Atlas F1 News Editor
As expected, Michael Schumacher made history at the Japanese Grand Prix and clinched a record-breaking sixth world title. But that's only half the story, as the German had a troubled race that kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the chequered flag was dropped. Atlas F1's Pablo Elizalde reviews the entire weekend's events and results from the final round of the Championship
But 2003 has been a season filled with nuances, and even if the end result was the one predicted following a year of total dominance, Ferrari and Schumacher could find added satisfaction in knowing that this time they were pushed to the very limit, and they still managed to emerge on top. It can hardly get any better than that and their joy at the end of the Suzuka race reflected the passion and the hunger for victory that both team and driver still have.
Both have been underestimated more than once this season. There have been talks of a team in crisis and talks of a driver on the verge of retirement, not motivated enough to continue spearheading the challenge of the historic Maranello-based outfit.
"It has been a tough year, a tough late stage to the season and a very tough race. Probably one of my toughest," said Schumacher in Japan. "I am empty and exhausted and just proud of what I have achieved."
Just seven weeks after finishing a lap down in Hungary, Ferrari are celebrating an unprecedented fifth consecutive Constructors' Championship and Schumacher has written another chapter of his amazing career by becoming the first driver in history to achieve six drivers' titles. So much for lack of motivation.
Instead of talking about Schumacher's possible retirement, perhaps it would be wiser to enjoy the German's unprecedented achievements and not take them for granted as if something like this happened every year. Schumacher may have his detractors, and he may have done some things wrongly over the year.
But this is history in the making, and it would be foolish if Formula One did not appreciate it as such.
Sunday's race was perhaps not the perfect ending to the great 2003 season, but it was not that far off either, with Schumacher unnecessarily ensuring there was more than one heart-stopping moment as he secured the needed point to clinch his fourth consecutive title. Not that he needed it anyway, because Rubens Barrichello was flawless in doing what he was expected to do.
The Brazilian showed once more that, as he himself admitted after the race, 2003 has been one of his strongest seasons up to date, and with a perfect display of driving he made sure that his Ferrari teammate did not need to worry about scoring any points. Barrichello's performance may have been overshadowed by Ferrari's and Schumacher's titles, but he deserves a lot of credit for what he did.
The circumstances on Saturday conspired against the title contenders, and hence against an exciting battle to close the season. Even if Schumacher - through a silly error on lap seven - managed to add some excitement to the race, there was only a few seconds in which Kimi Raikkonen was the World Champion: when he took the lead briefly while his rival was down in 11th position.
Raikkonen had a great season, but his car was never the class of the field and that was again reflected at Suzuka, where the Ferraris, the Williams, and perhaps even the Renaults, looked stronger than the McLarens in terms of pure racing pace. The Woking-based team might have paid the price of the whole MP4-18 debacle, but at least they know they have a champion in the making and the general impression is that they got more than it was expected at the start of season.
Just the opposite could be said about Williams who, from being hot favourites to take at least the Constructors' Championship, finished their season in the worst possible manner, with two disastrous Grands Prix in a row that almost cost them second place in the standings.
It was little consolation that Juan Pablo Montoya recovered well from the United States Grand Prix disaster to look like a winner at Suzuka, only for his car to break down for the first time since the Austrian Grand Prix. Their misery was completed by Ralf Schumacher's incident-packed race, which showed again that fighting wheel to wheel is not his strongest quality.
"It was a disappointing end to a brilliant F1 season," Frank Williams said at the end of the weekend, "but there remains much encouragement for us for the next year."
Qualifying Analysis
Surely when the new rules for 2003 were introduced nobody expected to have eight different winners over the season; few predicted that the Championship would go down to the wire; and certainly no one suspected that the final qualifying session of the titles-deciding race would see the contenders struggling to set a competitive time.
But that's been Formula One this year, and it was definitely fitting that the last race of the most exciting season in years provided a grid that almost looked as if it had been decided by picking numbers out of a hat. That's what the weather can do with the new qualifying system: it happened in France, where the Minardis finished fastest on Friday, and it happened again at Suzuka.
As much entertainment as a late shower can provide, however, there was a feeling of unfair cruelty when the session ended, as the best drivers from Friday paid the price for being the best, and at end of the day that seems to be wrong, no matter how good the racing is on Sunday. That's perhaps one of the reasons qualifying is likely to be revised next season.
The Grid
1. Rubens Barrichello
Saturday time: 1:31.713
2. Juan Pablo Montoya
Saturday time: 1:32.412
After a disappointing start on Friday, when he could only complete nine laps prior to qualifying due to a problem with his gearbox, the Colombian began to raise his pace on Saturday morning and ended up topping to times in the warm-up session, which was a reflection of what could be expected from him in the grid-deciding session. Still, he was lucky that his main rivals were hampered by the rain as the gap to Barrichello suggests he would have ended further behind under normal circumstances.
3. Cristiano da Matta
Saturday time: 1:32.419
Although they were definitely helped by the rain, Toyota showed they have a fast car and that their qualifying performances are no fluke, even if their race pace is still far from the best. After Panis started from an amazing third in the US, it was da Matta's turn to shine. The Brazilian, who was driving at Suzuka for the first time, turned things around after a poor start on Friday, where the Japanese squad were unable to find the right set-up for their cars. The result was especially pleasing considering both their cars finished ahead of the Honda-powered BARs.
4. Olivier Panis
Saturday time: 1:32.862
5. Fernando Alonso
Saturday time: 1:33.044
Like at Indianapolis, Alonso seemed unable to match the qualifying pace of his teammate Trulli. That despite finally being given the latest update of the Renault engine, which he lost in Friday's practice session amidst a cloud of smoke. Ironically, his slower time on Friday meant he was much luckier than Trulli on Saturday, and although he lost a couple of tenths due to the first drops of rain, the Spaniard placed himself in a solid position for the race, even if he was far away from Barrichello's time.
6. Mark Webber
Saturday time: 1:33.106
The Australian was one of the lucky drivers who escaped the rain by the skin of his teeth, and although he surely benefitted from it, he was still as performant as he has been in recent races. Webber was solid on Friday, outpacing his teammate Wilson by almost a whole second, and performed well again on Saturday, with a trouble-free lap that boosted Jaguar's hopes of fighting for fifth place in the standings. At the end of his flying lap Webber had to be careful as the track was already wet. Without that, he could have probably finished ahead of Alonso.
7. David Coulthard
Saturday time: 1:33.137
For the first time in quite a while, Coulthard was a good match for his teammate Raikkonen in all the sessions and finally managed to outqualify him again. Not since Canada, the Scot had finished ahead of the Finn. Coulthard's performance was even better considering he was forced to give his racing car to Raikkonen after the title contender wrecked his in practice, which meant the Scot missed the whole second practice session. His flying lap was error-free and despite losing a piece of his car, Coulthard managed his best performance since the French Grand Prix.
8. Kimi Raikkonen
Saturday time: 1:33.272
9. Jenson Button
Saturday time: 1:33.474
After a shaky start on Friday, when he was even outqualified by his new teammate Sato, things got better for the Briton, basically because he was able to have a trouble-free Saturday. On Friday, he could only complete nine laps after his "Suzuka Special" Honda engine let go, so he went into opening qualifying almost in the dark. A better Saturday, however, gave him the chance to show his good form and managed to qualify in the top ten, that despite "overcooking" it is some places on his lap.
10. Justin Wilson
Saturday time: 1:33.558
Pressured to perform in order to impress the Jaguar bosses and keep the seat in 2004, Wilson needed to perform in Japan, and although he didn't set the world alight, the end result was pretty good. Friday didn't go very well for the Briton, who finished almost a second behind his teammate. In final qualifying he was still unable to match Webber's pace, but at least he put himself in a strong position to get some points, and perhaps more importantly, less than half a second behind the Australian. Whether his performances were enough to guarantee his future at Jaguar, only time will tell.
11. Nick Heidfeld
Saturday time: 1:33.632
Boosted by the result in Indianapolis that allowed them to jump from ninth to fifth place in the standings, Sauber were in decent form in Japan, and Heidfeld did once more what he has been doing almost all year: he made a good job that left him with an outside chance of scoring points. On Saturday the German was lucky to escape the rain, and even if it began to drizzle as he was to start his flying lap, Heidfeld's lap was not hampered by it.
12. Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Saturday time: 1:33.896
Like his teammate Heidfeld, Frentzen ended up more or less where he was expected after a solid and unspectacular performance in what was his final Grand Prix with the Sauber team. Although his flying lap was not hampered by the rain by a matter of a few minutes, Frentzen lost time when he went wide at the Degner Two corner. He went so high up the kerb that he could hardly steer the Sauber, which touched the grass and cost him a few valuable tenths.
13. Takuma Sato
Saturday time: 1:33.924
14. Michael Schumacher
Saturday time: 1:34.302
With only one point required to secure his sixth title, Schumacher just needed a decent qualifying performance that would allow him to have a quiet race. But in Formula One things don't usually go as planned, even for the multiple-World Champion. He put on a solid performance showing on Friday and things were looking good for Saturday until the rain began to fall, spoiling the German's plans. At least he was lucky enough to be able to complete his flying lap before the circuit was soaked, otherwise he would have finished at the bottom of the times with his brother Ralf and Trulli.
15. Ralph Firman
Saturday time: 1:34.771
Having raced at Suzuka several times in the past, Firman used his knowledge and had a reasonable good weekend considering his equipment. For the first time this season, the British rookie managed to outqualify Fisichella in both qualifying sessions, on Saturday completing what he said was one of his best qualifying laps of the year. Like his Italian teammate, he was hoping for rain on Sunday to finish the season on a high.
16. Giancarlo Fisichella
Saturday time: 1:34.912
Perhaps the only good news for the Italian driver during the weekend was that the Japanese Grand Prix was his final race for the Jordan team this season. Fisichella continued with his frustrating season and this time he even lost out to teammate Firman in both qualifying sessions, which only made things worse. Apart from a lack of top speed, he was unable to find an explanation for his poor pace on Saturday. He will be looking forward to better days with Sauber next year.
17. Jos Verstappen
Saturday time: 1:34.975
At Suzuka, Verstappen put on one of his best qualifying performances of the season, and although that did not help him escape the bottom of the grid, the Dutchman was closer than usual to the runners that normally outqualify him, namely the Jordans. Both in opening and final qualifying, the Minardi driver showed his speed around the Japanese circuit by clearly outpacing his teammate Kiesa. With a little bit of luck he could have shone even more, but the rain began to call too late for him.
18. Nicolas Kiesa
Saturday time: 1:37.226
The Dane did not seem capable of getting to grips with the technical Suzuka circuit in his first visit to the Japanese track, and his performances throughout the weekend reflected it. In opening qualifying he was over 1.3 seconds off Verstappen's pace despite opting for the softer version of the Bridgestone tyres. Saturday was not much better for Kiesa, who finished more than two seconds behind his teammate. His car, however, was carrying a heavy fuel load that made things harder for the F1 rookie.
19. Jarno Trulli
Saturday time: no time
20. Ralf Schumacher
Saturday time: no time
Apart from a shaky start in Friday's practice, Ralf was very much on the pace all weekend at one of his favourite circuits. He was only marginally slower than Trulli on Friday, and then looked set to fight for pole position by topping the times in both of Saturday's practice sessions. But it was all for nothing, as the rain got very heavy when the Williams driver was about to begin his final flying lap. On dry-weather tyres, he struggled to keep the car on the road and even spun at the final chicane before heading straight into the pits.
The Race
Following a heavy overnight rain at Suzuka, the track was damp in places as the start of the race was approaching. Even so, and despite the clouds covering the Japanese sky, the racing line was clearly dry and so there were no doubts about what tyres to use.
Raikkonen made a clean start and was able to gain a position, while his title rival Schumacher jumped from 14th to 12th as both men avoided trouble from their poor starting places.
Already on lap one, it was obvious that Montoya was much faster than his rivals, the Colombian easily passing Barrichello for the lead at the Spoon corner. For a moment it looked like Alonso would pass the Ferrari driver too, but Barrichello did his best to keep the Renault at bay as the Michelin tyres looked to perform better than the Bridgestones in the cool and damp conditions.
By the end of lap one, Montoya was clearly in the lead and opening the gap to Barrichello, who was followed closely by Alonso, da Matta, Coulthard and Raikkonen, who had passed Panis for sixth place as the Toyota driver began to drop down the order after his impressive qualifying.
At the back of the field, Trulli and Ralf were making good progress until the German made a mistake on the tricky conditions and spun at the revised final chicane, dropping from 14th to 19th place as Williams' chances of taking the Constructors' Championship grew dimmer. Trulli, meanwhile, was already behind Schumacher Senior, the German fighting for 11th place with Wilson.
The move, as Schumacher would admit later, was not very smart, as he was too far to pass the BAR driver, who closed the door and clipped the Ferrari's front wing. Luckily for Schumacher it happened right in front of the pitlane entry, so he went straight in and his mechanics were quick to repair the damage and get him back out. Still, he returned to the race in last place so there was a lot of work ahead of him if he wanted to make sure that Raikkonen did not have a chance of stealing the title.
But things got better for Ferrari moments later, as Montoya began to slow down dramatically, limping back to the pits with a hydraulics problem. There was nothing the Williams mechanics could do, and so the Colombian finished his season with the first retirement since the Austrian Grand Prix, but on a positive frame of mind to be back stronger in 2004.
"With hindsight, I'm not that displeased that I was no longer in the battle for the Drivers' Championship, because retiring at the last race, in this way, would have been much harder," he said. "If I look back at the season, I am very, very happy with the job I made. I learned a lot from last year and I have matured as a driver."
The Toyotas, as usual, were the first ones to pit, with da Matta coming in for service on lap 10, allowing Coulthard to take third place. The Scot, as well as second-placed Alonso and leader Barrichello, would pit only two laps later, returning to the track in the same order. For a brief moment, and for the only time in the race, Raikkonen was World Champion, the Finn running in the lead while Schumacher was down in 12th place.
Schumacher was in 13th, and although his teamamte was in control of the race, the McLarens were getting too close for comfort to the top of the field, especially after lap 18, when Alonso's engine gave up while running a close second, much to the dismay of the young Spaniard. So Schumacher was still out of the points and Raikkonen was third with his teammate in front of him.
Barrichello, however, had a comfortable lead that he was increasing gradually, and as long as his Ferrari kept going his position, and Schumacher's title, looked safe. The World Champion, however, was still charging back towards the front, and he was already in tenth when he finally made his second stop on lap 24, together with brother Ralf, who was right in front of him. They returned to the track in 11th and 12th positions, the younger Schumacher ahead.
It wasn't long before the drivers on a three-stop strategy had to pit again, and Barrichello and Coulthard came in for service on lap 26, the Ferrari driver keeping the lead ahead of Raikkonen, who was still to pit. The Finn pitted seven laps later, returning to the race behind Coulthard and ahead of da Matta, Ralf and Michael Schumacher, who was already in sixth place with one pitstop to go.
The Ferrari driver returned to the pits only 13 laps after his second stop - on lap 37 - and dropped back to 10th position. Da Matta and Ralf pitted on the following lap, the Brazilian staying ahead of the German, who rejoined the race behind his brother Michael.
Barrichello, more than 20 seconds ahead of Coulthard and 40 ahead of Raikkonen, made his third and final pitstop on lap 40, leaving Coulthard in the lead briefly, the Scot heading for the pits on the following lap. He returned right behind Raikkonen, whose only hope was for Barrichello to retire and for something to happen to eight-placed Schumacher.
Ralf was not so fortunate and hit the Ferrari's rear right tyre with his front wing as he spun his Williams. Da Matta made it fine through the chicane, while Schumacher cut across it to continue in the race. Ralf had to come into the pits, his race effectively over. The scare was such, that someone at the Ferrari pitwall must have told Schumacher to settle for eighth, as the German did not even bother to get close to da Matta in the remaining laps.
Not that he needed the point anyway, as Barrichello continued with his trouble-free run and even managed to increase his gap to Raikkonen. In the end, the Brazilian crossed under the chequered flag some 11 seconds ahead of the Finn and Coulthard, securing both titles for Ferrari as the celebrations began once more.
"I am proud of what I have achieved this year," said a delighted Barrichello. "Even though I didn't achieve as many points as last year or the position that I finished last year I think it has been a much better year for me, much more competitive. I have been on top all the time and I think I have made a step up."
Ferrari were not the only ones celebrating, as Button's fourth place and Sato's impressive sixth gave BAR a much-needed boost as they jumped to fifth place in the standings. The day, however, was all about Ferrari and especially Schumacher's record-breaking sixth title, an achievement which will surely not be equalled for a very long time, just like it took almost 50 years to equal Juan Manuel Fangio's record.
The debate over who is the best driver in history will go on forever, and no matter how many more titles Schumacher takes in the future, the answer will never be known. The German will continue to be criticised for some of his antics or for the controversy that has surrounded him too often.
What's certain is that his achievements deserve a special chapter in the big book of racing history. He has earned that much.
At the end of the parade lap Jos Verstappen goes into the pits to refuel and start from pit lane.
Lap 1: At the start Barrichello and Montoya go away well while Fernando Alonso makes a quick start as usual and is ahead of both Toyotas at the first corner. Panis has to brake and drops behind David Coulthard. Raikkonen is behind the Frenchman but passes him later in the lap. At spoon curve Montoya passes Barrichello to take the lead and by the end of the lap is 1.3 seconds ahead of the Ferrari. Alonso is third with Cristiano da Matta fourth, Coulthard fifth, Raikkonen sixth, Panis seventh and Jenson Button eighth. Further back Michael Schumacher has a steady first lap, moving from 14th to 12th. Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher go from 19th and 20th to 13th and 14th.
Lap 3: Montoya's lead goes up to 4.4 seconds while Barrichello remains under pressure from Alonso. Raikkonen passes Coulthard for fifth place.
Lap 4: Barrichello begins to close the gap to Montoya. Michael Schumacher passes Wilson for 11th place. Further back Ralf passes Nicolas Kiesa for 18th place.
Lap 5: Sato passes Webber to move up to ninth place. Trulli passes Wilson to take 12th.
Lap 6: Barrichello closes the lead to 3.5 seconds. Further back there is drama as Michael Schumacher passes Webber and then challenges Sato. He runs into the back of the Japanese driver and damages his front wing and has to pit. He rejoins in 20th and last place. Webber is also overtaken by Trulli, the Renault moves up to 10th. Further back Ralf Schumacher passes Ralph Firman for 18th place.
Lap 7: Ralf Schumacher passes Giancarlo Fisichella for 15th.
Lap 8: Michael Schumacher begins his recovery, passing Verstappen for 19th place.
Lap 9: Montoya suddenly slows and is overtaken by all his rivals with Barrichello taking the lead. Montoya goes into the pits and retires with a mechanical problem. Further back there is an incident between Ralf Schumacher and Frentzen. The Sauber pits for repairs. Wilson pits for fuel and tyres.
Lap 11: The first stops continue with fifth-placed Panis and sixth-placed Trulli both pitting. Also pitting is the Minardi of Kiesa.
Lap 12: Barrichello, Alonso and Coulthard all stop. This puts Raikkonen into the lead with Button and Sato in second and third positions. Further back da Matta passes Firman to grab 10th position.
Lap 13: After a lap in the lead Raikkonen pits and the lead passes to Button with Sato second, Barrichello third Alonso fourth and Heidfeld fifth. Ralf Schumacher is up to sixth. Firman also pits.
Lap 14: Ralf Schumacher pits and falls from sixth to 13th. Fisichella also stops.
Lap 15: Sato stops, allowing Barrichello to move back to second place. Takuma rejoins in 10th place. Heidfeld also stops and drops from fifth to 13th.
Lap 16: Button finally stops and Barrichello goes back into the lead, a couple of seconds clear of Alonso. Coulthard is back up to third with Raikkonen fourth. Da Matta is fifth and Button sixth. Panis is seventh ahead of Webber, Trulli and Sato. Ralf Schumacher is 11th with Michael still back in 14th.
Lap 17: Michael Schumacher passes Heidfeld for 13th.
Lap 18: Alonso suffers an engine failure and pulls off on the straight. This puts Coulthard up to second with Raikkonen third.
Lap 21: Barrichello is around 15 seconds ahead of Coulthard with Raikkonen six seconds behind his team mate. In the midfield Wilson stops again and falls from 11th place to 13th.
Lap 22: Webber has his second pit stop and he drops from seventh place to 12th.
Lap 24: Cristiano da Matta, the first of the frontrunners on a three-stop strategy, pits. He falls from fourth place down to ninth. Both Schumacher Brothers also stop indicating that they too are on three-stop strategies. They rejoin in 11th and 12th positions.
Lap 25: Fifth-placed Panis (on a three-stop strategy) also stops. He rejoins back in 10th. Firman also stops again, indicating that he too is on a three-stop plan.
Lap 26: Barrichello and Coulthard both stop. Barrichello's advantage is such that he remains in the lead but Coulthard rejoins in fifth, behind Raikkonen, Button and Trulli (who are all on two-stop strategies).
Lap 27: The order is Barrichello eight seconds ahead of Raikkonen. Button, Trulli, Coulthard, Sato, Heidfeld and da Matta complete the points-scorers. Michael Schumacher is still only in 12th place.
Lap 29: Ralf Schumacher passes Panis for 10th place.
Lap 30: Michael Schumacher passes Panis to move to 11th.
Lap 32: The two-stoppers begin to pit with Trulli and Sato heading for pitlane. Jarno falls from fourth to 10th, while Sato's fifth place becomes 12th.
Lap 34: Wilson is the first of the three-stoppers to pit for the last time.
Lap 35: Webber follows Wilson into pit lane but falls from seventh to 12th. The early three-stop strategy not proving to be very effective.
Lap 37: Michael Schumacher comes in for his third stop and he drops back from sixth place to 10th.
Lap 38: Da Matta and Ralf Schumacher both pit and fall from fourth and fifth to eighth and 10th, the pair being split by Michael Schumacher.
Lap 39: Panis is next to stop and his fifth place becomes 11th.
Lap 40: Barrichello pits and so Coulthard goes into the lead. Barrichello rejoins ahead of Raikkonen, Button, Trulli and Sato. Da Matta is seventh and Michael Schumacher eighth.
Lap 46: The order at the front is now set but at the back Ralf Schumacher tries to make up lost ground and passes Wilson for 12th.
Lap 53: Rubens Barrichello wins the race, securing the Constructors' World Championship for Ferrari. Michael Schumacher gets one point for eighth and so wins a record sixth Drivers' World Championship. Raikkonen finishes second with Coulthard third. Button is fourth with Trulli fifth and local hero Sato is a popular sixth. The BAR-Honda team thus jumps ahead of Sauber to grab fifth place in the Constructors' Championship. Da Matta gets two points for seventh place.
At the end of the day you could say that the Japanese Grand Prix gave Ferrari and Michael Schumacher just what almost the whole F1 fraternity expected them to get. It was expected right before the start of the 2003 season, and it was expected also two weeks ahead of the final race of the year.
Formula One has become so accustomed to watching Schumacher winning race after race that it's not that hard to understand why there are rumours of retirement almost every time he doesn't win from pole. But bad times are implied in any sport - perhaps more so in motor racing - and staying on top for as long as Schumacher has can only be achieved with an amazing amount of motivation and commitment, especially when things go wrong.
Not that his pace was surprising anyway, as Barrichello has been one of the strongest drivers all year and especially in the latter part of the season, when only bad luck have pretended him from getting the rewards of his strong performances. In Japan luck was on Barrichello's side at last, and he put on a flawless drive that gave him his second win of the season.
In the end, Ferrari again celebrated and Williams were left licking their wounds and hoping to come back stronger in 2004. Just like everybody else.
Friday Qualifying: 7th, 1:30.758
It is no coincidence that Barrichello has been, together with Montoya, the only driver to qualify in the top ten in every single race of the 2003 season. The Brazilian has adapted perfectly to the new qualifying system, and he has made very few errors despite pushing to the limit on his flying laps. In final qualifying in Japan he performed flawlessly again and was rewarded with his third pole position of the year, this time by a massive margin over his rivals. Of course, he was another of the drivers who benefitted from the rain that hit the late part of the session, but he would surely have fought for the top spot anyway. He also managed to outqualify Schumacher for the sixth time this season, which was an unprecedented feat.
Friday Qualifying: 8th, 1:31.201
Friday Qualifying: 14th, 1:32.256
Friday Qualifying: 15th, 1:31.908
The Frenchman, like his teammate da Matta, completed a fantastic day that gave Toyota a big boost ahead of their home Grand Prix. The result also confirmed Panis's good form following his third place in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix two weeks earlier. Like da Matta, Panis struggled for pace on Friday, but some hard overnight work paid off and Saturday looked much better for him. Panis, however, was not happy with his top speed compared to his teammate's car, which reflected in his laptime, the Brazilian finished more than four tenths ahead.
Friday Qualifying: 6th, 1:30.624
Friday Qualifying: 9th, 1:31.305
Friday Qualifying: 4th, 1:30.482
Friday Qualifying: 5th, 1:30.558
Raikkonen's pace was something of a mystery ahead of the grid-deciding session. After a quiet Friday where, as usual, he was rather conservative, Saturday started badly for the only other Championship contender: the Finn lost control of his car in first practice and caused some serious damage after only seven laps. McLaren reacted quickly and sacrificed Coulthard's qualifying by giving Raikkonen the Scot's racing machine. In the end, their efforts were pretty much in vain, as Raikkonen's lap was hit by rain and had to settle for eighth place, not ideal considering he needed to win the race to have a shot at the title.
Friday Qualifying: 16th, 1:32.374
Friday Qualifying: 15th, 1:32.291
Friday Qualifying: 10th, 1:31.783
Friday Qualifying: 12th, 1:31.892
Friday Qualifying: 12th, 1:31.832
Considering he was returning to racing action after a whole year, and that he had little time to prepare for his home Grand Prix, Sato's job over the weekend was quite remarkable as a late stand-in for Jacques Villeneuve after the Canadian decided to pull out of the event. The Japanese star even managed to outqualify his teammate Button on Friday, despite competing in the one-shot qualifying for the first time. The excitement of racing at home, however, proved to be too much for him on Saturday, and Sato overdrove during most of his flying lap. Still, 13th place was a good result.
Friday Qualifying: 3rd, 1:30.464
Friday Qualifying: 17th, 1:33.057
Friday Qualifying: 18th, 1:33.313
Friday Qualifying: 19th, 1:34.836
Friday Qualifying: 20th, 1:36.181
Friday Qualifying: 1st, 1:30.281
It was hard not to agree with Renault's Pat Symonds when he said that Jarno Trulli must be the unluckiest Formula One driver. In the space of a day, the Italian went from setting the fastest time and aiming for his first F1 pole, to not even setting a time and finishing at the bottom of the times. Trulli was again impressively quick on Friday - for the third time this season - but his hopes were shattered on Saturday. If the rain had affected other drivers's laps, when Trulli came out of the pits, the track was soaked so Renault decided to save fuel and Trulli did not even complete his flying lap. Not that it was worth doing it anyway.
Friday Qualifying: 2nd, 1:30.343
Two weeks after their collision at Indianapolis, Barrichello and Montoya were again in a dangerous position, but this time there were no incidents and they had a clean start, with the Brazilian taking advantage of pole to stay in the lead at the entry of the first corner. Montoya managed to keep second place despite a fast-starting Alonso, who flew off the line to jump from fifth to third ahead of da Matta and Coulthard, who overtook Panis.
Montoya managed to open a gap of almost five seconds before the conditions allowed Barrichello to raise his pace and start to get closer to the Colombian. By lap seven, the Ferrari driver had gained over a second and was less than four behind the Williams. But while things looked better for Ferrari at the front, they didn't at the back, as Schumacher tried to dive down the inside of ninth-placed Sato at the final chicane. And drama unfolded.
However, Raikkonen pitted on the following lap, rejoining the race behind teammate Coulthard but ahead of the Toyota of da Matta, who was ahead of him before the pitstops. For the second race running, Button took advantage of his rivals' stops to lead a Grand Prix, albeit briefly, as he would pit on lap 16, allowing Barrichello to return to the lead ahead of Alonso, Coulthard and Raikkonen.
The latter wish was almost granted on lap 41 as Schumacher fought with da Matta and Ralf for eighth place. With Ralf right behind him, Schumacher tried to pass the Toyota driver at the chicane, but da Matta closed the door and the Ferrari driver was caught out. Schumacher locked his wheels and came close to hitting the back of da Matta's car, which he avoided by going around the outside.
"I am not trying to compare myself to Fangio," said Schumacher after the race. "You cannot compare someone like Fangio with the present day. Fangio is on a level much higher than I see myself. There is absolutely no comparison. What he did stands alone and what we have achieved is also unique."
Race Results
1. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1h25:11.743
2. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) + 11.085
3. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) + 11.614
4. Button BAR Honda (B) + 33.106
5. Trulli Renault (M) + 34.269
6. Sato BAR Honda (B) + 51.692
7. da Matta Toyota (M) + 56.794
8. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) + 59.487
9. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) + 1:00.159
10. Panis Toyota (M) + 1:01.844
11. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) + 1:11.005
12. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) + 1 lap
13. Wilson Jaguar Cosworth (M) + 1 lap
14. Firman Jordan Ford (B) + 1 lap
15. Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) + 2 laps
16. Kiesa Minardi Cosworth (B) + 3 laps
Fastest Lap: R.Schumacher, 1:33.408, lap 43
Not Classified/Retirements:
Driver Team On Lap
Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 34
Alonso Renault (M) 18
Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 10
Montoya Williams BMW (M) 10
World Championship Standing, Round 16:
Drivers: Constructors:
1. M.Schumacher 93 WC 1. Ferrari 158 CC
2. Raikkonen 91 2. Williams-BMW 144
3. Montoya 82 3. McLaren-Mercedes 142
4. Barrichello 65 4. Renault 88
5. R.Schumacher 58 5. BAR-Honda 26
6. Alonso 55 6. Sauber 19
7. Coulthard 51 7. Jaguar-Cosworth 18
8. Trulli 34 8. Toyota 16
9. Webber 17 9. Jordan-Ford 13
= Button 17
11. Frentzen 13
12. Fisichella 12
13. da Matta 10
14. Panis 6
= Villeneuve 6
= Heidfeld 6
17. Gene 4
18. Sato 3
19. Firman 1
= Wilson 1
Pos Driver Team Lap Time
1. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 43 1:33.408
2. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 14 1:33.416 + 0.008
3. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 14 1:33.553 + 0.145
4. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 18 1:33.703 + 0.295
5. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 2 1:33.830 + 0.422
6. Alonso Renault (M) 8 1:34.255 + 0.847
7. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 12 1:34.488 + 1.080
8. Trulli Renault (M) 26 1:34.546 + 1.138
9. Button BAR-Honda (B) 14 1:34.605 + 1.197
10. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 24 1:34.635 + 1.227
11. Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas (B) 31 1:34.991 + 1.583
12. Wilson Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 11 1:35.014 + 1.606
13. Panis Toyota (M) 53 1:35.023 + 1.615
14. da Matta Toyota (M) 16 1:35.192 + 1.784
15. Sato BAR-Honda (B) 28 1:35.290 + 1.882
16. Fisichella Jordan-Ford (B) 33 1:35.824 + 2.416
17. Frentzen Sauber-Petronas (B) 7 1:36.601 + 3.193
18. Firman Jordan-Ford (B) 15 1:36.662 + 3.254
19. Verstappen Minardi-Cosworth (B) 51 1:37.869 + 4.461
20. Kiesa Minardi-Cosworth (B) 6 1:38.754 + 5.346
Pos Driver Team Time Lap
1. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 27.104 41
2. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 27.517 24
3. da Matta Toyota (M) 27.874 38
4. da Matta Toyota (M) 27.991 10
5. Panis Toyota (M) 28.125 39
6. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 28.157 12
7. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 28.286 24
8. da Matta Toyota (M) 28.294 24
9. Wilson Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 28.366 21
10. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 28.377 10
11. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 28.425 40
12. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 28.522 38
13. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 28.537 26
14. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 28.552 12
15. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 28.590 26
16. Panis Toyota (M) 28.613 25
17. Alonso Renault (M) 28.640 12
18. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 28.666 14
19. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 28.786 37
20. Panis Toyota (M) 28.836 11
21. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 28.998 22
22. Wilson Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 29.081 9
23. Trulli Renault (M) 29.224 11
24. Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas (B) 29.560 15
25. Verstappen Minardi-Cosworth (B) 29.803 37
26. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 29.867 35
27. Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas (B) 30.119 33
28. Sato BAR-Honda (B) 30.197 15
29. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 30.230 33
30. Button BAR-Honda (B) 30.374 16
31. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 30.416 13
32. Trulli Renault (M) 30.476 32
33. Wilson Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 30.688 34
34. Verstappen Minardi-Cosworth (B) 30.858 19
35. Fisichella Jordan-Ford (B) 31.141 14
36. Sato BAR-Honda (B) 31.563 32
37. Button BAR-Honda (B) 31.624 33
38. Firman Jordan-Ford (B) 35.895 25
39. Kiesa Minardi-Cosworth (B) 36.367 31
40. Frentzen Sauber-Petronas (B) 36.905 9
41. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 38.255 41
42. Kiesa Minardi-Cosworth (B) 38.377 11
43. Firman Jordan-Ford (B) 40.333 13
44. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 41.400 6
The Japanese Grand Prix, Lap by Lap
Lap 2: Montoya sets the fastest lap and increase his led to 3.4 seconds, leaving Barrichello to fight off Alonso. Further back Justin Wilson is overtaken by Takuma Sato for 10th place. Further back Ralf Schumacher spins at the chicane and drops from 14th to 19th.
Lap 10: Third-placed da Matta pits and falls back into the midfield. This promotes Raikkonen to third. Also pitting is eighth-placed Webber. Further back Frentzen retires with a mechanical problem.
Lap 19: Verstappen at the tail of the field comes in for his first stop.
Lap 33: Raikkonen, Button and Heidfeld all pit, leaving Barrichello with a 23 second advantage. The Ferrari will need to stop again. Coulthard is second with Raikkonen third, da Matta fourth, Ralf Schumacher fifth and Michael Schumacher sixth, both brothers having got ahead of Webber. Fisichella pulls off with a mechanical problem.
Lap 41: Coulthard heads for pit lane for his last stop, putting Barrichello back into a healthy lead of 15 seconds over Raikkonen. Coulthard is right behind his McLaren team mate but there is then a big gap back to Button, Trulli and Sato. At the chicane da Matt slows suddenly, catching out Michael Schumacher. He tries to pass the Toyota on the outside but moves into the path of his brother and knocks off the Williams-BMW's front wing. Ralf has to pit. Michael has flat-spotted his tyres and there are fears that his left rear could be punctured.
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Volume 9, Issue 42
Atlas F1 Exclusive
A Touch of Greatness
Interview with Kimi Raikkonen
Interview with Jock Clear
Ann Bradshaw: View from the Paddock
2003 Japanese GP Review
2003 Japanese GP Review
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