Formula one grand prix 2001
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The report for the 2001 season is incomplete.
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Grand prix schedule for 2001

DATE EVENTS(17) CIRCUIT PLACEcomment
March 4 Australian GP Albert Park Melbourne
March 18 Malaysian GPSepang Kuala Lumpur
April 1 Brazilian GP Sao Paulo Brazil
April 15 San Marino GP Imola San Marino
April 29 Spanish GP Barcelona Spainmissing
May 13 Austrian GP Spirlberg Austriamissing
May 27 Monaco GP Monaco Monacomissing
June 10 Canadian GP Montreal Canada
June 24 European GP NurburgringLuxembourgmissing
July 7 French GP Magny-Cours Francemissing
July 15 British GP Silverstone Great Britain
July 29 German GP Hockenheim Germany
August 19 Hungarian GP Hungaroring Hungarymissing
September 2 Belgium GPSpa-Francorchamps Belgiummissing
September 16 Italian GPMonzaItaly
September 30 USA GP Indianapolis USAmissing
October 14 Japanese GPSuzuka Japanmissing


2001 Italy Grand Prix Sunday September 16th 2001
Return to schedule
PosNumDriverTeamTyresTimeAverage speed
1. 6 MONTOYA Williams BMW M 1h16'58"493 239.115 Km/h
2. 2 BARRICHELLO Ferrari B + 0'05"175 238.847 Km/h
3. 5 R.SCHUMACHER Williams BMW M + 0'17"335 238.221 Km/h
4. 1 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari B + 0'24"991 237.828 Km/h
5. 19 DE LA ROSA Jaguar M + 1'14"984 235.295 Km/h
6. 10 VILLENEUVE BAR Honda B + 1'22"469 234.920 Km/h
7. 17 RAIKKONEN Sauber Petronas B + 1'23"107 234.888 Km/h
8. 12 ALESI Jordan Honda B 1 lap(s)
9. 9 PANIS BAR Honda B 1 lap(s)
0. 7 FISICHELLA Benetton Renault M 1 lap(s)
1. 16 HEIDFELD Sauber Petronas B 1 lap(s)
2. 23 ENGE Prost Acer M 1 lap(s)
3. 21 ALONSO Minardi European M 2 lap(s)
4. 15 BERNOLDI Arrows Asiatech B 7 lap(s)
5. 20 YOONG Minardi European M 9 lap(s)
6. 22 FRENTZEN Prost Acer M 25 lap(s)
7. 14 VERSTAPPEN Arrows Asiatech B 28 lap(s)
8. 3 HAKKINEN McLaren Mercedes B 34 lap(s)
9. 18 IRVINE Jaguar M 39 lap(s)
0. 4 COULTHARD McLaren Mercedes B 47 lap(s)
1. 8 BUTTON Benetton Renault M 49 lap(s)
2. 11 TRULLI Jordan Honda B 53 lap(s)

2001 Drivers Standings

PosDriverTeamPoints1st's2nd's3rd's4th's5th's6th's
1M.SchumacherFerrari107840100
2D.CoulthardMcLaren57233120
3R.BarrichelloFerrari54055020
4R.SchumacherWilliams48311210
5JP.MontoyaWilliams25120100
6M.HakkinenMcLaren24101212
7J.VilleneuveBAR12002101
8N.HeidfeldSauber11001104
9K.RaikkonenSauber9000211
=J.TrulliJordan9000130
11G.FisichellaBenetton8001101
12HH.FrentzenProst6000111
13O.PanisBAR5000110
=J.AlesiJordan5000013
15E.IrvineJaguar4001000
16P.de la RosaJaguar3000011
17J.ButtonBenetton2000010
18J.VerstappenArrows1000001

2001 Formula 1 Schedule

DateCountryCircuit
March 4AustraliaAlbert Park
March 18MalaysiaSepang
April 1BrazilInterlagos
April 15San MarinoImola
April 29SpainBarcelona
May 13AustriaA-1 Ring
May 27MonacoMonaco
June 10CanadaMontreal
June 24EuropeNurburgring
July 1FranceMagny-Cours
July 15Great BritainSilverstone
July 29GermanyHockenheim
August 19HungaryHungaroring
September 2BelgiumSpa
September 16ItalianMonza
September 30U.S.AIndianapolis
October 14JapanSuzuka

Here is the lineup for the 2001 season.

TEAMS (11) DRIVERS (22)
McLaren Mercedes Mika HAKKINEN David COULTHARD
Ferrari Michael SCHUMACHER Rubens BARRICHELLO
Williams BMW Ralf SCHUMACHER Juan Pablo MONTOYA
Jordan Honda Meugen Jean ALESI Jarno TRULLI
Benetton Renault Giancarlo FISICHELLA Jensen BUTTON
Sauber Petronas Nick HEIDFELD Kimi RAIKKONEN
Arrows Asiatech Jos VERSTAPPEN Enrique BERNOLDI
Jaguar Eddie IRVINE P.de la Rosa (Luciano BURTI)
Prost Acer Heinz Harold FRENTZEN ENGE (Gaston MAZZACANE)
Minardi European Fernando ALONSO YOONG (Tarso MARQUES)
British American Racing Honda Jacques VILLENEUVE Olivier PANIS

Where a driver is a replacement, the original driver is shown in brackets.

What A Juan-derful Win

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Juan Pablo Montoya scored a maiden victory in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday after triumphing in a see-saw battle with Ferrari's Barrichello.

The Colombian lead the early stages form pole position but was soon overtaking by Barrichello as he struggled with blistering tyres. However, the two-stopping Barrichello had to make a 'splash-and-dash' pit-stop with allowed Montoya into a lead he would keep until the flag.

It was an uplifting end to a difficult weekend for the sport. Montoya was clearly delighted to finally end his victory hoodoo but celebrations were kept low-key out of respect for the victims of the terrorist attacks on America.

There had been some debate about how the race would start after a team of drivers tried to ban overtaking in the first two chicanes. In the end, the race began as normal. Jenson Button hit Jarno Trulli after making a wildly optimistic lunge down the inside at turn one but otherwise the field avoided serious incident.

At the front, Michael Schumacher powered his way down the inside of brother Ralf at the first Lesmo as the Ferraris immediately began to hunt down the Williams. Montoya, clearly struggling for grip, held off Barrichello for another eight laps but eventually got passed on the exit to the second chicane.

By that time, David Coulthard had already retired with a blown engine. In fact, oil spread across the track by the exploding Mercedes power unit could have contributed to Montoyas sluggishness that allowed Barrichello past.

The Brazilian built up a cushion while Montoya fended off Schumacher before Ferrari sprang a surprise by bringing both their cars in for early fuel stops. The pit crew appeared not to be ready when Barrichello came in and he lost six seconds that proved costly later on.

Nevertheless, when the first round of stops were completed, Barrichello was still in the lead. At this point, the race rested on whether the Ferraris had enough fuel to make the finish. They didnt and both pitted just over ten laps from home.

Barrichello emerged in third and, although he made light work of Ralf Schumacher, could do nothing about Montoya a further six seconds - exactly the amount of time he lost in his first stop - down the road. An uncharacteristically anonymous Michael Schumacher eventually trailed in fourth.

As usual the best racing was to be found lower down the field. Jos Verstappen and Jean Alesi, who started 19th and 16th respectively, both ran as high as fifth early on before their two-stop strategies inevitably dropped them back down the order.

Verstappens Arrows team-mate Enrique Bernoldi was also in the thick of the action, determinedly holding off a convoy of five cars before he too had to pit.

In the end, it was the one-stoppers who prevailed with Pedro de la Rosa claiming a solid fifth and Jacques Villeneuve taking the last point after holding off a fierce challenge from Kimi Raikkonen.

It was a sparkling drive from JV who scythed his way through the field after only qualifying 15th yesterday.

The end of the season and his year-long break cannot come soon enough for Mika Hakkinen. The Finn dropped down to 13th at the first corner before bowing out on lap 21 with a gearbox problem.

Debutants Alex Yoong and Tomas Enge both made inauspicious starts to their F1 careers. Yoong was lapped as early as lap 15 and had an off at the second Lesmo before finally succeeding in beaching his Minardi at the same complex of corners on lap 44. Enge at least kept his nose clean but finished a distant 12th.

'I Am So Happy' - Montoya

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Juan Pablo Montoya ended his year-long win famine in fine style with his maiden grand prix victory at Monza.

Montoya had not won a motor race since taking his last ChampCar victory in September 2000. He had come close on several occasions, most notably in Brazil and Germany, but had to wait until this weekend before breaking his duck.

He said: "The whole team ? WilliamsF1, BMW and Michelin ? have done a fantastic job for me and I am so happy with the result. I think this a great day for me, especially as my father is here and it is his birthday.

"It was also exactly a year ago that I had my last win in ChampCars. At the beginning of the race I had lots of oversteer everywhere, but the car got better and better and the speed was there when I needed it."

Zanardi Put Into Coma

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Alex Zanardi who lost both his legs in a high speed horrific CART crash on Saturday in Germany was put into a coma today.

"He (Zanardi) has been put in an artificial coma," A Berlin hospital spokesperson said. "His condition can no longer be described as extremely life- threatening but remains critical," she added.

Schumacher Glad Weekend Is Over

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Michael Schumacher was glad to have put one of the worst weekends of his grand prix career behind him.

Schumacher seemed troubled throughout the weekend as he tried to come to terms with the weeks terrorist atrocities in America. The world champion, who finished fourth, was off the pace during the race and emerged thankful that it had passed off without major incident.

He said: "Luckily, everything went well and nothing happened. I am glad this weekend is over. It was a pity that Rubens was not able to win this race.

"But overall, the most important thing is that nothing bad happened this afternoon."

The Full Montoya

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

In what turned out to be a close fought thriller between the BMW-Williams and Ferrari team running two different race strategies, it was the BMW-Williams of Juan Pablo Montoya who finally triumphed to score his first GP win and the first for Colombia by just 5.1 seconds over the Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello.

After leading the field away from pole, Montoya struggled with blistering tyres and the heavier fuel load of a one-stop race strategy that saw the Ferraris of Barrichello and Michael Schumacher chase him down for the first 8 laps. On lap 9 Montoya made a mistake into the second chicane, which let Barrichello get alongside and take the lead as they accelerated out of the corner.

Once ahead, he pulled away by a second a lap leaving Michael looking for the same opportunity until he made his first of two pit stops on lap 18. Barrichello stopped a lap later, losing his lead and more vital seconds to Montoya when a problem with the re-setting of the fuelling rig saw him stopped a long 16.3 seconds, almost six seconds longer than his teammate's stop. "I don't really know what happened. I think our strategy was good enough to win today. The car was very competitive and I had what I think was one of my best weekends of the year," said Rubens, despite admitting that it was also a difficult weekend with the tragedy of New York to cope with and then the added tragedy of Alex Zanardi's accident in Germany. "I could not stop thinking about it," he said later. When Montoya made his only stop on lap 28 of the 53-lap race and Ralf Schumacher followed him in from a temporary lead another 7 laps later it put Barrichello back ahead leading for the next six laps and successfully pulling back lost time on the BMW-Williams which were both in tyre troubles, their cars handling badly from too much understeer.

Barrichello came back into the race in third place just behind Ralf Schumacher who was the fastest man in the race in his early laps with fresh tyres, but again he lost pace as the rear tyres blistered. "We also made a small adjustment to the front wing and after a few laps the car started to understeer really bad," said Ralf.

A fighting Barrichello got by the second placed BMW-Williams with seven laps to go but the seven seconds between him and the leading car of Montoya proved too much to climb in the remaining time, the Brazilian having to settle for second spot which brought him to within just three points of second place in the Championship after neither McLaren failed to finish.

David Coulthard left fifth place after just six laps when his McLaren- Mercedes engine failed. Mika Hakkinen was well down the field after being pushed wide going into the first corner while on lap 19 his race was over for good with a transmission problem that saw him lose his cars gears. Seven seconds behind his brother, Michael Schumacher was delighted to simply finish the race in the points in fourth place after a weekend in which he preferred to be doing something else. "Luckily, everything went well and nothing happened. I am glad this weekend is over. It was a pity that Rubens was not able to win the race, but overall the most important thing is that nothing happened this afternoon," said Michael, after failing to get unanimous agreement from the other drivers to a no-overtaking policy for the first two chicanes after the start that have caused so many accidents in the past.

Outside the first four cars in this race, there were only three other runners not to have been lapped by the winner. Pedro de la Rosa drove a strong race to claim fifth place for Jaguar on a one-stop strategy, his teammate Eddie Irvine out of the running early on when he pulled up after 14 laps with an engine problem.

Despite calls for caution at the start, Jenson Button made a wild start with his Benetton knocking Jarno Trulli out of the race at the first corner when he locked up and hit the back of the Jordan. After a stop to replace his own car's damaged nose, he retired a few laps later with a blown engine. A leaking fuel filler saw the second Benetton start the race from the pit lane, Fisichella taking his spare car, which then suffered a traction control problem from the start causing the tyres to wear excessively on his way to tenth place a lap down.

Jacques Villeneuve picked up the final point of the day for BAR-Honda, Jean Alesi's chances of taking the point for Jordan fading when he flat spotted a front tyre and made an unexpected early stop. He took eighth place behind Kimi Raikkonen's Sauber, the last driver to remain unlapped by the winning car. Nick Heidfeld was a disappointed 11th out of the 13 starters, he too starting the race from the pit lane in his spare car after his race chassis suffered hydraulic problems just before the start.

Tomas Enge managed to finish his first Grand Prix with a 12th place for Prost, the first race for Minardi's Alex Yoong ending 9 laps from the flag when his second spin of the race saw him get stuck in a gravel trap.

With only nine points separating the next three drivers behind championship winner Michael Schumacher, the battle for silver in the final two races of the season in the USA and Japan promises to be an exciting one.

Monty's Gift

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Juan Pablo Montoya will be 26 next Thursday, but while he gave himself an early birthday present at Monza with his victory, it was his father's birthday on race day.

"I think it's a great day for me. My father is here, it's his birthday today so it's pretty good," said the Colombian. "Exactly a year ago was my last win in CART, so that's pretty good."

Montoya follows Giuseppe Farina, Jackie Stewart, Clay Regazzoni and Damon Hill as scoring his first win at Monza, but he wasn't expecting it.

"Considering it's my first year I wasn't really expecting to win when I began the year. I had a couple of opportunities where I could have won and I just said 'when the time is meant to come it will come.'"

The fact that it was a Colombian's first ever win in Formula One also meant something to him. "I think it's not only for Colombia but for all my fans. I want to say thanks to everyone who has been supporting me. It was a tough season so far, we had good and bad results, a lot of bad luck and now we turn another page. Three poles and a win is not so bad."

Looking forward to Indianapolis, Juan Pablo said "I think it's going to be a very emotional race for everybody. I'm very happy to go back there. Last time I was there I won. I've taken my first Formula One win now. The car should work pretty well there, so it should be quite interesting."

Ralf And Michael Do Battle

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Ralf Schumacher was overtaken by both Ferrari's during the Italian Grand Prix, but he still finished third.

Asked about the moment brother Michael overtook him at the first Lesmo, the Williams driver said "It happens. That's what we are here for. Sometimes he gets overtaken and sometimes I get overtaken. It was a fair fight, obviously he had a lighter car. I was one of the heaviest anyway in the front and from the beginning I had a very big oversteer, which then turned into blisters. When I got used to the blisters I was able to drive at a reasonable pace."

Ralf then described the moment Rubens Barrichello overtook him, which caused Ralf to run wide at the first chicane, and then ease up to let Rubens through again. "The position belonged to him anyway and I had big problems at that moment, my rear tyres wouldn't behave any more so I defended to a point where I thought it was reasonable and that was it."

Montoya's Blisters

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Juan Pablo Montoya's first Grand Prix wasn't easy, due to adjustments made during his pit stop, and tyre problems. One cost him a place when Rubens Barrichello overtook him.

"I got a blister on a rear tyre and I started sliding under braking," he reported. "I made a mistake and he just passed me. Afterwards it took me a couple of laps to get back in the groove and I learned to really drive the car with that amount of oversteer and actually at the end of the run I was fairly quick."

"Then I think they (the team) went a bit too extreme with the front wing when I came in. We decided to take two holes out and it was a bit too much, so for half of the next run I had tons of understeer everywhere." He continued. "Initially, when I came in for the first stop, I left the pits and I thought it should be pretty good with new tyres and everything. But when I left, I had massive understeer everywhere and I thought I was going to be really slow. Then it got better and better. "The speed was there when I needed to turn it on. I was turning low 1m 26s all the time which was good enough. When they told me Ralf was catching me I went down to 1m 25s and my car was still competitive so it was still really good."

Arrows Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

The 2001 Italian Grand Prix ended with a poignant win for Colombia's Juan Pablo Montoya but frustration for the OrangeArrows team as both cars raced competitively but failed to finish.

The race got off to a fantastic start for the team with Jos Verstappen making another incredible start to take him up to eighth position, then battling his way up to a strong fifth by the 10th lap. Unfortunately his brakes began to suffer and by the end of his first stint he was unable to push quite so hard, ultimately retiring with a fuel pressure problem, approaching the halfway mark of the race.

Enrique Bernoldi also had a great start and was up to eighth position prior to his mid-distance single pit-stop. Holding off strong challenges initially from the McLaren of Mika Hakkinen and then BAR-Honda's Olivier Panis, he kept his head and did exactly what he was supposed to do. His race unfortunately ended just eight laps before the chequered flag with a crankshaft sensor problem.

Jos Verstappen

"I think the start was fantastic, getting up to eighth place from 19th place on the grid. That almost matches the start I had in Malaysia this year. I was able to keep the pace during the beginning of the race but could feel that my brakes were wearing quickly. This wasn't a big problem and I came in for the first of my two pit-stops and re-joined the race but then had to retire as I had a loss of power."

Enrique Bernoldi

"I must say I enjoyed the race today. I got a good start and made up a lot of places. Afterwards I had a good fight with Villeneuve, with Hakkinen and with Panis, which was good. I had a few problems with my brakes, which didn't cause me to slow down but prevented me from pushing. A few laps before the end I felt there was a problem with the engine and then the car just stopped. It's unfortunate as I was having a good time out there today."

Graham Taylor, Chief Race Engineer, OrangeArrows

"Our race pace was a lot better than our qualifying pace and we were able to hold our own out there. Jos was flying on a two-stop strategy and Enrique was keeping pace on a one-stop. We were always concerned about the amount of brake wear we'd get here, as we haven't tested here this year. We were in a bit of trouble with brakes, but Jos' car stopped, and then so did Enrique's. So, in summary, a disappointing end to a race that was looking very good for us at the start."

Minardi Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

European Minardi F1 driver, Alex Yoong, claimed his place in the motor racing history books by becoming the first Malaysian driver to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship when he lined up on the grid for todays Italian Grand Prix. The 25-year-old from Kuala Lumpur made a positive impression on his F1 debut, running strongly in 15th place for much of the race, immediately behind teammate, Fernando Alonso. Unfortunately, Yoongs first race ended eight laps from the chequered flag, when he spun into the gravel trap at the first Lesmo corner after reporting his car was oversteering strongly. As usual, Alonso drove strongly, claiming 13th place at the chequered despite being slowed on his second scheduled pit stop when a rear wheel, which had not located correctly at the previous stop, proved difficult to remove. European Minardi personnel, however, had every reason to be pleased with the performance at Monza, one of the fastest circuits currently visited by the Formula One teams, and now look forward to the final two races, at Indianapolis and Suzuka.

FERNANDO ALONSO

We decided to start the race in the spare car, which was fitted with the older gearbox, simply for precautionary reasons, since we were not so confident about the new gearbox here at Monza following yesterdays problems. This penalised us slightly in terms of performance, but I tried to do my best in the race and, in the end, feel quite happy to have finished.

ALEX YOONG

I had a bit of a scare on the opening lap, when the front wing of Buttons car flew off and hit my car. I slowed my pace for a couple of laps just to be certain that nothing was broken and, from that point on, I had quite a lot of oversteer, with the result that driving became pretty hard. I feel disappointed not to have finished the race, particularly since there were only a few laps left to the finish. I have really enjoyed my first Formula One race here in Monza and am now looking forward to the next Grand Prix in order to accumulate more track miles and get more experience at the wheel of the European Minardi F1 car.

PAUL STODDART Team Principal

After what has been an eventful weekend for European Minardi F1, we are pleased with Fernandos 13th-place finish and the fact Alex, although not finishing the entire distance, ran as high as 15th for much of the race. He proved this weekend that he is worthy of his place at the top level of motor racing, Formula One. Despite a traumatic qualifying session, both drivers and team gave their all in this, one of their home Grands Prix.

It's important to note that Alex today justly earned his place in the history books as Malaysias first-ever Formula One racing driver, but this has been made possible by the enormous encouragement of the Malaysian government a true supporter of Formula one and by companies like Magnum Corporation Berhad, which have provided financial support to allow Alex to fulfil his dream.

'Todays Result Means Little' - Barrichello

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Despite driving a great race which brought him the satisfaction of second place, Rubens Barrichello certainly has not forgotten that the world is living through difficult times right now.

I am not that bothered about the race result and the material side of the race, said Rubens. I am glad the weekend is over and I am also very upset about what happened to Alex.

What was discussed this morning about the start?

Some people only thing about the material side of things, about winning and about work. But there is another side of life which should also be respected. We could have forgotten what happened in the USA and to Alex and had a big crash at the first corner. Some people seemed to think like that. I was not suggesting we do 53 laps in single file, but just to be careful at the first two corners, where we had problems last year. The mood within Ferrari was not lighthearted and Michael was badly affected by what happened. Would I have preferred not to race? Its hard to say but I think it would have been a tough decision. If we hadnt raced here then it would have been hard to do the remaining races. We are here because we like what we do. I wanted it all to be over quickly and without anyone being hurt.

Nevertheless, he drove a great race.

I gave my all today and it was one of my best races. Who knows, without the pit stop problem, i might have won but it was obviously not my day. Williams Post Race Quotes: Italian GP Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

A very sombre weekend for everyone at Monza ended on a high note for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team with Juan Pablo Montoya winning his first Grand Prix and Ralf Schumacher coming third. This win has been overshadowed by the events in America and the news of Alex Zanardis accident in Germany yesterday.

Juan Pablo Montoya:

"The whole team Williams F1, BMW and Michelin have done a fantastic job for me and I am so happy with the result. I think this a great day for me, especially as my father is here and it is his birthday. It was also exactly a year ago that I had my last win in CART. At the beginning of the race I had lots of oversteer everywhere, but the car got better and better and the speed was there when I needed it."

Ralf Schumacher:

"I did not find the best set-up for my car the whole weekend. But I would like to thank the team, being first and third here is a very strong effort. Because of the bad things that have happened I find it difficult to celebrate so hope everyone understands the reasons for my reaction to what is going on."

Patrick Head (Technical Director WilliamsF1)

"The whole team did an impressive job today and Juan Pablo deserved his first Formula 1 win. Ralfs tyres blistered so he had problems holding Rubens behind him. The drivers and every member of the team were concerned about Alex yesterday, but today we had to concentrate on the race and obviously the result is very good."

Gerhard Berger (BMW Motorsport Director)

"It is not the correct moment to be happy, but seeing both the drivers on the podium is obviously a great success for us. Juan Pablo first, Ralf third, that is our best result so far. We expected Ferrari to be a very strong competitor and we were right to do so. The race showed there was no room to make even the smallest mistake. This victory will make Juan Pablo's confidence even stronger and I am sure we will see more strong drives from him."

BAR Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Jacques Villeneuve:

A happier end to a difficult weekend. As predicted we were a lot better in the race than we were in qualifying. The team worked very hard yesterday and this morning and, somehow, the car was a lot quicker in race trim. We had a small problem with the fuel rig and we werent able to put enough fuel in at the pitstop. This meant we were a little low on fuel towards the end of the race so I couldnt really race De La Rosa. However, 6th place gives us a valuable point at this stage in the season.

Olivier Panis:

Obviously the result was a big improvement after qualifying yesterday. I drove the T-car in the race because all weekend I havent felt very happy with my racecar. Im very pleased because I was really competitive today. When you start 17th on the grid its very difficult to have the best possible race but we made the best of the situation. Im sure I could have improved even more but Bernoldi made it difficult for me to get round him. Jacques point was great for the team and after the way the car felt today I feel more positive about the last two races. We just need to stay focused now and keep up the good work.

Malcolm Oastler, Technical Director

After a disappointing qualifying session yesterday, we said we needed to hang in there and keep up the hard work. Thats exactly what we did. The team managed to turn things around for the race and the car was quick enough to earn us a valuable Championship point.

Craig Pollock, Team Principal and Managing Director

It's been a difficult weekend but a disastrous week in general. In the midst of all of that, the team pulled together to produce two very strong and reliable cars for the race. It was a great performance all round and in particular, two fantastic drives from both Jacques and Olivier. I think everyone on the team is relieved that the race ran smoothly and we can at least head home with something to feel positive about."

'A Good Race For Rubens' - Ross Brawn Interview

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Ross Brawn met the press at the end of the Italian Grand Prix, which finished with two Ferraris in second and fourth positions. Under the circumstances it has been a good weekend. Rubens did a very good race, the whole race was very exciting said Ferrari's Technical Director.

We have not seen the true Michael Schumacher this weekend. Any comments?

It was difficult for him, he could not get past Montoya in the beginning. He is a very sensitive person. He was seemingly upset by the events of this week.

Tell us something about the race.

It was a very difficult weekend. It was a very good and exciting race. It was a shame that Rubens had the problem with the fuel rig in the first pit stop, otherwise he would have been in a very good position. If you think of Hockenheim, we struggled there with Williams and they won the race. We thought that it would be difficult to beat Williams and that is what happened.

What do you think of Montoya?

He is very good driver. He was good during the whole weekend and had a fantastic result.

What happened at the pit stop? We saw you changed the nozzle.

We had a problem with the rig. We were ready to go and the lights did not come on properly, so we had to change the rig. That was a shame.

Do you think it was a good decision in the end to have a normal start instead of not overtaking in the first two corners?

In the end nothing happened, there were no accidents and I think the drivers were very sensible and everyone was aware of it. I dont think anyone tried to be a hero, so it went quite well.

JV Points The Way

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Jacques Villeneuve put in a blistering drive at Monza to score a valuable world championship point for BAR in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.

A points finish looked to be a tall order after Saturday's qualifying session in which JV could only manage 15th quickest time.

But the French-Canadian stormed through the field despite starting with a heavy fuel load as the team went for a one-stop strategy.

By half-distance he had climbed into the top-six, a position he would hold to the end despite coming under pressure from Kimi Raikkonen in the closing stages.

JV's sixth place means that BAR have closed within three points of Sauber as they look to snatch fourth of the Swiss team in the constructors' standings.

Olivier Panis suffered a frustrating race after getting stuck behind Enrique Bernoldi's Arrows which held him up for many laps. He eventually came home ninth to complete a double finish for the team.

Prost Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Heinz-Harald Frentzen

"For some reasons, the track was very slippery at the start and in the first chicane. It was unlucky that Jarno Trulli spun in front of me, which forced me to take the outside line. A lot of cars drove through and I lost several positions. I had to fight hard from behind, and Bernoldi held us up for a while. Only when he went into the pits, I could attack to the race. But soon after something broke. The engine was running fine but I had no drive in the gearbox any longer. This is what put an end to my race."

Tomas Enge

"I am very happy to finish my first Formula One race ! The car was running fine, and I did not have any problem at all. I learnt a lot about all the electronic devices, the various commands on the steering wheel, traction control, engine mapping All this was new to me but I managed to complete this Grand Prix without making any mistake. I finished 12th which is very satisfying for me. I am delighted that I had the opportunity to drive for the Prost Acer team this weekend, and that I could do a good job for them and for Luciano."

Henri Durand :

"We have mixed emotions about this race. On one side, Tomas has been able to run consistently without any reliabilty problems for the first time this week- end, and we are very pleased with his performance. On the other hand, we can only be disappointed that Heinz-Harald could not show his true potential and the cars. Yesterday, we had decided to opt for hard compound tyres at the cost of sacrifying Heinz-Haralds grid position, but we believed in that option for the race. He started with a full tank and was planned to refuel vay late in the race. Unfortunately we dont know how competitive he could have been since he was caught in traffic for the majority of his race because of a poor start. Besides, shortly after the traffic had cleared, he experienced a transmission failure. Our week-end was plagued by reliabilty problems which is very uncharacteristic for us this season. We will of course analyse all the difficulties we have faced here and will approach the next two races with our usual determination."

Alain Prost :

"The drivers had had long discussions prior to the race, and decided in majority that there would be no overtaking attempts before they would have passed first two chicanes. In the end, we can only express our disappointment for Heinz-Harald, since some drivers did not take the same decision and cut through the chicane. This cost us several positions and it is difficult to accept it. Despite unusual reliability problems, we have shown a good level performance at some point this week-end. After having been plagued throughout the practices, Tomas managed to achieve a solid race and gathered a valuable experience for the future. We are very satisfied with the work he has done this week-end and all the more frustrated that we could not complete the race with both our cars."

Jaguar Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Jaguar Racing were finally given the reward they had been waiting so patiently for as Pedro de la Rosa drove an excellent race and brought his Jaguar R2 home to finish the Italian Grand Prix in 5th position. This is the best result of the season for the Spaniard who hadnt scored a point since the Canadian Grand Prix earlier in the year. On the other side of the fence it was a different story. After a frustrating weekend, Eddie Irvines race came to a cruel end when he was forced to retire on lap 18 with a suspected engine problem. At the start of the race Eddie had moved up from 13th position to 7th, but his reward was short-lived when his Jaguar R2 began losing power costing him irretrievable time. The team called Eddie into the pits where the problem was diagnosed as terminal and Eddie had no choice but to retire.

The Jaguar Racing team now moves on to Silverstone in the UK for a three-day test in preparation for the forthcoming USA Grand Prix.

Pedro de la Rosa

"Thats the boost weve been waiting for. The past few races havent been very good and I am just delighted for everybody in the team. Everything went like clockwork today. The Jaguar R2 felt very well balanced throughout and I didnt suffer from any problems. My worry beforehand was the first chicane and Im just glad I made it through there without incident. Jenson Button made a great start but came flying into the chicane and took a few people out. I took advantage of the confusion and was surprised at having gained four places by the end of the first lap. The Michelin tyres worked very well and given that I was on a one-stop strategy, I didnt push to the limit for fear of causing excessive tyre wear. As the fuel level lowered and the tyres were run in the car felt great, like it has all weekend. Well aim to carry this momentum into the next two races and lets see where it gets us.

Eddie Irvine

What can I say! I made a pleasing start that saw me climb into 7th place and almost immediately I felt a power loss. It just kept going from bad to worse and thats why I lost so many places. The problem wasnt showing up on the telemetry and the team correctly decided to call me in on lap 18. Its been a bad weekend for me from the minute I arrived in Monza. The car hasnt really been to my liking all weekend and it was difficult achieving a good set-up. I havent been doing too well in the last few races and, unlike earlier in the season, the reliability bug seems to have jumped on me. Its very disappointing not to have scored points today, but at least Pedro has compensated the team with some well- deserved points. The guys work their backsides off in this team and reward has been a rarity for them. Lets see how we fair in Indianapolis and with only three points separating us from Benetton, the chance to overtake them is open again.

Niki Lauda, Team Principal

Pedro drove a great race. He avoided the accident at the first chicane and after that he drove a very determined race. Our pit-stop strategy was definitely the right one and its a shame we lost Eddie. Both cars were in 6th and 7th positions when Eddie experienced a power loss and its a shame not to have taken full advantage today. It looks like part of the oil breathing system in the Cosworth CR3 engine had come loose and right at the start it allowed some oil to fall into the engine. In effect, it failed one of the plugs in the engine. Its a very rare thing to happen and well know for sure when Cosworth Racing get the engine back to their Northamptonshire HQ. Nonetheless, I take nothing away from Pedro and the team. They executed a great job today and we have been rewarded accordingly. We must now look to take this strength and apply it to getting past Benetton in the Constructors table.

McLaren Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

The West McLaren Mercedes team had a disappointing race as both David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen failed to finish the 53 lap Italian Grand Prix at Monza. David retired on lap seven with an engine failure whilst on lap 19 Mika had a drivetrain problem. Before his retirement David was fifth whilst Mika was 10th. Both David and the West McLaren Mercedes team remain second in the Drivers and Constructors Championships.

DAVID COULTHARD

There is no doubt that this has been a race of attrition. Unfortunately this didnt work to our advantage as both Mika and I retired. Its been a difficult weekend for us with a few problems along the way, but we still hoped to get points. At least I retained my second place in the Championship points standings.

MIKA HAKKINEN

The pile up at the first corner after the start caused me to go straight on at the chicane, which cost me several positions and I came out 13th. This was extremely disappointing as us drivers had discussed that we should be particularly careful at the start, as the first chicane is so tight. On lap 19 I got stuck in fifth gear and as I went around the chicane I lost all the gears and that was the end of my race.

RON DENNIS

Overall not a good weekend for Formula One and certainly not for us. Just when we thought we had come to grips with our reliability we suffered an engine failure and a drivetrain problem the causes of which we are still investigating. We have to do better in the future.

NORBERT HAUG

A disappointing race on a difficult Grand Prix weekend with our engine and drivetrain failures. We definitely have to raise our game in terms of speed and reliability.

Deutsche Post Shows Respect

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

In a mark of respect to the tragedies in America this week, Jordan sponsor, Deutsche Post, replaced its branding on the engine cover with the flag of the United States of America

Jordan Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

The race started badly for Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda when Jarno Trulli was hit from behind and eliminated at the first corner. Jean Alesi's impressive run towards the points was not helped by an early second pit stop because of a suspected puncture. Alesi finished eighth.

'I made a good start and held my position,' said Trulli. 'Unfortunately, I was hit by a car at the first chicane and I found out later that it was Button. I was already in the corner and he miscalculated his braking. Again, it wasn't my mistake. There's nothing else I can say because, obviously, this is a huge disappointment.'

'It was a tough race,' said Alesi. 'At least I was able to finish although I'm a bit sad about the final result because I had to come in early for the second stop because I thought I had a problem with one of the tyres.'

'I think most people will be pleased that Monza is over this year,' said Eddie Jordan. 'It was a difficult enough weekend for everybody without Jarno then being hit from behind at the first corner when we were hopeful for points. I feel very sorry for Jarno. Obviously it is disappointing not to have salvaged something. Jean thought he had a puncture on his second set of tyres and that meant we had to do a very early second stop, which didn't suit our game plan.'

Frank WIlliams On Alex Zanardi

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

The result of the Italian Grand Prix today will be overshadowed by the news of Alex Zanardi's accident in Germany yesterday. Alex was a member of the WilliamsF1 team in 1999 and Frank Williams' comment on the sad news is:

"Everyone in the team is devastated by the news of Alex's serious accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. He is a true gentleman and I know his many friends and fans around the world will have him in their thoughts and be hoping for good news about his condition."

Benetton Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Giancarlo Fisichella

"The target today was to score some points, which was a realistic goal. Our car has been strong all weekend, but after one lap I had problems because my traction control did not work. As a result my tyres were going off more quickly than usual, but I did my best in the circumstances. Of courceI I am disappointed with today's outcome but the progress we have made recently puts me in an optimistic frame of mind for the next event."

Jenson Button

"This weekend started so well and I was prepared for a good race. I made a great start, but at the first corner I think I had strayed too far to the inside, where it was quite dirty and oily, perhaps from the Porsche race earlier on today. I braked at the same time as everyone else, but I couldn't stop in time to avoid Trulli. I ran into him, lost my front wing and put him out of the race, for which I was very sorry. The team did a great job to fit a replacement nose in the pits, but unfortunately my engine blew on the fifth lap."

Mike Gascoyne, Technical Director

"Jenson made a storming start and was up to 6th by the first corner, but unfortunately he came together with Trulli. An engine failure then put him out. Giancarlo, who started from the pit lane, drove a very strong race even though a system failure deprived him of traction control. He kept a good pace throughout the race, but we were never going to achieve very much starting from the back. It is of course very frustrating, but we are still improving and, as usual, are looking to improve our competitiveness."

Sauber Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Nick Heidfeld:

"This was a very disappointing race for me. It went wrong on the grid formation lap when my car developed a problem in the hydraulics and I had to start in the spare car from the pit lane. I caught the tail end of the field quite quickly, but then I lost a lot of time in the heavy traffic. I spent most of my time nursing my tyres as they began to lose their edge, and some laps the car was good and some laps it wasn't. It was a tough afternoon."

Kimi Raikkonen:

"I didn't make a great start and had already lost two places when Trulli spun in front of me in the first chicane. That lost me more, and having to run in traffic after that really compromised my race because we had gone for a light fuel load initially and intended to take on a higher load after my pit stop. After the stop I had to nurse the tyres for a long time and could only really attack Villeneuve in the closing stages. Then I was able to drop the gap from eight seconds to about half a second, but I just ran out of laps to get the final point."

Peter Sauber (Team Principal): ]

"I am grateful that there were no accidents this afternoon, but the race was a disappointment for us because we should have scored points. Unfortunately Nick's race was ompromised even before the start when he had to switch to the T- car because of loss of hydraulic pressure, and then the T-car was not good enough to let him fight up from the back. Kimi lost too much ground at the start trapped behind cars with higher fuel loads to enable our own fuel strategy to reap the dividend that it deserved. On the positive side, however, we retain our fourth place in the constructors' championship."

Ferrari Post Race Quotes: Italian GP

Posted on September 16, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Jean Todt:

I am happy for two reasons. The first is that this difficult weekend is now over. The second is that we got a car to the podium and another across the line in fourth place. Rubens drove a really great race and he could have won. Unfortunately, a problem with the re-setting of the refuelling rig, at the moment of his first pit stop, cost him around seven seconds, which was probably enough to deprive him of the victory. As for Michael, he drove a good race in a professional manner. For various reasons, his heart wasnt in it at this track. We would have liked to have celebrated our two world titles in front of all our fans, but world events meant this would have been inappropriate. For us, this race was just another round out of the seventeen. On behalf of all the team, I send our best wishes to Alessandro Zanardi. The thoughts of all of us are with him today.

Rubens Barrichello:

I am not sure what happened in the pit stop, but it cost me a lot of time - enough to lose the race. But, all the same, we put on a good show. The Bridgestone tyres were great and the engine was very strong. The two stop strategy was definitely the right decision and Ross Brawn was magic to think of this, which gave us the opportunity to fight the Williams. I passed Juan Pablo because I saw he had problems with his rear tyres and locked up and I got past him on the inside. It was a fair fight. With Ralf, I think he was also struggling with his rear tyres and his brakes, especially at Turn 1. So I braked early there. He seemed to want the outside line at the chicane but when he missed it, I got by.

Michael Schumacher:

Luckily, everything went well and nothing happened. I am glad this weekend is over. It was a pity that Rubens was not able to win this race. But overall, the most important thing is that nothing bad happened this afternoon.

Result of the German Grand Prix held on Sunday July 29th 2001
Return to schedule
1.5R.SCHUMACHERWilliams BMWM1h18'17"873235.351 Km/h
2.2BARRICHELLOFerrariB+ 0'46"117233.063 Km/h
3.10VILLENEUVEBAR HondaB+ 1'02"806232.246 Km/h
4.7FISICHELLABenetton RenaultM+ 1'03"477232.214 Km/h
5.8BUTTONBenetton RenaultM+ 1'05"454232.117 Km/h
6.22ALESIProst AcerM+ 1'13"950231.704 Km/h
7.9PANISBAR HondaB+ 1'17"527231.530 Km/h
8.15BERNOLDIArrows AsiatechB1 lap(s)
9.14VERSTAPPENArrows AsiatechB1 lap(s)
10.21ALONSOMinardi EuropeanM21 lap(s)
11.22TRULLIJordan HondaB11 lap(s)
12.4COULTHARDMcLaren MercedesB18 lap(s)
13.20MARQUESMinardi EuropeanM19 lap(s)
14.6MONTOYAWilliams BMWM21 lap(s)
15.1M.SCHUMACHERFerrariB22 lap(s)
16.23BURTIProst AcerM22 lap(s)
17.17RAIKKONENSauber PetronasB29 lap(s)
18.18IRVINEJaguarM29 lap(s)
19.3HAKKINENMcLaren MercedesB32 lap(s)
20.11ZONTAJordan HondaB38 lap(s)
21.16HEIDFELDSauber PetronasB45 lap(s)
22.19DE LA ROSAJaguarM45 lap(s)

2001 Drivers Standings

PosDriverTeamPoints1st's2nd's3rd's4th's5th's6th's
1M.SchumacherFerrari84640000
2D.CoulthardMcLaren47222120
3R.SchumacherWilliams41310110
4R.BarrichelloFerrari40035010
5M.HakkinenMcLaren19101102
6JP.MontoyaWilliams15020100
7J.VilleneuveBAR11002100
8N.HeidfeldSauber10001103
9K.RaikkonenSauber9000211
=J.TrulliJordan9000130
11HH.FrentzenJordan6000111
12O.PanisBAR5000110
13E.IrvineJaguar4001000
=G.FisichellaBenetton4000101
=J.AlesiProst4000012
16J.ButtonBenetton2000010
17J.VerstappenArrows1000001
=P.de la RosaJaguar1000001

2001 Formula 1 Schedule

DateCountryCircuit
March 4AustraliaAlbert Park
March 18MalaysiaSepang
April 1BrazilInterlagos
April 15San MarinoImola
April 29SpainBarcelona
May 13AustriaA-1 Ring
May 27MonacoMonaco
June 10CanadaMontreal
June 24EuropeNurburgring
July 1FranceMagny-Cours
July 15Great BritainSilverstone
July 29GermanyHockenheim
August 19HungaryHungaroring
September 2BelgiumSpa
September 16ItalianMonza
September 30U.S.AIndianapolis
October 14JapanSuzuka

Eddie Irvine Interview

Posted on July 30, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

What could have been another third place finish for Eddie Irvine went to waste when a misfire caused by a fuel pressure problem forced him to retire. The race was started twice, and at the first attempt Eddie did a good job to get up to eighth before the red flags flew.

At the second attempt he again finished the first lap in eighth, helped by a clash between team mate Pedro de la Rosa and Nick Heidfeld. He pushed Sauber"s Kimi Raikkonen hard for many laps before a misfire set in, forcing him to pit. He resumed in 16th, but after four laps the misfire returned and he was forced to stop for good.

Before the first stop he had been over 10 seconds clear of Jacques Villeneuve, the man who eventually finished third! The car did demonstrate good straightline speed, Eddie"s best of 355.6kph through the main speedtrap bettered only by Jordan"s Ricardo Zonta.

Q: Obviously this is a day of missed opportunities. What"s the verdict?

We"ve got to work on everything speed, reliability. We"ve still got a lot of catching up to do. The only thing you can say is that Michelin are doing an amazing job.

Q: You seemed to do a good job at the first stop.

We gained and did well. I actually got Heidfeld, but I didn"t know where the yellows for the safety car had come out, so I dropped behind him. And then they stopped it anyway. I saw the debris, and it was probably a good decision.

Q: How was the second start?

It wasn"t as good as the first one. But I got up to where I got up to, and then Pedro moved me up two places!

Q: You were pushing Kimi Raikkonen quite hard for a while

I was all over the back of Raikkonen, but I just couldn"t get past him. He was running light, and I was heavier than him, so I just couldn"t overtake him.

Q: You dropped a long way back from Kimi. What happened?

I had a misfire. That"s why I eventually stopped.”

Q: When were you due to come in?

A lot later. We would have done very well. The Michelins were fantastic, you can't say enough about them.

Q: How soon after that did you have to retire?

I came in, I went back out, and two laps later the misfire was back again. It was so bad. I was 10 seconds off the pace, so I had to come in for good, and that was that.

Q: Any thoughts on Hungary?

That's our next chance to get points fair and square. If we don't get points there I think we"ll struggle in Monza, and it will be a real struggle in Spa. Q: Can you transfer the Monaco form to Hungary, which is a similar kind of track?

We're hoping!

Shaquille O'Neal Brushes Up On F1

Posted on July 30, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Shaquille O'Neal, who has played centre for NBA Champion team, Los Angeles Laker for the past two years, visited the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro pits yesterday morning.

O'Neal spoke with the engineers and mechanics and Michael Schumacher's race engineer Luca Baldissieri took him through the finer points of the F2001.

Pedro de la Rosa Interview

Posted on July 30, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

A first lap crash cost Pedro what would ultimately have been third place at Hockenheim. At the first start he got up to sixth, but the race was stopped because of the debris at the first corner.

At the second attempt Pedro made a simple misjudgement at the first chicane, and ran into the back of Nick Heidfeld – the man Eddie Irvine assaulted on the first lap in Montreal! Pedro came to a halt with the Sauber"s rear wing perched precariously on the front of the Jag, and for a while HSBC"s PR thunder was stolen by rivals Credit Suisse… Q: You made a couple of good starts today

Well, the first one was good, and the second one, you saw it! The first time I had no problems. I got Kimi Raikkonen at the start, and then with Michael slowing I picked up another place, so it was very good.”

Q: Did you think it was a good decision to stop the race?

I didn't think they were going to stop it until I saw how much debris there was, and then I thought it was the right decision. The problem here is having a puncture at high velocity.

Q: So what happened at the second start?

I got to the chicane and locked the fronts and took Heidfeld off. It was my mistake. There"s not really much I can say – I just messed up. There"s no point in looking for an excuse. I"m very, very disappointed. Not for my mistake, because this is racing, and sometimes you make mistakes. It"s just that looking at the race now, it would have been so easy to finish on the podium.”

Q: Any thoughts on Hungary?

I think it should be good. Hungary is a slow circuit and we seem to be pretty good in slow circuits.

Q: What are you going to do during the three week break?

I'm going to relax in Majorca and Ibiza. I'm going to take some days off.

That Home Win Feeling

Posted on July 30, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Ralf Schumacher's third Formula 1 win yesterday was his first at home, and he loved that 'home win feeling'.

"it's a great feeling. I've always had a bit of bad luck here. I've never really finished in a good position and to be here today in a German package to win the race in Germany is a great feeling. It's the perfect scenario."

All Smiles For Jacques

Posted on July 30, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Jacques Villeneuve was ecstatic after clinching BAR"s second ever podium finish at Hockenheim on Sunday afternoon.

The French Canadian was all smiles after coming home third behind race winner Ralf Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. JV said the result was all the more welcome because it was so unexpected.

He said: "Today"s result feels great. We haven"t been competitive in the last few months and this was probably the race we expected to be least competitive in. Qualifying was disappointing but somehow we were able to get a really good set-up for the race. The car felt great in warm-up but we weren"t very quick on the straights so the big question was strategy.

"When Olivier got close to me I let him through because I knew we would have a close fight with Jarno. By then we knew I had the better strategy and Olivier was able to help. At the end I had to balance looking after the brakes and fuel with keeping a good distance from Giancarlo but we had enough room to do that.

"It's great that we got another podium but we still need to be more competitive. If we can keep our nose clean and improve, we can do a good job for the rest of the year."

Jacques said the result had been even more satisfying than the team"s first podium at Barcelona in May.

He said: "This podium was a little more enjoyable than in Spain because a lot more work went into it. We worked really hard session after session and improved the car a lot. The last few races have been hard on the team so this result is well deserved."

Team-mate Olivier Panis finished seventh after opting for a two-stop strategy.

He said: "The car was much stronger in the race so it was just strategy that let me down. I thought two stops would be the best option but obviously it didn"t work out for me today.

"I'm very happy for the team though. Four more points that we really needed and we closed the gap a little more. We need to continue working hard and I need a little more luck to finish in the points."

Team boss Craig Pollock was full of praise for the whole team.

He said: "I'm delighted. A great result and perfect timing. It was an absolutely brilliant drive from both drivers and obviously a great strategy for Jacques. Olivier was on a different strategy which didn"t work in his favour so that"s disappointing for him but we saw a fantastic display of teamwork between the two of them.

"The true strength of the team really shone through today. The car was fast in the race and very reliable and I think this shows that we are all heading in the right direction. We"ve just got to keep improving and trying harder."

Technical director Malcolm Oastler added: "The team has worked so hard over the last few months and especially over the course of this weekend so it"s a fitting reward. We were fast enough, reliable and both drivers did a great job."

Being Careful Pays Well For Ralf

Posted on July 30, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

German Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher has revealed that he was particularly careful while driving yesterday, his Williams teammate Juan Pablo Montoya pulled away at the head of the field, Ralf was being careful behind.

"Already before the weekend, we knew that we were on the tight side with the engines so when, after start of the race, Pablo pulled away, I thought OK, you do whatever you want to," explained Ralf. "I already started to save the engine because I know how long and how hard that race is. It paid off at the end. After this, the team told me as well to slow down even more. That was easy because Rubens couldn't push any more so it was a perfect scenario."

DC Questions Red Flag

Posted on July 29, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

McLaren's David Coulthard has questioned why it was necessary to red flag today"s German Grand Prix after the first lap accident between Michael Schumacher and Luciano Burti that saw Burti"s Prost get launched into the air.

"It's so unusual to have a red flag now, especially when a driver's out and unhurt, that I find with the limited information I have at the moment it difficult to accept," Coulthard said. "I said to the team 'you know, if you were cynical you would understand the reasons for the red flag' and Ron (Dennis) said 'Let's just concentrate on the race' which is fair enough.

"I haven't had the chance to see all the facts," he continued. "Once I have seen all the facts it may be as clear as the balls on a dog why they put the red flag out, but at the moment I am struggling to see it."

"To my mind we could have all driven through slowly and all the cars had to slow down anyway because the safety car was out," he added. "They had two and a half minutes minimum to clean the track before we came round. I feel you've got to have consistency. Accidents or injury off the track is not normally a reason to stop the race. There's lots of races that would have benefited from being red-flagged to give people a show. You want to see all the cars race, you don't want to see everyone pile up on the first corner, everyone go off and Minardi win."

Villeneuve Surprised

Posted on July 29, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Jacques Villeneuve admitted that he was pleasantly surprised to be on the rostrum in the German Grand Prix.

"We had a hard time all weekend and we changed the car from day to day and session to session massively. It's not the same car we're driving now that we had on Friday: new suspension and everything." he said

"This morning in the warm-up the car was really quick with all the fuel on board so we knew we could have a good race but we weren't very quick down the straights so the question was the strategy."

The Benettons got close to threatening his third place, however. "Two laps from the end when I heard Giancarlo made a mistake and went off, I did one lap lifting down the straight just to save fuel so I was probably going 50km/h slower down the straight and he got closer again so I kept looking in my mirrors to keep the distance."

Race Stoppage Questioned

Posted on July 29, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Should they have stopped the Grand Prix after Michael Schumacher was hit from behind by Luciano Burti, and debris covered the circuit? Jacques Villeneuve didn't think so, but winner Ralf Schumacher did.

"I didn't see what happened, but I was surprised when there was a red flag, because we already went through the debris once. By then the track was clean. The most dangerous moment of the race is actually the start so I was really really surprised." Villeneuve said.

Ralf Schumacher explained. "You know sometimes Jacques has his own opinion, sometimes, but personally I would agree with him everywhere else. But here, with all the debris on the circuit, you don't want to have a puncture or cut tyre which might explode on the straight. I think it was quite a good decision actually."

Deja vu For Rubens

Posted on July 29, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Rubens Barrichello admitted to a sense of déjà vu on the German Grand Prix rostrum after finishing second on Sunday. "On the podium I was almost crying, just thinking of last year here! So I feel happy today because they were in a different league, we couldn't really achieve more and if they had a reliability problem we could only achieve the win so I'm quite happy."

Results of the British Grand Prix held on July 15th 2001
Return to schedule
1.3HAKKINENMcLaren MercedesB1h25'33"770216.184 Km/h
2.1M.SCHUMACHERFerrariB+ 0'33"646214.777 Km/h
3.2BARRICHELLOFerrariB+ 0'59"280213.716 Km/h
4.6MONTOYAWilliams BMWM+ 1'08"772213.327 Km/h
5.17RAIKKONENSauber PetronasB1 lap(s)
6.16HEIDFELDSauber PetronasB1 lap(s)
7.11FRENTZENJordan HondaB1 lap(s)
8.10VILLENEUVEBAR HondaB1 lap(s)
9.18IRVINEJaguarM1 lap(s)
10.14VERSTAPPENArrows AsiatechB2 lap(s)
11.22ALESIProst AcerM2 lap(s)
12.19DE LA ROSAJaguarM2 lap(s)
13.7FISICHELLABenetton RenaultM2 lap(s)
14.15BERNOLDIArrows AsiatechB2 lap(s)
15.8BUTTONBenetton RenaultM2 lap(s)
16.21ALONSOMinardi EuropeanM3 lap(s)
17.5R.SCHUMACHERWilliams BMWM24 lap(s)
18.23BURTIProst AcerM54 lap(s)
19.4COULTHARDMcLaren MercedesB58 lap(s)
20.12TRULLIJordan HondaB60 lap(s)
21.9PANISBAR HondaB60 lap(s)

2001 Drivers Standings

PosDriverTeamPoints1st's2nd's3rd's4th's5th's6th's
2D.CoulthardMcLaren47222120
3R.BarrichelloFerrari34025010
4R.SchumacherWilliams31210110
5M.HakkinenMcLaren19101102
6JP.MontoyaWilliams15020100
7N.HeidfeldSauber10001103
8K.RaikkonenSauber9000211
=J.TrulliJordan9000130
10J.VilleneuveBAR7001100
11HH.FrentzenJordan6000111
12O.PanisBAR5000110
13E.IrvineJaguar4001000
14J.AlesiProst3000011
15G.FisichellaBenetton1000001
=J.VerstappenArrows1000001
=P.de la RosaJaguar1000001

2001 Formula 1 Schedule

DateCountryCircuit
March 4AustraliaAlbert Park
March 18MalaysiaSepang
April 1BrazilInterlagos
April 15San MarinoImola
April 29SpainBarcelona
May 13AustriaA-1 Ring
May 27MonacoMonaco
June 10CanadaMontreal
June 24EuropeNurburgring
July 1FranceMagny-Cours
July 15Great BritainSilverstone
July 29GermanyHockenheim
August 19HungaryHungaroring
September 2BelgiumSpa
September 16ItalianMonza
September 30U.S.AIndianapolis
October 14JapanSuzuka

Ralf Not Surprised By Frentzen's Sacking

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Current Williams driver and ex-Jordan driver, Ralf Schumacher was not surprised to hear that Eddie Jordan has sacked Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

The younger Schumacher brother drove for Jordan in 1997 and 1998 after being given his break into Formula 1 by Eddie, however the relationship turned sour and Ralf moved on, joining Williams in 1999.

"It doesn't surprise me, the rumour has been there for several months," Ralf Schumacher admitted. "I know Eddie Jordan. I know the way he acts, so this was not a surprise.

For Frentzen, although he might not see it now, it's the best thing that could have happened." Ralf Added.

Badoer In Marlboro Masters

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Luca Badoer will be putting in an appearance at the Formula 3 Marlboro Masters, the traditional event held every year at the Dutch circuit of Zandvoort.

The Marlboro Masters will be the only opportunity to see a Ferrari in action during the three week break between the German and Hungarian Grands Prix. Given the heavy workload this season, the Scuderia has opted not to involve the two main drivers, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, who will thus able to relax and be as well prepared as possible for the decisive phase of the championship. Ferrari will be represented at Zandvoort by the team's official test driver, who will be driving on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th August at the wheel of a F1-2000, the car which won both championships last year.

Along with Badoer, other motor sport stars will be present, including Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa, Randy Mamola, Tommi Makinen and Freddy Loix.

The Marlboro Masters is Holland's most important motor sports event and always draws a very big crowd of thousands, who flock to Zandvoort to get near the action and the drivers. Apart from demonstration runs from the star names, the main event is a Formula 3 race for the best drivers from these series as well as races for other lesser formulae.

Hockenheim - Fast And Furious

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Although the famous Hockenheimring has undergone a lot of speed reduction modifications over recent years, the 6,825 kms track (4.24 miles) is still amongst the quickest of the calendar with top speeds running over 330 kph and average lap speed expected to be close to 250 kph in qualifying. The track is renowned for its demands on the engines, which remain on full power longer than any other track in the Championship. Most engine manufacturers use the Hockenheim circuit as the basis of race simulation on the dynamometer on the grounds that if it can survive a race at Hockenheim it can survive anywhere!

From a driving standpoint the Hockenheim track has little to offer in the way of a challenge, but the high-speed slipstreaming and last meter braking into the chicanes and the infield stadium section gives its own special thrill. The all- important need for speed has to be traded for infield grip and braking performance for a quick lap and most of practice is usually spent finding that delicate balance that works for the tyres and race strategy.

The short pit straight/start line section leads into a fast 90 degree right with a blind exit which is one of the main overtaking points and usually a source of excitement at the start as the cars filter into a single line with only the brave trying to make it a two lane exit. At racing speed, the Nord Kurve corner demands a well balanced car for fear of running wide at the exit and spinning on the grass as the car loses grip off the kerbing.

From the North Kurve the track plunges between the thick pine forest and a long elongated loop slowed by three chicanes; Jim Clark Kurve, at the spot where he was killed in 1968, the Ost Kurve, at the far end of the track and the Ayrton Senna Kurve on the return stretch in memory of another great driver. Each chicane and the fast right-hand corner (Agip Kurve) entering the stadium section represents maximum braking effort and a slim overtaking opportunity if a slipstreaming maneuver has been successful down the straights. Like an amphitheatre, the high grandstand lined infield section is followed by a tight banked hairpin (Sachs Kurve) that opens out into a fast left-right flick with a tricky downhill exit before climbing again into the final corner which is actually two right-hand corners that flow into one long sweep (Sud Kurve) leading onto the pit straight.

It's not as busy for a driver as most circuits and the high average speed means the race usually lasts around 1h 20 mins, unless it rains. Although well drained with most of the corners slightly sloped, the high speeds and straights sheltered by the dense forests can create serious problems with the spray during a wet race. With little wind the 'fog' hangs in the air and with little sun reaching much of the track, it takes a long time to dry in some areas.

A lap Of Hockenheim With Wurz

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

West McLaren Mercedes third driver, Alexander Wurz describes a lap of the Hockenheimring:

Crossing the start-finish line at Hockenheim you reach 183mph / 296kph in sixth gear as you accelerate along the short straight. Reaching the fast right- hander of Nord Kurve, your speed reduces to take the corner at 119mph / 193kph in fourth gear. On the exit you go hard over the curbs and quickly move up through the gears, driving along the longest straight on the track. The straight is taken at full throttle, reaching some 215mph / 344kph in seventh gear before braking hard for the right-left flick of the Jim Clark Kurve chicane. You experience forces of up to 4.5G as you drop from the top speed on the track to 60mph / 96kph in second gear. This is followed by a shorter straight that sweeps you gently to the right, reaching 210mph / 336kph in seventh gear leading you into the second chicane, the Ost Kurve. The slowest of the chicanes, the sharp right-left Ost Kurve is taken at 50mph / 80kph in second gear. Exiting the chicane the long, fast right-hander of turn seven takes you onto the first of the two back straights, where you reach 212mph / 340kph in seventh gear on the approach to the Ayrton Senna Kurve. Again hard on the brakes, the left-right chicane slows you to 70mph / 112kph in second gear. You then push hard on the throttle as you accelerate along the final straight, reaching a speed of 205mph / 328kph in seventh gear as you burst out of the forest into the Stadium Complex. The sharp right Agip Kurve that leads you into the Complex is taken at 110mph / 176kph in fourth gear, and is immediately followed by the Sachs Kurve. Shifting down into second gear you take the long, left-hand hairpin at 60mph / 96kph. A short burst on the throttle, reaching 140mph / 225kph in third gear, takes you into the final section of the Stadium Complex, the Süd Kurve. This double apex right hand hairpin is negotiated at 95mph / 152kph in third gear and leads you back onto the start-finish straight.

NBA Star Visits Ferrari

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Kevin Garnett, the leading player with the Minnesota Timberwolves, on a private visit to the Ferrari factory, found it difficult to control his emotions when confronted with a bright blue Maserati 3.2, bearing his name and that of the team which has made him famous throughout the world.

Garnett, 25, who measures 2 metres 11 and weighs 98 kilos is one of the stars of American pro basketball. He went straight from High School to the NBA, with a contract worth 120 million dollars over six years and in only his second year as a professional, he played in the All Star Game, doing the same for the following two years. He went into the NBA Top Twenty for the number of points scored, rebounds, number of blocking moves and balls recovered. Garnett, who is in Italy as a guest of his personal sponsor, did not miss the opportunity to realise the dream of millions of lads his age: to get close to Ferrari.

Slightly behind schedule, as is expected of great stars from over the Pond, the Timberwolves champion crossed the threshold of the factory, to the amazement of the fans of the Prancing Horse, who usually gather outside the Ferrari area, followed by a crew from the American TV network, ESPN. With him was his manager, relatives and close friends. The giant two metres eleven player, was amazed at the sight of the world championship winning car on display in the foyer. "So small and so fast," he said, studying images of the company's successes, but he was mainly taken with the Maserati, decorated in his honour. "You are all took kind and I am overcome," he said with a slight air of embarrassment. But with that, he was soon looking all over the car and didn't take long to jump inside. This was not the easiest of manoeuvres to achieve and the lanky millionaire did suggest coming up with a "made to measure" version. The same thing happened when he took a look at the Ferraris, especially a bright red 360 Modena. "I don't believe it! Look at this guys, it's got the same gearshift as a Formula 1 car. This is my favourite." With that he launched a barrage of questions of such technical complexity that the Maranello experts had their work cut out to furnish all the answers.

After this, he was taken inside the premises, away from the prying eyes of the camera crews. The American champion signed autographs, shook hands and asked about the difference between the 12 and 8 cylinder machines. "I can't believe this engine puts out so much power! And the speed, it's just incredible." The security staff on hand had their work cut out keeping the entourage of friends and family from straying into areas which were out of bounds, as they tried to glimpse cars being built. Then it was time for more photos with the mechanics and he left with a particular request for a car, "made especially for me."

Will his wish come true?

McLaren German GP Preview

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

The West McLaren Mercedes team arrives at Hockenheim this weekend for the 2001 Mobil 1 German Grand Prix looking to capitalise on Mika Hakkinen"s emphatic victory at the British Grand Prix. Following the win, the 19th of Mika"s career, the Finn lies fifth in the FIA Formula One Drivers" World Championship with 19 points. David remains in second position with 47 points.

Since the Silverstone race, the West McLaren Mercedes team has been testing at Monza, Italy, with Mika, Alex Wurz and Darren Turner at the wheel. The majority of the teams were in attendance as the session provided the final opportunity to test at the track prior to the Italian Grand Prix in September. The Mobil 1 German Grand Prix is sponsored for an 11th consecutive year by Mobil 1, a Technology Partner of the West McLaren Mercedes team.

The German Grand Prix was introduced in 1951 and originally took place at the Nürburgring, which now plays host to the European race. Paying occasional visits to the Avus track and Hockenheim over the years, the latter became the permanent base for the German Grand Prix in 1977.

McLaren secured its first victory at the event in 1976 with James Hunt at the wheel in a year that saw him become FIA Formula One World Drivers" Champion. Including this maiden victory, McLaren has won the German Grand Prix a total of six times, most recently in 1998 when Mika took the chequered flag, with David finishing in second place.

DAVID COULTHARD

There are six races to go in the FIA Formula One World Championship and we are looking to build on the second positions held in both the Drivers" and Constructors titles. The Mobil 1 German Grand Prix is always an interesting race, often affected by the unpredictable weather conditions. With the extremely fast outfield section, through which we are at full throttle for the majority of the time, and the slow Stadium complex, a set-up compromise is required to ensure the maximisation of performance over the whole track.”

MIKA HAKKINEN

The victory at Silverstone meant a lot to me, it also demonstrated that I am as committed to winning as ever and I am looking forward to more of the same at the Mobil 1 German Grand Prix this weekend. Hockenheim is a challenging circuit, which offers a number of good overtaking opportunities and a fantastic atmosphere. You can actually hear the roar of the crowd when you enter the Stadium section, which is rare in Formula One."

RON DENNIS

"Following the performance improvement demonstrated at Silverstone, the West McLaren Mercedes team arrives at the Mobil 1 German Grand Prix with two drivers who are capable of winning races. There are still a large number of points to be secured in both Championships, and the team will continue to work hard to optimise the results over the rest of the season."

Brightoutlook For Williams

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

The weather forecast for this weekend's German Grand Prix has boosted Williams' chances of success.

Williams have been tipped for victory by a number of their rivals as the powerful BMW engine should be ideally suited to Hockenheim"s long straights.

The only question mark has been over the weather as Williams" Michelin tyres don"t work well in cold and damp conditions.

However, the forecast for the weekend is dry and sunny with temperatures in the high-20s ranging up to the low-30s.

BAR German GP Preview

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Reopened in 1966, after the original oval was cut in two by the construction of the autobahn, the Hockenheimring is one of the fastest circuits in the world.

Main features are a pair of dauntingly fast straights (now punctuated by chicanes) which hurtle off into dark coniferous forests and the stadium section, best described as a large, natural amphitheatre. Chassis set-up is actually more complicated than it may at first appear. The long flat-out straights, where cars reach speeds approaching 350 km/h, demand low downforce, but the second gear chicanes require good braking and chassis stability, as does the fast, fourth- gear corner that leads into the stadium section. As a result, the optimum set-up for the current, narrow-track Formula One cars at a circuit like the Hockenheimring is to run with some downforce. The slight increase in drag and subsequent loss of maximum speed along the straights is more than compensated by time gained under braking and through the tight corners.

The Team

Lucky Strike B.A.R Honda packed up their troubles at the British Grand Prix and immediately switched focus to a major test programme running concurrently in Italy and Spain.

In Monza, the team concentrated on brakes and set-up, with Olivier Panis commencing the schedule there and Jacques Villeneuve recording a best lap time of 1:25.834. In Valencia, Development Driver Patrick Lemarié completed three days of running, with the emphasis on testing chassis set-up and tyres, along with some of the brake work started in Monza.

With the benefit of a productive week behind them, the team are confident that the experience can translate into a positive result and help them recover some form.

Malcolm Oastler, Technical Director

"The Hockenheimring always presents its own unique set of challenges. The fast straights call for low downforce in order to achieve maximum speed but that has to be tempered with the need for grip in the slow section of the track. We'll be looking for a good overall compromise and using the data from last week's Monza test to find that. Bridgestone have developed another new compound and we look forward to seeing how that can help us achieve the necessary grip and deal with the very hard braking requirements. The weather can often play a key role in how the race pans out which can make things very interesting. Lucky Strike B.A.R Honda haven't had an easy time in Germany over the last two seasons but both Jacques and Olivier have been on the podium here previously. If we can find the right mix and achieve a better qualifying performance than we have of late, I think we have reason to be optimistic going into the race."

Schumacher Back In The Hunt

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Despite a bad crash at Monza during testing the week following the British Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher is expected to be back in the hunt to retain his World Championship title for round 12 of this year's FIA Formula One Championship, in Hockenheim, July 29th. Schumacher escaped from his wrecked car with nothing worse than a few bruises and is expected to be fully fit for his home race where he could equal Alain Prost's all-time record of 51 wins if he can take his seventh win of the season.

He won the German Grand Prix in 1995, but since then has had a run of bad luck at his home circuit including a disastrous race last year, which saw him eliminated in a first corner accident.

With 37 points lead over his closest rival David Coulthard and 60 points left on the table until the end of the season Michael Schumacher's main objective at Hockenheim is to open the gap even wider over his nearest rivals. The team spent a busy week carrying out aerodynamic and engine testing, running a full Race distance with the development engine used in qualifying for the British Grand Prix, although it is still not sure if it will be used for the race in Germany.

Following the resurgence of McLaren-Mercedes and Mika Hakkinen at the last race, Hockenheim promises to be another close match between the old rivals, while Williams-BMW are also expected to show up well on this power circuit where engines are put to their toughest test of the year.

The huge tribunes around the last third of the circuit and the pit straight are expected to be a sea of red as Schumacher fans fill his home circuit to create a special atmosphere that only Hockenheim can provide. "If you are leading the race it's hard to maintain concentration those last couple of laps as you can see the crowd going wild and here the noise of the fireworks and air- horns even above the noise of the car," recalls Michael after his 1995 win.

One man who would like to see those flags waved for him again is Rubens Barrichello, who scored a dream first GP victory in last year's race following a disastrous qualifying which saw him start the race in 18th position.

Another win for Scuderia Ferrari-Marlboro would make it a Hockenheim hat- trick for the Italian team who have won the last two German GPs, Eddie Irvine taking victory for the team in 1999 ahead of Mika Salo, who sacrificed what would have been his own first GP win for Irvine's title chances when he let him through for the win.

Jordan German GP Preview

Posted on July 26, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Travelling through the small village of Hockenheim you could be forgiven for thinking that you've taken a wrong turn on the way to the Hockenheimring, before seeing the circuit's main entrance which almost looks out of place.

Nestled deep in the forest, the circuit is one of the fastest on the F1 calendar with incredibly long straights that force teams to use a low downforce wing set-up in order to achieve maximum straight line speed. However, in the interest of safety, this fast 'loop' is broken by three chicanes and the low downforce may need to be compromised as it hampers the cars' handling through the twisty and slow stadium section of the track. All of the circuit's grandstands are located in this area and when full, provide an awesome noise and sight.

The best opportunities for overtaking are under braking at the end of the long straights, although the track is quite narrow. Hockenheim was originally built as a proving ground for Mercedes road cars and the circuit will undergo revisions after this year's Grand Prix. The new track will cut through the forest to reduce its length to 4.5km, allowing for better access and spectator viewing.

Jarno Trulli on the German Grand Prix

'Jordan has always performed quite well at Hockenheim. I raced at this circuit six times in the German Formula 3 Championship and won six times. It's also the track where I scored my first Formula One points (with Prost in 1997), so all this adds to my confidence on this track and optimism for the Grand Prix weekend there. The German crowds still recognise me from my F3 days and I always receive a good reception in Hockenheim which is great. Together with Monza, Hockenheim has one of the best Grand Prix atmospheres, with so many people camping in the woods and the huge crowds filling the incredible grandstands in the stadium area.'

Ralf Wins In Canada!

Posted June 10, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Ralf Schumacher won a family battle with elder brother Michael Schumacher in today"s Canadian Grand Prix to take his second grand prix victory of the year.

The younger Schumacher shadowed his Ferrari driving brother right from the start of the race and always looked to be the quicker of the pair. David Coulthard tried to stay with the Germans in the early stages but soon dropped back as he struggled with a grip problem with his McLaren.

Ralf stalked Michael until lap 20, when an accident involving Juan Pablo Montoya and Ruben Barrichello brought out the safety car. Schumacher Sr led the field away on the re-start but his younger brother was soon pushing hard for the lead as he continually cruised up to the gearbox of the Ferrari.

Despite making a number of challenges Ralf remained patient and waited for his brother to pit before taking the lead. He then pushed hard to eke out an advantage before making his stop.

The ploy worked and Ralf regained the circuit with a four-second lead over the world championship leader. He cruised home to take the win by 20 seconds from his brother who eased off in the closing stages, mindful of Montreal"s reputation for destroying brakes.

Mika Hakkinen finished third to take his first podium spot of the year after a lonely race. He took the position from team-mate David Coulthard in the pit-stop sequence just before the Scot retired with a Mercedes engine blow up.

Kimi Raikkonen continued his immensely impressive Formula 1 rookie season by finishing in fourth place. The 21-year-old now lies equal seventh in the world championship less than six months after FIA boss Max Mosley questioned the decision to grant the 21-year-old an F1 super-licence.

Prost spirits were raised by the a charging drive by Jean Alesi who grabbed fifth spot at the track where he took his only grand prix victory six year ago.

And Pedro de la Rosa rounded out the points scorers after finishing sixth place for Jaguar, his first visit to the points since making a return to F1 with the British team last month.

Both BAR drivers were out of luck. Jacques Villeneuve ended a difficult race weekend after he dropped out with suspected transmission troubles. Olivier Panis looked on course for a point finish until Montreal"s ferocious appetite for brakes forced his retirement.

Result of Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, June 10th. 2001
Return to schedule
1.5R.SCHUMACHERWilliams BMWM1h34'31"522
2.1M.SCHUMACHERFerrariB+ 0'20"200192.943 Km/h
3.3HAKKINENMcLaren MercedesB+ 0'40"600192.254 Km/h
4.7RAIKKONENSauber PetronasB+ 1'08"100191.333 Km/h
5.22ALESIProst AcerM+ 1'10"400191.256 Km/h
6.19DE LA ROSAJaguarM1 lap(s)
7.11ZONTAJordan HondaB1 lap(s)
8.23BURTIProst AcerM1 lap(s)
9.20MARQUESMinardi EuropeanM3 lap(s)
10.14VERSTAPPENArrows AsiatechB4 lap(s)
11.12TRULLIJordan HondaB6 lap(s)
12.4COULTHARDMcLaren MercedesB15 lap(s)
13.9PANISBAR HondaB31 lap(s)
14.10VILLENEUVEBAR HondaB35 lap(s)
15.15BERNOLDIArrows AsiatechB45 lap(s)
16.6MONTOYAWilliams BMWM50 lap(s)
17.2BARRICHELLOFerrariB50 lap(s)
18.8BUTTONBenetton RenaultM52 lap(s)
19.21ALONSOMinardi EuropeanM62 lap(s)
20.16HEIDFELDSauber PetronasB68 lap(s)
21.18IRVINEJaguarM68 lap(s)
22.7FISICHELLABenetton RenaultM69 lap(s)


2001 Drivers Standings as at Monday June 11th 2001

Pos____Driver__________Team______ Points1st's2nd's3rd's4th's5th's6th's
1M.SchumacherFerrari58430000
2D.CoulthardMcLaren40221020
3R.BarrichelloFerrari24023000
4R.SchumacherWilliams22200010
5M.HakkinenMcLaren8001101
=N.HeidfeldSauber8001101
7J.VilleneuveBAR7001100
=K.RaikkonenSauber7000201
=J.TrulliJordan7000120
10JP.MontoyaWilliams6010000
=HH.FrentzenJordan6000111
12O.PanisBAR5000110
13E.IrvineJaguar4001000
14J.AlesiProst3000011
15G.FisichellaBenetton1000001
=J.VerstappenArrows1000001
=P.de la RosaJaguar1000001


DC Weekend Cherry Topper

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

To add insult to injury, McLaren driver, David Coulthard's miserable Canadian Grand Prix weekend extended even after he lost his engine and a chance for some much needed points.

Coulthard knew he had a problem with his car before the race started when he found a detached nut from his front suspension in the cockpit and the day got worse when his Mercedes V10 blew up just a few laps from home.

After Coulthard lost his engine, he managed to drive into the pit-lane at speed, unfortunately, he forgot about pit-lane speed limits and copped a $5000 fine for his trouble.

Heinz-Harald To Rest This Week

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Frentzen was due to test in Silverstone this week, but, on advice from doctors, he has been told to take it easy for a few days.

Jordan's German star, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who withdrew from the Canadian Grand Prix after a shunt on Friday in practice, has been told to take this week off to rest and recover from the headaches and dizzy spells from which he is suffering. Ricardo Zonta, who stood in for Frentzen in Canada, will test with Jarno Trulli for three days in Silverstone, commencing Tuesday 12th June.

JPM Facing The Sack From Williams

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Juan Pablo Montoya is getting into even hotter water after his recent feud with BAR"s Jacques Villeneuve, not only has he been threatened with race bans if it happens again, but he is treading on thin ice with his team, facing a possible dismissal.

"Frank felt the comment was out of order and has given Juan a stern talking to. He has made it perfectly clear he will not tolerate a repeat performance." Someone close to the Williams team revealed.

Montoya seems to be well liked by F1 fans, but inside the paddock it is a different story, it is believed he does not get on with team-mate, Ralf Schumacher and now Jacques Villeneuve has joined both Eddie Irvine and Michael Schumacher who have been openly critical about his conduct on the track.

Raikkonen Has A New Fan

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Mika Hakkinen has heaped praise on his fellow country man Kimi Raikkonen who has proven that he will be a future force in F1 to reckoned with.

"I really enjoyed seeing him (Raikkonen) going flat out, particularly at the start when we were side by side and he was pushing really hard." Hakkinen said. "Obviously he's a young guy and he's quite brave, but he did a good job and like I said, when I was following him on the track, he was doing a really good job.

Then when I overtook him in the hairpin it was a very fair game. I really enjoyed it." He added.

Jordan Plays Down Honda Rumours

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Jordan boss Eddie Jordan has played down rumours that Honda will likely only choose one team to supply engines to next year, instead of supplying both BAR and Jordan like they are this year.

"I believe it is absolutely a rumour," said Jordan. "I think it's probably the time of the year when the press like to speculate on things as they do, quite within their entitlement and some of these things can be quite hurtful and malicious and there is absolutely no rumour whatsoever in this particular speculation."

"I'm particularly pleased, this is our eighth race with Honda, it's a very long term contract as I made it very clear at the time of the announcement and we're anxiously looking forward to a long term and successful arrangement." He added.

Positive Points For Ferrari

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt was philosophical after the Canadian Grand Prix, where Ferrari's Michael Schumacher was beaten into second by his brother Ralf. The fact that Ferrari now has a 34 point lead in the Constructors' championship, and Michael has an 18 point lead in the Drivers' series was sufficient.

"I think of it as being a race which we might have won, but on the other hand I see it as a race where Michael took six points off his nearest rival who was unable to finish. In the Constructors we pulled out another two points over our direct competitor, so all in all it hasn't been a bad weekend," said Todt on Sunday evening.

Reliability hadn't been at fault, said. "We are reliable, but we weren't quite as competitive as Williams today. However this was an important second place for the two championships."

Williams's win, according to Todt, was deserved. "I think you have to recognise that the Williams, BMW, Michelin package and Ralf was stronger, so the fact that they won was fair enough."

However, he felt that this was, like their previous win at Imola, a one-of result. "Two off," joked Todt. "They are really strong, but I don't think they are quite competitive enough to compete for the world championship. When they are good, they are good, but perhaps they need more consistency."

Todt wasn't surprised by the younger Schumacher's turn of pace and second win. "We've seen for many years that Ralf is a competitive driver. For four or five years he's been competitive, but the difference is that this year he has a very good car and in certain Grands Prix he will make the difference, which was the case today."

Todt emphasised that the work goes on to make the Ferrari more competitive. "We have to keep developing the equipment and carry on fighting. We will be testing at Silverstone with most of the other teams this coming week in preparation for the British Grand Prix which takes place on July 15."

Todt was also bouyed by the presence of three Ferrari engines in the first five: Schumacher's plus the customer engines in Kimi Raikkonen's fourth placed Sauber and Jean Alesi's fifth placed Prost. "It's another satisfaction," said Todt. "Raikkonen finished a good fourth, so three points for Sauber with a Ferrari engine. The team is now in fourth place in the championship. And there were two important points for Jean Alesi, giving Prost a total of three points."

Todt went on to pay tribute to his former World Champion compatriot. "I think Alain has done a good job since he took over the team. It's hard to run a team, but he didn't give up, so I think he has to be congratulated." However, the task is not an easy one, according to Todt. "Tackling the big teams is one thing, but beating them is perhaps something else. It needs a lot of courage because it's not easy."

DC Wont Throw In The Towel

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

David Coulthard is refusing to throw in the towel after an engine blow-up in Canada dropped him 18 points behind championship leader Michael Schumacher.

Coulthard was troubled by a suspension glitch from the very start which meant he had no chance of keeping up with the pace-setting Schumacher brothers. He soldiered on in third until the pitstops and looked on course for fourth place at the least until disaster struck on lap 54.

"I have no doubt that I can still win the World Championship and will continue to work towards it -if you don't like a challenge you shouldn't be in Formula 1." He said.

"On the formation lap I realised that I had a problem with the front suspension, as the left to right handling characteristics were different. He added. As the race progressed, it got worse but having discussed it with the team, I decided to continue and go for the points which I would have been capable of achieving. However with 16 laps to go, the engine suddenly let go."

Team boss Ron Dennis said Coulthard had done well to last as long as he did, "In the circumstances, he drove an outstanding race up until his engine failed." He said.

Trulli's Retirement Explained

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

A failure of the front brake master cylinder prevented Jarno Trulli and the Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda team from winning valuable points at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Ironically, in a race notorious for brake wear problems, Trulli's brake wear, as confirmed by the team's telemetry readings, was on target for completion of the race distance. In the closing stages of the race, Trulli's race engineer confirmed to him that the brakes were wearing well, but with only six laps to go, the brake master cylinder failed and Trulli was forced to retire. 'We are obviously very disappointed by this failure,' explained Jordan's joint managing Director Trevor Foster. 'A failure of this sort is an extremely unusual occurence. Obviously extensive tests will be carried out to understand why this happened and to ensure it does not happen in the future.'

Commenting on the weekend, Jordan's Chief Executive, Eddie Jordan, said, 'Jarno drove an excellent race and performed strongly all weekend, with a particularly good qualifying result. It was very tough for him and for the team to leave Canada without any points. Ricardo Zonta also gave a comendable performance, stepping in at short notice for Heinz-Harald (Frentzen) and proving that he is a very capable driver. We have had a run of bad luck in recent races, but we must not forget that we looked stronger all weekend than many of our competitors. Now we must get things back on track to strengthen our championship fight.'

Michelin Delighted

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Ralf Schumacher (BMW WilliamsF1 Team) got the better of a straight fight with brother Michael to score his and Michelin's - second grand prix victory of the season. Both Schumachers started on the front row of the grid and Michael won the sprint to the first corner. His younger brother shadowed him closely for 46 laps, however, and took the lead when the Ferrari star stopped for fuel. With the track clear ahead, Ralf immediately upped his pace and, after making his own scheduled fuel stop five laps later, he emerged with a clear lead that he held to the end. After 69 laps he beat his brother across the line by 20.2 seconds. To complete his day, he also set the race's fastest lap.

It was a great race today," Ralf said. "I was waiting for Michael to make a mistake, but obviously he didn't do that. I tried to pass a couple of times, but I didn't want to take many risks so I decided to wait for the pit stops to see if I would come out ahead. The way the car was going I was sure I would be able to get the upper hand eventually."

McLaren driver Mika Hakkinen was third his first podium finish of the year - but his team-mate David Coulthard, Schumacher Snr's closest world championship rival, retired with a blown engine

Two other Michelin drivers also scored points. Jean Alesi (Prost-Acer) backed up his strong result in the previous race, at Monaco, by finishing fifth his best result since 1999. With Coulthard's retirement, Alesi is the only driver to have finished every race this season. Pedro de la Rosa (Jaguar) took sixth place - his first points finish since he was promoted to the British team's racing line-up four grands prix ago.

Luciano Burti (Prost-Acer) and Tarso Marques (European Minardi) came home eighth and ninth respectively, but there was no joy for Michelin's other drivers. Juan Pablo Montoya (BMW WilliamsF1 Team) crashed heavily in the early stages of the race, Fernando Alonso (European Minardi) pulled off with a mechanical problem and Eddie Irvine (Jaguar) was eliminated after a collision with Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld.

Benetton Renault Sport driver Giancarlo Fisichella retired after running into the back of his team-mate Jenson Button on the opening lap. Button, who was handed a stop-go penalty for jumping the start, later dropped out after making a couple of supplementary stops in a vain effort to cure a technical hitch.

Schumacher Snr has increased his championship lead over David Coulthard to 18 points after the eighth of 17 races. Ralf remains fourth in the standings, but is now just two points behind Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello.

Michelin's Race :

Pierre Dupasquier (Motorsport Director ):

How do you feel about the Michelin drivers' performances?

"We are all absolutely delighted with today's result and I would like to congratulate the three teams that scored championship points. This second win of the season for Ralf Schumacher, BMW Williams and Michelin underlines the fact that we are in contention at every race. Sometimes it is hard to get all the elements right at the same time, and circumstances aren't always in our favour, but this was a fantastic achievement today. Ralf was in control from start to finish. He drove with a great blend of talent, professionalism and sound judgement. The FW23 chassis is immaculate, while BMW has proved that its engine is not only extremely fast and reliable, but economical, too. Ralf managed to stay out four laps longer than his brother during the first stint, and that proved to be the decisive point in the race."

You must be happy that three Michelin teams scored points today?

"Of course this is extremely pleasing. To win a race is one thing, but overall this has been an extremely interesting race for our partner teams, who are working hard and making progress with each passing day. It is a shame that Eddie Irvine wasn't able to finish the race, because he would certainly have scored a good result. But I have to say a big "well done' to Jean Alesi and the Prost-Acer team, and the same to Pedro de la Rosa and Jaguar Racing."

Edouard Michelin, CEO:

I am very happy to have been here to witness a superb victory for Ralf Schumacher and the BMW WilliamsF1 Team. We didn't assume that we would win any races in our first season back so it is absolutely fantastic to have scored two in the first eight events. And to have three teams in the points is an added bonus. We hope that this superb result will show our partners throughout the industrial world that we have the determination and ability to succeed."

Canadian GP - Post Race Press Conference

Posted June 12, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

TV UNILATERALS

Q: Well done Ralf? Was that the greatest fun you've ever had with your clothes on?

Ralf SCHUMACHER (RS): It was obviously a great race today. The whole time the two of us together I was waiting for him to make a mistake. Obviously he didn't. I tried it a couple of times at the end of the straight but then it was difficult, so I waited for the pit strategy when I thought that we would go longer anyway and it worked out that way.

Q: We saw you pull out of the slipstream a couple of time; did you approach it differently because you were trying to overtake your brother?

RS: No, not really. I had the upper hand the whole stint. I was following him quite easily. My car was just brilliant today and I didn't want to risk too much. I knew that we were very long - we had a lot of fuel on board, I knew that, so I thought I had better wait until he pits and then I could try to pull the gap out instead of trying harder, maybe making a mistake and then losing it. That's what I did.

Q: What did you do to the car to transform it?

RS: We changed quite a few things overnight but the tyres worked brilliantly again today. Looking at Bridgestone's tyres, I think they looked a bit worse than ours at the end of the race. Looking at Michael's car which was very nervous, I knew it was difficult for him to hold the pace.

Q: Michael, I suppose if you have to lose to someone, you might as well lose to your brother...

Michael SCHUMACHER (MS): Yes, that's certainly the best to lose to. I guess our Mum and Dad will be very proud of us, first time a pair of brothers are first and second on the podium and I'm obviously delighted. I took six important points. He got the second win of his career, so a happy family day, I would say.

Q: And when he was following you for those 40 laps, did you trust him not to make any mistake?

MS: The point is that I know that he's experienced enough not to make mistakes. He obviously was close to overtaking but when you're inside, basically you have to brake a little bit earlier to make the corner and I was braking very late to try the maximum and as he said, he was going longer than I was, so I understand that he didn't take the maximum risk for either of us. It worked out for him.

Q: After the stop, you seemed to be slower. Were you taking it easy, or did you have a problem?

MS: Initially I pushed very hard in order to maybe make up the gap and beat him so when he came out of his pit stop I was in front of him but it's normal that this doesn't work, because you're normally always faster at the end of the stint than when you put fresh tyres because of the fuel on board. But you have to try. You never know what the traffic is going to be like, or a little mistake. So I pushed at this moment very hard, but once I saw him pulling out in front of me and pulling out a margin, there was only one strategy, try to save your race and take the six points.

Q: Mika, it must just be a tremendous relief to finally make the podium this year.

Mika HAKKINEN (MH): In one sense, yes, it has been a really disastrous start to the season, so it's nice to be on the podium, particularly starting from either position, because this was really our target, to finish on the podium was the most important thing.

Q: You were stuck in what seemed like a train of traffic, but once you go free, you were quite a bit quicker. How come you couldn't overtake them?

MH: Simply leaving from the hairpin before the back straight, it looked like the cars ahead of me were able to accelerate out of that corner a little bit quicker, so I never got the opportunity to get a slipstream in a straightline and overtake at the end of the straight, so it was just impossible, better to wait and see what happens. When they went in for fuel, that gave me a lot of help and then they definitely had an incident: I think Raikkonen and Zonta had an incident. Raikkonen had damage in his diffuser, so his car wasn't handling so well any more, so that gave me a great opportunity to overtake them.

Q: Ralf, we now go to what is nearly your home circuit at the Nurburgring. You must be looking forward to that with great vigour.

RS: Obviously it would be great, especially at the Nurburgring in Germany if we could repeat that. I think the person next to me wouldn't like to hear that very much but I mean we would both try our best, whoever is going to be in front is going to be great for the German crowd anyway. I think we're both looking forward to coming home and competing in front of our home crowd.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: What were you thinking when you were behind Michael for all those laps?

Michael SCHUMACHER: Why is he going so slowly?

Ralf SCHUMACHER: Actually, that's slightly the case. When I was following him, I thought he was going to pull away and then I saw that the two of us were pulling away from the rest of the field and I thought OK, why isn't he going quicker? At the beginning I thought he was saving his brakes or his tyres but then he kept his pace. So I knew that I would have the upper hand at the end. I had to look after my brakes at the beginning of the stint as well, so I took it quite easy. I tried it(to overtake) a couple of times at the end of the straight but realised there was no sense. Obviously he didn't want to let me by - maybe next time - and then I called the team on the radio and said 'OK, I'll back off now and wait until he goes to the pits and then I think we could pull out the gap to win.'

Q: How close did you get to overtaking him?

RS: Realistically, I was alongside. I could have stayed inside but the only thing that would happened was that we both would have gone straight through the chicane and maybe crashed or something would have gone wrong. There's no sense in that.

Q: After the safety car period, he leaped into a 2.5s lead. What happened then?

RS: I picked up a lot of rubber on the tyres, and it took a long time to get up to grip and to be clean again. I don't know why that happened, because I always took care. When I got the call that the safety car was coming in, I couldn't get them clean again and they took a bit of time to come back. But I knew at that stage I had to close the gap again otherwise I would lose the race. Luckily it worked out.

Q: Did the temperature work in your favour; it went up about six degrees just before the start?

RS: Yes, it was perfect. We all know the hotter the better for Michelins and it worked that way again.

Q: And the hard tyres were the right choice?

RS: Yes, at the beginning of the weekend we were in trouble, we couldn't use the soft ones, so we decided to opt for the hard ones and try to make them work, which worked in qualifying, but again yesterday it was pretty hot in qualifying compared to the morning, and we were hoping for a lot of sun today which came before the start, so it was perfect timing.

Q: Michael, how hard was Ralf pushing behind you?

Michael SCHUMACHER: I drove my pace which was at that stage maximum without being forced into a mistake, so just a little bit below the edge but seeing him closing the gap after the safety, I knew he was quite a bit faster and therefore it didn't matter how hard I pushed. As I saw that we were pulling out quite a gap to third car, I was just watching out whether we could maybe go longer to the pit stop and beat him that way, but as this didn't happen, it was clear I was going to lose the race.

Q: What were you thinking when you had to come in and he stayed out?

MS: I was pretty much aware of this honestly and better him than anyone else.

Q: How longer are you going to be pleased that your brother beats you?

MS: I've no problem with this at all. If he's faster, he's faster that's fine. We have to work harder to be up front again. Better him than anyone else.

Q: When you were behind the safety car, we saw a couple of puffs of smoke, it was though you were heating up the brakes?

MS: Yes. Everybody does that. Everybody has to watch out for that. Especially if you drive behind the safety car, you don't go full pace anyway, so it's not a problem.

Q: Ralf said he thought your car looked nervous, did it feel nervous?

MS: Sort of, yes. It was basically on the edge and that's it. Whenever you drive on the edge, it always looks a bit nervous and whenever you have extra grip like he had, you have an easy afternoon. I can imagine how he felt following me. It probably wasn't a big effort for him. I'm prepared for that. That's why I'm working out so hard, to be fit. Sometimes it's not enough.

Q: So you're happy with second today?

MS: Yes, we were the best Bridgestone team. We were pulling away quite a margin to David and to Mika and that's what we can do. And what happened today, Michelin tyres are a bit better - they have a very good car, he's a good driver, their package is there when it's right, they can beat us and that's what happened.

Q: Mika, could you ever imagine being on the rostrum today?

Mika HAKKINEN: Oh yes! Big way! No, that was the target really today, to finish on the podium, not just in the points.

Q: You were in that group for 34 laps and then you overtook Zonta and overtook Raikkonen; what happened?

MH: It was really dangerous what happened for Ricardo and Kimi on the back straight coming towards the pits. I'm not sure if Olivier was causing traffic a little bit, that Kimi had to go slow in the hairpin and because Kimi had to go slowly in the hairpin, Ricardo had the opportunity to get a tow on the long straight and Ricardo got a little bit too close. He just touched Kimi on the back and all the diffuser and everything - pieces were flying in the air. And I could see Kimi's car going left-right left-right on the back straight and I was thinking 'wow, if Ricardo continues pushing like that, he's going to go off.' I think both of them damaged their cars. Kimi had a diffuser problem and probably Ricardo had a front wing failure. After that, they lost the balance of their cars and gave me the opportunity to overtake them.

Q: Were you happy with your car today?

MH: Medium. Not 100 per cent to be honest. I just was not able to enter the corners at the speed that I wanted to go. I was losing too much time entering the corners and that was really compromising my lap time.

Q: What did you think of Kimi's performance?

MH: It's great. I really enjoyed seeing him going flat out, particularly at the start when we were side by side and he was pushing really hard. Obviously he's a young guy and he's quite brave, but he did a good job and like I said, when I was following him on the track, he was doing a really good job. Then when I overtook him in the hairpin it was a very fair game. I really enjoyed it.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: Michael, you've looked a bit vulnerable against the McLarens on fuel consumption. You beat them today but you didn't beat WilliamsF1 - are you still worried?

MS: We'll find out in the future. We're still working on this and we don't know the answer.

Q: Ralf, you had a big lead at the end yet you were still locking the wheels - why?

RS: I was driving easy but the thing is into the hairpin even if you brake lighter and turn in you still tend to lock an inside wheel but I wasn't pushing. You can see by my lap time I backed off two seconds nearly.

Q: Mika, had it ever crossed your mind if you would compromise your race for David?

MH: Sure it came to my mind.

Q: When was the last time that Ralf beat Michael in a race?

RS: We never really raced together as he's seven years older - as you'll see just by looking at him! We have never really competed together so it's actually the first time that, with a bit of luck, I was able to beat him.

Q: Ralf, yesterday you said that the lack of results so far was down to Frank to change the car. How much of today was up to you and how much from the car?

RS: The car obviously hasn't changed since yesterday has it? Seriously, Frank was not happy with the records of finishing and when I said it was down to Frank to change it because we had a few reliability problems in the team as well. He wouldn't blame the driver and I wouldn't the team. This is a circuit that works in our favour but when we started here on Friday we had great problems getting the car and the tyres to work together on the circuit. By getting better throughout Saturday I knew that we were going to be competitive but looking after yesterday's performance realistically we were half a second faster than Michael so how should I expect to win the race?

Q: Michael and Ralf, is it difficult to be as aggressive when you're one on one?

RS: I think we've shown in the past that whenever we've come together it's been very hard fighting in between us but fair. At the end of the day we always give the safe to survive. You saw today I didn't try any stupid moves but I did try to overtake him as I would anyone else.

Q: Ralf you tested at Magny-Cours recently and were very fast there. If you are as quick there...

RS: Are we going for the championship? You know after Imola everyone should have seen what happened, as a package we are too young I mean we're going to show up from time to time I'm pretty sure but depending on the tyres. Michelin hasn't got the experience Bridgestone has and I'm sure there will be occasions when we just don't get it right so aerodynamically we are not where we want to be as well so we can't go for the championship but we can try and take advantage of some other teams weaknesses and maybe be second in the teams championship at the end of the year.

Q: Ralf you spent a lot of time behind Michael today can you tell us what he's like as a driver? Is there room for improvement?

RS: I had 45 laps to learn off him and then I just went away so it helped me today, it was just amazing!

Q: Mika, what does it feel like to finish third behind not one but two Schumachers?

MH: Lucky there's not three! Then there would be a problem.

'No Problems With Ralf Beating Me' - Schumacher

Posted June 11, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Michael Schumacher's first defeat by his brother in Grand Prix racing prompted much family banter, but asked how long he would be happy to be beaten by his brother, Michael replied "I've no problem with this at all. If he's faster, he's faster that's fine. We have to work harder to be up front again. Better him than anyone else.

I guess our Mum and Dad will be very proud of us. It's the first time a pair of brothers are first and second on the podium and I'm obviously delighted. I took six important points. He got the second win of his career, so a happy family day, I would say."

Asked what it was like to finish third behind not one but two Schumachers, Mika Hakkinen joked "lucky there's not three! Then there would be a problem."

'We Are Not Going For Championship' - Ralf

Posted June 11, 2001 by Wez Metcalf

Ralf Schumacher says that the Williams-BMW package is too new to be going for the championship. After his second win of the year, he admitted that they could well win more races, but wouldn't be consistent enough.

"Are we going for the championship?" he asked. "You know after Imola (where they won their first race) everyone should have seen what happened. As a package we are too young I mean we're going to show up from time to time, I'm pretty sure, but depending on the tyres. Michelin hasn't got the experience Bridgestone has.

I'm sure there will be occasions when we just don't get it right so aerodynamically we are not where we want to be as well so we can't go for the championship. But we can try and take advantage of some other teams' weaknesses and maybe be second in the teams' championship at the end of the year."


2001 Drivers Standings as at Tuesday, April 24, 2001
Return to schedule
Pos Driver Team Points
1 M Schumacher Ferrari 26
= D Coulthard McLaren 26
3 R Barrichello Ferrari 14
4 R.Schumacher Williams12
5 N Heidfeld Sauber 7
6 HH Frentzen Jordan 6
7 M Hakkinen McLaren 4
= J Trulli Jordan 4
9 O Panis BAR 3
10 G Fisichella Benetton 1
= K Raikkonen Sauber 1


Michael Schumacher completing the the first of many amazing Ferrari pit stops which won him the Australian grand prix at Adelaide Australia and subsequently the formula one championship for the 2000 season.



Here is the lineup for the 2001 season.
Return to schedule
TEAMS (11) DRIVERS (22)
McLaren Mercedes Mika HAKKINEN David COULTHARD
Ferrari Michael SCHUMACHER Rubens BARRICHELLO
Williams BMW Ralf SCHUMACHER Juan Pablo MONTOYA
Jordan Honda Meugen Heinz Harold FRENTZEN Jarno TRULLI
Benetton Renault Giancarlo FISICHELLA Jensen BUTTON
Sauber Nick HEIDFELD Kimi RAIKKONEN
Arrows Jos VERSTAPPEN Enrique BERNOLDI
Jaguar Eddie IRVINE Luciano BURTI
Prost Ferrari Jean ALESI Gaston MAZZACANE
Minardi Cosworth Fernando ALONSO Tarso MARQUES
British American Racing Honda Jacques VILLENEUVE Olivier PANIS
2001 Australian Grand Prix Sunday March 4th
Return to schedule
1.1M.SCHUMACHERFerrari1h38'26"533187.465 Km/h
2.4COULTHARDMcLaren Mercedes+ 0'01"717187.410 Km/h
3.2BARRICHELLOFerrari+ 0'33"491186.408 Km/h
4.9PANISBAR Honda+ 1'02"050185.516 Km/h
5.16HEIDFELDSauber Petronas+ 1'11"479185.223 Km/h
6.11FRENTZENJordan Honda+ 1'12"807185.182 Km/h
7.17RAIKKONENSauber Petronas+ 1'24"143184.832 Km/h
8.19BURTIJaguar1 lap(s)
9.14VERSTAPPENArrows Asiatech1 lap(s)
10.22ALESIProst Acer1 lap(s)
11.18IRVINEJaguar1 lap(s)
12.21ALONSOMinardi European2 lap(s)
13.7FISICHELLABenetton Renault3 lap(s)
14.8BUTTONBenetton Renault6 lap(s)
15.6MONTOYAWilliams BMW18 lap(s)
16.12TRULLIJordan Honda20 lap(s)
17.3HAKKINENMcLaren Mercedes33 lap(s)
18.5R.SCHUMACHERWilliams BMW54 lap(s)
19.10VILLENEUVEBAR Honda54 lap(s)
20.20MARQUESMinardi European55 lap(s)
21.15BERNOLDIArrows Asiatech56 lap(s)
22.23MAZZACANEProst Acer58 lap(s)
2001 Malaysian Grand Prix Sunday March 18
Return to schedule
1.1M.SCHUMACHERFerrariB1h47'34"801170.613 Km/h
2.2BARRICHELLOFerrariB+ 0'23"660169.990 Km/h
3.4COULTHARDMcLaren MercedesB+ 0'28"555169.861 Km/h
4.11FRENTZENJordan HondaB+ 0'46"543169.391 Km/h
5.5R.SCHUMACHERWilliams BMWM+ 0'48"233169.347 Km/h
6.3HAKKINENMcLaren MercedesB+ 0'48"606169.338 Km/h
7.14VERSTAPPENArrows AsiatechB+ 1'21"560168.484 Km/h
8.12TRULLIJordan HondaB1 lap(s)
9.22ALESIProst AcerM1 lap(s)
10.19BURTIJaguarM1 lap(s)
11.23MAZZACANEProst AcerM2 lap(s)
12.8BUTTONBenetton RenaultM2 lap(s)
13.21ALONSOMinardi EuropeanM3 lap(s)
14.20MARQUESMinardi EuropeanM4 lap(s)
15.7FISICHELLABenetton RenaultM24 lap(s)
16.16HEIDFELDSauber PetronasB52 lap(s)
17.15BERNOLDIArrows AsiatechB52 lap(s)
18.6MONTOYAWilliams BMWM52 lap(s)
19.18IRVINEJaguarM52 lap(s)
20.10VILLENEUVEBAR HondaB52 lap(s)
21.9PANISBAR HondaB54 lap(s)
22.17RAIKKONENSauber PetronasB55 lap(s)
2001 Brazilian Grand Prix Sunday April 1st
Return to schedule
1.4COULTHARDMcLaren MercedesB1h39'00"384185.387 Km/h
2.1M.SCHUMACHERFerrariB+ 0'16"164184.884 Km/h
3.16HEIDFELDSauber PetronasB1 lap(s)
4.9PANISBAR HondaB1 lap(s)
5.12TRULLIJordan HondaB1 lap(s)
6.7FISICHELLABenetton RenaultM1 lap(s)
7.10VILLENEUVEBAR HondaB1 lap(s)
8.22ALESIProst AcerM1 lap(s)
9.20MARQUESMinardi EuropeanM3 lap(s)
10.8BUTTONBenetton RenaultM7 lap(s)
11.11FRENTZENJordan HondaB8 lap(s)
12.17RAIKKONENSauber PetronasB16 lap(s)
13.23MAZZACANEProst AcerM17 lap(s)
14.5R.SCHUMACHERWilliams BMWM17 lap(s)
15.18IRVINEJaguarM19 lap(s)
16.6MONTOYAWilliams BMWM33 lap(s)
17.14VERSTAPPENArrows AsiatechB34 lap(s)
18.19BURTIJaguarM41 lap(s)
19.21ALONSOMinardi EuropeanM46 lap(s)
20.15BERNOLDIArrows AsiatechB56 lap(s)
21.2BARRICHELLOFerrariB69 lap(s)
22.3HAKKINENMcLaren MercedesB71 lap(s)
2001 San Marino Grand Prix: Sunday, April 15
Return to schedule
1.5R.SCHUMACHERWilliams BMWM1h30'44"817202.062 Km/h
2.4COULTHARDMcLaren MercedesB+ 0'04"352201.901 Km/h
3.2BARRICHELLOFerrariB+ 0'34"766200.780 Km/h
4.3HAKKINENMcLaren MercedesB+ 0'36"315200.724 Km/h
5.12TRULLIJordan HondaB+ 1'25"580198.936 Km/h
6.11FRENTZENJordan HondaB1 lap(s)
7.16HEIDFELDSauber PetronasB1 lap(s)
8.9PANISBAR HondaB1 lap(s)
9.22ALESIProst AcerM1 lap(s)
10.15BERNOLDIArrows AsiatechB2 lap(s)
11.19BURTIJaguarM2 lap(s)
12.8BUTTONBenetton RenaultM2 lap(s)
13.20MARQUESMinardi EuropeanM12 lap(s)
14.6MONTOYAWilliams BMWM14 lap(s)
15.18IRVINEJaguarM20 lap(s)
16.7FISICHELLABenetton RenaultM31 lap(s)
17.10VILLENEUVEBAR HondaB32 lap(s)
18.23MAZZACANEProst AcerM34 lap(s)
19.1M.SCHUMACHERFerrariB38 lap(s)
20.17RAIKKONENSauber PetronasB45 lap(s)
21.14VERSTAPPENArrows AsiatechB56 lap(s)
22.21ALONSOMinardi EuropeanM57 lap(s)

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