The Iceman Waiteth: Difference between revisions
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===Other Series=== | ===Other Series=== |
Revision as of 11:58, 3 April 2013
This is my (Backmarker's) timeline in which I try and describe how Formula One might have looked had Enrique Bernoldi got the Sauber drive for 2001, instead of Kimi Räikkönen.
2001
Driver changes for the 2001 season
A number of changes to the teams' line-ups were made for the 2001 season: Olivier Panis, having spent a year testing for McLaren, moved to BAR, replacing Ricardo Zonta, who became test driver at Jordan; Jenson Button moved to Benetton, making way at Williams for Colombian CART sensation Juan Pablo Montoya; Gaston Mazzacane joined Prost from Minardi, with Nick Heidfeld leaving the French team for Sauber; making debuts would be the aforementioned Montoya, a young Spaniard called Fernando Alonso at Minardi, and Enrique Bernoldi at Sauber.
The Sauber decision had been a contentious one. Team Principal Peter Sauber had preferred a young Finnish driver called Kimi Räikkönen, but sponsors Red Bull had lobbied for their driver, Enrique Bernoldi to get the seat. In the end, with doubts circulating about the Finn's ability to cope with the reality of Formula One competition, given that he had only driven in 23 events so far, money talked, and Bernoldi got the drive.
As a result, the line-ups for the 2001 Formula One Season were as follows:
Australia
At the sharp end of the grid there was a signal of intent from Ferrari, with Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello qualifying first and second on the grid. Nick Heidfeld managed a credible tenth place, with his team-mate Enrique Bernoldi down in sixteenth, just ahead of the Benettons.
In the race Schumacher converted pole position into a win, with David Coulthard second, and Rubens Barrichello in third. Nick Heidfeld performed very credibly, finishing fourth, their highest finish since 1998. Enrique Bernoldi's race ended a lot sooner, spinning off on the second lap.
Race
Malaysia
For the top teams it was more of the same in Malaysia. Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello put their Ferraris on the front row of the grid. Nick Heidfeld would start from eleventh, while Enrique Bernoldi could only manage nineteenth.
The race did not get any better for Sauber. Bernoldi had a driveshaft issue that prevented him from even leaving the grid, and with rain falling Heidfeld spun out on the third lap. Despite losing positions because of the rain, Schumacher and Barrichello pulled off a series of overtakes in order to finish first and second respectively.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Brazil
At Interlagos there was hope for the other teams that they wouldn't have to endure further Ferrari domination. While Michael Schumacher was on pole again, Rubens Barrichello was in sixth behind the Williams and the McLarens. Qualifying also went well for Sauber, with Nick Heidfeld and Enrique Bernoldi qualifying ninth and tenth respectively.
Just like Malaysia before, the Brazilian Grand Prix was beset by rain, with the lead changing hands between Michael Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya and David Coulthard on multiple occasions, with Coulthard ultimately prevailing. Heidfeld managed to finish fourth, a lap behind the lead trio. Hopes for a double points finish were dashed when Enrique Bernoldi span off the track.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
San Marino
For the first time of the season, Michael Schumacher was not on pole, instead qualifying fourth. Pole was instead taken by David Coulthard, with Mika Häkkinen lining up just behind him in the sister McLaren. For Sauber, Enrique Bernoldi out-qualified Nick Heidfeld for the first time, starting the race from tenth, one position ahead of his team-mate.
In the race the McLarens were not as quick off the line as Ralf Schumacher's Williams, the German going from third to first before Tamburello. Ralf Schumacher held on for the win, making him and Michael the first grand prix-winning brothers. David Coulthard finished second, and, with Michael Schumacher suffering a suspension failure, took the lead in the championship. Enrique Bernoldi's good qualifying performance was undermined by a steering issue during the race, and Nick Heidfeld finished just outside the points in seventh.
Race
Driver's Championship standings
Spain
In the weeks between Spain and Malaysia there had been a driver change, with Gastón Mazzacane being sacked by Prost, and replaced by French driver Stéphane Sarrazin. Despite there having been rumblings that Jaguar were preparing to sack Luciano Burti, the lack of a viable replacement seemingly put paid to the idea.
Normal service was resumed in qualifying, with Michael Schumacher taking his fourth pole of the season. Lining up beside him was Mika Häkkinen. For Sauber, Enrique Bernoldi again managed to qualify his car just ahead of Nick Heidfeld, with the Saubers lining up ninth and tenth respectively.
In the race all had looked set for Häkkinen to take his first win of the season, before a hydraulic problem on the penultimate lap caused his retirement from the lead. Michael Schumacher swept past, and took the race win, with Juan Pablo Montoya a distant second. Joining the pair on the podium was Jacques Villeneuve, his first podium finish foor BAR. Heidfeld was able to use his experience to ensure that he finished ahead of Bernoldi, the pair finishing sixth and eighth respectively. In his first race for Prost, Stéphane Sarrazin finished a respectable eleventh, just behind Jean Alesi.
Race
Driver's Championship standings
Austria
Once again, Michael Schumacher was on pole for the grand prix, with championship rival David Coulthard only able to qualify seventh. Nick Heidfeld qualified well, and would start from sixth, with Bernoldi behind him in tenth. Stéphane Sarrazin actually out-qualified Jean Alesi by one position, and would start from nineteenth on the grid.
In the race a battle for the lead developed between Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya. When Michael Schumacher tried to overtake Montoya at the second corner, the Colombian outbreaked himself, with both drivers running off the track, and handing the lead to Rubens Barrichello. During pit stops Coulthard was able to get ahead of Barrichello, and went on to take the win, with Michael Schumacher finishing second, Ferrari having ordered Barrichello to cede the position to his team-mate. Both Saubers finished outside the points, with Heidfeld eighth and Bernoldi ninth. Sarrazin finished the race just behind his team-mate in eleventh place.
Race
Driver's Championship standings
Monaco
David Coulthard had high hopes for retaking the championship lead from Michael Schumacher at Monaco, given that he qualified first on the grid, with Michael Schumacher second. Nick Heidfeld was the fastest of the Saubers, but was only sixteenth, with Enrique Bernoldi in eighteenth. Stéphane Sarrazin was well down the grid in twenty-first, only ahead of Tarso Marques.
Come the parade lap, David Coulthard's launch control played up, and prevented him from pulling away from the grid. By the time that the McLaren engineers had got the car started Coulthard was forced to start from the back of the grid. Coulthard managed to work his way back to fourth over the course of the race, but having qualified on pole and with the championship race heating up, the Scot was disappointed with the result. Michael Schumacher predictably led home Rubens Barrichello to take his fifth win at Monaco. Eddie Irvine raised a couple of eyebrows by ending the race just behind the two Ferraris in third. An accident with Jos Verstappen ended Nick Heidfeld's race early, and Bernoldi was the best of the Saubers, finishing tenth, with a wheel sensor failure requiring him to drive very gently in order to bring the car home. Jean Alesi scored Prost's first points of the season, finishing sixth, but Stéphane Sarrazin's afternoon was ended when a brakes issue forced his retirement.
Race
Driver's Championship standings
Canada
O, Canada! The halfway point of the season, and characteristically for 2001 Michael Schumacher qualified on pole, just ahead of his brother. Heinz-Harald Frentzen had succumbed to illness, and so was replaced in the Jordan by Ricardo Zonta, who qualified twelfth. Enrique Bernoldi was the quickest of the Saubers, qualifying ninth to Nick Heidfeld's eleventh. Stéphane Sarrazin was again near the back of the grid, qualifying nineteenth in the Prost.
In the race it was Ralf Schumacher who was the faster of the brothers, hunting Michael down before passing him during pit stops. This was the first time ever that two brothers had finished first and second in a grand prix. David Coulthard fell further behind in the championship race, as his Mercedes engine let go fifteen laps from the end. Nick Heidfeld's race was ended by Eddie Irvine, but Enrique Bernoldi scored his first points of the season, safely bringing his Sauber home in fifth, just behind Jean Alesi's Prost. The final points position was filled by Luciano Burti, who just managed to keep an impressive Ricardo Zonta behind him, with Sarrazin eighth.
Race
Driver's Championship standings
Europe
At the Nürburgring there was more Schumacher family dominance, with Michael qualifying on pole and Ralf in second. With both Williams and Ferrari competitive, the best David Coulthard could do was to qualify fifth. Nick Heidfeld qualified ninth and Enrique Bernoldi tenth, giving Sauber optimism that they could claim some more points come Sunday. Heinz-Harald Frentzen had recovered from the illness that had kept him out of the Canadian Grand Prix, and qualified eighth. Stéphane Sarrazin was seventeenth.
When the lights went out, it was Ralf who got the better start of the Schumachers, but Michael showed his brotherly love by squeezing Ralf against the pitwall, forcing his younger brother to ease off the throttle. From that point onward Michael was dominant, and took the win with ease. A mistake exiting the pit-lane cost Ralf Schumacher a ten second penalty, letting Juan Pablo Montoya and David Coulthard past to take second and third respectively. At Sauber a driveshaft problem ended Nick Heidfeld's race, and Enrique Bernoldi never had enough pace to challenge the points positions, finishing tenth. Stéphane Sarrazin managed to finish the grand prix in twelfth, ahead of Jenson Button's Benetton.
Race
Driver's Championship standings
France
Qualifying presented yet another battle between the Schumacher boys, this time with Ralf taking pole. David Coulthard, his world championship dream slipping away from him, would be starting from third. Nick Heidfeld qualified ninth, while Enrique Bernoldi could only manage fourteenth. Stéphane Sarrazin was the best of the Prosts, qualifying sixteenth, with Jean Alesi in nineteenth.
There were problems before the start for Mika Häkkinen as the Finn's gearbox failed. It later transpired that the fault had been caused by the gearbox being incorrectly assembled, causing some red faces in the McLaren garage. For the opening laps of the race Ralf Schumacher led from his brother, but following the first round of pit-stops something was wrong with the rear of his car, causing him steering issues, and allowing Michael to set an unassailable lead. A challenge for the lead from Juan Pablo Montoya was thwarted by his BMW engine failing. Nick Heidfeld managed to bring home a solitary point, finishing sixth, with team-mate Enrique Bernoldi just behind in seventh. Stéphane Sarrazin beat his team-mate, finishing eleventh.
Race
Driver's Championship standings
Great Britain
Yet again it was Michael Schumacher who qualified on pole, narrowly out-qualifying his old rival Mika Häkkinen. Nick Heidfeld qualified eighth, Bernoldi tenth. Stéphane Sarrazin was sixteenth. The race also saw Tarso Marques become the first driver to fail to qualify for a race all season, an astonishing six seconds off the pace.
The race was decided in the pits, with Mika Häkkinen emerging in the lead. Nick Heidfeld managed to finish the race fifth, ahead of Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Enrique Bernoldi was eighth. Sarrazin's afternoon was ended by his engine failing.
Race
Driver's Championship standings
Germany
For the first time Juan Pablo Montoya put his Williams on pole, pipping his team-mate to first on the grid. Sauber were going well, with Nick Heidfeld and Enrique Bernoldi in seventh and eighth respectively. Stéphane Sarrazin started from sixteenth. Again, Ricardo Zonta replaced Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the Jordan, this time because the German had been sacked.
Montoya might have won the race, had he not pushed so hard. His BMW engine gave up, and his team-mate Ralf, driving more conservatively, took the win. Michael Schumacher was hit by a fuel pressure problem forcing his retirement, but David Coulthard was unable to close the gap in the championship as he too suffered an engine problem. There was a great result for Sauber, as Nick Heidfeld finished third, the team's first podium since 1998. A problem with one of Enrique Bernoldi's wheel shaft's prevented the Brazilian from adding to the team's point tally. Stéphane Sarrazin managed to finish the race in ninth. After a long wait, Benetton finally scored their first points of the season, with Giancarlo Fisichella fifth, and Jenson Button sixth.
Race
Driver's Championship standings
Hungary
Michael Schumacher arrived in Hungary with the knowledge that he only needed to outscore David Coulthard by six points to secure the title with four races to go. With that in mind, he promptly qualified on pole, with Coulthard second in a vain attempt to keep the title race alive. The Saubers qualified well, starting from seventh and ninth. At Jordan and Prost there were driver changes, with Jean Alesi leaving the French team to join up with Eddie Jordan again, making way for Heinz-Harald Frentzen at Prost. In their new teams Alesi qualified twelfth and Frentzen sixteenth, with Stéphane Sarrazin nineteenth.
In an incredibly dull race with little overtaking, Michael Schumacher won, with Rubens Barrichello making it a one-two for Ferrari. Third place for David Coulthard meant that the world championship battle was over, with Michael Schumacher a four-time world champion. Sauber had a good race, with Nick Heidfeld taking sixth, and Bernoldi finishing seventh. Both Prosts spun off in an afternoon to forget, but Jean Alesi managed to bring his Jordan home in tenth place.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Belgium
With the championship over, Michael Schumacher was able to relax, and was out-qualified by the Williams, with Juan Pablo Montoya on pole. Nick Heidfeld qualified fourteenth, with Enrique Bernoldi fifteenth. Heinz-Harald Frentzen was perhaps the most impressive qualifier, starting from fourth, with his team-mate Stéphane Sarrazin in eighteenth. Jean Alesi was thirteenth on the grid.
Montoya's first win continued to elude him, as yet another engine failure put paid to his race. As a result, Michael Schumacher was able to profit and take the win, with David Coulthard second. A transmission failure saw Enrique Bernoldi retire, and Nick Heidfeld was ultimately tenth, putting an end to a string of four races finishing in the points. Stéphane Sarrazin was just behind in eleventh. Despite Frentzen's good qualifying performance, he was not able to carry his form through to Sunday, and the German was disappointed to finish only ninth. Jean Alesi scored his first points for Jordan though, ending the race sixth.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Italy
Come Italy there had been big goings on. In the wider world, on 11th September terrorists had hijacked planes and used them to attack the World Trade Center Buildings and the Pentagon in the United States of America. Within Formula One, Mika Häkkinen had announced that he would take a sabbatical from Formule One for 2002. McLaren had wasted no time in announcing his replacement, which would be the young German driver, Nick Heidfeld. Heidfeld was an easy choice: at the time he was seventh in the championship, the highest-placed driver not from one of the big three teams; his nationality had appealed to part-owners and engine suppliers Mercedes; and he had an existing relationship with the team, having tested for the team and won the 1999 International Formula 3000 championship while part of the West Competition team. With his move to McLaren announced, he was widely tipped to one day become a world champion. At the other end of the grid, Minardi dropped Tarso Marques for Alex Yoong, who brought significant amounts of Malaysian sponsorship.
Qualifying saw yet another pole for Juan Pablo Montoya. The Saubers were eighth and ninth on the grid. Stéphane Sarrazin would be starting from fourteenth. Yoong started from last place on the grid.
Having seemed like it was a long time coming, Juan Pablo Montoya finally managed to win a grand prix, his BMW engine holding out. He was joined on the podium by Rubens Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher. The Saubers ran well, and Enrique Bernoldi was able to finish sixth, his second points-finish of the year. McLaren-bound Heidfeld finished eleventh, behind Stéphane Sarrazin who finished tenth.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
USA
After Italy came the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Michael Schumacher took pole, with Mika Häkkinen originally qualifying second, but being bumped down do fourth as a penalty for ignoring a red light in the practice session. A good qualifying session saw Nick Heidfeld take sixth on the grid, and Enrique Bernoldi was twelfth. Stéphane Sarrazin was sixteenth.
Superior pit-stop strategy allowed Mika Häkkinen to take the win. Nick Heidfeld finished sixth, and Enrique Bernoldi kept him honest in seventh. Sarrazin finished twelfth.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Japan
Michael Schumacher looked set to end the season as he started it, taking pole at Suzuka. Nick Heidfeld and Enrique Bernoldi lined up tenth and thirteenth. Stéphane Sarrazin started from eighteenth.
Just like the season as a whole, Michael Schumacher dominated the race, easily winning. Heidfeld was only able to improve by one position, ending his season ninth, while Enrique Bernoldi managed to finish tenth. A brake issue forced Stéphane Sarrazin to retire, and it seemed likely that would be the last we ever saw of the Frenchman.
Race
2001 Drivers' Championship
2001 Constructors' Championship
Other Series
In American open-wheelers the 2001 Indy Racing League champion was Sam Hornish, Jr. The Indy 500 was won by Hélio Castroneves. The CART champion was Gil de Ferran.
In International Formula 3000 title was easily won by Justin Wilson. Kimi Räikkönen once again showed his class by winning the British Formula Three championship. The Open Telefónica by Nissan season was won by Franck Montagny.
2002
Driver changes for the 2002 season
At the front of the grid there was only one major change, with Mika Häkkinen beginning his sabbatical, and being replaced at McLaren by Nick Heidfeld. As a result, reigning British Formula Three champion Kimi Räikkönen was able to join Sauber, one year after Peter Sauber had first tried to get the Finn on the grid. Jarno Trulli left Jordan to be with his manager Flavio Briatore at Renault, the rebadged Benetton team, with Giancarlo Fisichella going the other way. At Jordan Fisichella was joined by Takuma Sato, as Jean Alesi retired from the sport. One of the big changes to the grid was Prost disappearing, thanks to a lack of funding, Alain Prost bemoaning his decision to base the team in France, and 9/11 having put off potential investors or buyers. Jaguar snapped up Heinz-Harald Frentzen, having long admired the German driver. At Arrows Pedro de la Rosa was joined by Tarso Marques, as the beleaguered team attempted to cover its financial shortfall. Alex Yoong kept his seat at Minardi after ending the season with the Italian team, and was joined by Australian Mark Webber. Finally there was a new addition to the grid, as Toyota made their bow, with Mika Salo and Allan McNish as drivers.
Australia
If the teams were hoping to see Ferrari and Michael Schumacher's dominance ended in 2002, qualifying at Melbourne suggested that it wasn't going to happen. The German took pole, with just thousandths of a second separating him from Rubens Barrichello. In his first grand prix for McLaren, Nick Heidfeld was a credible fourth on the grid, far out-qualifying team-mate David Coulthard, who had a torrid time and was down in ninth. Debutant Kimi Räikkönen was incredibly impressive, qualifying sixth on the grid. The other debutant, Mark Webber, was only able to qualify twentieth for his home grand prix in the Minardi.
At the start there was only one incident of note, as Jenson Button hit his former team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella, ending both their races, with Jacques Villeneuve also taking damage which would ultimately end his race. Things had looked set for another Michael Schumacher victory, but over the course of the pit-stops it was actually Ralf Schumacher who came out ahead. Michael hunted his brother down, closing the gap, but Ralf managed to hold off his sibling to take the win. Nick Heidfeld, a distant third, completed the podium, making it the first ever all-German podium. Kimi Räikkönen finished sixth, demonstrating the maturity gained from his championship year in British Formula Three. Toyota had a mixed debut, Mika Salo succumbing to an electrical fault, but Allan McNish managed to finish the race, albeit out of the points in tenth.
Race
Malaysia
At Sepang there was yet another pole for Michael Schumacher. Qualifying was more difficult for Nick Heidfeld, who was only able to manage fourth. The real winners in qualifying were Giancarlo Fisichella, who put his Jordan fourth on the grid, and Kimi Räikkönen who was sixth once again.
In the race it seemed almost as if the lead was cursed. Michael Schumacher started well, but came undone when the hydraulics on his Ferrari failed. Juan Pablo Montoya profited, but pushing to build up a lead over David Coulthard before the pit-stops saw his BMW engine blow up spectacularly. David Coulthard then lost the lead in the pit-stops to Ralf Schumacher, who looked set to take his second win of the season before he too suffered an engine failure. As a result it was David Coulthard who took the checkered flag, followed by Rubens Barrichello and Giancarlo Fisichella. There were more points for Sauber, as Kimi Räikkönen took fourth, with team-mate Enrique Bernoldi managing to finish sixth.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Brazil
There was a Schumacher atop the time sheets in qualifying at Interlagos, but this time it was not Michael. Williams locked out the front row of the grid, with Michael Schumacher having to settle for starting from fifth. With Jenson Button qualifying in sixth place, Renault looked set to take their first points in their new incarnation during the race. Bringing up the rear was Pedro de la Rosa's Arrows, with rumours circulating that Arrows were on the verge of being sold.
In the race Ralf Schumacher took his second win of the season, with Williams being prevented from taking a one-two finish by Alex Yoong, who clumsily moved across the track when Juan Pablo Montoya tried to lap him. Second was taken by Nick Heidfeld, with Michael Schumacher unable to finish any higher than third. Despite the fact that Ferrari had failed to win in three races, Jean Todt claimed that it was too soon to start talking of a crisis, and assured reporters that Ferrari would win both titles. There were a couple of surprising points-finishes. Enrique Bernoldi took fifth, meaning that he equaled his points total from 2001, after only three races. The real surprise though was Mark Webber, who finished sixth in his Minardi.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
San Marino
When the teams arrived at Imola, there was one missing from their ranks. After twenty-four years in the sport without a win, Arrows had to call it a day. A number of factors had played their part in Arrows' sad demise: Morgan-Grenfell; EM.TV; Prince Malik; Pedro Diniz; Cosworth; 9/11. What it all came down to though, was that Arrows did not have enough money, with Tom Walkinshaw having funded the first three races of the year out of his own pocket in the vain hope that a buyer could be found. This had not happened, and somewhat fittingly, Arrows' last grand prix was held in the same place they had made their debut in 1978. Pedro de la Rosa found employment as a test driver for McLaren. Tarso Marques found occasional employment driving the two-seater Minardi.
Normal order was resumed in qualifying, with Michael Schumacher on pole, ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya. The surprise of qualifying was Takuma Sato, who ensured that he would start the grand prix from fifth.
In the race Michael Schumacher ended talk of a crisis at Ferrari by taking a comfortable win, though Rubens Barrichello was beset by problems and only managed to finish ninth. Having qualified fifth, few expected anything Takuma Sato to produce anything special on the Sunday, but the Japanese rookie showed a remarkably cool head, and drove intelligently to finish fourth. Olivier Panis also ensured that BAR secured their first point of the season, finishing sixth.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Spain
In Spain there was more of the same, with Michael Schumacher again taking pole ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya. There was a strong possibility of points for Kimi Räikkönen, with the Finn starting from 7th on the grid. Toyota's disappointing debut season showed no signs of letting up, with Allan McNish and Mika Salo qualifying eighteenth and nineteenth respectively.
The race produced yet another dominant display from Michael Schumacher, the German pretty much leading from start to finish. Juan Pablo Montoya may have challenged the Ferrari, but was undone by yet another dodgy BMW engine. Nick Heidfeld was able to finish second, and Ralf Schumacher finished third to ensure that his brother did not take too great a lead in the championship. Kimi Räikkönen did manage to finish in the points, with yet another impressive fourth place finish, thanks to retirements from Juan Pablo Montoya, David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello, and Enrique Bernoldi also scored points, finishing fifth. Having retired from all four previous races, there was relief for Jenson Button as he finally managed to score a point for Renault, their first in the new incarnation.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Austria
In Spielberg it looked as though Michael Schumacher was once again going to be the man to beat, setting the fastest time in qualifying, just pipping Rubens Barrichello by less than a tenth of a second. McLaren faced a difficult weekend, only able to manage sixth and seventh on the grid, behind both Williams and the Jordan of Giancarlo Fisichella.
In the race a large first-lap accident thinned much of the field. Attempting to pass Jarno Trulli into the first corner, Enrique Bernoldi clipped the rear wheel of the Renault, causing it to spin. Jenson Button haplessly ended up with his nosecone embedded in the side of his team-mate's chassis. In the ensuing chaos four more drivers ended up retiring, and the safety car had to come out. Despite the best efforts of the marshals clearing up the debris, somewhere Michael Schumacher picked up a puncture, which ended his race. Ralf Schumacher came through to take his third win of the season. Thanks to the numerous retirements in the race, Mark Webber was able to come through to take sixth place.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Monaco
At Monaco the Michelin tyres had the advantage, and Nick Heidfeld took his first ever pole, ahead of championship leader Ralf Schumacher. Michael Schumacher started his race from third. The highest qualifier from outside the big three teams was Kimi Räikkönen, who would start from seventh. Qualifying eleventh, the Australian Mark Webber continued to make a case for being picked up by a bigger team at the end of the season.
In the race, the top three remained in exactly the same positions they qualified in, meaning that Nick Heidfeld took his first ever win, a result which was hailed by motorsport journalists as being undoubtedly the first of many. David Coulthard managed only his second points finish of the season, taking sixth place. Kimi Räikkönen had a better afternoon than the Scot, finishing fifth.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Canada
Arriving in Montreal Michael Schumacher was determined to show he was the superior Schumacher, and qualified on pole, with team-mate Rubens Barrichello qualifying second, giving a small gap to championship leader Ralf Schumacher on third. Nick Heidfeld looked set for a difficult Sunday, only able to qualify ninth. Giancarlo Fisichella and Jarno Trulli both had successful qualifying sessions, and would start from fourth and sixth respectively.
At the start the Ferraris got the best start off the line, and Michael Schumacher was able to pull out an enormous lead, thanks to Rubens Barrichello holding up Ralf Schumacher. After all the pit-stops had been completed, the top three were exactly as they had been at the start, and would have remained that way, had Barichello's engine not failed. As a result, Giancarlo Fisichella was able to finish third, behind Ralf Schumacher. Nick Heidfeld just managed to scrape into the points with a sixth place finish, allowing him to keep up hid record of having finished in the points in every race in 2002.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Europe
Formula One returned to Europe with Schumachers dominating qualifying yet again at the newly-modified Nürburgring, with Ralf qualifying just under one-tenth of a second ahead of his brother. At the back of the grid, this would be the first race since the Brazilian Grand Prix in which Alex Yoong would not start from dead last - an electrical problem prevented Eddie Irvine from setting a fast lap, and only the leniency of the stewards allowed him to race.
At the start, Michael Schumacher lept away from the grid, entering turn one ahead of his brother. After the pit-stops it had looked like a Ferrari one-two was on the cards, with Rubens Barrichello ahead of Ralf Schumacher. When lapping Alex Yoong, however, Nick Heidfeld was hit by the Malaysian's Minardi when it oversteered, taking him out of the race. Barrichello then suffered a puncture as a result of the debris left on the track, forcing an unscheduled pit-stop and allowing Ralf Schumacher through to take second. There was a good result for Renault, as Jenson Button and Jarno Trulli managed to bring their cars home third and fourth respectively.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Britain
Ferrari dominated in qualifying at Silverstone, with Rubens Barrichello just finishing the session ahead of Michael Schumacher. Ralf Schumacher was down in fifth, behind Nick Heidfeld and team-mate Juan-Pablo Montoya. Toyota had an appalling session, with Mika Salo qualifying eighteenth, and Allan McNish dead last.
The race could have gone to either Ferrari, had Rubens Barrichello not suffered an engine failure that ended his grand prix. As a result, Michael Schumacher finished in first, far away from the chasing pack of Nick Heidfeld, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher. Jenson Button scored points for a second consecutive race, finishing fifth, and Kimi Räikkönen also added to his tally finishing sixth.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
France
Michael Schumacher had the upper hand in qualifying, with Juan Pablo Montoya behind him. Jacques Villeneuve was only able to qualify fifteenth in the BAR, and some in the paddock wondered if the Canadian would be in the sport next year, with it being widely rumoured that he would instead return to America and CART, as his friend and manager Craig Pollock had done.
Juan Pablo Montoya got away from Michael Schumacher at the start, and was able to begin building up a lead over the German. Ross Brawn and Ferrari got the pit-stop strategy correct though, and Michael Schumacher ended up leading the race at the checkered flag. There was relief for David Coulthard as he managed to bring his McLaren home for only the fourth time in 2002 to finish third, just ahead of Nick Heidfeld. Ralf Schumacher was only able to finish sixth.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Germany
Once again Michael Schumacher was on pole, lining up ahead of Nick Heidfeld. Ralf Schumacher qualified fourth, behind Rubens Barrichello. The Renaults had an appalling qualifying session, with Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button qualifying fourteenth and seventeenth respectively.
The Ferraris were the cars to beat in the race, with Rubens Barrichello winning the race, after a hold-up when refueling put Michael Schumacher behind Nick Heidfeld, whom he was unable to overtake. Takuma Sato produced a brilliant drive from ninth to take fourth.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Hungary
Ferrari were the team to beat, with Rubens Barrichello qualifying comfortably ahead of Michael Schumacher. Juan Pablo Montoya was the best of the rest, qualifying third.
Controversy reigned in the race. Rubens Barrichello was dominant from the start, and entered the final lap in the lead. Then, with the finish line in sight, Barrichello pulled to the side and let team-mate Michael Schumacher passed to take the win. On the podium Barrichello was visibly unhappy, and Schumacher embarrassed, while the crowd displayed their displeasure at the result. Jean Todt was unabashed, emphasising that the team had two world championships to win, that no one had broken any rules, and that if the positions had been reversed, they would have asked Schumacher to move aside for Barrichello. Ralf Schumacher was able to keep his championship dream alive with a third place finish, but finishing seventh dealt a blow to Nick Heidfeld.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Belgium
Coming into the race at Spa, Michael Schumacher knew that if he could outscore Ralf Schumacher by six points he would match Juan Manuel Fangio's record of five drivers' championships. Qualification, however, produced a pole position for a determined Rubens Barrichello. Michael Schumacher was second, and helped by his brother only qualifying sixth. Kimi Räikkönen had his best ever qualifying performance, and would start the race from fourth, ahead of both McLarens.
Michael Schumacher got the best start and leaped off the line, passing Rubens Barrichello for the lead. Ralf Schumacher seemed off the pace all race, and quickly fell back, seeing his title hopes vanish. Pit-stops seemed to give hope to the younger Schumacher, as he was at one point running fifth, with Michael third, but once the stops had been completed Michael was again leading, with Ralf out of the points. Michael Schumacher took the checkered flag, with Rubens Barrichello second, and Kimi Räikkönen a distant third. Ralf Schumacher was last of the finishers, with it later emerging that he had probably spent the entire race with a loose electrical connection.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Italy
At Monza the Michelin-shod cars had the upper hand, with Juan Pablo Montoya taking pole ahead of team-mate Ralf Schumacher. Jarno Trulli was also able to make the most of the tyre advantage, qualifying fifth, ahead of both Ferraris. BAR were appalling in qualifying, with Olivier Panis and Jacques Villeneuve occupying the last two positions on the grid.
An entire season after his only other win, Juan Pablo Montoya won again at the same circuit, in stunning style, leading Ralf Schumacher home. Despite his poor qualifying, Michael Schumacher was able to finish on the podium in front of the Tifosi. Jarno Trulli's Renault engine prevented him from capitalising on his qualifying performance, and the McLaren drivers also faced a pointless race, with David Coulthard retiring and Nick Heidfeld finishing out of the points.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
USA
The first three positions on the grid would be filled by Germans, with Michael Schumacher qualifying first, ahead of Ralf Schumacher and Nick Heidfeld. Rubens Barrichello was the highest-qualifying non-German, in fourth.
Michael Schumacher got away well, as did Nick Heidfeld, passing Ralf Schumacher into the first corner for second position. In the pit-stops it was McLaren who got their strategy right, and Nick Heidfeld ended up in the lead, taking the win. There were further points in an impressive debut season for Takuma Sato, as he finished fourth for the fourth time in 2002. There was also further frustration for BAR, as Jacques Villeneuve and Olivier Panis were at one point running third and fourth, before their Honda engines both blew within a couple of laps of each other.
Race
Drivers' Championship standings
Japan
For the season finale in Japan, Michael Schumacher would again start from pole, with Rubens Barrichello second. Nick Heidfeld was third, in front of the Williams of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher. Giancarlo Fisichella was the best qualifier outside the big teams, qualifying seventh. Any hopes of a good result in front of their 'home' crowd for Toyota were dashed when Mika Salo and Allan McNish qualified in the last two positions on the grid.
The race was won and lost on pit-stops, and ultimately Ralf Schumacher was the overall winner, coming home first ahead of Nick Heidfeld and Michael Schumacher. Jenson Button took a point, finishing sixth, ahead of Jacques Villeneuve and Olivier Panis. Both Toyotas managed to finish the race, but were eleventh and thirteenth.
Race
2002 Drivers' Championship
2002 Constructors' Championship
Pos | Constructor | Points |
---|---|---|
1 | Ferrari | 156 |
2 | Williams-BMW | 124 |
3 | McLaren-Mercedes | 85 |
4 | Jordan-Honda | 25 |
5 | Sauber-Petronas | 25 |
6 | Renault | 17 |
7 | Jaguar-Cosworth | 5 |
8 | BAR-Honda | 3 |
9 | Minardi-Asiatech | 2 |
Other Series
The International Formula 3000 season developed into a four-way fight for the title between Sébastien Bourdais, Giorgio Pantano, Tomáš Enge and Felipe Massa. In the final race Sébastien Bourdais secured the title, with Felipe Massa second in his debut year, Giorgio Pantano third and Tomáš Enge fourth.
In British Formula Three James Courtney had looked set to take the title before an accident testing for Jaguar at Monza left him injured and allowed Robbie Kerr to take the title.
The Telefónica World Series was won by Ricardo Zonta, who beat reigning champion Franck Montagny.
In CART the title was taken by Brazilian Cristiano da Matta, who comfortably beat Bruno Junqueira to the title. The Indy Racing League was again won by Sam Hornish, Jr., with Hélio Castroneves winning the Indy 500.