The beautiful weather continued here in Austria, with track temperature registering at 26 degrees as the drivers take up their positions on the grid in preparation for the formation lap. Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya take their respective places at the front of the grid before slowly leading the pack around the A1-Ring. The lights go out and the Austrian Grand Prix is on! Both Jordan drivers, the Sauber of Nick Heidfeld and Mika Hakkinen fail to take the start and yellow flags are waving furiously. The run down to the turn one sees Michael Schumacher lose his first place to Juan Pablo Montoya with Ralf Schumacher slotting into second behind his teammate after making a brilliant start. Rubens Barrichello remains in fourth, however thanks to Trulli and Heidfeld's atrocious start, David Coulthard has moved up to fifth place.

Both Jordans are in the pits, however it's game over for Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Trulli rejoins at the back of the field while Hakkinen's McLaren together with the Sauber remain on the grid. The safety car is out due to the stranded cars. Heidfeld gets going and rejoins behind Trulli, his brilliant grid position gone as he trails a lap down, meanwhile Hakkinen is two laps down and last.

The safety car comes in at the end of lap three and the race is on! Montoya soon edges out a one second lead over his teammate while the two Ferrari's battle it out behind them. Trulli takes a trip across the gravel as Barrichello attempts to make a move on the sister Ferrari. Behind the Brazilian the Arrows of Jos Verstappen, who got past David Coulthard, is looking very threatening. Meanwhile, Mika Hakkinen pulls into the pits to retire, joining Frentzen and Fisichella.

The BAR of Olivier Panis passes Eddie Irvine for eighth place, however when teammate Jacques Villeneuve attempts the same manoeuvre he spins after touching the Jaguar half way through the corner. Ralf Schumacher is having brake problems, his BMW losing ground and he slips back through the pack before entering the pits and retirement. Michael Schumacher closes the gap to Montoya, the Colombian losing pace slightly. Michael has a look at Castrol Kurve, but doesn't attempt the pass. Then, at Remus the Ferrari ace has a go, but Montoya is ready for him and squeezes him wide.

Jarno Trulli is shown the black flag for leaving the pits while the light was red, ending Jordan's day completely. Schumacher continues to harass Montoya and as he attempts the pass the two collide! Montoya refused to yield to the reigning champion and his Williams is off in the gravel. Michael is now back in six place with the Colombian in seventh after rejoining the track. Rubens Barrichello leads, followed by Jos Verstappen and David Coulthard.

While Verstappen sits in a comfortable second place, teammate Enrique Bernoldi retires. Michael Schumacher is charging and is only just over four seconds behind his teammate who leads this race. The German begins to harass fifth placed man, Olivier Panis who in turn is only a second and a half behind the Sauber of Kimi Raikkonen.

Lap 22 and Montoya still sits in seventh, 6 seconds behind Schumacher. Rubens Barrichello holds a lead of 1.4 seconds over Verstappen who is getting ready for a pit stop. Arrows mechanics appear and the Dutchman comes in for the first of his two stops. Barrichello sets the fastest lap of the race so far with a 1:12.275, with now second placed man, David Coulthard two and a half seconds behind. Verstappen rejoins in seventh place behind the sole remaining Williams of Juan Montoya.

Michael Schumacher takes fourth place from Olivier Panis and sets his sights on third placed Kimi Raikkonen, two seconds up the road. The German sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1:11.618 and is now right behind Raikkonen. Tarso Marques retires his Minardi leaving only fifteen runners in this afternoon's event. Schumacher makes the move on the young Finn into turn three and takes third place.

Montoya is on a charge and sets the fastest first sector time. Luciano Burti takes the Prost for a trip through the gravel, allowing the Benetton of Jenson Button to get past for twelfth. Lap 32 and Schumacher closes on David Coulthard, the Ferrari now only a second and a half behind the Scotsman. Michael sets another fastest lap, 1:11.179, a track record at the A1-Ring as he gets even closer to the McLaren. Juan Pablo Montoya closes in on fifth placed Panis and the Colombian passes successfully down the start/finish straight, however he is still three seconds behind fourth placed Raikkonen.

Lap 40 and less than two seconds cover the top three drivers with a further twelve back to Raikkonen. Minardi mechanics appear for Alonso and the Spaniard pits along with the Benetton of Jenson Button. Unfortunately Alonso doesn't leave his garage, retiring after a long stop. Montoya is touring, the Colombian pulling down an escape route to end the sixth race of his Formula One career.

Panis pits as Ferrari play games, bringing out their mechanics only to pull them back in again. Michael shaves another tenth of a second off Coulthard's lead, the Ferrari driver only six tenths behind. Jos Verstappen comes in for his second stop as Michael stops for his first only time. Barrichello is in next and Coulthard takes to the lead, however the McLaren driver loses time in traffic. Kimi Raikkonen has a bad stop, his mechanics having problems with his left rear wheel, losing the Finn valuable seconds.

Michael Schumacher has a slight moment, losing grip and touching the dirt slightly. Coulthard gets ready to pit after being delayed slightly by the Prost of Jean Alesi. Eight seconds for the Scot and he rejoins in the lead, 1.3 seconds ahead of Barrichello!

Pedro de la Rosa retires the Jaguar from twelfth place as Jacques Villeneuve is called in for a ten second stop and go penalty for speeding in pitlane. Only twelve drivers remain as Villeneuve completes his penalty and re-emerges back in eighth place. Barrichello runs wide but keeps his second place. The next lap sees the Brazilian on a charge, closing the gap to eight tenths of a second. Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher seems to be struggling, losing ground to his teammate who is now 4 seconds ahead.

Fourteen laps remain as Barrichello closes to within half a second of David Coulthard after the Scot lost time lapping the seventh placed Jaguar of Eddie Irvine. Coulthard responds to the Ferrari and pulls away slightly. Nick Heidfeld passes the Benetton of Jenson Button for eleventh place, however Button soon pulls over to the side of the track with flames out of the back of his B201. Luciano Burti spins and Heidfeld takes the opening to move up into tenth.

With only a handful of laps remaining Rubens Barrichello runs wide but comes back on the next lap to set his personal best time of the race. Two laps remain and Coulthard responds to the Brazilian's challenge, hanging onto his lead, however small. He can smell victory and knows he just has to keep the two Ferrari's behind him for two more laps, however Barrichello refuses to give up as he too can see his first victory of the season so tantalisingly close. Michael Schumacher is a second behind his teammate. The final lap and David Coulthard wins the Austrian Grand Prix while in the very last corner Barrichello moves over to let Schumacher through to take second place.

The top six finishers in this afternoon's Austrian Grand Prix were David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Kimi Raikkonen, Olivier Panis and Jos Verstappen.