Race of attrition

Damon Hill proved the Jordan Mugen Honda 198 is no lemon by running in second place for much of yesterday's thrilling Canadian Grand Prix, though an engine sensor ended his fine run after three-quarters of the race. He renewed his war with eventual winner Michael Schumacher, the pair exchanging sharp words after the race.

Hill's retirement helped Eddie Irvine on his way to third place from dead last at the end of the third lap, but Ralf Schumacher's future must be in question after a fine qualifying was cancelled out by a first-lap crash yet again.

What a race. There were thrills and spills from the outset.

As the red lights went on for the start, Ralf Schumacher stalled his B&H Jordan and the crowd gasped, hoping that no car would smash into the Jordan. Ralf was lucky to escape but you would have to ask why a simple safety precaution such as forcing all cars to be able to restart is not demanded by the FIA. Ralf avoided the carnage at the first corner which caused the race to be stopped for 30 minutes. But at the restart, the 22-year-old was straight into the wars again.

"I had a reasonable start and was following Michael when Hakkinen slowed suddenly," he said of his first-corner accident. "We went on the inside but when I went into the corner there were cars already there. I had to take to the grass and there is no grip there and I spun."

He was lucky to escape without hitting anyone, but the car was damaged.

Some had a hard word for the German, including former Grand Prix driver Derek Warwick: "He has got to grow up. The team will get fed up soon . He can qualify well but makes far too many mistakes."

In a race of attrition, like yesterday's, just staying out of trouble would have put Ralf on the podium, maybe on the top spot.

Damon Hill did stay out of trouble. At the restart, his 10th place on the grid became seventh thanks to the first-start carnage. Within a lap of the restart he was in the points and with Coulthard (throttle trouble), Villenuuve (accident), Barrichello (driver error) and Frenzen (clash with Schumacher) clearing from his path, he found himself in third place at the halfway point.

Schumacher received a stop-go penalty which put Fisichella into the lead, with Hill a scant three seconds behind.

Eddie Jordan watched nervously from the pit wall: "It was a really nerve-wracking time. We needed a podium finish and we have been so lucky here in the past. Our first ever points were a fourth and sixth in 1991 here. Our best result ever (second and third) was here so I felt our luck would hold."

It didn't. On lap 43 Hill slowed dramatically. He struggled back to the pits, where the team failed to fix an electrical problem.

"I have mixed emotions about the race," Jordan said. "The main thing is that the car was a real contender.