Template:2003 - The Iceman Waiteth
Contents
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.
