Ralf Schumacher reveals Michael was furious with Eddie Jordan after 1998 Spa-Francorchamps race. Why Michael Schumacher was furious with Eddie Jordan after the 1998 Belgian GP.

A legendary race
The 1998 Belgian GP has gone down in Formula 1 history for many reasons: the massive crash at the start that, in heavy rain, involved over half the starting grid, causing an extended red flag period; the infamous collision between Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard while lapping, which led to Schumacher’s retirement and, in hindsight, perhaps cost him the world title that season. But it was also the race that saw the first and only 1-2 finish for the Jordan team in F1, with Damon Hill taking first and Ralf Schumacher, Michael’s brother, finishing second.

A nightmare Sunday for Michael
That Sunday is also famously remembered for the near altercation in the pits, where Ferrari superstar Schumacher almost physically confronted David Coulthard in the McLaren garage, trying to take matters into his own hands over what he considered dangerous and unfair driving by his rival. However, far less known is the story, from that same chaotic day of racing, of the furious outburst that the elder Schumacher unleashed on the ‘poor’ Eddie Jordan after his team’s triumph. In Michael’s eyes, the Irish manager was responsible for having prevented his brother Ralf from battling Damon Hill for victory through team orders in the intense closing stages of the race.

A family affair
Indeed, prompted by Damon Hill himself, Eddie Jordan sent a very clear radio message to Ralf Schumacher, instructing him, “Don’t overtake Damon. It’s a team order.” In an interview with the German site Formel1.de, Ralf Schumacher shared his version of the events, which perfectly aligns with a statement Eddie Jordan had made in 2021.

“Did Michael go to Eddie Jordan furious after that race? Yes, that’s true,” Ralf Schumacher confirmed. “But at the time, I didn’t know about it; Eddie Jordan told me later. What did Michael say? Well, he made it very clear that I wouldn’t be driving for Jordan the following year.” Tensions had already been brewing between them, and Ralf Schumacher would indeed move to Williams in 1999, swapping seats with fellow German Heinz-Harald Frentzen. “Certainly, it was an unsporting order,” Ralf Schumacher concluded, “but from Eddie Jordan’s perspective, it was understandable. He had never achieved a 1-2 finish before. He also took into account the previous incidents that had occurred in the race. I’m okay with it now, but, of course, at the time, I wished it had gone differently.” – the former Formula 1 driver concluded.