As the field sets off on the final parade lap Pedro Diniz's Arrows fails to fire up and the Brazilian's car is pushed into the pitlane and has to start from there.

When the lights go out Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard make good starts but Michael Schumacher has too much wheelspin and is slow away. This allows a fast-starting Eddie Irvine to grab third ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella, Schumacher and Alexander Wurz. Further back Ralf Schumacher also makes a poor start and drops down through the field. In the midfield Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jean Alesi tangle which causes the Williams driver to spin. This means that Rubens Barrichello ends the first lap in seventh place. Frentzen stays out until the end of the second lap before pitting for new tyres and a new nosecone.

The order remains unchanged at the front with the McLarens going quickly away from the field, Hakkinen building a gap of 10secs by the tenth lap. Behind him Coulthard is six seconds clear of Irvine.

The first pit stops begin on lap 18 with Olivier Panis and he is followed on lap 19 by Jan Magnussen and Ralf Schumacher. The main contenders stay out longer with Wurz being the first to pit on lap 23. Just as the pit stops are beginning both the Arrows cars go out at exactly the same moment with engine failures.

Irvine and Fisichella both pit on lap 25 with Hakkinen following them into pitlane on lap 26. Coulthard leads for a lap before he too stops and it is clear that everyone is running with a two-stop strategy.

During the stops Michael Schumacher is able to get ahead of both Irvine and Fisichella. On lap 29 Irvine and Fisichella tangle at the first corner as the Benetton driver tries to pass the Ferrari. Fisichella is clearly upset with Irvine after the accident. After the crash Barrichello finds himself in fifth place but is under heavy pressure from Jacques Villeneuve with Johnny Herbert soon joining the battle.

In the middle section of the race both Esteban Tuero and Michael Schumacher are given 10-second stop-go penalties for speeding in the pitlane. This means that Michael drops behind Wurz. He chases hard to make up the disadvantage and thanks to good second stop on lap 48 he is able to get ahead once again.

On lap 42 Damon Hill and Frentzen (who is a lap behind) tangle and Hill has a rough ride over a sandtrap, losing eighth place to Olivier Panis. He rejoins and pits several laps later on schedule but retires on lap 47 with engine trouble.

The second pits stops do not affect the leading positions although Hakkinen takes it very easy and Coulthard is able to close to within five seconds. The gap then grows again. Further back Michael Schumacher is safely in third with Wurz a lonely fourth and Barrichello fifth just ahead of a battle between Villeneuve and Herbert.

Further back Jarno Trulli trying hard to keep Alesi and Ralf Schumacher behind him. They are joined in the closing stages by a charging Frentzen. In the closing stages of the race Panis retires - as he has done in similar circumstances in the last four events. This leaves Trulli battling with three other cars for eighth. In the last two laps Frentzen manages battle his way past Ralf Schumacher, Alesi and Trulli to grab the position.