1998 Australian Grand Prix

First round of the 1998 Formula One World Championship June 2012 October 2017 F1 1997 European Grand Prix 1998 Brazilian Grand Prix Australia Australian Albert_Lake_Park_Street_Circuit_in_Melbourne,_Australia.svg 8 March 1998 1998 Qantas Australian Grand Prix 1 16 Melbourne Grand Prix CircuitAlbert Park, Melbourne, Australia Albert Park Circuit 3.295 5.303 58 191.118 307.574 Clear with maximum temperatures reaching 24 degrees at the start, increasing to 30 degrees by the end of the race. Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.010 FIN Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes 1:31.649 39 FIN Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes FIN David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes GBR Heinz-Harald Frentzen Williams-Mecachrome GER AUS The 1998 Australian Grand Prix (formally the 1998 Qantas Australian Grand Prix)1998 Australia https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1998/races/671/australia/race-result.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20230729222454/https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1998/races/671/australia/race-result.html 29 July 2023 8 February 2024 Formula 1 was a Formula One motor race held at the Albert Park street circuit in inner Melbourne on 8 March 1998 at 14:00 AEDT (UTC+10). It was the 63rd race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix that dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928. It was the first of the sixteen races of the 1998 FIA Formula One World Championship and held over 58 laps of the 5.3 kilometre street circuit and the sixth to be held on the Albert Park venue first used in 1953, or the third since the new circuit first hosted the race in 1996. The race was dominated by the McLaren-Mercedes team and won by Mika Häkkinen over his teammate David Coulthard in controversial circumstances due to team orders. Williams driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen finished third, his only podium finish this season. The race also represented the first win for Japanese tyre manufacturer Bridgestone in Formula One and the first race since the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix not won by Goodyear. Johnny Herbert scored his only point of the season. Race summary The McLarens of Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard made good starts from the front row of the grid. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, starting third, also had a good start and tried to overtake second place Coulthard. The Ferrari driver stayed with the McLarens but retired on lap 6 when his engine failed. This handed third place to the Williams of Jacques Villeneuve, who was being chased by Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella. After the first round of pitstops, Villeneuve found himself behind teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Ferrari's Eddie Irvine, and Fisichella. Fisichella was able to pass Frentzen for third but then retired with mechanical failure, leaving Frentzen to finish just ahead of Irvine's Ferrari, which had gambled on a one-stop strategy. Villeneuve was lapped soon after this by the McLarens but still managed to finish in fifth place. All cars except the two McLarens were lapped down.23 March 2023 Rewind: McLaren's 1998 switch sparks controversy https://www.grandprix.com.au/fan-zone/news/rewind-mclarens-1998-switch-sparks-controversy live 8 February 2024 GrandPrix.com.au https://web.archive.org/web/20231110152125/https://www.grandprix.com.au/fan-zone/news/rewind-mclarens-1998-switch-sparks-controversy 10 November 2023 On lap 36, Häkkinen came into the pits unexpectedly, apparently having misheard a call over the radio. He drove straight through the pitlane and rejoined the race without stopping but lost first place to teammate Coulthard. In 2007, McLaren boss Ron Dennis claimed that someone had tapped into the team's radio system: "We do not and have not manipulated Grands Prix, unless there were some exceptional circumstances, which occurred in Australia [1998], when someone had tapped into our radio and instructed Mika Häkkinen to enter the pits."Garside Kevin 29 May 2007 FIA inquiry into McLaren order https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/kevingarside/2314285/FIA-inquiry-into-McLaren-order.html live The Daily Telegraph London https://web.archive.org/web/20101014113435/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/kevingarside/2314285/FIA-inquiry-into-McLaren-order.html 14 October 2010 8 February 2024 In 2023, Hakkinen recalled: "The team said something on the radio, I was confused, I thought they asked me to come to change tyres and that was not the case. They were just giving me some different information. So I just drove through the pit lane and I of course lost the lead of the race, David got the lead." With 16 laps to go, Coulthard had a 12-second lead; by lap 55 of 58, Coulthard's lead was reduced to two seconds. A few laps before the end of the race, Coulthard let Häkkinen past on the front straight. From the pre-season test, it was clear that McLaren had the fastest car but was unreliable.In 2020, Coulthard recalled: "At that time, team orders were not a common part of Formula One – it's accepted today, but back then it wasn't part of it. We as a team did it for good reason – we had a fast car that had been unreliable in winter testing, so we knew if we pushed at 100 per cent, the chances of finishing were very slim. So to get both cars to the end – even if it was in the wrong order for my liking – was a big success for the team." nb Due to those reliability concerns, Hakkinen and Coulthard had made a pre-race agreement that between the two of them, the driver who led at the first corner would go on to win the race, should he be in the position to do so.9 March 1998 Hakkinen wins Australian Grand Prix decided by pre-race agreement http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P1-19803342.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110604100050/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P1-19803342.html 4 June 2011 8 February 2024 Associated PressIn 2023, Hakkinen recalled: "We were sitting on the front row, me and David – and we just made a deal. The driver who was first at the first corner when the race starts, that driver is going to win the Grand Prix. There's not going to be any fight. We had a deal, so David had to let me past – brilliant!" nb Coulthard and the McLaren team were criticised heavily,Gebbie Mark March 1998 The Team or the Individual http://www.atlasf1.com/98/aus/gebbie.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20240208053643/http://www.atlasf1.com/98/aus/gebbie.html 8 February 2024 8 February 2024 Atlas F1Carluccio Carlo 8 March 2014 On This Day in #F1: 8th March https://thejudge13.com/2014/03/08/on-this-day-in-f1-8th-march/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230328050214/https://thejudge13.com/2014/03/08/on-this-day-in-f1-8th-march/ 28 March 2023 8 February 2024 TheJudge13 leading to discussion about team orders.Ewan Ewan M. August 1998 Do Champions Need Team Orders? http://www.atlasf1.com/98/hun/preview/tytler.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20240205092202/http://www.atlasf1.com/98/hun/preview/tytler.html 5 February 2024 8 February 2024 Atlas F1 The situation surrounding Coulthard allowing Häkkinen through would eventually go to the World Motorsport Council. The verdict was that "any future act prejudicial to the interests of competition should be severely punished in accordance with article 151c of International Sporting Code."18 March 1998 FIA warns teams; French GP gets go-ahead; Tests: F1 Coverage in Florida http://www.atlasf1.com/news/1998/649.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20240208020535/http://www.atlasf1.com/news/1998/649.htm 8 February 2024 8 February 2024 Atlas F1O'Keefe Thomas 13 February 2002 The FIA's International Court of Appeal: Final Answer? (Part III) https://atlasf1.autosport.com/2002/feb13/okeefe.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20240208020348/https://atlasf1.autosport.com/2002/feb13/okeefe.html 8 February 2024 8 February 2024 Atlas F1 8 7Masefield Fraser 14 October 2013 Top 10 Team Orders Controversies in Formula One https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1810291-top-10-team-orders-controversies-in-formula-one live https://web.archive.org/web/20131017011733/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1810291-top-10-team-orders-controversies-in-formula-one 17 October 2013 8 February 2024 Bleacher Report Team orders continued to be controversial in Formula One and were banned following the events of the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix but were reallowed following the 2010 German Grand Prix.14 March 2020 A Mysterious Order: Inside the Controversial 1998 Australian GP https://automobilist.com/en-us/blogs/stories/a-mysterious-order-inside-the-controversial-1998-australian-gp live 8 February 2024 Automobilist https://web.archive.org/web/20240205203138/https://automobilist.com/en-us/blogs/stories/a-mysterious-order-inside-the-controversial-1998-australian-gp 5 February 2024 Frentzen took third place for Williams.8 March 1998 Hakkinen wins Grand Prix https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5r4fAAAAIBAJ&pg=6404,1025559&dq=mika+hakkinen&hl=en live https://web.archive.org/web/20240208015906/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5r4fAAAAIBAJ&pg=6404,1025559&dq=mika+hakkinen&hl=en 8 February 2024 8 February 2024 Gadsden Times D6 Google News The race was the first win for the tyre manufacturer Bridgestone after they entered Formula One a year earlier.Tremayne David 9 March 1998 Coulthard's selfless act of honour https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing-coulthards-selfless-act-of-honour-1149181.html subscription live https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing-coulthards-selfless-act-of-honour-1149181.html 1 May 2022 8 February 2024 The Independent London After the race concluded, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker lodged an official complaint to the FIA into how the actions of the McLaren team decided the race for Häkkinen.9 March 1998 Protest lodged over Hakkinen win https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/formula_1/63737.stm live https://web.archive.org/web/20030302045554/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/formula_1/63737.stm 2 March 2003 8 February 2024 BBC News Classification Qualifying Pos No Driver Constructor Lap Time Gap 1 8 FIN Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.010 2 7 GBR David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.053 +0.043 3 3 GER Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:30.767 +0.757 4 1 CAN Jacques Villeneuve Williams-Mecachrome 1:30.919 +0.909 5 15 GBR Johnny Herbert Sauber-Petronas 1:31.384 +1.374 6 2 GER Heinz-Harald Frentzen Williams-Mecachrome 1:31.397 +1.387 7 5 ITA Giancarlo Fisichella Benetton-Playlife 1:31.733 +1.723 8 4 GBR Eddie Irvine Ferrari 1:31.767 +1.757 9 10 GER Ralf Schumacher Jordan-Mugen-Honda 1:32.392 +2.382 10 9 GBR Damon Hill Jordan-Mugen-Honda 1:32.399 +2.389 11 6 AUT Alexander Wurz Benetton-Playlife 1:32.726 +2.716 12 14 FRA Jean Alesi Sauber-Petronas 1:33.240 +3.230 13 21 JPN 1947 Toranosuke Takagi Tyrrell-Ford 1:33.291 +3.281 14 18 BRA Rubens Barrichello Stewart-Ford 1:33.383 +3.373 15 12 ITA Jarno Trulli Prost-Peugeot 1:33.739 +3.729 16 17 FIN Mika Salo Arrows 1:33.927 +3.917 17 23 ARG Esteban Tuero Minardi-Ford 1:34.646 +4.636 18 19 DEN Jan Magnussen Stewart-Ford 1:34.906 +4.896 19 20 BRA Ricardo Rosset Tyrrell-Ford 1:35.119 +5.109 20 16 BRA Pedro Diniz Arrows 1:35.140 +5.130 21 11 FRA Olivier Panis Prost-Peugeot 1:35.215 +5.205 22 22 JPN 1947 Shinji Nakano Minardi-Ford 1:35.301 +5.291107% time: 1:36.311Source:http://www.statsf1.com/en/1998/australie/qualification.aspx live Australia 1998 – Qualifications Stats F1 1998 https://web.archive.org/web/20240109151112/https://www.statsf1.com/en/1998/australie/qualification.aspx 9 January 2024 15 October 2018 Race Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points 1 8 FIN Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes 58 1:31:45.996 1 10 2 7 GBR David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 58 +0.702 2 6 3 2 GER Heinz-Harald Frentzen Williams-Mecachrome 57 +1 Lap 6 4 4 4 GBR Eddie Irvine Ferrari 57 +1 Lap 8 3 5 1 CAN Jacques Villeneuve Williams-Mecachrome 57 +1 Lap 4 2 6 15 GBR Johnny Herbert Sauber-Petronas 57 +1 Lap 5 1 7 6 AUT Alexander Wurz Benetton-Playlife 57 +1 Lap 11   8 9 GBR Damon Hill Jordan-Mugen-Honda 57 +1 Lap 10   9 11 FRA Olivier Panis Prost-Peugeot 57 +1 Lap 21   Ret Retired 5 ITA Giancarlo Fisichella Benetton-Playlife 43 Broken Wing 7   Ret Retired 14 FRA Jean Alesi Sauber-Petronas 41 Engine 12   Ret Retired 12 ITA Jarno Trulli Prost-Peugeot 26 Gearbox 15   Ret Retired 20 BRA Ricardo Rosset Tyrrell-Ford 25 Gearbox 19   Ret Retired 17 FIN Mika Salo Arrows 23 Gearbox 16   Ret Retired 23 ARG Esteban Tuero Minardi-Ford 22 Engine 17   Ret Retired 22 JPN 1947 Shinji Nakano Minardi-Ford 8 Halfshaft 22   Ret Retired 3 GER Michael Schumacher Ferrari 5 Engine 3   Ret Retired 16 BRA Pedro Diniz Arrows 2 Gearbox 20   Ret Retired 10 GER Ralf Schumacher Jordan-Mugen-Honda 1 Collision 9   Ret Retired 19 DEN Jan Magnussen Stewart-Ford 1 Collision 18   Ret Retired 21 JPN 1947 Toranosuke Takagi Tyrrell-Ford 1 Spun off 13   Ret Retired 18 BRA Rubens Barrichello Stewart-Ford 0 Gearbox 14  Source:http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1998/164/ 1998 Australian Grand Prix Formula 1 1998 https://web.archive.org/web/20141205004456/http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1998/164/ 5 December 2014 8 February 2024 Pedro Diniz's car caught fire on the way to the grid. Championship standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 FIN Mika Häkkinen 10 2 GBR David Coulthard 6 3 GER Heinz-Harald Frentzen 4 4 GBR Eddie Irvine 3 5 CAN Jacques Villeneuve 2Source:https://www.statsf1.com/en/1998/australie/championnat.aspx live Australia 1998 – Championship Stats F1 1998 https://web.archive.org/web/20230428223851/https://www.statsf1.com/en/1998/australie/championnat.aspx 28 April 2023 8 February 2024 Constructors' Championship standings Pos Constructor Points 1 GBR McLaren-Mercedes 16 2 GBR Williams-Mecachrome 6 3 ITA Ferrari 3 4 CHE Sauber-Petronas 1Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings. Notes nb References 30em Australian Grand Prix 1998 1997 European Grand Prix 1998 Brazilian Grand Prix 1997 Australian Grand Prix 1999 Australian Grand Prix Grand Prix Australian Grand Prix Category:Australian Grand Prix Australian Grand Prix Category:Formula One controversies Category:Motorsport at Albert Park