simulations suggested that drivers who made one pit stop would record the fastest overall race times. On the formation lap, Wurz stalled his engine, and his stationary car delayed Alesi and Herbert; both drivers took up their starting positions. Wurz began the event from the pit lane. Häkkinen made a brisk start from the grid to lead the field going into the Senna S chicane. Coulthard, in second, had wheelspin and was passed by Michael Schumacher, who unsuccessfully challenged Häkkinen for the lead. Coulthard retained third as Barrichello made a slow start. Behind them, Irvine overtook Fisichella for fifth. Verstappen moved from 14th to 11th by the conclusion of the first lap; Button fell from 9th to 14th over the same distance. Trulli passed Ralf Schumacher and Villeneuve to progress into tenth on the left of the circuit. As the first two drivers reached the start/finish line, Michael Schumacher, who was close behind Häkkinen throughout lap one, steered off the racing line to pass the latter for the lead heading into the Senna S chicane. Barrichello slipstreamed Coulthard on the start/finish straight and overtook him for third. He then ran wide and Coulthard retook third. Barrichello retook the position by the end of lap two as Coulthard lost the use of the first three gears due to a gearbox fault and was slower in the slow-speed corners. Coulthard was unable to inform McLaren of the issue due to a malfunctioning radio. At the front, Michael Schumacher extended his lead over Häkkinen to four seconds by lap four and to 15 seconds by lap 15 with a series of fastest laps. In the meantime, Trulli passed Zonta for eighth, Button overtook Alesi for 13th and Heidfeld lost 16th to de la Rosa. Verstappen progressed from 11th to seventh bypassing Villeneuve, Zonta, Frentzen, and Fisichella as Alesi overtook Ralf Schumacher, Villeneuve, Zonta, and Frentzen to advance to ninth. Three drivers retired from the race during this period: Wurz and Heidfeld had separate engine failures on lap seven and nine and Alesi stopped with an electrical failure at the Bico de Pato hairpin on lap 11. At the end of lap 14, Barrichello drew close to Häkkinen after the latter ran wide. He slipstreamed Häkkinen and turned left to pass him for second as he braked before the Senna S chicane to start the 15th lap. De la Rosa passed Herbert for 14th