2001 F1 Spanish Grand Prix - Barcelona Formula 1 Race Report

2001 Spanish Formula One Grand Prix
29th April, 2001. Round 5. Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona.

1/ Michael Schumacher (Ferrari);
2/ Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams); 3/ Jacques Villeneuve (BAR);
4/ Trulli (Jordan); 5/ Coulthard (McLaren); 6/ Heidfeld (Sauber)

SPANISH GP FACTS AND FIGURES

   Perhaps it is the strong gypsy influence in Spain, but this grand prix has moved around more than most, before settling on the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. In the early Fifties the race was twice held at Pedralbes. Then the race lost its spot on the calendar for over a decade, before resurfacing at Jarama, on the outskirts of Madrid in 1964. The next year, it shifted to the scenic and splendid Montjuich Park in the centre of Barcelona and the two tracks alternated the event until racing at Montjuich was abandoned after a bad accident in 1975. The Spanish GP made its excuses and left the calendar again in 1981, resurfacing in 1986 at the new venue of Jerez de la Frontera, in the Sherry capital of the world, until switching to the current venue in 1991.
    That first race was one of the classics of this decade. There were three rounds remaining in the championship and Ayrton Senna had a 24 point lead over Nigel Mansell. The Englishman was not the sort to give up easily and the two men had a thrilling dice in the early stages, shooting down the pit straight just centimetres apart at around 280 km/h. Breathtaking stuff which went in Mansell's favour. However, the championship belonged to the Brazilian that year, although Mansell took the title in 1992, winning in Barcelona yet again.
    It has to be said that Formula 1 is not the most popular sport in Spain. While a huge crowd turns out to watch no less than three events on Spanish soil that count for the motorcycle world championship, fewer Spaniards will take an interest in this weekend's race. Only natural when they have produced several world champions on two wheels but, with the exception of Rallying's Carlos Sainz, none on four. Including Pedro de la Rosa and Marc Gene, entered this year, only nine Spaniards have ever lined up to start a Formula 1 grand prix and not one has won a race. However, they have added to the international flavour of the sport and one of them, Alfonso de Portago led a tragically brief life, which leapt straight from the pages of a Hollywood film script. "Fon" as this Spanish nobleman was known, had a zest for life, expressed by pursuing a variety of sports, proving to be infuriatingly good at all of them. Born in London in 1928, he was a multilingual, multicultural playboy who was a big hit with the women, attracted by his good looks and carefree elegance. An international class swimmer, de Portago then switched to horses, taking the French amateur jockey title on three occasions, also riding the daunting Grand National steeplechase fences at Aintree. Turning to motor racing, his best F1 result came in 1956 when he finished second in the British GP, sharing his car with Peter Collins. Sadly, de Portago was killed in 1957 during the famous Mille Miglia race.
    Apart from Portago, only two other Spaniards had scored world championship points before last year. Francesco Godia scored two fourth place finishes in 1956 and Luis Pera Salo picked up a point for sixth place in the 1989 British GP. Last year, current crop Pedro De La Rosa and Marc Gene both scored points.
    Jackie Stewart holds the record for the biggest winning margin in a Spanish GP. He took the chequered flag at Montjuich Park in 1969, leading Bruce McLaren by a full two laps.
    Apart from Stewart, five other drivers have led the Spanish race from start to finish. Stewart did it in 1970, Mario Andretti in 1977, Nigel Mansell did it twice in 1987 and '92, Alain Prost in 1988, Ayrton Senna in 1989 and Michael Schumacher in 1995. Ferrari and McLaren have both scored two one-two finishes, while Team Lotus and Benetton have one each.
    For the past four years, the winner of this race has gone on to win the world championship (Mika Hakkinen won it the last two years.) The best finishing record in recent times goes to Michael Schumacher. The German has competed in nine Spanish Grands Prix. He has finished all of them in the points and has been on the podium seven times.

2001 Spanish Formula One Grand Prix

Lap

Race Report

Lap 65
RACE END

Michael Schumacher 1 1 hr 31:03.31 Ferrari
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldan 2 + 40.74 Williams
Jacques Villeneuve 3 + 49.63 British American Racing
Jarno Trulli 4 + 51.25 Jordan
David Coulthard 5 + 51.61 McLaren Started from back
Nick Heidfeld 6 + 1:01.89 Sauber
Olivier Panis 7 + 1:04.98 British American Racing
Kimi Raikkonen 8 + 1:19.81 Sauber
Mika Hakkinen 9 + 1 laps McLaren
Jean Alesi 10 + 1 laps Prost
Luciano Burti 11 + 1 laps Prost
Jos Verstappen 12 + 2 laps Arrows
Fernando Alonso 13 + 2 laps Minardi
Giancarlo Fisichella 14 + 2 laps Benetton
Jenson Button 15 + 3 laps Benetton
Tarso Marques 16 + 3 laps Minardi
Rubens Barrichello lap 49 Ferrari Rear suspension
Eddie Irvine lap 48 Jaguar Engine
Ralf Schumacher lap 20 Williams Spun off
Enrique Antonio Bernoldi lap 8 Arrows Fuel pressure
Heinz-Harald Frentzen lap 5 Jordan Collision with De La Rosa
Pedro Martinez de la Rosa lap 5 Jaguar Collision with Frentzen

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Previous winners
Year	1st	2nd	3rd
1995	M. Schumacher (Benetton)	Herbert (Benetton)	Berger (Ferrari)
1996	M. Schumacher (Ferrari)	Alesi (Benetton)	Villeneuve (Williams)
1997	Villeneuve (Williams)	Panis (Prost)	Alesi (Benetton)
1998	Hakkinen (West McLaren Mercedes)	Coulthard (West McLaren Mercedes)	M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
1999	Hakkinen (West McLaren Mercedes)	Coulhtard (West McLaren Mercedes)	M.Schumacher (Ferrari)
2000	Hakkinen (West McLaren Mercedes)	Coulthard (West McLaren Mercedes)	Barrichello (Ferrari)
2001	M.Schumacher (Ferrari)	Montoya (Williams)	Villeneuve (BAR)

Position	Driver	Team	Time	Comment
1/ - POLE 1st row	M.Schumacher	Ferrari	1:18.20