* Lap 1: At the start Michael Schumacher is slightly slower off the line that David Coulthard but he moves over to block the McLaren. Coulthard loses momentum and switches to the right but finds Rubens Barrichello there and he drops behind both Ferraris. Mika Hakkinen is fourth ahead of a fast-starting Jacques Villeneuve (BAR-Honda) and Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan). Ralf Schumacher has a bad first lap and drops from fifth to seventh. Eddie Irvine has an even worse time and drops from sixth on the grid to 10th. Mika Salo also makes a good start to move from 12th on the grid to ninth at the end of the first lap.

* Lap 2: With the two McLarens caught behind Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher is able to pull away quickly at the front. Further back Jarno Trulli overtakes Ralf Schumacher to grab seventh place. Jean Alesi overtakes his team mate Nick Heidfeld to grab 14th place.

* Lap 3: Ralf Schumacher repasses Jarno Trulli for seventh place.

* Lap 4: Giancarlo Fisichella overtakes Heidfeld to run 15th.

* Lap 12: The order is unchanged at the front but Schumacher had not pulled away as much as expected and is only five seconds ahead of Barrichello and the two McLarens. There is then a big gap back to Villeneuve with Frentzen sixth under pressure from Ralf Schumacher. Trulli is eighth ahead of Salo. Jenson Button overtakes Irvine for tenth. Further back Alesi is tapped into a spin by Heidfeld.

* Lap 13: Button overtakes Salo for ninth and sets off after Trulli.

* Lap 17: Ricardo Zonta, running in 17th place in his BAR-Honda, goes off because of brake problems.

* Lap 18: Schumacher is leading by 6.2 seconds. Further back Johnny Herbert pits with a gearbox problem. He retires two laps later. Alesi is the first runner to pit for tyres.

* Lap 21: Trulli is the first of the frontrunners to pit.

* Lap 22: Coulthard passes Barrichello for second place at the Adelaide hairpin. Villeneuve, Frentzen and Ralf Schumacher pit.

* Lap 23: Hakkinen and Button stop. Irvine also stops and drops to the back of the field.

* Lap 24: Michael Schumacher pits and drops to third.

* Lap 25: Coulthard and Barrichello both stop and Michael Schumacher goes ahead again. Barrichello's stop is slow and he emerges in fourth place. Villeneuve is still fifth ahead of Trulli, who was able to pass Frentzen and Ralf Schumacher during the stops. Button is right with his Williams team mate.

* Lap 26: Jos Verstappen retires from 14th in his Arrows with a gearbox problem.

* Lap 33: Gaston Mazzacane spins into retirement.

* Lap 34: Coulthard has closed right up on Schumacher and challenges for the lead. Schumacher edges David outwards and the Scot is not happy, waving his fist at the Ferrari driver.

* Lap 39: Button pits in an effort to get ahead of the cars ahead of him.

* Lap 40: Coulthard gets ahead of Schumacher at the Adelaide Hairpin. The two cars touch wheels at the exit but Schumacher has to give way. Hakkinen challenges Schumacher but is unable to pass. Frentzen pits from seventh place and gets out ahead of Button.

* Lap 42: Trulli pits from sixth and gets out ahead of Frentzen and Button.

* Lap 43: Schumacher and Hakkinen both pit and are followed into the pits by Villeneuve and Fisichella.

* Lap 44: Barrichello pits but there is a problem with the right front tyre and he loses around 10 seconds.

* Lap 46: Coulthard pits but is able to retain the lead. He quickly begins to pull away. Further back Pedro de la Rosa retires his Arrows with a gearbox problem.

* Lap 47: Ralf Schumacher is the last of the leaders to pit, dropping from fifth place to seventh.

* Lap 52: Schumacher overtakes Trulli to grab sixth place. At the back of the field the intense battle between Alesi and Marc Gene results in both spinning. They rejoin and begin the battle again.

* Lap 55: Irvine overtakes Pedro Diniz to take 12th.

* Lap 59: Michael Schumacher retires with an engine problem. Irvine pits again and drops behind Diniz again.

* Lap 68: Irvine stops again.

* Lap 72: Coulthard wins from Hakkinen and Barrichello. Villeneuve and Ralf Schumacher cross the line together but the Canadian takes fourth. Trulli is sixth while an intense battle for seventh results in Frentzen just beating Button and Fisichella to the line.