Sports season
1998 World Champions 500cc – Mick Doohan (Honda)
250cc – Loris Capirossi (Aprilia)
125cc – Kazuto Sakata (Aprilia)
Mick Doohan (pictured at Phillip Island) became the 1998 500cc world champion The 1998 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 50th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary 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]
1998 Grand Prix season calendar The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1998:[2]
†† = Saturday race
Calendar changes 1998 Grand Prix season results †† = Saturday race
Participants 500cc participants Team Constructor Motorcycle No. Rider Rounds Repsol Honda Honda Honda NSR500 1 Mick Doohan All 2 Tadayuki Okada 1–4, 7, 10–14 4 Àlex Crivillé All Honda NSR500V 15 Sete Gibernau All Suzuki Grand Prix Team Suzuki Suzuki RGV500 (XR88) 3 Nobuatsu Aoki All 20 Luca Cadalora 7 25 Yukio Kagayama 2–5 27 Katsuaki Fujiwara 10–12 29 Keiichi Kitagawa 1 33 Mark Willis 13 Yamaha Team Rainey Yamaha Yamaha YZR500 (OWK1) 5 Norick Abe All 12 Jean-Michel Bayle 10–12, 14 20 Luca Cadalora 5–6 21 Kyoji Nanba 1–4, 9 Marlboro Team Kanemoto Honda Honda NSR500 6 Max Biaggi All Muz Roc Rennen Sport MuZ MuZ 500 7 Doriano Romboni 1–2 16 Jean-Philippe Ruggia 7 20 Luca Cadalora 14 77 Eskil Suter 4–6, 8–12 Movistar Honda Pons Honda Honda NSR500 8 Carlos Checa 1–8, 10–14 14 Juan Borja 8 19 John Kocinski 1–7, 10–14 39 Gregorio Lavilla 9 Honda Gresini Honda Honda NSR500 9 Alex Barros All Team Roberts Marlboro Team Roberts Modenas KR3 Modenas KR3 10 Kenny Roberts Jr. All 28 Ralf Waldmann 1–7, 9–14 Red Bull Yamaha WCM Yamaha Yamaha YZR500 11 Simon Crafar All 55 Régis Laconi 1, 3–14 Shell Advance Racing Honda Honda NSR500V 14 Juan Borja 1–7, 10–14 18 Garry McCoy 1–10, 13 26 Bernard Garcia 11 42 Craig Connell 12, 14 42 Craig Connell 13 53 Russel Wood 2 58 Felisberto Teixeira 3 71 Juan Pablo Gianini 14 72 Fernando Cristóbal 6 72 Fernando Cristóbal 8–9 Dee Cee Jeans Racing Team Honda Honda NSR500V 17 Jurgen van den Goorbergh All Tecmas Honda Elf Honda Honda NSR500V 22 Sébastien Gimbert 1–6, 10–14 26 Bernard Garcia 7–9 F.C.C. TSR Honda Honda NSR500V 23 Matt Wait All Team Paton Paton Paton V70 C10/4 43 Paolo Tessari 11–12 63 Gianmaria Liverani 4 Yamaha Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR500 50 Noriyuki Haga 1 BP Yamaha Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR500 52 Norihiko Fujiwara 2 Team Polini Inoxmacel Honda Honda NSR500V 57 Fabio Carpani All Team Zupin Honda Honda NSR500V 60 Jörg Schöllhorn 9 Team Vimto Honda/Paul Bird Honda Honda NSR500V 68 John McGuinness 8 Team Millar Honda Britain Honda Honda NSR500V 88 Scott Smart 1, 3–14
Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider
Standings Riders' standings 500cc [3] [4]
Scoring system 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
Riders marked with light blue background were eligible for Rookie of the Year award. Colour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX)
Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap
250cc [5]
Scoring system 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
Riders marked with light blue background were eligible for Rookie of the Year award. Colour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX)
Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap
125cc [6]
Scoring system 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
Riders marked with light blue background were eligible for Rookie of the Year award. Colour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX)
Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap
Manufacturers' standings 500cc [7]
250cc [8]
125cc [9]
References Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949-2000 . Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-940125-32-5 "The Official MotoGP website". Retrieved 2010-07-06 . ^ a b c d e f g h Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix , Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7 ^ "motogp.com · 500cc World Standing 1998". www.motogp.com . ^ "motogp.com · 500cc World Standing 1998". www.motogp.com . Archived from the original on 2017-08-05. Retrieved 2010-06-09 . ^ "500cc Grand Prix entry list for 1998". ^ "motogp.com · 250cc World Standing 1998". www.motogp.com . ^ "motogp.com · 125cc World Standing 1998". www.motogp.com . Archived from the original on 2012-09-17. Retrieved 2010-06-09 . ^ "GP Marlboro de Argentina – 500cc – World Championship Classification" (PDF) . MotoGP.com . Dorna Sports . 25 October 1998. Retrieved 26 November 2016 . ^ "1998 championship standings". classic.autosport.com . Autosport . Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016 . ^ "GP Marlboro de Argentina – 125cc – World Championship Classification" (PDF) . MotoGP.com . Dorna Sports . 25 October 1998. Retrieved 26 November 2016 .