Schumacher wins British GP for his third straight victory

   Copyright c 1998 Nando Media
   Copyright c 1998 Associated Press

SILVERSTONE, England (Jul 12, 1998 - 11:51 EDT) -- Michael Schumacher of
Ferrari, taking advantage when Mika Hakkinen's McLaren spun off a wet
track, won Sunday's British Grand Prix, again showing his mastery on a
slick surface.

Hakkinen finished second, and Ferrari's Eddie Irvine was third.

It was Schumacher's third consecutive victory and his fourth this season,
moving him within two points of series leader Hakkinen in the points chase.
Hakkinen has 56 points to 54 for Schumacher.

Schumacher won with a curious finish when he drove into the pits as he
finished his final lap. He came in to take a 10-second penalty for
overtaking under a yellow flag but still had a large enough lead to claim
the win, 12.4 seconds ahead of Hakkinen.

Hakkinen, the pole sitter, took the early lead and survived a dramatic
moment on the 42nd lap when his car hit standing water, spun twice and flew
off into a gravel area used to slow wayward cars.

Hakkinen kept the engine running, swept across the grass and gravel, and
jumped back onto the track still in the lead.

With the rain pouring down between the 30th and 45th laps, the safety car
came out on the 44th lap -- with Hakkinen leading by 38 seconds over
Schumacher -- and went off as the race resumed on the 50th.

Hakkinen's spin off the track on the 51st lap of the 60-lap race was less
spectacular than his first, but this time he drove back on in second place.

Britain's David Coulthard had his dream of winning his home-country's Grand
Prix and season championship broken when -- in second place on the 38th lap
-- he spun several times in standing water entering a turn and ran off the
course.

It was Schumacher's first win in the British Grand Prix and the first time
a Ferrari driver won here since 1990 when Alain Prost did it.

Only nine of the 22 cars finished the race.

With the course soaked by overnight rain, the race began on a damp track.
Light rain then began to fall after just a few laps. The rain got heavier
halfway through the race and played havoc with teams gambling on whether to
run on dry- or wet-weather tires.

Damon Hill, the '96 series champion, went out on the 15th lap in a spin,
leaving him still without a point this season. Heinz-Harald Frentzen
dropped out on lap 17.

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