* Lap 1: At the start of the race the effect of the grip on the race track has a decisive effect at the start with Juan-Pablo Montoya making the perfect start and taking the lead. Rubens Barrichello from the the left side of the grid follows Montoya into the first corner with Michael Schumacher (on the dusty side of the track) in third. Kimi Raikkonen follows suit beating Ralf Schumacher for fourth place while both David Coulthard and Nick Heidfeld go the better of Giancarlo Fisichella's Jordan-Honda. Further back there is a lot of action as Jarno Trulli, Jacques Villeneuve and a fast-starting Jenson Button battle for ninth place. At the end of the lap Pedro de la Rosa and Allan McNish collide and the Jaguar driver goes into the wall. He is able to limp into the pits for repairs.

* Lap 2: Barrichello sets the fastest lap of the race as he tries to pull away from Montoya. The two are slightly ahead of Michael Schumacher. The next few positions remain unchanged but there is action in the midfield as Mika Salo overtakes Felipe Massa, who also falls behind Takuma Sato, who passes Eddie Irvine before passing the Sauber. At the back of the field de la Rosa rejoins a lap behind.

* Lap 4: Barrichello's lead is just 1.2 seconds, indicating that the strategies of the front runners are not that different. It looks as though Michael Schumacher is on a one-stop strategy as he is more than two seconds behind Montoya. The midfield battles continue as Salo (obviously on a two-stop strategy) overtakes Olivier Panis for 12th and behind them Enrique Bernoldi grabs 17th from Irvine.

* Lap 6: The midfield fun continues with Salo passing Jacques Villeneuve for 11th. Sato passes Panis for 13th.

* Lap 8: Barrichello's lead is up to 3.3 seconds with Montoya 2.2 seconds ahead of Michael Schumacher. These three are well clear of the rest which are led by Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard. Further back Sato overtakes Villeneuve for 12th and Massa passes Panis for 14th.

* Lap 9: Villeneuve retires with an engine failure. The car comes to a stop in a dangerous position. The Safety Car is put on standby.

* Lap 14: It becomes clear that the stricken BAR cannot be moved and it is decided to send out the Safety Car. The Williams team reacts immediately and calls in Montoya who refuels and is on his way without losing any real time although he drops from second to fifth on the road. Jordan also reacts quickly and Sato pits from 12th to emerge 19th.

* Lap 15: Arrows tries to take advantage of the Safety Car and calls in Bernoldi. But there is a problem and Bernoldi has to pit again on lap 16.

* Lap 17: Bernoldi retires.

* Lap 18: The race restarts with Barrichello ahead of Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen is third ahead of Ralf Schumacher and Montoya. At the end of the lap Raikkonen makes a mistake in the chicane and holds up Ralf and as a result Montoya is able to challenge for third.

* Lap 19: Going into the first corner Montoya slots ahead of Raikkonen and Ralf Schumacher. Coulthard is sixth with Heidfeld seventh, Fisichella eighth, Trulli ninth and Button 10th. Then comes Salo ahead of Massa, Panis, Irvine and McNish.

* Lap 20: Salo passes Button for 10th. Further back Sato passes Alex Yoong for 18th position.

* Lap 22: Barrichello begins to pull away from in a dramatic fashion, increasing his lead to 3.5 seconds.

* Lap 25: Salo comes into the pits for the first of his two-stop strategy. He drops from 10th to 19th. But there is a problem and he returns to the pits again.

* Lap 26: Barrichello pits and Michael Schumacher goes into the lead. Montoya is second with Raikkonen third, Ralf Schumacher fourth, Coulthard fifth and Barrichello sixth. Schumacher begins to charge to try to be ahead of Montoya when he has to pit.

* Lap 30: Heinz-Harald Frentzen, running 15th, stops for his two-stop strategy. He drops back to 18th a lap behind the leaders.

* Lap 31: Salo is given a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

* Lap 33: De la Rosa retires at the back of the field.

* Lap 36: Schumacher's lead is up to 22 seconds as the first stops begin with Button pitting from 10th. He falls back to 16th.

* Lap 37: Heidfeld pits from seventh and falls to 15th. Also pitting is Alex Yoong at the back of the field.

* Lap 38: Michael Schumacher pits and Montoya takes the lead. By the end of the lap Michael is 3.6 seconds behind.

* Lap 39: Mark Webber has his pit stop and falls from 13th to 16th.

* Lap 40: Montoya is able to pull away by a few tenths. In the midfield Massa and Irvine pit.

* Lap 41: Villeneuve and McNish also pits. The Scotsman has a very long pit stop. Irvine retires with a mechanical problem.

* Lap 42: Ralf Schumacher pits from fourth place and falls back to seventh. There is a problem with the refuelling machinery and Ralf has to return to the pits two laps later for fuel. Also pitting is Trulli.

* Lap 44: Ralf pits for the second time and falls back to 10th position. Heidfeld is called in for a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Alex Yoong also pits for a drive-through penalty for the same problem.

* Lap 45: Third-placed Raikkonen pits. There is a small problem with the refuelling and so in the laps that follow the Finn has to drive carefully to save fuel. Also pitting is sixth placed Fisichella.

* Lap 46: Sato comes in for his second pit stop and drops from eighth to 13th. McNish spins and retires.

* Lap 48: Massa is called into the pits for speeding in the pit lane. He falls back from eighth to 11th.

* Lap 49: Coulthard is the last one-stopper to pit and he emerges from the pits just ahead of his team mate Raikkonen in fourth place. At the tail of the field Frentzen has a second stop.

* Lap 50: With the one stops runners all having stopped the order is Montoya, 12 seconds ahead of Michael Schumacher with Barrichello third, Coulthard fourth, Raikkonen fifth and Fisichella sixth.

* Lap 51: Montoya has his second pit stop and falls back to third place behind the two Ferraris. Further back Heidfeld has a stop-go penalty for speeding in the pit lane again. Sauber later finds that there is a software problem with its speed limiter.

* Lap 54: Barrichello stops for his second stop and Montoya moves ahead of him and begins to chase after Schumacher. Barrichello emerges behind Coulthard in fourth place.

* Lap 57: Montoya goes out with a blown engine.

* Lap 60: As Coulthard and Barrichello lap Sato, Barrichello tries to get ahead at the chicane. Coulthard stays on the outside and holds off the challenge and misses the chicane. Barrichello also misses the chicane. As neither gained an advantage neither is punished..

* Lap 66: Button retires from 10th place.