Overview[]
The 1998 Hungarian Grand Prix was the twelfth race of the 1998 FF1M Season.
Report[]
Damon Hill converted his dominant pole position into the lead by the end of the first corner despite stern pressure from Juan Pablo Montoya. The Englishman then proceeded to pull away from the Colombian, leading by 1.4 seconds at the end of the first lap. Montoya meanwhile was being overtaken himself by Ralf Schumacher.
Pedersen driver Rubens Barrichello fancied David Coulthard’s 8th place, taking the position on lap 4. Fortunes differed for his teammate Jacques Villeneuve as he spun coming on the front straight, being narrowly missed by the chasing pack. He rejoined way down the order. But Villeneuve’s problems were nothing compared to Hill, who suffered a puncture and had to retire from the lead.
Barrichello continued his charge as he overtook Jos Verstappen. Another driver on the move was Mika Hakkinen as he overtook Coulthard into turn 1. Further back, Jean Alesi overtook Giancarlo Fisichella for 12th.
Mika Hakkinen and Verstappen had a battle on lap 11 that lasted from turn 1 to turn 3 with Verstappen holding on to 6th. At this point, Bruno Junqueira took the opportunity to crash out of the race. Other drivers having a hard time staying on track were Barrichello, Alesi and Coulthard.
Hakkinen finally got past Verstappen into turn 1 on lap 13, but his efforts were probably not needed as the FJR driver retired with a transmission failure on the same lap.
The first pitstops were underway and after his earlier spin, Villeneuve was making his way back through the field, overtaking Olivier Panis for 14th place. Shortly afterwards, he took Eddie Irvine for 11th. Having made his first stop, Ralf had an odd moment when trying to overtake Hakkinen, who had yet to stop. The Gui Racing driver locked up going into the turn 6 chicane, nudged the Finn, and recovered using the outside of turn 7.
Lap 32 and with the majority of the first pitstops completed, Hakkinen overtook Barrichello for 5th place. The other Pedersen of Villeneuve then made his first stop and overtook Jan Magnussen on lap 34, but the Canadian’s fightback would be halted as he spun into retirement.
Michael Schumacher then lost a possible podium place when he crashed out at the final corner. Dodgem’s day then got worse as electrical issues forced Hakkinen out of 5th place.
After a double DNF for Gui Racing in Germany, the ball returned to the Brazilian team’s court as Ralf took the win ahead of Montoya and Barrichello. Alexander Wurz was a brilliant 4th for J Racing ahead of Johnny Herbert. Mark Blundell stayed out of trouble to finish 6th and doing so, scoring Dark Wolf’s maiden points of the season. Allan McNish finished 7th and completing the top 8 was Alesi.
Qualifying[]
Conditions: Dry
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Tyre | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |  Damon Hill
|
Willow Images-Ferrari
|
|
1:13.031 | |
| 2 | 21 |  Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Mason-Mercedes
|
|
1:13.979 | +0.948 |
| 3 | 3 |  Ralf Schumacher
|
 Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
1:14.189 | +1.158 |
| 4 | 14 |  Jacques Villeneuve
|
 Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
1:14.206 | +1.175 |
| 5 | 20 | David Coulthard
|
Mason-Mercedes
|
|
1:14.249 | +1.218 |
| 6 | 18 |  Alexander Wurz
|
J Racing-Ford
|
|
1:14.371 | +1.340 |
| 7 | 16 | Michael Schumacher
|
Dodgem-Ferrari (W)
|
|
1:14.510 | +1.479 |
| 8 | 8 | Johnny Herbert
|
VTR-Mecachrome
|
|
1:14.603 | +1.572 |
| 9 | 15 | Rubens Barrichello
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
1:14.662 | +1.631 |
| 10 | 5 |  Jos Verstappen
|
FJR-Mecachrome
|
|
1:14.736 | +1.705 |
| 11 | 17 |  Mika Hakkinen
|
Dodgem-Ferrari (W)
|
|
1:14.767 | +1.736 |
| 12 | 6 | Allan McNish
|
FJR-Mecachrome
|
|
1:15.026 | +1.995 |
| 13 | 4 |  Jean Alesi
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
1:15.142 | +2.111 |
| 14 | 23 | Mark Blundell
|
Dark Wolf-Mugen Honda
|
|
1:15.214 | +2.183 |
| 15 | 22 | Jan Magnussen
|
Dark Wolf-Mugen Honda
|
|
1:15.389 | +2.358 |
| 16 | 10 |  Marc Gene
|
Maestro-Peugeot
|
|
1:15.556 | +2.525 |
| 17 | 12 | Mika Salo
|
AquinoPlus-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:15.578 | +2.547 |
| 18 | 2 |  Kenny Brack
|
Willow Images-Ferrari
|
|
1:15.612 | +2.581 |
| 19 | 7 | Eddie Irvine
|
VTR-Mecachrome
|
|
1:15.692 | +2.661 |
| 20 | 19 | Olivier Panis
|
J Racing-Ford
|
|
1:15.712 | +2.681 |
| 21 | 11 |  Giancarlo Fisichella
|
AquinoPlus-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:15.951 | +2.920 |
| 22 | 9 | Bruno Junqueira
|
Maestro-Peugeot
|
|
1:16.540 | +3.509 |
Race[]
Conditions: Dry
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Tyre | Time/Retired | Grid | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Ralf Schumacher
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
1:38:38.611 | 3 | 12 |
| 2 | 21 | Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Mason-Mercedes
|
|
+34.775 | 2 | 8 |
| 3 | 15 | Rubens Barrichello
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
+45.125 | 9 | 6 |
| 4 | 18 | Alexander Wurz
|
J Racing-Ford
|
|
+1:10.727 | 6 | 5 |
| 5 | 8 | Johnny Herbert
|
VTR-Mecachrome
|
|
+1 Lap | 8 | 4 |
| 6 | 23 | Mark Blundell
|
Dark Wolf-Mugen Honda
|
|
+1 Lap | 14 | 3 |
| 7 | 6 | Allan McNish
|
FJR-Mecachrome
|
|
+1 Lap | 12 | 2 |
| 8 | 4 | Jean Alesi
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
+1 Lap | 13 | 1 |
| 9 | 7 | Eddie Irvine
|
VTR-Mecachrome
|
|
+1 Lap | 19 | |
| 10 | 20 | David Coulthard
|
Mason-Mercedes
|
|
+1 Lap | 5 | |
| 11 | 19 | Olivier Panis
|
J Racing-Ford
|
|
+1 Lap | 20 | |
| 12 | 2 | Kenny Brack
|
Willow Images-Ferrari
|
|
+1 Lap | 18 | |
| 13 | 12 | Mika Salo
|
AquinoPlus-Peugeot (W)
|
|
+1 Lap | 17 | |
| 14 | 10 | Marc Gene
|
Maestro-Peugeot
|
|
+1 Lap | 16 | |
| 15 | 11 | Giancarlo Fisichella
|
AquinoPlus-Peugeot (W)
|
|
+1 Lap | 21 | |
| 16 | 22 | Jan Magnussen
|
Dark Wolf-Mugen Honda
|
|
+2 Laps | 15 | |
| Ret | 17 | Mika Hakkinen
|
Dodgem-Ferrari (W)
|
|
Electrical | 11 | |
| Ret | 16 | Michael Schumacher
|
Dodgem-Ferrari (W)
|
|
Accident | 7 | |
| Ret | 14 | Jacques Villeneuve
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
Accident | 4 | |
| Ret | 5 | Jos Verstappen
|
FJR-Mecachrome
|
|
Transmission | 10 | |
| Ret | 9 | Bruno Junqueira
|
Maestro-Peugeot
|
|
Accident | 22 | |
| Ret | 1 | Damon Hill
|
Willow Images-Ferrari
|
|
Puncture | 1 |
Driver of the Day: Mark Blundell
Fastest Laps[]
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Tyre | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Michael Schumacher
|
Dodgem-Ferrari (W)
|
|
1:14.947 | |
| 2 | 3 | Ralf Schumacher
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
1:15.089 | +0.142 |
| 3 | 1 | Damon Hill
|
Willow Images-Ferrari
|
|
1:15.220 | +0.273 |
| 4 | 21 | Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Mason-Mercedes
|
|
1:15.237 | +0.290 |
| 5 | 17 | Mika Hakkinen
|
Dodgem-Ferrari (W)
|
|
1:15.397 | +0.450 |
| 6 | 18 | Alexander Wurz
|
J Racing-Ford
|
|
1:15.476 | +0.529 |
| 7 | 15 | Rubens Barrichello
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
1:15.530 | +0.583 |
| 8 | 8 | Johnny Herbert
|
VTR-Mecachrome
|
|
1:15.772 | +0.825 |
| 9 | 14 | Jacques Villeneuve
|
Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
|
1:15.790 | +0.843 |
| 10 | 6 | Allan McNish
|
FJR-Mecachrome
|
|
1:16.065 | +1.118 |
| 11 | 7 | Eddie Irvine
|
VTR-Mecachrome
|
|
1:16.082 | +1.135 |
| 12 | 19 | Olivier Panis
|
J Racing-Ford
|
|
1:16.155 | +1.208 |
| 13 | 23 | Mark Blundell
|
Dark Wolf-Mugen Honda
|
|
1:16.162 | +1.215 |
| 14 | 4 | Jean Alesi
|
Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
|
1:16.165 | +1.218 |
| 15 | 5 | Jos Verstappen
|
FJR-Mecachrome
|
|
1:16.351 | +1.404 |
| 16 | 20 | David Coulthard
|
Mason-Mercedes
|
|
1:16.546 | +1.599 |
| 17 | 22 | Jan Magnussen
|
Dark Wolf-Mugen Honda
|
|
1:16.584 | +1.637 |
| 18 | 11 | Giancarlo Fisichella
|
AquinoPlus-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:16.592 | +1.645 |
| 19 | 12 | Mika Salo
|
AquinoPlus-Peugeot (W)
|
|
1:16.706 | +1.759 |
| 20 | 2 | Kenny Brack
|
Willow Images-Ferrari
|
|
1:16.712 | +1.765 |
| 21 | 10 | Marc Gene
|
Maestro-Peugeot
|
|
1:16.815 | +1.868 |
| 22 | 9 | Bruno Junqueira
|
Maestro-Peugeot
|
|
1:18.034 | +3.087 |
Championship Standings[]
| Drivers Championship | Teams Championship | Engine Trophy | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Driver | Pts. | Wins | -/+ | Pos. | Team | Pts. | Wins | -/+ | Pos. | Engine | Pts. | Wins | -/+ |
| 1 | Ralf Schumacher
|
86 | 5 |  1
|
1 | Dodgem-Ferrari (W)
|
118 | 5 | = | 1 | Ferrari
|
154 | 6 | = |
| 2 | Michael Schumacher
|
83 | 4 |  1
|
2 | Gui Racing-Ford (W)
|
104 | 5 | = | 2 |  Ford
|
113 | 5 | = |
| 3 | Jacques Villeneuve
|
39 | = | 3 | Pedersen-Mercedes (W)
|
74 | = | 3 | Mercedes
|
106 | 1 | = | ||
| 4 | Damon Hill
|
36 | 1 | = | 4 | VTR-Mecachrome
|
44 | = | 4 | Mecachrome
|
78 | = | ||
| 5 | Mika Hakkinen
|
35 | 1 | = | 5 | Mason-Mercedes
|
43 | 1 | 2
|
5 | Peugeot
|
16 | = | |
| 6 | Rubens Barrichello
|
35 | 1
|
6 | FJR-Mecachrome
|
41 | 1
|
6 |  Mugen Honda
|
3 | = | |||