The early threat of rain wasn't present as drivers prepared to take to the grid for the start of this afternoon's European Grand Prix, the track a warm 32 degrees and rising as the cars made their way to their respective positions. Juan Pablo Montoya takes pride of place at the front of the grid with teammate Ralf Schumacher alongside. Rubens Barrichello is hoping for rain during the event but at this stage there is only a slight chance of it happening in the later stages.

Personnel leave the grid and the formation lap gets underway, the two leading Williams running scrubbed Michelins. Jacques Villeneuve is in the spare BAR as all 22 drivers get a clean getaway. Montoya leads the pack back around to await the start and it's GO at the Nurburgring!

Ralf takes the lead from his teammate as Rubens Barrichello flies up and into second place. Montoya drops to third, Michael Schumacher fourth, David Coulthard trying to make his way through, but failing to make the place stick. What a move from the McLaren driver. The two Jordans touch, fall to the back of the pack and both pit. Barrichello takes Ralf for the lead at the Dunlop Kurve and Michael passes Montoya for third. Fisichella, in his 100th race, has a damaged front wing and the crew get to work repairing the damage. Michael Schumacher is now second after passing his brother on what was a brilliant first lap here at the Nurburgring!

The two Williams drivers are losing almost a second a lap on the leading Ferraris but at this early stage, it could be that the Italian champions are on a two stop strategy to Williams' one. Olivier Panis makes a move on Mika Salo for twelfth place while Jarno Trulli has an off track excursion and drops from eighth to 12th, elevating Panis up to 11th. A drive through penalty for Alex Yoong, the Minardi driver accidentally jumping the start.

The Ferraris are flying with Barrichello still leading and a full 11 seconds ahead of third placed Ralf Schumacher on lap 6. Trulli gets back past Panis for 11th while Mika Salo, who was tenth, is currently running down in 18th, his teammate Allan McNish holding tenth place until Trulli makes his presence known and claims the position for Renault.

Michael is pushing Rubens for the lead but that's not the only battle taking place. David Coulthard in fifth is on Montoya's gearbox while Jenson Button in seventh is hounding sixth placed Kimi Raikkonen. Giancarlo Fisichella has an off but rejoins the track as team boss Eddie Jordan looks on sadly, both his drivers racing at the back of the pack. Debris from one of the Jordans is on track and Schumacher runs across it. Trulli is now fighting the Sauber of Felipe Massa after getting past Heidfeld and gets past the Brazilian at Dunlop Kurve for eighth place.

Button continues to hound Raikkonen but now he has his teammate to contend with as Jarno Trulli laps the track a second faster than the three men in front of him. On lap 14 there is only six seconds between the two Renault drivers and if Trulli continues this pace it won't be long and he will be fighting his teammate for seventh place. Enrique Bernoldi loses 13th place to the BAR of Jacques Villeneuve after a minor off track excursion. Kimi Raikkonen over brakes and goes off into the gravel, allowing Jenson through for sixth place. The McLaren driver rejoins the track but he now has a charging Jarno Trulli just two seconds behind.

David Coulthard is challenging Montoya for fourth place, the Scot less than a second behind. Ferrari appear to have this race sewn up with Rubens still leading teammate Michael by just over a second, but the third placed Williams of Ralf Schumacher is 30 seconds behind the Brazilian.

Lap twenty and the first round of pitstops gets underway with the BAR of Jacques Villeneuve coming in for his first stop. 9.8 for the Canadian and he rejoins the track in 15th place. Trulli is in next, then Mark Webber and Jenson Button. Michael sets the fastest lap of the race then loses control of the Ferrari! He rejoins the track, still in second place, but has lost ten seconds to his teammate. Lap 24 and the Ferrari ace pits in 8.6 seconds and emerges back in second place ahead of brother Ralf.

Rubens is in next, 8.6 seconds and 73 litres and he rejoins the track where he left it, in the lead of the European Grand Prix. David Coulthard is really attacking Montoya now, the Scot anxious to get through as teammate Kimi Raikkonen sticks close behind in sixth place. Michael sets a new fastest lap, even on a full tank of fuel, the reigning world champion definitely showing his superiority here this afternoon. Montoya spins out of control while going into the sharp bend at the start of the circuit, his left rear wheel clipping Coulthard who, after coming up the outside in a bid to overtake, was also forced to stop. David is far from happy with Montoya over the incident as the race goes on without them.

Kimi Raikkonen is now attacking Ralf for third place, it appears as if the Michelin rubber on the Williams is far from being the best. The German comes into pitlane for his first stop, as does the BAR of Olivier Panis and the Sauber of Nick Heidfeld. Alex Yoong spins entering pitlane and almost comes back onto the circuit in the process. Luckily the Renault of Jarno Trulli missed the stricken Minardi. Montoya is smiling in the garage as the race he was hoping to win continues into the second half.

Kimi Raikkonen finally pits from third place for what should be his one and only stop. 11.2 seconds later he rejoins the circuit, managing to keep third place ahead of Ralf Schumacher. Rubens Barrichello still leads, the Brazilian now just over four seconds ahead of Michael Schumacher in second but over a minute ahead of third placed Kimi Raikkonen!

Michael gains a little on Rubens every lap as fourth placed Jenson Button starts to threaten Raikkonen, the Renault a little over two seconds behind the McLaren. Only six drivers remain on the lead lap as we come up for the second round of stops. Ferrari are definitely unbeatable here this afternoon and may even end up lapping the entire field!

Lap 42 and Michael pits for his second and final time, a good stop, 7.8 for the Ferrari ace. The next lap and leader Rubens Barrichello makes his way in a little better for the Brazilian and he is out in 7.6 and he keeps the lead! But, Michael isn't giving up and he pushes to close the gap, bringing it down to under two seconds. Only the top five are on the lead lap, Barrichello, Schumacher, Raikkonen, Ralf and Jenson Button.

Lap 47 and there is only a second in it now with 12 laps to go. 18 drivers remain in the race. Ross Brawn sits comfortably on pit wall eating a banana as Jean Todt talks to Rubens Barrichello on the radio. The gap between the two Ferrari drivers is now only six tenths of a second. Alex Yoong pulls into the Minardi garage and retires from his first European Grand Prix.

The laps tick down and it looks as if Rubens Barrichello will win here this afternoon. Heinz-Harald Frentzen spins the Arrows in the first corner but continues on. Mika Salo spins yet again and the Finn finally retires from the race. The final lap and Barrichello and Schumacher hold position for a Ferrari one-two here at the Nurburgring! Congratulations Rubens Barrichello!

Top six: Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher, Jenson Button and Felipe Massa.