Rain interrupts French Grand Prix.

The French Grand Prix has been stopped due to rain on lap 16 of 28, with Valentino Rossi holding a 3secs lead over Alex Barros, Tohru Ukawa, Max Biaggi and Sete Gibernau.

The race is due to re-start in 20 minutes time, for a 13 lap distance, in the order in which they finished. New for 2003 is that the race will be a straight fight - no aggregate result.

Not taking the restart will be the Ducatis of Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss - Capirossi led from the start below dropping back with intermittent bike problems and retiring.

Bayliss was working his way up the order before losing the front into a fast, off-camber, right hander. Also crashing out was the unfortunate Carlos Checa, who managed to find a small damp patch hidden in the otherwise dry asphalt under acceleration, throwing him straight over the bars,

Checa's team-mate Melandri had a storming early race, rising as high as third, before slipping back to eighth by the stoppage. Also on a charge was Nori Haga, who got a good getaway and was up to sixth, behind the leading pack, when the red and white flags were thrown.

All eyes will now be on the likes of wet pace setter Jeremy McWilliams, who is Proton Team KR's only rider after Aoki crashed out.

Trouble is the rain looks to be stopping...

Order as of race stoppage:

1. Rossi
2. Barros
3. Ukawa
4. Biaggi
5. Gibernau
6. Haga
7. Abe
8. Melandri
9. Nakano
10. Jacque
11. Roberts
12. McWilliams
13. Edwards
14. Tamada
15. Hayden
16. Hopkins