2002 Brazilian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher gave Ferrari’s F2002 a winning debut in Brazil, resisting sustained pressure from Ralf Schumacher. David Coulthard completed the podium after another first-lap clash left Juan Pablo Montoya fighting back through the field.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams
Pole time	1:13.114
Fastest lap	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams
Fastest-lap time	1:16.079 on lap 60
First	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Second	Ralf Schumacher	Williams
Third	David Coulthard	McLaren

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
29 March 2002	Practice 1	11:00
29 March 2002	Practice 2	13:00
30 March 2002	Practice 3	09:00
30 March 2002	Practice 4	10:15
30 March 2002	Qualifying	13:00
31 March 2002	Warm-up	09:30
31 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

Michael Schumacher arrived at round 3 leading the 2002 F1 World Championship on 14 points, with Juan Pablo Montoya on 12. Williams headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 22 points.

Race entries

The driver line-ups were unchanged, but Ferrari introduced its new F2002 for Michael Schumacher. Rubens Barrichello retained the F2001 for his home race, giving the team two generations of car on the same grid.

Free Practice

Michael Schumacher led the opening Friday session on a dusty, bumpy Interlagos surface. Kimi Räikkönen spun and stalled at a blind corner, forcing a stoppage while marshals removed the McLaren. Takuma Sato’s late spin ended the running early, and Juan Pablo Montoya lost a tyre to a puncture.

David Coulthard set Friday’s fastest lap in the afternoon, with Juan Pablo Montoya second and a lightly fuelled Allan McNish third. Michael Schumacher spun after hitting a bump under braking and stopped close to the barriers. Takuma Sato received a penalty removing his fastest qualifying lap after leaving the pits against a red light during practice.

Friday Practice Classification — Combined

2002 Brazilian Grand Prix opening-day practice, 29 March 2002

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:15.075	34
2	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.270s	40
3	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	+0.375s	46
4	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.402s	46
5	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.552s	35
6	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.808s	26
7	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.858s	26
8	15	Jenson Button	Renault	+0.979s	36
9	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.108s	45
10	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+1.214s	33
11	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	+1.300s	30
12	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+1.304s	34
13	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	+1.316s	44
14	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+1.349s	32
15	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	+1.454s	33
16	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+1.464s	46
17	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+1.473s	41
18	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.498s	37
19	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	+2.357s	43
20	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	+2.639s	47
21	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+2.904s	22
22	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	+3.351s	38

Michael Schumacher returned to the top in the first Saturday session, ahead of Kimi Räikkönen. Enrique Bernoldi locked his front wheels and spun before continuing, while Takuma Sato also recovered from a spin. The warmer, dry conditions allowed the teams to build a more consistent picture of their cars’ pace.

Ralf Schumacher narrowly beat David Coulthard in the final practice. Felipe Massa’s stranded Sauber caused a red flag, and Takuma Sato damaged his front wing against the barriers. Rubens Barrichello also incurred a fastest-qualifying-lap deletion for passing the red light at the pit exit, complicating his home-race preparations.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

2002 Brazilian Grand Prix Saturday practice, 30 March 2002

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:13.543	28
2	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.020s	32
3	15	Jenson Button	Renault	+0.143s	22
4	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.171s	29
5	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.294s	24
6	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.339s	21
7	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.598s	24
8	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.646s	17
9	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	+0.941s	30
10	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+0.965s	26
11	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.588s	35
12	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+1.703s	30
13	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+1.727s	19
14	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	+1.755s	35
15	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+1.762s	30
16	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+1.872s	28
17	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+1.991s	22
18	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	+2.098s	22
19	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	+2.349s	33
20	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	+2.390s	13
21	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	+2.751s	34
22	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	+3.184s	35

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

Qualifying

Juan Pablo Montoya took pole ahead of Michael Schumacher after the field waited through the early part of the hour. Ralf Schumacher qualified third ahead of David Coulthard and Kimi Räikkönen. The new Ferrari was competitive immediately, but Williams had secured the crucial first position on the grid.

Rubens Barrichello qualified eighth after his best time was deleted, while Takuma Sato’s similar penalty left him nineteenth. Kimi Räikkönen needed the spare McLaren while his race car received attention, and Nick Heidfeld also changed cars after an engine water leak. Mika Salo again reached the top ten for Toyota.

Qualifying Classification

2002 Brazilian Grand Prix Qualifying, 30 March 2002

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:13.114	12
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:13.241	9
3	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:13.328	12
4	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:13.565	12
5	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:13.595	11
6	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:13.611	11
7	15	Jenson Button	Renault	1:13.665	12
8	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:13.935	9
9	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:14.233	12
10	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	1:14.443	12
11	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	1:14.464	12
12	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	1:14.533	12
13	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	1:14.537	10
14	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:14.748	12
15	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:14.760	12
16	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	1:14.990	12
17	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	1:14.996	11
18	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	1:15.112	12
19	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	1:15.296	10
20	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	1:15.340	12
21	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	1:15.355	12
22	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	1:16.728	12

The fastest qualifying lap times of Rubens Barrichello (1:13.919) and Takuma Sato (1:15.283) were cancelled because both drivers exited the pit lane when the red light was on during free practice. Their starting positions were unaffected by the penalties.

Sunday warm-up

Michael Schumacher led the Sunday warm-up, but a frightening incident overshadowed the times. Enrique Bernoldi crashed heavily and his Arrows caught fire. As the medical car attended, Nick Heidfeld hit its opening door; nobody was injured, although the Sauber suffered serious damage and the session was stopped.

Warm-up Classification

2002 Brazilian Grand Prix Warm-up, 31 March 2002

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:15.866	15
2	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	+0.525s	13
3	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.677s	11
4	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.692s	5
5	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.742s	11
6	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.800s	13
7	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.813s	14
8	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	+1.141s	14
9	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	+1.356s	12
10	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	+1.424s	11
11	15	Jenson Button	Renault	+1.495s	10
12	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+1.505s	12
13	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.546s	12
14	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	+1.616s	12
15	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	+1.630s	12
16	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.810s	14
17	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.810s	10
18	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	+2.128s	10
19	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+2.141s	17
20	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	+2.703s	9
21	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	+3.168s	10
22	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	+3.205s	7

What happened in the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix?

Michael Schumacher passed Juan Pablo Montoya in the opening sequence of corners. Juan Pablo Montoya attempted to respond on the back straight but hit the Ferrari and damaged his front wing, requiring an immediate stop. Rubens Barrichello charged through the field and briefly took the lead before a hydraulic problem ended his home race.

The contest settled into a duel between the Schumacher brothers. Michael retained the advantage through the pit stops, but Ralf closed steadily and kept the Ferrari under pressure. Behind them, David Coulthard emerged ahead of Kimi Räikkönen, while Juan Pablo Montoya continued his recovery.

Michael Schumacher held on to win by less than a second from Ralf Schumacher, with David Coulthard third. Jenson Button took fourth ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya and Mika Salo. Kimi Räikkönen’s late wheel-hub failure removed him from the points, while Ferrari celebrated a successful first outing for its new car.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 24 points, followed by Ralf Schumacher on 16. Williams led the constructors’ table on 30, with Ferrari on 24.

2002 Brazilian Grand Prix race results

The 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix was held on 31 March 2002, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	71	1:31:43.663	10
2	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	71	+0.588	6
3	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	71	+59.109	4
4	15	Jenson Button	Renault	71	+1:06.883	3
5	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	71	+1:07.563	2
6	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	70	+1 Lap	1
7	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	70	+1 Lap	0
8	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	70	+1 Lap	0
9	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	69	+2 Laps	0
10	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	68	Engine	0
11	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	68	+3 Laps	0
12	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	67	Wheel rim	0
13	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	67	+4 Laps	0
Ret	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	61	Brakes	0
Ret	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	60	Engine	0
Ret	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	41	Collision	0
Ret	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	40	Spin	0
Ret	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	25	Gearbox	0
Ret	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	25	Suspension	0
Ret	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	19	Suspension	0
Ret	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	16	Hydraulics	0
Ret	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	6	Engine	0

2002 Brazilian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	60	1:16.079	203.898
2	5	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	55	1:16.224	203.510
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	38	1:16.235	203.481
4	15	Jenson Button	Renault	70	1:16.396	203.052
5	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	16	1:16.511	202.747
6	4	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	54	1:16.529	202.699
7	3	David Coulthard	McLaren	71	1:16.670	202.326
8	14	Jarno Trulli	Renault	45	1:17.063	201.295
9	11	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	26	1:17.131	201.117
10	10	Takuma Sato	Jordan	51	1:17.320	200.625
11	24	Mika Salo	Toyota	37	1:17.398	200.423
12	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	3	1:17.511	200.131
13	20	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Arrows	14	1:17.568	199.984
14	16	Eddie Irvine	Jaguar	60	1:17.569	199.981
15	17	Pedro de la Rosa	Jaguar	70	1:17.575	199.966
16	7	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	59	1:17.782	199.434
17	25	Allan McNish	Toyota	26	1:17.868	199.214
18	23	Mark Webber	Minardi	62	1:18.386	197.897
19	12	Olivier Panis	BAR	23	1:18.705	197.095
20	21	Enrique Bernoldi	Arrows	14	1:18.814	196.822
21	22	Alex Yoong	Minardi	54	1:18.837	196.765
22	8	Felipe Massa	Sauber	11	1:19.188	195.893

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 Brazilian Grand Prix.

2002 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	24
2	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	16
3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	14
4	Jenson Button	British	Renault	6
5	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	4
6	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	4
7	Eddie Irvine	British	Jaguar	3
8	Mark Webber	Australian	Minardi	2
9	Nick Heidfeld	German	Sauber	2
10	Mika Salo	Finnish	Toyota	2
11	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Sauber	1
12	Alex Yoong	Malaysian	Minardi	0
13	Allan McNish	British	Toyota	0
14	Pedro de la Rosa	Spanish	Jaguar	0
15	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	0
16	Takuma Sato	Japanese	Jordan	0
17	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Arrows	0
18	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Jordan	0
–	Enrique Bernoldi	Brazilian	Arrows	0
–	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	0
–	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Renault	0
–	Olivier Panis	French	BAR	0

2002 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Williams	30
2	Ferrari	24
3	McLaren	8
4	Renault	6
5	Jaguar	3
6	Sauber	3
7	Minardi	2
8	Toyota	2
9	BAR	0
10	Jordan	0
11	Arrows	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