Hakkinen's day as Ferrari falter

Nigel Stepney is injured as Schumacher sets off

Mika Hakkinen won a dramatic Spanish Grand Prix on a bad day for Ferrari and Michael Schumacher.

The Finn led home team-mate and air crash survivor David Coulthard in second place.

Schumacher lost crucial time due to an injury to his fuel refilling mechanic.

Key moments

M. Schumacher leads from pole

Stepney injured in Ferrari's first stop but German still leads

Hakkinen takes lead after M. Schumacher delayed by second stop

Coulthard overtakes M. Schumacher

Michael allows Barrichello to overtake brother Ralf

Briton Nigel Stepney suffered damaged ligaments when the Ferrari set off before the fuel hose had been released from the car.

The incident appeared to be the fault of the team's "lollipop man" who told Schumacher to set off before the pipe had been detached.

The German finished fifth, with young Briton Jenson Button suffering a final lap engine failure while in sixth place.

Hakkinen: His third straight win at Barcelona

Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello was third ahead of Schumacher's younger brother Ralf.

The start was a triumph for the Schumacher brothers, with pole position-holder Michael holding off Mika Hakkinen down the straight into the first corner.

Meanwhile Ralf surged from fifth place on the grid to join the leaders.

The younger brother, in his Williams, passed Coulthard and Barrichello, and even challenged Hakkinen as the Finn himself tried to take the lead.

Points-scorers

1. Hakkinen

2. Coulthard

3. Barrichello

4. R.Schumacher

5. M.Schumacher

6. Frentzen

But Ferrari's elder Schumacher brother got the inside line into the first right-hand corner.

And Hakkinen forced Ralf to brake in the s-shaped bend which provides a right start to the Barcelona circuit.

Behind them was a frustrated Coulthard and Barrichello - who lost two places in the start.

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve was sixth but later stopped with a fire in his car.

Schumacher's second stop seriously delayed the German

Hakkinen stayed close to leader Schumacher and closed right up behind the German due to traffic.

The leader made his first pit stop ahead of Hakkinen, leading to Stepney's injury.

Ferrari were so keen to get the German back out again that the mechanic with the stop-go "lollipop" allowed him to leave before the fuel hose was disconnected.

As the German accelerated away his car hit Stepney, leaving the fuel man requiring medical attention.

Villenuve escapes his burning car

The speed of the stop did mean that Schumacher stayed ahead when Hakkinen stopped two laps later.

But it also led to the problems during the German's second stop, with the man standing in for Stepney failing to get the fuel in quickly enough, with Hakkinen gaining a 10 second lead as a result.

And after the decisive pit moment of the race, came its best overtaking manoeuvre and then the finest piece of teamwork on show all afternoon - from Ferrari.

As in Britain two weeks ago the overtaking move was Coulthard's, with the Scot benefitting from Michael Schumacher's next problem.

Tyre trouble led to Coulthard closing up and then steaming around the outside of the German at the end of one lap to take second place.

Before too long Ralf Schumacher was right behind his brother with Barrichello behind.

Schumacher still leads the world championship

The two German siblings showed tremendous rivalry as they went into a series of corners side-by-side and Michael forced Ralf to run wide and leave a gap for Barrichello to surge through.

With a good team job done at the expense of his brother Schumacher stopped a third pit time - without serious incident this time - and held fifth place until the end.

Button suffered final disappointment when his engine blew within sight of another championship point, handing sixth place to Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Results

1. Mika Hakkinen (Finland) McLaren one hour 33 minutes 55.390 seconds (average speed 196.324 kph)
2. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 16.066 seconds behind
3. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 29.112 behind
4. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 37.311 behind
5. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 47.983 behind
6. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Jordan 81.925 behind
7. Mika Salo (Finland) Sauber one lap behind
8. Ricrado Zonta (Brazil) BAR one lap behind
9. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Benetton one lap behind
10. Alexander Wurz (Austria) Benetton one lap behind
11. Eddie Irvine (Britain) Jaguar one lap behind
12. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Jordan one lap behind
13. Johnny Herbert (Britain) Jaguar one lap behind
14. Marc Gene (Spain) Minardi two laps behind
15. Gaston Mazzacane (Argentina) Minardi two laps behind
16. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Prost three laps behind
17. Jenson Button (Britain) Williams four laps behind

Not classified (Did not finish)

Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Arrows 25 laps completed
Jacques Villenueve (Canada) BAR 21 laps completed
Pedro De La Rosa (Spain) Arrows one lap completed
Jean Alesi (France) Prost one lap completed

Did not start (failed to complete first lap)

Pedro Diniz (Brazil) Sauber