2001 United States Grand Prix
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox Grand Prix race report
The 2001 United States Grand Prix (formally the 2001 SAP United States Grand Prix)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was a Formula One motor race held on September 30, 2001, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It was the 16th and penultimate round of the 2001 Formula One World Championship, and the second United States Grand Prix hosted at Indianapolis. It was the first international sporting event to take place in the United States since the September 11 attacks, which occurred 19 days before the Grand Prix. McLaren's Mika Häkkinen won the 73-lap race after starting fourth. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher finished second, while Häkkinen's teammate David Coulthard was third.
Michael Schumacher took pole position after setting the fastest qualifying lap, with Häkkinen second. Häkkinen's best time, however, was deleted by the stewards after he was penalized for a pit lane infraction during the warm-up session and dropped to fourth on the basis of his second-best qualifying lap. Michael Schumacher led the opening four laps before relinquishing the lead to teammate Rubens Barrichello. Before his first of two pit stops on lap 27, Barrichello had built up a significant lead over his teammate. Häkkinen used his engine's low fuel usage to take the lead and keep it until his lone pit stop on the 46th lap, when he dropped to second. Barrichello retook the lead for four laps, and Häkkinen led the rest of the race to claim his second victory of the season and the 20th (and final) of his career after Barrichello was forced to retire two laps from the finish due to an engine failure.
The final result meant that Michael Schumacher broke the all-time record for most points scored in a season, which he shared with Nigel Mansell. Coulthard increased his lead over Barrichello in the World Drivers' Championship by four championship points in the battle for second. McLaren's performance in Indianapolis clinched the team second in the World Constructors' Championship from Williams with one round remaining in the season.
Background
The 2001 United States Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the 2001 Formula One World Championship, held on September 30, 2001, at the Template:Convert Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) road course in Speedway, Indiana.<ref name="RR2001" /> It was the second United States Grand Prix to take place at Indianapolis, which had previously hosted the Indianapolis 500 as part of the Formula One World Championship from Template:F1 to Template:F1.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Porsche Supercup and the Ferrari Challenge held support races during the weekend.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bridgestone brought the soft and hard compound tires to the Grand Prix while Michelin supplied the "Prime" and "Option" compounds.<ref name="AF1Grapevine2">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Before the race, both the World Drivers' Championship and World Constructors' Championship were already won, with Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher having secured the World Drivers' Championship three rounds earlier in the Template:F1GP and Ferrari took the World Constructors' Championship at the same race, with McLaren too many championship points behind to be able to catch them.<ref name="points">Template:Cite book</ref>
Following the Template:F1GP on 16 September, the Arrows, Benetton, British American Racing (BAR), Jordan, Jaguar and McLaren teams tested over three days at the Silverstone Circuit in England to prepare for the United States Grand Prix.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Wet weather affected all three days, and teams only got the final day to run on a dry track. Jordan's Jean Alesi led the first day of testing, while McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz led the remaining two days.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Williams team tested its Michelin tyres, chassis, and engine at the Circuito do Estoril with regular driver Ralf Schumacher, test driver Marc Gené, and Formula 3000 drivers Antônio Pizzonia and Ricardo Sperafico.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sauber developed the C20 car for the American race for four days at the Mugello Circuit in Italy, first with Italian Formula 3000 driver Felipe Massa and then with regular driver Nick Heidfeld.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer spent five days at the Fiorano Circuit in Italy evaluating the F2001's electronics systems, engine mapping, tire evaluations, and components for the F2002 car.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The September 11 attacks occurred 19 days before the race, forcing several teams to be hesitant to send workers to Indianapolis amid security concerns at the circuit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some drivers and team principals publicly questioned the race's viability due to concerns about behavior and personal safety but others believed it had to be held to show support for the United States.<ref name="MWSep2001">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite podcast</ref> The race went on as planned, with additional security measures implemented by local, state, and federal law enforcement to protect spectators and participating teams.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> It was the United States's first major international sporting event since the attacks,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and no security incidents occurred.<ref name="DAlessioWilliams2001">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp According to IMS president Tony George, he never considered cancelling the race after talking to Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; Formula One's governing body) president Max Mosley and Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone.<ref name="MWSep2001" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several participants paid respect to the victims of the September 11 attacks by putting American flags on their racing helmets and cars.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Grand Prix Drivers' Association donated personal racing items to raise funds for the victims.<ref name="AF1Grapevine">Template:Cite web</ref>
Eleven constructors entered two drivers each for the event;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> six of the entered drivers had not driven on the Indianapolis road course before and two were past Indianapolis 500 winners.<ref name=":4" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Schumacher and Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya were the British bookmakers' joint favourites to win the race.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> FIA doctor Gary Hartstein ordered Luciano Burti to rest until at least the end of December 2001, and he was replaced for the season's final two races by Czech driver Tomáš Enge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Minardi ran into problems with preparation because half of their personnel did not have visas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The issue was later resolved and the team travelled to Indianapolis.<ref name=":1" /> Because of the terrorist attacks, Michael Schumacher was given the option to withdraw from the Grand Prix by Ferrari, who had Badoer on standby to replace him if necessary. He ultimately went to the race.<ref name="DTSchumacher">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ralf Schumacher, his brother, also competed despite calling Formula One's plans to hold the race a "bad joke."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Some teams modified their cars for the race, with most concentrating on adapting them to the Indianapolis road course.<ref name="AutosprintCars">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="AnnualMansell">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Ferrari and Williams brought technical innovations that they intended to use in the 2002 season. Ferrari introduced a revised steering wheel with four additional buttons, two of which were for adjusting the traction control system. The team also installed a new extractor profile and a rear wing similar to the one used at the Template:F1GP. Williams fitted new engine exhausts, similar to those built by Ferrari. It also made two chassis available to their drivers but without new bodywork because some bulky radiators were difficult to mount.<ref name="AutosprintCars" /> Jordan installed new Ferrari-style brake ducts on their EJ11 car for qualifying and Minardi supplied titanium gearboxes to their drivers.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp
Practice
There were two one-hour sessions on Friday and two 45-minute sessions on Saturday morning before the race on Sunday.<ref name="regulations">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Friday's two practice sessions were held in cool, overcast weather,<ref name="FIAFriday">Template:Cite web</ref> with fewer spectators in the grandstands because of the September 11 attacks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The circuit was relatively dirty, so most of the first practice session was spent cleaning it and laying tire rubber on it.<ref name="AutosportFP1">Template:Cite web</ref> The lack of grip on the dusty surface meant several drivers lost control of their cars but no one crashed.<ref name="AutosportFP1" /><ref name="SpeedvisionFP1">Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Schumacher set the fastest lap of 1:14.085 late in the session.<ref name="IndyFriday">Template:Cite web</ref> He was followed by McLaren's David Coulthard, Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella, Sauber's Kimi Räikkönen and his teammate Heidfeld, as well as Jordan's Jarno Trulli, Benetton's Jenson Button and Arrows's Jos Verstappen.<ref name="SpeedvisionFP1" /> Mika Häkkinen's McLaren was on the jacks due to a pneumatic valve gear failure, requiring the mechanics to change the engine in 45 minutes to resolve the issue;<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="FIAFriday" /> this restricted him to four laps and was 14th-fastest.<ref name="AutosportFP1" /><ref name="SpeedvisionFP1" />
Drivers continued to tweak their setups around the circuit during the second practice session.<ref name="AutosportFP2">Template:Cite web</ref> Häkkinen set the day's fastest time, a 1:13:387, with twelve minutes remaining.<ref name="IndyFriday" /><ref name="SunSentinelSep29">Template:Cite news</ref> Michael Schumacher, Barrichello, Coulthard, Jaguar's Eddie Irvine, Heidfeld, Prost's Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Irvine's teammate Pedro de la Rosa and the Williams duo of Ralf Schumacher and Montoya were in positions two through ten.<ref name="SpeedvisionFP2">Template:Cite web</ref> Fisichella's session was cut short after five minutes after his Benetton car went into the gravel at turn four.<ref name="IndyFriday" /><ref name="SpeedvisionFP2" /> Enge spun through 180 degrees at the exit of turn eight due to oversteer.<ref name="FIAFriday" /><ref name="IndyFriday" /> Just as Enge was able to turn his car in the right way, two Jaguars narrowly missed hitting the rear of his car, causing him to stall and necessitating the assistance of marshals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="F1RacingFP2">Template:Cite web</ref> An electrical fault caused Verstappen to stop his car at the pit lane entry with two minutes left.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="AutosportFP2" />
During Saturday's practice sessions, which were held in dry and sunny conditions,<ref name="F1MagRUReport222">Template:Cite journal</ref> Ferrari were the only team to test rear brake lights, although no concrete conclusions were drawn from their use.<ref name="AF1Grapevine" /><ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Schumacher set the quickest lap at 1:12.078 a third of the way through the third practice session.<ref name="IndySaturday">Template:Cite web</ref> His brother Ralf Schumacher, Barrichello, Häkkinen, Coulthard, Button, Heidfeld, Fisichella and Trulli followed in positions two to ten.<ref name="AutosportFP3">Template:Cite web</ref> Montoya lost control of his car's rear while braking due to oversteer and spun through 180 degrees at turn six, although he continued driving without damage. Trulli spun between turns nine and ten before Bernoldi spun backwards onto the turn eight escape road and stalled the engine.<ref name="IndySaturday" /><ref name="AutosportFP3" /><ref name="F1RacingFP3">Template:Cite web</ref>
Due to an oil pump failure caused by a loss in oil pressure, Michael Schumacher abandoned his Ferrari on the grass beside the pit lane exit in the final practice session. This necessitated an engine change for qualifying but he remained fastest overall.<ref name="IndySaturday" /><ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /> Häkkinen was faster and moved to second place. Heidfeld, Ralf Schumacher, Barrichello, Montoya, Fisichella, Coulthard, Button, and Räikkönen completed the top ten.<ref name="F1MagRUReport222"/><ref name="AutosportFP42">Template:Cite web</ref> Häkkinen skidded into the gravel trap between turns three and four before rejoining the track, and Alex Yoong spun twice in his Minardi midway through the race but continued without stalling.<ref name="AutosportFP42" /><ref name="F1RacingNetFP42">Template:Cite web</ref>
Qualifying
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During Saturday's one-hour qualifying session, each driver was limited to twelve laps, with the starting positions determined by the drivers' fastest laps. The 107% rule was in force during this session, forcing each driver to stay within 107% of the quickest lap time in order to qualify for the race.<ref name="regulations" />Template:Rp The session was held in clear weather.<ref name="F1RacingQuali">Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Schumacher was unaffected by slower cars,<ref name="PoleIndyStar">Template:Cite news</ref> securing his tenth pole position of the season in 16 races and 42nd of his career with a time of 1:11.708 set on his third quick lap with nine minutes remaining.<ref name="DAlessioWilliams2001" />Template:Rp<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="IndySaturday" /> He made no further runs, telling Ferrari that he had exhausted his car's capability.<ref name="AutosportQuali">Template:Cite web</ref> He was provisionally joined on the grid's front row by Häkkinen, who challenged Schumacher for pole until the latter set the pole-deciding lap.<ref name="SpeedvisionQuali">Template:Cite web</ref> Häkkinen made no attempt to lap quicker after setting his fastest time since he knew he could not go faster.<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview">Template:Cite web</ref> Ralf Schumacher took third after a braking error into turn four stopped him from lapping faster. His teammate Montoya, fourth, had handling issues, slower cars on his third run, and made a driver error on his final run.<ref name="AutosportQuali" /><ref name="SatQuotes">Template:Cite web</ref> Barrichello was fifth after failing to slipstream teammate Michael Schumacher on his second run when he encountered Trulli.<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /><ref name="SatQuotes" /> Heidfeld equalled his best qualifying result of the season, taking sixth. He felt he could have gone faster if he had not had to lose two-tenths of a second by braking early on his fastest lap due to an accident involving Enge.<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Coulthard in seventh had a car setup that failed to eliminate oversteer on a light fuel load.<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /><ref name="SatQuotes" /> Jordan teammates Alesi (in his 200th Grand Prix start) and Trulli were eighth and ninth, respectively, due to poor infield performance due to a lower downforce configuration for higher top speed on the main straight;<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /><ref name=":4" /> Trulli aborted his final run due to the presence of slower cars.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp Button improved his car during qualifying and took tenth,<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /> his first top ten start of the season.<ref name=":4" />
Räikkönen, 11th, was the fastest non-top-ten qualifier, unable to establish the optimal chassis balance after small setup changes proved ineffective and had handling issues.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /> Fisichella finished 12th after encountering yellow flags for Enge's crash, forcing him to slow down during his final run. Part of his engine cover detached on the main straight.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="SatQuotes" /> BAR's Olivier Panis lacked grip and began from 13th.<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /> Irvine, 14th, experienced understeer and significant front-end vibration after a setup adjustment for his fourth run, in which he lost time on the banking.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /> Frentzen in 15th reported that his team adjusted the balance of his car.<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /> De La Rosa was 16th after encountering traffic on his final run and failing to generate heat in his tyres.<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /><ref name="SatQuotes" /> Minardi's Fernando Alonso secured 17th on his final attempt after suspecting an engine problem in his race chassis on his third run and switching to the team's spare car with an older gearbox.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /><ref name="SatQuotes" /> Panis's teammate Jacques Villeneuve in 18th drove a car lacking grip after an incorrect chassis setup and tried the spare BAR vehicle.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp The Arrows duo of Enrique Bernoldi and Verstappen qualified 19th and 20th;<ref name="DAlessioWilliams2001" />Template:Rp Bernoldi's engine developed a chronic misfire and entered the garage to switch to the team's spare car for the rest of the session. Verstappen made a minor error on his first run and was delayed by Montoya at turn three on his last run.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="SatQuotes" /> Enge, 21st, experienced a right-front brake failure on his final quick lap and collided head-on with the left-hand turn eight tire barrier at the end of the back straight. He was unhurt, and his car was repaired in time for the warm-up session.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /><ref name="PoleIndyStar" /> Yoong completed the starting grid in 22nd after lapping faster on each of his runs despite car balance problems.<ref name="SpeedvisionSatOverview" /><ref name="SatQuotes" /> Tire advancements meant 21 of the 22 qualifiers were faster than the 2000 pole lap.<ref name="PoleIndyStar" />
Qualifying classification
Notes
- Template:Note – Mika Häkkinen's fastest qualifying lap time of 1:11.945 was deleted for ignoring a red light during the warm-up session. This demoted him from second to fourth on the grid.<ref name=":2" />
Warm-up
A half hour warm-up session was held on September 30 at 08:30 Eastern Standard Time (UTC−05:00).<ref name="regulations" />Template:Rp<ref name="F1RacingWarmUpEarly">Template:Cite web</ref> It took place in sunny and bright weather, with temperatures steadily dropping.<ref name="FIAWarmUp">Template:Cite web</ref> Drivers were slower than in qualifying due to the reduced track temperature.<ref name="F1WarmUp">Template:Cite web</ref> Ralf Schumacher set the fastest overall time of 1:13.912, followed by McLaren's Coulthard and Häkkinen, Michael Schumacher and Verstappen.<ref name="AtlasF1WarmUp">Template:Cite web</ref> Some drivers lost control of their cars during warm-up, with Coulthard damaging his undertray mounting the turn five high kerb.<ref name="F1WarmUp" /> Montoya's engine failed in the spare Williams car setup for him eight minutes into the session, dropping oil and metal debris on the track between the banked turn 13 and the main straight. Race officials stopped the session for 15 minutes to allow marshals to clean the circuit.<ref name="F1MagRUReport222" /><ref name="AtlasF1WarmUp" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Häkkinen damaged the spare McLaren's right-hand side against the turn eight metal barrier shortly before warm-up ended. He was unhurt.<ref name="FIAWarmUp" /><ref name="AtlasF1WarmUp" />
An hour before the race began,<ref name="TheTimesRace">Template:Cite news</ref> the stewards deleted Häkkinen's fastest qualifying lap for not noticing the red light situated on the left-hand side at the pit lane exit and overtaking cars stopped in a line waiting for the session to restart following Montoya's engine failure.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His final grid position of fourth was determined by his second-fastest qualifying lap of 1:12.309. This promoted Williams teammates Ralf Schumacher and Montoya to second and third, respectively.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name=":2" /> McLaren did not appeal the penalty;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the penalty angered Häkkinen,<ref name="F1MagRUReport222" /> saying he believed it was unfair because his vision was impaired by the low sun's glare.<ref name="MikaMcLarenLookback">Template:Cite web</ref>
Race
The 73-lap. Template:Convert race,<ref name="CF1Race" /> began at 13:00 local time, an hour earlier than other Grands Prix to accommodate European television viewers.<ref name="F1RacingWarmUpEarly" /> The weather on the grid were dry and sunny before the race; the air temperature was between Template:Convert and the track temperature from Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USGPIndySunday">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ITVLapByLap">Template:Cite web</ref> The pre-race ceremony, named United We Stand to commemorate "the international community as well as the United States and its heroes" was hosted by women's soccer player Brandi Chastain.<ref name="POACOct2001">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="TACPreRace">Template:Cite web</ref> Recording artist Patti LaBelle opened the ceremony by singing "God Bless America". Singer and Indiana native John Mellencamp performed his single "Peaceful World" from his album "Cuttin' Heads" and then the American Cabaret Theatre sung a patriotic melody. IMS pastor Mike Welch from the St. Christopher's Catholic Church delivered a sermon before the Indianapolis Children's Choir performed the American National Anthem.<ref name="TACPreRace" /><ref name="DTABOct2001">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="MoneyPatriotism">Template:Cite news</ref>
Approximately between 175,000 and 200,000 spectators attended the race,<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="OrlandoSentinelReport">Template:Cite news</ref> with 1,000 free tickets given to off-duty police officers.<ref name="MoneyPatriotism" /> Most spectators were from the United States, as most Europeans did not attend the event due to worries over possible airline cancellations following the September 11 attacks.<ref name="OrlandoSentinelReport" /> Ferrari ran the harder Bridgestone tire compound while McLaren chose the softer option.<ref name="ITVJA">Template:Cite web</ref> When the race began, Montoya overtook teammate Ralf Schumacher off the line on the side of the track that offered him more grip and slipstreamed Michael Schumacher, who prevented him from trying a pass on the outside by driving across him to lead into the first corner.<ref name="ITVLapByLap" /><ref name="GPComReport">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="CrashNetReport">Template:Cite web</ref> Behind them, Barrichello moved from fifth to third.<ref name="BBCWebRace">Template:Cite web</ref> Enge was stationary on the grid due to a clutch issue and had to start manually to get away from his starting spot,<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp losing him ten seconds.<ref name="IndyStarResults">Template:Cite news</ref> Entering turn eight, Bernoldi avoided colliding with De La Rosa's Jaguar.<ref name="USGPIndySunday" /> At the end of the first lap, Michael Schumacher led Montoya by eight-tenths of a second, followed by Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Häkkinen and Coulthard.<ref name="GF1LapByLap">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Sauber duo of Heidfeld and Räikkönen, as well as Trulli, went three-wide on the drive into turn one at the start of the second lap. Räikkönen was blocked off by Trulli's pincer manoeuvre (when attempting to pass him on the outside) and damaged his front wing against his teammate's rear-left wheel. When the lap ended, Räikkönen made an unscheduled pit stop to replace the front wing, but he retired on lap three after his left-rear driveshaft broking from colliding with Trulli. Heidfeld and Trulli's cars were undamaged.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="CrashNetReport" /> Barrichello was lapping faster than Montoya due to his smaller fuel load as a result of his two-stop strategy,<ref name="F1RacingNetReport">Template:Cite web</ref> and slipstreamed past him on the outside at the first turn for second to begin lap three.<ref name="ITVLapByLap" /><ref name="AF1MagReport">Template:Cite journal</ref> Both Ferraris began to distance themselves from Montoya, who showed signs of tire trouble, delaying his teammate Ralf Schumacher on a lesser fuel load and allowing Häkkinen and Coulthard to stay in contention.<ref name="GPComReport" /><ref name="F1RacingNetReport" /><ref name="AF1Reflections2">Template:Cite journal</ref> This came just as Barrichello began gaining on his teammate Michael Schumacher.<ref name="CrashNetReport" />
Further back, Button overtook Trulli for eighth while Irvine was passed by Alesi for eleventh.<ref name="AF1MagReport" /> On lap five, Michael Schumacher realized that Barrichello was faster than him because of the latter's two-stop strategy and slowed slightly, letting his teammate by on the inside approaching turn eight at the end of the back straight and into the lead.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="CrashNetReport" /><ref name="IndyStarLapByLap">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="GuardianRace">Template:Cite news</ref> Barrichello's string of fastest laps allowed him to draw away from the rest of the field and lead by 5.2 seconds on the tenth lap.<ref name="AF1MagReport" /> Heideld attempted to pass Coulthard on the inside into turn one on lap nine.<ref name="F1ComRace">Template:Cite web</ref> Despite failing to complete the manoevure,<ref name="F1ComRace" /> Heidfeld battled Coulthard for the next eight laps.<ref name="USGPIndySunday" /> Between the 13th and 14th laps, Alesi overtook Benetton teammates Button and Fisichella after braking on the inside into turn one, as the Benetton cars were difficult to drive due to rear tire wear.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="USGPIndySunday" /><ref name="F1RacingNetReport" /> As the ambient temperature rose, the field became more dispersed by lap 19.<ref name="ITVLapByLap" /> As the tires degraded and cars became lighter when their fuel loads reduced,<ref name="AF1Grapevine2" /><ref name="GPComReport" /> Montoya and Ralf Schumacher gained on Michael Schumacher by setting personal fastest laps from around lap 20.<ref name="ITVLapByLap" /><ref name="AF1Reflections2" /><ref name="F1ComRace" /> Because the wear and balance on the Williams cars remained consistent, Montoya's performance on the Michelin tires improved with time.<ref name="AF1Grapevine2" /><ref name="ITVJA" />
Ralf Schumacher was the first of the leading drivers to enter the pit lane at the end of lap 23 for the first of two scheduled pit stops.<ref name="BBCWebRace" /><ref name="F1RacingNetReport" /> He stopped for 12.5 seconds due to Williams mechanics struggling to replace the left-rear wheel because of a faulty wheel gun. Ralf Schumacher rejoined the track in ninth place.<ref name="ITVLapByLap" /><ref name="BBCWebRace" /> Barrichello led by 12.5 seconds when he made the first of two scheduled pit stops on lap 27. He rejoined the race in fifth behind Coulthard after a 8.6 second stop.<ref name="AF1MagReport" /> Michael Schumacher led the next seven laps under pressure from Montoya,<ref name="AF1MagReport" /> who had tried to slow him to allow Barrichello to make his pit stop.<ref name="IndependentReport">Template:Cite news</ref> Montoya fell behind Michael Schumacher on lap 32 after losing control of his car in the infield section.<ref name="ITVLapByLap" /> As they came up to lap Yoong,<ref name="IndependentReport" /> Montoya slipstreamed past Michael Schumacher on the inside at the end of the main straight into turn one with his front tires locked through braking later than the latter for the lead on the 34th lap,<ref name=":4" /><ref name="USGPIndySunday" /><ref name="AF1MagReport" /> with Schumacher giving Montoya enough space to avoid a crash.<ref name="AF1Reflections2" /> Montoya began pulling away from Michael Schumacher, setting the race's fastest lap and a new lap record of 1:14.448 on lap 35.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp He made his only scheduled pit stop for fuel and tires when lap 36 concluded because Williams were unable to take advantage of the full capacity of the car's large fuel tank at Indianapolis since it would have worn out the rear Michelin tyres if they put a large amount of fuel in. Montoya fell to fifth, behind Coulthard, and Michael Schumacher retook the lead.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="CrashNetReport" /><ref name="F1RacingNetReport" />
On lap 37, Ralf Schumacher lost control of his car after locking the brakes into turn six, and his race finished in the gravel.<ref name="CrashNetReport" /><ref name="BBCWebRace" /><ref name="AF1MagReport" /> Alonso entered the pit lane for a planned pit stop but was unable to continue due to a driveshaft failure a lap later.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp Michael Schumacher made his only stop on lap 39 and Häkkinen took the lead.<ref name="F1RacingNetReport" /> He returned to the circuit in fourth.<ref name="AF1MagReport" /> On the same lap, smoke billowed from the rear of Montoya's car going through the banked turn 13 due to faulty hydraulics, stopping after crossing the start-finish line.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="F1RacingNetReport" /><ref name="IndyStarLapByLap" /> Double waved yellow flags came out as marshals moved Montoya's car from the circuit to avoid the deployment of the safety car.<ref name="ITVLapByLap" /><ref name="F1ComRace" /> The yet-to-stop McLarens of Häkkinen and Coulthard continued to hold first and second through the low fuel consumption of their Mercedes engines and lapping quickly enough to exploit the situation but they encountered De la Rosa, Villeneuve and Alesi's slower cars.<ref name="ITVLapByLap" /><ref name="GPComReport" /><ref name="AF1MagReport" /> At this point, most drivers had yet to make another pit stop.<ref name="DAlessioWilliams2001" />Template:Rp Häkkinen had waited until the circuit was to his liking and was less hampered by traffic than teammate Coulthard, prompting the latter to make a 9.5-second pit stop on lap 43. Coulthard fell to fourth, behind Michael Schumacher.<ref name="MikaMcLarenLookback" /><ref name="CrashNetReport" /><ref name="F1ComRace" />
Yoong retired his car with gearbox issues on the 44th lap.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="F1ComRace" /> Häkkinen lapped faster than Barrichello since his car had less fuel, and he made his only pit stop from the lead when lap 45 concluded.<ref name="ITVJA" /><ref name="F1RacingNetReport" /> His pit stop lasted 9.6 seconds and his pit crew's efficiency meant he rejoined in second, ahead of Michael Schumacher.<ref name="CrashNetReport" /><ref name="BBCWebRace" /> De La Rosa and Villeneuve collided at the end of the back straight in turn eight on lap 43 as the former attempted to overtake the latter on the inside. Both drivers kept their engines running and continued.<ref name="USGPIndySunday" /><ref name="F1RacingNetReport" /> Villeneuve made a pit stop for a cursory examination of his car on the following lap but retired in the garage one lap later with left-front suspension damage.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp Verstappen retired on lap 47 due to a minor airbox bay fire.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="GF1LapByLap" /> After Häkkinen's pit stop, Barrichello retook the lead and had to lead by half a minute to stay ahead of the Finn,<ref name="F1MagRUReport222" /> having lost two or three seconds in his first two stints.<ref name="ITVJA" /> His final pit stop came on lap 50, when he was over 22 seconds ahead of Häkkinen.<ref name="AF1MagReport" /> The stop lasted 8.2 seconds and Barrichello fell to second, behind Häkkinen.<ref name="USGPIndySunday" />
Irvine was the final driver to make a scheduled pit stop on lap 52, as part of Jaguar's strategy of going as far as possible without stopping. He fell from fifth to seventh.<ref name="GPComReport" /><ref name="AF1MagReport" /> Irvine's tires were almost worn down to the canvas at this time, and the FIA officials took notice.<ref name="CrashNetReport" /><ref name="F1ComRace" /> On lap 56, Heidfeld lost sixth to Irvine at turn 11, who held off Heidfeld.<ref name="USGPIndySunday" /><ref name="CrashNetReport" /> Initially, it appeared that Barrichello would be unable to gain on Häkkinen, but he later lapped faster than the latter.<ref name="AF1MagReport" /> Barrichello was 2.2 seconds behind Häkkinen on lap 61,<ref name="USGPIndySunday" /> when blue smoke began emanating from the rear of his Ferrari which gradually became larger but no oil was laid on the track.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="CrashNetReport" /><ref name="F1RacingNetReport" /> His engine began sounding rough on the front straight and he slowed considerably.<ref name="USGPIndySunday" /><ref name="GPComReport" /> Barrichello let Michael Schumacher through into second on the main straight on lap 70 and defended from Coulthard until he overtook him into the banked turn 13 for third on the next lap.<ref name="ITVLapByLap" /><ref name="BBCWebRace" /> On lap 72, Barrichello attempted to nurse his car to the finish by short-shifting to preserve the engine,<ref name="AF1MagReport" /><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> and score some championship points to keep him in contention for second in the World Drivers' Championship but his engine seized on the back straight due to the loss of oil, locking his tires.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="TheTimesRace" /><ref name="IndependentReport" /> He abandoned his Ferrari on the inside of the circuit before turn eight after spinning 90 degrees.<ref name="USGPIndySunday" /> This promoted Trulli to fourth, Irvine to fifth and Heidfeld to sixth.<ref name="AF1MagReport" />
Häkkinen kept the lead he had held for 23 laps and won his second race of the season and 20th (and final) victory of his career before going on a sabbatical from the 2002 season. Michael Schumacher finished second, 11 seconds behind, and held off the closing Coulthard in third. Trulli was provisionally fourth, Irvine fifth, and Heidfeld, after losing three gears, completed the points scorers in sixth place.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="IndyStarResults" /><ref name="AF1MagReport" /> Alesi lapped similarly to his teammate and finished seventh,<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp ahead of the Benetton duo of Fisichella (who nursed a blistered rear tire) and Button in eighth and ninth, respectively. Frentzen, Panis and De La Rosa took the next three places.<ref name="GPComReport" /><ref name="IndyStarResults" /> Bernoldi finished 13th in the spare Arrows car after hitting a piece of bodywork from De La Rosa's Jaguar that had detached on the front straight and became lodged in his radiator, causing his car to overheat.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp<ref name="IndyStarResults" /><ref name="IndyStarLapByLap" /> Enge and Barrichello (despite retiring) were the final classified finishers.<ref name="AnnualMansell" />Template:Rp
Post-race
The top three drivers appeared on the podium to collect their trophies and spoke to the media in the subsequent press conference.<ref name="regulations" />Template:Rp Häkkinen characterized the win "one of the highlights of the season for me" and "one of my most important victories", saying it had been his objective to win the Template:F1GP and the United States Grand Prix in 2001. He said that he did not overthink victory while running fifth early in the race, instead focusing on his lap times and consistency.<ref name="SpeedvisionPressConf">Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Schumacher called his race "pretty straightforward" and added that he was struggling to cope with slower traffic prior to his first pit stop. He admitted that he was fortunate to finish second following Montoya's retirement.<ref name="SpeedvisionPressConf" /> Coulthard stated that he benefited from events such as driver retirements, but acknowledged that he was fortunate to finish third as a result of that element, adding, "you have to take the results as they come."<ref name="SpeedvisionPressConf" />
Barrichello voiced his disappointment at retiring the Grand Prix two laps early, saying: "The feeling is horrible. It's very difficult to express what I'm feeling right now. I have shown that whenever I have the chance to win, I'm going for it."<ref name=":3" /> Montoya was philosophical, stating he could have won his second race in a row if his car had not suffered from hydraulic troubles, "I wanted to really go for the win here and it's a big disappointment we couldn't finish the race. My second F-1 win and two back-to-back here would have been brilliant."<ref name="MontoyaIndyStar">Template:Cite news</ref> Trulii expressed satisfaction with finishing fourth and said that he set up his car to accommodate for the laying of tire rubber onto the track surface during the race.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Irvine set his objective to pass Benetton for seventh in the World Constructors' Championship at the following Template:F1GP after coming fifth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Villeneuve and De La Rosa blamed each other for their collision on lap 46.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Several hours after the race, the thickness surrounding the rear hole of the wooden skid block (plank) fastened to the underside of Trulli's car was found to be Template:Convert greater than the minimum allowed by the regulations, possibly caused by the loosening of two fasteners designed to prevent such wear. As a result, the race stewards disqualified Trulli and promoted Irvine to fourth, Heidfeld to fifth, and Alesi to sixth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Team principal Eddie Jordan wrote in his 2007 autobiography An Independent Man that he received an anonymous telephone call suggesting the team should forensically review the three signatures on the FIA bulletin because a steward whose signature was on that bulletin was absent from the meeting with team manager Trevor Foster since he had left Indianapolis.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="EJAutoBio">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Jordan appealed the decision through the Royal Irish Automobile Club,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="MCOMAppeal">Template:Cite web</ref> claiming that the rear fasteners broke loose during the race and caused the excessive wear.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Three judges from the FIA International Court of Appeal met in Paris to hear the appeal on October 26. The FIA general secretary ruled that Trulli's disqualification should be reversed due to "a breach of the right of defence" since a steward was absent at the initial post-race hearing, a violation of the International Sporting Code. As a result, the stewards' decision was overturned, and Trulli returned to fourth.<ref name="EJAutoBio" />Template:Rp<ref name="MCOMAppeal" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Michael Schumacher's second-place final increased his championship points tally to 113, breaking the record he shared with Nigel Mansell for the most championship points scored in a single season by five points.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Coulthard was now seven championship points ahead of Barrichello in the battle for second while Ralf Schumacher in fourth was another six points behind.<ref name="points" /> Ferrari continued to lead the World Constructors' Championship with 167 championship points. McLaren's performance in Indianapolis secured them second place from Williams in the standings with one round remaining in the season.<ref name="points" />
Race classification
Drivers who scored championship points are denoted in bold.
Championship standings after the race
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2
- Drivers' Championship standings
| Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 | Template:Flagicon Michael Schumacher* | 113 |
|
|
2 | Template:Flagicon David Coulthard | 61 |
|
|
3 | Template:Flagicon Rubens Barrichello | 54 |
|
|
4 | Template:Flagicon Ralf Schumacher | 48 |
 1
|
5 | Template:Flagicon Mika Häkkinen | 34 |
| Sources:<ref name="points"/><ref name="Championship">Template:Cite web</ref> | |||
- Constructors' Championship standings
| Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Constructor | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
1 | Template:Flagicon Ferrari* | 167 |
|
|
2 | Template:Flagicon McLaren-Mercedes | 95 |
|
|
3 | Template:Flagicon Williams-BMW | 73 |
|
|
4 | Template:Flagicon Sauber-Petronas | 21 |
| 1
|
5 | Template:Flagicon Jordan-Honda | 19 |
| Sources:<ref name="points"/><ref name="Championship"/> | |||
- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
- Bold text and an asterisk indicates the 2001 World Champions.
References
External links
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