2000 Belgian Grand Prix

2000 Belgian Grand Prix
Race 13 of 17 in the 2000 Formula One World Championship ← Previous race Next race →
Spa Francorchamps
Race details[1][2]
Date	27 August 2000
Official name	LVIII Foster's Belgian Grand Prix
Location	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	6.968 km (4.330 miles)
Distance	44 laps, 306.592 km (190.507 miles)
Weather	Wet at start, drying, Air & track temperature; 15 °C (59 °F)
Pole position
Driver	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren-Mercedes
Time	1:50.646
Fastest lap
Driver	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Time	1:53.803 on lap 30
Podium
First	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren-Mercedes
Second	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Third	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW
Lap leaders [3]

The 2000 Belgian Grand Prix (formally, the LVIII Foster's Belgian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 27 August 2000 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium with a crowd of 83,000 spectators. It was the 13th race of the 2000 Formula One World Championship, and the 58th Belgian Grand Prix. McLaren driver Mika Häkkinen won the 44-lap race from pole position. Michael Schumacher finished second in a Ferrari, and Williams driver Ralf Schumacher was third.

Häkkinen went into the event as the World Drivers' Championship leader with his team McLaren leading the World Constructors' Championship. The race began behind the safety car due to overnight rainfall making the track wet and reducing visibility. When the safety car returned to the pit lane Häkkinen built a significant lead over Jarno Trulli. As the track dried and other drivers made pit stops, Häkkinen maintained his lead until a lap-13 spin gave Michael Schumacher the lead for most of the remainder of the race. By the 34th lap Schumacher's tyres began to degrade; he drove off the racing line to cool them, which allowed Häkkinen to close the gap. On lap 41 Häkkinen overtook Michael Schumacher for the lead while lapping BAR driver Ricardo Zonta and maintaining the lead to win. Although Rubens Barrichello set the fastest lap time in the other Ferrari, he was hampered by a poor qualifying performance and retired with a fuel-pressure problem thirteen laps from the finish.

Häkkinen's victory extended his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to six points over Michael Schumacher, with Coulthard a further seven points behind. Barrichello's retirement dropped him to twenty-five points behind Häkkinen. In the World Constructors' Championship, McLaren extended their lead to eight points over Ferrari with four races remaining in the season.