Hakkinen rocketed away at the start, as Schumacher suffered huge wheelspin and veered across the nose of David Coulthard’s McLaren, which allowed Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello up to third at the expense of Coulthard, with Jacques Villeneuve’s BAR at the head of the chasing pack.
The race developed into two distinct McLaren v Ferrari duels. Hakkinen and Schumacher pitted together at the first round of stops, with Schumacher taking on more fuel. Hakkinen pitted earlier for his second pit visit, and Schumacher’s rapid pace in the intervening laps meant he rejoined well ahead of Hakkinen – who complained of his engine cutting out – when Michael stopped again. “These four laps were crucial,” Schumacher said later.
