1999: Tartan triumph at the Nürburgring

Podium celebrations for the 1999 European GP

© F1-photo.com / Cahier Archive

The 1999 European Grand Prix held on September 26 at the Nürburgring proved to be the high water mark for the Stewart-Ford team.

The 66-lap race was won by Johnny Herbert, and his team mate Rubens Barrichello picked up third place. The pair were joined on the podium by team owner Sir Jackie Stewart. The three-time world champion got quite drenched during the celebrations!

It was the only victory recorded by the team in 49 races, and also their sole double podium. Stewart GP had made its début at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix.

Sadly the Stewart name left the line-up of Formula 1 teams just two races later. Following the 1999 season finale in Japan, the team was bought by Ford and rebadged Jaguar Racing.

Five years later the manufacturer decided to quit the sport. It sold the team to energy drinks company Red Bull, who had a small measure of success with their investment over the next few years...

The 1999 European GP was Herbert's third and final victory in Formula 1. He stayed on at Jaguar in 2000 but retired from the sport after 161 Grand Prix races, following a heavy crash in Malaysia. He's now a full-time analyst and co-presenter for Sky Sports F1.

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