1999 European Grand Prix
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That's a very grey cloud, some kind of rain must be imminent...
Fisichella somehow manages to hang on from Irvine again, holding the line into the opening corner to avoid the Northern Irishman's advances.
Hakkinen is still within half a second of Frentzen here, with Coulthard and Schumacher still very much in this mix.
Frentzen is just dictating the pace here, and Hakkinen doesn't seem to be able to make any further inroads into the German's lead. Meanwhile, Irvine is still stuck behind Fisichella.
Irvine finally gets past Fisichella, going too deep into the corner before the Bit-Kurve and lets the Ferrari squeak past. Irvine's now unleashed and goes a lot quicker.
Rain
There's some rain! The coats and umbrellas are out.
It's Schumacher and Coulthard side by side! Coulthard holds third place, as the Supertec-powered Williams doesn't quite have the poke on the straight compared to the Mercedes-powered McLaren.
Fisichella has another off-moment - luckily Panis is too far away to clear the Italian.
Schumacher and Coulthard's battle continues on, but this time Schumacher hangs on down the straight and steams past the Brit to claim third!
Pit stop
Hakkinen's coming in! McLaren has decided to put Hakkinen on the wets as it's got very damp at the top of the circuit.
Salo is also going onto the wets, as Ferrari uses him to, pardon the pun, test the waters for Irvine. But he's in the pits for 38s...
Frentzen stays out, as do Schumacher and Coulthard.
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Irvine's in, but he's missing a right-rear tyre! That's absolutely ruined Irvine's race there, as Ferrari couldn't decide where his tyre had done! Disastrous.
Schumacher went deep into the chicane, but remains ahead of Coulthard as the top three elect not to pit - the rain, for now, has stopped.
Hakkinen is on wet tyres and he's in 10th - so he'll have to re-pit again soon. McLaren jumped the gun it seems, and not for the first time today.
Frentzen is coming up to lap Takagi, who retreats to the pitlane.
There's a big gap behind Fisichella, and then Barrichello and Trulli. The two cars are in the top six.
Irvine clears Hakkinen already, as Salo gets lapped. It's pass or be passed, and Ferrari did both in a matter of seconds.
Marc Gene, in the Minardi, passes Hakkinen. The championship leader. Let that sink in for a moment.
Pit stop
Hakkinen, finally, yields and returns to the pits for a set of slicks.
There's your top three: Frentzen, Schumacher, Coulthard. They're oh-so-close.
Schumacher has taken about 1.5s out of Frentzen's lead over the past couple of laps - and the Williams driver is just 0.4s behind the man he traded seats with in the winter.
Schumacher pits from second, attempting to undercut Frentzen. Coulthard will shuffle up a place, with a quick stop for Williams there.
Pit stop
Trulli pits from fourth place, and rejoins in ninth ahead of 10th-placed Badoer.
Stopwatch
It's a 1m21.835 for Coulthard, a new fastest lap for this race as he closes the gap to Frentzen.
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It's a big squirm for Frentzen, and the Jordan driver just about hangs onto his car into the chicane ahead of Coulthard - who's right on his tail now.
Fisichella has lapped Hakkinen, who clears de la Rosa for 13th.
Frentzen and Coulthard come in to pit! Who's going to lead?
It's Frentzen! He has the lead once more...
Crash
Frentzen's stopped! The long-time leader is out of the race - and Frentzen is absolutely distraught. Coulthard assumes the lead.
Heartbreak for Frentzen. At this rate, he was going to be tied with the leading duo of Hakkinen and Irvine in the title fight - but instead, he punches the wheel in frustration.
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After all that drama, it's Coulthard from Schumacher from Barrichello as it stands - the Stewart is yet to stop.
Rain
And the rain's just...appeared! It's absolutely raining cats and dogs out there.
And that's Salo off! The Ferrari driver has tumbled off the road in what's been a dreadful day for the Finnish driver.
Pit stop
Herbert comes in to stop from fifth, taking a gamble on wet tyres.
Trulli also stops, as does one of the Minardis. Schumacher seems set to pit too.
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Crucially, Coulthard carries on - as Alesi meanwhile peels over at the side of the track.
Coulthard looks as though he's struggling though - it's a lot wetter out there than it was before.
And Takagi has a spin too! There's lots of drivers struggling with the weather out here - and understandably so.
Crash
That's Coulthard in the wall! David Coulthard has thrown the lead away - and Ralf Schumacher now leads!
By: Jake Boxall-Legge
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