2002 Hungarian Grand Prix: Barrichello Wins and Ferrari Seal the Constructors' Title

The 2002 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Ferrari one-two that clinched the team's fourth consecutive constructors' championship. Rubens Barrichello started from pole and won, with Michael Schumacher 0.434 seconds behind and Ralf Schumacher third, which left the rest of the field to fight over the places behind the two red cars.

What was at stake before the race?

Michael Schumacher had already won the drivers' championship at the French Grand Prix, and he led the table with 106 points, ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya on 40. Ferrari led the constructors' table on 141 points, 65 ahead of Williams, and only those two teams could still take the title.

Ferrari could secure its fourth consecutive constructors' title if it outscored Williams by more than one championship point in the remaining races. Michael Schumacher had won nine of the season's 12 races so far. Barrichello, meanwhile, was in a four-way fight for second in the drivers' table, and he saw the runner-up's spot as a useful target.

Barrichello's pole-to-flag win and Schumacher's track record gave Ferrari a one-two and a fourth straight constructors' title.

How did the teams prepare for the race?

There had been a three-week break after the German Grand Prix, and no in-season testing was permitted under a team agreement. Ferrari still ran its three F2002 cars with Luca Badoer at Fiorano, and teams concentrated on heat dissipation, which was a major issue at the Hungaroring because of the hot temperatures and the long start-finish straight.

Ferrari brought traction control updates, while McLaren held back the debut of a revised rear axle that its test driver Alexander Wurz had tested heavily. BAR fitted a new front wing to complete the aerodynamic upgrade of its 004 car, and Renault introduced a new qualifying engine and a new rear wing.

The field was also affected by off-track problems. The Arrows squad had been told to skip the race because of financial trouble, and its owner, Tom Walkinshaw, was in talks with shareholders about investment. The FIA threatened possible sanctions under the Concorde Agreement. Ten teams and 20 drivers entered as a result, and Minardi brought in Anthony Davidson, a BAR test driver, for two races after Alex Yoong had failed to qualify for three Grands Prix.

What did the practice sessions show?

Michael Schumacher topped all four practice sessions. He set 1:16.755 on Friday morning and 1:16.346 in the afternoon, then went quickest on Saturday morning at 1:14.329, the only lap inside the 1:14 bracket. His final session time of 1:14.308 kept him ahead of Barrichello.

The Friday running was messy. Massa lost his rear in the gravel at turn six in the first session, and Davidson's driveshaft failed. In the afternoon Heidfeld spun into the Armco and ended his session early, while Massa crashed into the turn four barrier and removed his rear wing. Montoya finished up in the turn nine gravel trap, and Coulthard struck a high kerb, causing an engine overheat that the team solved by topping up the cooling system.

Overnight rain on Friday removed the rubber and dust from the surface, and grip almost vanished. Teams waited for more rubber to be laid before running, and the session was still difficult. Button lost control at turn 11 at the end of the third session and hit the tyre barrier with his right-front. In the final session Fisichella almost hit the tyre wall at turn two but continued without damage.

How was the grid decided?

Barrichello took pole with his third of the season and his sixth in Formula One. Michael Schumacher was just 0.059 seconds slower in second, after making a minor mistake at turn 12. Williams took the second row, with Ralf Schumacher third after a setup change backfired and sent him off the circuit, and Montoya fourth on an imbalanced car.

Fisichella was fifth, which was the best qualifying result of the season for Jordan, and Trulli sixth. Massa was seventh and Heidfeld eighth after a setup tweak on his last run. Button had been fourth early on, but he spun 360 degrees with less than 30 minutes to go, obstructing three drivers, and finished ninth. Coulthard was tenth and Raikkonen eleventh, which was McLaren's worst qualifying since the 1997 Argentine Grand Prix.

Behind them came Panis in 12th, Villeneuve in 13th and Sato in 14th. De la Rosa was 15th, ahead of his Jaguar team-mate Irvine in 16th, and the Toyota pair of Salo and McNish took 17th and 18th. Webber was 19th for Minardi and Davidson 20th.

What happened in the warm-up?

The warm-up was hot and sunny. Michael Schumacher set the fastest time at 1:16.864, but he missed 18 minutes while the team adjusted the engine's electronic mapping. Barrichello spun rear-first into the gravel trap at turn 13 with three minutes left, and he abandoned the Ferrari there.

How did the race start?

The race began at 14:00 local time in front of 65,000 spectators, almost 40 per cent fewer than the previous year. Barrichello made a brisk getaway on the cleaner side and held the lead into the first turn, while his team-mate was on the dirtier line and held off Ralf Schumacher on the outside. Montoya made a slow start and lost places to Fisichella and Massa on the inside.

Button passed Montoya for sixth despite hitting the wheels at the exit of turn two. Montoya's car was damaged and understeered afterwards. Panis had the worst start, falling from 12th to 19th on the first lap, while Trulli lost three places. At the end of the first lap Barrichello led his team-mate by half a second.

How did the two Ferraris control the race?

The two Ferraris pulled away from the field, lapping about a second faster than the rest in the early laps. Ralf Schumacher was more than ten seconds behind by the end of the tenth lap. Overtaking was difficult on a dusty course, and there were no changes of position until lap 21.

That lap brought the first retirement, when Villeneuve's transmission seized as he reached the pit lane exit. On lap 22 Montoya drove wide over the kerbing at turn 11, damaging his bargeboards and sidepod fins. Losing those parts unbalanced his car, and he made an unscheduled stop of 9.2 seconds before rejoining in 18th. Irvine retired on lap 25 with a misfiring engine after running onto the escape road at turn two.

How did the pit stops play out?

The leaders made their first stops from lap 30, when Fisichella came in for his stop of 8.3 seconds. Michael Schumacher pitted on lap 31 and rejoined third, behind Ralf Schumacher. Barrichello came in at the end of the same lap, and he came back out just ahead of his team-mate, with Montoya close behind and unable to pass.

Button spun into the gravel on the opposite side of the circuit after lapping Davidson, and he retired. Ralf Schumacher stopped on lap 33 and returned third. Coulthard and Raikkonen stopped on laps 34 and 35, and their later stops gave them clear track. Once everyone had completed the first round, Barrichello led Michael Schumacher, with Ralf more than 20 seconds back.

The second round of stops began on lap 51, when Fisichella came in first among the leaders. Massa's second stop on lap 54 included a brief problem with the refuelling rig, and Salo was released into the path of De la Rosa in the pit lane. On lap 55 Ralf and Michael Schumacher made their second stops, and Barrichello stopped again on lap 56 and kept the lead. Coulthard and Raikkonen stopped between laps 59 and 61, while Davidson spun into the gravel on lap 61 and retired.

Who led the closing laps?

Michael Schumacher trailed Barrichello by five seconds until lap 72, when he set a new track record of 1:16.207, half a second quicker than Mika Hakkinen's 2001 lap. Barrichello led the final five laps and won by 0.434 seconds. It was his second win of the season and his third in Formula One.

Ralf Schumacher was third, 13 seconds behind the leaders, and Raikkonen finished fourth, too far behind to challenge for the podium. Coulthard was fifth after a car that felt inconsistent and nervous, and Fisichella took the last championship point in sixth.

Top classification

Why was Salo penalised?

Mika Salo received a 25-second time penalty after the stewards found that he had released his car unsafely into the path of Pedro de la Rosa in the pit lane. The penalty dropped him from 13th to 15th. De la Rosa felt Salo had room on the right and no reason to force him towards the pit barrier.

What did the result change in the championships?

Michael Schumacher's lead in the drivers' championship grew to 112 points. Barrichello's win moved him from fourth to second, with 45 points, while Ralf Schumacher and Montoya were tied on 40 each. Coulthard was fifth on 34.

In the constructors' table Ferrari reached 157 points, enough to clinch a fourth consecutive title. Williams stayed second on 80, McLaren were third on 54 and Renault fourth on 15, four points ahead of Sauber with four rounds remaining in the season.

How did the team bosses react?

Barrichello said the constructors' title was the most important thing to come out of the day. Michael Schumacher said the team had simply driven home safely without forcing anything, and that a car could easily be two or three seconds slower. Jean Todt, Ferrari's sporting director, described the result as the easiest one-two the team had ever achieved, and Ross Brawn blamed McLaren, Michelin and Williams for being off the pace.

Luca di Montezemolo called the fourth successive constructors' title the greatest moment in the history of the company, and McLaren's Ron Dennis put the team's better race down to higher air temperatures and Michelin tyres. Fisichella called the race tough, because his car understeered on a full tank, but he was happy with sixth.

Coulthard said Montoya received too much publicity and preferred to hit cars or run off track rather than be passed fairly. Montoya replied two weeks later at the Belgian Grand Prix, saying Coulthard should concentrate on his own job and on beating Raikkonen.