During the race's second stint, Michael Schumacher began to struggle with tyre wear, allowing Coulthard to reduce the deficit and pass him on lap 40.

Coulthard won his third race of the season and his eighth in Formula One, reduced Michael Schumacher's lead in the World Drivers' Championship to twelve points.

McLaren's one-two result in the World Constructors' Championship allowed them to close the deficit on Ferrari to six points with eight races remaining in the season.

[9] Ferrari's Michael Schumacher led the World Drivers' Championship with 56 points before the race, followed by McLaren's David Coulthard on 34 and his teammate Mika Häkkinen on 32.

"[16] After Häkkinen's recent poor results, British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) president and former world champion Jackie Stewart backed Coulthard to win the championship.

[6][20] Ferrari introduced chimney stacks on the F1-2000 during free practice for the first time and additional vents to extract warm air for aerodynamic efficiency.

It also modified the axle construction at the car's bottom with composite materials designed to minimise friction when it touched the asphalt surface.

It also asymmetrically positioned the rear-view mirrors, the right placed further forward and lower than the left for improved visibility in the track's final corner.

Alesi, Arrows' Pedro de la Rosa, and Williams' Jenson Button finished eighth through tenth.

[29] Coulthard was unable to improve his time in the last practice session due to an engine problem halfway down the track, forcing him to enter the pit lane with smoke billowing from his car, although remaining fastest overall.

[31] Each driver was limited to twelve laps during Saturday's one-hour qualifying session, with the starting position determined by their fastest performance.

[5][37][38] Coulthard was unable to lap quicker after spinning through 180 degrees, and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) ordered him to undergo a car weight inspection in the pit lane.

[26] Häkkinen was demoted to fourth by Barrichello on the final lap due to difficulty in the slow speed turns from setup problems.

[43] Overnight rain left the asphalt surface slippery, but the sun dried it up as the session went; lap time were significantly slower than the previous two days.

[49] Autosport wrote that "the key to the French GP was always going to be the start" due to the short pit lane straight leading into a fast left-hand corner rather than having a heavy braking zone.

[6][51][52] Salo had the strongest start in the field, going from twelfth to ninth by the end of the first lap, while Irvine fell four positions and Ralf Schumacher dropped from fifth to seventh.

[5] Button took tenth position from Irvine on lap twelve, while Heidfeld collided with Alesi at the Adelaide hairpin while attempting to overtake Fisichella,[52] sending his teammate into a spin and dropping to 18th.

[5] Zonta, who was running 17th, experienced braking troubles on lap 17 and struck the tyre barriers, forcing him to retire from the Grand Prix.

[53] Herbert retired three laps later after making an unscheduled pit stop due to a gearbox issue that gradually lost his use of all gears.

[48] Wurz's brakes locked up entering turn 15, causing him to beach his car in the gravel trap and retire on lap 36.

[5][51][52] Michael Schumacher's right front wheel made slight contact with Coulthard's left rear tyre exiting the hairpin.

Barrichello's pit stop on the 44th lap lasted 16.8 seconds and dropped him to fifth because his team had trouble fitting a cross threaded wheel nut on his right front tyre.

[51] After the front-runners finished their pit stops, the first six drivers on lap 48 were Coulthard, Michael Schumacher, Häkkinen, Barrichello, Villeneuve, and Trulli.

[51] Häkkinen passed Michael Schumacher on lap 59 after the latter drove wide when his rear wheels locked braking for the Adelaide hairpin.

[55] Frentzen in seventh held off Button in eighth place who was being closed up to Fisichella in ninth during the race's final laps.

He also mentioned watching Michael Schumacher's racing lines and believing he might have passed him if he had not retired due to an engine failure.

[59] After Ferrari's victory at the previous race, their team principal Jean Todt, said that "we seemed to be in a strong position but, of course, it is the order at the finish that counts",[54] while Michael Schumacher said that his car's tyres dropped in performance following his first pit stop.

"[6] Michael Schumacher later denied any misconduct, citing a similar incident at the 1999 Japanese Grand Prix in which Coulthard pushed him wide with no objections raised.

"[55] FIA president Max Mosley stated that Michael Schumacher's single swerving action at the start of the race was "more of a convention" agreed upon by drivers rather than a formal regulation, adding: "They are all grown men at the height of their profession.

He stated that he would raise the subject at the drivers' meeting prior to the next Austrian Grand Prix but not with Michael Schumacher directly.