In a day of mixed results for German engine manufacturers Ralf Schumacher won his home Grand Prix for the first time driving a BMW powered Williams. It was his third victory of the season.

Unfortunately for Mercedes both McLarens failed to finish for the first time this year in their home GP. Mika Hakkinen pulled off with a fluid leak and David Coulthard’s engine failed just after his pit stop.

Juan Pablo Montoya started from his career first pole position and looked like he could also score his first win after comfortably leading the first half of the race but a lengthy pit stop caused by a faulty fuel rig ruined his chances and half a lap later his engine blew up and his day was over.

Such was the attrition — only 10 of the 22 entries finished — that for the first time this year both of the Benettons finished in the points.

Overwhelming crowd favourite Michael Schumacher almost went out on the first lap when his Ferrari slowed leaving the grid and Luciano Burti (Prost) crashed into the back of him, launched into the air, rolled over and bounced off the top of Enrique Bernoldi’s Arrows. Luckily for them no one was hurt and there was so much debris on the track that the race had to be red flagged giving them a chance to re-start in their spare cars. This reprieve didn’t last as Schumacher’s Ferrari was no match for the Williams and he stopped on the track after his first pit stop. With Coulthard — his only real competition in the title chase — also out of the race he chatted to course workers until the race finished.

Complete German GP results.