The French Grand Prix saw the Prancing Horse turn into a Mare once again. This time Schumacher's engine blew on the parade lap and his team mate Irvine started from the back of the grid. Irvine did manage to get up as far as 16th place but five laps into the race he drove into the pits and retired.
Ferrari's misfortune meant that Hill was effectively on pole position, as they got away Hill went into the first corner in the lead, barring pit stops upsetting the running order Hill lead from start to finish.
Behind him Alesi was second, Hakkinen had a great start and moved up to third with Villeneuve also passing Berger to go fourth. Berger was fifth, Brundle sixth and Coulthard seventh.

By the start of lap three Hill had built up a 1.887 second lead, he also set the first fastest lap of the race in 1.19.241. The best of the racing was behind him with Villeneuve pressing Hakkinen for third.

By lap six Hill had a 3.228 second lead and the race was beginning to settle slightly, Diniz was running an impressive eighth and Fisichella and Irvine had both retired from the race.

Lap eight saw the end of Verstappen's race as he appeared to run wide, got into the gravel and went off the track and stopped.

Hill set another fastest lap of 1.19.059 on lap eleven as behind him Coulthard began to press Brundle for sixth place and Diniz, Barrichello and Panis were all fighting for eigth place. These battles continued until the pit stops started on lap 18.

By lap 28 everyone except Villeneuve had been in for fuel and tyres and the race order was Villeneuve, Hill, Alesi, Hakkinen, Berger, Diniz, Coulthard and Brundle. VIlleneuve stayed out to set some quick laps managing a fastest lap of 1.19.044, he then came in on lap 29 while Hill set another fastest lap of 1.19.042. Villeneuve came out in front of Hakkinen and the race order was Hill, Alesi, Villeneuve, Hakkinen, Berger, Coulthard.

On lap 36 Villeneuve passed Alesi in a classic late braking move going into the Adelaide hairpin and then set another fastest lap of 1.18.971. Oliver panis then set a fastest lap of 1.18.712 as Berger passed Hakkinen in a move that was a carbon copy of Villeneuve's.

By lap 42 Hill had a 12.290 second lead, Villeneuve put on a charge and tried to catch his team mate setting a fastest laps along the way, 1.18.629 on lap 47, 1.18.610 on lap 48 and he then came in for his second pit stop. Everyone else went in to the pits over the next few laps and on lap 56 the order was Hill, Villeneuve, Alesi, Berger, Hakkinen, Coulthard, Panis, Brundle and Barrichello. Hill had a 10.906 second lead which he would increase slightly before the end of the race.

Lap 59 saw Frentzen go off, with what looked like handling problems (possibly suspension) while the two Benetton drivers began a bit of entertainment by "racing" against each other. Berger getting close and having a look, while Alesi would shut him out and re-establish his gap.

They finished Hill, Villeneuve, Alesi, Berger, Hakkinen, Coulthard. A bumper result for Renault, happy faces at McLaren and Pedro Diniz putting in possibly the best performance of the day.

French GP Results