2002 San Marino Formula One Grand Prix Race Report

2002 San Marino Race Report
62 laps; 4.933 kms lap distance; 305 kms distance; Imola, Round 4, 14th April
Prior Lap Record 1:25.5 H.H.Frentzen in Williams 1997

2001

1/ Ralf Schumacher (Williams);
2/ David Coulthard (McLaren); 3/ Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari);
4/ Hakkinen (McLaren); 5/ Trulli (Jordan); 6/ Frentzen (Jordan).

This will be the 21st Grand Prix held at Imola: 19 San Marino Grands Prix have already taken place, but the first Grand Prix at Imola was the Italian in 1980.
    There's an interesting needle match developing at Imola between Williams and McLaren. Williams have won seven times to McLaren's six, but McLaren have finished 1-2 on three occasions whereas Williams have finished 1-2 only once. Ferrari has finished 1-2 twice, including last year.
    Renault, however, have an extraordinary record at the circuit, with six victories including a 1-2 in 1992 while Honda have four wins - but all of them are 1-2s! One person who was very much involved in that record is Ayrton Senna, and he tends to be associated with Imola for the saddest of reasons. But don't forget that he also holds a remarkable record at the circuit: he started from pole position an incredible eight times and seven of those were in succession.
    Several drivers have good reason to favour Imola. Reigning World Champion Mika Hakkinen, for instance, scored his first World Championship points there in 1991 with fifth for Lotus. Heinz-Harald Frentzen scored his one and only World Championship win there in 1997. Giancarlo Fisichella is another who scored his first World Championships points there: fourth for Jordan in 1997. And among the milestones on this occasion should be Rubens Barrichello's 100th Grand Prix.
    In terms of margin of victory, the smallest margin was when Gilles Villeneuve harried Didier Pironi all the way to the line in 1982 in their Ferraris, and Pironi was the unscheduled winner by just 0.366s.
    The largest margin of victory was a full lap in 1985, but then that was an odd race anyway: Ayrton Senna was heading for victory when his Lotus ran out of fuel. That put Stefan Johansson into the lead but he, too, ground to a halt for the same reason. Alain Prost took the chequered flag followed by Elio de Angelis's Lotus. The Italian was a lap ahead of Thierry Boutsen's Arrows which freewheeled across the line with empty fuel tanks. But then Prost's car was found to be under weight, so de Angelis was declared the winner - a lap ahead of Boutsen.
    For most motor racing enthusiasts, Imola arrived on the map in 1980 with its first Grand Prix. But as with any circuit, there is a long history which goes way back: 1953, 1950, 1947 or even 80 B.C. were all significant. However, it's perhaps stretching it a little to suggest that Imola's motor racing heritage stems from the 15,000 seat amphitheatre built in 80 B. C. on the Via Emilia towards Bologna.
    Fast forward to 1947: Imola was already the scene of motocross events and unsophisticated street races. One was washed out by a severe storm, and those involved started searching for a more suitable, even permanent location.
    In the Acque Minerali Park on the quiet, southern banks of the River Santerno, a local engineer had begun to lay out roads as part of an unemployment scheme. Four young men fantasised about building a motorcycle racing circuit there, well away from the town centre. And when Enzo Ferrari visited Imola and saw what was happening, he began to take an interest. He would eventually compare the circuit to a mini-Nurburgring.
    And so, like all good fantasies, the young men's dream eventually became reality. The track comprised three straights interspersed by 16 bends whose radii varied from 36 to six meters, a total of 5017 long and winding, fast and picturesque meters. The first sod was turned in March 1950.
    In 1952, the track was tested by Ascari, Villoresi and Marzotto driving Ferrari 340 sports cars. They averaged 149 kph while a trio of motorcycle racers averaged 138 kph. On April 25th, 1953 Imola hosted its first event, a motorcycle meeting organised by the 4047 strong Motor Club of Imola, the biggest club in Italy.
    After the initial success, the organisers set up a huge fund in order to make their Gold Cup motorcycle meeting permanent, resulting in a motorcycle festival which spread through the whole region. At the same time, Imola's first event for sports cars was won by Umberto Maglioli in a Ferrari.
    However, Imola was very much a motorcycle circuit during its formative years and one Bernard Charles Ecclestone remembers racing a Manx Norton there in the mid-fifties. He would return a few years later to race a Cooper.
    Little development took place during those early days as officialdom and politics prevented progress. Owners of nearby land made claims and counter-claims while parishioners using a church within the circuit had to be issued with special passes. In 1959, however, development restarted.
    Four years later came the big day when Grand Prix cars first raced at Imola, a non-championship event but lacking two vital ingredients: Ferrari and excitement. It was so dominated by Jim Clark in a Lotus that it was 13 years before Formula One returned to the circuit.
    In the meantime, Ferrari had become very much involved in Imola. A motion by the city council was passed in 1970 to name the circuit after Enzo Ferrari's son Dino who had died in 1956 aged 24. And a couple of years later, control of the circuit passed to the Bologna Automobile Club and SAGIS, securing its future to the present day.
    In 1979, Formula One returned to Imola for a non-championship race. This was in order to test the organisation and infrastructure so that a Grand Prix could be run there. The idea was that Imola would alternate with Monza to host the Italian Grand Prix. This time Ferrari was the big draw; Villeneuve and Scheckter were first and second on the grid, but beaten by ex-Ferrari driver Niki Lauda in the race.
    Those who had raced in the non-championship event knew what to expect when Imola held the 51st Italian Grand Prix in September the next year. Newcomers were amazed by the facilities, whether for mechanics, teams or journalists, although they were less enamoured by the very tight Acque Minerali chicane. The two turbocharged Renaults of Rene Arnoux and Jean-Pierre Jabouille held the front row, but dropped back and Nelson Piquet won in a Brabham, although eventual champion Alan Jones was second.
    Enzo Ferrari's status in motor racing meant that he was able to persuade motor racing's governing body and those in charge of promotion to adopt Imola as the venue for a San Marino Grand Prix, having particularly close links with the Republic. Thus Imola hosted its first San Marino Grand Prix in the spring of 1981, won by Piquet again in poor conditions.
    Since then, there has been a San Marino Grand Prix every year. There have been memorable moments: the Renault versus Ferrari battle in 1982, won by Didier Pironi who grabbed victory from Gilles Villeneuve in his last race. In 1983, both Patrese and Arnoux went off to hand victory to Tambay and Ferrari. Prost won on his last drops of petrol in 1986.
    Piquet had a frightening accident at Tamburello in 1987 and two years later Berger crashed in flames at the same corner, the driver miraculously unhurt. In 1994, Imola's black weekend was marked by the tragic deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. The circuit was substantially changed for 1995; since then Hill has won twice for Williams, Frentzen scored his maiden victory, Coulthard won in 1998 and M. Schumacher was last year's winner.

	2001 San Marino Formula One Grand Prix
Lap	Race Report
Grid	The two Mclarens of Coulthard and Hakkinen lined up on pole ahead of the Schumacher brothers, Ralf 3rd in his Williams and Michael 4th in the Ferrari.
Start	Coulthard rolls slightly before start and brakes before getting underway on the lights, creating a lot of wheel spin. Coulthard was so busy watching Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher on his right that he failed to notice the blinding fast start that Ralf made, coming up on his left. Ralf lead into the first corner and was never headed for the entire race. Trulli also made a great start, overtaking both former World Champs Hakkinen and M.Schumacher into the first corner.
Lap 1	1/ R.Schumacher; 2/ Coulthard 3/ Trulli 4/ Hakkinen; 5/ M.Schumacher; 6/ Montoya; 7/ Panis; 8/ Barrichello; 9/ R�ikk�nen; 10/ Villeneuve; 11/ Frentzen, 12/ Irvine; 13/ Heidfeld; 14/ Alesi; 15/ Fisichella; 16/ Burti; 17/ Verstappen; 18/ Bernoldi; 19/ Button; 20/ Alonso; 21/ Marque; 22/ Mazzacane.
Lap 2	FIA announces investigation into a jump start - we do not know who (probably Coulthard) but nothing came of it.
Lap 3	M.Schumacher loses a gear and drops down to 8th place.
Lap 5	Fernando Alonso retires his Minardi - comes off through a chicane and bangs into the wall.
Lap 8	Jos Verstappen retires Arrows - coasts in.
Lap 8	Barrichello overtakes Panis.
Lap 9	1/ R.Schumacher 1.9 seconds; 2/ Coulthard 12.16 seconds; 3/ Trulli - the leading two cars are streaking away, with Ralf's Williams perfectly set up and handling beautifully.
Lap 9	Coulthard fastest lap 1:27.234
Lap 13	1/ R.Schumacher 2.1 seconds; 2/ Coulthard 17.8 seconds; 3/ Trulli; 4/ Hakkinen; 5/ Montoya; 6/ Barrichello; 7/ M.Schumacher
Lap 15	R.Schumacher fastest lap 1:26.503
Lap 17	Kimi R�ikk�nen retires Sauber - mechanical failure sends him into the wall.
Lap 19	Button pits stop in Benetton 7.4 seconds
Lap 20	R.Schumacher fastest lap 1:26.394
Lap 20	The gap widens between the two lead cars of R.Schumacher and Coulthard, and their closest competitor, 3rd placed Jarno Trulli, who is over 23 seconds behind
Lap 21	Button pits stop again in Benetton 9.4 seconds Alesi pits stop in Prost 10.9 seconds
Lap 22	Fisichella pits stop in Benetton 8.1 seconds R.Schumacher fastest lap 1:26.124
Lap 23	Marques pit stop
Lap 23	Michael Schumacher has a major puncture in front left tyre, and eases his Ferrari back to the pits, losing a lap in the process
Lap 24	Michael Schumacher pits stop 12.6 seconds, rejoins in 19th place
Lap 25	Jarno Trulli pits stop 9.0 seconds
Lap 25	1/ R.Schumacher 3.5 seconds; 2/ Coulthard 29.3 seconds; 3/ Hakkinen; 4/ Montoya; 5/ Barrichello; 6/ Villeneuve
Lap 26	Michael Schumacher retires Ferrari into pits - the puncture has damaged the brakes.
Lap 26	Mazzacane pits 13.4 seconds Frentzen pits from 7th place, 8.0 seconds
Lap 27	R.Schumacher fastest lap 1:25.524
Lap 27	Montoya pits his Williams 9.5 seconds (his first ever pit stop in F1) Panis pits his BAR Coulthard pit stop in McLaren from 2nd place 8.6 seconds Montoya overtakes Trulli on circuit
Lap 28	Gaston Mazzacane retires his Prost with blown engine on fire
Lap 28	R.Schumacher pits his Williams from 1st position, 7.9 seconds, rejoins in the lead, 5.6 seconds ahead of Coulthard. Hakkinen pits his McLaren 8.2 seconds Villeneuve pits his BAR
Lap 30	Jacques Villeneuve retires BAR with blown engine Irvine pits stop in Jaguar, 12.4 seconds
Lap 31	Giancarlo Fisichella retires Benetton
Lap 33	Barrichello pits his Ferrari from 3rd place, 7.8 seconds, rejoins in 3rd place. Ferrari had started both cars on a hard compound Michelin tyre using a one pit stop strategy. This was a quick stop, short filling the car to get it back out in front of Hakkinen.
Lap 33	1/ R.Schumacher; 2/ Coulthard; 3/ Barrichello; 4/ Hakkinen; 5/ Montoya; 6/ Trulli; 7/ Frenzten ...
Lap 33	Burti pits 12.3 seconds
Lap 36	R.Schumacher laps Irvine's Jaguar in 9th position 1/ R.Schumacher 13 seconds; 2/ Coulthard 26 seconds; 3/ Barrichello 4 seconds; 4/ Hakkinen;
Lap 36	Button pits 9.5 seconds in 14th place
Lap 44	Bernoldi pit stop 9.5 seconds Trulli pit stop 9.1 seconds Eddie Irvine retires Jaguar with blown engine
Lap 45	Frentzen pits 8.7 seconds Coulthard pits from 2nd place, 8.7 seconds, rejoins in 2nd position
Lap 46	R.Schumacher pits from 1st place, 8.2 seconds, rejoins with a 10 second lead over Coulthard.
Lap 46	Hakkinen pits Barrichello pits 8.2 seconds
Lap 48	Juan Pablo Montoya pits his Williams - the fuel hose is stuck for about ten seconds, then Montoya stalls. The pit crew jack him up, restart the car, then literally drop him off the jack as he spins off in first gear. total for stop 1:08.8 seconds.
Lap 49	1/ R.Schumacher 12 seconds; 2/ Coulthard 26 seconds; 3/ Barrichello 9 seconds; 4/ Hakkinen 30 seconds; 5/ Trulli; 6/ Frentzen; 7/ Heidfeld; 8/ Panis; 9/ Alesi; 10/ Burti; 11/ Bernoldi; 12/ Button; 13/ Marques
Lap 49	Panis pit stop 8.4 seconds
Lap 50	Juan Pablo Montoya retires Williams in pit lane R.Schumacher laps up to 6th place Burti coasting in sick sounding Jaguar, but recovers
Lap 53	R.Schumacher leads Coulthard by 10.6 seconds
Lap 55	Tarso Marques retires Benetton with blown engine
Lap 58	R.Schumacher slows by a second a lap, apparently with an 'oil warning' light on his dash board
Lap 60	R.Schumacher leads Coulthard by 6.4 seconds
Lap 62	Finish! 1/ Ralf Schumacher Williams / BMW / Michelin; 1:30:44.817 2/ David Coulthard McLaren / Mercedes / Bridgestone; +0:04.300 3/ Rubens Barrichello Ferrari / Ferrari / Bridgestone; +0:34.700 4/ Mika H�kkinen McLaren / Mercedes / Bridgestone; +0:36.300 5/ Jarno Trulli Jordan / Honda / Bridgestone; +1:25.500 6/ Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jordan / Honda / Bridgestone. + 1 lap 7/ Nick Heidfeld; 8/ Olivier Panis; 9/ Jean Alesi; 10/ Enrique Bernoldi; 11/ Luciano Burti; 12/ Jenson Button

Position	Driver	Team	Time	Gap
1. POLE	David Coulthard	McLaren / Mercedes / Bridgestone	1:23.054
2.	Mika H�kkinen	McLaren / Mercedes / Bridgestone	1:23.282	0:00.228
3.	Ralf Schumacher	Williams / BMW / Michelin	1:23.357	0:00.303
4.	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari / Ferrari / Bridgestone	1:23.593	0:00.539
5.	Jarno Trulli	Jordan / Honda / Bridgestone	1:23.658	0:00.604
6.	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari / Ferrari / Bridgestone	1:23.786	0:00.732
7.	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams / BMW / Michelin	1:24.141	0:01.087
8.	Olivier Panis	BAR / Honda / Bridgestone	1:24.213	0:01.159
9.	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan / Honda / Bridgestone	1:24.436	0:01.382
10.	Kimi R�ikk�nen	Sauber / Petronas / Bridgestone	1:24.671	0:01.617
11.	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR / Honda / Bridgestone	1:24.769	0:01.715
12.	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber / Petronas / Bridgestone	1:25.007	0:01.953
13.	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar / Cosworth / Michelin	1:25.392	0:02.338
14.	Jean Alesi	Prost / Ferrari / Michelin	1:25.411	0:02.357
15.	Luciano Burti	Jaguar / Cosworth / Michelin	1:25.572	0:02.518
16.	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows / AMT / Bridgestone	1:25.872	0:02.818
17.	Jos Verstappen	Arrows / AMT / Bridgestone	1:26.062	0:03.008
18.	Fernando Alonso	Minardi / European / Michelin	1:26.855	0:03.801
19.	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton / Renault / Michelin	1:26.902	0:03.848
20.	Gaston Mazzacane	Prost / Ferrari / Michelin	1:27.750	0:04.696
21.	Jenson Button	Benetton / Renault / Michelin	1:27.758	0:04.704
22.	Tarso Marques	Minardi / European / Michelin	1:28.281	0:05.227
107% time = 1:28.867 * = Laptime outside 107% time

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