2000 European Grand Prix

Championship standings

Schumacher leads with 36 points. Häkkinen is second on 22 after winning in Spain. Coulthard is third on 20, still nursing three broken ribs from his plane crash. McLaren have won back-to-back races for the first time this season and are coming for the championship. Häkkinen said before the Nürburgring: “In this sport something weird always happens. If I were in Michael’s shoes I would be getting a little bit worried.”

Previous race

At Barcelona, Häkkinen won, giving McLaren a second consecutive 1–2. Schumacher had a difficult race, finishing without scoring. During the race a pit-stop accident left Ferrari chief mechanic Nigel Stepney with a compound leg fracture, keeping him sidelined again this weekend.

Car upgrades

Ferrari introduces the 049B engine alongside smaller brake callipers and lighter discs. McLaren installs cooling chimneys on both sides of the MP4/15. Williams brings the cast titanium uprights dropped before Barcelona.

Weather

Dry at first, rain later; air 11 °C, track 12 °C.

Practice

Four sessions are held: two one-hour on Friday and two 45-minute on Saturday. Overnight rain leaves a wet track for Friday. Schumacher sets the first session’s fastest time at 1:21.092. Häkkinen locks his tyres at Dunlop Curve on his final lap and beaches in the gravel. In the wet second session, Button sets the day’s fastest lap at 1:19.808 on a light fuel load with a new set of tyres, surprising the field. Fisichella damages his Benetton against a tyre barrier; Ralf Schumacher’s engine develops a fault; Coulthard spins on a kerb at the Veedol chicane.

The weather is cold and overcast on Saturday. Schumacher leads FP3 at 1:18.527; Verstappen’s engine smokes and his session ends early after 17 minutes; Button crashes into the tyre barrier after clipping kerbs. In the final session, Schumacher remains fastest; Coulthard slides into the gravel at turn three and is later collected by marshals at the Ford Kurve; Gené spins his Minardi; Ralf Schumacher runs onto the grass at the Veedol chicane.