The 1998 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 50th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Mick Doohan and Honda continued to dominate the 500 class with the Australian taking 8 victories and Honda winning all but one race. [1] Simon Crafar winning the British Grand Prix for Yamaha's lone victory. [1] After being shocked by 500 class rookie Max Biaggi's opening round victory in the Japanese Grand Prix, Doohan went on to claim his fifth world championship in as many years, finishing off the season with four consecutive wins. [1]
A controversial finish marked the 250 title race. Aprilia teammates Tetsuya Harada and Loris Capirossi both went into the final race in Argentina with a chance to win the title, Capirossi leading Harada by 4 points. [1] With one corner to go, Harada was in second, with Capirossi third, which would have given Harada the championship on tiebreak. Entering the final turn, his bike was struck from behind by Capirossi's machine, sending both riders off the track. [1] Valentino Rossi took the win with Capirossi recovering to finish in second and claiming the title. [1] Afterwards, Aprilia would release Capirossi from his contract. [1]
Kazuto Sakata would win his second 125 title for Aprilia after a tight battle with Tomomi Manako and Marco Melandri. [1]
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1998: [2]
Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 April | Marlboro Grand Prix of Japan | Suzuka Circuit |
2 | 19 April | Marlboro Malaysian Grand Prix | Johor Circuit |
3 | 3 May | Gran Premio Marlboro de España | Circuito Permanente de Jerez |
4 | 17 May | Gran Premio Q8 d'Italia | Mugello Circuit |
5 | 31 May | Grand Prix de France | Circuit Paul Ricard |
6 | 14 June | Gran Premio Comunidad de Madrid | Circuito Permanente del Jarama |
7 | 27 June †† | Rizla Dutch TT | TT Circuit Assen |
8 | 5 July | British Grand Prix | Donington Park |
9 | 19 July | Polini Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland | Sachsenring |
10 | 23 August | Grand Prix České republiky | Brno Circuit |
11 | 6 September | Gran Premio Cirio Città di Imola | Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari |
12 | 20 September | Grand Prix Marlboro de Catalunya | Circuit de Catalunya |
13 | 4 October | Qantas Australian Grand Prix | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit |
14 | 25 October | Gran Premio Marlboro de Argentina | Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez |
†† = Saturday race
†† = Saturday race
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|
Bold – Pole position |
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|
Bold – Pole position |
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|
Bold – Pole position |
Pos. | Manufacturer | JPN | MAL | ESP | ITA | FRA | MAD | NED | GBR | GER | CZE | IMO | CAT | AUS | ARG | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Honda | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 345 |
2 | Yamaha | 3 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 198 |
3 | Suzuki | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 111 |
4 | Modenas KR3 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | Ret | 6 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 73 |
5 | MuZ | 12 | DNS | 18 | Ret | 14 | Ret | Ret | 13 | 14 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 11 | ||
Paton | Ret | Ret | 16 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Pos. | Manufacturer | JPN | MAL | ESP | ITA | FRA | MAD | NED | GBR | GER | CZE | IMO | CAT | AUS | ARG | Pts |
Pos. | Manufacturer | JPN | MAL | ESP | ITA | FRA | MAD | NED | GBR | GER | CZE | IMO | CAT | AUS | ARG | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aprilia | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 338 |
2 | Honda | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 215 |
3 | Yamaha | 2 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 134 |
4 | TSR-Honda | 10 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 128 |
5 | Suzuki | 6 | 13 | 14 | Ret | Ret | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 59 |
6 | ERP Honda | 13 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 20 | 16 | Ret | Ret | 12 | 14 | |||
Pos. | Manufacturer | JPN | MAL | ESP | ITA | FRA | MAD | NED | GBR | GER | CZE | IMO | CAT | AUS | ARG | Pts |
Pos. | Manufacturer | JPN | MAL | ESP | ITA | FRA | MAD | NED | GBR | GER | CZE | IMO | CAT | AUS | ARG | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Honda | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 330 |
2 | Aprilia | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 243 |
3 | Yamaha | 5 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 111 |
EGA Honda | 22 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Pos. | Manufacturer | JPN | MAL | ESP | ITA | FRA | MAD | NED | GBR | GER | CZE | IMO | CAT | AUS | ARG | Pts |
Marco Melandri is an Italian retired motorcycle road racer who is a five-time premier class race winner. He is the 2002 250 cc World Champion and runner-up in 125 cc, MotoGP and Superbike World Championship. He competed in the MotoGP class from 2003 to 2010 and then a brief return with Aprilia in 2015.
Loris Capirossi is an Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, currently serving as Safety Advisor to Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
Àlex Crivillé Tapias is a Spanish former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In 1992 he became the first Spaniard to win a 500cc Grand Prix and, in 1999 he became the first Spaniard to win the 500cc World Championship.
Tetsuya Harada is a Japanese former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was the 1993 FIM 250cc World Champion.
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