Biaggi stayed with Marlboro Team Kanemoto for his move to 500s in 1998. He made an instant impact, taking a runaway win at the season-opening Japanese GP, the first man to win first time out on a 500 since the late Jarno Saarinen in 1973. He discovered the harsher realities of 500 racing at the next two GPs, where he lost the series lead but a win at Brno put him back on top of the world. Biaggi may even have won the title if he hadn't been disqualified at Catalunya for ignoring a stop-go penalty. He nevertheless finished the year second overall.