The 1999 Belgian GP was held on 29 August 1999 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The 44-lap race was won by British driver David Coulthard, driving a McLaren-Mercedes, Finn Mika Häkkinen took pole position in the other McLaren-Mercedes, but Coulthard overtook him at the first corner and went on to lead all 44 laps. German Heinz-Harald Frentzen third in a Jordan-Mugen-Honda and Eddie Irvine finshed 4th driving this Ferrari 399.

Very noticaeble is the F1 marking of the race. The Belgium Government has prohibited Tobacco ads some months eralier. Though the local authorities and Ecclestone fought to keep the markings until the day of the race, the temas refused to take the risk of big fines.

Edmund Irvine Jr. is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He competed in Formula One between 1993 and 2002, and finished runner-up in the 1999 World Drivers' Championship, driving for Scuderia Ferrari. He began his career at the age of 17 when he entered the Formula Ford Championship, achieving early success, before progressing to the Formula Three and Formula 3000 Championships. He made his Formula One debut in 1993 with Jordan Grand Prix, where he achieved early notoriety for his involvement in incidents on and off the track. He scored his first podium in 1995 with Jordan, before moving to Ferrari in 1996. His most successful season was in 1999 (see below) when he took 4 victories and finished second in the World Championship, two points behind Mika Häkkinen. He remains the latest driver from the UK to have represented Ferrari. He moved to Jaguar Racing in 2000, scoring the team's first podium in 2001 and his final podium in 2002. Irvine retired from competitive motorsport at the end of the 2002 season.

 

1999 was his best year  Irvine scored his maiden F1 victory at the season opening round in Australia, giving him the lead of the World Drivers' Championship for the first time.  Irvine finished second at Monaco, behind Schumacher, giving Ferrari its first one-two finish of the season, and first ever in the Principality. At the next round in Canada, Irvine set fastest lap (his career one and only) and survived a collision with McLaren driver David Coulthard on the way to a third-place finish.

On the first lap of the British Grand Prix, which Irvine finished in second place, Schumacher broke his right leg in a crash at the high-speed Stowe Corner when his car's rear brakes failed. Irvine assumed the role of team leader and was partnered by Finnish driver Mika Salo for the next six races. Irvine won the next race in Austria and was gifted the win by Mika Salo a week later in Germany, helping him to regain the lead of the Drivers' Championship. A further podium finish in Hungary followed, where he struggled with oversteer. Schumacher returned from injury at the penultimate race of the season, in Malaysia, and in a remarkable display, helped Irvine to win his fourth race of the season and head another Ferrari one-two, ahead of Häkkinen. Both Ferraris were later disqualified as it was discovered their car's bargeboards did not comply with Formula One's technical regulations but th decision was appealed and, ensuring a Championship showdown at Suzuka. At the final race of the season in Japan, Irvine struggled in qualifying and crashed heavily, managing only fifth place; in the race he finished third, over a minute and a half behind Schumacher in second, and race winner Häkkinen. Irvine lost the Drivers' Championship to Häkkinen by just 2 points, but Irvine's efforts during the season helped Ferrari to clinch their first World Constructors' Championship in 16 years.