undergo Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) safety tests. This was due to a decision made by the Jordan team to develop the car further and create more spare parts. However, this was the last race that the EJ10 competed, as the EJ10B made its début at the next race. Practice A total of four practice sessions took place before the Sunday race, two one-hour sessions Friday and two 45-minute sessions on Saturday. Conditions were dry for the Friday practice sessions. There were 17 drivers who conducted explanatory laps within the opening five minutes of the first practice session. Teams decided that there was enough grip for cars to be sent onto the circuit for evaluation purposes after 15 minutes. Lap times decreased as the conditions of the circuit improved and drivers reacquainted themselves with the track. Barrichello set the first session's fastest time, at 1 minute and 13.603 seconds shortly before the session concluded, two-tenths of a second quicker than Jarno Trulli for the Jordan team. BAR driver Ricardo Zonta finished with the third-fastest time. Verstappen, Michael Schumacher and Coulthard filled in the next three positions. Fisichella, Jaguar's Johnny Herbert, BAR's Jacques Villeneuve and Mika Salo of Sauber rounded out the top ten positions. Häkkinen's car was afflicted with a mechanical fuel pump issue that forced him to stop at Remus Kurve corner; this restricted him to one out lap and he was slowest overall. In the second practice session, Coulthard went faster over each lap and set the day's fastest lap, a 1:12.464, after going into the gravel; Häkkinen had a trouble free season and was second-fastest. Salo ran quicker during the session and was third-fastest. Michael Schumacher and Barrichello set the fourth and seventh fastest times respectively; they were separated by Zonta and Trulli. Villeneuve, Diniz and Fisichella completed the top ten positions. Five minutes into the session, Ralf Schumacher stopped his Willaims car with an electrical system failure that caused his engine to stall. Irvine also collided with Coulthard when he slowed and protruded into Coulthard's path. After the second session Irvine withdrew from the Grand Prix. He had felt unwell upon arrival at the circuit and was diagnosed with suspected appendicitis at the infield medical centre. Irvine took the advice of FIA medical delegate Sid Watkins and travelled to London for further consultation with a surgeon. Tests at hospital determined that Irvine was suffering from a