1998 Belgium GP: When Shumachers went to war

In the last 25 years of Formula 1, some races may offer a similar drama of the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.

From the huge start-line pile-up to the shock 1-2 for Jordan, there are many moments that make the race out.

But this was also the day when both Shumacher Brothers would go into the war, after realizing that they were denied a possible victory.

Michael Shumacar arrived at the spa, hoping that another bite is expected to be bite under the leadership of McLaren driver Mika Hakikin, cutting the gap of just seven points with a win in Hungary two weeks ago.

Hakkinon hit the front line for McLeren ahead of team partner David Coolthard to qualify with a pole position up to a tenth of one second. Shumakar could only manage P4, as Damon Hill finished third on the grid for Jordan.

The torrential rains on Race Day forced the ground to fit a full wet tire and braced for a possible race of attraction through the Adenes forest. The title contenders knew that there was a lot to lose in difficult circumstances – but Hill felt a big opportunity. Prior to the race, he ordered a team to handle a team with his crew, the yellow body crowd was tickling together as the rain continued.

Eddie Jordan told Hill that this is “the most important thing I remember you are doing for me” in mini-curtains in unexpected loads. “You said, ‘Listen, the forecast is really poor, we have a great opportunity here.’

“I will never forget it, because it turned out to be absolutely right.”

The hill was slow to pull away in moist conditions, slipped to the seventh in the short term for the LA source. But he was significantly managed to avoid the chaos that came out quickly after killing a metal drain cover after coolthard, causing his mcCleon to cross the track and the spear in the wall on the wall on the downhill sprint. This triggers one of the biggest accidents in F1 history, including more than half of the area, making the race quickly motivated for red flags.

The rules at that time meant that the beginning had become zero, allowing the drivers involved in the accident to be included in the race and use their spare cars when needed after cleaning the track. After waiting for more than an hour, the race started again, the rain still fell. Hill sat out of waiting in his car, there is no desire to break your attention.

The second beginning was cleaner, but not without the incident. Hill took a dull initial step before finding a grip to hold his Jordan with his grid slot to keep his Jordan with a poll -itage hakikin, before swinging around the outside to go into the lead in the LA source.

Hakikin was temporary under braking, which could try a similar step on the exhaust. Trying to widen his title opponent, Hakikin ended his car without thinking of Johnny Herbert.

To make matters worse for McLaren, a confusion with Alexander Vuraz left coolthard in gravel on the opening lap, but Scott was able to carry his car back on the track. He remained in the race, although now running away from the order.

The security car was soon called to allow Hakkinon’s stricken McLaren to recover, leading to the Hill a chance to deal with the pack on the pack’s head. This was the first time he had led a race since his near and near the arrow in Hungary a year ago, and two red Ferrari filled his mirrors through sprays.

When the race started again, Hill knew that it was a matter of time before Schumacher took his step, finally lost the lead on lap eight. Shumakar was then able to put a second per lap on the hill as he had voltage via spray, making them clear 37 seconds. Vijay and, significantly, was his to take the championship lead.

But then the sudden intervention of the coulthard came. McLaren driver was struggling to stay on the track after the arrow was passed by the arrow Pedro Diniz in the ninth. Coolthard wrote in his autobiography, “I couldn’t see one thing, and I told my team to tell me when Michael was behind me, so that I could move forward,” Which is sleepy.

Michael Shumakar, Ferrari F300, missing front wheel and wing, and David Coolthard, McLaren MP4-13 Mercedes, with missing rear wing, in Pitlane.

By photo: Renner W. Cholegalemillch

As Schumakar took place, the coolthard moved to the right and raised him to allow him to go to Pashon on a downhill run – only to slam behind McLaren for Schumacher. Coolthard later revealed that the effect was 137 mph, which was enough to tear the nose and front-the-wheel from Shumakar’s Ferrari, as well as left coolthard without a rear wing.

Both cars made it in the rest of the lap before coming into the nose of the pits. McLaren McKenics set about the repair of the car’s car, but soon found themselves involved in the garage by their colleagues in the Red, trying to stop a fuming shumakar.

Coolthard wrote, “When I saw Michael in our garage, I was still my helmet by my standing McLaren.”

“He was clearly vivid and shouting: ‘You tried to kill me!” I really could not say anything back because my helmet was on, but he had to stop too much by his race engineer.

With a face -like face, Shumakar was pulled back to the Ferrari Garage, knowing that his title expectations appear to have a huge shock in condemn fashion. Coulthard will feel his brunt in Monza after two weeks.

He said, “Every time I used to get out in the pit in the pit, (Ferrari fans) and some of them had a big sheet with the word ‘Killer Coolthard’,” he wrote. The drivers eventually shook the incident when Michael clarified who was at the mistake. “At this point I said: ‘But Michael, are you ever wrong?” And if I remember the right then he said: ‘Okay, it’s not that I remember.’ ,

However, a Shumakar was expected to win, however. Ralph Schumacher was passing through the ground to sit third before his brother’s collapse, proving wet-weather skills in family business. He had quietly moved away from the benefit of the hill, cutting it a slightly more than 10 at a point for 22 seconds, but was handed over to a lifeline when the security car was called after an accident between Giancarlo Ficichla and Xinji Nakano.

Shinji Nakano, Minardi M198 connects through debris.

Photo by photo: Steve Atherrington / Motorsport Images

It placed the young Shumakar to restart the hill’s car with 12 laps, causing the team not only a sniff of victory, but also finished 1-2. For the first time in the history of the team, both are coming in a season where it did not complete more than the fourth race. It could not take the risk of throwing it.

Shumakar quickly found a good rhythm on the restart, pressurizing the hill with the encouragement of Race Engineer Sam Michael. “You can catch him, just push like hell!” Michael said. “You can catch him, you can win.”

The hill started feeling the pressure because the race entered its closing feet, the rain was still falling down. He then hit the radio button and clarified his position as a world champion.

“I am going to put something for you here, and I think you hear it better,” Hill said. “If we run, if we run two, we can’t do anything, so it is up to AD. You’ve found to tell AD. If we do not run each other, we have got the first and second chance to get the first and second. It is your choice.”

Jordan later told Hill, “You talked to me as you had never spoken to me before.” “It was a very strong (message), ‘I am a world champion, I know how to win’. It was not a instruction for me, but it was a strong advice.”

Jordan was slow to make decisions. “I was in the middle of a deal with Ralph while interacting on the next year’s contract, but it was not really really in my mind,” he said.

“What was in my mind and the reason for this is that I was coming back at a slow pace, I checked with the team where (gene) was Alasi. He was running third, and I could actually (answer) until I knew all the information.

“I did not want to try a half cock to answer you. I needed to make sure.”

Jordan decided to use the team’s orders, with Sam Michael fast to put Shumakar in the contradiction of his previous call.

“Ralph, you can’t overtake Damon, this is a team order,” Michael said. No answer. Shumakar continued to move forward.

“You heard me earlier, didn’t you ralf, about beating Damon. You heard, not you?” Still no answer.

“Did you find that ralph? Did you hear me?” Nothing.

“Ralph, accept,” Michael barks, his fourth attempt is finally being done through the German driver, who offered two-word answers: “Yes Sam.”

“It was in everyone’s best interest,” Jordan later reflected. “If this was the second way, I would have gone with Ralph.”

Podium: Raswiner Demon Hill, Jordan, second place Ralph Shumakar, Jordan; Third place Jean Alesi, Saar

Photo by: Motorsport images

This relieved the pressure on the hill, allowing him to round out the last few laps before winning his first win after the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix. This was Jordan’s first F1 win, finishing 1-2, sparking a famous jig from the team owner in Padock, who saw him in the words of the hill, “like a kind of lapruchun”.

As the team celebrated their famous victory, Shumakar’s face offered an uniform kind of fury by his brother an hour or before. He waved his hat and sprayed champagne, but was sad after being deprived of a possible first win.

Michael Schumacher also spoke on the incident, which will give Jordan a point of searching between post -race ceremonies.

“He came to charge in the motor hell,” Jordan said. “‘You have spoiled my brother! He will not drive for you again, the management will forget the contract.”

“I said: ‘Michael, this is very simple. The contract has a purchase-out clause, pay the money, Edios.” And he did it.

The Ralph team will pick up a final podium for Jordan in Monza before the team started a six -year term in Williams. Michael will miss a third world title, losing Hakikin in the final race. Win at the spa could have given him a six -point lead for the title in Suzuka instead of a four -point deficit.

This can be remembered for AD’s dance and that start-line crash, but the spa ’98 was also an important race for the fate of Shumacher brothers.

Race winner Demon Hill, Jordan

Photo: Sutton Picture