Montoya's pole turned into a collision at turn four, and a late-race charge by Ralf Schumacher ended 0.588 seconds short of Ferrari.
The 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix, held at Interlagos on 31 March 2002, was won by Michael Schumacher of Ferrari from second on the grid. Ralf Schumacher finished second, 0.588 seconds behind, and Coulthard third. The race was the only South American round of the season.
Michael Schumacher won the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix from second on the grid, beating his brother Ralf by 0.588 seconds at Interlagos. Juan Pablo Montoya had taken pole for Williams, but an early collision at turn four removed him from contention, and Schumacher's win became his second of the season.
Who won the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix?
Schumacher won the 71-lap race for Ferrari, with Ralf Schumacher second for Williams and David Coulthard third for McLaren. The victory was Schumacher's second of the season and his 55th in Formula One, and it came in the only South American round of the year.
Michelin-shod teams were expected to dominate in the warm asphalt temperatures, and Schumacher took the lead at the start, but Montoya tried to retake it in the opening laps. He drove his front wing into the left-rear wheel of Schumacher's car, which ended his chance of winning, although he kept going with the damage.
An early collision at turn four ended Montoya's race, and Schumacher's margin over his brother was just 0.588 seconds.
Why did Montoya's pole not lead to a win?
Montoya's pole was his first of the season and fourth of his career, set at 1:13.114. He held the lead until he let his teammate Rubens Barrichello through on lap 14, because Barrichello was on a lighter fuel load and a one-stop strategy.
Montoya retired three laps later after a loss of hydraulic pressure, having been in contention for the win until that point. Schumacher retook the lead and kept it for most of the race, and Ralf pressed him hard in the final laps before finishing 0.588 seconds behind.
What did the Interlagos circuit and entry look like?
The Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Sao Paulo is a 4.309 km (2.677 mi) anti-clockwise circuit with a blind left-hand turn at Descida do Sol, and it was the only event held in South America that season. The race was the third of seventeen rounds, and it took place before a crowd of 120,000.
Eleven teams entered with two drivers each, with no changes from the season entry list. Phoenix Finance had attempted to enter at the Malaysian Grand Prix but did not file an application for Brazil, and Bridgestone and Michelin brought two new dry compounds to the event.
How did the championship stand before the race?
Michael Schumacher led the drivers' table with 14 points, ahead of Montoya on 12 and Ralf Schumacher on 10. Williams led the constructors' table with 22 points, eight ahead of Ferrari in second and ten ahead of McLaren in third.
Ralf Schumacher said he was convinced Williams would beat Ferrari in Brazil after testing. Montoya had led the 2001 race until the rear of his car was hit by Arrows' lapped Jos Verstappen, and Michael Schumacher said he was more optimistic about winning than ever with the F2002, although early points mattered. Ferrari had launched its new F2002 that weekend, after problems had delayed its debut from the Australian round. Michael Schumacher received one F2002 chassis, while Barrichello used a modified F2001, and the FIA granted Ferrari four extra sets of tyres because the F2002 wheels did not fit the older spare car.
What did the teams test before Brazil?
Nine of the eleven teams tested at the Catalunya circuit in Spain from 19 to 22 March, after the Malaysian Grand Prix. Jaguar used the test to decide between its R2 and R3 chassis, and it kept the R3 after the test team performed poorly on the new car.
McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz was fastest on the first and second days, Michael Schumacher led on the third, and Barrichello set the pace on the final day. Arrows did not test because its car could not be sent to Europe, and Minardi stayed away because its new engine did not fit its previous car.
How did the Friday practice sessions go?
The first session took place on a dusty, bumpy track in sunny and hot conditions, and several drivers lost control of their cars. Michael Schumacher set the fastest time of 1:15.627, one second ahead of Ralf Schumacher, with Fisichella, Heidfeld, Massa, Bernoldi, Button, Sato, Montoya and Frentzen completing the top ten.
Raikkonen stalled in the middle of the circuit after spinning at the blind left-hand Descida do Sol turn, which halted practice for six minutes while marshals removed the car. Sato stalled his car at turn four with a minute left, and Montoya suffered a rear tyre puncture that cost him a pair of tyres when he was denied a replacement.
Coulthard was fastest in the second session at 1:15.075, and Montoya was second with Ralf Schumacher fourth. McNish was third on a light fuel load, and Raikkonen, Barrichello, Button, Villeneuve and de la Rosa completed the top ten. Michael Schumacher spun under braking at turn one and stopped with his rear wing resting against the barrier, and the stewards later penalised Sato for leaving the pit lane under a red light.
What happened in the Saturday sessions?
Michael Schumacher was fastest again on Saturday morning, at 1:13.837 on his final lap. Raikkonen, Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Coulthard, Montoya, Button, Heidfeld, Massa and Villeneuve were in positions two to ten behind him. Bernoldi had locked his front wheels leaving turn four earlier in the session and spun into turn five before continuing.
In the final practice session Ralf Schumacher set the fastest time of 1:13.543 with a minute left, 0.020 seconds ahead of Coulthard. Sato spun after hitting the kerbing at turn eight, and his front wing was removed. Massa's car then broke down at the side of the start-finish straight, which forced a red-flag suspension while marshals cleared the track. The stewards then cancelled the fastest qualifying laps of Barrichello and Sato because each had left the pit lane on a red light.
Qualifying highlights
| Position | Driver | Qualifying note |
|---|---|---|
| Pole | Juan Pablo Montoya | 1:13.114, his first pole of the season and fourth of his career |
| Second | Michael Schumacher | Trailed pole by 0.127 seconds after a slide on his final run |
| Third | Ralf Schumacher | Found a decent racing set-up after early pace |
| Fourth | David Coulthard | One place higher than the previous year |
| Fifth | Kimi Raikkonen | Switched to the spare McLaren after a hydraulic failure |
| Sixth | Jarno Trulli | Encountered slower cars on all of his runs |
| Ninth | Nick Heidfeld | Water leak forced him into the spare Sauber, which had a recurring brake issue |
| Tenth | Mika Salo | Tenth for the second consecutive event |
Villeneuve was the faster of the two BAR drivers in 15th, while Panis struggled to improve his set-up from the morning practice and took 17th because of a lack of power. McNish struck a kerb on his final run and finished 16th, and Frentzen had understeer and oversteer on all four runs to take 18th. Sato, 19th, said his penalty had cost him one fewer fast lap, and Bernoldi in 21st reported excess oversteer. Yoong, 22nd, could not find the balance to go quicker.
How did qualifying settle the grid?
Qualifying was held in sunny and very hot weather, and no driver went on track until 20 minutes had passed. Montoya took the lead halfway through and secured pole with a lap of 1:13.114 on his third run, after tweaks to his car's race set-up improved its balance.
Michael Schumacher completed nine of his twelve laps and finished 0.127 seconds behind, after a slide on his third and final run late in the session. He was the only Bridgestone-shod runner in the top seven places, and the rear wing change did not make his car faster.
Ralf Schumacher was the early pace setter and took third, while Coulthard was pleased with the MP4-17's balance on a full fuel load. Irvine qualified 13th, driving a more balanced Jaguar R3, while Fisichella was not competitive in 14th. Webber qualified 20th after changing his set-up, and he felt he could have improved at turn four.
What happened at the warm-up?
Michael Schumacher was fastest in the half-hour warm-up at 1:15.866, with De la Rosa, Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher, Montoya, Barrichello, Coulthard, Frentzen, McNish and Bernoldi filling out the top ten. Webber and Yoong collided at the Senna S chicane, and Yoong then spun off at turn seven.
Bernoldi's car slammed into the tyre wall at the foot of the Senna S hill, and its oil tank split, setting the rear alight. A red flag was shown as the medical car went to the scene. Heidfeld could not slow in time and hit the medical car's left-front door as Ribeiro opened it. Nobody was hurt. The session paused for ten minutes while a replacement medical car was brought out, and the stewards let Heidfeld off without a penalty.
How did the race start?
The race began at 14:00 local time in dry and hot conditions, with the air at 31 C (88 F) and the track at 38 to 40 C (100 to 104 F). Montoya pressed Michael Schumacher on the inside towards the pit lane barrier, but Schumacher had a faster start because of his new launch control system.
Montoya braked later to stay ahead, ran wide at the chicane exit, and Schumacher pulled alongside him through turn three. Schumacher then took the best line around Curva do Sol and passed Montoya. Montoya slipstreamed him down the back straight and tried to pass on the inside, but when he swung right his front wing struck the Ferrari's left-rear tyre and failed beneath his front-left wheel.
Carbon fibre debris flew back among the field, and Fisichella and McNish ran over it. Montoya stayed on track but was forced into an unscheduled stop for a replacement front wing and debris removal, the second straight race in which that had happened. At the end of lap one Schumacher led his brother Ralf by 1.5 seconds, with Trulli and Button third and fourth.
How did the race end?
Ralf Schumacher stayed close and pressed for a pass in the closing laps, but Schumacher finished 0.588 seconds ahead of him. Coulthard completed the podium in third for McLaren.
Barrichello's one-stop strategy had brought him past Coulthard for fifth on lap two, and Schumacher's two-stop plan kept him in front during the race. The winning margin was narrow, but it was enough to put Schumacher ahead in the championship.
What did the Brazilian win mean for the title?
Schumacher's victory put him eight points clear of Ralf Schumacher in the drivers' table, with Montoya third and ten points behind. Fourteen races remained in the season, and the table was still tight behind him.
Ferrari cut Williams' lead in the constructors' table to six points. Coulthard had said he hoped to win the Brazilian race for a second year running, and he also wanted his first points of the season after two retirements. The win was Schumacher's 55th in Formula One, and it reinforced his position as the season's leading driver.