1998 Austrian Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Austria
Grand Prix = Austrian
Official name = Grosser Preis von Österreich
Date = July 26
Year = 1998

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Race_No = 10
Season_No = 16
Location = A1-Ring, Spielberg, Styria,
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 2.684
Course_km = 4.326
Distance_laps = 71
Distance_mi = 190.564
Distance_km = 307.146
Weather = Sunny
Pole_Driver = flagicon|Italy Giancarlo Fisichella
Pole_Team = Benetton-Playlife
Pole_Time = 1:29.598
Fast_Driver = flagicon|UK David Coulthard
Fast_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Fast_Time = 1:12.878
Fast_L

First_Driver = flagicon|Finland Mika Häkkinen
First_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Second_Driver = flagicon|UK David Coulthard
Second_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Third_Driver = flagicon|Germany Michael Schumacher
Third_Team = Ferrari

The 1998 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the A1-Ring on July 26, 1998. A mixed-up grid resulted from a wet/dry qualifying session, with Giancarlo Fisichella taking his first pole position. Mika Häkkinen won the race.

Qualification

Race Summary

It was an unusual grid due to a wet qualifying which dried out towards the end, with Fisichella taking his first ever pole with Alesi alongside him in the Sauber.

At the start Häkkinen got a brilliant getaway to led into the first corner but behind them was carnage when several cars collided at the first corner with Takagi's car ending up stranded, Olivier Panis in the Prost didn't even get off the line with clutch failure.

At the second corner another accident happened with both Arrows drivers colliding, swiping David Coulthard in the progress knocking off his wing after the Scot had qualified a lowly 14th.

Coulthard pitted for a new nose but luckily a safety car was deployed due to clean up all the debris from the collisions and Coulthard was able to catch up to the back of the field.

At the restart Häkkinen led away again with Schumacher right up behind him, Schumacher attempted to pass Häkkinen but ran wide allowing Fisichella in the Benetton through and almost Rubens Barrichello in the Stewart.

Sadly Barrichello was to drop out soon after with brake problems while Schumacher got back past Fisichella and set off after Häkkinen again.

Unfortunately Schumacher's race was already hurt with him on a two stop strategy and Häkkinen was on just one, worse was to follow when Schumacher ran very wide, bouncing violently through the gravel trap and ripping off his front wing. He was able to get back to the pits and fit a new wing but when he re-joined he was almost a lap behind.

Around the same time Frentzen in the Williams had a huge engine failure where it caught fire, luckily he was able to hop out.

The amateur hour continued when Fisichella and Alesi clashed and both retired at the second corner, that left Coulthard's task of climbing through the field a lot easier.

Michael Schumacher was storming back through the field also but he had a lot of trouble passing his brother Ralf in the Jordan, for lap after lap his brother refused to yield before Michael nailed him.

Michael Schumacher then started to reel in Eddie Irvine his team-mate, but Irvine was slowing, he said after it was due to marginal brakes but many people in the paddock suspected he was asked to move over for his team leader.

Häkkinen cruised to an easy victory with his team mate Coulthard a superb second after being last at the start, Michael Schumacher took third aided by his team mate Eddie Irvine.

Classification

tandings After Grand Prix

Drivers
*1 Mika Häkkinen - McLaren-Mercedes - 66
*2 Michael Schumacher - Ferrari - 58
*3 David Coulthard - McLaren-Mercedes - 36
*4 Eddie Irvine - Ferrari - 32
*5 Alexander Wurz - Benetton-Playlife - 17
*6 Giancarlo Fisichella - Benetton-Playlife - 15
*7 Jacques Villeneuve - Williams-Mecachrome - 12
*8 Heinz-Harald Frentzen - Williams-Mecachrome - 8
*9 Rubens Barrichello - Stewart-Ford - 4
*10= Jean Alesi - Sauber-Petronas - 3
*10= Mika Salo - Arrows - 3
*10= Ralf Schumacher - Jordan-Honda - 3
*13= Johnny Herbert - Sauber-Petronas - 1
*13= Pedro Diniz - Arrows - 1
*13= Jan Magnussen -Stewart-Ford - 1

Constructors
*1 McLaren-Mercedes - 102
*2 Ferrari - 90
*3 Benetton-Playlife - 32
*4 Williams-Mecachrome - 20
*5 Stewart-Ford - 5
*6= Sauber-Petronas - 4
*6= Arrows - 4
*8 Jordan-Honda - 3

Notes

*Coulthard was a lap down on lap 2 having been involved in two collisions but finished 2nd just behind his team mate.

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Austrian Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1998
Previous_race_in_season = 1998 British Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1998 German Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1997 Austrian Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1999 Austrian Grand Prix