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. Simon Crafar winning the British Grand Prix for Yamaha's lone victory. 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.
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. 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. Valentino Rossi took the win with Capirossi recovering to finish in second and claiming the title. Afterwards, Aprilia would release Capirossi from his contract.
Kazuto Sakata would win his second 125 title for Aprilia after a tight battle with Tomomi Manako and Marco Melandri.
1998 Grand Prix season calendar The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1998: RoundDateGrand PrixCircuit 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
Calendar changes The Malaysian Grand Prix and Japanese Grand Prix swapped places, with Japan hosting the opening round Grand Prix, instead of Malaysia. The Malaysian Grand Prix moved from the Shah Alam Circuit to the Johor Circuit. The German Grand Prix moved from the Nürburgring to the Sachsenring because of the very low number of spectators who came to view the race there. The Austrian Grand Prix was removed from the calendar, mainly because of a low number of spectators. The Rio Grand Prix was removed from the calendar because of organisational problems. The Indonesian Grand Prix was removed from the calendar because of 1997 Asian financial crisis that affected the country and was replaced by the Argentine Grand Prix. The Madrid Grand Prix was added as an extra, one-off Grand Prix.
1998 Grand Prix season results Round Date Race Location 125cc winner 250cc winner 500cc winner Report 1 5 April Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix Suzuka Kazuto Sakata Daijiro Kato Max Biaggi Report 2 19 April Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix Johor Noboru Ueda Tetsuya Harada Mick Doohan Report 3 3 May Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix Jerez Kazuto Sakata Loris Capirossi Àlex Crivillé Report 4 17 May Italian motorcycle Grand Prix Mugello Tomomi Manako Marcellino Lucchi Mick Doohan Report 5 31 May French motorcycle Grand Prix Paul Ricard Kazuto Sakata Tetsuya Harada Àlex Crivillé Report 6 14 June Madrid motorcycle Grand Prix Jarama Lucio Cecchinello Tetsuya Harada Carlos Checa Report 7 27 June †† Dutch TT Assen Marco Melandri Valentino Rossi Mick Doohan Report 8 5 July British motorcycle Grand Prix Donington Kazuto Sakata Loris Capirossi Simon Crafar Report 9 19 July German motorcycle Grand Prix Sachsenring Tomomi Manako Tetsuya Harada Mick Doohan Report 10 23 August Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix Brno Marco Melandri Tetsuya Harada Max Biaggi Report 11 6 September City of Imola motorcycle Grand Prix Imola Tomomi Manako Valentino Rossi Mick Doohan Report 12 20 September Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix Catalunya Tomomi Manako Valentino Rossi Mick Doohan Report 13 4 October Australian motorcycle Grand Prix Phillip Island Masao Azuma Valentino Rossi Mick Doohan Report 14 25 October Argentine motorcycle Grand Prix Buenos Aires Tomomi Manako Valentino Rossi Mick Doohan Report
†† = Saturday race
Participants
500cc participants TeamConstructorMotorcycleRiderRounds 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 RennSport 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 RobertsMarlboro Team Roberts Modenas KR 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, 3–14Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider
250cc participants TeamConstructorMotorcycleNoRiderRounds Castrol 250 Team Honda Honda NSR250 4 Stefano Perugini All Benetton Honda Honda Honda NSR250 5 Tohru Ukawa All F.C.C. TSR Honda Honda NSR250 6 Haruchika Aoki All Team Semprucci Biesse Group Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 7 Takeshi Tsujimura All Antena 3 Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 8 Luis D'Antin All 17 José Luis Cardoso All 92 David García 12 QUB Team Optimum TSR–Honda Honda NSR250 9 Jeremy McWilliams All Docshop Racing Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 11 Jürgen Fuchs 1–9 15 Martin Craggill 13 34 Marcellino Lucchi 10–11 45 Diego Giugovaz 12, 14 85 Mathias Neukirchen 9 Team Rizla Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki RGV250 12 Noriyasu Numata All 16 Johan Stigefelt All OXS Matteoni Racing ERP Honda Honda NSR250 14 Davide Bulega 5–14 Honda 1–4 49 Filippo Cotti 11 Edo Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 18 Osamu Miyazaki 1–5, 7, 10–14 21 Franco Battaini 1–6, 10–14 33 Jamie Robinson 8–9 47 Ivan Clementi 6–9 Chesterfield Elf Tech 3 Honda Honda NSR250 19 Olivier Jacque 1–7, 10–14 20 William Costes 1–9 22 Matthieu Lagrive 10–14 68 Julien Allemand 8–9 Padgetts HRC Shop TSR–Honda Honda NSR250 24 Jason Vincent 1–13 Honda 82 Woolsey Coulter 8 82 Woolsey Coulter 14 Penguin Racing ERP–Honda Honda NSR250 25 Yasumasa Hatakeyama 4–9 Honda 1–3, 10–14 PR2 Mitsubishi Elaion Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 27 Sebastián Porto All 40 Gary May 8 41 Federico Gartner 1–7, 9–14 Aprilia Grand Prix Racing Team Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 31 Tetsuya Harada All 34 Marcellino Lucchi 3–4, 12 65 Loris Capirossi All Scuderia AGV Carrizosa TSR–Honda Honda NSR250 37 Luca Boscoscuro All 44 Roberto Rolfo All Strugnell Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 42 William Strugnell 13 Team Taylor Racing Honda Honda NSR250 43 David Horton 13 Team Italia Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 45 Diego Giugovaz 11 Nastro Azzurro Aprilia Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 46 Valentino Rossi All Team RCGM Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 48 Igor Antonelli 11 BP Yamaha Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 50 Shinya Nakano 1, 13 Y.E.S.S. Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 51 Naoki Matsudo 1 Team Suzuki All Japan Suzuki Suzuki RGV250 52 Choujun Kameya 1 55 Yukio Kagayama 1 Team Kotake Honda Honda NSR250 53 Makoto Tamada 1 Castrol Honda Honda Honda NSR250 54 Daijiro Kato 1 Petronas Sprinta Team TVK Honda Honda NSR250 56 Shahrol Yuzy 2 SBK Sport Honda Honda NSR250 58 Eustaquio Gavira 3, 12 59 Ismael Bonilla 3, 6 60 Agustín Escobar 3 Equipo Competition M-3 Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 61 Manuel Luque 3 Brunskill Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 62 Adam Brunskill 13 Allect Racing Honda Honda NSR250 63 Craig Frederickson 13 Rgv Spares Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 64 Shaun Geronimi 13 Racing Factory Honda Honda NSR250 66 Alex Hofmann 9 Equipe de France Honda Honda NSR250 67 Matthieu Lagrive 5 68 Julien Allemand 5 69 Vincent Philippe 5 F.P. Racing Honda Honda NSR250 70 Franck Poulle 5 Aprilia France Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 71 Hervé Mora 5 Team Sotano Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 72 José David de Gea 6 Hernandez Team Honda Honda NSR250 73 Alex Debón 6 Team Chupa Chups Honda Honda NSR250 74 Lucas Oliver Bultó 12 93 Iván Silva 12 MRTT Team Bolwerk Honda Honda NSR250 75 Maurice Bolwerk 7 Dee Cee Jeans Racing Team Honda Honda NSR250 76 Jarno Janssen 7 Racing Team Twello Honda Honda NSR250 77 André Romein 7 Johan Jong Brandbom Team Honda Honda NSR250 78 Rudie Markink 7 Schoenkaper O.Z. Honda Honda NSR250 79 Henk van der Lagemaat 7 Aprilia UK / Blacks Bikeshop Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 80 Paul Jones 8 Honda Britain / QUB Team Optimum Honda Honda NSR250 81 Callum Ramsay 8 Team Colin Appleyard Racing Honda Honda NSR250 83 Shane Norval 8 Team Klingels Honda Honda NSR250 84 Mike Baldinger 9 RS Rallye Sport Gmbh Honda Honda NSR250 86 Markus Ober 9 Imt Racing Team Honda Honda NSR250 87 Adrian Schmidt 9 Slovnaft Sport Moto Team ERP–Honda Honda NSR250 88 Vladimír Častka 10 Klub Racing Team Znojmo Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 89 Radomil Rous 10 Moto Racing Club Ostrava Honda Honda NSR250 90 Lukáš Vavrečka 10 Muller Maler Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 91 Lars Langer 10 Costa Azamar Honda Honda NSR250 94 David Ortega 12 Mitsubishi Mondial Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 95 Matías Ríos 14 Pablo Lessio Competicion Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 96 Leandro Mulet 14 Honda Castrol Gregorio Honda Honda NSR250 97 Diego Ruabén 14 Recouso Oscar Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 98 Gabriel Borgmann 14Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider
125cc participants