The 2000 French Grand Prix (formally the LXXXVI Mobil 1 Grand Prix de France) was a Formula One motor race held on 2 July 2000 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours, Burgundy, France with 112,112 spectators in attendance. It was the ninth round of the 2000 Formula One World Championship and the 86th French Grand Prix. McLaren driver David Coulthard won the 72-lap race starting from second position. His teammate Mika Häkkinen finished second with Rubens Barrichello third for the Ferrari team. Michael Schumacher was leading the World Drivers' Championship and his team Ferrari led the World Constructors' Championship before the race. Coulthard started the Grand Prix alongside Michael Schumacher who began from pole position after setting the quickest lap in qualifying. Barrichello began from third on the grid and overtook Coulthard going into the first corner. Michael Schumacher maintained his start line advantage and kept the lead after the first round of pit stops. During the course of the second stint of the race, Michael Schumacher began to struggle with tyre wear, allowing Coulthard to close the gap and passed him on lap 40. Coulthard maintained his lead through the second round of pit stops and won the race. Michael Schumacher retired on lap 59 with engine failure promoting Häkkinen to second position. Barrichello took third, ahead of BAR driver Jacques Villeneuve in fourth. Coulthard took his third victory of the season, the ninth of his Formula One career, and the result meant saw him reduce Michael Schumacher's lead in the World Drivers' Championship to twelve points. Häkkinen remained third on 38 points, six ahead of Barrichello. In the World Constructors' Championship, McLaren's one-two finish allowed them to narrow the gap to Ferrari to be six points behind, with eight races of the season remaining. Background The 2000 French Grand Prix was the ninth of the seventeen rounds in the 2000 Formula One World Championship and was held at the clockwise Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in Magny-Cours, Burgundy, France on 2 July 2000. Sole tyre supplier Bridgestone brought the more balanced and less grippy Soft and the faster Extra Soft dry compound tyres to the Grand Prix. Teams were urged by Bridgestone technical director Yoshihiko Ichikawa to select the extra soft compounds instead of the soft tyres since they provided additional car grip and understeer was not as pronounced at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours than at rougher