Round 11 of WRC 1998 was supposed to be have Rally Indonesia but due to civil unrest the event was dropped from the calendar which meant there was a 6 week gap between Round 10 Rally Finland and what was Round 12 now Round 11 Rallye Sanremo. Now Colin McRae had won the event from the previous 2 years 1997 when it was an all tarmac rally and 1996 when it was an mixed surface rally two days gravel 1 day tarmac. The flying Scotsman after non scoring in Finland last time out badly needed to make it a Sanremo threepeat but Mr Sainz and Mr Makinen would have ideas of their own to try and spoil McRae's gameplan.