2001 French Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher earned his fiftieth Grand Prix victory at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, turning second on the grid into another championship-strengthening win. Ralf Schumacher finished second after starting from his first pole, and Rubens Barrichello completed the podium.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Ralf Schumacher	Williams
Pole time	1:12.989
Fastest lap	David Coulthard	McLaren
Fastest-lap time	1:16.088 on lap 53
First	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Second	Ralf Schumacher	Williams
Third	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
29 June 2001	Practice 1	11:00
29 June 2001	Practice 2	13:00
30 June 2001	Practice 3	09:00
30 June 2001	Practice 4	10:15
30 June 2001	Qualifying	13:00
1 July 2001	Warm-up	09:30
1 July 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 10 leading the 2001 F1 World Championship on 68 points, with David Coulthard on 44. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 94 points.

Race entries

All eleven teams kept their race line-ups for France. The back-to-back trip from the Nürburgring left little time for major changes, with teams concentrating on the demands of Magny-Cours‘ smooth surface and hot conditions.

Free Practice

Häkkinen led first practice on a slippery circuit as several drivers spun off. Ralf Schumacher stopped early with a water leak, possibly caused by debris, while Eddie Irvine became stranded in the gravel before completing a representative lap. McLaren‘s early pace put both cars among the favourites for the weekend.

David Coulthard topped the afternoon, with Eddie Irvine recovering to second and Jacques Villeneuve third. Jos Verstappen‘s engine failed, and he later drove Enrique Bernoldi‘s Arrows. Kimi Räikkönen suffered a dramatic front-wing failure leaving the pits and crossed the gravel at speed, while Olivier Panis also spun off at the Adelaide hairpin.

Friday Practice Classification — Combined

2001 French Grand Prix opening-day practice, 29 June 2001

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:14.935	35
2	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+0.198s	27
3	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+0.289s	39
4	3	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.437s	33
5	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.602s	27
6	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.647s	52
7	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.875s	48
8	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+1.205s	45
9	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	+1.252s	52
10	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+1.390s	47
11	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	+1.429s	20
12	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	+1.520s	50
13	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+1.933s	45
14	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	+1.971s	25
15	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+2.076s	46
16	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	+2.153s	32
17	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	+2.237s	34
18	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	+2.350s	34
19	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+2.592s	23
20	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.631s	35
21	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	+2.931s	45
22	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	+3.437s	38

Michael Schumacher set Saturday morning’s fastest lap, four tenths ahead of David Coulthard, as Ferrari improved its performance. Häkkinen did not record a time during the first session. The running was otherwise relatively calm, allowing most teams to focus on balance before the warmer qualifying conditions.

Ralf Schumacher moved up behind his brother in the final practice, with the McLarens third and fourth in the combined order. Michael’s earlier time remained unbeaten. Jarno Trulli also improved, suggesting Jordan could challenge near the front even as Ferrari, Williams and McLaren prepared for the pole battle.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

2001 French Grand Prix Saturday practice, 30 June 2001

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:13.729	16
2	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.224s	29
3	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.243s	23
4	3	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.566s	15
5	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	+0.753s	20
6	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.786s	18
7	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.923s	25
8	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+0.923s	33
9	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+1.095s	38
10	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	+1.143s	25
11	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+1.263s	20
12	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.332s	28
13	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	+1.393s	32
14	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+1.873s	42
15	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	+2.021s	25
16	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	+2.100s	28
17	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	+2.117s	38
18	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.144s	28
19	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	+2.400s	25
20	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+2.448s	26
21	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	+3.406s	26
22	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	+3.427s	33

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

Qualifying

Ralf Schumacher celebrated his birthday with his first pole position, setting a 1:12.989 to beat Michael Schumacher by just 0.010 seconds. David Coulthard and Häkkinen filled the second row. The narrow margin made it another striking demonstration of Williams‘ growing pace on Michelin tyres.

Jarno Trulli qualified fifth ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, while an unsettled Ferrari left Rubens Barrichello eighth. Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve completed the top ten. Traffic frustrated several final attempts, and Michael Schumacher felt he had lost a chance to improve after encountering Jarno Trulli.

Qualifying Classification

2001 French Grand Prix Qualifying, 30 June 2001

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:12.989	10
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:12.999	12
3	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:13.186	12
4	3	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:13.268	12
5	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	1:13.310	12
6	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:13.625	12
7	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	1:13.815	11
8	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:13.867	11
9	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:14.095	12
10	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:14.096	12
11	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	1:14.181	12
12	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	1:14.441	10
13	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	1:14.536	12
14	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	1:15.020	11
15	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	1:15.072	11
16	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	1:15.220	11
17	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	1:15.420	12
18	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	1:15.707	12
19	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	1:15.774	11
20	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	1:15.828	12
21	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	1:16.039	12
22	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	1:16.500	11

Sunday warm-up

Häkkinen edged Michael Schumacher by a thousandth of a second in warm-up despite a late spin. Ferrari adjusted Rubens Barrichello‘s electronic settings and rear-wing setup to improve the balance that had troubled him in qualifying. The dry conditions allowed teams to complete their race checks without a weather disruption.

Warm-up Classification

2001 French Grand Prix Warm-up, 1 July 2001

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:15.428	14
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.001s	16
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.248s	13
4	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.352s	12
5	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	+0.552s	17
6	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	+0.708s	14
7	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	+0.756s	15
8	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+0.998s	15
9	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.131s	16
10	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+1.139s	14
11	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+1.307s	16
12	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+1.349s	11
13	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	+1.524s	16
14	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.645s	15
15	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	+1.692s	14
16	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	+2.015s	16
17	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+2.177s	15
18	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	+2.517s	15
19	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	+2.656s	18
20	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	+3.003s	9
21	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	+4.558s	16
22	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	+5.867s	9

What happened in the 2001 French Grand Prix?

Häkkinen failed to start after a gearbox problem stranded his McLaren before the formation lap. Ralf Schumacher led from pole, but a slow first stop and a less effective second set of tyres allowed Michael Schumacher to move ahead. Ferrari then controlled the race from the front.

David Coulthard‘s challenge was damaged by a stop-and-go penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Juan Pablo Montoya briefly threatened to improve Williams‘ result, only to retire with engine trouble. Rubens Barrichello used a three-stop strategy to recover from eighth on the grid and take third behind the Schumacher brothers.

David Coulthard finished fourth, with Jarno Trulli fifth and Nick Heidfeld sixth. Michael Schumacher‘s fiftieth win moved him within one of Alain Prost‘s career record and increased his championship lead to 31 points. Ralf’s second place still capped a strong weekend built around his breakthrough pole.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 78 points, followed by David Coulthard on 47. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 108, with McLaren on 56.

2001 French Grand Prix race results

The 2001 French Grand Prix was held on 1 July 2001, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	72	1:33:35.636	10
2	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	72	+ 10.399	6
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	72	+ 16.381	4
4	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	72	+ 17.106	3
5	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	72	+ 1:08.285	2
6	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	71	+ 1 lap	1
7	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	71	+ 1 lap	0
8	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	71	+ 1 lap	0
9	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	71	+ 1 lap	0
10	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	71	+ 1 lap	0
11	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	71	+ 1 lap	0
12	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	70	+ 2 laps	0
13	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	70	+ 2 laps	0
14	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	70	+ 2 laps	0
15	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	69	+ 3 laps	0
16	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	68	Fuel pressure	0
17	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	65	Engine	0
Ret	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	54	Engine	0
Ret	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	52	Engine	0
Ret	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	17	Engine	0
Ret	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	5	Engine	0
DNS	3	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	0	Gearbox	0

Pedro de la Rosa started the race from the pit lane.

2001 French Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	4	David Coulthard	McLaren	53	1:16.088	201.130
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	23	1:16.181	200.884
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	27	1:16.286	200.608
4	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	34	1:16.355	200.426
5	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	18	1:16.585	199.825
6	18	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	23	1:17.304	197.966
7	17	Kimi Räikkönen	Sauber	8	1:17.311	197.948
8	12	Jarno Trulli	Jordan	29	1:17.369	197.800
9	19	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	67	1:17.508	197.445
10	16	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	23	1:17.538	197.369
11	11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan	20	1:17.540	197.363
12	7	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton	26	1:17.968	196.280
13	10	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	4	1:18.181	195.745
14	9	Olivier Panis	BAR	68	1:18.250	195.573
15	23	Luciano Burti	Prost	50	1:18.253	195.565
16	8	Jenson Button	Benetton	25	1:18.359	195.301
17	14	Jos Verstappen	Arrows	47	1:18.662	194.548
18	22	Jean Alesi	Prost	14	1:18.817	194.166
19	15	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	13	1:19.181	193.273
20	21	Fernando Alonso	Minardi	62	1:19.199	193.229
21	20	Tarso Marques	Minardi	54	1:19.608	192.236

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 French Grand Prix.

2001 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	78
2	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	47
3	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	31
4	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	30
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	12
6	Nick Heidfeld	German	Sauber	9
7	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	9
8	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Jordan	9
9	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	7
10	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	Sauber	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	108
2	McLaren	56
3	Williams	43
4	Sauber	16
5	Jordan	15
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