Formula-1 2000 R09 French Grand Prix

5 days ago

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Transcript

00:00:00It is the French Grand Prix at sold-out Manicour live only on ITV

00:00:05It's an absolutely crucial one this another Michael Schumacher victory would be a massive blow to David Coulthard's

00:00:12Championship hopes let's join Martin Brundle and say a very good afternoon to James Allen. Thank you Jim

00:00:18Hello everyone in the UK and around the world joining us here for this French Grand Prix

00:00:22And I'd like to say a special hello to Murray sitting at home in the New Forest

00:00:25The place is very quiet without you Murray

00:00:27So what kind of race have we got in store well McLaren have to take the fight to Ferrari today and get a 1-2 finish

00:00:33I've only done it twice so far this year on one occasion

00:00:36It was Hakin and the winner in Spain and once it was David Coulthard in Great Britain

00:00:41Michael Schumacher though has won five times already this year and here in Manicour

00:00:45He's now chasing his fifth French Grand Prix victory in six years

00:00:49Only Alain Prost has been more successful around here

00:00:51If he wins he'll equal Ayrton Senna's record of 41 Grand Prix victories the second most successful driver of all time

00:00:58It'll be a race of strategy, of course, but also of team tactics

00:01:02I wouldn't be at all surprised to see McLaren and Ferrari sending two drivers out on different strategies this afternoon to cover their bases

00:01:09Martin, what are you looking for this afternoon strategy-wise?

00:01:12well

00:01:13Three stops theoretically is the fastest away around here because the tire degradation

00:01:17but that means at some point you're gonna have to overtake the two stoppers to make best use of your extra speed and lighter fuel load and

00:01:24That is virtually impossible

00:01:26If you're up against the sharp end of the grid cars the Ferraris and McLarens and in the Jordans to a certain extent

00:01:33It's just not that easy to overtake them to make good use of that strategy

00:01:37So I'm really thinking they'll stop twice through the afternoon make it three stints

00:01:42You'd have to assume between about 22 and lap 25

00:01:46But this is a tough racetrack. It's very strange tarmac. It's been down since 1992

00:01:51It is billiard table smooth an amazing surface

00:01:55But it just gives up so much grip as the temperature rises and it's up at 38 degrees already

00:02:01So let's take a look at the starting grid then Michael Schumacher his third consecutive pole position looking very strong for Ferrari

00:02:07David Coulthard starting alongside him and into that first corner. It's gonna be very interesting

00:02:10Wouldn't be at all surprised to see Coulthard get the drop on him

00:02:13Traditionally been a better starter than Michael Schumacher looking at road to their Barrichello and Hacken and again down in fourth place

00:02:19Martin and somehow that qualifying pace of Hacken has just seems to have evaporated five races now since he's been on pole position

00:02:25Yes, he's lost the edge hasn't he somewhere?

00:02:27He just can't hook that final fling up to get the car up onto the front row

00:02:31It's Coulthard's that started doing that now Hacken and had the fastest car in the warm-up this morning

00:02:36but he somehow got to clear Barrichello into that very very short run to the

00:02:42First left-hander you saw the two Jaguars well up there Johnny Herbert's in 11th place

00:02:46And well, his teammate Eddie Irvine is in sixth place a terrific effort by Irvine

00:02:51We should also mention Ralph Schumacher in fifth place the fastest of the two Williams

00:02:55He was genuinely surprised by that lap and genuinely surprised to be so far up the grid

00:02:58Another man well up the grid is Jacques Villeneuve in the British American Racing Honda in seventh place

00:03:03And of course Jenson Button in tenth now

00:03:05We were looking at this grid earlier Martin saying there's but not a lot of people behind Button on this grid who shouldn't be there

00:03:10And that's not a great thing to be able to say

00:03:12Now Jensen, I think's done a reasonable job as you're just looking at the tail end of the grid there on your TV

00:03:17Jensen's had a reasonable weekend to be in the top ten

00:03:20But that Williams BMW is a fast car and Ralph's proved that up there in fifth a full three-quarters of a second

00:03:27faster than Jensen

00:03:29And if he wants to keep that drive and keep out Montoya and co if Montoya becomes available

00:03:34Then he's got to be pushing even harder than that

00:03:36That saga seems to be going on for such a long time at a Montoya will he won't he is Jensen in his Jensen out

00:03:42Saga, what why does it take so long?

00:03:44Well, because it's complicated

00:03:45It's never a simple issue

00:03:47And I think Frank is is in an a difficult but enviable position in a way that he's got

00:03:52Three young charges to choose from and he's got a perm two of them. You're on board there with Barrichello's overhead camera

00:03:59He snatched third position on the grid in the dying moments of qualifying and then Hacken and came back at him

00:04:06A few seconds down the track and missed out by just three

00:04:10Thousands of a second so Hacken and stayed for Barrichello third and Coulthard had nothing

00:04:16but trouble the car blowing up oil tank bursting was in Hacken and spare car from time to time and

00:04:23He got within a tenth of Michael, but couldn't quite make it happen

00:04:27Now you see Michael Schumacher and Barrichello and I would imagine everybody will be on absolutely brand spanking new tires

00:04:34But of all of those people you saw as they took you through the grid

00:04:38There's only two of them down there James that have ever won this race

00:04:41That's Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen

00:04:44Big plume of smoke from the back of Schumacher Lane some big rubber trails there on the spot

00:04:48We'll need the maximum traction off the start here. We go through the Grand Corb and down to Estoril

00:04:52On the parade lap. Yes, they like to get some rubber down

00:04:56It's their one chance off of their grid slot where they're going to return to at the end of this formation lap

00:05:01And this counts as one lap of the Grand Prix

00:05:04So they they that's their one and only chance to clean up their grid slot and lay a little bit of rubber down

00:05:11So we'll remind you the track temperature today 39 degrees pretty hot certainly around the temperature

00:05:15It was yesterday for qualifying the air temperature 27 degrees

00:05:18It's been very hot very close and very humid throughout the weekend

00:05:22And we hear this rain forecast for later on, but we believe it will be after the end of the race

00:05:26I'm going to keep an eye on the rain clouds for you because obviously when it starts to rain this racetrack

00:05:30Particularly you get a very very thrilling climax to a race

00:05:33We've seen it many times before and well who knows today could well rain later on

00:05:37Yes, just after qualifying finish yesterday. We had a cloudburst virtually and I was woken up at four o'clock this morning

00:05:43It was raining so hard on the windows of the hotel

00:05:46So when it rains as James said it absolutely tips down this Manucor track been the host home of the French Grand Prix since

00:05:541991 just over two and a half miles long

00:05:56There's only five principal corners here of which two are hairpins and two very fast chicanes

00:06:01Not a track really Martin which challenges the drivers very much

00:06:04But a difficult track for the teams to read and for the drivers to read tactically and strategically

00:06:09the problem here is that there's a very very long corner in Estoril turn three is the number they give it and

00:06:16It really does punish the tires the long course you get a huge heat heat buildup as the cars

00:06:22Accelerate up to 160 miles an hour on the exit of that long corner

00:06:25Lovely shot as Schumacher brings the pack up close together

00:06:28Doesn't want to sit on the grid any longer than he has to we saw he threw away the world championship in

00:06:331998 because of that just getting

00:06:34Overheated and as the field streams through now and Schumacher makes his way on the grid Martin give us the view from the driver

00:06:40What's it like now? You're making your way onto the grid. Well, this is tense time

00:06:43You're in the zone the critical zone here where you must not make a mistake

00:06:47You know if you stall the engine you're going to be at the back of the grid

00:06:49You're looking in your mirror that you're thinking they're taking an enormous amount of time to do file in line behind me

00:06:56Your temperatures are rising. You've got to stay very very calm

00:07:00Your seatbelts seem a little bit too tight your right boot seems a bit too loose

00:07:03You're moving your visor around and the light is on stay calm put it in first gear put it about 12,000 revs

00:07:09I just stare at those lights

00:07:11Control the wheel spin your away. See who's doing what around you?

00:07:15Are you on the defense Schumacher leads Hakkinen Kulthard and Barrichello are side-by-side as they go through Gronkow

00:07:21And down to Astrid and Barrichello gets into second place Kulthard third

00:07:24Hakkinen having a go at Kulthard as they go out of Estoril corner Villeneuve is extremely well up as well

00:07:29And look at the two Jordans Eddie Irvine's a loser there from the looks of things

00:07:32But Michael Schumacher has the clear advantage as they head down to the hairpin for the first time

00:07:38Yes, and Kulthard having a look at the inside of Barrichello

00:07:41That was definitely not in his game plan and it looks extremely busy in the midfield

00:07:45They're virtually stationary on the inside of Adelaide hairpin

00:07:48But a dream start for Ferrari and a dream start for Villeneuve and a dream start for Hightower Frentzen also in the Jordan

00:07:54He's well up and he's even past Ralph Schumacher in the Williams

00:07:58So Villeneuve going well Frentzen going well

00:08:00Eddie Irvine a bit of a loser there as Schumacher starts to put some clear air between himself and the pursuing pack Barrichello second

00:08:06Kulthard third, Hakkinen fourth, Villeneuve fifth

00:08:09There'll be a big grin on that square jaw of Michael Schumacher's when he looks in his mirrors to see a scarlet Ferrari

00:08:16That's the next car along the racetrack

00:08:18That is absolutely perfect for him and now Kulthard's got a follow-up Ferrari

00:08:22And the problem here is you pick up so much understeer so much of the front end sliding Villeneuve

00:08:28They're locking up into the chicane and Kulthard very very close to Barrichello

00:08:32But not close enough to have a look so he needs to make a move very quickly

00:08:36Kulthard has to get past that Ferrari somehow

00:08:39But he can't stay close enough through this next section turn three the Estoril corner

00:08:44Absolutely critical time of a motor race off the start line from a stationary start with tires which are cooling down

00:08:49How quick can you do that lap from the stationary start?

00:08:51How big a gap can you build up in the opening lap two laps?

00:08:54Michael Schumacher an absolute master at it Micka Hakkinen in recent years has been to but right now he's languishing in fourth place

00:09:00That's Kulthard comes very close up on to Rubens Barrichello into the hairpin

00:09:04I remember in this race last year albeit in the rain Barrichello was leading for much of the race

00:09:09But he was extremely cautious under braking for Adelaide hairpin

00:09:13And it does see if Kulthard can get anywhere near the gearbox of that Ferrari

00:09:17He should be able to break a little bit later

00:09:20Schumacher leads Barrichello second Kulthard third then it's Micka Hakkinen in fourth place Villeneuve is fifth

00:09:25Ralph Schumacher down to seventh place

00:09:27Yano Trulli hold station where he's been positioned at a

00:09:30Mikasa a terrific start for him up in ninth place Irvine has gone from sixth down to ten

00:09:35Jensen buttons dropped to place down to 11 Johnny Herbert's dropped to place down to 12

00:09:39Then it's Dallarosa Heidfeld and Lacey going well in 15

00:09:42Fisichella a bit of a loser at the start as well in 16th place

00:09:46Yes, I say on the computer car 16 has missed the chicane at turn 12. That's near the end of the lap

00:09:52He obviously lived for another day, but let's have a look and see who that was

00:09:57It's down as Pedro Diniz

00:09:58So we're not a major player in this race at the moment as Michael Schumacher builds a 1.8 second lead over his teammate Barrichello

00:10:06Who found a further six tenths down the road Michael Schumacher's first lap then a 120 point one one seven his first flying lap

00:10:13Compare that with a warm-up this morning the fastest of one nineteen three to nine and this car completely full of fuel

00:10:19Well, it's carrying a two-stop fuel load. We believe at the moment and well, that's around about 50 60 kilos of fuel

00:10:24I can see my concern about 60 kilos more than he would have carried in qualifying yesterday a terrific pace off the first lap

00:10:30Yeah, that's a hot place James in the low one minute 20 so early on but actually because of the tire degradation

00:10:35What are we going to see here? This looks like Frentzen

00:10:38amazingly getting up the inside there of

00:10:42Actually, no, it's truly. He's coming back passing

00:10:45Ralph Schumacher

00:10:47having a

00:10:48Rego at him coming out of that last corner. So

00:10:52Let's see how that Ralph Schumacher is now actually down in eight

00:10:55So he didn't make it on the way into that first corner truly did get past

00:10:58We didn't see the end of that move finally

00:11:00It's a very bold move into Lee say by Yana to not traditionally a place where you make overtaking maneuvers

00:11:05Unless you it's the home of the desperate really, isn't it Martin that corner normally?

00:11:08But it was a very clean pass from from what I saw of it. We actually only saw a replay there

00:11:13The French director will play that back in but

00:11:17Truly really quite brave there

00:11:18But it still seems despite what the computer says it still seems as if truly is still now back behind Ralph Schumacher

00:11:26Yes, he is. He's back down in eighth place. So Ralph Schumacher has repassed him

00:11:30Yes unseen by us Ralph Schumacher in the Williams has got past Yano truly in the Jordan and truly trailing his teammate

00:11:37Sixth place and look at this Michael Schumacher for seven tenths of a second faster than Barrichello on that last lap

00:11:44And that's a major problem for cool thought he can see his main championship rival

00:11:48Just waltzing away down the road already two and a half seconds ahead

00:11:51What do you do if you did the McLaren team boss run as you look at this? Do you feel powerless?

00:11:55Do you think how am I going to switch the order around so many races Michaels won five races this year?

00:11:59But so many times we've seen this that Ferrari have got a good start

00:12:02They've consolidated controlled the pace at the beginning of the race

00:12:05The McLaren seemed to have been comfortable just sitting behind them just biding their time

00:12:09But at the end of the day, they've not been able to deliver the pace when it's mattered later on in a race

00:12:13So today they've got to try and find that little bits of something special. Yes, there's nothing they can do yet

00:12:17Until there's somewhere near a fuel stop window. They can't adjust this race

00:12:21It's all in the hands of the driver really could that just want to stay as close as he can

00:12:25as close as the aerodynamics will allow and

00:12:28Pick up many mistakes Barrichello might make or wait until they get to near some traffic to lap some traffic Michael

00:12:35Again, now eight tenths of a second faster on the lap

00:12:38They've just completed and there is Ralph Schumacher in a Jordan sandwich a tremendous opening sequence from Michael Schumacher as he opens up a

00:12:463.2 second cushion after just four laps. That's three-quarters of a second a lap

00:12:51He's faster than the pursuing pack Rubens Barrichello still second

00:12:54Then it's Coulthard third Hakin and fourth Villeneuve fifth

00:12:57Frentzen in six Ralph Schumacher seventh Jarno Trulli demoted to eighth place

00:13:01Make a solo going strongly in the Sauber in ninth place and Eddie Irvine's lost four places down in ten

00:13:07Jensen holding on Jensen button in the left spot

00:13:11Place making a movie just in the fastest first section of the race so far three tenths faster than Michael

00:13:17Schumacher as it happens and Coulthard to looking like he's finding a bit of grip now the third and fourth place

00:13:23McLaren so they seem a little bit of a wheel lock up there for Ralph Schumacher

00:13:27It looks like an engine failure because the aerodynamics sat back to smokey air

00:13:32Underneath and puts it out the back through the Venturi

00:13:35But all it is is the unloaded front wheel as the weight transfers across the anti roll bars

00:13:40Just locking up early days yet

00:13:42But the thing to watch out for folks is the rear tires because they're the ones that go up

00:13:46Fastest here around this Magnet course circuit. It may be billiard table smooth

00:13:50But the tire wear is particularly high particularly when it's been raining as it was this morning

00:13:55Washes the rubber off the track makes it green and after a while the rear tires start to fade away

00:13:59You'll see the car sliding around a bit under braking

00:14:01You see them struggling to get grip out of corners as Ralph Schumacher has another look at Heinz our friends and coming down into

00:14:07Grand Course, this is lap six and Ralph Schumacher is in a very racy mode today

00:14:11He's obviously up pretty qualified bit currently lying seven, and he's looking for more points today from the Williams team

00:14:17It's been a while since Ralph scored any points

00:14:19He hasn't scored for three races now celebrated his 25th birthday this weekend

00:14:24He says his leg injury that he sustained at Monaco is pretty much behind him now and Ralph is on a charge

00:14:29Yes, another thing I'd like to see is you watch Ralph still sandwiched up there. Is it a replay of the start?

00:14:35I thought cool thought appeared to get away reasonably

00:14:37Well, certainly Michael Schumacher got away extremely well and just covered his bases moved straight across

00:14:41Maybe cool thought had to lift out of it slightly or something because Barrichello sneaked through somehow

00:14:47We've not seen a replay of that

00:14:49I hope we do later on but it does seem like

00:14:51Frentzen now is struggling a little bit Ralph Schumacher is the faster of those three cars there

00:14:59Yes, and Williams really fighting for their position in the constructors championship as well because after Giancarlo Fisichella's excellent run to a podium in Canada

00:15:06Benetton actually overhauled them for third place the best of the rest of the night behind

00:15:11Ferrari in the constructors

00:15:12So with Benetton not looking very strong today Fisichella currently lying 15th and Wurz a rather miserable 20th

00:15:19It's a good day for Williams to strike back if they want to get back ahead of the Benetton team

00:15:24They need to score three or four points today and certainly the way Ralph's going at the moment. That's not inconceivable

00:15:29Not exactly traveling the mirrors off

00:15:32Barrichello as they head out of Estrella once more through the sweeping right-hander of golf and he certainly doesn't appear to be get to get

00:15:39Close enough to do any damage and cause any distraction for Rubens Barrichello

00:15:45But surely Coulthard has the better car under braking

00:15:48I noticed when I was talking over the on-board labs

00:15:51They all seem to be breaking around 110 meters going in there Coulthard can get in there at a hundred meters

00:15:57He is very very good under braking there, but it's no good to him if he can't get nearer to Barrichello

00:16:02So Schumacher leading from Barrichello 3.6 seconds now the advantage

00:16:06Coulthard just over a second behind and Hakkinen 1.2 down on his teammate

00:16:11Villeneuve holding in there as well nine seconds behind the leader just three seconds shy of the pace of Hakkinen

00:16:16Frentzen still there Ralph Schumacher and Jarno Trolli and Coulthard

00:16:20Well, they seem to me Martin to be carrying roughly the same amount of fuel

00:16:23I have to say that the leaders in this race are running a similar sort of pace Schumacher obviously made a blistering

00:16:29Opening account first two or three laps now the pace seems to have settled and they seem to be carrying roughly the same sort of

00:16:36Yes, they do Michael's just come over the line at a 20.6 Barrichello 20.8 Coulthard 20.7

00:16:42And Hakkinen in the first one then in the 21.0

00:16:45So Coulthard just about matching now Michael Schumacher's pace, but he's got Barrichello between him and his World Championship rival

00:16:54Michael Schumacher chasing his 22nd career victory for the Ferrari team

00:16:58He's already the most successful Ferrari driver of all time

00:17:01and this weekend his team boss Jean Todt is celebrating seven years in control of the Maranello team and

00:17:07Certainly when he took over the Prancing Horse was looking pretty lame. They even had to pay for the mechanics overalls

00:17:14Fireproof overalls and the pit stops now, it's a sponsorship

00:17:16It's available at the highest price who wants to buy the Ferrari overalls

00:17:20So let's have a quick look at the top six Michael Schumacher leads from Rubens Barrichello

00:17:24Then it's David Coulthard and Hakkinen fourth, Jacques Villeneuve fifth and Heinz-Harald Frentzen in sixth place

00:19:32And

00:19:51It's Barrichello, David Coulthard third, Hakkinen still in fourth place, Jacques Villeneuve fifth and Heinz-Harald Frentzen is sixth

00:19:58To just take you through the rest of the Brits Eddie Irvine is 10th, Jenson Fatton 11th and Johnny Herbert 12th

00:20:04So running line is stern, Coulthard up there in third place. They've sort of pegged Michael Schumacher a little bit on pace

00:20:10he's still eking out two or three tens per lap and

00:20:15Coulthard seems like he's got a fraction over Barrichello, but not enough to make the difference

00:20:19So Michael Schumacher's in the lead now up at 4.2 seconds

00:20:23As I'm sure you're about to see at the bottom of your screen

00:20:285.0 as he's now halfway around the next lap. They give you those times

00:20:33Depending on which section of the lap they've just gone through so Michael Schumacher five seconds up

00:20:39And Barrichello dropping back into the 1 minute 21s for the first time through the race as they cross the line this time

00:20:45Jarno Trulli looking, he's closing the gap here on Ralph Schumacher. This is the principal interest of the race at the moment

00:20:50That's the Frentzen, Ralph Schumacher, Jarno Trulli battle

00:20:53This is the scrap for sixth place for the final points paying position and Ralph

00:20:59Taking all sorts of different lines from Frentzen around this track

00:21:01But Trulli certainly closing the gap and they are in turn

00:21:04Closing up a little bit on Jack Villeneuve who had a poor lap that last time by

00:21:09Yes, I saw Ralph Schumacher again doing what he was doing in Canada and leaning down in the cockpit trying to get more airflow

00:21:16Through the intake above his head can give you three or four more horsepower if you get a bit more positive pressure in there

00:21:23I'll point it out again if I see it in time

00:21:26And we're having to be watching

00:21:28Ralph Schumacher, but we're back now with Barrichello in second place and Coulthard still harrying him

00:21:33Hakanen just dropped back now by about 1.8 seconds from Coulthard and it's pretty much status quo, isn't it?

00:21:40It is but Ralph Rubens Barrichello just dropped some time there to Michael Schumacher on that last lap

00:21:45It was a slow lap from Rubens and it seems to have allowed David to just get that little bit closer to him

00:21:50In this battle for second place Hakanen still a bit of a drift there

00:21:54Seven seconds disadvantage to Michael Schumacher. And in fact, he's just under just over two seconds back from Coulthard

00:22:00All 22 cars are still running in the field looking at Coulthard there

00:22:05We've just been re-signed for the with McLaren for 2001 and he starts his sixth year in partnership with Micah Hakanen

00:22:13That's the longest partnership in the history of Formula One and I think to get anywhere near that you have to go back

00:22:19Pre-war to Caracciola and and from Browich

00:22:22I think it was and I think in recent times relatively recent times the next longest partnership

00:22:28Between two drivers in the same team was Jackie Stewart and Francois Severe in the Tyrrell, I'm meant to believe

00:22:34It's a good sign really, isn't it?

00:22:35Martin consistency in a team if you can keep the same family together

00:22:38You can move and develop and grow over the years and certainly the McLaren team spent a long time in the wilderness

00:22:43With changes of engine I remember when you were there

00:22:45Back in 94 with the Peugeot engine and they shifted around they had a Ford's for a while

00:22:50And whoa, that looks like one of the prostates spun. It is indeed

00:22:53It looks like a Lacey a little bit hot into the Adelaide hairpin from the looks of things

00:22:57And he's certainly been passed by Fisichella and Heidfeld and Verstappen, I believe as well. So, uh

00:23:03Lost a little bit of space there. I think that's Heidfeld and Fisichella

00:23:07And they're running currently in 14th and 15th place. Let's take a look again. Martin. Oh, right and uh

00:23:14it's

00:23:15Oh, I think that was Heidfeld who tipped a Lacey into a spin his teammate Heidfeld came in a little bit too deep

00:23:21In his attempts to pass the Benetton and ran into the back of his teammate. There you go, Dan

00:23:26Well, uh, John's not too calm on those sort of situations, but wasn't there a bit of a strike at Prost apparently today?

00:23:33Well, there's some talk this morning that the Prost mechanics actually put down tools for five minutes and refused to uh,

00:23:38To do any work inside of the protest. Uh, they're quite militant

00:23:41I think sometimes these guys and uh, they were unhappy about something

00:23:44I believe it was said yesterday within the team about the way they'd approached and handled the qualifying session

00:23:49A pretty poor session for the Prost team

00:23:51Well, I did see a big group of people around the Prost motorhome and everybody was scratching their heads wondering what was going on

00:23:57I guess if that's formula one's equivalent of a strike then

00:24:01They did it in style around a rather smart motorhome

00:24:03Not happy days at the Prost team at the moment and Alain Prost a four-time world champion

00:24:0851 times a grand prix winner as you look at his car being driven by Nick Heidfeld there on the screen

00:24:12But he just doesn't seem to be able to connect as a team owner

00:24:15He had everything it took to be a winning grand prix driver, but as an owner he seems to be struggling martin

00:24:20Somehow these successful drivers don't make good bosses

00:24:23Well, some of them do Jackie Stewart made a pretty handy grand prix boss, but that was some uh,

00:24:2920 odd years after he finished racing and I think it is a a different mentality

00:24:33You need to just look after yourself and and win for yourself out there using your team to do so

00:24:40Uh, it's a different mentality and skills needed than to control four or five hundred people and get them all together and pointing them in

00:24:48The right direction. So, uh, we're back now watching Barrichello and Kuka

00:24:52About the same distance apart seven tenths of a second as they head down to the hairpin

00:24:57Real cat and mouse stuff here real cat and mouse stuff here between Ferrari and McLaren

00:25:01I believe Louise Goodman is down in the Ferrari garage. I am indeed watching this race from the sharp end

00:25:06They've had a dream start to this race that we've seen but they really need to back it up today

00:25:10I've just been having a chat with Nigel Stepney the chief mechanic about the preparations that Ferrari have made for this race

00:25:15They really stepped things up in the past

00:25:17The team have paid a heavy penalty because they didn't have a plan b. We saw it with the pit stops in Canada

00:25:22For example, according to Nigel, they not only have a plan b. They have a plan c here as well

00:25:26They've tried to guess second guess every possible eventuality. They've even brought extra people for this event

00:25:32They know how critical this race is just as much as McLaren do

00:25:36Yes, and you're watching a replay there

00:25:38I think it was Johnny Herbert desperately trying not to run into the back of Irvine and they're

00:25:43Dicing for 11th and 12th place and it looked like Salo in front of them was having a run too

00:25:50Jenson Button has passed Mika Salo and uh, that was the action you saw as they left the hairpin

00:25:56So button now up to ninth. Yeah button up to ninth

00:25:59He's made up two places in the last two laps unseen by us on the television

00:26:02The french director hasn't showed us jensen's progress, but he really does need a good result here this weekend jensen

00:26:08It's been pretty slim pickings in the last few races

00:26:11He started out very well, but still only one point's finished so far this season for him

00:26:15That's on the screen there. You're seeing the difference as I said all 22 cars running. So michael schumacher

00:26:21Is at 52 seconds ahead of matt zucconi who's last so it's something like 70. It's

00:26:2880 seconds for a lap

00:26:30So it's not very long before michael schumacher will be coming up to lap the thailanders and still ralph schumacher

00:26:37Can't get past or away from the jordans now

00:26:40I've got a question for you martin

00:26:41The last really really hot race we had was the monaco grand prix a month ago and you remember that day

00:26:46The exhaust system on the ferrari overheated the rear suspension on that car for causing it to break and michael's only

00:26:53Mechanical retirement of the year they'll obviously have taken steps to avoid that happening again

00:26:56But this heat obviously has an effect a big effect on the cars and leads to reliability problems

00:27:01Even though obviously at the moment we don't seem to have had any so far

00:27:03Yes, I think the ambient temperature within reason doesn't make that much difference

00:27:07There's several drivers were saying they saw michael whack the barrier twice in monaco and that it wasn't

00:27:13It wasn't a suspension failure as much as him making a mistake

00:27:17Who knows the ferrari team said they had a cracked exhaust?

00:27:21I don't think it's really anything to do with the ambient temperature at all james

00:27:24It's running so hot in that car the brakes are seven to eight hundred degrees

00:27:28The tires are 100 degrees even the fuel in the tank behind the drivers gets up to about 50 degrees centigrade

00:27:35The engines are running 110 115

00:27:38Some of these latest engines I think run significantly hotter than that so they can have smaller radiators less drag less water in the system

00:27:45So a little bit of ambient doesn't make such a big difference

00:27:48All right, then martin you're ralph schumacher in this situation

00:27:51You're chasing down heintzerl frentzen for a point paying positions for sixth place

00:27:55You've been looking at him for lap after lap after lap

00:27:58You just can't find a way back. What are you thinking?

00:28:00You're thinking i've got to sit here and maximize the opportunities as they come to me

00:28:03I don't have enough speed to pass him

00:28:05But what he mustn't do is run into him, of course, but he's got to stay close enough if he can force the uh,

00:28:11If he can force him frentzen into making any kind of error, but he won't do from that far back

00:28:17It's too much of a comfort zone that he's giving frentzen there

00:28:19I've been very impressed with that williams bmw this year the chassis a tremendous improvement on last year's williams

00:28:25Which was driven very spiritedly by ralph schumacher, but zanardi really failed in the car

00:28:29And they certainly made big improvements on that this year michael schumacher still leading this race

00:28:34He goes through with a gap now of 5.7 seconds over his teammate rubens barrichello

00:28:40And david coulthard staying in touch micka hacken and also staying in touch eight seconds

00:28:44Now hacking and is behind schumacher and look at this jensen button in ninth place is not on your screen

00:28:49But now he's passed salo and got some clear air in front of him

00:28:53He is just about lapping on the same pace as schumacher and co at the front of the field

00:28:59So jensen button has certainly got he's catching the people in front of him over a second a lap

00:29:04So we can look forward to a bit of action there

00:29:07Probably just four or five laps away as button cruises up behind truly

00:29:12Who you've seen stuck behind ralph schumacher and in contrast you have to say the jaguars do seem to be going backwards

00:29:18They started eddie irvine sixth on the grid currently running in 11th place and lapping in the 1.23

00:29:23Sevens in contrast to michael schumacher who's doing 20.7 and button in the low 21

00:29:28So the jaguars once again, they're flattering to deceive in qualifying well up the grid into the top 10

00:29:34But uh seem to be sliding back a little bit in the race

00:29:36But uh, kevin piper has news for us about the prost team

00:29:39Yes

00:29:39And the prost crew are getting ready as we speak to bring in jean alessi

00:29:43But their spin on what happened out there on the track is slightly different to what the uh, the pitchers suggested

00:29:47They are booking giancarlo fizzi keller for coming together with jean alessi

00:29:52so whether that's a sign of things to come tonight in euro 2000 a bit of a

00:29:56Showdown with the french who can tell but alessio. I think it's fair to say about to come in

00:30:01Well, maybe I need my eyes testing but I don't think so

00:30:03It looked very much like one cross connecting to another to uh to me

00:30:08So, uh, I think there'll be some discussion after the race on that

00:30:11I don't think fizzi keller was involved in it other than being uh, the man that heidfeld was trying to pass

00:30:19Now then let's just talk a little bit about michael schumacher shall we seven points he's averaged and we've got a car off and

00:30:23That's zonta into the tire barriers. Ricardo zonta was lying in 17th place

00:30:29And uh, well, he was may have been having a move on verstappen. That may have caused it. I suspect that's the imola chicane

00:30:34I don't uh, i'm not an expert on the gravel traps there particularly, but I it looked like it may have been the the imola

00:30:42And he's gone. He's gone straight off straight into the tires

00:30:45Maybe we'll see a replay of that and the man on the move also is mika hacken and picking up his pace again

00:30:50But he's still uh, some 1.7 seconds behind david kuthard the third place man and barrichello looking calm and collected

00:30:58Isn't he in a solid second place now 6.3 seconds behind the leader?

00:31:02Oh, we're getting word from the pits

00:31:03And in fact zonta went off all on his own

00:31:05He was seven tenths of a second behind josh verstappen in the battle for 16th place

00:31:09So I thought perhaps he'd had a bit of a go of verstappen and come off the worst

00:31:12But in fact drove straight off the road of his own accord. You saw briefly there in the background

00:31:17There's a diamond screen as you come down the hill into lisa the last corner

00:31:21It's tempting and you often do look up at the screen and see what else is going on in the race

00:31:26It is believe it or not a valuable source of information for the drivers when in a reasonably slow corner

00:31:32They can see a big diamond screen that's up there for the spectators

00:31:36I was just saying before zonta went off that michael schumacher is averaging seven points a race at the moment this season

00:31:41Which is an amazing average normally and traditionally for the last six years

00:31:45The world champion has averaged five points a race. So michael two up on that

00:31:49And certainly one or two of the statisticians around the paddock this weekend

00:31:52Have been working out that if he secures another 45 points, that'll be enough to clinch the title

00:31:56Well as ali mccoy said at the beginning of our show

00:31:59Kulthar's got to win this race today. Michael schumacher doesn't have to win this race and certainly he'll be uh,

00:32:05thinking about that if they're

00:32:08um

00:32:09If they're head to head later on in this race

00:32:11If there's a big dive up the inside michael will be perfectly satisfied to close the door

00:32:16Johnny, herbert is in the pits. This pace had dropped well into the 23s. I don't know if it's a

00:32:23Projector stop. That's a lacey of course in the prost

00:32:26And a relatively long stop considering that they're obviously on a three-stop strategy

00:32:30Not a good stop there from the prost team and a lacey rejoins

00:32:34But johnny herbert is still in the pit lane

00:32:37Apparently his pit stop was 18.4 seconds. That is a big big loss of time

00:32:42But lacey these clocks and these pit stop clocks

00:32:44You've always been a little bit careful with them because they don't tend to stop them immediately the car starts to move

00:32:49It's the stationary time

00:32:50You've got to be interested in and the lacey stop to me looked as though we're putting a bit of fuel into the car

00:32:54Possibly for a longer second stint

00:32:56So bringing him in early as I think the plan had been to stop him three times realizing it's not working for them

00:33:01I think they've switched him to a two-stopper now

00:33:03The question is jensen button on the same sort of plan

00:33:06I know patrick head was talking earlier in the weekend about the possibility of stopping three times and certainly with jensen having started this race

00:33:12In 10th place on the grid three stops might have been an option for them

00:33:16But well, it would certainly be bold and looks like three stops isn't working today

00:33:20No, and it never did I three stopped here. I remember I think it was 95 and had a ding-dong battle with culvert in the williams

00:33:26He two-stopped my car was much faster, but I couldn't pass him when I needed to towards the end

00:33:31There we have heidfeld in for his first stop just 19 laps into this motor race

00:33:37So both prosts have been in now

00:33:39And I think that explains why a lacey and he stalled the engine has he or have they got a problem on the right rear?

00:33:45Now he stalled the engine frost not looking at all happy

00:33:48Yeah, and in an interview in the french newspapers this week alain frost was asked about his two drivers

00:33:52He said well a lacey has a lion's heart. He always tries his absolute hardest whether it be qualifying or the race

00:33:58You can always rely on him heidfeld. I'm, not so sure about him. He seems to go backwards in the races

00:34:03He doesn't seem strong enough to last the grand prix distance damning words indeed from the team boss

00:34:07And certainly it looks as though uh, heidfeld has let the side down again in that pit stop

00:34:12so

00:34:13With schumacher leading from barrichello coolthard in third place hackett and fourth still still fifth is villeneuve and sick heinzauer frenzen

00:34:20We're going to take a break

00:34:28So

00:34:58So

00:35:29So

00:35:44Oh

00:35:58So

00:36:28So

00:36:38And rubens barrichello and while you were away this happened

00:36:42Yes

00:36:43Coulthard got a good run out of estoril look got in the slipstream and then he got quite smart

00:36:48He realized that barrichello was going to cut his route off down the inside

00:36:51So gave himself good track position for maximum traction out of the uh, adelaide hairpin

00:36:56Then it's a drag race down and barrichello will have to yield

00:37:00Coulthard has the line very very cute move there and it's certainly a critical part of this race

00:37:07And it's all starting to happen now also in the pit stops jack villeneuve is in the pits

00:37:11Also in the pits is ralph schumacher and so is heidzauer frenzen slow away for ralph schumacher

00:37:15Has he lost the position that he had before as he lost time to frenzen. He's certainly

00:37:20Back out on the track for instance

00:37:21So a critical mark time now in the fifth sixth seventh and eighth place battle here

00:37:26That could actually play into jenson button's hands as well because that's a very slow getaway there for ralph schumacher

00:37:32And button has really been homing in on his teammate and those two jordans

00:37:37So johnny herbert has retired from this race. We saw him

00:37:42We saw him get out of the car earlier on kevin piper. What can you tell us?

00:37:45Well, it seems that johnny herbert's bad luck just continues he has had to retire because of a gearbox problem and poor johnny has got in

00:37:53Slammed his gloves down on the bench and walked through doesn't want to talk to anybody right now

00:37:57But it's a gearbox problem for the jaguar

00:37:59And mika hakkinen is in the pits as well unseen by us

00:38:01There he is mika hakkinen from fourth place lap 23

00:38:05This is is exactly when I thought they would start coming in one or two of them

00:38:08Look as though they're going to run longer schumacher coulthard and barrichello nice stop there by the mclaren team

00:38:13They are really the best at this. I've watched them many many times. They are super slick. Mike

00:38:17Nygleimer chief mechanic has them drilled. It's like a military operation and hakkinen giving himself a fighting chance

00:38:23We're going through a very critical phase of this grand prix coulthard's been released

00:38:28He's a full half second faster than michael schumacher on the last lap. Jenson button is in the pits from a current fourth place

00:38:35We'll see where he comes out on the track. Is he ahead of the jordans?

00:38:38Is he ahead of the jordans haven't stopped yet actually, but is he ahead of ralph schumacher?

00:38:44His teammates gonna be interesting to see but coulthard has already started to bite into michael schumacher's lead

00:38:50How long can coulthard stay out on the racetrack if he's got a couple of laps of fuel in his tank?

00:38:55He's currently pulling out well over a second a lap and there's the uh, I can see down the ferrari mechanics getting ready

00:39:02We don't know which

00:39:04We think and it is it's michael schumacher in the pit lane now and he can just drive straight into his pit garage and they're

00:39:11a full 22 people involved in making sure that they get this car out in six or seven seconds and that is a

00:39:19Reason stop the clock didn't stop one time. It's a reasonable stop not sensational

00:39:24Definitely a two-stopper for michael schumacher

00:39:26Then his first stop on lap 24 from the lead and that means that coulthard now leads the french grand prix

00:39:32He was 4.2 seconds behind him at the end of the last lap. Michael will have lost 21 seconds to coulthard

00:39:37It'll also put him behind barrichello

00:39:39But it may just bring him out in front of hackett and where is mika hackett?

00:39:42Is he in front of him on the racetrack? We can't see at the moment

00:39:45There's coulthard leading this motor race rubens barrichello is in second place

00:39:49But where is mika hackett and is he in front or behind of michael schumacher got to be behind I think martin

00:39:54I I think he'll almost certainly be behind him. It wasn't a bad enough stop for michael to uh,

00:39:59To to release hackett in front of him. Absolutely for sure. The critical thing now is can mcclaren get coulthard

00:40:06in and out and make sure that he stays ahead of rubens barrichello and uh

00:40:11When it all shakes up, I think michael will still be leading this race and it depends how good coulthard stop is kevin piper is with

00:40:19johnny herbert

00:40:22And johnny herbert scampered off so we're back on board now with david coulthard coming in does he go in the pit lane

00:40:29Yes, he does

00:40:30So coulthard leading the race into the pit lane for his first stop james david coulthard comes in and what's he going to do?

00:40:37This time his lead over michael schumacher was negligible when he came in schumacher will definitely take the lead of the race

00:40:42As they come down the hill coulthard the tires going on not a bad stop fuel goes in and it's 7.3 seconds

00:40:48Another superb stop by the mcclaren team. So he'll come out. I think behind michael schumacher

00:40:53Who's just crossed the start finish line and rubens barrichello also in from second place

00:40:58So when it shakes out there's hacking in the background, so coulthard rejoins in front of mika hackenden

00:41:04But does rubens barrichello? I think he doesn't he's behind mika hackenden

00:41:07So mika has jumped rubens barrichello in that first round of pit stops, I think

00:41:11That's cool card there. It's got a big david written on the back of it and whipped and there's hacking

00:41:16So the ferrari must be barrichello hacking and this has worked out beautifully for him, too

00:41:20Where is michael schumacher? We need to pick him up somehow on the tv screen i'm assuming there he is

00:41:27There is michael schumacher. He's into the imola chicane as coulthard exits and it's not worked out at all

00:41:33Well, we're seeing a replay of the jordans

00:41:38Truly say that's truly party trick of the afternoon as uh

00:41:42The prosc goes scampering across the gravel and a little bounce when it touches the grass and uh

00:41:47That's heidfeld having yet another mistake there

00:41:50Now let's look at that truly incident because I mean he really muscled his way through there on france

00:41:54He looked like he was a bit dawdling a little bit into the lisa and truly as you say his party trick this afternoon

00:41:59They touch wheels. Will there be words afterwards as we look at de la rosa?

00:42:02I think de la it's verstappen. In fact, he's changed his helmet colors back again after the last group

00:42:06He was supporting the dutch national side repainted his helmet bright orange, but it's back to its normal again

00:42:12but

00:42:13So michael schumacher is 5.3 seconds ahead then as you

00:42:18Watch the arrows driver trying to get the wheel back on. He must put the steering wheel on before he leaves the car

00:42:24He won't want to be sitting there very long as they're storming past about 160 miles an hour

00:42:28Schumacher leads coulthard by 5.3 seconds. And yes, indeed hacken and did clear barrichello

00:42:34So going back to this trolley frenson incident there martin when you touch wheels with your teammate in a passing maneuver

00:42:39Are there always words afterwards? No problem. Nothing more than a little kiss

00:42:43Not an issue as far as i'm concerned. It really was a fair fair overtaking move

00:42:47So let's see how it's shaken out after the first round of pit stops

00:42:50Michael schumacher leads the race david coulthard is second mika hacken and is the winner from the first round of pit stops

00:42:55He's jumped ahead of rubens barrichello jack villeneuve doing a super job to hold on in fifth place

00:43:00Truly has jumped up as well. He's sick, but I don't believe he's made his pit stop yet. Uh, frenson is seven

00:43:06Ralph schumacher is eight button is ninth and dinners is in 10th place

00:43:10Yes, and look so ralph schumacher did lose out with his slow getaway

00:43:13But just managed to stay ahead of his teammate jenson button button has cruised up behind that trio as we expected

00:43:20But unfortunately, he didn't quite clear his seven tenths of a second behind

00:43:24He didn't quite get past teammate ralph schumacher as he stuttered away from that first stop of the afternoon

00:43:31Now I think we've got to look towards lap 46 47 before we're expecting the key players back in again

00:43:38Yes, it's exactly as we thought it would be these uh, these stops coming in the early 20s

00:43:42They've got about they've taken on about 50 kilos of fuel

00:43:45In this stop and that should be good enough to take them through to about lap 45

00:43:49And a very good pit work today by all of the teams. It really is such an exciting part of grand prix racing nowadays

00:43:54You're looking at this tremendous scrap between the williams and the two jordans

00:43:58That's the trulli's trulli fredson and ralph schumacher with jensen's button just behind his teammate in a much stronger performance by jensen

00:44:05And you've got to get smart here

00:44:07Now you go out on a new set of tires

00:44:08You're a fantastic grip much better than when you've hit it the tires degrade here faster than just about any other circuit

00:44:14in grand prix racing and you've got to be

00:44:17You've got to resist the temptation james to use all of that extra grip because you can burn those tires out

00:44:22So quickly sure you want to go faster. You have got some more grip, but don't punish the tires

00:44:27Until they've settled down for a couple of laps and there

00:44:31You see the jordan ahead of both williams and these cars really do seem very evenly matched as we see a sauber in the pits

00:44:38And that is pedro deniz. That's got to be out of sequence

00:44:41Yes, just a little bit sloppy as they pushed him away

00:44:43But let's just talk a little bit about jensen button not scored any points in his last four starts

00:44:47I mean a terrific start to the season scored points

00:44:50Of course the british grand prix and a bit of a lock up there from ralph schumacher

00:44:53But jensen now right on the gearbox of his teammate and that's where he's got to be if he wants to keep this williams drive

00:44:58Jensen really looking to turn back the form book as kulfard sets the fastest lap with a 119.479

00:45:05Yes, kultar taking uh, I agree with you on button

00:45:07It's uh, it's exactly where he needs to be and then even having a go at ralph to say. Hey, look me too

00:45:12I can be that good but kultar took a full 1.4

00:45:17Seconds out of michael schumacher's lead on that lap and it's now down to just 3.6

00:45:22I suspect remember the two mclarens were faster in the warm-up significantly than the ferraris. I suspect now they've cleared barrichello

00:45:30They should have a better car, especially as the tires start to wear a little bit

00:45:34I think kultar did have one back marker between him and michael schumacher

00:45:38We haven't seen kultar recently. I would expect he's cleared that back marker now

00:45:42Yes, I think rubens barrichello was clearly holding up david kulfard and mika hakkinen

00:45:46Not once again barrichello not finding the kind of pace of his teammate michael schumacher

00:45:51And now this man david kulfard is like a cork out of a bottle

00:45:55He's released and he's chasing down michael schumacher

00:45:58And once again, he takes three tenths of a second out of him in the first sector

00:46:01And in the second sector, he takes eight tenths of a second out of him

00:46:04He's eating into the lead of michael schumacher and very very soon

00:46:07He's going to catch him and we're going to have a very thrilling battle for the lead and it's also the championship battle here

00:46:14So they're in the same short pit straight just one minority between them

00:46:18It's easier to chase than be chased and kulfar is going to very much relish this next few laps

00:46:23Unfortunately knowing when he gets there, we've got to somehow try and pass an on-form michael schumacher

00:46:28But we've very much got an on-form david kulfar. We have indeed

00:46:31We've also got a kulfard who's very confident at the moment a kulfard is happy to carve his way through traffic

00:46:36A kulfard who's not afraid to have a go to lunge to let the people in front know he's coming through

00:46:41There's just one back marker now between him and michael schumacher as he hunts the two-time world champion down

00:46:472.5 seconds as they came through last time

00:46:50He's eaten a full one and a half seconds out of schumacher's lead and this motor race is coming alive

00:46:55As david kulfar takes on michael schumacher

00:46:58And we know that the pair of them have got the mental and physical stamina and fitness to get through this race at this

00:47:05What is a very hot place james into the one minute nine teams the lot of them with the exception of michael schumacher

00:47:11He does seem to be a little bit slow and hacking in on a roll, too

00:47:15Michael definitely is not enjoying this stage of the race. Maybe this this fresh set of tires is not to his liking

00:47:22We have seen him constantly having to clear back markers

00:47:25Of course, it does upset your rhythm, but kulfar is slicing through them better

00:47:29He does seem to be at the moment you have to say but you wouldn't put money against michael schumacher

00:47:34He is in the lead of this race and he's got one back marker between himself and kulfar

00:47:38And when kulfar gets up even behind him, he's still going to have a tough job to get past michael

00:47:43He's won 40 world prizes in his career and he didn't do it by getting out of the way whenever anybody caught him up

00:47:49Interestingly verstappen's aarons is parked on the pit straight with a stationary yellow above it as kulfar shapes up to lap

00:47:56The uh crossed of heidfeld heidfeld kindly moves completely off the racing line and now just 1.9 seconds

00:48:04I don't believe there's any body between them. Is there there's not it's just fresh air now between schumacher in the lead and kulfar

00:48:121.9 seconds down the road and hackerman not quite getting through the traffic as well kulfar has had the strangest weekend

00:48:18He had a fuel pump failure on friday and only did six laps on saturday morning

00:48:22He had a full fuel pump failure and then an engine failure and he had a real tough time as hackerman gets through the back

00:48:28Markers as well had a real tough time in qualifying yesterday

00:48:30It was a real test of character for david kulfar who eventually managed to unhook a fantastic lap

00:48:35But we were all wondering whether if he'd had a clear session with a good car that wasn't breaking down on him

00:48:40Whether he would have pushed michael schumacher a little bit more for sure

00:48:42He would have taken that pole away from him. Michael would have had to extend himself

00:48:46Now we're going to see the battle we've been waiting for for a couple of races time as kulfar closes right up on the back

00:48:51Of michael schumacher. It's the only session we saw all through this race meeting where mclaren wasn't at the top and particularly kulfar

00:48:58Was uh in final qualifying where michael schumacher put in a stunning first lap of the afternoon

00:49:04But now the lead is down to 1.3 seconds at this stage kulfar's got to make sure he's concentrating on his bit of the racetrack

00:49:11And not focusing too much on the rear wing of that ferrari that he's gonna be happy

00:49:16So we're looking at reasons for why michael schumacher might be losing time his last lap

00:49:20For 121.205 doesn't seem to have had a great deal of traffic on that lap

00:49:25He's closing up on some more on a cross

00:49:27I think it probably is the case martin that he doesn't like this second set of tires very much

00:49:31It seems odd. I know too when you watch it

00:49:33They're all black and round and there's four of them and you bolt them on how can there be a difference between them?

00:49:37But there's so often is and quite often particularly in the middle stint of a race

00:49:41We see the second set of tires just doesn't work quite so well. It was one of the reasons why

00:49:45Schumacher got into trouble in jerez in 97

00:49:48Which allowed jack villeneuve to make that move on him?

00:49:50And of course the world championship turned at that point and these tires do seem to be

00:49:54Very much of a struggle for michael schumacher. Yes

00:49:57That's the point when you're saving brand new sets of tires for the race inevitably

00:50:01You don't know what they're like and you put them on and it's a chemical reaction

00:50:05When the rubber is biting the track and look how close colthard is now

00:50:10And he's not close enough to have a go of the inside into lisa

00:50:13But he really is just honing straight in another seven tenths of a second faster and hackett and now

00:50:20Easily the fastest man on the racetrack back there in third this the mclaren is working beautifully

00:50:25Just watch him cool thought can get the nose of that mclaren

00:50:28Exactly where he wants to the mclarens are faster than the ferraris at this stage of the race

00:50:34Just half a second in it then on lap 32. We're not even at half distance yet

00:50:39And already we're approaching a battle for the lead. You know, what's going to happen?

00:50:42Look and cool thought again

00:50:44He appears to have a much better car under braking into that hairpin so he can stay close enough

00:50:48Just like with barricade. He's going to be able to get past michael schumacher if he can't clear schumacher quickly

00:50:54What's going to happen here is hackett is going to cruise up on the back of both of them

00:50:58Coulthard had a slightly shorter stop than the others

00:51:01I don't know whether they put a slightly less fueling when he's got to go for a shorter middle stint or whether it was just

00:51:07Absolutely clockwork for that particular stop now

00:51:10Nigel mansell always used to say when you catch a car like this

00:51:13What you've got to do is attack straight away as we watch matsukani just losing control matsukani was down in 19th place

00:51:19And going off at very high speed and making a very light

00:51:23Well, not too bad an impact with the tire barrier shouldn't be too much damage to him after that

00:51:27But nigel mansell always used to say when you catch a car what you have to do is attack it immediately

00:51:32But coulthard is now caught schumacher. Is he going to attack immediately?

00:51:35He's going to try but he's still got the same old problem getting through one two and three

00:51:39In the dirty air of that ferrari and especially on higher stand for circuits like this

00:51:44You know formula one car punches a pretty big hole in the air and all that turbulent

00:51:48And but look coulthard appears to have good speed in the middle again could come to the white line

00:51:53Can he pick up a bit of slipstream now?

00:51:56He's just about close. Yes

00:51:57He is homing in and michael schumacher knows it and he goes to the inside

00:52:01Now we know coulthard's better under braking and he tries to go around the outside

00:52:05Don't get too close to him dave for goodness sake you'll be popped up in the air

00:52:08But coulthard he knows he's got to show michael schumacher some muscle

00:52:13But as I said earlier on in this race schumacher doesn't need to win this race

00:52:17David coulthard does that's absolutely true and michael schumacher needs to be shown

00:52:23a little bit of strength as you say

00:52:25It's absolutely essential with schumacher that you have a little element of fear because he really seems to fear nobody

00:52:30He walks around this paddock with such an enormous air of confidence. He's swaggers around

00:52:34He's the best driver in formula one

00:52:35Everyone keeps telling him that and david coulthard is really on a roll his confidence

00:52:39His momentum have been growing throughout the second part of this season and he really needs to make a move

00:52:44Let's have another look and there was not a lot of point in trying to squeeze michael schumacher at that point

00:52:49It could have ended up in tears that one with a broken wishbone

00:52:52But there's another view of it and david really saying hey i'm coming after you but I think he was pushing his luck at him

00:52:59It was

00:53:00Yes, do that one more time. He says and uh, well other gestures french

00:53:05I'm pretty impressed that coulthard's got the presence of mind to be thinking about that

00:53:09As he's going around the outside trying to take the lead in the french grand prix

00:53:12There you go

00:53:13But as advertised is mika hakkinen is now cruising up into the picture just four tenths of a second behind coulthard

00:53:20And uh coulthard seems to have lost just a little bit of ground as a result of that

00:53:24He's obviously taking stock

00:53:25And just having a bit of a think about where the best place to get michael schumacher is certainly on the evidence of what we saw

00:53:30On lap 33 under braking for the adelaide hairpin is going to be the best place

00:53:34But also a surprise move could do well

00:53:36I think schumacher will now be expecting that move possibly into the hairpin as we turn back and look at this battle for sixth

00:53:41Seventh and eighth place still raging as it has from lap one between trulli frentzen and ralph schumacher

00:53:48And it's in that order trulli sixth frentzen seventh ralph eighth and jensen's buttons still holding on in ninth place

00:53:54Terrific scrap here for sixth place between the two jordans and the two williamses

00:53:58And really this is the battle for the best of the rest in a way jordan with third in the constructors championship last year

00:54:03Desperately want to hold on to it again, particularly with the news this weekend

00:54:06They're going to have works honda engines for the next five years

00:54:08There's an enormous wave of confidence at jordan at the moment

00:54:11They're languishing down in fifth place in the world championship

00:54:14And today they need some big points to get themselves back up where they feel they should be

00:54:18Which is third in the constructors and at the moment, it's benetton who are currently third place

00:54:23Yes, jordan were in a cat 22

00:54:24They didn't have they don't have a technical director mike gascoigne's off to benetton

00:54:28Which is soon to be called renault and they didn't have a works engine

00:54:32You need one to attract the other and they had neither and they really were in trouble. So that

00:54:36Honda news is really a lifesaver for eddie jordan and his team and very bad news, of course for british american racing

00:54:42Because it means they'll be sharing what they previously thought was an exclusive engine

00:54:47And but of course there will still be will be honda technicians working at the bar factories

00:54:51We rejoin the battle for the lead. Kulthar has gathered his breath

00:54:54He's had a bit of a think about it and he's on the attack again

00:54:57He's probably got his gloves on so he can make more clear signs next time

00:55:00But it's rather silly making signs at other drivers

00:55:03If they look in their mirrors, all they can see mostly is their own rear tires and own rear wing

00:55:07They're certainly not looking out for the number of fingers that you're holding up to them or any other suitable

00:55:13traffic jam sign language

00:55:15Schumacher leads by just six tenths of a second. You can see it

00:55:18It's almost a cigarette paper between them

00:55:20But david kulthar and then third place is mika hacken and fourth rubens barrichello fifth still jacques villeneuve sixth trulli seventh frenson

00:55:27Eighth is ralph schumacher ninth is button and tenth is fissi keller

00:55:31But this is the story of the race and just look how close they are

00:55:34Now this is the chance for kulthar

00:55:36This is his chance because I don't think michael is going to clear that what I think is a sauber in front of him

00:55:42Before turn three he's not going to clear that before will he catch him in turn three?

00:55:46Because if he does that is when kulthar is going to get a good clean run at him because michael is then

00:55:51Disadvantaged in the same way he is in the dirty air of another car, but in fact, neither of them have caught the blue car

00:55:58So it stays pretty

00:56:00Catch him in turn three because if he does that is when kulthar is going to get a good clean run at him because michael is

00:56:06Then disadvantaged in the same way. He is in the dirty air of another car

00:56:10But in fact, neither of them have caught the blue car. So it stays pretty much but and there is a vert off the road

00:56:17Continuing his terrible season, but I don't want to see this

00:56:19I want to see this kulthar has got a much better run, but michael schumacher the widest ferrari you've ever seen

00:56:26Managing to occupy just about all of the track at the same time and that's where he got past barrichello

00:56:31That's where kulthar passed barrichello under traction coming out of that corner

00:56:34He has another look down into the into the hairpin. No, you'll never get through there. That's definitely one at a time and uh,

00:56:40There's no way that david's going to have a chance through there, but

00:56:43Leaping over the tires, but this is the real action and the two mclaren's now really harrowing

00:56:49Michael schumacher, he simply doesn't have the speed and that's vert trying the truly trick and look that's a bit pathetic, isn't it?

00:56:56So absolutely nothing separating them. That's john lacy

00:56:59You can see he doesn't quite understand what on earth is going on there. That was smart stuff from lacy

00:57:04He saw him coming and turned out and let him just stream through so uh, john lacy

00:57:08They're showing great awareness back with the lead battles schumacher kulthar hakkinen nothing to choose between them

00:57:1422 points between them in the world championship

00:57:17But today is the day when mclaren have to work as a team

00:57:20They have to get a one-two finish ahead of michael schumacher

00:57:23And how are they going to do it as we work lap 38 of this race?

00:57:26We've just passed the halfway stage schumacher kulthar hakkinen barrichello being dropped now 3.8 seconds behind

00:57:32No, I don't agree with you james barrichello is now lapping 1.4 seconds faster than michael schumacher

00:57:38And he's beginning to cruise in he's just 2.7 seconds run there

00:57:42Is in the background look so barrichello has got a second wind in this race

00:57:47David you've got to be closer than that mate

00:57:50Otherwise you will uh, they're going to be losing at least a nose if not a front corner

00:57:54But at least I don't think he was actually having to go there. He was simply trying to uh,

00:57:58Annoy michael schumacher and I think barrichello is definitely in with a chance of cruising up and making it a foursome

00:58:05So it's been some time now that kulthar has been up the gearbox of michael schumacher

00:58:08He's had one serious attempt at passing him

00:58:10He's had a couple of little looks but what about mika hakkinen in third place? What's he thinking about this?

00:58:15Is he going to start joining the party? He's going to let david have a try

00:58:18I I think he'll be sitting back and waiting for them to run into each other because he would have he's been watching it all

00:58:22so far he's not

00:58:24Clearly he's only got the same horsepower as his teammates

00:58:26So until one of those two in front of him makes some kind of mistake or trip over each other

00:58:31I think mick will be sitting there patiently at the moment having a bit of a grin enjoying

00:58:35He's got the best grandstand seat for this challenge on the lead of the french grand prix

00:58:40And kulthar seems to be a little bit slow out of lisa there

00:58:44While american football teams talk about two sides of the skill of the game offense and defense offense is the attack

00:58:50And defense, of course is keeping people behind you and that is what michael schumacher is doing extremely well at the moment

00:58:56He's keeping kulthar behind him not giving him a chance to get a run on him

00:58:59And at the moment, there's just absolutely nothing to choose between them in terms of pace

00:59:04But kulthar just unable you see how much he closes up under braking into the hairpin

00:59:08well

00:59:09I mean if david would just get anywhere near him and uh, he's not got the run that he had on barricada when he made

00:59:14The move for second place, but david gets anywhere near him

00:59:18He's just going to stream fast under braking and michael is necessarily thinking

00:59:24He's in a ferrari testarossa this afternoon, which is pretty wide because that's his only chance

00:59:28He seems like he just can't break any later that mclaren is awesome under braking

00:59:33It is awesome under braking

00:59:34But is there a possibility that this is schumacher playing a few mind games just there as kulthar gets very very close again

00:59:40into this

00:59:40Chicane, he does seem to close right up

00:59:42But it's the grip he's getting out of the slope corners that's giving him the chance to get right up with schumacher

00:59:47But is schumacher playing mind games here? No, his car's not fast enough schumacher's struggling. He would not be breaking that late

00:59:52he's leaving himself extremely exposed, but

00:59:56He will not mind turning across the nose of that mclaren and david should be aware of that

01:00:00I'm sure he is but michael schumacher doesn't have any speed in this segment of the race

01:00:05Michael schumacher's history is a history of taking no prisoners. He's taken no prisoners

01:00:10He's all the confrontations. He's had wheel to wheel with david kulthar down the years

01:00:14There's been many an angry word exchange between the two of them. We think back to spar in 1998

01:00:19We think back to argentina in 1998

01:00:21They had to sit together on an airplane watching a video in order to calm each other down

01:00:25They were at each other's throats james, sorry to interrupt look but uh this time david is going to get up the inside surely

01:00:31Yes, he is and now he's got track position. He'll run. He'll run michael out. That was super stuff from kultar

01:00:37He made schumacher have to lift off and can hacken and make good use of that now and while michael holding his line

01:00:45But uh david is really in

01:00:47I wouldn't want to meet him this afternoon anywhere

01:00:50Kulthar really in super aggressive mode and you were listing the times they've run into each other but more recently silverstone

01:00:57And uh, remembering kuala lumpur last year

01:00:59It was always david that came off best in those type of situations

01:01:04Just like he did then and did you notice that he didn't just he wasn't satisfied in just passing him

01:01:09He actually ran him off the road to make sure he had to get out of the throttle here

01:01:13It is again. Take a strip martin. So, uh, michael having to cover the outside line

01:01:17You're not allowed to move twice. Michael knows that and david also knew that too and david now thinking, okay, right?

01:01:23You want to play?

01:01:24You want to play hard with me tough with me?

01:01:26i'm going to run you to the outside you're going to have to get off the throttle and the uh, the

01:01:32Tire walls touched on a couple of occasions through there and I tell you the formula one cars don't have to look close when

01:01:37You're that uh in that position, but look they're touching again kultar's rear tire just

01:01:43Pushing it up there a bit david. The suspension is not very tough in that when it's forced in that direction

01:01:50they're uh

01:01:51supersonic tough when they're um in the when they're

01:01:55Being used as they're designed to be but not like that aggressive tough ruthless and very very fast

01:02:02What happened to the david kulfard we used to know absolutely extraordinary a changed man so far this season

01:02:08He leads now

01:02:08But just one second from michael schumacher mika hacken and his menacing just seven tenths behind as heintzauer frentzen pits from eighth place

01:02:15He's behind jano trulli and ralph schumacher's got past him as well

01:02:19So it's kulfar leading schumacher second hacken and third barrichello still fourth villeneuve holding on well in fifth trulli still sixth ralph schumacher

01:02:26Seventh frentzen pitting there from eighth fizzy keller doing well getting up to ninth and button has dropped down to 10th place

01:02:31We saw johnny herbert, of course retiring earlier and eddie irvine slipped down to 17th

01:02:35And this uh, the back markers not helping kulfar at all here back markers and uh, the arrows in particular

01:02:42I guess it is definitely uh de la rosa goes in the pit lane. That was good news for kulfar

01:02:46He lost a lot of time there and he's got a bit of breathing space now the lead that he pulled out

01:02:51He lost it all behind de la rosa going into the chicane

01:02:54Well, we're seeing some fantastic track action here between ferrari and mclaren between hacken and schumacher and kulfar and some overtaking on the track

01:03:01Some superb work, but I should remind you that we are also approaching the second round of pit stops

01:03:06This is lap 42 and we expect to see them starting to come in around about lap 45

01:03:11So pit stops will start to work into the equation will hacken an attack before or will he wait for the stops to make his pass?

01:03:17Certainly this set of tires doesn't suit schumacher and he should really try and get past him before the stops

01:03:22Yes, he's going to want to maximize uh this run if he can

01:03:25He doesn't want to stop any earlier than he has to and take on even more fuel

01:03:29But at the same time kultar needs to make sure he stretches this lead out as we watch

01:03:35Fizzy keller leaping across the curves. He's going to run out of road on the outside for sure

01:03:39Just gets it on the break. His tires are turning green because they paint they spray paint the grass here to make it look prettier

01:03:45And he managed to live for another day, didn't he? Now kultar's got some clear air

01:03:49He's got to stretch this lead to give himself a cushion when he comes in in what must be four or five laps at the most

01:03:56I've a thought james

01:03:57Yes

01:03:58We talked about the end of this second stint being the critical point of this motor race and certainly the pit stops are coming into view

01:04:04Now and this will be where the races want to lost although judging by the way

01:04:07These guys are going at each other on the track. I think it's quite possible

01:04:10We'll see more overtaking for position later on in the race

01:04:13But as you so rightly say martin michael schumacher doesn't need to win this race. David kultar desperately does

01:04:19And kultar it needs to be careful when the tires are worn out towards the end of the stint

01:04:23But you're pushing as hard as you can then it's the uh,

01:04:27It's the moment when you're most likely to make a mistake out break yourself

01:04:31But look at the kind of lead he can pull out on michael schumacher

01:04:351.4 seconds ahead at the end of the previous lap all done on lap time and now just stretching it again

01:04:40He should be well over two as he gets to the end of this one

01:04:44Michael schumacher with his mirrors now full of yet another mclaren then sometimes since you've seen mclaren

01:04:50With a race pace such as this able to really take on ferrari as jano trulli pits from sixth position

01:04:56So that puts ralph schumacher up into sixth place and puts jensen button back into the top 10

01:05:01But of course jensen will still have to make his second stop

01:05:03So a terrific scrap still going on there for the last points paying position between

01:05:08Trully schumacher and button frentzen involved in it as well

01:05:11And this is the battle at the front some great scraps here today at the french grand prix here at manicor

01:05:17Sometimes people the drivers say

01:05:19It's not a particularly thrilling track

01:05:20But it's giving us a great grand prix here today and a wonderful scrap for the lead between koulthard schumacher and hackinnon

01:05:25Ferrari mechanics outside our window james and I hear and yes

01:05:29Look, michael schumacher is in and so is mika hackinnon

01:05:32So second and third place in hackinnon has to sweep around the ferrari pits

01:05:36Michael schumacher has a straighter run who can get their cars up and running earliest schumacher's away

01:05:41But hackinnon must be just behind him

01:05:43And well, he's not coming out at all. Is he and now he leaves so a bad stop there for hackinnon that

01:05:49Now could swap around and play into barrichello's hands because he was right behind them

01:05:53Yeah, schumacher stopped 7.3 seconds and hackinnon's 8.9. So he lost 1.6 seconds

01:05:58Somehow maybe the fuel hose didn't come out quite quickly enough, but hackinnon has dropped out dropped a little time there

01:06:03Now as the highest place mccarran on the grid david koulthard would be given the option of choosing his race strategy and having priority

01:06:10When he wanted to stop and quite clearly he's running a little bit more fuel all through the grand prix and uh

01:06:17That's certainly paying dividends for david. Can he stretch how much more fuel has he got in?

01:06:21Can he do a couple more laps got some clear track in front of him james?

01:06:24And he needs to maximize this and he can win this grand prix. This is lap 44

01:06:28He's obviously coming in very soon

01:06:30And he obviously knows that schumacher and hackinnon have made their stops because he's already just put in his fastest first sector time

01:06:35Of the entire race

01:06:36So he's putting the hammer down now david koulthard trying to build a second two seconds

01:06:41Maybe even three seconds what a luxury that would be in order to a cushion for him to make his stop and come back

01:06:46out in front of michael schumacher

01:06:48And koulthard does have enough fuel for at least another lap and barrichello is in the pits

01:06:53He's the dark horse of this race for me james. What kind of stop can barrichello have here?

01:06:57We are now watching that

01:06:59And uh, it's all about the fuel hose now. The tires are on look now the right front a problem with the right front

01:07:05Oh, what a tragedy for rubens barrichello

01:07:07He was just 7.1 seconds behind david koulthard and once again in france

01:07:12The number two ferrari has problems in the pit stop this time last year

01:07:15The ferrari mechanics got the wrong tires for eddie irvine the number two ferrari guy and once again rubens barrichello comes off worse

01:07:21But what about koulthard look at this pace? Yes

01:07:24Well, it seems like ferrari often choose when to make their pit stops better than mclaren

01:07:29But they have to say they do make more mistakes on those pit stops

01:07:33So ferrari having a drama but mclaren have got to cut the mustard yet on david koulthard's car

01:07:38You're on board with eddie irvine the first gear it says I would think he was already long in first gear

01:07:43It looked like quite a long stop

01:07:44So as irvine exits the pits I can tell you that michael schumacher last time by was 15.5 seconds behind david koulthard

01:07:51So koulthard, I think needs about 21 seconds. So it's going to be very touch and go

01:07:56Well, we know for sure. This is koulthard's final stop when he has to come in now

01:08:00Look, does he go in the pit lane? Yes. He no, he doesn't. No, he doesn't he's pointing out

01:08:04It didn't go in so koulthard has got yet another opportunity to eke out an advantage. He's on low fuel now

01:08:10He should be making well over a second a lap advantage. I've actually misread the screens martin. I apologize

01:08:14It's 22 seconds schumacher is behind koulthard. He's 15.5 behind rubens barrichello

01:08:19So that's pretty much the window that david needs. I reckon it's about 21 seconds

01:08:24It's going to be very very tight when he makes his second stop

01:08:26But I think koulthard barring any misfortune should be able to get out in front

01:08:30And barrichello, of course, we'll have to see how the computer works itself out

01:08:34I think barrichello will stay in fourth place

01:08:37But much much further away remember that terrible stop when the right front wheel barrichello goes over the line

01:08:42Now he's nine seconds behind hackenen

01:08:44So he couldn't make any advantage the first four stay the same has koulthard got enough of a lead

01:08:50Michael schumacher's got a pretty hot pace on a new set of tires a 120.6, but koulthard still six tenths up

01:08:56This is crucial mclaren are out in the pit lane

01:08:59This is a grand prix winning pit stop coming up if they can get it

01:09:03Absolutely, right david koulthard has done everything that could have been asked of him on the racetrack

01:09:08Now will the mechanics do everything that's asked of them in the pit lane?

01:09:11This is the stop which will decide the outcome of this french grand prix

01:09:14Although i'm sure there's still some racing to be had out on the track as well

01:09:18But as we watch mika hacken and david koulthard is coming down and closing in on his second and final stop

01:09:23He's in the pit lane now and we're cutting to him. Here. He is david koulthard the race leader

01:09:27He has 23.3 seconds lead over michael schumacher in second place as he comes to a stop and the fuel hose goes on

01:09:34Forklift is the name of the guy who's applying that fuel hose a terrific guy a very experienced man

01:09:38brilliant pit work by the mclaren crew

01:09:407.5 seconds the clock stopped late and that should be enough to give david koulthard the lead of this race

01:09:46As schumacher comes to the lisa corner

01:09:48Yes, and look koulthard joins the track. He is indeed ahead, but he's got to pick up speed

01:09:52Michael schumacher is already up to speed koulthard will retain the lead of the french grand prix

01:09:57But I don't think michael schumacher will be very far behind by the time they get down to adelaide but far enough I suspect

01:10:05Amazing pit work there by the mclaren team. They cannot be praised highly enough david koulthard did a fantastic job

01:10:12Getting past michael schumacher on the racetrack and what a great job by the pit crew

01:10:16So koulthard leads from michael schumacher, then it's mika hacken and rubens barrichello ralph schumacher's fifth and jacques villeneuve is in sixth place

01:10:41So

01:11:11So

01:11:41Foreign

01:12:11So

01:12:13So

01:12:38Welcome back to the french grand prix at manucourt james allen and martin brundle with you

01:12:42You've missed nothing significant during the break david koulthard leads the race looking for his third grand prix victory of the 2000 season

01:12:50Looking to close the gap between himself and michael schumacher in the world championship

01:12:54It was 22 points when he started this race. It's currently going to be 16 if they finish this way

01:12:58He needs mika hacken to get ahead of schumacher as well to give himself a real fighting chance

01:13:02The top 10 is koulthard schumacher hacken in his third fourth is barrichello fifth villeneuve sixth. Jarno trulli

01:13:09Seventh frentzen eighth ralph schumacher ninth jenson button and tenth giancarlo piscicchiella

01:13:15Well, remember

01:13:17Olivier panis the test driver for mclaren said koulthard was air testing last week and he left the circuit very very strong

01:13:24And I do know that david kenway said i've never felt as good and my car's never felt as good as it has

01:13:30Around this track during the test and every time he's been on the racetrack

01:13:34He's been the top man this weekend and remember he was scampering off into the lead last year here when uh, when the fuel pump broke

01:13:42So koulthard does appear to have good solid pace around there

01:13:45And at the moment he just took 1.1 seconds out of michael schumacher's lead on a 19.9

01:13:52So schumacher still doesn't have any pace even though he's changed his tires watching ralph schumacher carving his way through back markers

01:13:59It's been another good performance today from ralph schumacher in the williams

01:14:03You're on board now with jean. Alessi

01:14:05Yes, alessi heading down to the emmeler chicane

01:14:07He's way down in 15th place after he got tagged by his teammate earlier on and had a spin

01:14:12In the adelaide hairpin started 18th in this race a disastrous weekend for alessi in particular and prost in general

01:14:19And look, he just can't get on the power at all and it almost seems pedestrian compared to when we're on board with the leaders

01:14:26So koulthard enjoying a 5.4 second lead over michael schumacher schumacher as you say martin

01:14:33Some almost second and a half slower on that last lap and here's the man

01:14:36You've got to watch out for now mika hakkinen the world champion the two-time world champion

01:14:41Who recently has been struggling to find his form?

01:14:44it's been five races since he stuck the car on pole position and

01:14:49Well, he's never won the french grand prix. He doesn't look like he's going to do it today

01:14:51He's had six consecutive points finishes and he needs to get ahead of schumacher now

01:14:55Hacking in there at some point he jumped across the chicane at turn seven, which is the nerburgring chicane

01:15:01And they'll be looking at that. I don't think he made any advances. He certainly didn't pass anybody and I don't think he

01:15:07Prevented somebody else from passing him and as he came out he put his hand up in the air

01:15:11He's meant to say i'm slowing down. I'm definitely slowing down. Don't penalize me

01:15:15So hacking in there as several other cars have done during this grand prix

01:15:20Jumping across the screen flying through the air

01:15:22And uh, but I think he might just get away with it

01:15:25This is the battle for eighth place jensen button is on the move against heintzauer frentzen

01:15:30It's been remarkable how few retirements we've had so far today. I think only five retirements alex burt's

01:15:36Accident was the last one. In fact, most of the retirements today would appear to have been accidents

01:15:40It's been a very very low attrition rate. We've still got 17 cars 16 cars running on the track

01:15:46So here is button attacking frentzen needs to put up a good performance today jensen button

01:15:51And I think he has done really I think he's been very solid there in the second half of the top 10

01:15:55But whenever he's had clear air

01:15:57He's simply cruised up to the back of the car in front and i'd say a solid run as the jordan locks up his right front

01:16:04But it was already committed to the apex. So no way through for jensen. There's certainly no way through at turn one

01:16:10He's got to be patient here and position his car nicely make sure he gets to the inside of turn three as early as possible

01:16:16And you see the car's walked out. He's had to get out of the throttle

01:16:18He's fighting the car all the way through the corner. He was too anxious there

01:16:22He should have just bided his time and committed his car to the white line on the inside and then had a go down this

01:16:28Next week instead. Look he's fallen back when he was in formula three. He had a reputation for being a very aggressive

01:16:34Feisty pastor. He was the michael schumacher of formula three last year

01:16:37I saw him race in the macau grand prix

01:16:39Which is a blue ribbon event for the young guys at the end of the season and he was absolutely electric up there

01:16:44Passing everything on the left and on the right

01:16:46I asked him when he came into the formula one this year whether he thought he'd be able to do the same thing

01:16:50He said I see no reason why not

01:16:52But I think he's been learning the hard way in formula one

01:16:54It's much more difficult to overtake than it is in the junior junior formula

01:16:58You've got this tremendous aerodynamic effect of the car in front

01:17:01You've got to be super aggressive as we saw from david coulthard when he passed michael schumacher

01:17:06It is not easy to pass in formula one after all if it was easy, we'd all be doing it

01:17:10Yes, and that's hackett and finding it's not easy at all to pass. He's just over a second behind michael schumacher

01:17:16Now remember earlier on in the race schumacher got off to a good start barrichello somehow leapt past coulthard

01:17:22And it ran very much like that with hacken in fourth place

01:17:25Coulthard making a good move at the hairpin on barrichello for second catching schumacher up having a couple of dust-ups with him

01:17:32And then taking the lead mclaren with some fine pit stops barrichello losing out heavily with a bad pit stop

01:17:38He's now still 9.5 seconds down on third place hacken and that you're looking at now, but michael schumacher is still

01:17:46Struggling for pace in that ferrari losing about a second a lap to the runaway race leader david coulthard

01:17:52Yes, and hacken seems to be keeping very much nicely in touch with schumacher

01:17:55We've got an incident down at the airfield

01:17:57It looks like a lacey having his second spin of the day with one of the two minardis which must be mark janae

01:18:02So a lacey and janae that was a battle for 15th place

01:18:05What an ignominious way to go for a man like jean lacey with 30 31 podiums to his name

01:18:10Just to be nerfed by mark janae in a minardi

01:18:12Yes, but when we were on board with the lacey remember he really was just cruising it

01:18:16He looked like he lost total interest in this race, which is why he's fighting with janae for last place

01:18:21But hacken and still then a little bit close as you can see 20 laps to go

01:18:25He's got 20 opportunities really into that hairpin

01:18:28You've got to assume that he's got a similar setup to coulthard and therefore his mclaren is good under braking

01:18:34Didn't look like it in there. Did it? He never did quite make the line into 180

01:18:39So david coulthard sitting very pretty at the front eight seconds now ahead of michael schumacher with hacken as you can see

01:18:44Holding station behind rubens is barack. Alois for jack villeneuve doing superbly

01:18:48Well, we haven't seen him, but he's going brilliantly in fifth place in the var and ralph schumacher is in sixth place

01:18:54We'll be back in a couple of moments

01:19:08So

01:19:38So

01:20:08So

01:20:38So

01:21:09It's the french grand prix at manicure david coulthard is leading from michael schumacher and mika hacken and

01:21:17And this happened while you're away ralph schumacher taking over sixth place from jano truly

01:21:23Slicing up the inside truly didn't really defend in an aggressive way as a short replay that one

01:21:28But and didn't have a go on the way out ralph schumacher now

01:21:32Catching very quickly jack villeneuve in fifth place not often

01:21:36You see michael schumacher fading during the course of the race. I'm absolutely certain

01:21:40It's nothing to do with his physical condition

01:21:42But mika hacken and now is in a position to do to him what david coulthard did to him about 20 laps ago

01:21:47Yes, I don't know whether coulthard had traffic on the last lap or whether they told him to slow whatever

01:21:51It wasn't a great lap for coulthard a 22-2 and you're going to see barrichello

01:21:56This is a replay, but it's the first time we've seen it barrichello in the last chicane taking the easy way out

01:22:02And no damage there to the front wing hacken and now attacking

01:22:06But not close enough to michael schumacher

01:22:08I wonder why coulthard had a slow lap the time before sometimes they said you cool it you're pulling away

01:22:15Eight seconds in the lead and you back off what you think's a little bit next time around

01:22:18You've lost a second and a half now

01:22:20Let's talk about team tactics martin at the japanese grand prix last year

01:22:23Michael schumacher needed to win the race for eddie irvine to win the world championship

01:22:26He didn't do it right now

01:22:29Needs to get ahead of michael schumacher to have a chance himself of a world championship

01:22:32But more importantly if he does that he really hands the initiative to david coulthard

01:22:36His lead will be 14 points over michael schumacher and then I think we're going to get into some team tactics situations

01:22:42We'll talk about that in a moment. We've got a replay right here of one of the saubers going straight on

01:22:47and

01:22:49It's one of his pedro deniers

01:22:50In fact, what about these team tactics though martin i mean hacken and if he is he going to be told?

01:22:55No, I think he'll be left to work that one out for himself

01:22:57He's got to get past that ferrari certainly coulthard gave hacken in a big dollop of helping to his 98 world championship, particularly

01:23:05And but at the moment hacken is thinking only of his world championship and understandably so louise has got something to tell us

01:23:11Yeah, just just a note on the contrasting moods down here in the pit lane martin, obviously very subdued at ferrari

01:23:16They watch their man schumacher overhauled by coulthard

01:23:19No obvious explanation that they'll give me anyway for michael's lack of pace

01:23:23Ruben's paid a heavy penalty for that problem in the pit stop

01:23:25That was a cross-threaded nut in contrast. The tension is really building at ferrari the boys sitting watching the race in the garage

01:23:31They know as well as coulthard knows that it's critical to get a good result today in order to keep their championships hopes alive

01:23:37So far, it's all going according to plan, but there's a way to go yet

01:23:40Well, I don't think it's quite according to plan because coulthard is still edging away at a second a lap

01:23:46So, uh, whatever I guess it was passing of traffic and now we see coulthard coming up to lap

01:23:51I think it's jensen button who is still squabbling with frentzen

01:23:56over eighth and ninth place so that

01:23:59Demonstrates the kind of power and speed that coulthard and that mclaren have had through this afternoon

01:24:05Yes, it's a really quite impressive performance by david coulthard

01:24:09He said no more. Mr

01:24:11Nice guy when he came into the 2000 season and uh, well certainly some cynics scoffed and said you can't reinvent yourself

01:24:17Over the course of a winter as hackinton closes right up now onto michael schumacher

01:24:22We've got two slower cars in front and hackinton gets good grip out of the lisa schumacher

01:24:26Look at him. He's looking in the mirrors more than he's looking forwards

01:24:28Yes schumacher there ducking around the back markers, but schumacher is on the defensive, isn't he's had to drive all over the road this afternoon

01:24:35And to constantly defend his position. He has no grip

01:24:38You can see him just almost at all times on the track. His grip has faded away. The ferrari clearly uses its tires

01:24:46In a harder way than the mclaren and in the second half of each stint michael schumacher has been struggling and he lost

01:24:521.9 seconds on the last lap to leader david coulthard as they've been negotiating through the back markers

01:24:59And as I said, I think a key element of coulthard's race so far is he's been very decisive through the back markers

01:25:06And it's given him the opportunities then later on to make the moves when they were available to him

01:25:11A tear off strip comes off from mika hackinton's visor

01:25:14And he's focusing his efforts on the back of michael schumacher's car

01:25:18They put these plastic strips on their visors

01:25:20So the oil gets collected on it. They can rip it off and get a clear field of vision

01:25:24We've got 15 laps to go in which mika hackinton has to try to get past michael schumacher

01:25:29And well, once we get that underway

01:25:31We'll ask the starters answering all sorts of questions about team orders beyond here

01:25:34Do mclaren put all their eggs in the coulthard basket after this?

01:25:37Do they make him the point man to go after the world championship?

01:25:40Is mika hackinton going to be passing michael schumacher in vain in terms of his own championship aspirations?

01:25:45All these questions will no doubt come out at the end of this race

01:25:48And david coulthard goes serenely on 10.3 seconds clear of michael schumacher with hackinnon right in his trail

01:25:55Yes, I was listening to the engine note of the cars as you were explaining that james and michael schumacher can barely touch the throttle

01:26:02Until he builds up some speed and some downforce and he is clearly lacking some mechanical grip

01:26:08But I don't know somehow or other hackinton never seems to be the one having a go

01:26:12But he's got to have a go this afternoon. He was strong and michael schumacher makes a mistake

01:26:17He's locked his rear wheels under braking into the hairpin. He's been slow there all day and michael schumacher

01:26:24That's unusual makes a mistake and it was so so easy for hackinnon in the end

01:26:29Well sheer joy as you can see in the mclaren garage. They're certainly keeping their enthusiasm under control

01:26:34I think they've probably got absolutely everything crossed

01:26:36They desperately need a one two as we said going into this race and right now they've got one absolutely extraordinary mistake

01:26:42But michael schumacher who has got a problem of some sort he's slowing right down

01:26:45You can see at the back of your picture there

01:26:47We don't know what it is

01:26:48It could be it's probably something to do with the engine or the transmission because it certainly isn't a brake issue

01:26:53Obviously bad news for ferrari good news for this year's world championship. Michael schumacher is slowing now

01:27:00We got blue smoke. So, uh, he is out of the race

01:27:03Of course just on uh on time as well as and he's taking the shortcut and uh, what are you doing michael?

01:27:08He's uh, yeah, he's gonna have to get off the road. He's trying to stay off the racing line

01:27:11He's trying to recover to the pit and that's smart thinking from michael. That's very generous of him and uh

01:27:17Realize he may be dropping oil took to the uh, took to the grass and michael schumacher retires from the 2000 french grand prix

01:27:25Which blows the world championship wide open going into this race?

01:27:29Michael schumacher had 56 points to david koulthard's 34 if they stay like this

01:27:33It'll be 56 to 44 just 12 points in it between the two of them and then surely martin

01:27:38We're going to start seeing some team orders from mclaren

01:27:41yeah, so

01:27:42well, we'll have to wait and see but um

01:27:45Koulthard now with a 12.4 second lead and look michael and hacken and having a look michael's

01:27:51I guess it must be a gearbox problem

01:27:52Also, i mean michael already looking around and he look it just I think it threw it into gear and just locked the rear wheels

01:27:58It wasn't as if he braked too late

01:28:00He clearly already had a problem as he was heading down that back straight and that elevates barrichello up into third place

01:28:07And uh hacken and koulthard two mclarens ahead of him

01:28:09You know what that reminds me of that reminds me of the thing that put rubens barrichello out at silverstone

01:28:13He did a very similar thing in the woodcut corner

01:28:15We all thought that he'd made a mistake

01:28:16but in fact

01:28:17It was something to do with the gear ratios the hydraulics that had a problem with that car

01:28:20It's the second time for rubens and it looks like it could be the same problem for for michael today as he walks back

01:28:26he's got a fairly firm look on his face, but

01:28:29Well 10 points again gone today. Well, not 10 points

01:28:31Sorry, six points gone today 10 points lost in monaco. These lost points are starting to notch up for michael schumacher

01:28:37He's had such an incredible run of reliability though. I don't think he can complain too much

01:28:41But remember koulthard's car could barely make it onto the track through friday and saturday morning. So, uh, he's still got

01:28:49Another 12 laps to do including this one david koulthard leading by 12.9 seconds from teammate mika hacken and rubens barrichello

01:28:57A further 8.4 seconds behind villeneuve having a quiet day, but a good day in fifth ralph schumacher still can't quite catch him

01:29:04And there you saw the back end of michael's car stepping out of line

01:29:08And he is already struggling in this race and it was oh so easy for mika hacken and to take over that second place

01:29:15And as we watch them head off look michael not defending at all just struggling through the corner. We're going to take a quick break

01:29:38So

01:30:08So

01:30:38So

01:31:08So

01:31:10So

01:31:13So

01:31:35Back live at the french grand prix and you are watching heinz harald frentzen

01:31:39And he has got the attentions of jensen button to consider now

01:31:42This is a battle for seventh place

01:31:44And you can see that button is being very aggressive as we enter the closing stages of this race

01:31:48Now this is lap 63 of this 72 lap race koulthard leading from hacken and barrichello third villeneuve promoted to fourth

01:31:56By the retirement of michael schumacher fifth is ralph schumacher

01:31:59As you can see sixth is jano trulli seventh frentzen and eighth jensen button

01:32:03What a terrific motor race so far and it looks like there's still more to come

01:32:07Yes, this is a three-way fight actually don't count out fizzy keller

01:32:10Although it's the seventh eighth and nine that's the kind of frantic action

01:32:13There is you never know just in the closing stages. There's still a chance you can pick up a world championship point or two

01:32:19Eddie irvine the only jaguar still running down there in 12th place a dreadful afternoon for jaguar

01:32:26Although irvine now finally seems to have found some pace. He's the fastest man on the racetrack earlier on

01:32:31They were full two two and a half seconds a lap off the pace

01:32:34But this is the fight for fourth place jack villeneuve and just nine tenths of a second behind ralph

01:32:40Schumacher the williams bmw team leader and uh, well, he caught up reasonably quickly to villeneuve

01:32:45But hasn't made much impression now. He's arrived on the scene ralph has had a terrific day

01:32:50Well, both of these two guys have had a terrific day

01:32:52And uh, well, it would be unkind for either of them to lose out towards the end

01:32:55But that's motor racing and certainly ralph schumacher certainly has clear intentions of getting that fourth place away from jack villeneuve

01:33:03It's been a while since uh ralph schumacher has scored himself any points three races in fact

01:33:08And ralph just uh touching the back there james while you were looking out of the window

01:33:12Ralph just touching the back of villeneuve's car there coming into the last corner and never going to be an overtaking opportunity

01:33:20But villeneuve extremely slow through there ralph lucky not to lose his nose. It's been confirmed

01:33:25Actually, it wasn't a hydraulic problem on the ferrari

01:33:27It was indeed a blown engine

01:33:29So whether michael had got a bit of oil coming out of the back of it as he turned into the hairpin

01:33:33He certainly lost the back end in a hurry

01:33:35Look to me like it still was a downshift problem rather than a driver outbraking himself

01:33:41But still the fight goes on for fourth place villeneuve and ralph schumacher michael schumacher out of the race with a blown engine

01:33:49Yes, this is the scrap for fourth place and you can see these these bits of tires now

01:33:52They call them marbles that are starting to form up on the side of the road as once again

01:33:56Ralph schumacher seems to close up very nicely under braking for that 180 corner and

01:34:01Accelerating at 130 miles an hour as they make their way up towards the imola the very very fast chicane

01:34:06Really is breathtaking how quickly they go through this chicane about 135 miles an hour through it

01:34:12Just the change of direction of these formula one cars simply sensational

01:34:15And ralph just seems to have the little bit of edge at the moment that var doesn't seem to quite have the legs

01:34:20Well ralph's got the same

01:34:22Facilities ie a car that he can brake extremely late in just like jenson futton has behind heinz harold frentzen fighting for

01:34:29Seven, but they just can't seem to make it stick. Maybe they can't get through turn three fast enough

01:34:34They certainly don't have an excess of straight line speed. So the both of williams I think handling extremely well tucked up behind slower cars

01:34:43Kulthar leading then by 15 seconds from hackett and baricello fourth. This is the battle

01:34:47Sorry third, this is the battle for fourth place between villeneuve and ralph schumacher both of them needing points paying positions

01:34:54Today and var started out the season very strongly got points in the first grand prix in australia

01:35:01And since then it's fair to say that villeneuve has not had the happiest of times

01:35:04He hasn't scored any points now for five races

01:35:07He looked quite good in canada qualified up in seventh place and certainly looked as though he was going to get some points

01:35:12But failed once again. Meanwhile ralph not scored for three. So which of these two is going to come out on top?

01:35:18Now this is a good idea of just how much grip they lose during the grand prix as the tires wear away last week

01:35:24When they were running on the tanks

01:35:25They were in the one minute 16s and 17s on a test circuit when it was quite a bit cooler on at certain times

01:35:32Now they're in the one minute 22s a full six seconds a lap slower

01:35:36And well a formula one car goes an awful long way in six seconds

01:35:39But that's why they're that just demonstrates to you how much they're struggling for mechanical grip out there

01:35:45No sign of the rain which some people forecast earlier in the day

01:35:49It's still a sunny day. The clouds are coming over the track temperature has dropped a little bit as

01:35:54the jordan locks up a wheel heinz our frentzen still

01:35:57Being attacked by jensen button and button obviously putting a lot of pressure on frentzen because frentzen's starting to make some mistakes

01:36:03I think yeah solid day for jensen button

01:36:05He's had three or four pretty lackluster weekends recently

01:36:09But I would say this is one of his strongest performances of the year and very very timely too

01:36:14But still he can't get past that jordan

01:36:17Even though without doubt he's in a faster car faster package and the real sad thing about this martin

01:36:21It's been a terrific scrap throughout the race between frentzen and button, but look at it. It's just for seventh place

01:36:26This isn't for a points paying position

01:36:28Of course one of the cars in front may well retire but all this effort just for no points at all

01:36:33You'd rather finish nowhere than seventh, but you know, remember jensen button made a great move

01:36:38I think it was on verstappen in the brazilian grand prix to take seventh place later on coolthard's thrown out of the race in the mclaren

01:36:45For a technicality and button ends up picking up his first world championship point

01:36:50So he just can never give up you mentioned that disqualification of coolthards in brazil

01:36:54Of course, he was second in that race if he'd been able to keep those points

01:36:58He would have been if he wins this race today just six points behind michael schumacher

01:37:03At this stage in the world championship, obviously the six points were taken away from him

01:37:06So he'll be 12 points behind michael schumacher if he can hold on and he's just got six more laps to do in this french

01:37:12Grand prix and well, he may well look back at brazil

01:37:14He may well look back also at canada where he's stalled on the grid as two opportunities without those two things

01:37:19He would be right with michael and it would be game on for the championship

01:37:23Murray would say if his f1 spelt backwards, but yes, I do believe coolthard was robbed

01:37:27It's my personal view of those points in brazil

01:37:30But uh, you have to say he gave them away on the start line in canada

01:37:34Whatever the reasons, uh, he stalled the engine and gave away a solid six

01:37:38It may have cost him as much as 14 points. I think he could have won that race

01:37:41I think in the race it would be similar to today

01:37:44He had some good pace in a race setup and because michael went on to get the full 10

01:37:49Whereas he may have only got six and david got absolutely zero

01:37:52So it cost him very dearly, but there's still nine races including today to turn that around

01:37:57Well, I was going to say that's enough for looking backwards

01:37:59Let's look forwards because we've still got a championship on our hands here very much alive

01:38:03David coolthard is taking the fight to the ferrari of michael schumacher

01:38:07It looks like these two are going to be the two main championship contenders

01:38:10We haven't had a british championship contender, of course, since damon hill, but uh, david

01:38:15David coolthard certainly has stepped up and is uh, he's making himself

01:38:19known

01:38:20And every time cool that was anywhere. I thought it was a bit over the top personally

01:38:24Rab c cool thought every time he got anywhere near michael schumacher

01:38:27He felt the need to gesticulate and run into him. He wasn't satisfied with just passing him

01:38:32He had to sort of have a go at him as well and say take that and next time i'm here

01:38:36It'll be even worse. I think psychologically. It's a smart move

01:38:41So at the front cool thought leading by 16.5 seconds now from mika hakkinen

01:38:47Who was as little as one or two seconds behind him earlier on but he seems to have dropped back a little bit now

01:38:52Hacking and content I think to finish second and for sure the mclaren team will tell them to hold station

01:38:57There's absolutely no need for either of them to catch up

01:39:00Barrichello, you're looking at now on the screen

01:39:01Of course caught right up to his team leader michael schumacher in the closing stages of the canadian grand prix

01:39:06And was told in no uncertain terms not to pass his team leader. Michael, of course suffering at the time from a brake problem

01:39:13Yes a good drive a solid drive from rubens again today, but you can't say sparkling can you it was good

01:39:19but he he was always on the defensive and his pace has been

01:39:23You know only where it really should be in that car. It's nothing exceptional and uh rubens

01:39:28I think he's in third place, but he's 30 seconds behind to cool thought and I think he'll uh

01:39:34Wish he'd have got a little bit better setup and been able to stay up with those leading back

01:39:38To get his first chance of a grand prix win. The guy I want to talk about is right here jack

01:39:42Villeneuve, he's locking up a wheel there

01:39:43He's under all kinds of pressure from ralph schumacher

01:39:46But what a superb performance from him today in the british american racing honda

01:39:49They came here really under a cloud this weekend with the news that they no longer had exclusivity

01:39:54From next year onward to the honda works engines. Jordan would be having them for the next five years a real slap in the face

01:40:00For everybody at the british american racing team and yet villeneuve qualified seventh

01:40:04He's running fourth on the road a terrific drive from him and this will give enormous confidence to all the boys back at brackley

01:40:10They've taken such a panning in the press over the last year when they came out big saying we're going to win our first race

01:40:16We're going to rewrite the rules and they did polling last year didn't score a single point

01:40:21And now this year they started well in australia faded a little bit recently

01:40:25And now villeneuve is on his way to fourth place and three very well-earned championship points

01:40:29As long as he doesn't lock up his tires too much and let ralph schumacher in

01:40:32Yes, I think ba i'll be looking inwards and not outwards

01:40:35They're also saying of course honda are helping them with the chassis

01:40:38And I think they're still on the ascendancy as a team

01:40:41So I don't think they'll be too worried about the jordan news in that respect

01:40:44They've got a sort of few things out in-house first

01:40:47But uh, you know, once again a villeneuve was a reasonable player in canada to say the least and until uh,

01:40:53They got wrong-footed on a tire choice had he have pitted one lap later villeneuve would have been a major player in canada

01:41:00With if he'd have put the wets on louise, what can you tell us?

01:41:03That tension I was talking about the mclaren earlier on believe me. It's all gone. They're laughing. They're smiling

01:41:08In fact, they've asked me to tell you james

01:41:09Would you like to stay up there in the commentary position because they like the results that they get when i'm down in the garage

01:41:14a lot better

01:41:17Well, I won't even begin to answer that question louise

01:41:19We've got three laps to go at the end of this french grand prix

01:41:22And I think the main question now is can villeneuve keep away ralph schumacher eddie. Irvine just flashing in the pits for his

01:41:29Fourth stop of the afternoon down there in 11th place a dismal weekend for jaguar

01:41:35Unfortunately, so uh, irvine yet more problems. We don't know what they are

01:41:39We haven't cut to him and there you see him just departing say four stops for him. Johnny herbert out of the race

01:41:46somewhat earlier

01:41:48in fact the second car to retire on

01:41:5220 laps into the race. Yeah, we should just run through the retirements

01:41:56The first to go was ricardo zonta in the bar. We saw him going off the track on his own. Johnny herbert

01:42:01We saw being wheeled into the pit lane joshua stapp and his car stopped at the end of the pit lane

01:42:05Matsukane made a mistake vertz made a mistake delarosa. We don't know what happened to him

01:42:09But uh, he went out on lap 25 and michael schumacher, of course the engine blew so 15 cars still running

01:42:17And uh, it's been a very low attrition rate afternoon despite the temperature. It's dropped a little bit now

01:42:22It's 33 degrees track temperature and 30 degrees air temperature still warm enough and you're on board with rubens barrichello two laps to go

01:42:29Listen, he's even down shifting in the middle of the corner. He's got no grip. He's really struggling

01:42:33I mean, you're normally on the power there rubens without having to uh, make a another downshift

01:42:39He had so little grip and hacken and now some 15 seconds down the road from third place man barrichello

01:42:45And uh approximately 15 seconds behind his teammate kultar and kultar has had the legs on hacken and all through the practices

01:42:54Qualifying and through the race so it doesn't come as any surprise

01:42:57Around here today kultar certainly does appear to have his car hooked up nicely

01:43:02He's had the legs on hacking and for the last three races. I think it's fair to say

01:43:05I mean kultar really has had a bit between his teeth that superb victory and monaco

01:43:09Of course looking back a little further the victory as well in the british grand prix for david kultar

01:43:13And well kultar moves into the final lap and there's two critical things today

01:43:18Kultar will if he wins this race at the end of this lap

01:43:21He's beaten michael schumacher in a straight fight and then to add as a major bonus

01:43:28Schumacher has dropped out of the race. So uh stunning day for kultar dream ticket and also then hacking and

01:43:34Following him up in second place. He's not just beating michael schumacher though martin

01:43:38He's also beaten mika hacking and his teammate which is something that a lot of people last season said would not happen

01:43:43But david kultar reinvented himself over the winter and I remember we were he was talking earlier in the season and saying

01:43:49You know, i'm not such a nice guy. I want to win races after the british grand prix

01:43:53He said it I want to pass people. I want to be aggressive as eddie

01:43:56Irvine tries to be a hero a little bit of showboating on the last lap knowing that the cameras are following david kultar

01:44:01Absolutely. No point in him trying to get past him

01:44:04Well david, of course cruising to the finish line eddie on a fresh set of tires enjoying himself, but uh,

01:44:09Don't run into the back of kultar eddie

01:44:12You will not be mr. Popular in the uk on that one, but david now just a few corners from home

01:44:17Yes, david kultar in the final sector of the final lap of the 2000 french grand prix

01:44:23He's heading for his third grand prix victory of the season a victory

01:44:27Which will take him to within 12 points of michael schumacher in the world championship

01:44:31David kultar wins the french grand prix for mclaren a 1-2 that they so badly needed from mika hakkinen

01:44:37Who now comes down some 14.7 seconds behind him a superb day for the boys from woking and the guys in gray

01:44:44Mercedes-benz too a superb job from all of them ferrari go away to lick their wounds

01:44:49Michael schumacher goes away with no points ruben rubens barricada will go away with four points a terrific race

01:44:55Right the way through the field as rubens comes through to finish the lap a great performance by villeneuve a great performance by ralph

01:45:02Schumacher frentzen truly button have all been huge today, but the hugest of all has been david kultar

01:45:08Yes kultar there. He doesn't show too much emotion

01:45:11But for him he was shaking his fist and going crazy as he passed his management and mechanics on the start finish line there

01:45:18And villeneuve now looking like he's got a bit of space. He's going to take that fourth place

01:45:22There's a minute behind the leaders

01:45:24But the winning management team there norbert auger mercedes-benz ron dennis of the mclaren team are already celebrating

01:45:31Their man is a minute down the road as villeneuve goes over the line

01:45:34Yes more points for british american racing and well done to everyone at brackley

01:45:37I'm sure you'll take enormous confidence from that ron dennis

01:45:40They're on the left adrian newy the designer of the car as ralph schumacher crosses the line to claim fifth place

01:45:45And jano trulli were waiting for him in sixth seventh heinz harrell frentzen eighth jenson button ninth

01:45:51Giancarlo fisikella and tenth micasalo. Well, we've got some big sport coming up later this evening on itv with the european

01:45:572000 soccer championships italy versus france. We've had some fantastic sport here today at manicor in france and

01:46:05David kultar has closed up to within 12 points in the world championship of michael schumacher 56 points to schumacher

01:46:11And 44 to kultar hacken and on 38 is just six points clear of his teammate and rubens barrichello

01:46:17Of course in fourth on 32 points the big question marks after this

01:46:21Of course martin will be is this the point at which ron dennis of mclaren tells?

01:46:24The team that it's going to be david kultar now who has to chase after schumacher in the championship

01:46:29They can't afford for hacken and kultar to take points off each other from here on in

01:46:33So that's the big question mark coming away from here

01:46:35I don't expect you to answer it for me

01:46:36But I know it'll be the one that the press are looking at tomorrow

01:46:39And it'll certainly be the one foremost in the mind of david kultar once he's got over the the sheer joy

01:46:44of winning his third grand prix of the season as the man who negotiates david kultar's contracts, I would like to

01:46:50Claim the fifth amendment on that one

01:46:52But certainly it's a question that's got to be asked whether the points difference is enough at this stage

01:46:56It's just six but clearly if they're going to meet if they're going to beat michael schumacher

01:47:01They're going to have to gang up on him

01:47:02But uh david kultar softened him up a little bit today, didn't he?

01:47:05He certainly did schumacher led from the start kultar was stuck behind rubens barrichello

01:47:10It was a one two for ferrari in the early stages, but kultar stuck with it

01:47:14He got ahead of barrichello and then in a heroic move, which i'm sure we will see many many times again in the future

01:47:20He outbraked michael schumacher to take the lead of the race and just look how happy he is

01:47:25As he comes into park ferme his girlfriend heidi lukic linsky his fiancée

01:47:29I should say will be waiting there for him along with dave ryan who runs the race effort for him at mclaren

01:47:34There are all his mechanics. They're absolutely ecstatic. They've seen hacken and celebrate so many time with his mechanics in the past

01:47:40This is their time now. Heidi's here

01:47:42They should put her in the car for the next race because she started this race in monaco, but she's uh,

01:47:46She's there today. She's not at the racetrack but david kultar there shaking hands with his team and uh,

01:47:52So many of those team players at mclaren have been there many many years. They're a very loyal bunch

01:47:57And they're certainly getting fine reward today. Andy matthews

01:48:01David's trainer the man that went down with david and heidi in that plane crash

01:48:05But since then and even before then really david has upped his game and set himself a new target

01:48:12And it's certainly paying dividends

01:48:14It certainly is what an amazing day for david kulfard and let's hope there are many many more

01:48:20And down in the pit lane louise has ross braun who no doubt is not terribly happy ross

01:48:25You had a dream start to the race, but it ended up being a bit of a nightmare for michael

01:48:29Yes, um

01:48:31The tires for us weren't lasting very well. Once we get 10 laps into each set of tires the degradation was getting very high

01:48:37So then it became difficult for us to compete

01:48:41and we were trying to adopt, um

01:48:43strategies that might keep mclaren's behind but

01:48:46Obviously, we didn't manage to do that. How how big a loss is today's race for you in terms of the championship?

01:48:53Well, it's 10 points

01:48:55so

01:48:56No, it's not a it's a disappointment, but we're in the middle of the season

01:49:00Um, so there's a lot more to fight for the fight very much still alive from your point of view

01:49:05Oh, yeah, obviously. Yeah, we won't give up

01:49:07Thanks ross

01:49:08Well, nor should he give up he's uh still sitting on top of both championships

01:49:12Let's not lose sight of that schumacher still on top of the drivers and in the constructors ferrari have 88 points

01:49:18But claren have really closed the gap though today with this one two

01:49:20There are 82 points in the constructors benetton still holding on to third place

01:49:25Williams and fourth and jordan in fifth and a good day really from all of these teams

01:49:29It really has been a superb french grand prix really really enjoyed it terrific racing on the track

01:49:36Fantastic pit work by the pit crews great driving by all the drivers

01:49:40But most of all great driving by this man 29 year old david coulthard from twine home in scotland

01:49:45I know his parents up there will be watching this race

01:49:48And I know they'll be feeling a very intense sense of joy at the moment because their boy is really mounting

01:49:53The beginnings of a championship challenge here and he's closing the gap on michael schumacher. Where will it all end?

01:49:58Well, you can see it all here

01:49:59Of course on itv right the way through to the end of the season and this championship will run and run for with no doubt

01:50:05whatsoever

01:50:06tough racetrack here and

01:50:08Mika hackett and showing all the signs of having completed 72 laps of a very hot manicore barrichello to

01:50:15the crowd

01:50:16Too much for them to cheer for on the french side today. John a lacey finishing last but one the prost team having a poor

01:50:23race, but uh

01:50:25the saltire is

01:50:27in the sky

01:50:29David coulthard just having a word with the race director there charlie whiting the man who makes all the decisions, of course regarding

01:50:34starts and finishes and penalties and such like

01:50:37mclaren boys

01:50:39clapping as the rest of the uh

01:50:41Finishers come in jensen button and his teammate ralph schumacher jensen finishing in eighth today ralph finishing in fifth place

01:50:47There's the back of jano truly who finished in a points playing position as well in sixth

01:50:51French and his teammate missed out martin. This was the decisive moment

01:50:55yes, I think this is david overtaking barrichello to take second place earlier in the race and uh,

01:51:01A very smart move there from coulthard. He decided early on he wasn't going to make it

01:51:05So positioned his car for a good slingshot out of adelaide

01:51:08And then he always was going to have track position when they arrived down at the nurburgring chicane

01:51:13And that's what set him up for the ability to attack

01:51:16Michael schumacher who by the end of the first stint was really struggling with tire wear and that's really that move on barrichello was absolutely

01:51:23Pivotal at that point in the race and of course later on superb move on schumacher as well

01:51:27Yes, as I said at the time that for me was the critical stage could coulthard maximize on that and he did he just homed

01:51:34On a struggling michael schumacher

01:51:36At over a second a lap which put him in a position then to be near

01:51:40After the pit stops and and have that big go couple of goes at uh, michael schumacher

01:51:46It all got a bit scrappy, but it worked out for coulthard in the end and one of his best mates. There's jack villeneuve

01:51:52Who's also had a good day in fourth place wishing the two? Well, they're all monogash residents actually in view there

01:52:00rubens barrichello

01:52:01Picking up his fourth podium of the season as well. We shouldn't forget about rubens

01:52:05He seems to have been the bridesmaid this season as many people predicted. He would be at ferrari

01:52:09Plenty of ferrari frags waving in the grandstands here in manucor in the center of france

01:52:14Plenty of finnish flags as well. Not too many scottish ones at the moment, but uh, i'm sure they'll be flying high

01:52:19Here's the start again, and it really was an amazing start michael schumacher cutting right across on david coulthard

01:52:25Who took a central position barrichello going around the outside of him?

01:52:28And it was that shot by schumacher that really harmed coulthard and gave barrichello the initiative barrichello the initiative

01:52:33Yeah, the schumacher chop is uh is getting a bit. Uh as that was jenson button. I think earlier on the road

01:52:39That's a replay of something. We didn't actually see but uh eddie irvine there

01:52:43Out breaking himself into 180, but I don't know where all of these replays are coming from or why particularly but uh,

01:52:51But let's talk about that. Look there. It definitely was two pros running into each other

01:52:55Benetton was an innocent bystander, but let's just talk about that chop

01:52:58You're saying it's becoming a character of michael schumacher starts and it's been a certainly a talking point

01:53:02Well, let's leave it actually because let's just enjoy the moment for david coulthard up on the podium

01:53:06Leonel jospin the prime minister of france, of course up there with him

01:53:10And david coulthard wins his third grand prix of the 2000 season and these boys will certainly be enjoying themselves

01:53:15Mika hakuna looks pretty happy in second place. I think it's the best he could have hoped for today

01:53:19He didn't get a great start. He was fourth in the first stint rubens barrichello

01:53:23Of course in second place in the first stint and now the national anthem

01:53:54So

01:53:56So

01:54:19Well, we may not be very good at soccer and we may get knocked out of soccer tournaments a bit earlier than we'd all like

01:54:23But we certainly know how to win motor races david coulthard

01:54:26Wins the french grand prix and leonel jospin presents him with a very attractive glass trophy

01:54:32And he really deserved that today the best drive I can remember by david coulthard in a formula one car

01:54:38And he certainly had some big days

01:54:40And certainly most of them have been this year

01:54:43second place, of course

01:54:45Mika hakuna the winning constructor being presented to adrian newy the designer of the car the man whose cars have won

01:54:51I think seven of the last nine world championships. He really is the

01:54:56top man in the world of design and

01:55:00Presenting the second place prize to

01:55:03mika hakuna

01:55:04And the third place driver will get his trophy from monsieur regis president of the french federal sporting

01:55:11association

01:55:12And an ordinary sort of day for rubens barrichello today

01:55:15But no doubt about who the hero is today martin and that's your man david coulthard

01:55:20Yes coulthard and hacken and take the fight back to ferrari, but is it soon enough and will it be enough come the end of the season?

01:55:28Just 12 points in it then between coulthard and schumacher in the world championship a delighted scotsman

01:55:34Drinks the champagne and the hope that would be plenty more of it for him

01:55:39Thanks very much indeed to james allen and to martin brundle david coulthard just had to deliver

01:55:45today

01:55:47And he did we'll be hearing his views on the race in a few minutes time

01:55:51We'll also be talking to the mclaren technical director. We also saw up there on the podium to adrian newy

01:55:56We're gonna have a little natter with a fellow called murray walker somewhat reluctant viewer. I'm sure in hampshire

01:56:02That's all when you rejoin us

01:56:17So

01:56:47Is

01:57:17So

01:57:47Good

01:58:17So

01:58:34No

01:58:47So

01:59:08So

01:59:17So

01:59:34So

Formula-1 2000 R09 French Grand Prix

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