14th and Panis (who made a driver error) 15th. Firman changed his car's setup and qualified 16th due to a driver error, ahead of Pizzonia in 17th, who had brake problems and an unbalanced car. An tight handling car and an unsuccessful fix to the problems left Da Matta in 18th. The Minardi cars were equipped with a hard compound tyre and completed the starting order in 19th and 20th (Verstappen ahead of Wilson). Qualifying classification — Frentzen, Firman, Pizzonia, and Verstappen started from the pit lane. Race On the morning of 6 April, McLaren sought permission from the FIA to change Räikkönen's engine after a crack in its casting was detected via telemetry. The FIA authorised the engine switch after it analysed data proving the engine was damaged. Telemetry from BAR also detected damage to Villeneuve's engine and were also allowed to change it. Rain was forecast for the race; at the start the track was flooded because of a torrential downpour that fell from at 11:00 Brasilia Time (UTC−02:00). 120,000 spectators attended the Grand Prix. It was due to commence at 14:00 local time, before the FIA race director Charlie Whiting delayed it for fifteen minutes, to enable standing water to be drained from the circuit. Event organisers permitted teams to alter the setup of their cars to run on a sodden track, specially the wings and ride heights. The standing water caused heavy spray and impaired visibility, and all vehicles used wet-weather tyre compounds. The track's deficient drainage caused a large amount of water to cascade from a slope onto the tarmac surface at the Curva do Sol corner and made it susceptible for cars to aquaplane. The race began behind the safety car, with no formation lap; notwithstanding the slow speed drivers struggled for grip on the flooded track surface. Some drivers (including Verstappen, Frentzen, Pizzonia, Panis, Fisichella and Firman) elected to make pit stops for fuel under safety car conditions in an attempt to avoid having to make a second pit stop later in the race. After the rain had stopped, the safety car drove into the pit lane at the end of lap eight, and cars were allowed to overtake. Barrichello bunched up the field on the approach to the start/finish line; the manoeuvre failed to work and Coulthard passed him for the lead under braking for the Senna S chicane. Barrichello was circumspect