2003 Italian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher answered his championship rivals with victory at Monza, beating Juan Pablo Montoya in a tense Italian Grand Prix. Rubens Barrichello held off Kimi Räikkönen for third to complete a valuable afternoon for Ferrari.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Pole time	1:20.963
Fastest lap	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:21.832 on lap 14
First	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Second	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams
Third	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
12 September 2003	Optional private testing (participating teams)	08:30–10:30
12 September 2003	Practice 1	11:00
12 September 2003	First qualifying	14:00
13 September 2003	Practice 2	09:00
13 September 2003	Practice 3	10:15
13 September 2003	Warm-up	13:30
13 September 2003	Final qualifying	14:00
14 September 2003	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 14 leading the 2003 F1 World Championship on 72 points, with Juan Pablo Montoya on 71. Williams headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 129 points.

Race entries

Zsolt Baumgartner continued at Jordan while Ralph Firman recovered from his Hungarian practice accident. Ralf Schumacher began the weekend after a testing crash, but was declared unfit to continue on Saturday. Williams test driver Marc Gené took over for the remainder of the event.

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

Rubens Barrichello headed a Ferrari one-two in Friday practice, giving the home supporters an encouraging start. Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya remained close enough to suggest another tight contest. Ralf Schumacher returned to the cockpit after his testing accident and finished ninth, while Jacques Villeneuve spun during the session.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2003 Italian Grand Prix FP1, 12 September 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:21.001	18
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.151s	15
3	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.317s	19
4	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.555s	22
5	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.674s	24
6	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+0.880s	24
7	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.912s	27
8	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.099s	18
9	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+1.311s	22
10	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.334s	17
11	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+1.367s	22
12	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.583s	20
13	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.820s	16
14	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.928s	13
15	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+2.150s	13
16	15	Justin Wilson	Jaguar	+2.477s	11
17	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+2.793s	16
18	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+3.651s	14
19	12	Zsolt Baumgartner	Jordan	+3.890s	22
20	18	Nicolas Kiesa	Minardi	+5.902s	3

First qualifying

Juan Pablo Montoya headed Friday qualifying ahead of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher. That gave the Colombian the last run on Saturday, an appealing position with the championship’s leading three drivers separated by only two points.

First Qualifying Classification

2003 Italian Grand Prix First Qualifying, 12 September 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:20.656	3
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:20.784	3
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:21.268	3
4	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:21.829	3
5	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:21.966	3
6	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:21.966	3
7	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:22.034	3
8	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:22.103	3
9	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:22.203	3
10	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:22.372	3
11	17	Jenson Button	BAR	1:22.495	3
12	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:22.547	3
13	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:22.858	3
14	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:23.154	3
15	15	Justin Wilson	Jaguar	1:23.609	3
16	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:24.179	3
17	12	Zsolt Baumgartner	Jordan	1:24.872	3
18	18	Nicolas Kiesa	Minardi	1:26.299	3
19	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	No time	3

Saturday practice

Michael Schumacher led Rubens Barrichello in the first Saturday session under cool, overcast skies. Gené settled quickly into the Williams after being told that morning he would replace Ralf Schumacher, finishing close behind Juan Pablo Montoya. The substitute’s familiarity with the car helped him make immediate progress.

Free Practice 2 Classification

2003 Italian Grand Prix FP2, 13 September 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:21.623	13
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.523s	15
3	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.929s	17
4	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+1.019s	19
5	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+1.023s	18
6	4	Marc Gene	Williams	+1.062s	21
7	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+1.095s	14
8	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.108s	18
9	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.112s	16
10	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.497s	19
11	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.689s	12
12	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.949s	17
13	15	Justin Wilson	Jaguar	+2.332s	16
14	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+2.511s	13
15	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+2.831s	17
16	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+3.571s	12
17	18	Nicolas Kiesa	Minardi	+4.247s	18
18	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+4.311s	15
19	12	Zsolt Baumgartner	Jordan	+4.672s	17
20	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	No time	4

Juan Pablo Montoya went fastest as temperatures rose in the second Saturday session, narrowly beating Michael Schumacher. Gené improved to third with a late run, giving Williams further encouragement. Olivier Panis’s engine failed with only a few minutes remaining, leaving oil on a fast section and interrupting the running.

Free Practice 3 Classification

2003 Italian Grand Prix FP3, 13 September 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:21.468	11
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.118s	15
3	4	Marc Gene	Williams	+0.460s	16
4	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.623s	15
5	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.640s	15
6	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.666s	10
7	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+0.853s	14
8	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.865s	16
9	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.910s	21
10	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.931s	16
11	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.438s	18
12	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.727s	20
13	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+1.826s	22
14	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.993s	20
15	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+2.378s	17
16	15	Justin Wilson	Jaguar	+2.581s	24
17	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+3.159s	18
18	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+3.369s	17
19	12	Zsolt Baumgartner	Jordan	+4.448s	17
20	18	Nicolas Kiesa	Minardi	+4.692s	11

Warm-up

Rubens Barrichello headed Juan Pablo Montoya and Jenson Button in the warm-up. Ferrari and Williams remained closely matched as the drivers completed their final checks, while Gené continued the compressed preparation for his first Grand Prix start since his Minardi days.

Warm-up Classification

2003 Italian Grand Prix Warm-up, 13 September 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:21.633	4
2	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.186s	5
3	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.829s	7
4	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+0.839s	7
5	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.847s	5
6	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.879s	4
7	4	Marc Gene	Williams	+0.901s	4
8	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.948s	4
9	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.958s	6
10	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.462s	5
11	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+1.637s	7
12	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+1.745s	6
13	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.749s	6
14	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.834s	6
15	15	Justin Wilson	Jaguar	+1.968s	6
16	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+2.524s	6
17	12	Zsolt Baumgartner	Jordan	+4.730s	7
18	18	Nicolas Kiesa	Minardi	+5.751s	4
19	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+6.273s	4
20	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	No time	3

Final qualifying

Michael Schumacher claimed pole ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya, setting up a direct front-row contest between the two leading title contenders. Rubens Barrichello and Kimi Räikkönen filled the second row, while Gené qualified fifth in an impressive response to his late call-up.

Final Qualifying Classification

2003 Italian Grand Prix Final Qualifying, 13 September 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:20.963	3
2	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:21.014	3
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:21.242	3
4	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:21.466	3
5	4	Marc Gené	Williams	1:21.834	3
6	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:21.944	3
7	17	Jenson Button	BAR	1:22.301	3
8	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:22.471	3
9	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:22.488	3
10	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:22.717	3
11	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:22.754	3
12	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:22.914	3
13	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:22.992	3
14	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:23.216	3
15	15	Justin Wilson	Jaguar	1:23.484	3
16	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:23.803	3
17	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	1:25.078	3
18	12	Zsolt Baumgartner	Jordan	1:25.881	3
19	18	Nicolas Kiesa	Minardi	1:26.778	3
20	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:40.405	3
	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:21.834	3

Earlier in September, Ralf Schumacher had crashed during a private test session at Monza. He was cleared by Formula One’s race doctor Sid Watkins and participated in Friday testing and qualifying, but together with his team, the German decided to step back and let third driver Marc Gené stand in, ahead of the sessions on Saturday.

Jos Verstappen did not set a time in Q1 due to engine problems.

Fernando Alonso spun coming out of the first corner due to a problem with his traction control.

Ralf Schumacher initially set a lap time in Q1 (1:21.965), but his time was removed after cutting the first chicane on his flying lap.

What happened in the 2003 Italian Grand Prix?

Michael Schumacher held the lead through the first chicane, then resisted Juan Pablo Montoya’s attack into the second. Jarno Trulli made a rapid start but retired on the opening lap with a hydraulic problem. Fernando Alonso struck Justin Wilson’s stalled Jaguar on the grid and needed a new front wing before beginning his recovery.

Juan Pablo Montoya stayed in touch but could not find another clear opportunity. Schumacher retained the advantage through the stops, although Gené briefly passing the Ferrari while still owing a stop caused confusion over the lead. Traffic cost Juan Pablo Montoya time later in the race, allowing Schumacher some breathing space.

Michael Schumacher won ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya, with Rubens Barrichello resisting Kimi Räikkönen for third. Gené finished fifth, turning his substitute appearance into a strong points result. Jacques Villeneuve and Mark Webber followed, while Fernando Alonso recovered the final point. Schumacher extended his championship lead with two races remaining.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 82 points, followed by Juan Pablo Montoya on 79. Williams led the constructors’ table on 141, with Ferrari on 137.

2003 Italian Grand Prix race results

The 2003 Italian Grand Prix was held on 14 September 2003, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	53	1:14:19.838	10
2	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	53	+5.294	8
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	53	+11.835	6
4	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	53	+12.834	5
5	4	Marc Gené	Williams	53	+27.891	4
6	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	52	+1 Lap	3
7	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	52	+1 Lap	2
8	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	52	+1 Lap	1
9	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	52	+1 Lap	0
10	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	52	+1 Lap	0
11	12	Zsolt Baumgartner	Jordan	51	+2 Laps	0
12	18	Nicolas Kiesa	Minardi	51	+2 Laps	0
13	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	50	Transmission	0
Ret	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	45	Fuel pressure	0
Ret	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	35	Brakes	0
Ret	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	27	Oil leak	0
Ret	17	Jenson Button	BAR	24	Gearbox	0
Ret	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	3	Tyre/Spun off	0
Ret	15	Justin Wilson	Jaguar	2	Gearbox	0
Ret	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	0	Hydraulics	0

Giancarlo Fisichella started the race from the pitlane.

2003 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	14	1:21.832	254.848
2	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	32	1:22.032	254.227
3	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	31	1:22.126	253.936
4	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	13	1:22.171	253.797
5	4	Marc Gene	Williams	12	1:22.413	253.052
6	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	10	1:22.427	253.009
7	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	13	1:23.039	251.144
8	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	47	1:23.195	250.673
9	17	Jenson Button	BAR	13	1:23.225	250.583
10	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	10	1:23.303	250.348
11	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	14	1:23.518	249.704
12	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	10	1:23.778	248.929
13	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	9	1:24.225	247.608
14	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	52	1:25.133	244.967
15	12	Zsolt Baumgartner	Jordan	38	1:25.549	243.776
16	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	22	1:25.816	243.017
17	18	Nicolas Kiesa	Minardi	49	1:26.127	242.140
18	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	3	1:26.148	242.081
19	15	Justin Wilson	Jaguar	2	1:59.265	174.861

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 Italian Grand Prix.

2003 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	82
2	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	79
3	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	75
4	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	58
5	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	55
6	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	55
7	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	45
8	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Renault	24
9	Mark Webber	Australian	Jaguar	17
10	Jenson Button	British	BAR	12
11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Jordan	10
12	Cristiano da Matta	Brazilian	Toyota	8
13	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Sauber	7
14	Olivier Panis	French	Toyota	6
15	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	6
16	Marc Gené	Spanish	Williams	4
17	Nick Heidfeld	German	Sauber	2
18	Ralph Firman	Irish	Jordan	1
19	Antônio Pizzonia	Brazilian	Jaguar	0
20	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Minardi	0
21	Justin Wilson	British	Minardi / Jaguar	0
22	Zsolt Baumgartner	Hungarian	Jordan	0
23	Nicolas Kiesa	Danish	Minardi	0

2003 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Williams	141
2	Ferrari	137
3	McLaren	120
4	Renault	79
5	BAR	18
6	Jaguar	17
7	Toyota	14
8	Jordan	11
9	Sauber	9
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