2003 Monaco Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Juan Pablo Montoya held off Kimi Räikkönen to win a tense Monaco Grand Prix, ending a victory drought stretching back to Monza in 2001. Michael Schumacher completed the podium after the leading contenders fought their strategic battle through the pit stops.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Ralf Schumacher	Williams
Pole time	1:15.259
Fastest lap	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren
Fastest-lap time	1:14.545 on lap 49
First	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams
Second	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren
Third	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
29 May 2003	Optional private testing (participating teams)	08:30–10:30
29 May 2003	Practice 1	11:00
29 May 2003	First qualifying	14:00
31 May 2003	Practice 2	09:00
31 May 2003	Practice 3	10:15
31 May 2003	Warm-up	13:30
31 May 2003	Final qualifying	14:00
1 June 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 7 leading the 2003 F1 World Championship on 40 points, with Michael Schumacher on 38. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 64 points.

Race entries

The usual 20 drivers began the weekend, but Jenson Button’s heavy Saturday practice accident ruled him out of qualifying and the race. BAR consequently had only Jacques Villeneuve on the grid.

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.

Thursday practice

Mark Webber put Jaguar on top in Thursday practice with a late improvement, narrowly beating Jenson Button. The revised Swimming Pool area offered more escape space, which Juan Pablo Montoya and Antonio Pizzonia both used, while Justin Wilson and Ralph Firman ran wide at Sainte Dévote. Jarno Trulli joined the session late after Renault repaired damage from his crash in the earlier private test.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2003 Monaco Grand Prix FP1, 29 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:16.373	21
2	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.103s	25
3	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.132s	25
4	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.205s	17
5	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.427s	14
6	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.542s	33
7	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+0.557s	20
8	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.800s	22
9	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.845s	22
10	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.999s	31
11	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.177s	27
12	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.337s	25
13	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.438s	21
14	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	+1.540s	15
15	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+1.666s	26
16	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	+1.760s	21
17	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+2.287s	24
18	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	+2.579s	19
19	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+2.653s	21
20	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+3.583s	29

First qualifying

Michael Schumacher headed Thursday qualifying ahead of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button. Ferrari secured the last two running slots for Saturday, but the opening order offered no guarantee of pole once the drivers carried their chosen race fuel loads.

First Qualifying Classification

2003 Monaco Grand Prix First Qualifying, 29 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:16.305	3
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:16.636	3
3	17	Jenson Button	BAR	1:16.895	3
4	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:16.905	3
5	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:17.059	3
6	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:17.063	3
7	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:17.080	3
8	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:17.108	3
9	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:17.637	4
10	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:17.912	3
11	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:17.926	3
12	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:18.109	3
13	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	1:18.286	3
14	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:18.370	3
15	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	1:18.967	3
16	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	1:19.421	3
17	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	1:19.680	3
18	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:19.903	3
19	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:20.374	3
20	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	No time	2

Saturday practice

Kimi Räikkönen set the pace in Saturday’s opening session, comfortably ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya and Mark Webber. Fernando Alonso’s morning was much less straightforward: after a scare at Rascasse, he crashed at the Swimming Pool, damaging the Renault’s front wing and right-front suspension. The mechanics faced a hurried repair before the next session.

David Coulthard went quickest in the second Saturday session, but Jenson Button’s violent accident dominated the morning. The BAR struck the barriers after the tunnel and the session was stopped while he received medical attention. Jacques Villeneuve also crashed at the Swimming Pool, making it a difficult morning for the team, while Fernando Alonso returned after his earlier damage.

Saturday Practice Classification — Combined

2003 Monaco Grand Prix Saturday Practice, 31 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:14.747	24
2	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.351s	29
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.508s	25
4	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.556s	35
5	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.770s	31
6	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.857s	32
7	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+1.114s	30
8	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+1.139s	39
9	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+1.564s	27
10	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+2.063s	34
11	17	Jenson Button	BAR	+2.148s	27
12	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	+2.366s	39
13	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+2.485s	38
14	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+2.543s	21
15	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+2.939s	38
16	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	+3.239s	28
17	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+3.354s	25
18	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+3.420s	29
19	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+3.678s	32
20	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	+3.859s	29

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

Warm-up

David Coulthard remained fastest in the short warm-up, with Kimi Räikkönen close behind and Fernando Alonso third. McLaren therefore approached qualifying with both cars showing strong pace. Fernando Alonso’s return to the front was particularly encouraging after his earlier crash, whereas Jenson Button would take no further part in the weekend.

Warm-up Classification

2003 Monaco Grand Prix Warm-up, 31 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:15.596	6
2	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.202s	6
3	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.335s	8
4	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.456s	4
5	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.531s	6
6	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.717s	6
7	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+0.838s	5
8	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+1.158s	7
9	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	+1.390s	6
10	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+1.406s	6
11	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.720s	6
12	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	+1.867s	6
13	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	+2.457s	7
14	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+2.527s	9
15	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+3.149s	8
16	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	+3.835s	5
17	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	+3.921s	6
18	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	+4.109s	4
19	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	+5.074s	7

Final qualifying

Ralf Schumacher claimed pole ahead of Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya, putting Williams in a strong position for the race. Jarno Trulli took fourth, with Michael Schumacher fifth. Around a circuit where overtaking was so difficult, the first corner and the timing of the pit stops promised to be crucial.

Final Qualifying Classification

2003 Monaco Grand Prix Final Qualifying, 31 May 2003

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:15.259	3
2	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:15.295	3
3	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:15.415	3
4	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:15.500	3
5	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:15.644	3
6	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:15.700	3
7	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:15.820	3
8	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:15.884	3
9	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:16.237	3
10	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:16.744	3
11	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	1:16.755	3
12	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	1:16.967	3
13	15	Antônio Pizzonia	Jaguar	1:17.103	3
14	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	1:17.176	3
15	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:17.402	3
16	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	1:17.452	3
17	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:17.464	3
18	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	1:18.706	3
19	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	1:20.063	3
20	17	Jenson Button	BAR	No time	—

Jenson Button was left without a time in Q2 after a spin in Saturday’s practice.

What happened in the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix?

Ralf Schumacher led away while Juan Pablo Montoya passed Kimi Räikkönen to make it a Williams one-two. Heinz-Harald Frentzen crashed at the Swimming Pool on the opening lap, bringing out the Safety Car. Once racing resumed, the leading trio pulled clear as Jarno Trulli held fourth ahead of Michael Schumacher.

Juan Pablo Montoya stayed close to Ralf Schumacher and used an extra lap before his first stop to move ahead. Kimi Räikkönen also emerged in front of the pole-sitter, while Michael Schumacher passed Jarno Trulli through the stops. The second pit-stop sequence brought the Ferrari ahead of Ralf Schumacher too, but Kimi Räikkönen could not quite overturn Juan Pablo Montoya’s advantage.

Juan Pablo Montoya kept his composure as Kimi Räikkönen followed closely and Michael Schumacher reduced the gap behind them. The Colombian secured a memorable Monaco victory, with Ralf Schumacher fourth. Fernando Alonso used his strategy to climb to fifth ahead of Jarno Trulli and David Coulthard, while Rubens Barrichello collected the final point.

After the race, Kimi Räikkönen headed the drivers’ standings with 48 points, followed by Michael Schumacher on 44. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 73, with Ferrari on 71.

2003 Monaco Grand Prix race results

The 2003 Monaco Grand Prix was held on 1 June 2003, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	78	1:42:19.010	10
2	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	78	+ 0.602	8
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	78	+ 1.720	6
4	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	78	+ 28.518	5
5	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	78	+ 36.251	4
6	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	78	+ 40.972	3
7	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	78	+ 41.227	2
8	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	78	+ 53.266	1
9	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	77	+ 1 Lap	0
10	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	77	+ 1 Lap	0
11	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	76	+ 2 Laps	0
12	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	76	+ 2 Laps	0
13	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	74	+ 4 Laps	0
Ret	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	63	Engine	0
Ret	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	29	Fuel system	0
Ret	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	28	Fuel system	0
Ret	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	16	Hydraulics	0
Ret	15	Antônio Pizzonia	Jaguar	10	Electrical	0
Ret	10	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	0	Accident	0
DNS	17	Jenson Button	BAR	—	Driver injured	0

2003 Monaco Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	49	1:14.545	161.298
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	30	1:14.707	160.948
3	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	77	1:14.768	160.817
4	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	47	1:14.902	160.529
5	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	59	1:15.307	159.666
6	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	58	1:15.397	159.475
7	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	51	1:15.439	159.387
8	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	51	1:15.679	158.881
9	21	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	51	1:16.282	157.625
10	16	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR	50	1:16.292	157.604
11	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Jordan	72	1:16.647	156.875
12	9	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber	75	1:16.835	156.491
13	12	Ralph Firman	Jordan	51	1:17.208	155.735
14	20	Olivier Panis	Toyota	70	1:17.777	154.595
15	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	13	1:18.004	154.145
16	19	Jos Verstappen	Minardi	25	1:19.146	151.921
17	18	Justin Wilson	Minardi	19	1:19.169	151.877
18	15	Antonio Pizzonia	Jaguar	8	1:19.437	151.365

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 Monaco Grand Prix.

2003 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	48
2	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	44
3	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	29
4	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	27
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	25
6	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	25
7	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	25
8	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Renault	13
9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Jordan	10
10	Jenson Button	British	BAR	8
11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Sauber	7
12	Mark Webber	Australian	Jaguar	4
13	Cristiano da Matta	Brazilian	Toyota	3
14	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	BAR	3
15	Nick Heidfeld	German	Sauber	1
16	Ralph Firman	Irish	Jordan	1
17	Olivier Panis	French	Toyota	0
18	Antônio Pizzonia	Brazilian	Jaguar	0
19	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Minardi	0
20	Justin Wilson	British	Minardi	0

2003 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	McLaren	73
2	Ferrari	71
3	Williams	50
4	Renault	42
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