1998 Italian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Heading into Monza, Häkkinen leads with 77 points and Schumacher is seven points behind — the same gap as before Belgium, as neither driver scored there. Coulthard is third on 48 points and remains mathematically in contention. In the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren lead on 125 points with Ferrari on 102. Williams are third with 33 points, one ahead of Benetton and seven ahead of Jordan, who are fifth after their result at Spa.

Previous race

The Belgian Grand Prix was one of the most chaotic races in recent memory. Heavy rain from the start triggered a massive pile-up on the first lap when Coulthard lost the rear of his McLaren and rebounded into the field, collecting thirteen cars. The race was stopped; only four drivers did not take the restart — Barrichello, Panis, Salo, and Rosset — as their teams chose to use their single spare cars for their teammates. At the restart, Häkkinen spun at the first corner and was hit by Herbert’s Sauber, retiring both. Schumacher took the lead but crashed into the back of Coulthard’s McLaren while attempting to lap him in thick spray, ending both their races. Damon Hill inherited the lead and held it to the finish — Jordan’s first Formula One victory in 126 attempts, and Hill’s 22nd win, his first since leaving Williams two years ago. Ralf Schumacher finished second to complete Jordan’s first ever one-two. After the race, Schumacher angrily confronted team owner Eddie Jordan, whose team orders had prevented his brother from overtaking Hill. Michael bought out Ralf’s contract for £2 million; Ralf will move to Williams for 1999.

Milestones

This is Ferrari’s 600th start in a World Championship event as a team.

Entrants

The organisation of the Monza event has been complicated by legal proceedings: several stands and underpasses were seized by the magistrate’s court over alleged irregularities in safety certifications. The matter was resolved in early September, allowing the stands to be used for the race.