2003 Austrian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher overcame a pit-stop fire to win the Austrian Grand Prix, taking his third consecutive victory. Kimi Räikkönen resisted Rubens Barrichello for second as Formula 1 made its final visit to the A1-Ring before the circuit’s later return under a new name.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Pole time	1:09.150
Fastest lap	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:08.337 on lap 41
First	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Second	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren
Third	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
16 May 2003	Optional private testing (participating teams)	08:30–10:30
16 May 2003	Practice 1	11:00
16 May 2003	First qualifying	14:00
17 May 2003	Practice 2	09:00
17 May 2003	Practice 3	10:15
17 May 2003	Warm-up	13:30
17 May 2003	Final qualifying	14:00
18 May 2003	Race	14:00

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

Championship background

Kimi Räikkönen arrived at round 6 leading the 2003 F1 World Championship on 32 points, with Michael Schumacher on 28. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 51 points.

Race entries

The same 20 drivers arrived in Austria. Ferrari continued with the F2003-GA after its winning debut, while McLaren sought to recover from its double retirement in Spain and protect Kimi Räikkönen’s championship lead.

Renault, Jaguar, Jordan and Minardi could use the additional morning testing period under the restricted-testing agreement. This was separate from the official free-practice sessions and was not available to the whole field.

Friday practice

David Coulthard led Friday practice, narrowly ahead of Jarno Trulli, with Antonio Pizzonia and Mark Webber showing strong Jaguar pace. Several corners caught drivers out: Ralf Schumacher twice ran off at the Jochen Rindt corner, while Michael Schumacher, Nick Heidfeld and Heinz-Harald Frentzen had trouble at the final corner. The repeated excursions showed how little margin the short, fast circuit offered.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2003 Austrian Grand Prix FP1, 16 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:08.836	22
2	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.108s	28
3	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	+0.125s	17
4	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.132s	33
5	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+0.187s	26
6	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.235s	25
7	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.538s	28
8	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+0.538s	26
9	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+0.593s	23
10	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.694s	28
11	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+0.964s	26
12	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.990s	31
13	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+1.125s	24
14	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+1.183s	28
15	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+1.253s	20
16	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	+1.460s	24
17	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.658s	28
18	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.668s	21
19	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+2.067s	14
20	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	+2.224s	16

First qualifying

Michael Schumacher headed Friday qualifying despite a mistake at the final corner, with Rubens Barrichello second. Ferrari’s strong first runs put both drivers late in Saturday’s order, while uncertainty over the weather complicated the teams’ race-fuel and tyre decisions.

First Qualifying Classification

2003 Austrian Grand Prix First Qualifying, 16 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:07.908	3
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:08.187	3
3	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:08.512	3
4	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:08.680	3
5	17	Jenson Button	BAR	1:08.831	3
6	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:08.839	4
7	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:08.947	3
8	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:08.978	3
9	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	1:09.024	3
10	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:09.281	3
11	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:09.450	3
12	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:09.479	3
13	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:09.680	3
14	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:09.764	4
15	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:10.055	3
16	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:10.370	3
17	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	1:10.894	3
18	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	1:11.056	3
19	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	1:11.171	2
20	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	No time	2

Saturday practice

Michael Schumacher headed a Ferrari one-two in the first Saturday session despite another minor excursion. Conditions were sunny but cool, and the slippery surface continued to produce mistakes. Jos Verstappen stopped near the Grosser Kurve, while Ralph Firman and da Cristiano da Matta also ran off as the teams prepared for their single-lap attempts.

Rubens Barrichello set the fastest Saturday time, with Juan Pablo Montoya splitting the Ferraris. Ralf Schumacher was close behind, but the session remained eventful: Michael Schumacher spun, Mark Webber stopped near the pit exit and Justin Wilson crashed late on. Jarno Trulli, Jacques Villeneuve and Antonio Pizzonia also had excursions, leaving plenty of work before qualifying.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

2003 Austrian Grand Prix Saturday Practice, 17 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:09.241	45
2	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.060s	37
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.090s	36
4	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.177s	41
5	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.463s	52
6	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+0.467s	47
7	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.629s	34
8	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+0.650s	43
9	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.682s	46
10	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+0.777s	28
11	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+0.803s	40
12	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	+0.816s	38
13	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+0.835s	39
14	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.971s	34
15	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.981s	38
16	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.129s	39
17	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.215s	40
18	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	+2.172s	36
19	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+2.305s	22
20	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	+2.695s	31

The Saturday classification combines the two morning practice sessions. Times are each driver’s best across those sessions; lap totals cover both.

Warm-up

Juan Pablo Montoya led the 15-minute warm-up ahead of Kimi Räikkönen and Michael Schumacher. It was the final chance to check race settings after a morning of incidents. The short lap kept the margins tight, making a clean qualifying run particularly important.

Warm-up Classification

2003 Austrian Grand Prix Warm-up, 17 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:09.323	5
2	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.305s	4
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.316s	8
4	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.650s	5
5	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.785s	5
6	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+0.830s	5
7	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.861s	5
8	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	+0.879s	5
9	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.920s	7
10	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.090s	8
11	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+1.229s	5
12	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.379s	7
13	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+1.529s	6
14	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.638s	5
15	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.665s	8
16	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.920s	8
17	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	+2.722s	4
18	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+2.907s	8
19	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+3.237s	3
20	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	+3.494s	4

Final qualifying

Michael Schumacher took pole even after a major slide during his decisive lap. Kimi Räikkönen qualified second, followed by Juan Pablo Montoya and Nick Heidfeld. McLaren later received permission to repair a cracked valve without the usual consequence for altering the engine, while Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber would start from the pit lane.

Final Qualifying Classification

2003 Austrian Grand Prix Final Qualifying, 17 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:09.150	3
2	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:09.189	3
3	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:09.391	3
4	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:09.725	3
5	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:09.784	3
6	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:09.890	3
7	17	Jenson Button	BAR	1:09.935	3
8	15	Antônio Pizzonia	Jaguar	1:10.045	3
9	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:10.105	3
10	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:10.279	3
11	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:10.402	3
12	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:10.618	3
13	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:10.834	3
14	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:10.893	3
15	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:11.307	3
16	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	1:11.505	3
17	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:11.662	3
18	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	1:14.508	3
19	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:20.113	3
20	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	No time	2

Ralf Schumacher did not get any time in Q1 after going off the track at the fourth corner.

Jos Verstappen did not get time in Q2 due to gearbox problems.

What happened in the 2003 Austrian Grand Prix?

Da Cristiano da Matta’s launch-control trouble caused two aborted starts, reducing the race to 69 laps. Heinz-Harald Frentzen failed to start, and Jos Verstappen’s early retirement brought out the Safety Car. Michael Schumacher led the restarted contest, but a refuelling problem and brief fire at his first stop dropped him behind Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Räikkönen.

The race turned back towards Ferrari when Schumacher passed Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya’s engine failed. Fernando Alonso’s recovery from the pit lane also ended with an engine failure and spin. Rubens Barrichello closed on Kimi Räikkönen late on, but the McLaren driver defended successfully.

Michael Schumacher won from Kimi Räikkönen and Rubens Barrichello, with Jenson Button fourth and David Coulthard fifth. Ralf Schumacher, Mark Webber and Jarno Trulli completed the points. Mark Webber’s recovery included a stop-go penalty for an infringement before his pit-lane start, while Kimi Räikkönen retained a narrow championship lead.

After the race, Kimi Räikkönen headed the drivers’ standings with 40 points, followed by Michael Schumacher on 38. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 64, with McLaren on 63.

2003 Austrian Grand Prix race results

The 2003 Austrian Grand Prix was held on 18 May 2003, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	69	1:24:04.888	10
2	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	69	+3.362	8
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	69	+3.951	6
4	17	Jenson Button	BAR	69	+42.243	5
5	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	69	+59.740	4
6	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	68	+1 Lap	3
7	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	68	+1 Lap	2
8	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	68	+1 Lap	1
9	15	Antônio Pizzonia	Jaguar	68	+1 Lap	0
10	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	68	+1 Lap	0
11	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	68	+1 Lap	0
12	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	68	+1 Lap	0
13	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	67	+2 Laps	0
Ret	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	60	Fuel system	0
Ret	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	46	Engine	0
Ret	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	44	Engine/Spin	0
Ret	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	32	Engine	0
Ret	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	6	Suspension	0
Ret	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	0	Launch control	0
DNS	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber		Clutch	0

Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso started from the pit lane.

2003 Austrian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	41	1:08.337	227.894
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	44	1:08.913	225.989
3	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	68	1:08.966	225.815
4	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	45	1:09.423	224.329
5	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	64	1:09.626	223.675
6	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	64	1:09.764	223.232
7	17	Jenson Button	BAR	22	1:09.828	223.028
8	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	67	1:09.978	222.549
9	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	28	1:10.112	222.124
10	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	40	1:10.246	221.700
11	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	68	1:10.358	221.347
12	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	67	1:10.466	221.008
13	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	12	1:10.516	220.852
14	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	34	1:10.526	220.820
15	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	68	1:10.659	220.405
16	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	60	1:11.019	219.287
17	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	67	1:11.267	218.524
18	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	6	1:13.097	213.053

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

2003 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 2003 Austrian Grand Prix.

2003 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	40
2	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	38
3	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	26
4	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	25
5	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	23
6	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	20
7	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	15
8	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Jordan	10
9	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Renault	10
10	Jenson Button	British	BAR	8
11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Sauber	7
12	Mark Webber	Australian	Jaguar	4
13	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	3
14	Cristiano da Matta	Brazilian	Toyota	3
15	Nick Heidfeld	German	Sauber	1
16	Ralph Firman	Irish	Jordan	1
17	Antônio Pizzonia	Brazilian	Jaguar	0
18	Olivier Panis	French	Toyota	0
19	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Minardi	0
20	Justin Wilson	British	Minardi	0

2003 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	64
2	McLaren	63
3	Renault	35
4	Williams	35
5	Jordan	11
6	BAR	11
7	Sauber	8
8	Jaguar	4
9	Toyota	3
10	Minardi	0

2003 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	2003 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	9 March
2	2003 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	23 March
3	2003 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	6 April
4	2003 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	20 April
5	2003 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	4 May
6	2003 Austrian Grand Prix	A1-Ring, Spielberg	18 May
7	2003 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	1 June
8	2003 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	15 June
9	2003 European Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	29 June
10	2003 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	6 July
11	2003 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	20 July
12	2003 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	3 August
13	2003 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	24 August
14	2003 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	14 September
15	2003 United States Grand Prix	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis	28 September
16	2003 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	12 October