The European Grand Prix didn't get off to a good start for Michael Schumacher as his spare F2001 broke down a few hundred metres after he had left the pits to take his pole position on the starting grid. The triple world champion jumped out of his stricken car, ran to a BMW scooter just behind the security rail, and rode back to the pits to jump into his race car. The sun was blazing, heating the circuit to a very warm 34 degrees, as all the drivers began the formation lap. Nick Heidfeld is slow getting way as is the Minardi of Tarso Marques.

The lights go out and it's go at the Nurburgring! Michael takes to the lead followed by brother Ralf, but Rubens Barrichello drops back behind both McLarens and the Jordan of Jarno Trulli, a bad start for the Brazilian driver. Michael is quick to pull out a lead over the BMW powered Williams of his brother, and by lap three he has 1.5-second advantage. Eddie Irvine has passed the BAR of Jacques Villeneuve for 11th place.

Both Williams drivers are using scrubbed Michelin tyres here this afternoon and Michael continues to stretch his lead. Ralf in turn is opening up a gap back to teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who is just over a second in front of David Coulthard. Michael is definitely in command of this race in it's early stages, his pre race gremlins now a thing of the past as he pulls another half a second out on his brother on lap seven.

While Juan Pablo Montoya continues to drop back from the leading duo, David Coulthard stays at the same speed as the Colombian, the distance between them just over a second and remaining the same. Lap eight sees the first retirement of the day as Tarso Marques grinds his Minardi to a halt. Eddie Irvine is now up behind the tenth placed Jordan of Heinz-Harald Frentzen and looking for a way past. Lap 11 and Michael sets the fastest lap of the race only top have Ralf beat it the next time round. Just like Canada we are seeing a battle between the two brothers, one Michael will be hoping to win this time around. Luciano Burti enters pit lane after a minor trip across the gravel and Ralf sets another fastest lap, the Williams beginning to close the gap, the difference on lap 16 to under one and a half seconds.

Although he is a further ten seconds behind, Montoya is the next to set the quickest lap of the race with a 1:18.710. Ralf is now all over the back of Michael's Ferrari and the two almost touch as the younger looks to make a way past. The gap between them in basically non existent as Mika Hakkinen bounces over the grass at the Veedol chicane. Giancarlo Fisichella does the same thing and comes into pit lane. Meanwhile Juan Pablo Montoya is continuing to storm around the circuit, catching the leading duo with each and every lap both seemingly unaware as they become too engrossed in their own battle.

Lap 24 and Olivier Panis is out of the race, the Frenchman a victim of the gravel trap at Dunlop. The gap between Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya is now down to under five seconds as the Colombian continues to fly around the Nurburgring. Ralf Schumacher is in the pits along with his brother, the duo pitting at the same time. Unfortunately for Williams, Ralf overshoots his pitbox slightly and Michael gets away first. Then, to make it worse, Ralf exits the pits with the McLaren of David Coulthard wedged between them as Juan Pablo Montoya comes in for his first scheduled stop.

Coulthard keeps Ralf behind him for a few laps however the German is determined to get after his brother and passes the McLaren at turn five on lap 31. Enrique Bernoldi pulls off the track as Montoya also tries to get past Coulthard. Barrichello makes his way past Hakkinen for fifth place. Montoya continues to push and cuts across the grass at the Veedol chicane after locking his brakes. Hakkinen pits and comes back out in tenth place and Michael puts a lap on the Sauber of Nick Heidfeld, who currently sits in 14th place.

Lap 39 and David Coulthard pits. Ralf Schumacher is given a ten second stop and go penalty for crossing the white line coming out of the pits after his earlier stop. Disaster for the BMW powered team who were looking so strong. The German comes back out in fourth place while teammate Juan Pablo Montoya sits in second, ten seconds behind Michael Schumacher.

Rubens Barrichello sits in third place but Ralf is eating into the gap between himself and the Brazilian, who has still not made his first pitstop with 25 laps remaining. The Ferrari crew appear in pitlane as the BAR mechanics get ready for Villeneuve. Barrichello comes in from third and Villeneuve from sixth. The Brazilian is back out in fifth behind David Coulthard.

Disaster for Jarno Trulli as he pulls his EJ11 over to the side of the circuit with clutch problems before slowly making his way back to the pits to retire. Michael Schu7macher comes up behind the sixth placed car of Mika Hakkinen to put a lap on the Finn. Nick Heidfeld attempts to overtake his old teammate, Jean Alesi for twelfth place, but the Prost driver promptly closes the door and the two nearly collide.

Ferrari and Williams are out in the pits once again and in comes Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya. Heinz-Harald Frentzen is now out of the race as well, the sole remaining Jordan pulling over at the side of the circuit with traction control related problems. Ralf Schumacher comes in for his second stop, third if you include the earlier penalty, and re-emerges in fourth place. Nick Heidfeld has a problem and makes his way around to the pits where he retires his C20, eleven laps from the end.

Rubens Barrichello has a slight off track excursion, however he rejoins the circuit and retains his fifth place. Jos Verstappen retires the sole remaining Arrows as Ralf Schumacher attempts to close thew gap to third placed man David Coulthard. With only a handful of laps remaining, the Williams is five seconds behind the McLaren and gaining at roughly a second a lap. Jean Alesi spins his Prost on the second last lap, ending his race so close to the finish. The Frenchman bangs the steering wheel in utter frustration.

Final lap and Michael Schumacher has the victory here sewn up this afternoon. After leading from pole the Ferrari ace crosses the line to win the European Grand Prix! Juan Pablo Montoya records his second finish of the season with another second place and David Coulthard takes third after successfully holding of a charging Ralf Schumacher.

The top six from round nine were Michael Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya, David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Mika Hakkinen.