1998 Belgian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Damon Hill gave Jordan its first Grand Prix victory in a dramatic, rain-soaked Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Ralf Schumacher completed a remarkable one-two, with Jean Alesi third, after both championship contenders retired.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren
Pole time	1:48.682
Fastest lap	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	2:03.766 on lap 9
First	Damon Hill	Jordan
Second	Ralf Schumacher	Jordan
Third	Jean Alesi	Sauber

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
28 August 1998	Practice 1	11:00
28 August 1998	Practice 2	13:00
29 August 1998	Practice 3	09:00
29 August 1998	Practice 4	10:15
29 August 1998	Qualifying	13:00
30 August 1998	Warm-up	09:30
30 August 1998	Race	14:00

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Mika Häkkinen arrived at round 13 leading the 1998 F1 World Championship on 77 points, with Michael Schumacher on 70. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 125 points.

Race entries

The regular twenty-two drivers returned for Spa. Heinz-Harald Frentzen was recovering after the illness that had troubled him in Hungary, while Ferrari committed to its longer-wheelbase configuration. Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher arrived with Jordan‘s recent improvement offering genuine encouragement.

Free Practice

David Coulthard led opening practice, but Häkkinen crashed after catching a damp kerb. The impact damaged the McLaren‘s left side and suspension, leaving its mechanics with substantial repairs. Ferrari evaluated a new front wing, while a gear-selection problem restricted Ralf Schumacher to three slow laps.

Jacques Villeneuve‘s heavy accident at Eau Rouge interrupted the afternoon. He escaped injury, but Williams needed to rebuild around another chassis. The stoppage also gave McLaren valuable repair time, allowing Häkkinen to return and take second behind Michael Schumacher. Ferrari tested a lower-downforce rear wing, although traffic complicated the comparison.

Friday Practice Classification — Combined

1998 Belgian Grand Prix opening-day practice, 28 August 1998

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:51.895	24
2	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.011s	21
3	7	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.734s	23
4	9	Damon Hill	Jordan	+1.205s	25
5	2	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Williams	+1.639s	32
6	1	Jacques Villeneuve	Williams	+1.694s	19
7	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	+1.706s	28
8	14	Jean Alesi	Sauber	+1.765s	30
9	10	Ralf Schumacher	Jordan	+2.221s	18
10	15	Johnny Herbert	Sauber	+2.235s	29
11	6	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	+2.263s	29
12	5	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.276s	30
13	18	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	+2.538s	26
14	12	Jarno Trulli	Prost	+2.983s	33
15	11	Olivier Panis	Prost	+3.287s	32
16	19	Jos Verstappen	Stewart	+3.368s	28
17	17	Mika Salo	Arrows	+3.835s	29
18	21	Toranosuke Takagi	Tyrrell	+4.185s	33
19	16	Pedro Diniz	Arrows	+4.536s	29
20	23	Esteban Tuero	Minardi	+5.119s	33
21	22	Shinji Nakano	Minardi	+5.787s	30
22	20	Ricardo Rosset	Tyrrell	+6.283s	34

Saturday’s first session brought more trouble for Arrows as both of its latest-specification engines failed. Mika Salo‘s mechanics fitted an older unit, but his subsequent return ended in a heavy accident at Eau Rouge. Schumacher initially concentrated on race settings, while Jacques Villeneuve resumed running without ill effects from Friday’s crash.

Häkkinen and David Coulthard remained fastest despite spins and imperfect balance. Häkkinen became stranded at La Source near the end, bringing out yellow flags that spoiled several final attempts. Schumacher’s qualifying preparation was interrupted, while Damon Hill continued to show promising pace. Mika Salo was checked at hospital and cleared to qualify.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

1998 Belgian Grand Prix Saturday practice, 29 August 1998

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:50.319	21
2	7	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.383s	23
3	9	Damon Hill	Jordan	+1.049s	27
4	1	Jacques Villeneuve	Williams	+1.540s	23
5	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	+1.653s	22
6	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+1.739s	23
7	14	Jean Alesi	Sauber	+1.783s	24
8	2	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Williams	+1.817s	22
9	10	Ralf Schumacher	Jordan	+2.027s	25
10	5	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.223s	25
11	6	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	+2.701s	21
12	15	Johnny Herbert	Sauber	+3.060s	28
13	21	Toranosuke Takagi	Tyrrell	+3.579s	22
14	11	Olivier Panis	Prost	+3.614s	17
15	18	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	+3.752s	25
16	17	Mika Salo	Arrows	+4.495s	9
17	12	Jarno Trulli	Prost	+4.730s	11
18	16	Pedro Diniz	Arrows	+4.983s	16
19	19	Jos Verstappen	Stewart	+5.132s	15
20	22	Shinji Nakano	Minardi	+6.010s	22
21	20	Ricardo Rosset	Tyrrell	+6.285s	23
22	23	Esteban Tuero	Minardi	+6.681s	23

Each practice table combines that day’s two sessions, showing each driver’s best time and total laps.

Qualifying

Häkkinen won the late contest for pole with a 1:48.682. David Coulthard lost time at the final chicane and had to settle for second. Damon Hill took an excellent third for Jordan, beating Michael Schumacher onto the inside of the second row.

Schumacher lost his fastest lap for insufficiently slowing under yellow flags, but his next-best time still kept him fourth. Eddie Irvine and Jacques Villeneuve completed the top six. Both Benettons suffered stoppages, with Alexander Wurz switching to a spare that was not set up to his liking.

Qualifying Classification

1998 Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying, 29 August 1998

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	8	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:48.682	11
2	7	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:48.845	12
3	9	Damon Hill	Jordan	1:49.728	11
4	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:50.027	12
5	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	1:50.189	12
6	1	Jacques Villeneuve	Williams	1:50.204	12
7	5	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	1:50.462	12
8	10	Ralf Schumacher	Jordan	1:50.501	12
9	2	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Williams	1:50.686	11
10	14	Jean Alesi	Sauber	1:51.189	11
11	6	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	1:51.648	12
12	15	Johnny Herbert	Sauber	1:51.851	11
13	12	Jarno Trulli	Prost	1:52.572	10
14	18	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	1:52.670	12
15	11	Olivier Panis	Prost	1:52.784	12
16	16	Pedro Diniz	Arrows	1:53.037	12
17	19	Jos Verstappen	Stewart	1:53.149	12
18	17	Mika Salo	Arrows	1:53.207	8
19	21	Toranosuke Takagi	Tyrrell	1:53.237	12
20	20	Ricardo Rosset	Tyrrell	1:54.850	11
21	22	Shinji Nakano	Minardi	1:55.084	12
22	23	Esteban Tuero	Minardi	1:55.520	12

Sunday warm-up

Heavy rain changed the demands for Sunday warm-up. Schumacher set the pace ahead of Eddie Irvine as Ferrari looked strong in the wet, with Häkkinen third. The session gave drivers a chance to assess the soaked circuit before a race that would put visibility and control under much greater strain.

Warm-up Classification

1998 Belgian Grand Prix Warm-up, 30 August 1998

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	2:07.839	11
2	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	+0.769s	12
3	8	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+1.281s	11
4	5	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+1.288s	11
5	10	Ralf Schumacher	Jordan	+1.700s	12
6	9	Damon Hill	Jordan	+2.237s	11
7	7	David Coulthard	McLaren	+2.419s	7
8	6	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	+3.078s	12
9	18	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	+3.535s	12
10	14	Jean Alesi	Sauber	+3.707s	11
11	2	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Williams	+4.021s	10
12	1	Jacques Villeneuve	Williams	+5.942s	9
13	16	Pedro Diniz	Arrows	+6.014s	10
14	21	Toranosuke Takagi	Tyrrell	+6.199s	8
15	15	Johnny Herbert	Sauber	+6.308s	10
16	12	Jarno Trulli	Prost	+6.841s	9
17	17	Mika Salo	Arrows	+8.300s	8
18	20	Ricardo Rosset	Tyrrell	+8.335s	11
19	22	Shinji Nakano	Minardi	+8.378s	9
20	19	Jos Verstappen	Stewart	+9.894s	7
21	23	Esteban Tuero	Minardi	+13.003s	5
22	11	Olivier Panis	Prost	+18.226s	4

What happened in the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix?

David Coulthard lost control in the spray after the first start, triggering a huge pile-up and a red flag. The start was annulled; Rubens Barrichello, Olivier Panis, Mika Salo and Ricardo Rosset could not take the restart and are officially recorded as non-starters.

Damon Hill led at the second attempt as Häkkinen spun and was hit by Johnny Herbert. Michael Schumacher passed Damon Hill and pulled clear, only to collide with David Coulthard while lapping him in heavy spray. The Ferrari lost its front-right wheel, ending Schumacher’s chance to take the championship lead.

Another collision, between Giancarlo Fisichella and Shinji Nakano, prompted a safety car. Jordan then held its drivers in position to secure Damon Hill‘s victory and Ralf Schumacher‘s second place. Jean Alesi finished third, ahead of Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Pedro Diniz and Jarno Trulli. Neither title contender scored, leaving their seven-point gap unchanged.

After the race, Mika Häkkinen headed the drivers’ standings with 77 points, followed by Michael Schumacher on 70. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 125, with Ferrari on 102.

1998 Belgian Grand Prix race results

The 1998 Belgian Grand Prix was held on 30 August 1998, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	9	Damon Hill	Jordan	44	1:43:47.407	10
2	10	Ralf Schumacher	Jordan	44	+0.932	6
3	14	Jean Alesi	Sauber	44	+7.240	4
4	2	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Williams	44	+32.243	3
5	16	Pedro Diniz	Arrows	44	+51.682	2
6	12	Jarno Trulli	Prost	42	+2 laps	1
7	7	David Coulthard	McLaren	39	+5 laps	0
8	22	Shinji Nakano	Minardi	39	+5 laps	0
Ret	5	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	26	Collision	0
Ret	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	25	Collision/Wheel	0
Ret	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	25	Spun off	0
Ret	23	Esteban Tuero	Minardi	17	Gearbox	0
Ret	1	Jacques Villeneuve	Williams	16	Spun off	0
Ret	21	Toranosuke Takagi	Tyrrell	10	Spun off	0
Ret	19	Jos Verstappen	Stewart	8	Engine	0
Ret	8	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	0	Collision	0
Ret	6	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	0	Collision	0
Ret	15	Johnny Herbert	Sauber	0	Collision	0
DNS	18	Rubens Barrichello	Stewart	0	Collision	0
DNS	11	Olivier Panis	Prost	0	Collision	0
DNS	17	Mika Salo	Arrows	0	Collision	0
DNS	20	Ricardo Rosset	Tyrrell	0	Collision	0

Barrichello, Panis, Salo, and Rosset are all listed as ” Did Not Start ” ( DNS ) in the official results despite having taken the first start prior to the race being stopped. Regulations at the time were such that, in the event of a stoppage being ordered on the first lap, the original start would be deemed null and void, and the second start would take place as if the first had never occurred. As these four drivers did not make the second start, they are classified as DNS.

1998 Belgian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	9	2:03.766	202.679
2	9	Damon Hill	Jordan	7	2:05.630	199.672
3	2	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Williams	7	2:06.284	198.637
4	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	6	2:06.561	198.203
5	14	Jean Alesi	Sauber	7	2:07.597	196.593
6	1	Jacques Villeneuve	Williams	8	2:07.825	196.243
7	10	Ralf Schumacher	Jordan	7	2:08.399	195.366
8	5	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	5	2:09.528	193.663
9	7	David Coulthard	McLaren	33	2:10.950	191.560
10	16	Pedro Diniz	Arrows	5	2:11.331	191.004
11	12	Jarno Trulli	Prost	13	2:11.701	190.467
12	21	Toranosuke Takagi	Tyrrell	6	2:12.327	189.566
13	19	Jos Verstappen	Stewart	8	2:12.425	189.426
14	22	Shinji Nakano	Minardi	12	2:13.230	188.281
15	23	Esteban Tuero	Minardi	5	2:19.996	179.182

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. Average speeds are in km/h. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

1998 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.

1998 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	77
2	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	70
3	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	48
4	Eddie Irvine	British	Ferrari	32
5	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	Williams	20
6	Alexander Wurz	Austrian	Benetton	17
7	Damon Hill	British	Jordan	16
8	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Benetton	15
9	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Williams	13
10	Ralf Schumacher	German	Jordan	10
11	Jean Alesi	French	Sauber	7
12	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Stewart	4
13	Mika Salo	Finnish	Arrows	3
14	Pedro Diniz	Brazilian	Arrows	3
15	Johnny Herbert	British	Sauber	1
16	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Prost	1
17	Jan Magnussen	Danish	Stewart	1
–	Shinji Nakano	Japanese	Minardi	0
–	Ricardo Rosset	Brazilian	Tyrrell	0
–	Esteban Tuero	Argentine	Minardi	0
–	Olivier Panis	French	Prost	0
–	Toranosuke Takagi	Japanese	Tyrrell	0
–	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Stewart	0

1998 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	McLaren	125
2	Ferrari	102
3	Williams	33
4	Benetton	32
5	Jordan	26
6	Sauber	8
7	Arrows	6
8	Stewart	5
9	Prost	1
–	Minardi	0
–	Tyrrell	0

1998 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1998 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	8 March
2	1998 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	29 March
3	1998 Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires	12 April
4	1998 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	26 April
5	1998 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	10 May
6	1998 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	24 May
7	1998 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	7 June
8	1998 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	28 June
9	1998 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	12 July
10	1998 Austrian Grand Prix	A1-Ring, Spielberg	26 July
11	1998 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	2 August
12	1998 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	16 August
13	1998 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	30 August
14	1998 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	13 September
15	1998 Luxembourg Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	27 September
16	1998 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	1 November