QUALIFYING AND RACE REPORT

Qulaifying was a strange affair as Alesi set the early pace, and took a long time to be overhauled. This was toppled bt Irvine, who held on for some time before the Mclaren of Hakkinen did it's usual trick and placed the Finn on pole. Irvine managed to hang on for second, with Coulthard putting in an adequate third. Shumacher was the suprise being stuck behind the two McLarens, and his team mate.

Behind the usual silver and red front runnners Alesi held on for fifth, and Villenueve underlined his fighting spirit with another excellent perfomrace for sixth.

The Stewarts looked suprisingly off the pace on a circuit where I expected them both to be mixing it around the top six. Barrichello put in a late charge to get up to seventh, but Herbert was once again down the field in fourteenth.

Shumacher got an absolute flyer of a start, but unfortunately was held up by his team mate, and squeezed out by Coulthard. Somehow, Villeneuve, a renounwned poor starter got a free run down the outside and cut off Irvine for third spot. Coulthard slotted in to third. The McLarens then went about building a lead. Villeneuve, way down on speed, was keeping comfortably ahead of Shumacher.

The top six remained pretty static until the first round of pit stops. Villeneuve lost out to the Ferraris and fell back, eventually retiring when his gearbox failed after his second stop.

Shumacher, now well behind put in some stunning laps on his second set of tyres, and was catching the McLarens at an alarming rate. Unluckily Shumacher was stuck behind an Arrows as he came in to the pits, which put him just behind the McLarens when he exited. Shumachers third set of tyres appeared to be inferior to the previous set and he could make no headway.

Further down the field there was very little action. I believe that there was only two overtaking maneouvers in the whole race.

Except for Shumachers charge, and Villeneuves plucky qualifying and start this was Formula 1 tedium.

BRIT BOYS ROUND UP

David Couthard:
What must David find in himself to overhaul his team mate? A driver who I have always thought of as 'second division' is living up to form. Never challenged Hakkinen through the whole weekend, even though he looked quicker during the practices. Another season, another supporting role.

Eddie Irvine
Great qualifying pace, saw the unusual sight of the Irishman ahead of his German team mate. A solid, if unecceptional race, Irvine was put in his place by Shumacher. Shame he fluffed his start.

Damon Hill:
Once again Hill wa down on Frentzens quallifying time. Usually there is nothing more than a few hundreths between them, but today it was tenths. Hill drove a good race, I think he made one of the only passing moves og the entire race. Eventually classified seventh after Barrichello was disqulified.

Johnny Herbert:
A poor qualifying was folowed by an average race. Some good driveing saw Hervert climb the field. Unfortunately bad luck hit again, when two thirds of the way through the race he went out with transmission failure.