times in particular were up with the leaders as the track started to dry. The team worked very well together, we held our nerve, and the one-stop strategy for Jacques almost got us in the points. We feel that we missed out this time by a very small margin. We still have to do better, however."

Jordan

Heinz-Harald Frentzen: "Today was a huge disappointment. It feels awful to drop out of the race when you are leading. Everything had gone so well for the first half of the race and the team did a fantastic job in the pits to get me out ahead of David (Coulthard) but as I came out I seemed to have an electrical problem. We are not sure what it was and we need to analyse it. Our strategy had worked well and I was able to hold back the McLarens which felt really good. But these things happen in motor racing and a lot of driver did not finish the race today or were outside the points. What it important is that Pedro (Diniz) was not hurt because this is the only thing that matters."

Damon Hill: "I had a good start, But when I came out of the first corner I had no power and could not get out of the way. The ensuing accident was very nasty and I saw it happening but there was nothing I could do. I saw Pedro (Diniz) fly past me and I was very worried as I was on the scene when they were tending to him. I am very relieved to hear that he is ok."

Eddie Jordan: "This race was a litany of disasters for all the key teams. For us and for Heinz-Harald it was an opportunity lost. But we lead the race and were doing a superb job before we went out. Ours is not the only disappointed team today. I feel sorry for Heinz, but there is a list of other drivers too to feel sorry for - David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella. The Championship is still open. It was great to see Johnny win the race and I would like to congratulate Stewart on the team's first win."