2001 Spanish Grand Prix

2001 Spanish Grand Prix
2001 Spanish Grand Prix
Race 5 of 18 in the 2001 Formula One World Championship
	Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona
Race details
Date	April 29, 2001
Official name	XLIX Gran Premio de España Telefónica
Location	Circuit de Catalunya; Barcelona, Spain
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	4.655 km (2.892 miles)
Distance	65 laps, 302.449 km (187.934 miles)
Weather	Overcast
Pole position
Driver	Rubens Barrichello;
Time	1:24.547
Fastest lap
Driver	David Coulthard
Time	1:25.151 on lap 65
Podium
First	Ralf Schumacher;
Second	David Coulthard;
Third	Michael Schumacher;

Qualifying

Once again, Rubens Barrichello was the undoubted master of qualifying with his third consecutive pole position but Ralf Schumacher did an equally wonderful job to separate Barrichello and his Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher. Juan Pablo Montoya was happy and contented with fourth place but the McLaren drivers Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard were not too happy to be back down in fifth and sixth. Jordan was where one expected them to be - seventh and eighth with Heinz-Harald Frentzen ahead of Jarno Trulli.

Race

At the start, Ralf Schumacher got off better and took the lead from polesitter Rubens Barrichello with Juan Pablo Montoya and David Coulthard doing the same to Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen. Ralf was leading from Barrichello, Montoya, Schumacher, Coulthard, Häkkinen, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli. The first two then made a gap from the others with Trulli dropping back from the second group of five. Barrichello was quicker than Ralf and took the led on lap 8 at the first corner. Before the stops, on lap 18, at the same tine, Schumacher found a way past Montoya at the same place. Häkkinen was the first to stop on lap 20. Frentzen and Montoya stopped on the next lap and Frentzen came out just ahead of Häkkinen. Häkkinen tried to go round the outside and his left sidepod touched the front wing of Frentzen's car, sending it into the gravel trap and retirement. On the next lap, when Coulthard stopped, he rejoined ahead of Montoya.

Barrichello increased his lead to seven seconds by lap 28 but then smoke satrted coming from the side of his car. It was coming from a radiator, and because of the dangers, Barrichello came in the next lap and drove straight into the garage. Three laps later, Schumacher went wide on turn 3, allowing Coulthard to get through. Ralf was seven seconds ahead but both Coulthard and Schumacher were closing in on him slowly. During the second round of stops, Häkkinen was able to find a way past Montoya. Soon after, on lap 46, Trulli's engine blew up and he retired. Coulthard and Schumacher were exchanging fastest laps and closing in on Ralf but Ralf held them off to win from Coulthard, Schumacher, Häkkinen, Montoya, Olivier Panis, Giancarlo Fisichella and Jenson Button.

Classification

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Points
1	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	65	1:31:03.305	2	10
2	4	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	65	+2.883	6	8
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	65	+4.339	3	6
4	3	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren-Mercedes	65	+10.842	5	5
5	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams-BMW	65	+27.509	4	4
6	9	Olivier Panis	BAR-Honda	65	+1:09.172	11	3
7	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton-Renault	64	+1 Lap	12	2
8	8	Jenson Button	Benetton-Renault	64	+1 Lap	9	1
9	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber-Petronas	64	+1 Lap	14
10	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber-Petronas	64	+1 Lap	13
11	22	Jean Alesi	Prost-Acer	63	+2 Laps	15
12	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows-Asiatech	63	+2 Laps	19
13	23	Luciano Burti	Prost-Acer	63	+2 Laps	17
14	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi-European	62	+3 Laps	21
15	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar-Cosworth	62	+3 Laps	22
16	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows-Asiatech	61	+4 Laps	16
Ret	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan-Honda	45	Engine	8
Ret	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi-European	38	Electrical	20
Ret	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR-Honda	34	Suspension	10
Ret	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	29	Radiator	1
Ret	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar-Cosworth	23	Clutch	18
Ret	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan-Honda	20	Collision	7

Notes

Lap Leaders: Ralf Schumacher 40 (1-8, 30-44, 48-65), Rubens Barrichello 21 (9-29), David Coulthard 1 (45), Michael Schumacher 2 (46-47)
Luciano Burti had moved to Prost team from the Jaguar team to replace Gaston Mazzacane who was fired.
Pedro de la Rosa's first race for the Jaguar team.
Pedro de la Rosa's clutch failed in his first race for the Jaguar team. After jumping over a barrier to reach the pitlane, he lost his balace and fell down onto the Jordan team wall.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen got punted into the wall after a controversial collision with Mika Häkkinen.

Standings after Grand Prix

Drivers`

Constructors

1. Williams-BMW - 68
2. McLaren-Mercedes - 40
3. Ferrari - 32
4. Jordan-Honda - 20