How it unfolded
With two rounds left Schumacher led Häkkinen by eight points; a win at Suzuka would clinch the title. Schumacher took pole by 0.009 seconds but lost the lead at the start; both ran a two-stop strategy and held position through the first stops. The second stops decided it. As spots of rain appeared, Häkkinen pitted first; Schumacher stayed out two or three laps longer on a dampening track and set consecutive personal bests. When he emerged, McLaren was behind. Schumacher held an 1.8-second gap to the flag, giving Ferrari its first drivers' championship since Jody Scheckter in 1979 and Schumacher his third title — his first with Ferrari. His tearful voice on the slowing-down lap remains one of the most replayed radio messages in the sport.
Why it still matters
This was the starting point of the longest dynasty in F1 history. Schumacher and Ferrari took five consecutive drivers' titles through 2004 and six consecutive constructors' titles from 1999. The rebuild by Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne over four years became the template every F1 team now follows: align the entire organisation around one top driver.