91 replies to this topic

[FirstnameLastname]

https://www.motorspo...suzuka/3189451/

This is superb. 1998 is the first year I properly followed F1, and I mean properly... I was 14 and (rather sad to admit now) but I cut all the F1 articles out of the newspapers every weekend + made a scrap book. Used to walk down to WHSmith and buy the f1 magazines on the day they came out, followed f1 as much as you could in the early internet days... ITV-F1 was the best coverage we’d ever had in the uk at that point... a superb rivalry with Schumacher and Hakkinen and I was a big Hakkinen fan. Bought the VHS review at the end of every year and watched it many many times...

Crazy to think that’s already 20 years ago now... even though with modern technology and the internet, practice sessions shown live... all that stuff, nothing will ever come close (to me) as the 1998 season. I remember small details about it that should have been long forgotten, can remember the liveries better than any of last years cars... I could name the entire grid in 1998 if it came up in a random pub quiz question.

Ahh the passing of time...

Nice to see Mika in his McLaren though, yeah!

[messy]

1998 was my first 'full time' season too, I'd have been a year or two younger. I watched a few races in the previous years - I think 1995 was the first year F1 came onto my radar - but the 1998 Argentine GP was my first time sitting and really taking it in and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at my Gran and Grandad's house, my cousin was there, I remember where I was sitting, I remember them letting me eat my lunch on a tray so I didn't miss the race, I remember Schumacher and Coulthard battling then clashing, Schumacher getting the hammer down, briefly running off, beating Hakkinen home and Alex Wurz doing a brilliant job in the Benetton. I remember just drinking it all in, the sounds, the commentary, the cars, the liveries, the way the cars looked at different angles, the pitstops, being transfixed as Schumacher pumped his fists and did his leap on the podium. I was absolutely sold from that moment on. I bought every magazine, I analysed every page, watched every qualifying session, every race, God just loved it so, so, so, much.

I probably remember my 'first time' with F1 as well as I remember my first date with my wife. Luckily my marriage is in a better state nowadays than my relationship with F1.

Anyway yeah, memories. Seeing Mika's bulletproof performance at Suzuka that year was awe inspiring.

[Nonesuch]

Nice to see him in action in his old car, or to hear about it in any case.

 

It must have been 2000 that he lined up 2nd on the grid at Suzuka, and stunned the Dutch reporter who asked him if he was disappointed.

 

True to his character, Häkkinen responded that no, he wasn't disappointed, because "I could be maybe last, or disqualified!".

 

 

This is superb. 1998 is the first year I properly followed F1, and I mean properly... I was 14 and (rather sad to admit now) but I cut all the F1 articles out of the newspapers every weekend + made a scrap book.

 

Nothing odd about that. In fact, stuff like that only gets better the older it is.

[ViperF1]

... I was 14 and (rather sad to admit now) but I cut all the F1 articles out of the newspapers every weekend + made a scrap book. Used to walk down to WHSmith and buy the f1 magazines on the day they came out, followed f1 as much as you could in the early internet days...

 

Exactly the same story here but in the Year of Our Lord 1995.

 

Everything felt better in those early years, especially F1.

[taz]

Same goes for me, but make that 1997 for me

[RacingGreen]

Always great to see drivers reunited with their old cars. I once (at 1977 British GP) had the pleasure of watching Moss and Fangio in a pair of 250F's for one of the support races. Needless to say that although Hunt Vs Watson was the main event of the day absolutely nobody missed the chance of seeing Moss and Fangio in action.

 

One year I must get over to Goodwood.

[McLobby]

I wish I could go back in time... everything was better back then.

[PayasYouRace]

It’s a bit scary that it’s 20 years since that season. I don’t remember it all that well because it falls in my personal dark ages where the switch to ITV and particularly the loss from Eurosport made the sport difficult to watch on TV for a few years. But it was the season Grand Prix 3 was based on and my virtual adventures in that season are fond memories.

I suppose 1996 would be my equivalent season to the OP.

It’s always great to see drivers reunited with their old cars. I loved seeing Damon drive his FW18 recently.

[Spillage]

Hakkinen was brilliant at Suzuka. From 1998-2000 he delivered three fantastic performances under enormous pressure. For me the classic mental image of McLaren will always be him in those West cars.

[NixxxoN]

I wish I could go back in time... everything was better back then.

Mika is that you?

Racing those years was mostly crap aswell.

[RECKLESS]

1998 was the first see-all-sessions season for me too. I was 16 and totally hooked. Mika will always be #1 for me and probably the biggest reason I follow the sport to this day.

[Taxi]

I started folowing Mika at his low point in 1995: the Mclaren Mercedes was very bad and that's why i got so impressed by him. 1998-1999 was just as happy as it gets in terms of formula 1 taste for me. Glad he's happy and driving the  car again for our pleasure.  If only Schumi was alongside him with his Ferrari. 

[Massa_f1]

I had been watching F1 on and off a bit since 94, but 1998 was the first season I watched in full without missing a live race.  Such a great season and even though my favourite driver lost it is still a season I like to remember. It was the first year I started to buy F1 merch as well as magazines and VHS season reviews too.

[Hati]

Racing those years was mostly crap aswell.

 

Tell me about it. I got so fed up with the boredom in 1994 that I didn't watch the race in Imola...

[Massa_f1]

Mika is that you?

Racing those years was mostly crap aswell.

 

Out of interest if you think the racing was mostly crap in 1998 what years do you actually think racing was good. 

[NixxxoN]

Out of interest if you think the racing was mostly crap in 1998 what years do you actually think racing was good.

Well, it was certainly not the worst year ever, but could be much better.
The 80's, and mostly 2009-2016 were good in general terms, but the frozen V8 era with DRS, KERS and narrow wings for me has been the best.

[Atreiu]

1998 was a titanic terrific season, but I don't remember it for incredible racing. Irvine was a million miles behing but still could be used as a road block. Turbulence sucked already.

[Nemo1965]

I wish I could go back in time... everything was better back then.

 

No, it wasn't. Have you ever watched David Mitchells rant about 'living in the moment'? It captures perfectly how hindsight colors our experiences.

 

Edit
 

Edited by Nemo1965, 06 October 2018 - 13:27.

[sopa]

Tell me about it. I got so fed up with the boredom in 1994 that I didn't watch the race in Imola...

 

You got bored already within 2 races of the 1994 season, despite a new winner emerging after dominant Williams years? That's quick.

[KWSN - DSM]

Why the heck are they not making a bigger deal out of the old Champions driving old cars? Keke at Monacao, Hakkinen here, Lauda, Martini and Prost in Austria 3 years ago? Make videos available, even if not going for a time put a clock on, it is free promotion which resonate with everyone, those of us who lived those days, and those of us who have come later.

 

Anyone have a video link?

 

[Jvr]

That sound!     

 

https://twitter.com/...574635632033792

 

https://twitter.com/...115185796468737

Edited by Jvr, 06 October 2018 - 14:36.

[Hati]

You got bored already within 2 races of the 1994 season, despite a new winner emerging after dominant Williams years? That's quick.

 

It's ancient times that nobody remembers but Mikas retiring streak might had something to do with it.

[THEWALL]

And his helmet design was amazing...

[Ibsey]

It's ancient times that nobody remembers but Mikas retiring streak might had something to do with it.

 

It's not ancient times for me.

 

I've been reliving the 1994 season for several years now as research for my upcoming book; www.1994f1.com 

 

Yes the racing may have been dull that year, but the behind the scene politics were anything but as readers will discover 

 

OT: It is amazing to think that Mika was considered the wild man of F1 back in 94, after he took out Senna on the 1st lap at Aida & was banned for a race after Hockenheim.

Edited by Ibsey, 06 October 2018 - 17:31.

[Atreiu]

Did Benetton cheat even more than we know?

[Ibsey]

Did Benetton cheat even more than we know?

 

I'm afraid you'll have to find out what is exclusively revealed within the book  . But I have given a few sneaky previews within some interviews like this one; http://www.talkingab...thor-ibrar.html

 

I will say the book has exclusive contributions from Mark Blundell, Benetton insiders; Willem Toet, Frank Dernie, Simon Morley (the “junior employee” blamed for the Hockenheim fire), Christian Silk, Joan Villadelprat. Antony John Dennis, a Benetton Ford Electronics expert and Williams’ insider Paul West also give their unique insight. The book contains over 250 photos, many of which are rare, and it merely presents the evidence thus allowing you to decide what happened. 

 

It will also be published by the guys who did the 2017 Stephen South book (Performance Publishing). 

[Jovanotti]

I was 14 and (rather sad to admit now) but I cut all the F1 articles out of the newspapers every weekend + made a scrap book. Used to walk down to WHSmith and buy the f1 magazines on the day they came out, followed f1 as much as you could in the early internet days...

Dude if it's any consolation, I did exactly the same And the year I started following the sport was 2001 when I was about the same age as you in '98. Had no internet back then, had to finetune my TV to receive the best signal and sucked everything in related to F1. Can't put my finger on what exactly it was, but everything certainly felt much more real and exciting in the V10 years for me.

Edited by Jovanotti, 06 October 2018 - 17:55.

[Ben24]

1998 was a titanic terrific season, but I don't remember it for incredible racing. Irvine was a million miles behing but still could be used as a road block. Turbulence sucked already.

 

Yeah, I've recently re-watched that season and the turbulence was surprisingly bad already. Not as bad as now but they didn't have DRS to make up for it so the racing wasn't massively different.

[absinthedude]

I'd already been watching 20 years, but 1998 for me was the year I spent living in America.....I was working cleaning motel rooms and the races were being shown on Fox Sports Net. If I was cleaning an empty room I'd put the TV on to keep up with the race....saw the huge pileup at Spa and was convinced a wheel must have hit someone. Having watched Mika since his British F3 days I was delighted to see him get his first title. 

 

Somewhere I have VHS tapes of each and every race.

 

Turbulence and the inability to follow closely through corners has been a problem since the mid 1980s....

Edited by absinthedude, 06 October 2018 - 19:24.

[Ben24]

Dude if it's any consolation, I did exactly the same And the year I started following the sport was 2001 when I was about the same age as you in '98. Had no internet back then, had to finetune my TV to receive the best signal and sucked everything in related to F1. Can't put my finger on what exactly it was, but everything certainly felt much more real and exciting in the V10 years for me.

The races were definitely more exciting than now even if the wheel to wheel action wasn't much different. I think the biggest single reason is that the starts were much more random and you rarely had all the cars go into the first corner in order of their speed like you do now. It also seemed like the cars and drivers were on the limit more often in the races than now so you saw more engine failures and driver errors. I guess that's partly down to the current engine regulations, the  pirelli tyres and the points system currently rewarding consistency more than the old one. The tyre war also made the Sundays a bit less predictable because maybe the team with the best tyre for quali didn't have the best tyre for the race. 

[Nonesuch]

That sound!     

 

That's the thing, yes some of the races will have been dull - but those F1 cars are never boring to watch.

 

Right up to today you can have much better and much more competitive racing in many a series, but you can't have that. Not anywhere.

[Umpire]

I remember 1998 fondly. First season I followed closely. Schumacher and Hakkinen were simply on another level during 98-2000, and '98 saw great battles.

Suzuka really showcased how much better than everybody else they were. They would qualify almost a full second faster than their teammates, and in the races they would finish almost a minute up the road.

In 1998 I remember Schumacher driving like a man possessed after having stalled on the grid in Suzuka, in order to recover. He was overtaking people left, right and center and was up to 3rd place in less than 20 laps if I recall correctly, when his rear tyre (right rear?) blew. I remember him overtaking people at the esses...how often have you seen that?

I was so much rooting for MS those days, but once Hakkinen started having a bad run in 2001 and then retired it was clear to my young mind, how great a driver he was.

I miss the duo, it's my all time favourite.

So nice to see Mika driving this car at one of the best tracks. And oh dear, what a great sound that V10 makes...

 

1998 saw the introduction of grooved tyres in order to reduce grip and already there were complaints about overtaking becoming harder, but in general it was not such a big problem.

It became a lot worse after 2000.

Edited by Umpire, 06 October 2018 - 19:36.

[sopa]

1998 was an 'okay' kind of season. Not great, but not bad. I think especially early in the season there was a series of races, which were intolerably boring (Australia, Brazil, Spain). But throw in eventful races like Argentina, Canada or UK, which enabled Schumacher to get back into action in terms of title fight.

 

Also top two teams were well above others, so others didn't get much of a look in at least in terms of competing at the front. Only if top teams/drivers messed up, they got a chance, i.e Fisichella in Canada, Hill in Belgium.

[FirstnameLastname]

Points for the top 6 only
Coulthard letting Hakkinen by
McLaren lapping the entire field
Ferrari fighting back
Arrows black livery
Magnussen dropped
Wurz and Schumacher banging wheels at Monaco
Goodbye Renault
Tobacco sponsorship!
Belgian Grand Prix
Takagi vs Rosset
X-Wings at Monaco
Tyrell’s last year
Goodbye Goodyear
Schumachers chrome helmet (Suzuka)
Suzuka being on in the middle of the night - a real ‘event’ finale
Williams awful livery
Fisichella rolling at Canada
Schumi/DC at spa
McLarens 3rd pedal
Jumper for goalposts

Isn’t it.

Edited by FirstnameLastname, 06 October 2018 - 20:07.

[FirstnameLastname]

[FirstnameLastname]

[FirstnameLastname]

[FirstnameLastname]

Edited by FirstnameLastname, 06 October 2018 - 20:13.

[FirstnameLastname]

[FirstnameLastname]

Edited by FirstnameLastname, 06 October 2018 - 20:16.

[Umpire]

That Williams livery wasn't bad.

[Maustinsj]

“...and if you no longer go for a gap...”

[sopa]

That Williams livery wasn't bad.

 

The problem with it was that it looked like a second-hand Ferrari. A not-so-bright shade of red. And well it performed like a poor man's Ferrari too...

[BullHead]

Yeah 94/5/6 got me interested. 97 I half followed properly. 98 was full on. And I still keep a "media wall" of newspaper cuttings each year. The general press headlines are funny and serve a reminder of how it's all gone down.

[Vesuvius]

1998 was amazing year, and great battle of two great drivers. Häkkinen was amazingly fast (according to some at McLaren, he was the fastest driver ever driven on their team).
1998 was one of the bests f1 seasons ever, cars looked and sounded great and two best drivers were figting for WDC till the very end.

Mika Häkkinen did retire from f1 relatively young at the age of 33 after 2 WDC titles. He stopped because he got scared during season 2001 (big incident at Melbourne and stalling on the grid at Brazil). It was amazing that he got back after almost dying at adelaide 1995 and to win those titles.

Mika was btw very close to comeback to F1 in 2005 with Williams, (and also BAR) he had actually made the decision to comeback, but Williams betrayed him and signed Button and Mika got furious and abandoned the whole return idea.

Great to see him on suzuka on his MP4-13 McLaren, he will drive there everyday during this weekend.

Edited by Vesuvius, 06 October 2018 - 21:01.

[absinthedude]

Yeah what is it with the Japanese GP being on at 6am? Time was when I'd watch it then go back to sleep....pausing only to tell the wife who won.

[Ellios]

 

There's a Verstappen in there amongst many really great drivers 

[Nonesuch]

I'm actually a bit surprised I can name all those guys, right down to the Arrows adand Minardi sets.

 

All the more so as I recently found myself quite confused to hear talk of Alexander Rossi having been in F1.

 

Turns out he did a few races in 2015! Who knew!

[FirstnameLastname]

And now Coulthard Herbert + Hill are tv pundits

Schumachers condition is unknown

Verstappen/Magnussan (Verstappen replaced him at Stewart mid season) both have sons in F1... Alesi, Michael Schu + Ralf Schu also have sons climbing the motorsport ladder

Other than Hakkinen (later that day of the photo) nobody in that picture who wasn’t already a WDC at the time would later go on to become one

7 of those teams are no longer there under the 1998 guises

Arrows (folded)
Jordan (now Racing Point Force-India)
Minardi (Toro Rosso)
Tyrell (Mercedes GP)
Prost (folded)
Stewart (Redbull)
Benetton (Renault F1)

14 of those 22 drivers won a race in F1 though...

Edited by FirstnameLastname, 06 October 2018 - 22:26.

[messy]

That Williams livery wasn't bad.

I loved it. It was so different to the Rothmans livery. Everyone slated it but I thought the FW20 (I think it was?) was a nice looking car. The following year's was nice as well. My favourite was the Benetton though, thought that was a lovely looking machine. Never got the love for the black Arrows, it was nice and all but I rather liked the angular, pointy look of the Prost too even thought it was brick slow.