Formula 1: Four stall in ‘farcical’ start
The return of traction control turned the start of the Austrian Grand Prix into a farce today as four cars stalled on the grid.
Both Jordan’s of Jarno Trulli and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, the McLaren of Mika Hakkinen and Nick Heidfeld’s Sauber all failed to start on the A1-Ring.
Trulli and Heidfeld eventually got underway but Frentzen immediately retired.
Hakkinen, who had stalled in the Brazil, got underway after three of the 71-laps had been completed.
Race officials were forced to send on the safety car on the opening lap while marshalls pushed Hakkinen off the starting grid.
The farce overshadowed a blistering start from the Williams duo of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher.
Montoya, who started alongside Ferrari’s pole winner Michael Schumacher, blasted his way past the German in the race to the first corner.
Schumacher junior also overtook his elder brother and made an immediate attempt to get past his team-mate which was blocked.
Hakkinen did one lap before driving into the McLaren garage for another massive set-back to his title hopes as he already trails by 32 points.
Team-mate David Coulthard, who started seventh, did move up to fifth at the start, but slipped to sixth as he was overtaken by the Arrows of Jos Verstappen.
