Ferrari's Irvine picks up the mantle from Schumacher

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©TheCahierArchive

On this day in 1999, two weeks after Michael Schumacher broke a leg in a crash at Silverstone, Ferrari team mate Eddie Irvine picked up the baton and won the Austrian Grand Prix at what was then called the A1 Ring in Spielberg.

The then de facto team leader of the Scuderia - flanked by substitute Mika Salo - undercut McLaren's David Coulthard to take the lead a little after the mid-way point of the 71-lap race.

The win eventually set Irvine up for an all-out championship battle with Mika Hakkinen that the Ulsterman would ultimately lose later on in Japan by just two points.

©TheCahierArchive

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.