At this stage, the team were only fifth in the Constructors' Championship with 15 points, behind Sauber, with a much smaller budget and without manufacturer backing, who had 19. The cars were off the pace again in Germany, with a double retirement ending a miserable day. Trulli may have finished on the podium, but spun in the course of a battle with Villeneuve, who went on to finish third. Zonta, again substituting for Frentzen, collided with Jos Verstappen's Arrows early on.