The 1998 British GP is recorded as one of the most bizarre races in F1 history. While the checkered flag was already waving, Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher did not drive across the track, but through the pit lane to victory. A loophole in the regulations and chaos at race control led to a controversial climax. Back to Silverstone 1998.
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The soaking wet Silverstone set the stage on July 12, 1998, for an intense battle between Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen. The Finn seemed unthreatened in his McLaren on his way to victory with a comfortable lead of almost fifty seconds. After a spin by Häkkinen and several safety cars, that margin had completely evaporated, after which Schumacher took the lead. But the real tension only began in the absolute final phase, when the stewards got stuck on an incident from lap 43.
Schumacher had overtaken Alexander Wurz under a yellow flag. Only two and a half laps from the end did the stewards decide to intervene, leading to total confusion at the Ferrari pit wall. The team was handed an unclear, handwritten note. Was it a ten-second time penalty or a stop-and-go penalty? Ultimately, Schumacher dived into the pit lane in the very last lap to serve his alleged penalty. Because the finish line at Silverstone was then located before the Ferrari garage, the German effectively crossed the finish line first.
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Stewards suspended
The bizarre victory – of course – had repercussions. McLaren went to the FIA’s international court of appeal in Paris. However, the protest was rejected because the stewards had made several procedural errors: the penalty was imposed too late and was also not communicated according to the regulations. Schumacher’s penalty was therefore annulled, the victory remained final, and the three stewards involved were temporarily suspended.
Due to the German’s victory, Häkkinen’s lead in the championship standings shrank to two points. The Finn took revenge by winning the subsequent Grands Prix in Austria and Germany. Heading into the season finale, both drivers were level, but thanks to two more wins in the final Grands Prix in Luxembourg and Japan, The Flying Finn claimed his first championship. The final difference with Schumacher was fourteen points.
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Read all about the Belgian GP here
