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Formula One: Austria GP Post Race News and Notes

17 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

NEWS and NOTES:

Irvine withdraws: Eddie Irvine withdrew from the race Friday night because of severe abdominal pains. He flew to London, where extensive medical tests found no severe internal problems. After spending two days in the hospital he was released, but he must return for further tests. Jaguar Racings test driver, Luciano Burti, took over Irvines seat for the rest of the weekend. On a track he had never driven on before, Burti finished 11th.

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Villeneuve still to decide: Jacques Villeneuve still has not made up his mind which team he will drive for next season.

"The decision is not made yet, and there is no deadline," said Villeneuve, the 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner. "But I would like to make my decision as early as possible. The longer you wait, the more everybody gets nervous, which is not useful for the team Im in if I stay here. So there is no need to wait just for the sake of waiting. As soon as Im ready to make a decision, then Ill make it".

Villeneuve denied reports that he was considering taking a sabbatical: "That could be fun, but it would not be very intelligent. I wouldnt consider that."

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Button waits: Jenson Button is still waiting to hear if he will drive for Williams-BMW next season or lose his seat to Juan Montoya. The only pressure Button feels is when he climbs out of the car.

"Actually driving is not a problem," Button said, "because when youre (in the car) you concentrate on what your job is, which is to drive. I have no problems during practice, qualifying or the race. Its when I have to get out of the car that it can get a bit difficult.

"There are people asking the same question over and over again, which (I don t enjoy). What goes on off the circuit is important, but for me its not the most important aspect. And I feel fine when I am on the circuit."

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Coulthards century: David Coulthard started his 100th career Grand Prix in Austria.

Since the start of his F1 career in the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix, Coulthard has covered approximately 18,505 race miles (29,608 km) and 5,971 race laps. He has gone through a stack of tires as high as the Eiffel Tower. He has used 300 race suits, 90 pairs of boots, 45 helmets and 250 pairs of gloves.

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Porsche winner: Patrick Huisman held off a strong challenge from Bernd Maylander in the opening laps of the Porsche Pirelli Supercup race and went on to win the event. Jorg Bergmeister and Stephane Ortelli finished second and third, respectively. Maylander held onto second position until the final lap but ended up fourth.

The Porsche Pirelli Supercup series will be a support race at the SAP United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis on Sept. 24.

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Holiday makes a winner: Mika Hakkinen said a combination of setup changes on his McLaren plus a vacation were the keys to his return to the front of the pack.

"The most important thing was just to take things easy," he said of his holiday, "and to get some good exercise. Basically, I got my life sorted and relaxed. I dont know how to explain this, but the season has been very tiring in terms of testing and races. Because there has been a Grand Prix once every two weeks, this year has been different from the past and maybe my program wasnt so suitable. I needed to change it a little, and now I feel good."

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Celebrities visit: Celebrities at the Austrian Grand Prix included opera singer Placido Domingo, National Hockey League stars Patrik Elias and Dominik Hasek, and rock star Bryan Adams.

Text provided by Paul Kelly

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.