2000 Australian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher began the 2000 F1 World Championship with victory at Albert Park Circuit, leading new Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello home in a one-two. Ralf Schumacher completed the podium as both McLarens retired from a race they had started on the front row.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren
Pole time	1:30.556
Fastest lap	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:31.481 on lap 41
First	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Second	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Third	Ralf Schumacher	Williams

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
10 March 2000	Practice 1	11:00
10 March 2000	Practice 2	13:00
11 March 2000	Practice 3	09:00
11 March 2000	Practice 4	10:15
11 March 2000	Qualifying	13:00
12 March 2000	Warm-up	09:30
12 March 2000	Race	14:00

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Mika Häkkinen arrived as the reigning double World Champion, while Michael Schumacher sought to end Ferrari‘s long wait for a drivers’ title. Ferrari had won the constructors’ championship the previous year, and the opening round immediately renewed its contest with McLaren.

Race entries

Jenson Button made his debut with Williams, Nick Heidfeld joined Prost and Gaston Mazzacane stepped up with Minardi. Rubens Barrichello moved to Ferrari, Eddie Irvine joined the newly renamed Jaguar team, Jarno Trulli switched to Jordan and Jos Verstappen returned with Arrows. Williams also began its new engine partnership with BMW.

Free Practice

Häkkinen led the opening practice on a slippery circuit as teams worked with race fuel. Michael Schumacher lost running when an onboard camera installation damaged wiring, while Johnny Herbert encountered an ignition problem. Ricardo Zonta and Nick Heidfeld both spun into the gravel, interrupting their first weekend’s preparations.

Michael Schumacher set Friday’s fastest lap before crashing at the fast Turn 14. His Ferrari suffered heavy damage, including the loss of its left-rear wheel, but he escaped injury. David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello followed in the order as the dry, sunny conditions allowed times to improve.

Friday Practice Classification — Combined

2000 Australian Grand Prix opening-day practice, 10 March 2000

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:32.130	15
2	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.014s	32
3	4	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.352s	30
4	1	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.572s	24
5	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.395s	36
6	16	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	+1.467s	34
7	5	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+1.568s	35
8	12	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	+1.588s	33
9	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	+1.717s	38
10	7	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+1.769s	24
11	17	Mika Salo	Sauber	+1.810s	35
12	21	Gaston Mazzacane	Minardi	+1.858s	35
13	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+1.919s	30
14	18	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	+1.930s	30
15	6	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	+2.021s	20
16	9	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+2.028s	15
17	8	Johnny Herbert	Jaguar	+2.284s	11
18	10	Jenson Button	Williams	+2.417s	40
19	20	Marc Gene	Minardi	+2.566s	22
20	19	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	+2.578s	19
21	14	Jean Alesi	Prost	+3.483s	18
22	15	Nick Heidfeld	Prost	+3.867s	23

Schumacher returned to lead Saturday’s first practice, while Häkkinen’s engine failed almost immediately. McLaren worked rapidly on both cars’ engines and gearboxes. Jenson Button suffered a heavy crash after clipping a slippery kerb, prompting a stoppage and leaving Williams with a major rebuilding job before his first qualifying session.

Schumacher remained fastest in final practice, with David Coulthard and Heinz-Harald Frentzen next. Häkkinen had only limited running after the repairs and also ventured off the circuit. Heinz-Harald Frentzen lost much of the session to a gearbox sensor issue, while Gaston Mazzacane spun, making clean preparation difficult for several drivers.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

2000 Australian Grand Prix Saturday practice, 11 March 2000

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:30.439	25
2	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.519s	18
3	5	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+0.581s	15
4	4	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.927s	29
5	9	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+1.163s	32
6	6	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	+1.253s	27
7	18	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	+1.459s	25
8	19	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	+1.634s	25
9	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.674s	29
10	8	Johnny Herbert	Jaguar	+1.692s	19
11	17	Mika Salo	Sauber	+1.821s	29
12	7	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+1.906s	28
13	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+1.943s	29
14	20	Marc Gene	Minardi	+2.002s	30
15	12	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	+2.215s	33
16	16	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	+2.482s	29
17	21	Gaston Mazzacane	Minardi	+2.600s	31
18	1	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+2.635s	6
19	14	Jean Alesi	Prost	+2.848s	10
20	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	+3.236s	19
21	10	Jenson Button	Williams	+3.352s	4
22	15	Nick Heidfeld	Prost	+3.387s	16

Each practice table combines that day’s two sessions, showing each driver’s best time and total laps.

Qualifying

Häkkinen claimed pole with a 1:30.556, ahead of David Coulthard in a McLaren front-row lockout. Michael Schumacher qualified third and Rubens Barrichello fourth. David Coulthard‘s late crash brought out a red flag and prevented Schumacher completing his final attempt.

The two Jordans filled the third row, followed by Eddie Irvine and Jacques Villeneuve. Jenson Button qualified twenty-first after switching to the spare Williams, while Nick Heidfeld and Gaston Mazzacane also began their Formula 1 careers towards the rear. The one-hour session allowed each driver twelve laps, with the 107% rule determining eligibility to start.

Qualifying Classification

2000 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying, 11 March 2000

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:30.556	11
2	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:30.910	11
3	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:31.075	9
4	4	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:31.102	8
5	5	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	1:31.359	12
6	6	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	1:31.504	8
7	7	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	1:31.514	10
8	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:31.968	11
9	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	1:31.992	10
10	17	Mika Salo	Sauber	1:32.018	11
11	9	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:32.220	9
12	18	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	1:32.323	11
13	19	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	1:32.477	11
14	12	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	1:32.775	11
15	15	Nick Heidfeld	Prost	1:33.024	11
16	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	1:33.117	10
17	14	Jean Alesi	Prost	1:33.197	11
18	20	Marc Gené	Minardi	1:33.261	11
19	16	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	1:33.378	8
20	8	Johnny Herbert	Jaguar	1:33.638	9
21	10	Jenson Button	Williams	1:33.828	11
22	21	Gastón Mazzacane	Minardi	1:34.705	12

Sunday warm-up

Rubens Barrichello led warm-up, with Jenson Button second despite an oil leak and a small pit-lane fire. Ralf Schumacher damaged his nose in an excursion, Pedro de la Rosa used the spare Arrows and Johnny Herbert suffered another engine failure. Reliability concerns were already prominent before the season’s first start.

Warm-up Classification

2000 Australian Grand Prix Warm-up, 12 March 2000

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	4	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:31.225	10
2	10	Jenson Button	Williams	+1.573s	11
3	1	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+1.693s	12
4	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	+1.809s	13
5	19	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	+1.964s	8
6	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.038s	14
7	14	Jean Alesi	Prost	+2.266s	14
8	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+2.332s	11
9	18	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	+2.703s	7
10	17	Mika Salo	Sauber	+2.742s	12
11	6	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	+2.756s	15
12	9	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+2.806s	12
13	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	+2.975s	13
14	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+2.975s	14
15	12	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	+2.989s	12
16	16	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	+3.120s	14
17	20	Marc Gene	Minardi	+3.153s	11
18	7	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+3.316s	14
19	5	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+3.867s	13
20	21	Gaston Mazzacane	Minardi	+4.615s	6
21	15	Nick Heidfeld	Prost	+5.797s	12
22	8	Johnny Herbert	Jaguar	+17.709s	5

What happened in the 2000 Australian Grand Prix?

Häkkinen led from the start, but both McLarens soon fell victim to engine-related failures. An early safety car followed Pedro de la Rosa‘s suspension failure and crash, with Eddie Irvine also retiring after spinning in avoidance. Michael Schumacher inherited control as Ferrari‘s reliability proved decisive.

Rubens Barrichello used a two-stop strategy to work past the challenge from Jordan and secure second. Both Jordans eventually retired, while Ralf Schumacher brought Williams-BMW onto the podium on the partnership’s debut. Jenson Button had also run in the points before engine failure ended his first Grand Prix.

Jacques Villeneuve finished fourth and Giancarlo Fisichella fifth. Mika Salo crossed the line sixth but was disqualified for a front-wing infringement, promoting Ricardo Zonta into the final points position. BAR therefore scored with both cars after its point-less debut season, while Ferrari left Melbourne with the maximum sixteen points.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 10 points, followed by Rubens Barrichello on 6. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 16, with Williams on 4.

2000 Australian Grand Prix race results

The 2000 Australian Grand Prix was held on 12 March 2000, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	58	1:34:01.987	10
2	4	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	58	+11.415	6
3	9	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	58	+20.009	4
4	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	58	+44.447	3
5	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	58	+45.165	2
6	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	58	+46.468	1
7	12	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	58	+46.915	0
8	20	Marc Gené	Minardi	57	+1 Lap	0
9	15	Nick Heidfeld	Prost	56	+2 Laps	0
Ret	10	Jenson Button	Williams	46	Engine	0
Ret	16	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	41	Transmission	0
Ret	21	Gastón Mazzacane	Minardi	40	Gearbox	0
Ret	5	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	39	Hydraulics	0
Ret	6	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	35	Engine	0
Ret	14	Jean Alesi	Prost	27	Hydraulics	0
Ret	1	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	18	Engine	0
Ret	19	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	16	Suspension	0
Ret	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	11	Engine	0
Ret	18	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	6	Suspension/Accident	0
Ret	7	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	6	Spun off	0
Ret	8	Johnny Herbert	Jaguar	1	Clutch	0
DSQ	17	Mika Salo	Sauber	58	Bodywork infringement (+45.624)	0

Jean Alesi started the race from the pitlane.

Mika Salo finished sixth but was disqualified for an illegal bodywork infringement.

2000 Australian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	4	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	41	1:31.481	208.685
2	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	28	1:31.752	208.069
3	5	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	34	1:32.110	207.260
4	1	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	18	1:32.433	206.536
5	9	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	50	1:32.525	206.331
6	16	Pedro Diniz	Sauber	38	1:32.977	205.328
7	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	35	1:33.185	204.869
8	6	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	28	1:33.223	204.786
9	20	Marc Gene	Minardi	54	1:33.231	204.768
10	10	Jenson Button	Williams	36	1:33.351	204.505
11	23	Ricardo Zonta	BAR	34	1:33.435	204.321
12	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	34	1:33.449	204.291
13	12	Alexander Wurz	Benetton	33	1:33.459	204.269
14	17	Mika Salo	Sauber	51	1:33.471	204.243
15	2	David Coulthard	McLaren	7	1:33.653	203.846
16	15	Nick Heidfeld	Prost	53	1:34.111	202.854
17	19	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	16	1:34.834	201.307
18	14	Jean Alesi	Prost	18	1:35.088	200.769
19	21	Gaston Mazzacane	Minardi	33	1:35.241	200.447
20	18	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	6	1:35.663	199.563
21	7	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	6	1:35.789	199.300

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. Average speeds are in km/h. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

2000 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 2000 Australian Grand Prix.

2000 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	10
2	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	6
3	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	4
4	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	3
5	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Benetton	2
6	Ricardo Zonta	Brazilian	BAR	1
–	Alexander Wurz	Austrian	Benetton	0
–	Marc Gené	Spanish	Minardi	0
–	Nick Heidfeld	German	Prost	0
–	Mika Salo	Finnish	Sauber	0
–	Jenson Button	British	Williams	0
–	Pedro Diniz	Brazilian	Sauber	0
–	Gastón Mazzacane	Argentine	Minardi	0
–	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Jordan	0
–	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Jordan	0
–	Jean Alesi	French	Prost	0
–	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	0
–	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Arrows	0
–	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	0
–	Pedro de la Rosa	Spanish	Arrows	0
–	Eddie Irvine	British	Jaguar	0
–	Johnny Herbert	British	Jaguar	0

2000 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	16
2	Williams	4
3	BAR	4
4	Benetton	2
–	Minardi	0
–	Prost	0
–	Sauber	0
–	Jordan	0
–	McLaren	0
–	Arrows	0
–	Jaguar	0

2000 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	2000 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	12 March
2	2000 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	26 March
3	2000 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	9 April
4	2000 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	23 April
5	2000 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	7 May
6	2000 European Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	21 May
7	2000 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	4 June
8	2000 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	18 June
9	2000 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	2 July
10	2000 Austrian Grand Prix	A1-Ring, Spielberg	16 July
11	2000 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	30 July
12	2000 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	13 August
13	2000 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	27 August
14	2000 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	10 September
15	2000 United States Grand Prix	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis	24 September
16	2000 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	8 October
17	2000 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	22 October