The first start is aborted after Marc Gene has a problem as the field is lining up to go. The start is aborted.

Lap 1: The second start is more successful with Heinz-Harld Frentzen taking the lead from a fast-starting Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher. In the midfield Damon Hill suffers an electrical problem and slows unexpectedly. Alexander Wurz swerves to avoid hitting the Jordan and clips Pedro Diniz's Sauber. The car flips and Diniz is fortunate to emerge unscathed. The Safety Car is sent out while Diniz is tended by medical crews.

Lap 7: The race restarts with Frentzen leading the two McLarens and Schumacher. Giancarlo Fisichella is fifth. Further back Eddie Irvine passes Olivier Panis to take sixth place. Frentzen is unable to build a lead but the McLarens cannot pass him.

Lap 11: The battle at the front remains the same with the top four running together. There is then a big gap back to Fisichella and Irvine. Further back Alessandro Zanardi and Pedro de la Rosa collide. The Williams retires but the Arrows driver pits and is able to rejoin.

Lap 17: Irvine forces Fisichella into a mistake and takes fifth place from the Italian.

Lap 18: Rain starts to fall and Schumacher challenges Coulthard for third place.

Lap 19: Olivier Panis is the first runner to stop for wet tyres. Ricardo Zonta and Tora Takagi also stop.

Lap 20: Hakkinen stops for wet tyres. Further back Schumacher passes Coulthard to take second place. Mika Salo, running in eighth place also stops. The Ferrari stop is a slow one and Salo loses nearly half a minute.

Lap 21: Irvine pits and he too loses a lot of time.

Lap 22: The rain eases and those on wet tyres are in trouble. Takagi stops for dry tyres.

Lap 23: Panis and Salo stops for dry tyres again.

Lap 24: Hakkinen and Zonta stop for dry tyres. This leaves Frentzen clear of a fast-closing Schumacher, Coulthard is third, Fisichella fourth with Rubens Barrichello fifth and Jarno Trulli sixth. A charging Jean Alesi passes Johnny Herbert for seventh.

Lap 27: Schumacher stops and takes a new set of dry tyres. This puts Fisichella into third.

Lap 28: Coulthard sets the fastest lap as he chases after Frentzen. Further back Trulli and Alesi pit.

Lap 32: Frentzen, Coulthard and Fisichella all pit. Frentzen rejoins in the lead but at the first chicane his car stops with an electronic problem. This puts Coulthard into the lead with a six second lead over Schumacher with Barrichello third.

Lap 35: It starts to rain again. Herbert stops and combines his pitstop with a switch to wet rubber. Trulli, Luca Badoer and Alesi all pit as well. Trulli goes onto wets as well. Further back Salo spins, Alesi retires and Tora Takagi spins into a tyre wall.

Lap 37: The track is drying and Barrichello stops and takes on dry tyres.

Lap 38: Coulthard makes a mistake and spins off. This puts Schumacher into the lead. Further back Barrichello struggles and is passed by Trulli. Coulthard's error puts Villeneuve up into sixth place.

Lap 40: Irvine stops for tyres but is still only in ninth place.

Lap 42: Fisichella spins but is able to hold on to his second place although he comes under pressure from Herbert.

Lap 44: Schumacher has a 20sec lead when he pits for his second stop. He rejoins in third behind Fisichella and Herbert.

Lap 47 Herbert stops for dry tyres. He rejoins in fourth place.

Lap 48 Trulli stops for dry tyres and drops behind Herbert again.

Lap 49: Fisichella spins off. This puts Schumacher into the lead with Herbert second, Trulli third and Barrichello fourth. Badoer is fifth with a struggling Villeneuve in sixth. Irvine stops again.

Lap 50: Schumacher has a puncture and slides off across a sandtrap. He rejoins but has to do a slow lap before pitting. He rejoins in fifth place.

Lap 54: Badoer's Minardi fails, leaving the Italian distraught. This elevates Irvine to seventh place but he is under pressure from Hakkinen. They battle for the next seven laps.

Lap 61: Herbert is a long way clear at the front but second-placed Trulli comes under increasing pressure from Barrichello. Villeneuve's BAR stops while running fifth, a disaster for the team as it elevates Marc Gene's Minardi to fifth (the two teams are battling to be among the top 10 teams and so gain financial benefits next year). On the same lap Hakkinen passes Irvine when the Ferrari driver outbrakes himself at the chicane. This gives the McLaren drive sixth and the lead in the World Championship.

Lap 65: Hakkinen catches and passes Gene to take fifth.

Lap 66: Herbert wins his third GP victory and the first for the Stewart Ford team. Barrichello tries everything to pass Trulli to give the team a 1-2 finish but the Prost driver holds off the challenge. Schumacher is fourth, Hakkinen fifth and Gene sixth. Irvine is seventh.