Template:2003 - The Iceman Waiteth

Driver changes for the 2003 season

At the top three teams there were no changes in their driver line-ups, though after a disappointing season, David Coulthard was supposedly on his last chance at McLaren. At Renault, Jenson Button was dropped to make room for Fernando Alonso, who had spent 2002 testing for the French team. As a result, Button moved to BAR, to team up with David Richards, who was a fan of the young British driver. Button's team-mate had been expected to be Jacques Villeneuve, but the Canadian instead signed a deal to drive in CART in 2003, citing disillusionment with Formula One. His seat was filled by the Honda-backed Takuma Sato, who had been destined to spend the year testing. At Jordan Giancarlo Fisichella was joined by Felipe Massa, whose Petrobras and Ford do Brasil money helped him secure the seat. Eddie Irvine was effectively forced out at Jaguar, and replaced by Australian Mark Webber, who had impressed in his debut year. Minardi had an all-new line-up in Justin Wilson and Jos Verstappen, while Toyota also dropped both their drivers, hiring Olivier Panis and Cristiano da Matta in their stead. Allan McNish became a test driver at Renault, while Mika Salo would crop up in endurance racing.

Team	#	Driver
Ferrari
	1	Michael Schumacher
	2	Rubens Barrichello
Williams-BMW
	3	Ralf Schumacher
	4	Juan Pablo Montoya
McLaren-Mercedes
	5	Nick Heidfeld
	6	David Coulthard
Jordan-Ford
	7	Giancarlo Fisichella
	8	Felipe Massa
Sauber-Petronas
	9	Kimi Räikkönen
	10	Enrique Bernoldi
Renault
	11	Jarno Trulli
	12	Fernando Alonso
Jaguar-Cosworth
	14	Heinz-Harald Frentzen
	15	Mark Webber
BAR-Honda
	16	Jenson Button
	17	Takuma Sato
Minardi-Cosworth
	18	Justin Wilson
	19	Jos Verstappen
Toyota
	20	Olivier Panis
	21	Cristiano da Matta

Australia

Like at the previous two Australian grands prix, Michael Schumacher was on pole for the season opener, with Nick Heidfeld second. In the new BAR Jenson Button was an impressive fifth. Cristiano da Matta had a less impressive debut, qualifying his Toyota nineteenth.

The race was won convincingly by Michael Schumacher, with Rubens Barrichello managing to pass and hold off Nick Heidfeld to take second place. It was a difficult start to the season for Williams, with both Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher suffering engine failures. Jenson Button managed to gain a place, and finished fourth. Also, there were debut points for Felipe Massa, who finished fifth. This was the first race in which points were awarded down to eighth, with Giancarlo Fisichella taking the final point-scoring position.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	10
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	8
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	6
4	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	5
5	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	4
6	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	3
7	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	2
8	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	1

Malaysia

At Sepang the advantage was with the Michelin-shod cars, with Nick Heidfeld taking pole, just thousandths of a second ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya. Michael Schumacher seemingly suffered problems, and was only able to qualify tenth.

A blistering start saw Nick Heidfeld set himself up to take the win, finishing ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya. Rubens Barrichello was the best-placed Ferrari in third, with Michael Schumacher only able to drag himself up to sixth. Olivier Panis secured Toyota's first points as a constructor, finishing eighth.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	10
2	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	8
3	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	6
4	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	5
5	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	4
6	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	3
7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	2
8	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	16
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	14
3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	13
4	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	10
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	8
6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	5
7	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	4
8	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	3
9	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	2
9	Jarno Trulli	Renault	2
11	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

Brazil

The top three positions for the Brazilian Grand Prix were exactly the same as they had been at Sepang: Nick Heidfeld first, Juan Pablo Montoya second, and David Coulthard third. Rubens Barrichello was down in eighth, behind Jenson Button and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. With the Bridgestone tyres not being the best at Interlagos, Kimi Räikkönen had a disappointing qualifying session and found himself in eighteenth.

Rain played havoc during the race, with Nick Heidfeld and Ralf Schumacher both spinning out of the lead. When it rains, it's never wise to bet against Michael Schumacher, and the world champion cam home first, ahead of Rubens Barrichello. Juan Pablo Montoya was able to take third ahead of David Coulthard. There were more points for Felipe Massa, who was fifth, and Mark Webber scored his first points for Jaguar, finishing sixth.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	10
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	8
3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	6
4	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	5
5	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	4
6	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	3
7	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	2
8	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	23
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	22
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	16
4	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	14
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	10
6	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	8
7	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	5
8	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	5
9	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	4
10	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	3
10	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	3
12	Jarno Trulli	Renault	3
13	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

San Marino

In qualifying the Ferraris were separated by David Coulthard, with Michael Schumacher taking pole. Ralf Schumacher was only able to qualify seventh, behind Jenson Button. Jos Verstappen's return to the Formula One grid continued in poor fashion, with the Dutchman last on the grid for the third race in a row.

Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello started well, and at one stage looked set to take a one-two victory for Ferrari. The pit-stops, however, saw David Coulthard emerge in second, and he proceeded to catch and then pass Michael Schumacher in stunning fashion just laps before the end. Nick Heidfeld came home fourth, with Jenson Button fifth. Fernando Alonso scored his first point in Formula One, finishing eighth.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	10
2	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	8
3	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	6
4	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	5
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	4
6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	3
7	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	2
8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	31
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	28
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	21
4	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	15
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	14
6	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	14
7	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	10
8	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	5
9	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	4
10	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	3
10	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	3
10	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	3
13	Jarno Trulli	Renault	3
14	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1
14	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1

Spain

Nick Heidfeld was on pole for the third time in 2003, with Rubens Barrichello second. Jenson Button qualified third, ahead of Michael Schumacher. Takuma Sato also qualified well, and would start from fifth. Williams had a poor qualifying session, only able to secure eighth and ninth on the grid.

Nick Heidfeld's hopes for a win were undone by the gearbox in his McLaren failing, with David Coulthard suffering the exact same complaint. Rubens Barrichello took the win, with Jenson Button third. Jarno Trulli produced a stunning drive from thirteenth on the grid to take second place, and could have taken the win if the race had lasted another five laps. Michael Schumacher was fourth, while Takuma Sato finished fifth.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	10
2	Jarno Trulli	Renault	8
3	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	6
4	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	5
5	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	4
6	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	3
7	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	2
8	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	38
2	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	36
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	21
4	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	20
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	16
6	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	15
7	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	13
8	Jarno Trulli	Renault	11
9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	5
10	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	4
11	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	4
12	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	4
13	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	3
13	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	3
15	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1
15	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1

Austria

There was another pole for McLaren at the A1-Ring, but this time it was David Coulthard, with his team-mate Nick Heidfeld alongside him on the front row. Juan Pablo Montoya was fourth, with Michael Schumacher fifth.

A clash with Ralf Schumacher put David Coulthard out of the race, leaving the Scot frustrated yet again, and visibly angry with Schumacher. The shock of the race was Jenson Button, who, with a combination of luck and good pit strategy, managed to come from ninth on the grid to win the race. He was joined on the podium by Nick Heidfeld and Kimi Räikkönen, who also had a good race. Michael Schumacher finished fifth, after Rubens Barrichello moved aside to let the German through from sixth place.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	10
2	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	8
3	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	6
4	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	5
5	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	4
6	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	3
7	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	2
8	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	41
2	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	40
3	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	30
4	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	29
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	21
6	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	15
7	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	13
8	Jarno Trulli	Renault	11
9	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
10	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	6
11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	5
12	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	5
13	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	4
13	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	3
15	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1
15	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1

Monaco

At the scene of his first victory in Formula One Nick Heidfeld took pole, with team-mate David Coulthard second. An excellent qualifying session saw Heinz-Harald Frentzen qualify third ahead of Michael Schumacher, with team-mate Mark Webber in an impressive fifth. Juan-Pablo Montoya had a less enjoyable time qualifying, and would start from twelfth.

What emerged was a race long battle between Michael Schumacher and Nick Heidfeld, eventually resulting in a victory for the McLaren driver. Having started thirteenth, there was only hope within the Jordan garage that Giancarlo Fisichella would score points, yet the Italian stormed to third. Heinz-Harald Frentzen also had an impressive race, finishing fourth.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	10
2	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	8
3	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	6
4	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	5
5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	4
6	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	3
7	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	2
8	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	48
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	44
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	39
4	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	31
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	21
6	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	15
7	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	15
8	Jarno Trulli	Renault	11
9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	11
10	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
11	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	7
12	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	6
13	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	5
14	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	5
15	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	4
16	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1
16	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1

Canada

At the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Nick Heidfeld gained his fifth pole position of the season, with Michael Schumacher third behind Rubens Barrichello. Jenson Button was seventh, but David Coulthard was unable to match his team-mate's qualifying performance and was in twelfth. Enrique Bernoldi was the driver keeping the Minardis off the back of the grid.

Nick Heidfeld might have won, but a collision with Fernando Alonso when exiting the pits put the pair out of the race. As a result Michael Schumacher was able to take the win without trouble. Ralf Schumacher had his best result of the year, finishing second, ahead of Rubens Barrichello. From twelfth David Coulthard was able to come through to take fifth.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	10
2	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	8
3	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	6
4	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	5
5	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	4
6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	3
7	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	2
8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	58
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	50
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	39
4	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	31
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	26
6	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	19
7	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	15
8	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	15
9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	14
10	Jarno Trulli	Renault	11
11	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
12	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	8
13	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	6
14	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	5
15	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	4
16	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1
16	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1

Europe

McLaren's run of pole positions continued, with David Coulthard taking pole this time, with Nick Heidfeld fourth, behind Michael Schumacher. The surprise of qualifying was that Heinz-Harald Frentzen managed to qualify second, far ahead of his team-mate who was only tenth.

David Coulthard led from start to finish in order to take the win, with Michael Schumacher finishing second. Having started second, Heinz-Harald Frentzen also finished on the podium, ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella. Nick Heidfeld managed to get points, but sixth would not have been what he had wanted, given his title dream.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	10
2	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	8
3	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	6
4	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	5
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	4
6	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	3
7	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	2
8	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	66
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	52
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	42
4	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	35
5	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	29
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	26
7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	19
8	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	15
9	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	15
10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	12
11	Jarno Trulli	Renault	11
12	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
13	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	9
14	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	5
15	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	4
16	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1
16	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1

France

Nick Heidfeld was once again on pole, lining up ahead of team-mate David Coulthard. Michael Schumacher had a disappointing session, qualifying fifth behind Juan Pablo Montoya and Mark Webber. Fernando Alonso had a good qualifying session, and would start from sixth on the grid.

Stunningly, Fernando Alonso produced a fantastic drive to take the race win, leading home Mark Webber. Michael Schumacher completed the podium in third. Nick Heidfeld was disappointed that he could only translate pole into fourth, but he had a better race than David Coulthard, who failed to finish.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Fernando Alonso	Renault	10
2	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	8
3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	6
4	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	5
5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	4
6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	3
7	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	2
8	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	72
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	52
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	47
4	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	35
5	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	29
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	26
7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	22
8	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	19
9	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	15
10	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	12
11	Jarno Trulli	Renault	12
12	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	12
13	Fernando Alonso	Renault	11
14	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	11
15	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
16	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	5
17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

Great Britain

The British Grand Prix weekend started most promisingly for McLaren, the team being able to take first and second on the grid, with Nick Heidfeld pipping David Coulthard to pole. Michael Schumacher was positioned just behind them on the grid, ahead off his younger brother. There was good reason for Takuma Sato to be hopeful of a point-scoring weekend, as the Japanese driver out-qualified his team-mate Jenson Button, starting from eighth.

At the start David Coulthard and Nick Heidfeld both got good starts, with the pair going wheel-to-wheel into turn 1, with Coulthard eventually having to back off to avoid crashing into his team-mate. The pair were untouchable all race, and the win could have gone either way. Coulthard finished his pit-stops first, and while Heidfeld left the pits just ahead of the Scot, Heidfeld's fuel-laden car made easy prey for Coulthard's McLaren. Heidfeld was noticeably disgruntled after the race that McLaren allowed Coulthard to pass him. Third for Michael Schumacher was probably as good as he could have hoped for given the quality that McLaren demonstrated, finishing ahead of Rubens Barrichello. Takuma Sato did score points, finishing sixth, close behind Heinz-Harald Frentzen who was fifth.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	10
2	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	8
3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	6
4	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	5
5	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	4
6	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	3
7	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	2
8	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	78
2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	57
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	55
4	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	39
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	35
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	26
7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	22
8	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	19
9	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	16
10	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	15
11	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	14
12	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	13
13	Jarno Trulli	Renault	12
14	Fernando Alonso	Renault	11
15	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
16	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	7
17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

Germany

In front of his home crowd Michael Schumacher emerged from qualifying as the fastest driver, mere thousandths of a second ahead of Nick Heidfeld. Rubens Barrichello was only fifth, behind both McLarens and Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams.

The race was won by Michael Schumacher, who always had just enough to keep Nick Heidfeld behind him. Finishing third meant that David Coulthard was now out of the title race, with only Heidfeld and Rubens Barrichello able to prevent Michael Schumacher from securing a record sixth drivers' championship.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	10
2	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	8
3	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	6
4	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	5
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	4
6	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	3
7	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	2
8	Takuma Sato	Jaguar-Cosworth	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	88
2	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	63
3	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	62
4	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	45
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	38
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	30
7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	22
8	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	19
9	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	16
10	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	15
11	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	15
12	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	13
13	Jarno Trulli	Renault	12
14	Fernando Alonso	Renault	11
15	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
16	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	9
17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

Hungary

Coming into the race Michael Schumacher knew that out-scoring his rivals by six points or more would secure him the title. Qualifying, however, did not show much promise for the world champion, as he was fourth, behind the German trio of Nick Heidfeld, Ralf Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Rubens Barrichello, however, faced a fight to keep his title hopes alive, as the Brazilian would start from twelfth on the grid.

Nick Heidfeld seemed almost asleep off the line, with Ralf Schumacher leaping past the McLaren, which was left fighting Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Before the race was over, Frentzen had passed Heidfeld, who once again failed to convert pole position into a victory, having to make do with a podium finish. One consolation was that he was able to keep Michael Schumacher behind him, to keep the title race alive going into the Italian Grand Prix; also, as Rubens Barrichello was only able to finish eleventh, Heidfeld further tightened his hold on second in the drivers' championship.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	10
2	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	8
3	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	6
4	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	5
5	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	4
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	3
7	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	2
8	Felipe Massa	BAR-Honda	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	93
2	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	69
3	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	62
4	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	49
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	38
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	33
7	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	29
8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	24
9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	22
10	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	17
11	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	16
12	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	13
13	Jarno Trulli	Renault	12
14	Fernando Alonso	Renault	11
15	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
16	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	9
17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

Italy

If Michael Schumacher wanted to secure the drivers' championship in front of the Tifosi all he needed to do was ensure that Nick Heidfeld didn't outscore him by four or more points. While 'Quick Nick' managed to make it onto pole, Michael Schumacher was third, behind Juan Pablo Montoya.

For the first time since Monaco, Nick Heidfeld was able to convert pole to victory. There were nail biting moments at the end of the race, however, as Michael Schumacher inexorably closed in on third-placed Giancarlo Fisichella. While it looked like Schumacher would pass the Italian, Schumacher ended up locking his brakes and running wide, allowing Fisichella to finish third, and keeping the title race mathematically alive.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	10
2	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	8
3	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	6
4	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	5
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	4
6	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	3
7	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	2
8	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	98
2	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	79
3	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	65
4	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	57
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	42
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	33
7	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	31
8	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	28
9	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	24
10	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	18
11	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	16
12	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	13
13	Jarno Trulli	Renault	12
14	Fernando Alonso	Renault	11
15	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
16	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	9
17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

USA

In qualifying at Indianapolis it was Rubens Barrichello who triumphed, taking his first pole of the season, with Michael Schumacher second. Nick Heidfeld was third, just ahead of the surprise package Takuma Sato.

Midway through the race Rubens Barrichello pulled aside to let Michael Schumacher take the lead. It may well have stayed that way, but when Nick Heidfeld retired with an engine failure, Schumacher knew that he was world champion, and so pulled aside to let his team-mate take the win. David Coulthard was third, while Takuma Sato converted his fourth place in qualifying into sixth in the race.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	10
2	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	8
3	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	6
4	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	5
5	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	4
6	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	3
7	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	2
8	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	1

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	106
2	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	79
3	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	75
4	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	63
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	44
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	38
7	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	31
8	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	29
9	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	24
10	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	21
11	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	17
12	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	16
13	Jarno Trulli	Renault	12
14	Fernando Alonso	Renault	11
15	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
16	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	9
17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

Japan

For the tenth time in a disappointing season, Nick Heidfeld was on pole, with team-mate David Coulthard alongside him. Michael Schumacher would start from third, with Juan Pablo Montoya fourth.

A dull race saw the top three finish the race exactly as they had started, with Nick Heidfeld first, David Coulthard second, and Michael Schumacher third. Jenson Button came from seventh on the grid to take fourth, while team-mate Takuma Sato agonisingly missed out on taking his ninth points finish in a row when his car ailed on the last lap, with Juan Pablo Montoya able to catch and pass the Japanese driver for eighth place.

Race

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	10
2	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	8
3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	6
4	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	5
5	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	4
6	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	3
7	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	2
8	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	1

2003 Drivers' Championship

Pos	Driver	Constructor	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	112
2	Nick Heidfeld	McLaren-Mercedes	89
3	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	78
4	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	71
5	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda	49
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	39
7	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	33
8	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan-Ford	29
9	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jaguar-Cosworth	24
10	Takuma Sato	BAR-Honda	21
11	Felipe Massa	Jordan-Ford	20
12	Mark Webber	Jaguar-Cosworth	17
13	Jarno Trulli	Renault	12
14	Fernando Alonso	Renault	11
15	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	9
16	Enrique Bernoldi	Sauber-Petronas	9
17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1

2003 Constructors' Championship

Pos	Constructor	Points
1	Ferrari	190
2	McLaren-Mercedes	160
3	Williams-BMW	72
4	BAR-Honda	70
5	Jordan-Ford	49
6	Jaguar-Cosworth	41
7	Renault	23
8	Sauber-Petronas	18
9	Toyota	1

Other Series

In International Formula 3000 Björn Wirdheim handily won over Giorgio Pantano.

British Formula Three saw a close title race, with Alan van der Merwe only just losing out to Nelsinho Piquet, son of the three-time Formula One world champion.

Franck Montagny regained his 2003 World Series by Nissan title, with Heikki Kovalainen second.

In American open-wheelers, Michel Jourdain, Jr. was the surprise winner for Team Rahal. Returnee Jacques Villeneuve had a disappointing year and finished fifteenth overall. Scott Dixon was champion in the IndyCar Series, with second-placed Gil de Ferran winning the Indy 500.