Monaco Grand Prix - Lap by lap 1-47

Lap 2: Schumacher is already 1.3 seconds ahead of Hakkinen, and stretching
the lead all the time.

Lap 3. Hakkinen nearly two seconds behind, but comfortably ahead of Irvine.
Schumacher sets fastest lap.

Lap 4: The gap between the leaders now 2.8 seconds. Damon Hill attempts to
overtake Ralf Schumacher and crashes into him, putting them both out. The
stricken Jordan is only just moved out of the way before Schumacher bursts
out of the tunnel.

Lap 5: Williams pit appear to be preparing to receive Ralf Schumacher who
may have kept limping on.

Lap 7: 1.23.967 set by Schumacher, another fastest lap. Gaps are forming
behind Heinz Harald Frentzen in 6th and Jacques Villeneuve in 9th - Alex
Zanardi trying to hold off Alex Wurz (Benetton) and Johnny Herbert
(Stewart).

Lap 12: Eddie Irvine bumps across the chicane, but doesn't damage his car
and continues. Coulthard isn't close enough to take advantage. Luca Badoer
slows and crawls into the pits.

Lap 14: Badoer retires.

Lap 15: Schumacher laps the first backmarkers, Ralf Schumacher who rejoined
in 19th, and Marc Gene in the sole surviving Minardi. David Coulthard's
McLaren appears to be puffing oil smoke in the slower parts of the circuit.

Lap 16: Coulthard and Irvine start to reach back markers. Irvine has pulled
out 0.4 of a second on one lap, and Coulthard's apparent engine problem
appears to be getting worse.

Lap 17: Schumacher lapped the 17th lap in 1.22.978, incresing his lead to 12
seconds. Coulthard laps Gene, and Hakkinen approaches Ralf Schumacher.
Meanwhile, Trulli in 7th appears to be pulling up to the back of Frentzen in
6th, and Irvine is catching Hakkinen.

Lap 19: Hakkinen appears to be having trouble lapping Ralf Schumacher in
18th. Zanardi has dropped 6 places after a mistake, elevating Wurz to 10th
and Herbert to 11th.

Lap 21: Hakkinen has got past Ralf Schumacher, but is still being caught by
Irvine. The gap is now a visible 2.2 seconds.

Lap 22: Barrichello is stretching away a little from sixth placed Frentzen,
who is coming under pressure from Trulli's Prost.

Lap 24: The Prost pit are getting ready to receive a car. Michael
Schumacher approaches his Monaco nemesis Olivier Panis. Trulli pits, a
routine stop, 7.4 seconds. Only one place lost, dropping to eighth.

Lap 25: Irvine now 1.8 seconds behind Hakkinen, lapping 0.2 seconds a lap
faster. Marc Gene hits the barrier at St. Devote and retires from last.

Lap 27: David Coulthard the fastest driver on the track, and the second,
third and fourth placed drivers are all catching each other, and Michael
Schumacher in the lead.

Lap 28: Prost crew, both on two-stop strategies, receive Panis in 15th
place.

Lap 29: Schumacher's slow patch can be put down to midfield traffic, who is
has now passed - up to Johnny Herbert in 11th.

Lap 31. Irvine now right up to the back of Hakkinen, and Coulthard is
smoking badly out of the Grand Hotel hairpin. Michael Schumacher sets a new
fastest lap, a 1.22.2.

Lap 33: Frentzen has pulled back some time to Barrichello in the traffic.
Irvine challenges Hakkinen as they come across de la Rosa's Arrows.

Lap 34: Johnny Herbert manages to narrowly avert a huge crash coming down
to Mirbeau as his suspension breaks. Jacques Villeneuve pits from 13th and
retires. Jean Alesi overtakes Mika Salo for 10th in an aggressive move into
the hairpin.

Lap 36: David Coulthard has lapped some 7 seconds slower than the pace, and
drops out of contention for third place. Ferrari pit crew appear to be
about to signal Irvine to try and gain track position over Hakkinen.

Lap 38: Irvine pits, 6.7 seconds, retaining his place over David Coulthard,
who also pits, into retirement. Mika Salo crashes at the hairpin, having
run straight on.

Lap 40: Takagi has blown his engine at around half distance in the Monaco
Grand Prix, as Ralf Schumacher was lining up to pass him. Mika Hakkinen
straightlines Mirabeau losing 20 seconds - do the McLarens have a brake
problem?

Lap 41: Michael Schumacher is now far enough ahead to be able to pit
without losing the lead. It transpires that Hakkinen slid off on oil from
Takagi's blow up, as he gives the normal line a wide berth at Mirabeau.

Lap 42: Schumacher pits on 9.9 seconds. A Prost runs straight on at St.
Devote, presumably into retirement - it is that of Panis.

Lap 43: Irvine is now harrying Hakkinen for second, but Irvine may have to
stop again as the Ferrari pit crew are out. Fisichella pits from 6th.

Lap 45: Wurz pits, and is stationary for 9.6 seconds. He slips to ninth,
behind Alesi.

Lap 47: 12 of 22 starters remain in the Monaco Grand Prix.