Saturday October 23rd, 1999

Eddie Irvine was delighted with the decision of the FIA's International Court of Appeal to reinstate the results of the Malaysian Grand Prix, and was grinning heavily as he heard the news over BBC World television in his hotel room in Tokyo.

"It's fantastic, It's a great triumph for the whole team," said an ecstatic Irvine. "I never thought people would consider that Ferrari had broken the rules. We fully deserved the result on the track and that has been given back to us. Now I am going to be thinking only about next Sunday, about Suzuka, and winning those titles - the drivers' and the constructors' championships."

Irvine had flown back to Japan after a fleeting visit from Macau to Paris for the appeal, taking a Japanese Airlines flight on Friday night back to Tokyo. In spite of the hectic schedule, he arrived rested and fresh in Tokyo and went to his hotel to await the news. Soon after, he was given the official version by Ferrari general manager Jean Todt, and prepared to go out to celebrate.

Irvine now leads the World Championship by four points over McLaren title defender, Mika Hakkinen. Ferrari also lead the Constructors Championship by the same margin.