Remembering Monza '98: A battle of the ages between Michael Schumacher and his FIERCEST rival

Michael Schumacher tours the Italian Grand Prix in 1998 at Monza — Photo: © LAT Images

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Remembering Monza '98: A battle of the ages between Schumacher and his FIERCEST rival

Monza classic reflected a memorable championship battle

James Phillips

Saturday 2 September 2023 19:27

Unlike this weekend, the stakes were incredibly high at Monza in the championship 25 years ago when Mika Hakkinen and McLaren went into enemy territory to face a crowd desperate to see his chief title rival Michael Schumacher win for Ferrari.

Like the rivalry itself, the event went on to become a classic in the Italian Grand Prix archives as their Titanic tussle reflected the season long championship battle.

Shock retirements, car issues and huge swings in momentum make this one for the ages.

A critical race

Both teams needed a strong result after double retirements at the crazy Belgian Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher was set to capitalise on title rival Mika Hakkinen’s early exit but slammed into the second McLaren of David Coulthard.

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Coming to Monza, the pressure on Schumacher and Ferrari to deliver in front of the Tifosi was immense. Coulthard had become hated overnight by the Italian fans and needed to stay out of trouble on the Scuderia’s home turf.

Hakkinen, meanwhile, needed a strong result to keep his lead in the title race. If Schumacher won and he finished down the order, the Ferrari star could tie with him for the lead of the championship, or worse, take a small lead.

Two very different motivations, but the same desire remained: to win. What followed was an example of two of F1’s elite champions and teams at the top of their game battling for supremacy at the Temple of Speed.

Michael Schumacher went into the Italian Grand Prix weekend having buried his feud with David Coulthard after the Belgian Grand Prix

First knockout: Ferrari

The first blood of the weekend went to Ferrari, with a brilliant pole position for Schumacher, taking pole position by 0.272s. No McLaren managed to get on the front row at Monza. Instead, it was Jacques Villeneuve’s Williams Mechachrome in P2.

Villeneuve’s best qualifying of the year ensured an unfortunate barrier to the lead Ferrari for both McLarens. Hakkinen only managed third and Coulthard fourth, almost half a second slower than the Ferrari.

In the second Ferrari, Eddie Irvine took P5, ever watchful and waiting to pounce on any mistakes from the Silver Arrows.

The race: Scuderia suffer at the start

Lights out proved disastrous for Schumacher. His Ferrari bogged down off the line and, by the field had completed the long run down to the Retifilio chicane; he had dropped to P5 behind his teammate.

The McLarens had capitalised, going either side of the Ferrari at the start to take the top two places, with Hakkinen now P1. The worst-case scenario for Ferrari had played out within seconds of the race start.

Schumacher reacted quickly, passing Villeneuve for P4 on the first lap. Closing on his teammate, Irvine was ordered to move aside on lap 3, and the German set off after the McLarens.

Hakkinen and Coulthard attempted to scamper off into the distance, but Schumacher began to reel them in quickly. With Coulthard carrying less fuel than Hakkinen, the Scot took the lead away from his teammate on lap 7.

Ferrari fans were left delighted after Hakkinen's challenge faded(stock image)

The tide turns

Hakkinen and Schumacher once again found themselves duelling, with the McLaren able to hold the Ferrari back just enough to prevent Schumacher from getting close enough for a move. That was until it became McLaren’s turn to suffer a disaster on lap 16.

Coulthard’s engine failed on the Curve Grande, filling the track with smoke. Hakkinen slowed out of necessity, blinded. Schumacher sensed an opportunity and found himself on the McLaren’s gearbox.

The Finn went wide into Variante Della Roggia chicane, and in an instant, Schumacher was through into the lead, sending the Tifosi into delirium. A McLaren one-two had become a Ferrari one-three in a matter of seconds.

Schumacher pushed hard to build a gap before his only pitstop, lapping eight-tenths of a second faster at points. He was forced to relinquish the lead to his rival when he finally stopped for fresh fuel and tyres on lap 32. A blisteringly quick stop from the Ferrari pit crew sent him on his way.

McLaren and Hakkinen pushed hard to retake the lead away from Schumacher, but in a stunning display of speed, Schumacher lapped just a tenth slower than the Finn on his out-lap. While the Finn responded by lapping seven-tenths faster the next lap, the turnaround was complete when Hakkinen pitted.

Schumacher's main title rival Mika Hakkinen suffered an awful afternoon in Monza

McLaren suffers final knockout blow

Still determined to retake P1 and deny Ferrari a win on home soil, the McLaren set off in pursuit. The gap stabilised at around three seconds, with Hakkinen slowly beginning to close the Ferrari down as Schumacher hit traffic.

But on lap 45, disaster struck. Hakkinen spun under braking, skating across the gravel trap at the Variante Della Roggia as the Tifosi erupted into raptures. Skilfully keeping his car in reverse, his Mercedes fired into life, but the race was now lost.

Losing twenty seconds in the process, the McLaren slowed dramatically, taking to the grass at the first chicane, all seemingly not well with his car. Eddie Irvine menacingly loomed in to take P2 for the Scuderia.

Brake issues were the culprit, causing him to slow down more than usual into corners, far from ideal at a circuit nicknamed The Temple of Speed. That he finished at all is remarkable.

Hakkinen dropped to P4 by the chequered flag, while Schumacher and Irvine took a dream one-two finish before a delighted Tifosi, the first since Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto in 1988. Ralf Schumacher took third for Jordan.

The result meant that the title protagonists were now level on points, setting up a mouth-watering final two rounds. Hakkinen and McLaren though would emerge victorious at season’s end.

The 1998 Italian Grand Prix was an example of extreme pressure-breaking drivers and cars. It also proved a statement by the legendary Murray Walker: Anything can happen in Formula One, and it usually does”.