The track had rapidly dried as Häkkinen was behind Villeneuve and Barrichello pulled away from the duo. Two laps later, Trulli overtook teammate Frentzen to take sixth. Both Ferrari drivers were trading fastest laps by lap 29. Häkkinen, meanwhile, began to mount a challenge to pass Villeneuve for third place. Further down, Zonta managed to pass Frentzen for sixth position. Frentzen was retired by his team at the end of his 33rd lap with a drop of pressure in the rear wheel braking system that softened the brake pedal. Michael Schumacher took an early pit stop on lap 34 and Ferrari inspected his rear of his car as well as adjusting his front wing angle. Although Michael Schumacher had more fuel to do extra laps, Ferrari did not feel he was under threat; he rejoined two seconds behind his teammate Barrichello, but a heavy fuel load as well as a car malfunction slowed him. Schumacher was ahead of Häkkinen who overtook Villeneuve by braking later than Villeneuve into the first corner on lap 35. Heidfeld pulled off to the side of the track with an engine bay fire on the 36th lap after he made a pit stop. Alesi in the other Prost stalled at his pit stop and emerged ahead of Irvine. Trulli became the first front runner to make a scheduled pit stop on lap 39. Alesi retired with a sudden loss of hydraulic pressure on lap 40. Häkkinen, Ralf Schumacher, Barrichello, Zonta, Coulthard, Villeneuve and Fisichella made their pit stops over the next three laps. Salo retired with an engine failure on lap 43. All of the drivers changed from dry to wet-weather tyres as rain began to fall from lap 42 onwards when the pit stop window concluded. Häkkinen was the final driver to make such a pit stop on lap 46. Fisichella lost second position to Barrichello on the 47th lap after running wide. At the conclusion of lap 47, with the scheduled pit stops completed, the top six in the race order were Michael Schumacher, Barrichello, Fisichella, Häkkinen, Trulli, and Wurz. On lap 48 Michael Schumacher went straight off the wet track at turn one; he remained half a minute ahead of Barrichello. De La Rosa and Diniz were battling for 12th when contact between both drivers saw De La Rosa strike the barrier on the 49th lap. The accident caused De La Rosa's