May 2000

24 May 2000 Fisichella and Trulli came out unscathed by a 240 km/h collision during testing in Valencia today. Fisichella was on his fastest lap and came round a corner to find Trulli on a slow warm-up lap. Fisichella clipped the back of the Jordan and went flying, but came out unhurt from the accident, complaining only of an injury to his thumb.

24 May 2000 Magny Course will host the French GP until 2005.

23 May 2000 London company Octagon, head of Irterpublic Group, is currently in talks over buying Silverstone. The company already bought Brands Hatch.

21 May 2000 M. Schumacher won a very wet European GP in front on Championship rival and current World Champion Hakkinen. Coulthard was third after a pit stop refuelling error put Barrichello behind him in fourth position. Fisichella finished a deserving fifth while De La Rosa won his first point of the season.

The finishing times:

1. Michael Schumacher (Ger/Ferrari) 1h40’00"307 2. Mika Hakkinen (Fin/McLaren-Mercedes) + 13"8 3. David Coulthard (Gbr/McLaren-Mercedes) + 1 lap 4. Rubens Barrichello (Bra/Ferrari) + 1 lap 5. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita/Benetton-Supertec) + 1 lap 6. Pedro de la Rosa (Spa/Arrows-Supertec) + 1 lap 7. Pedro Paolo Diniz (Bra/Sauber-Petronas) + 2 laps 8. Gaston Mazzacane (Arg/Minardi-Ford) + 2 laps 9. Jean Alesi (Fra/Prost-Peugeot) + 2 laps 10. Jenson Button (Gbr/Williams-BMW) + 5 laps 11. Johnny Herbert (Gbr/Jaguar-Cosworth) + 6 laps 12. Alexander Wurz (Aut/Benetton-Supertec) + 6 laps

20 May 2000 Coulthard took pole position after rain disrupted the second part of the qualifying session, ahead of current Championshiop leader M. Schumacher, Hakkinen, Barrichello, R. Schumacher and Fisichella. Heidfeld, who finished 13th, was disqualified and will not take part in Sunday's race, which would have been his first ever home GP. After the qualifying session it was found that his car was two kilogrammes lighter than the minimum allowed weight.

The qualifying times:

1. David Coulthard (Gb) McLaren-Mercedes 1'17"529 2. Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1'17"667 3. Mika Hakkinen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 1'17"785 4. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Ferrari 1'18"227 5. Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Williams-Bmw 1'18"515 6. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Benetton SuperTec 1'18"697 7. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Jordan Mugen-Honda 1'18"702 8. Eddie Irvine (Irl) Jaguar 1'18"703 9. Jacques Villeneuve (Can) Bar Honda 1'18"742 10. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Ger) Jordan Mugen-Honda 1'18"830 11. Jenson Button (Gb) Williams-Bmw 1'18"887 12. Pedro De La Rosa (Spa) Arrows SuperTec 1'19"024 13. Jos Verstappen (Ola) Arrows SuperTec 1'19"190 14. Alexander Wurz (Aut) Benetton SuperTec 1'19"378 15. Pedro Paolo Diniz (Bra) Sauber Petronas 1'19"422 16. Johnny Herbert (Gb) Jaguar 1'19"638 17. Jean Alesi (Fra) Prost Peugeot 1'19"651 18. Ricardo Zonta (Bra) Bar Honda 1'19"766 19. Mika Salo (Fin) Sauber Petronas 1'19"814 20. Marc Gené (Spa) Minardi Fondmetal 1'20"162 21. Gaston Mazzacane (Arg) Minardi Fondmetal 1'21"070

19 May 2000 Button was fastest in the free practice session, ahead of Wurz, Hakkinen, Coulthard, M. Schumacher and R. Schumacher.

The free session times:

1. Jenson Button (GB) Williams Fw22 Bmw 1:19.808 2. Alexander Wurz (Aut) Benetton B200 Playlife 1:20.248 3. Mika Hakkinen (Fin) McLaren Mp4/15 Mercedes 1:20.300 4. David Coulthard (GB) McLaren Mp4/15 Mercedes 1:20.507 5. Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari F1-2000 1:20.519 6. Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Williams Fw22 Bmw 1:20.548 7. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Jordan Ej10 Mugen Honda 1:20.609 8. Ricardo Zonta (Bra) Bar 002 Honda 1:20.709 9. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) Prost Ap03 Peugeot 1:20.751 10. Jacques Villeneuve (Can) Bar 002 Honda 1:20.786 11. Marc Gené (Spa) Minardi M02 Fondmetal 1:20.801 12. Pedro Pablo Diniz (Bra) Sauber C19 Petronas 1:20.850 13. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Benetton B200 Playlife 1:20.862 14. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Ferrari F1-2000 1:20.891 15. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Ger) Jordan Ej10 Mugen Honda 1:20.992 16. Eddie Irvine (GB) Jaguar R1 1:21.246 17. Johnny Herbert (GB) Jaguar R1 1:21.323 18. Jean Alesi (Fra) Prost Ap03 Peugeot 1:21.442 19. Jos Verstappen (Ola) Arrows A21 Supertec 1:21.655 20. Pedro de la Rosa (Spa) Arrows A21 Supertec 1:21.659 21. Gaston Mazzacane (Arg) Minardi M02 Fondmetal 1:22.135 22. Mika Salo (Fin) Sauber C19 Petronas 1:22.161.

10 May 2000 The Benetton team have taken the unusual step of confirming their drivers for the European GP, scheduled for next Sunday. Flavio Briatore said: "Regarding the recent speculation, particularly in the German and Austrian press, I would like to confirm that the Mild Seven Benetton Playlife drivers for the European Grand Prix will be Giancarlo Fisichella (car 11) and Alexander Wurz (car 12)".

8 May 2000 Nigel Steptley, the Ferrari chief mechanic injured in the pit stop accident, has a broken ankle.

7 May 2000 Hakkinen won the Spanish GP, in front of team mate Coulthard, Barrichello, R. Schumacher, M. Schumacher and Frentzen.

The finishing times:

1.M. Hakkinen (Fin - McLaren) 1.35:55.390 2.D. Coulthard (Gbr - McLaren) + 16.066 3.R. Barrichello (Bra - Ferrari) + 29.112 4.R. Schumacher (Ger - Williams) + 37.311 5.M. Schumacher (Ger - Ferrari) + 47.983 6.H. H. Frentzen (Ger - Jordan) + 1:21.925 7.M. Salo (Fin - Sauber) + 1 lap 8.R. Zonta (Bra - Bar) + 1 lap 9.G. Fisichella (Ita - Benetton) + 1 lap 10.A. Wurz (Ger - Benetton) + 1 lap 11.E. Irvine (Gbr - Jaguar) + 1 lap 12.J. Trulli (Ita - Jordan) + 1 lap 13.J. Herbert (Gbr - Jaguar) + 1 lap 14.M. Gené (Spa - Minardi) + 2 laps 15.G. Mazzacane (Arg - Minardi) + 2 laps 16.N. Heidfeld (Ger - Prost) + 3 laps 17.J. Button (Gbr - Williams) + 4 laps

7 May 2000 Pedro De La Rosa has been penalised for using fuel different from the sample submitted for examination. He will start his home GP from the last position on the grid.

2 May 2000 McLaren driver David Coulthard had a lucky escape when the private Lear Jet he was travelling in crashed in Lyon on its way to Monaco. Coulthard's girlfriend Heidi and his bodyguard managed to escape from a window, but the two pilots were killed on impact. The plane had made a request for an emercency landing at Lyon Satolas because of engine trouble.

Last updated on by Federica Massagrande