2002 Australian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher won a dramatic Australian Grand Prix after a spectacular first-corner accident eliminated eight cars. Juan Pablo Montoya finished second and Kimi Räikkönen claimed his first podium, but home debutant Mark Webber’s fifth place for Minardi provided the afternoon’s most emotional celebration.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Pole time	1:25.843
Fastest lap	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren
Fastest-lap time	1:28.541 on lap 37
First	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Second	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams
Third	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
1 March 2002	Practice 1	11:00
1 March 2002	Practice 2	13:00
2 March 2002	Practice 3	09:00
2 March 2002	Practice 4	10:15
2 March 2002	Qualifying	13:00
3 March 2002	Warm-up	09:30
3 March 2002	Race	14:00

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

Championship background

Ferrari began its title defence with the proven F2001 while preparing its new car. The season retained one-hour qualifying with a twelve-lap limit and the 107 per cent rule, followed by a Sunday morning warm-up. Points still went to the first six finishers, with ten for a win.

Race entries

Toyota made its Formula 1 debut with Mika Salo and Allan McNish, while Prost’s closure removed another team from the grid. Renault replaced the Benetton name, Kimi Räikkönen moved to McLaren in place of Häkkinen, and Felipe Massa joined Sauber. Mark Webber debuted for Minardi and Takuma Sato for Jordan, while Heinz-Harald Frentzen joined Arrows.

Free Practice

Michael Schumacher led Rubens Barrichello in the first Friday session as changing weather made late laps the most productive. Giancarlo Fisichella was third, giving Jordan an encouraging opening, while the newcomers began learning Albert Park in conditions that offered little consistency.

Michael Schumacher remained fastest in the afternoon, again ahead of Rubens Barrichello. The Ferrari team-mate spun across the grass but continued, while Juan Pablo Montoya used an escape road after braking too late. Rain caught out Alex Yoong, who became stranded in the gravel, and mechanical problems stopped Enrique Bernoldi and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Friday Practice Classification — Combined

2002 Australian Grand Prix opening-day practice, 1 March 2002

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:27.276	30
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.523s	35
3	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+1.545s	33
4	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+1.594s	36
5	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+2.296s	30
6	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	+2.325s	34
7	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+2.599s	27
8	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+2.661s	35
9	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+2.911s	36
10	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+3.022s	35
11	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	+3.036s	25
12	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+3.076s	38
13	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	+3.264s	40
14	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+3.290s	26
15	15	Jenson Button	Renault	+3.312s	34
16	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	+3.326s	34
17	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+3.697s	34
18	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	+3.851s	31
19	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	+5.189s	26
20	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	+5.420s	25
21	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+5.636s	20
22	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	+16.735s	16

Ferrari continued to set the pace in the first Saturday session, but Takuma Sato’s heavy accident brought out the red flag. The Japanese rookie lost the rear of his Jordan approaching the fast section and hit the tyre barriers. He escaped injury, although the damage kept him out of the following session because a spare car could not be used in practice.

A further shower made the final practice slippery and limited improvements. Rubens Barrichello reduced the gap to Michael Schumacher in the combined morning order, while the Williams drivers moved ahead of the McLarens. Takuma Sato’s absence left him short of preparation before his first Formula 1 qualifying session.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

2002 Australian Grand Prix Saturday practice, 2 March 2002

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:26.177	21
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.154s	16
3	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+1.217s	20
4	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+1.247s	28
5	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	+1.328s	15
6	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+1.458s	16
7	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+2.118s	14
8	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+2.380s	27
9	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	+2.393s	20
10	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+2.428s	24
11	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+2.523s	14
12	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+2.596s	19
13	15	Jenson Button	Renault	+2.704s	14
14	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	+2.997s	16
15	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	+3.486s	17
16	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+3.547s	17
17	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+3.560s	18
18	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	+3.923s	18
19	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	+4.737s	9
20	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	+5.026s	14
21	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+5.109s	20
22	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	+7.248s	25

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

Qualifying

Rubens Barrichello secured pole before a heavy rainstorm prevented further improvements. Michael Schumacher completed a Ferrari front-row lockout, with Ralf Schumacher third. David Coulthard and Jacques Villeneuve collided near the final corner, while Juan Pablo Montoya was frustrated by traffic.

Takuma Sato’s spare Jordan stopped with a hydraulic problem, and rain left him outside the 107 per cent limit when he tried Giancarlo Fisichella’s car. The stewards nevertheless allowed him to race because his practice pace demonstrated that he could meet the required standard.

Qualifying Classification

2002 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying, 2 March 2002

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:25.843	9
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:25.848	10
3	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:26.279	3
4	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:26.446	6
5	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:27.161	7
6	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:27.249	4
7	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:27.710	6
8	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:27.869	9
9	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	1:27.972	5
10	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:28.232	5
11	15	Jenson Button	Renault	1:28.361	5
12	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	1:28.381	4
13	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:28.657	6
14	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	1:29.205	5
15	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	1:29.474	3
16	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	1:29.636	5
17	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	1:29.738	4
18	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	1:30.086	6
19	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	1:30.113	6
20	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	1:30.192	4
21	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	1:31.504	4
22	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	1:53.351	7

Takuma Sato set a time 107% slower than the fastest qualifying lap. He was granted permission from the stewards to start the race due to “exceptional circumstances”.

Sunday warm-up

Heavy rain before the Sunday warm-up gave teams another change of conditions to assess. Michael Schumacher led Rubens Barrichello on wet tyres, but Mika Salo crashed near the end after moving off line to let the Ferrari pass. Toyota had repair work to complete before its first race start.

Warm-up Classification

2002 Australian Grand Prix Warm-up, 3 March 2002

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:41.509	12
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+1.382s	11
3	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	+2.028s	9
4	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+2.071s	5
5	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+2.518s	9
6	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+2.880s	7
7	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+3.419s	9
8	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+3.650s	12
9	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+4.116s	11
10	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+4.299s	11
11	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	+4.497s	10
12	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	+4.903s	10
13	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	+4.990s	12
14	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	+5.296s	10
15	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+5.420s	9
16	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	+6.015s	8
17	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+6.542s	11
18	15	Jenson Button	Renault	+6.660s	4
19	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	+6.689s	10
20	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	+7.981s	11
21	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+20.126s	4
22	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+21.753s	3

What happened in the 2002 Australian Grand Prix?

Ralf Schumacher hit the back of Rubens Barrichello under braking for the first corner and was launched over the Ferrari. The chain reaction eliminated eight cars, but the race continued behind the Safety Car. David Coulthard led the survivors until gearbox trouble contributed to an error after another Safety Car period for Jarno Trulli’s crash.

Juan Pablo Montoya passed Michael Schumacher for the lead, only for the Ferrari to regain the advantage once its tyres came into their working range. Schumacher then pulled clear. Kimi Räikkönen recovered from an early stop for damage to challenge Juan Pablo Montoya, but a wide moment after the pit stops left the McLaren third.

Michael Schumacher won ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Räikkönen, with Eddie Irvine fourth. Mark Webber overcame mechanical problems and a slow stop, then resisted Mika Salo to finish fifth on debut in front of an ecstatic home crowd. Mika Salo’s sixth place gave Toyota a point in its first race, while both Arrows entries were disqualified for separate infringements.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 10 points, followed by Juan Pablo Montoya on 6. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 10, with Williams on 6.

2002 Australian Grand Prix race results

The 2002 Australian Grand Prix was held on 3 March 2002, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	58	1:35:36.792	10
2	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	58	+18.628	6
3	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	58	+25.067	4
4	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	57	+1 Lap	3
5	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	56	+2 Laps	2
6	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	56	+2 Laps	1
7	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	55	+3 Laps	0
8	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	53	+5 Laps	0
Ret	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	33	Gearbox	0
Ret	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	27	Broken wing	0
Ret	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	12	Electrical	0
Ret	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	8	Accident	0
Ret	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	0	Collision	0
Ret	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	0	Collision	0
Ret	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	0	Collision	0
Ret	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	0	Collision	0
Ret	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	0	Collision	0
Ret	15	Jenson Button	Renault	0	Collision	0
Ret	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	0	Collision	0
Ret	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	0	Collision	0
DSQ	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	16	Exited pits under red light	0
DSQ	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	15	Illegal car change	0

Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi started the race from the pit lane.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi were disqualified for passing the red light at the exit of the pit lane and changing to the team’s spare car after the commencement of the formation lap, respectively.

2002 Australian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	37	1:28.541	215.615
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	32	1:28.628	215.403
3	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	35	1:29.143	214.159
4	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	21	1:31.186	209.361
5	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	51	1:31.539	208.553
6	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	53	1:32.225	207.002
7	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	36	1:32.548	206.279
8	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	52	1:33.296	204.626
9	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	16	1:33.534	204.105
10	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	25	1:33.540	204.092
11	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	7	1:34.233	202.591
12	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	36	1:34.653	201.692
13	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	8	1:35.052	200.845
14	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	8	1:35.197	200.539

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

2002 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 2002 Australian Grand Prix.

2002 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	10
2	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	6
3	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	4
4	Eddie Irvine	British	Jaguar	3
5	Mark Webber	Australian	Minardi	2
6	Mika Salo	Finnish	Toyota	1
7	Alex Yoong	Malaysian	Minardi	0
8	Pedro de la Rosa	Spanish	Jaguar	0
–	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	0
–	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	0
–	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Arrows	0
–	Enrique Bernoldi	Brazilian	Arrows	0
–	Takuma Sato	Japanese	Jordan	0
–	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Renault	0
–	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	0
–	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	0
–	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Jordan	0
–	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Sauber	0
–	Nick Heidfeld	German	Sauber	0
–	Jenson Button	British	Renault	0
–	Olivier Panis	French	BAR	0
–	Allan McNish	British	Toyota	0

2002 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	10
2	Williams	6
3	McLaren	4
4	Jaguar	3
5	Minardi	2
6	Toyota	1
–	BAR	0
–	Arrows	0
–	Jordan	0
–	Renault	0
–	Sauber	0

2002 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	2002 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	3 March
2	2002 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	17 March
3	2002 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	31 March
4	2002 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	14 April
5	2002 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	28 April
6	2002 Austrian Grand Prix	A1-Ring, Spielberg	12 May
7	2002 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	26 May
8	2002 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	9 June
9	2002 European Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	23 June
10	2002 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	7 July
11	2002 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	21 July
12	2002 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	28 July
13	2002 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	18 August
14	2002 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	1 September
15	2002 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	15 September
16	2002 United States Grand Prix	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis	29 September
17	2002 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	13 October