2001 European Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher won the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring after a close contest with Ralf Schumacher was broken up by a pit-exit penalty. Juan Pablo Montoya finished second for Williams, while David Coulthard took third and lost further ground in the championship.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Pole time	1:14.960
Fastest lap	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams
Fastest-lap time	1:18.354 on lap 27
First	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Second	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams
Third	David Coulthard	McLaren

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
22 June 2001	Practice 1	11:00
22 June 2001	Practice 2	13:00
23 June 2001	Practice 3	09:00
23 June 2001	Practice 4	10:15
23 June 2001	Qualifying	13:00
24 June 2001	Warm-up	09:30
24 June 2001	Race	14:00

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

Championship background

Michael Schumacher arrived at round 9 leading the 2001 F1 World Championship on 58 points, with David Coulthard on 40. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 82 points.

Race entries

Heinz-Harald Frentzen returned to Jordan after missing the Canadian race, reclaiming his seat from Ricardo Zonta. The rest of the field was unchanged as the championship returned to Europe.

Free Practice

David Coulthard narrowly headed Häkkinen in a cold opening practice on a dirty circuit. Several drivers ventured into the gravel as they searched for grip. Eddie Irvine failed to complete a timed lap after his Jaguar lost fuel pressure on its out-lap, leaving him short of useful running.

Warmer conditions helped lap times fall in the afternoon, and Häkkinen led another McLaren one-two. Williams improved, with Ralf Schumacher third and Juan Pablo Montoya sixth. Luciano Burti stopped with engine failure, while a throttle problem slowed Rubens Barrichello and forced a cautious return to the pits.

Friday Practice Classification — Combined

2001 European Grand Prix opening-day practice, 22 June 2001

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:16.408	40
2	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.171s	38
3	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.947s	43
4	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+1.099s	49
5	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+1.257s	41
6	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+1.329s	45
7	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	+1.725s	39
8	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.788s	38
9	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	+1.944s	47
10	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	+2.002s	50
11	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	+2.005s	37
12	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+2.026s	38
13	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+2.065s	47
14	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.931s	34
15	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+3.095s	23
16	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	+3.232s	23
17	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+3.414s	39
18	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	+3.570s	32
19	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+3.580s	17
20	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	+3.686s	30
21	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	+3.775s	45
22	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	+4.721s	21

Michael Schumacher moved to the front on Saturday morning, ahead of Ralf Schumacher and the McLarens. Jacques Villeneuve spun into the gravel late in the session, interrupting BAR‘s work. Ferrari‘s improvement suggested Friday’s McLaren advantage would not necessarily carry through to the qualifying contest.

Williams took the top two places in final practice, Ralf Schumacher leading Juan Pablo Montoya after a late improvement. Michael Schumacher lost most of the session to a hydraulic problem and managed only the final fifteen minutes. Heinz-Harald Frentzen also stopped with engine failure, creating an unwelcome complication on his return weekend.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

2001 European Grand Prix Saturday practice, 23 June 2001

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:15.355	30
2	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.394s	28
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.500s	30
4	3	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.683s	27
5	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.882s	32
6	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.953s	12
7	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	+1.030s	31
8	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+1.052s	29
9	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	+1.270s	33
10	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	+1.497s	21
11	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.586s	23
12	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.651s	28
13	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+2.254s	28
14	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+2.331s	25
15	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	+2.333s	37
16	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.430s	31
17	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	+2.484s	24
18	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+2.693s	31
19	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	+2.768s	28
20	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	+3.319s	29
21	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	+3.809s	29
22	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	+4.853s	22

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

Qualifying

Michael Schumacher took pole with a 1:14.960, ahead of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya. Rubens Barrichello overcame a power-steering problem to qualify fourth. The two McLarens followed, separated by just six thousandths of a second, after neither driver could match the leading Ferrari and Williams cars.

David Coulthard spun at the final corner during his last attempt, and the yellow flags interrupted several other drivers’ improvements. The Jordans filled the fourth row, with Kimi Räikkönen and Nick Heidfeld completing the top ten. For the third time that season, the Schumacher brothers shared the front row.

Qualifying Classification

2001 European Grand Prix Qualifying, 23 June 2001

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:14.960	8
2	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:15.226	12
3	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:15.490	11
4	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:15.622	11
5	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:15.717	12
6	3	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:15.776	12
7	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	1:16.138	10
8	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	1:16.376	11
9	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	1:16.402	11
10	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:16.438	11
11	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:16.439	12
12	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	1:16.588	11
13	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	1:16.872	11
14	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	1:17.251	11
15	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	1:17.378	11
16	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	1:17.627	12
17	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	1:18.113	11
18	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	1:18.151	12
19	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	1:18.262	11
20	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	1:18.626	11
21	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	1:18.630	11
22	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	1:18.689	12

Sunday warm-up

Rubens Barrichello led Michael Schumacher in warm-up, with Ralf Schumacher close behind the second Ferrari. Teams concentrated on race balance and checks of their spare cars during a largely uneventful half-hour. Tarso Marques was the notable exception, suffering engine and gearbox problems that disrupted Minardi‘s preparations.

Warm-up Classification

2001 European Grand Prix Warm-up, 24 June 2001

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:18.209	13
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.162s	15
3	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.183s	13
4	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+0.257s	15
5	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.465s	13
6	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.634s	13
7	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	+0.793s	14
8	3	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.955s	11
9	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.523s	14
10	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	+1.578s	16
11	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+1.587s	11
12	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	+1.599s	16
13	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	+1.645s	15
14	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+1.708s	17
15	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+1.889s	14
16	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	+1.906s	17
17	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+2.111s	14
18	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	+2.399s	15
19	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	+2.779s	13
20	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	+3.158s	13
21	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	+3.214s	8
22	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+3.557s	16

What happened in the 2001 European Grand Prix?

Michael Schumacher defended firmly from Ralf Schumacher at the start and held the lead. The Williams stayed close as its tyres came into their working range, repeatedly pressing the Ferrari. Both stopped on the same lap, with Ferrari‘s quicker service helping Michael remain ahead.

Ralf Schumacher crossed the white line at the pit exit and received a ten-second stop-and-go penalty, ending his realistic chance of victory. Juan Pablo Montoya moved into second, while David Coulthard‘s one-stop strategy helped put him on the podium. Michael Schumacher managed the final stint to secure his fifth win of the season.

Ralf Schumacher recovered to fourth, ahead of Rubens Barrichello and Häkkinen. Both Jordans retired, and several others encountered reliability problems. The victory gave Michael Schumacher a 24-point advantage over David Coulthard, while Juan Pablo Montoya‘s second place provided a welcome finish after a run of missed opportunities.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 68 points, followed by David Coulthard on 44. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 94, with McLaren on 53.

2001 European Grand Prix race results

The 2001 European Grand Prix was held on 24 June 2001, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	67	1:29:42.724	10
2	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	67	+4.127	6
3	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	67	+24.993	4
4	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	67	+33.345	3
5	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	67	+45.495	2
6	3	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	67	+1:04.868	1
7	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	67	+1:06.198	0
8	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	66	+1 Lap	0
9	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	66	+1 Lap	0
10	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	66	+1 Lap	0
11	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	66	+1 Lap	0
12	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	65	+2 Laps	0
13	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	65	+2 Laps	0
14	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	65	+2 Laps	0
15	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	64	Spun off	0
Ret	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	58	Engine	0
Ret	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	54	Driveshaft	0
Ret	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	48	Traction control	0
Ret	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	44	Transmission	0
Ret	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	29	Gearbox	0
Ret	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	23	Electrical	0
Ret	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	7	Electrical	0

2001 European Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	27	1:18.354	209.326
2	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	54	1:18.498	208.942
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	59	1:18.537	208.839
4	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	49	1:18.612	208.639
5	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	34	1:18.674	208.475
6	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	63	1:18.883	207.923
7	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	57	1:19.105	207.339
8	3	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	65	1:19.273	206.900
9	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	32	1:19.484	206.350
10	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	65	1:19.737	205.696
11	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	65	1:19.797	205.541
12	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	31	1:19.892	205.297
13	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	48	1:20.049	204.894
14	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	25	1:20.069	204.843
15	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	34	1:20.498	203.751
16	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	26	1:20.729	203.168
17	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	29	1:20.937	202.646
18	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	53	1:20.976	202.548
19	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	23	1:21.154	202.104
20	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	25	1:21.188	202.020
21	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	23	1:21.314	201.706
22	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	4	1:23.778	195.774

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

2001 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 2001 European Grand Prix.

2001 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	68
2	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	44
3	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	26
4	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	25
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	12
6	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	9
7	Nick Heidfeld	German	Sauber	8
8	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	7
9	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	Sauber	7
10	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Jordan	7
11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Jordan	6
12	Olivier Panis	French	BAR	5
13	Eddie Irvine	British	Jaguar	4
14	Jean Alesi	French	Prost	3
15	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Arrows	1
16	Pedro de la Rosa	Spanish	Jaguar	1
17	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Benetton	1
–	Jenson Button	British	Benetton	0
–	Ricardo Zonta	Brazilian	Jordan	0
–	Luciano Burti	Brazilian	Jaguar / Prost	0
–	Tarso Marques	Brazilian	Minardi	0
–	Enrique Bernoldi	Brazilian	Arrows	0
–	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Minardi	0
–	Gastón Mazzacane	Argentine	Prost	0

2001 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	94
2	McLaren	53
3	Williams	37
4	Sauber	15
5	Jordan	13
6	BAR	12
7	Jaguar	5
8	Prost	3
9	Arrows	1
10	Benetton	1
–	Minardi	0

2001 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	2001 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	4 March
2	2001 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	18 March
3	2001 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	1 April
4	2001 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	15 April
5	2001 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	29 April
6	2001 Austrian Grand Prix	A1-Ring, Spielberg	13 May
7	2001 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	27 May
8	2001 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	10 June
9	2001 European Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	24 June
10	2001 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	1 July
11	2001 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	15 July
12	2001 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	29 July
13	2001 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	19 August
14	2001 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	2 September
15	2001 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	16 September
16	2001 United States Grand Prix	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis	30 September
17	2001 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	14 October