The Stewart team had entered F1 in  with some success, yet made little if any progress in 1998. This was largely due to the pressures on a new team; having to race in a full F1 season for the first time, whilst preparing for next year.
Despite some initial successes in F1, the Stewart team experienced limited advancement in 1998.  This was primarily attributed to the pressures of being a newly formed team competing in a full F1 season while simultaneously planning for the next year's campaign.