The 1998 San Marino Grand Prix
Imola, 24th-26th April

Sunday - Race

Johnny's comments:

"My start wasn't great because I had too much wheelspin, but what really spoiled things for me was when Hill and Wurz seemed to get involved with one another just ahead of me. There was dirt and debris everywhere and I had to take avoiding action, which cost me momentum and places. I was bottled up behind Trulli when I detected a puncture on the right rear tyre.

"I made it back to the pits, but then there was a misunderstanding between myself and the team. Our radio communications became very confused and I understood that there was damage to the rear suspension and got out of the cockpit. By the time we realised that the problem was just a puncture, it was too late to continue."

Jean Alesi's comments:

"Today the car was very good, and after I made another good start I was able to run with the Benettons and Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Williams. My last set of tyres was one I used in qualifying, so it was not quite so effective as the first two, but I am happy for sixth place and the car's consistency.

"If we can improve our qualifying performance, I am confident that we can score even better results in the future. The racing is so competitive this season that you really need to start from the first four rows. "

Johnny's explanations to ITV:

"It was a bit frustrating, once again. At the start, I think Wurz and Damon must have had something going on up in front. I had to brake because they were blocking my track to the left. Damon must have had some damage, I guess, and I got stuck behind him through the chicane; passed him; as I passed him, then Trulli passed me.

"A few laps later, at the to chicane, the car sort of lurched down - it looked as if it could have been the suspension, but when I got it back, it was a puncture."

Race results:

1 Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes: 1hr 34mins 24.593
2 M Schumacher, Ferrari: +4.554s
3 Irvine, Ferrari: + 51.776s
4 Villeneuve, Williams-Mecachrome: + 54.590s
5 Frentzen, Williams-Mecachrome: + 1:17.477
6 Alesi, Sauber-Petronas: +1 lap

Herbert, DNF, 12 laps: puncture.

Saturday - Qualifying

Johnny's comments:

"It was just a matter of staying committed today. The car feels as if it is weaving slightly on the straight, then going into corners the initial turn-in is okay, but in mid-corner there is understeer which turns into snap oversteer on the exit. If you use too much throttle, you just make the understeer worse. The car is very difficult to drive.

"Things weren't helped on my last run when the yellows came out because Damon had stopped. All in all, I am extremely disappointed. I expected more here."

Jean Alesi's comments:

"I am very unhappy with the way things have gone today. The car is very difficult to drive."

Peter Sauber's comments:

"Our drivers pushed the cars to the limit this afternoon. Unfortunately both lost their chance to improve their grid positions further on their last runs because at the end of the session there was oil on the track and an incident brought out the yellow flags."

Qualifying times:

1 Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes: 1:25.973
2 Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes: +0.102s
3 M Schumacher, Ferrari: +0.464s
4 Irvine, Ferrari: +1.196s
5 Wurz, Benetton-Playlife: +1.300s
6 Villeneuve, Williams-Mecachrome: + 1.417s
7 Hill, Jordan Mugen-Honda: + 1.619s

11 Herbert, Sauber-Petronas: + 2.138s
12 Alesi, Sauber-Petronas: + 2.218s

Johnny on Imola:

ITV: " It's very hard on the machinery, which it always has been. But it's always a good atmosphere, mainly because it's the first one back in Europe, and obviously it's in Italy with all the Ferrari fans."

Friday - Practice

Johnny's comments:

"Like Jean, I spent part of the day doing back-to-back testing between the 'Twin Tower' wings and the new diffuser. I opted to run this afternoon without the extra wings, and to be honest it was the wrong thing to do. It seemed that whatever we did to the car after that just made it more nervous, so I would say that as a package the 'Twin Towers' are the better way to go and will be running them again tomorrow. We had one more run planned today, but that was delayed when my car developed an oil leak."

Jean Alesi's comments:

"This morning I experimented with the new diffuser that we tried briefly in testing last week at Magny-Cours, and with our 'Twin Tower' wings. To begin with I had too much understeer, but by this afternoon we had improved the car. I chose to run the wings, and was happier with that set-up. We had reduced the understeer, but I think I could have gone faster still if I hadn't met traffic on my final lap. "

Practice times

1. Mika Hakkinen            Fin  McLaren-Mercedes     B  1:27.617
2. David Coulthard          BRI  McLaren-Mercedes     B  1:27.940
3. Michael Schumacher       GER  Ferrari              G  1:28.088
4. Jacques Villeneuve       CDN  Williams-Mecachrome  G  1:28.644
5. Ralf Schumacher          GER  Jordan-Mugen Honda   G  1:28.891
6. Giancarlo Fisichella     ITA  Benetton-Mecachrome  B  1:28.963
7. Eddie Irvine             IRL  Ferrari              G  1:29.028
8. Olivier Panis            FRA  Prost-Peugeot        B  1:29.175
9. Damon Hill               BRI  Jordan-Mugen Honda   G  1:29.246
10. Heinz-Harald Frentzen   GER  Williams-Mecachrome  G  1:29.470
11. Jean Alesi              FRA  Sauber-Petronas      G  1:29.516
12. Mika Salo               FIN  Arrows               B  1:29.828
13. Alexander Wurz          AUT  Benetton-Mecachrome  B  1:29.864
14. Toranosuke Tagaki       JPN  Tyrrell-Ford         G  1:30.190
15. Johnny Herbert          BRI  Sauber-Petronas      G  1:30.223

Every effort is made to ensure factual accuracy but
no responsibility is accepted for this information
Photos by kind permission of Sauber
Last updated 26th April 1998