1998 FIA GT Championship


The 1998 FIA GT Championship was the second season of FIA GT Championship, an auto racing series endorsed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation. The races featured grand touring cars conforming to two categories of regulations, GT1 and GT2, and awarded driver and team championships in each category. The season began on 12 April 1998 and ended on 25 October 1998 after ten rounds, visiting Europe, Japan, and the United States.
The GT1 championships were won by Klaus Ludwig and Ricardo Zonta of repeat champions AMG Mercedes, while the GT2 title was awarded to Olivier Beretta and Pedro Lamy of Viper Team Oreca. Following the season, the GT1 category was eliminated from the FIA GT Championship due to a lack of entries for 1999.

Schedule

All races were shortened to a distance with the exception of Suzuka. Oschersleben replaced the Nürburgring as the second German round of the series, while Hungaroring and Dijon-Prenois replaced Mugello, Spa, and Helskini for the rest of the European calendar.
RndRaceCircuitDate
1Oschersleben 500 Motopark Oschersleben, Oschersleben, Germany12 April
2British Empire Trophy Race Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, United Kingdom17 May
3Hockenheim 500 Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany28 June
4500 km de Dijon Dijon-Prenois, Prenois, France12 July
5Hungaroring 500 Hungaroring, Mogyoród, Hungary19 July
6Suzuka 1000 km Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan23 August
7Donington 500 Donington Park, Leicestershire, United Kingdom6 September
8500 km Zeltweg A1-Ring, Spielberg, Austria20 September
9Miami 500 Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, United States18 October
10Visa Sports Car Championships Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, United States25 October

Entries

GT1

GT2

Results and standings

Race results

RndCircuitGT1 Winning TeamGT2 Winning TeamReport
RndCircuitGT1 Winning DriversGT2 Winning DriversReport
1Oschersleben No. 2 AMG Mercedes No. 52 Viper Team OrecaReport
1Oschersleben Klaus Ludwig
Ricardo Zonta
Olivier Beretta
Pedro Lamy
Report
2Silverstone No. 1 AMG Mercedes No. 51 Viper Team OrecaReport
2Silverstone Bernd Schneider
Mark Webber
Olivier Beretta
Pedro Lamy
Report
3Hockenheimring No. 1 AMG Mercedes No. 51 Viper Team OrecaReport
3Hockenheimring Bernd Schneider
Mark Webber
Olivier Beretta
Pedro Lamy
Report
4Dijon No. 2 AMG Mercedes No. 51 Viper Team OrecaReport
4Dijon Klaus Ludwig
Ricardo Zonta
Olivier Beretta
Pedro Lamy
Report
5Hungaroring No. 1 AMG Mercedes No. 57 Roock RacingReport
5Hungaroring Bernd Schneider
Mark Webber
Sascha Maassen
Bruno Eichmann
Report
6Suzuka No. 1 AMG Mercedes No. 51 Viper Team OrecaReport
6Suzuka Bernd Schneider
Mark Webber
Olivier Beretta
Pedro Lamy
Dominique Dupuy
Report
7Donington No. 1 AMG Mercedes No. 51 Viper Team OrecaReport
7Donington Bernd Schneider
Mark Webber
Olivier Beretta
Pedro Lamy
Report
8A1-Ring No. 2 AMG Mercedes No. 52 Viper Team OrecaReport
8A1-Ring Klaus Ludwig
Ricardo Zonta
Karl Wendlinger
Justin Bell
Report
9Homestead No. 2 AMG Mercedes No. 51 Viper Team OrecaReport
9Homestead Klaus Ludwig
Ricardo Zonta
Olivier Beretta
Pedro Lamy
Report
10Laguna Seca No. 2 AMG Mercedes No. 51 Viper Team OrecaReport
10Laguna Seca Klaus Ludwig
Ricardo Zonta
Olivier Beretta
Pedro Lamy
Report

Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each category. Entries were required to complete 75% of the race distance in order to be classified as a finisher. Drivers were required to complete 20% of the total race distance for their car to earn points. Teams scored points for all cars that finished a race.
1st2nd3rd4th5th6th
1064321

Driver championships

GT1

GT2

DriverTeamOSC
SIL
HOC
DIJ
HUN
SUZ
DON
A1R
HOM
LAG
Total
points
1 Olivier Beretta Viper Team Oreca111121121192
1 Pedro Lamy Viper Team Oreca111121121192
2 Karl Wendlinger Viper Team Oreca2Ret22Ret231RetDNS38
3 Bruno Eichmann Roock RacingDSQRet351Ret12912222
4 Justin Bell Viper Team OrecaRet23120
5 Franz Konrad Konrad Motorsport37114DNS423RetRet20
6 David Donohue Viper Team Oreca222RetDNS18
7 Sascha Maassen Roock RacingDSQRet351Ret17
7 Sascha Maassen Cirtek Motorsport1017
7 Sascha Maassen Roock Sportsystem617
8 Gerd Ruch Elf Haberthur Racing7251545Ret8Ret515
8 Michel Neugarten Elf Haberthur Racing7251545Ret8Ret515
9 Michael Trunk Krauss Race Sports International581365754314
9 Bernhard Müller Krauss Race Sports International581365754314
10 Altfrid Heger Konrad MotorsportDNS42313
11 Cor Euser Marcos Racing International6RetRetRet33DSQRet3Ret13
11 Harald Becker Marcos Racing International6RetRetRet33DSQRet3Ret13
12 Marco Spinelli Elf Haberthur Racing725154Ret811
13 Dominique Dupuy Viper Team Oreca110
14 Claudia Hürtgen Roock RacingRetRet47DNS713132Ret9
15 Stéphane Ortelli Roock RacingRetRet4DNS13132Ret9
16 Michel Ligonnet Elf Haberthur Racing59
16 Michel Ligonnet Freisinger Motorsport446Ret9
17 Christian Vann Marcos Racing InternationalRetRet3DSQRet3Ret8
18 Wolfgang Kaufmann Freisinger Motorsport446Ret7
19 André Ahrlé Roock Sportsystem91014106Ret6547
19 André Ahrlé Roock Racing127
20 Mike Hezemans Roock Racing71291226
21 Hideshi Matsuda Viper Team Oreca26
22 Stéphane Sallaz Konrad Motorsport446
23 Uwe Sick Stadler Motorsport103698RetRetRetDNSRet5
23 Axel Röhr Stadler Motorsport103698RetRetDNSRet5
24 Martin Stretton Konrad Motorsport49715RetRet577105
24 Toni Seiler Konrad Motorsport49715Ret577105
25 Nick Ham Konrad Motorsport37114
26 Jean-Pierre Jarier Sonauto Levallois34
26 François Lafon Sonauto Levallois34
27 Matt Turner Chamberlain EngineeringRet5664
28 Gerold Ried Proton Competition124Ret12999RetRet73
28 Patrick Vuillaume Proton Competition124Ret12999RetRet73
29 Rob Schirle Cirtek MotorsportRet3
29 Rob Schirle GP MotorsportDNS3
29 Rob Schirle Roock Sportsystem43
29 Dirk Layer Roock Sportsystem43
30 Hans Hugenholtz Jr. Chamberlain Engineering56Ret83
31 Zak Brown Elf Haberthur RacingRet52
31 Andy Pilgrim Roock Sportsystem52
32 Ni Amorim Chamberlain Engineering86Ret11DNS6RetRet82
33 Gonçalo Gomes Chamberlain Engineering86Ret1
34 Ratanakul Prutirat Roock Sportsystem914106Ret1
35 Hiroshi Sakai Chamberlain Engineering61
35 Martin Short Chamberlain Engineering61
35 Simon Gregg GP MotorsportDNS61
35 Daniel Dror GP MotorsportDNS61
35 John Young GP Motorsport61
DriverTeamOSC
SIL
HOC
DIJ
HUN
SUZ
DON
A1R
HOM
LAG
Total
points

Team championships

GT1

GT2