With blue skies and a circuit registering 47 degrees, the 22 drivers participating in this afternoon's French Grand Prix took to the grid for the formation lap. Just as the formation lap is due to begin, Mika Hakkinen stalls his Mercedes powered McLaren and the Marshals are forced to push his stricken car off the grid, so instead of going to the back of the grid, the Finn will have to start from pitlane. Pedro de la Rosa also suffers problems in his Jaguar and the Spaniard is push started and makes his way around to the pits. Mika Hakkinen fails to make the start, the Finn walking dejectedly back to pitlane while de la Rosa rejoins a lap down.

"Well I think simply what is going on in my mind at that time, it's like you cannot believe it, can't believe that bad luck I had," Mika said afterwards. "Everything was fine and then everything stopped. I just sat there while the mechanics tried everything to get the car started. I was super disappointed."

Ralf Schumacher, starting from his first ever pole position, makes a fantastic start while brother Michael fights to keep Coulthard behind him. The Scot tries to make his way past, but fails to do so while Rubens Barrichello flies through the field to take fifth behind Juan Pablo Montoya. Ralf begins to pull out a lead on his brother, the gap almost one second by lap five. Jacques Villeneuve pulls his BAR over to the side of the circuit at Estoril, electrical problems for the Canadian ending his race before it really begins.
"Electrical, I'm not sure, it just switched off," he said. "I was wondering if there was anything I could push to start it, but no it just switched off!"

Lap ten and Kimi Raikkonen is putting pressure on the seventh placed Jordan of Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Ralf continues to pull away, the Williams driver now with a lead of 1.4 seconds over his brother. David Coulthard is another one and half seconds back in third place with almost a three second lead on the sister Williams of Juan Pablo Montoya.

Lap 16 and Kimi Raikkonen comes in for a very early pitstop. Ralf Schumacher sets the fastest lap of the race, a 1:16.667, in response to his brothers best the lap before. Eddie Irvine is all over the back of the sole remaining BAR of Olivier Panis, the Irishman trying desperately to get past and into ninth place. Enrique Bernoldi retires on lap 19, pulling his Arrows over to the side of the circuit. Jenson Button comes in for his first stop followed by Rubens Barrichello two laps later.

Eddie Irvine has forced his way past Panis at Lycee, as Ralf Schumacher comes in for his first scheduled stop of the day and handing the lead to his brother. A lengthy stop for the Williams, 10.6 seconds and the next lap sees Michael in and out in 7.7 to rejoin the circuit in front of his little brother! David Coulthard pits, 9.1 for the Scot and he will come back out in fourth place.

Juan Pablo Montoya is actually in the lead of this race, however the Colombian has yet to pit. Lap 30 and the Williams mechanics appear and Montoya comes in and Michael Schumacher takes the lead of the French Grand Prix.

More disaster for McLaren as David Coulthard is handed a ten second stop and go penalty due to speeding in pitlane. The Scot takes the penalty and returns to the circuit in fifth place 16 seconds behind the fourth placed car of Juan Pablo Montoya. Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher now has a ten second lead on Ralf and Eddie Irvine is harrying the Jordan of Heinz-Harald Frentzen for eighth place. Third placed Rubens Barrichello is closing in on Ralf Schumacher, however the Brazilian pits for the second time.

Coulthard is now just over a second behind Barrichello as Juan Pablo Montoya brings the gap to his second placed teammate down to 1.6 seconds. It appears as if Ralf is struggling on this second set of Michelin tyres, the Williams driver dropping back from the leading Ferrari each lap. Eddie Irvine comes up alongside Frentzen to pass, however the Jordan cuts across the chicane. He then lets Irvine through to avoid a penalty. Williams mechanics reappear and in comes Ralf for his second stop.

8.7 seconds for Ralf and brother Michael comes in next time around. 10.7 for the Ferrari ace as Juan Pablo Montoya reclaims the lead, 3.5 seconds ahead of a charging Michael Schumacher. Meanwhile, Ralf comes back out in fifth behind the McLaren of David Coulthard. Several other drivers take this moment to pit, however Montoya stays out there as does David Coulthard. Frentzen comes out in tenth after his pit and Michael Schumacher gestures angrily as he is held up in traffic. Frentzen spins into the final corner, however he keeps it going and continues on. Montoya comes in for his second stop, 8.8 seconds for the Colombian and the next lap sees David Coulthard in for his third stop of the day, his second being the ten second stop and go penalty.

Coulthard almost connects with the Jaguar of Eddie Irvine as he exits the pits, while up in front, Juan Pablo Montoya's race comes to an end as he pulls his Williams off the track with a wisp of smoke emitting from the engine. Rubens Barrichello comes in fore his third stop, 7.7 seconds for the Brazilian and he makes it back out 2.2 seconds in front of Coulthard for third place.

Eddie Irvine is out of the race with technical problems on lap 56. David Coulthard closes in on third placed Barrichello, the Scot now only half a second behind the Brazilian. With twelve laps remaining, Barrichello takes two seconds off Ralf Schumachers lead, while Michael Schumacher looks well on his way to taking his 50th career win here this afternoon.

Lap 66 and David tries to pass the Ferrari in front of him, the Scot seeing a possible podium finish, however he fails to make it stick and the laps are slowly running out. Jenson Button retires on the penultimate lap when he puts his Benetton into the gravel. The chequered flag appears and waves over the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher signifying the German's 50th career win! Ralf Schumacher finishes second with Barrichello in third, Coulthard fourth, Trulli fifth and Heidfeld in sixth.