2003 Brazilian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Giancarlo Fisichella earned his first Formula 1 victory in a chaotic, rain-soaked Brazilian Grand Prix, although confirmation came five days after the race. A timing review overturned the provisional result and awarded Jordan a remarkable win ahead of Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Pole time	1:13.807
Fastest lap	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:22.032 on lap 46
First	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan
Second	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren
Third	Fernando Alonso	Renault

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
4 April 2003	Optional private testing (participating teams)	08:30–10:30
4 April 2003	Practice 1	11:00
4 April 2003	First qualifying	14:00
5 April 2003	Practice 2	09:00
5 April 2003	Practice 3	10:15
5 April 2003	Warm-up	13:30
5 April 2003	Final qualifying	14:00
6 April 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 3 leading the 2003 F1 World Championship on 16 points, with David Coulthard on 10. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 26 points.

The season’s single wet-weather tyre specification per supplier became a major talking point as heavy rain hit Interlagos. The weekend would also expose the complexity of the red-flag countback rule, with the final result depending on exactly which lap the leader had begun when the race was stopped.

Race entries

The regular 20 drivers remained in place, with Rubens Barrichello, Antonio Pizzonia and da Cristiano da Matta racing at home. Justin Wilson had recovered sufficiently to take part after the physical problems that ended his Malaysian Grand Prix, while the four restricted-testing teams again had additional morning running available.

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

Torrential rain made Friday practice hazardous. Michael Schumacher was quickest, but four drivers recorded no time and Kimi Räikkönen narrowly avoided the barriers after spinning just out of the pits. Antonio Pizzonia crashed heavily on his first timed lap, stopping the session, and Fernando Alonso later touched a wall. The conditions raised serious concerns before the afternoon’s single-lap qualifying.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2003 Brazilian Grand Prix FP1, 4 April 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:28.060	9
2	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.128s	10
3	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.843s	10
4	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.547s	4
5	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+2.825s	10
6	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+3.402s	6
7	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+3.458s	5
8	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+3.488s	6
9	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+4.543s	7
10	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+5.071s	9
11	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+5.654s	3
12	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+6.953s	9
13	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+9.166s	3
14	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+10.668s	7
15	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+20.299s	8
16	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	+29.723s	3
17	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	No time	2
18	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	No time	2
19	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	No time	2
20	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	No time	3

First qualifying

Mark Webber took the fastest time in Friday’s wet qualifying as the track improved, narrowly ahead of Rubens Barrichello. Jenson Button aquaplaned and damaged his BAR without recording a time, causing an interruption. Drivers had discussed seeking a cancellation if the conditions failed to improve, but the session went ahead as the rain eased.

First Qualifying Classification

2003 Brazilian Grand Prix First Qualifying, 4 April 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:23.111	3
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:23.249	3
3	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:24.607	3
4	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:24.655	3
5	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:25.585	3
6	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:25.614	3
7	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:25.672	3
8	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	1:25.764	3
9	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:26.203	3
10	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:26.375	3
11	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:26.554	3
12	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:26.557	3
13	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:26.709	3
14	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:26.726	3
15	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	1:26.886	3
16	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:27.111	3
17	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:27.961	3
18	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	1:28.083	3
19	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	1:28.317	3
20	17	Jenson Button	BAR	No time	2

Saturday practice

Saturday’s opening session began on a wet circuit that gradually dried. Rubens Barrichello went fastest as the drivers finally gained useful dry-weather experience. That transition mattered after Friday’s downpour, because the decisive qualifying session required the teams to choose a race set-up despite uncertainty over Sunday’s weather.

Olivier Panis set the fastest Saturday lap in the final morning session, an encouraging result for Toyota. Several drivers spun without damaging their cars as they explored the improving grip. The much quicker dry times bore little relation to Friday’s wet running, making this the most useful preparation for the afternoon’s grid-deciding lap.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

2003 Brazilian Grand Prix Saturday Practice, 5 April 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:13.457	36
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.089s	32
3	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.164s	30
4	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.436s	33
5	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.472s	34
6	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.489s	31
7	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.536s	34
8	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+0.645s	42
9	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.735s	35
10	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.752s	41
11	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+0.767s	33
12	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+1.007s	44
13	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	+1.054s	42
14	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.066s	43
15	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.287s	35
16	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.362s	37
17	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.464s	36
18	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	+2.018s	31
19	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+2.153s	33
20	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	+2.610s	25

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

Warm-up

Kimi Räikkönen headed the short pre-qualifying warm-up, followed by the Ferraris and David Coulthard. The session provided a final dry-track check before the teams committed to their qualifying fuel loads. With more rain possible for the race, a strong Saturday lap still left substantial uncertainty about Sunday’s demands.

Warm-up Classification

2003 Brazilian Grand Prix Warm-up, 5 April 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:13.886	4
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.116s	7
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.280s	6
4	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.367s	5
5	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.435s	5
6	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+0.698s	4
7	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.804s	7
8	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.833s	3
9	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+0.882s	5
10	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+0.887s	6
11	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.977s	6
12	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+1.027s	4
13	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.048s	4
14	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	+1.359s	4
15	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.405s	4
16	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.466s	6
17	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.515s	5
18	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	+2.229s	4
19	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+2.858s	3
20	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	+3.049s	4

Final qualifying

Rubens Barrichello claimed pole in dry conditions on Saturday, with David Coulthard alongside and Mark Webber third. Kimi Räikkönen took fourth, while Michael Schumacher was seventh after a small error. Giancarlo Fisichella qualified eighth, placing Jordan within reach of an opportunity if the forecast rain returned.

Final Qualifying Classification

2003 Brazilian Grand Prix Final Qualifying, 5 April 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:13.807	3
2	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:13.818	3
3	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:13.851	3
4	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:13.866	3
5	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:13.953	3
6	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:14.124	3
7	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:14.130	3
8	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:14.191	3
9	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:14.223	3
10	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:14.384	3
11	17	Jenson Button	BAR	1:14.504	3
12	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:14.631	3
13	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:14.668	3
14	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:14.839	3
15	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:14.839	3
16	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	1:15.240	3
17	15	Antônio Pizzonia	Jaguar	1:15.317	3
18	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:15.641	3
19	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	1:16.542	3
20	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	1:16.586	3

Jenson Button was left without a time in Q1 because he drove off the track and stopped the attempt.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Olivier Panis set identical lap times in Q2. Since Frentzen set the time ahead of Panis, he was ranked ahead of him.

What happened in the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix?

Heavy rain delayed the start, and the race began behind the Safety Car. A stream of water across the circuit caused repeated aquaplaning accidents, eliminating Juan Pablo Montoya, Antonio Pizzonia, Michael Schumacher, Jos Verstappen and Jenson Button. Ralph Firman’s suspension failure sent him into Olivier Panis, while further Safety Car periods continually reshaped the race.

Rubens Barrichello took the lead but stopped after running out of fuel following a calculation problem. Giancarlo Fisichella then passed Kimi Räikkönen for first. Mark Webber crashed heavily near the main straight, and Fernando Alonso struck debris from the Jaguar in a separate major accident. The race was red-flagged, with Fernando Alonso taken to hospital and Giancarlo Fisichella’s Jordan catching fire after returning to the pits.

Kimi Räikkönen was initially declared the winner, but a subsequent timing investigation established that Giancarlo Fisichella had begun lap 56 before the stoppage. The countback therefore placed Giancarlo Fisichella first at the end of lap 54, ahead of Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso. David Coulthard, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jacques Villeneuve, Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli completed the points in the corrected result, and Jordan celebrated its final Grand Prix victory.

After the race, Kimi Räikkönen headed the drivers’ standings with 24 points, followed by David Coulthard on 15. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 39, with Renault on 23.

2003 Brazilian Grand Prix race results

The 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix was held on 6 April 2003, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	54	1:31:17.748	10
2	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	54	+0.945	8
3	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	54	+6.348	6
4	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	54	+8.096	5
5	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	54	+8.642	4
6	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	54	+16.054	3
7	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	54	+38.526	2
8	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	54	+45.927	1
9	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	53	Accident	0
10	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	53	+1 lap	0
Ret	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	46	Out of fuel	0
Ret	17	Jenson Button	BAR	32	Accident	0
Ret	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	30	Spin	0
Ret	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	26	Accident	0
Ret	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	24	Accident	0
Ret	15	Antônio Pizzonia	Jaguar	24	Accident	0
Ret	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	17	Collision	0
Ret	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	17	Suspension/collision	0
Ret	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	15	Spin	0
Ret	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	8	Engine	0

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Ralph Firman, Antônio Pizzonia and Jos Verstappen started from the pit lane.

2003 Brazilian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	46	1:22.032	189.101
2	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	53	1:23.089	186.696
3	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	40	1:23.132	186.599
4	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	51	1:23.454	185.879
5	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	41	1:23.770	185.178
6	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	18	1:24.040	184.583
7	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	39	1:24.104	184.443
8	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	48	1:24.463	183.659
9	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	46	1:24.778	182.976
10	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	50	1:24.956	182.593
11	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	43	1:25.036	182.421
12	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	24	1:25.814	180.767
13	17	Jenson Button	BAR	17	1:26.042	180.288
14	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	47	1:27.080	178.139
15	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	24	1:27.990	176.297
16	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	25	1:28.010	176.257
17	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	15	1:28.023	176.231
18	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	13	1:29.159	173.985
19	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	17	1:30.494	171.419
20	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	4	2:11.396	118.058

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 Brazilian Grand Prix.

2003 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	24
2	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	15
3	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	14
4	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Jordan	10
5	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Renault	9
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	8
7	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	8
8	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	8
9	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	8
10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Sauber	7
11	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	3
12	Jenson Button	British	BAR	2
13	Nick Heidfeld	German	Sauber	1
14	Mark Webber	Australian	Jaguar	0
15	Cristiano da Matta	Brazilian	Toyota	0
16	Ralph Firman	Irish	Jordan	0
17	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Minardi	0
–	Antônio Pizzonia	Brazilian	Jaguar	0
–	Olivier Panis	French	Toyota	0
–	Justin Wilson	British	Minardi	0

2003 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	McLaren	39
2	Renault	23
3	Ferrari	16
4	Williams	16
5	Jordan	10
6	Sauber	8
7	BAR	5
8	Jaguar	0
9	Toyota	0
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