2001 Belgian Grand Prix
edit| 2001 Belgian Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 14 of 18 in the 2001 Formula One World Championship | |||
 Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | September 9, 2001 | ||
| Official name | LXIII ING Belgian Grand Prix | ||
| Location | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 7.004 km (4.352 miles) | ||
| Distance | 44 laps, 308.176 km (191.492 miles) | ||
| Weather | Damp, then rained, and dried out | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Ferrari | ||
| Time | 1:49.953 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | |
| Time | 1:53.042 on lap 44 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | McLaren-Mercedes | ||
| Second | Ferrari | ||
| Third | McLaren-Mercedes | ||
Qualifying
editIn qualifying, the top six qualified in the order in which they were in the championship. The two Ferrari drivers, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello who were at front in the championship locked out the front row, with championship leader Schumacher on pole with Barrichello second. Ralf Schumacher who was third in the championship qualified at the saame position, as was fourth placed David Coulthard. Juan Pablo Montoya and Mika Häkkinen, who were level on points but with Montoya ahead due to more victories qualified fifth and sixth, with Montoya the one who was ahead. Jean Alesi, who was signed up for Jordan in place of Heinz-Harald Frentzen was an amazing seventh with Giancarlo Fisichella eighth.
Race
editAt the start, in a damp track, Rubens Barrichello tried to go around the outside of teammate and polesitter Michael Schumacher but Schumacher came just ahead as they exited La Source. Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard kept third and fourth places but there was action in behind, with Juan Pablo Montoya pushing Mika Häkkinen wide in his attempts to defend fifth place from Häkkinen. This allowed Jean Alesi to get ahead of Häkkinen with Jarno Trulli slotting up in eighth. AT the end of the first lap, we had Schumacher leading from Barrichello, Ralf, Coulthard, Montoya, Alesi, Häkkinen and Trulli. The two Ferraris began to pull away at over a second from Ralf, who was visibly holding up the other drivers. Couthard attacked Ralf and passed him on lap 5. Once ahead, he began to reel in both Ferraris at a rate of knots, and by lap 9, the top three were running together, and some 13 seconds behind were a string of six cars.
Coulthard was on fire, and he passed Barrichello at the exit of Les Combes on the next lap, folllowed by the manoever on Schumacher at La Source at the start of lap 11. Schumacher took none on it, howver, and retook the lead at the Bus Stop chicane at the end of the lap. Coulthard was clearly held up by Schumacher, and Barrichello took second in the tight twisty middle portion of the track on lap 12. The action settled down for two laps until it began to rain. Ferrari totally messed up their strategy, and when Schumacher came into he pits on lap 15, Barrichello was forced to follow him in on his last litres of gas. It only became worse for Ferrari when no fuel went into Schumacher's car, and they were forced to switch him onto Barrichello's fuel hose. That took another 10 seconds, and until then Barrichello had to wait behind Schumacher. Both went out on extreme wets. Many more drivers came into the pits in the next two laps except for the McLarens. The rain then stopped on lap 18 and Coulthard went into the pits then, putting on fuel and changing to intermediates. Häkkinen was fueled to lap 20 and struggled on dry tires until then, letting teammate Coulthard through in the process. Everybody who changed to wets had to come back to intermediates, and finally, on lap 22, everyone was on intermediates except Ralf.
And so, Coulthard was leading by an amazing 46 seconds from second-placed Häkkinen, 48 seconds ahead of third-placed Schumacher and a minute and 6 seconds ahead of a battle for fourth between Eddie Irvine, Montoya, Barrichello and Alesi. The Ferrari intermediates were working perfectly, and Schumacher took second from Häkkinen on lap 24. A lap later, Barrichello went around Montoya at Eau Rouge and then passed Irvine immediately at Les Combes. The two Ferraris now began to close in on the McLarens at over a second a lap until the pitstops. After the stops, the McLaren tyres found as much grip as the Ferrari tyres and the top 4 lapped identically. Montoya stalled in the pits and lost further time, dropping behind both Alesi and Trulli. Alesi used the opportuity to take fourth from Irvine three laps later. At the front, Coulthard took a well-deserved win from Schumacher, Häkkinen, Barrichello, Alesi, Irvine, Trulli and Montoya.
Classification
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Notes
edit- Ralf Schumacher raced in wet tyres on a dry track.
- David Coulthard was 46 seconds ahead of the field after just 22 laps.
- Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello stopped the same time, and Barrichello had to wait. Schumacher had trouble with his fuel hose during the stop, and this also caused Barrichello to be held up until Schumacher's problem was solved.
Standings after Grand Prix
editDrivers
- 1. Michael Schumacher - 81
- 2. Rubens Barrichello - 74
- 3. David Coulthard - 71
- 4. Ralf Schumacher - 64
- 5. Juan Pablo Montoya - 44
- 6. Mika Häkkinen - 44
- 7. Heinz-Harald Frentzen - 33
- 8. Jarno Trulli - 25
Constructors