* Nick Heidfeld fails to get off the grid for the parade lap and has to start from the pits.

* Lap 1: Michael Schumacher makes a poor start and while Mika Hakkinen goes into the lead, David Coulthard finds his path blocked by the Ferrari which cuts across the road into his path. This also effects Rubens Barrichello but in the jockeying for position Rubens gets ahead of David. Further back Eddie Irvine and Ralf Schumacher are both slow away but Jacques Villeneuve makes a very fast start to move from ninth on the grid to fifth in the first corner. Jarno Trulli gets ahead of Heinz-Harald Frentzen in sixth place. Mika Salo makes a good start to move from 10th to 12th while Jos Verstappen moves from 16th to 11th.

* Lap 2: Mika Hakkinen is a second ahead of Schumacher Ferrari but the gap between Schumacher and Barrichello is already 4.7 secs. Coulthard is trapped behind Barrichello while Villeneuve is under pressure from Trulli. At the back of the field Gaston Mazzacane spins his Minardi but is able to rejoin.

* Lap 3: The gap at the front remains the same but the two leaders move six second clear of Barrichello and Coulthard.

* Lap 4: Frentzen stops with gearbox problems.

* Lap 6: Jenson Button Williams-BMW retires with engine failure. Marc Gene goes off on the oil.

* Lap 8: Hakkinen begins to move away, tenth by tenth, while the gap to third was out to over 10 seconds.

* Lap 10: Jean Alesi is able to pass Pedro de la Rosa for 13th position.

* Lap 11: Jos Verstappen stops with problems with his front wing.

* Lap 19: Jean Alesi retires with a mechanical problem.

* Lap 21: Seventh placed Eddie Irvine slows suddenly in his Jaguar and is overtaken by Ralf Schumacher and Mika Salo. Irvine is able to continue at full pace. At the back Heidfeld pits but goes off soon after he rejoins.

* Lap 23: Trulli and Irvine both pit. Pedro Diniz passes Ricardo Zonta for 10th place.

* Lap 25: Coulthard pits and rejoins in seventh position. Diniz also stops, dropping from eighth to ninth.

* Lap 26: Jean Alesi slows and retires with mechanical trouble.

* Lap 27: Hakkinen and Schumacher (who are close to four seconds apart) both pit but Hakkinen is able to get away in the lead.