The 1998 World Rally Championship was the 26th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 13 rallies. Tommi Mäkinen won his third consecutive drivers' world championship driving for Mitsubishi, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae. The manufacturers' title was won by Mitsubishi (who still operated under Group A regulations), ahead of Toyota and Subaru. This year also marked the Ford Escort's last full-season works outing before being replaced by the Ford Focus WRC in 1999. The season ended in dramatic fashion when Carlos Sainz's Corolla WRC stopped approximately 300 metres from the finishing line in the final stage at Margam due to mechanical failure, thus surrendering his fourth place on the rally and handing the title to Mäkinen.^[1][2]

Calendar

The 1998 championship was contested over thirteen rounds in Europe, Africa, South America and Oceania.

Round	Dates	Race
1	19–21 January	Monte Carlo Rally
2	6–8 February	Swedish Rally
3	28 February-2 March	Safari Rally
4	22–25 March	Rally Portugal
5	20–22 April	Rally Catalunya
6	4–6 May	Tour de Corse
7	20–23 May	Rally Argentina
8	7–9 June	Acropolis Rally
9	24–27 July	Rally New Zealand
10	21–23 August	Rally Finland
11	12–14 October	Rally Sanremo
12	5–8 November	Rally Australia
13	22–24 November	Rally of Great Britain
Sources:[3][4]

Teams and drivers

Team	Manufacturer	Car	Tyre	No	Drivers	Rounds
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart	Mitsubishi	Lancer Evolution III Lancer Evolution IV Lancer Evolution V	M	1	Tommi Mäkinen	All
				2	Richard Burns	All
				15	Ed Ordynski	12
				16	Uwe Nittel	1–2, 4–5, 8, 10
555 Subaru World Rally Team	Subaru	Impreza 555 Impreza WRC 98	P	3	Colin McRae	All
				4	Piero Liatti	1, 3–9, 11–12
					Kenneth Eriksson	2
					Jarmo Kytölehto	10
					Alister McRae	13
				10	Piero Liatti	2
				12	Ari Vatanen	13
				13	Possum Bourne	12
				15	Juha Kangas	13
Toyota Castrol Team	Toyota	Corolla WRC Celica GT-Four ST205	M	5	Carlos Sainz	All
				6	Didier Auriol	1, 3–4, 6–13
					Thomas Rådström	2
					Freddy Loix	5
				9	Didier Auriol	2, 5
				11	Freddy Loix	4, 8, 12
					Marcus Grönholm	2, 4–5, 9–10, 13
				12	Neal Bates	12
				14	Thomas Rådström	9
				15	Thomas Rådström	4–5, 8, 10
				16	Yoshio Fujimoto	9, 12
				18	Isolde Holderied	6, 8
				27	Henrik Lundgaard	13
				34	Volkan Isik	4-6, 8, 10-13
				37	Pedro Chaves	4
Ford Motor Co Ltd	Ford	Escort WRC	M	7	Juha Kankkunen	All
				8	Bruno Thiry	1–2, 5–13
					Ari Vatanen	3–4
				11	Ari Vatanen	10
SEAT Sport	SEAT	Córdoba WRC	P	9	Harri Rovanperä	10–13
				10	Oriol Gómez	10
					Marc Duez	11–12
					Gwyndaf Evans	13
Peugeot Sport	Peugeot	306 Maxi	M	11	François Delecour	1, 5–6, 11
				14	Gilles Panizzi	1, 5–6, 11
				25	Manuel Muniente	5
				28	Adruzilo Lopes	1, 4–5
Citroën Sport	Citroën	Xsara F2	M	12	Philippe Bugalski	5–6, 11
				16	Jesús Puras	5, 11
					Fabien Doenlen	6
				19	Patrick Magaud	6, 11
Renault Sport	Renault	Mégane Maxi	M	19	Martin Rowe	6, 11, 13
				21	Luís Climent	5
				25	Tapio Laukkanen	6, 10–11, 13
				28	Nejat Avci	9, 12
				32	José Carlos Macedo	4
				35	Jonas Kruse	2, 4, 10
					Pedro Azeredo	4
Hyundai World Rally Team	Hyundai	Coupe Evo Coupe Evo 2	M	20	Kenneth Eriksson	4–5, 7–13
				21	Alister McRae	5–6
				29	Wayne Bell	4, 8–13
				48	Dean Herridge	12
Volkswagen	Volkswagen	Golf GTI 16V Kit Car	P	17	Alister McRae	2, 7, 10-12
				30	Harry Joki	2
				24	Kris Rosenberger	3-4, 7, 9, 12
				31	Raimund Baumschlager	3-4, 13
				40	Janne Tuohino	10
				41	Jan Habig	13
				47	Esa Saarenpää	10
				48	Jani Pirttinen	10
Nissan Motorsports Europe	Nissan	Almera Kit Car	M	23	Mark Higgins	4, 8, 10-11, 13
				48	José Araújo	4
				61	Ercan Kazaz	13
Škoda Motorsport	Škoda	Octavia Kit Car	M	22	Pavel Sibera	5-6, 8, 10-11, 13
				37	Fabio Danti	11
Opel Vauxhall	Opel Vauxhall	Astra G Kit Car	M	18	Jarmo Kytölehto (Opel)	13
				40	Neil Wearden (Vauxhall)	13

Results and standings

Drivers' championship

Pos. Driver MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR  Pts  1 Tommi Mäkinen Ret 1 Ret Ret 3 Ret 1 Ret 3 1 1 1 Ret 58 2 Carlos Sainz 1 2 Ret 2 7 8 2 4 1 2 4 2 Ret 56 3 Colin McRae 3 Ret Ret 1 Ret 1 5 1 5 Ret 3 4 Ret 45 4 Juha Kankkunen 2 3 2 7 Ret 9 3 3 4 3 Ret 5 2 39 5 Didier Auriol 14 6 4 Ret 1 6 Ret 2 2 4 Ret 3 Ret 34 6 Richard Burns 5 15 1 4 4 Ret 4 Ret 9 5 7 Ret 1 33 7 Piero Liatti 4 9 Ret 6 Ret 3 6 6 6 2 Ret 17 8 Freddy Loix 3 2 5 6 13 9 Bruno Thiry 6 8 Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret 10 6 7 3 8 10 François Delecour 10 8 2 Ret 6 11 Ari Vatanen 3 5 Ret Ret 6 12 Gilles Panizzi 9 6 4 35 5 Ret 6 13 Kenneth Eriksson 4 Ret 21 Ret Ret 20 Ret Ret 22 Ret 3 14 Grégoire De Mévius 8 12 4 3 15 Harri Rovanperä 11 Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret 15 13 11 Ret 11 6 3 16 Marcus Grönholm 5 Ret Ret Ret 7 Ret 2 17 Philippe Bugalski 5 Ret Ret 2 18 Sebastian Lindholm Ret 9 5 2 19 Raimund Baumschlager 6 Ret Ret 1 20 Thomas Rådström Ret Ret 12 Ret 7 6 1 Pos. Driver MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR  Pts

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Black Excluded (EX) Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Cancelled (C) Blank Withdrew entry from the event (WD)

Co-drivers' championship

Pos. Co-driver MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR  Pts  1 Risto Mannisenmäki Ret 1 Ret Ret 3 Ret 1 Ret 3 1 1 1 Ret 58 2 Luis Moya 1 2 Ret 2 7 8 2 4 1 2 4 2 Ret 56 3 Nicky Grist 3 Ret Ret 1 Ret 1 5 1 5 Ret 3 4 Ret 45 4 Juha Repo 2 3 2 7 Ret 9 3 3 4 3 Ret 5 2 39 5 Denis Giraudet 14 6 4 Ret 1 6 Ret 2 2 4 Ret 3 Ret 34 6 Robert Reid 5 15 1 4 4 Ret 4 Ret 9 5 7 Ret 1 33 7 Fabrizia Pons 4 9 Ret 6 Ret 3 6 6 6 2 Ret Ret 17 8 Sven Smeets 3 2 5 6 13 9 Stéphane Prévot 6 8 Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret 10 6 7 3 8 10 Daniel Grataloup 10 8 2 Ret 6 11 Fred Gallagher 3 5 Ret 6 12 Hervé Panizzi 9 6 4 35 5 Ret 6 13 Staffan Parmander 4 Ret 21 Ret Ret 20 Ret Ret 22 Ret 3 14 Jean-Marc Fortin 8 12 4 3 15 Risto Pietiläinen 11 Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret 15 13 11 Ret 11 6 3 16 Timo Rautiainen 5 Ret Ret Ret 7 Ret 2 17 Jean-Paul Chiaroni 5 Ret Ret 2 18 Jukka Aho Ret 9 5 2 19 Klaus Wicha 8 6 Ret Ret 1 20 Gunnar Barth Ret Ret 12 Ret 7 6 1 Pos. Co-driver MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR  Pts

Manufacturers' championship

Pos. Manufacturer No. MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR Points 1 Team Mitsubishi Ralliart 1 Ret 1 Ret Ret 3 Ret 1 Ret 3 1 1 1 Ret 91 2 5 15 1 4 4 Ret 4 Ret 9 5 7 Ret 1 2 Toyota Castrol Team 5 1 2 Ret 2 7 8 2 4 1 2 4 2 Ret 85 6 14 Ret 4 Ret 2 6 Ret 2 2 4 Ret 3 Ret 3 555 Subaru World Rally Team 3 3 Ret Ret 1 Ret 1 5 1 5 Ret 3 4 Ret 65 4 4 4 Ret 6 Ret 3 6 6 6 8 2 Ret Ret 4 Ford Motor Co 7 2 3 2 7 Ret 9 3 3 4 3 Ret 5 2 53 8 6 8 3 5 Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret 10 6 7 3 5 SEAT Sport 9 11 Ret 11 6 1 10 Ret 16 Ret Pos. Manufacturer No. MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR Points

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Black Excluded (EX) Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Cancelled (C) Blank Withdrew entry from the event (WD)

FIA Teams' Cup

Pos.	Team	Event													Points
		MON	SWE	KEN	POR	ESP	FRA	ARG	GRE	NZL	FIN	ITA	AUS	GBR
1	H.F. Grifone	0	10	0	10	10	0	0	10	10	7	16	0	0	73
2	Uruguay en Carrera	0	0	0	2	5	4	6	2	8	4	4	4	0	39
3	Gazprom Rally Team	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	10	10	27
4	Mobil 1 Stomil Olsztyn	0	0	0	6	4	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	6	26
5	Toyota Castrol Team Sweden	0	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	10	0	6	0	22
6	Toyota Team Saudi Arabia	0	0	0	0	0	10	0	0	0	3	0	3	4	20
7	Toyota Mobil Team Turkey	0	0	0	3	0	6	0	6	0	0	0	2	0	17
8	Frederic Dor	0	0	0	1	0	0	4	4	1	0	0	0	2	12
9	Hamed Al-Wahaibi	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1	3	0	0	0	3	10

Group N Cup

Pos. Driver MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR  Pts  1 Gustavo Trelles Ret Ret 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 3 2 94 2 Manfred Stohl 1 2 2 2 1 Ret Ret 3 Ret 4 1 71 3 Luís Climent 2 Ret 1 4 Ret 3 2 37 4 Michael Guest 1 1 26 5 Hamed Al-Wahaibi 6 2 2 5 Ret 3 24 6 Stig-Olov Walfridsson 1 13 Gianluigi Galli 1 13 8 Kenneth Bäcklund 2 8 Mario Stagni 2 8 David Higgins 2 8 Pernilla Solberg 8 3 4 8 12 Juha Kangas 3 Ret 5 7 13 Gabriel Méndez 3 7 Ret 5 Pierre-César Baroni 3 5 Paul Bailey 3 5 Miguel Campos 3 5 Jean-Marie Santoni 3 5 Marcos Ligato 3 5 Jorge Recalde Ret 3 5 Roberto Sanchez 5 4 Ret 5 Pos. Driver MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR  Pts

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Black Excluded (EX) Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Cancelled (C) Blank Withdrew entry from the event (WD)

Events

1998 World Rally Championship event map

Black = Tarmac	Brown = Gravel	Blue = Snow/Ice	Red = Mixed Surface

1998 World Rally Championship schedule and results

Rally Name	Dates run	Podium Drivers (Finishing Time)	Podium Cars
Monte Carlo Rally	19 January–21 January	Carlos Sainz (4h:28m:00.5s) Juha Kankkunen (4h:28m:41.3s) Colin McRae (4h:29m:01.5s)	Toyota Corolla WRC Ford Escort WRC Subaru Impreza WRC 98
Swedish Rally	6 February–8 February	Tommi Mäkinen (3h:32m:51.6s) Carlos Sainz (3h:33m:43.2s) Juha Kankkunen (3h:33m:50.4s)	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV Toyota Corolla WRC Ford Escort WRC
Safari Rally	28 February–2 March	Richard Burns (8h:57m:34s) Juha Kankkunen (9h:07m:01s) Ari Vatanen (9h:07m:26s)	Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evolution IV Ford Escort WRC Ford Escort WRC
Rally Portugal	22 March–25 March	Colin McRae (4h:20m:58.1s) Carlos Sainz (4h:21m:00.2s) Freddy Loix (4h:21m:43.9s)	Subaru Impreza WRC 98 Toyota Corolla WRC Toyota Corolla WRC
Rally Catalunya	20 April–22 April	Didier Auriol (4h:18m:36.9s) Freddy Loix (4h:19m:30.3s) Tommi Mäkinen (4h:19m:46.3s)	Toyota Corolla WRC Toyota Corolla WRC Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V
Tour de Corse	4 May–6 May	Colin McRae (4h:02m:46.9s) François Delecour (4h:03m:14.1s) Piero Liatti (4h:03m:16.9s)	Subaru Impreza WRC 98 Peugeot 306 Maxi Subaru Impreza WRC 98
Rally Argentina	20 May–23 May	Tommi Mäkinen (4h:22m:07.4s) Carlos Sainz (4h:22m:34.2s) Juha Kankkunen (4h:22m:34.9s)	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V Toyota Corolla WRC Ford Escort WRC
Acropolis Rally	7 June–9 June	Colin McRae (4h:26m:31.6s) Didier Auriol (4h:26m:51.6s) Juha Kankkunen (4h:27m:15.9s)	Subaru Impreza WRC 98 Toyota Corolla WRC Ford Escort WRC
Rally New Zealand	24 July–27 July	Carlos Sainz (3h:54m:57.1s) Didier Auriol (3h:55m:01.2s) Tommi Mäkinen (3h:56m:40.8s)	Toyota Corolla WRC Toyota Corolla WRC Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V
Rally Finland	21 August–23 August	Tommi Mäkinen (3h:16m:56.1s) Carlos Sainz (3h:17m:31.7s) Juha Kankkunen (3h:17m:41.3s)	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V Toyota Corolla WRC Ford Escort WRC
Rally Sanremo	12 October–14 October	Tommi Mäkinen (4h:34m:34.5s) Piero Liatti (4h:34m:50.3s) Colin McRae (4h:36m:04.7s)	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V Subaru Impreza WRC 98 Subaru Impreza WRC 98
Rally Australia	5 November–8 November	Tommi Mäkinen (3h:52m:48.7s) Carlos Sainz (3h:53m:05.2s) Didier Auriol (3h:53m:13.7s)	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V Toyota Corolla WRC Toyota Corolla WRC
Rally of Great Britain	22 November–24 November	Richard Burns (3h:50m:30.6s) Juha Kankkunen (3h:54m:17.1s) Bruno Thiry (3h:55m:58.1s)	Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evolution V Ford Escort WRC Ford Escort WRC