Monday, October 18, 1999 Published at 05:13 GMT 06:13 UK
F1 title in the balance
Eddie Irvine: Lost first place as well as the drivers' championship
The 1999 Formula One drivers' championship hangs in the balance following the disqualification of Ferrari pair Eddie Irvine and Michael Schumacher.
Defending champion Mika Hakkinen, who finished third, has been installed as provisional world champion after Irvine's and Schumacher's cars were deemed to have broken technical regulations.
Hakkinen finished third but his McLaren car was placed first following the double disqualification, giving him an unassailable 12-point lead with only one Grand Prix to go.
Irvine, who comes from Northern Ireland, only heard about his disqualification when his private jet touched down in the Portugese colony of Macao.
After the race at Sepang, he had flown straight there from Kuala Lumpur.
Jo Bauer, a spokesman for the sport's world governing body FIA, said the Ferraris' deflector panels were deemed to have broken the regulations.
The deflector panels are aerodynamic aids which channel air to the side and rear to help the engine keep cool and improve the car's stability.
An appeal hearing will be held before the Japanese Grand Prix in two weeks' time.
The Italian team said the breach of the regulations did not improve the car's performance.
Ferrari spokesman Claudio Berro admitted the body panels might not conform to regulations.
He said: "We need to check the technical situation. We checked the parts, whether it confirmed to the rules."
"It is possible the manufacturer does not conform. I don't know. It is too much early to give an explanation."
If Irvine were reinstated he would regain a four-point lead to take to the final race at Suzuka. That race is estimated to have a worldwide television audience of around 500 million.
Former world champion Schumacher led the race, after Irvine, from Northern Ireland, pulled in for his second pit stop, but the German let Irvine cruise into first.
Hakkinen snatched back third place from Stewart Ford's Herbert with a daring move on the penultimate lap.
Rubens Barrichello was promoted to third after coming fifth, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen moving to fourth.
Team-mate Damon Hill was forced to retire in the penultimate race of his career after being hit on the opening lap while McLaren's David Coulthard quit with a technical problem when lying second.
Result of Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix following the disqualification of the Ferrari team who finished first and second:
Race distance: 56 laps:
1. Mika Hakkinen (Finland) McLaren 1 hour 36 minutes 48.237
Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR completed 48 laps
Did not start:
Jarno Trulli (Italy) Prost
Eddie Irvine (Britain) Ferrari
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