2000 British Grand Prix

The 2000 British Grand Prix (formally the LIII Foster's British Grand Prix ) was a Formula One motor race held on 23 April 2000 at the Silverstone Circuit , England, United Kingdom. It was the fourth round of the 2000 Formula One World Championship and was the 51st time that the British Grand Prix had been included in the championship since 1950 . McLaren 's David Coulthard won the 60-lap race after starting from fourth position. His teammate Mika Häkkinen finished second and Ferrari 's Michael ...

Going into the event, Michael Schumacher led the World Drivers' Championship while Ferrari led the World Constructors' Championship . Rubens Barrichello , his teammate, took pole position after setting the quickest lap time in the one-hour qualifying session. Barrichello led for the first 30 laps before failing to upshift and being passed by Coulthard on lap 31. When Coulthard made his sole pit stop two laps later, Barrichello retook the lead until he spun and retired on lap 35 with a hydraulics...

The 2000 British Grand Prix , formally the LIII Foster's British Grand Prix, was the fourth of seventeen races in the 2000 Formula One World Championship . It was held on 23 April 2000 at the 5.140 km (3.194 mi) Silverstone Circuit in England, United Kingdom. It was the 51st time that the race had been part of the Formula One World Championship since the 1950 Grand Prix . [ 1 ] [ 3 ] Eleven two-driver teams competed, each representing a different constructor , with no changes to the season entry...

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; Formula One's governing body) moved the event from mid-July to April, when average temperatures in Britain are lower, [ 15 ] and the race took place on Easter Sunday 2000. [ 16 ] The need to reschedule arose following calendar congestion around July because Easter was later than usual in 2000 since that dictates the date of the Monaco Grand Prix held on the nearest Sunday to Ascension Day , which was later than normal, [ 17 ] and the Spanish Gr...

A change allowing teams to use modified pit lane speed limiters was a major topic of discussion leading up to the event. The FIA permitted their use as long as they were "hard-coded" below 50 mph (80 km/h), preventing teams from modifying them. The condition was imposed to prevent driver aids such as traction control and launch control from being secretly deployed, but limiters were still allowed to operate the rear light and fuel flap filler. [ 28 ] Most drivers agreed that the change lower the...

Following Zonta's crash, Michael Schumacher intervened, convincing the Silverstone authorities to enlarge the tyre wall at Stowe corner by one tyre in height and two in depth. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] Schumacher and FIA chief safety delegate Charlie Whiting ordered that the gravel trap around the area be smoothed to prevent cars becoming airborne. [ 31 ] [ 32 ] Some teams modified their cars for the event. [ 33 ] Following Zonta's accident, BAR replaced the carbon elements of their 002 car's suspension wit...

At the end of the first lap, Barrichello led Frentzen's heavier and less powerful car by 0.4 seconds, followed by Coulthard, Häkkinen, Button, and Villeneuve. [ 89 ] Barrichello began to maintain a one-second advantage over Frentzen. [ 89 ] [ 90 ] Villeneuve oversteered through the Maggots, Becketts, and Chapel turns, and Ralf Schumacher slipstreamed past him on the inside entering Stowe corner on the Hangar Straight for sixth by braking later on lap two. [ 85 ] Alesi dropped to 13th after being...

By the 14th lap, Barrichello had a six-tenths of a second advantage over Frentzen, who was nine-tenths of a second ahead of Coulthard. Häkkinen was nine-tenths of a second behind his teammate and continued to battle Button for fourth place, who was still 1.1 seconds clear of Ralf Schumacher. [ 89 ] Wurz, who was pressuring Alesi in 14th, became the first driver to make a pit stop to ensure he would get a clear track. [ 86 ] Salo and Fisichella made pit stops over the next three laps. [ 86 ] Vers...

Coulthard started to gain on Barrichello, [ 81 ] who began having clutch and electrical throttle pedal issues around lap 29. [ 43 ] [ 81 ] [ 85 ] Two laps later, Barrichello was slow out of Chapel corner because he missed an upshift going on the Hangar Straight. This allowed Coulthard to slipstream Barrichello's rear down the straight and draw alongside him into Stowe corner on the outside. [ 69 ] [ 85 ] He repelled Barrichello's block, which he manufactured by faking a right turn to become the ...

Heidfeld retired from the event on the following lap after spinning into the gravel at Becketts corner due to an oil pressure problem and engine failure. [ 84 ] [ 85 ] [ 88 ] Frentzen drove slowly to the pit lane to retire on lap 54. [ 86 ] On lap 56, Häkkinen set a new fastest lap of the race, a 1:26.217 as he continued close on Coulthard, [ 84 ] despite McLaren showing him an "Easy" pit board to slow. [ 83 ] Villeneuve was passed by Trulli for sixth into Priory corner on lap 57, [ 88 ] [ 90 ] ...

The top three drivers appeared on the podium to collect their trophies and, in the subsequent press conference , [ 36 ] Coulthard stated that passing Barrichello gave him an advantage during the pit stops. Coulthard additionally revealed that was inspired by 1992 World Drivers' Champion Nigel Mansell 's overtake on Nelson Piquet at the 1987 British Grand Prix to execute his pass on Barrichello. [ 96 ] He also believed that his victory made him confident about posing a challenge for the Drivers' ...

Button was ecstatic to score two championship points for finishing fifth at Silverstone, saying, "To think that a year ago I was camped out in a motorhome in the middle of the circuit and only went down to Stowe to watch the last couple of laps – it is pretty amazing. I remember thinking that I might be testing in the week leading up to the race, but that was it." [ 98 ] Barrichello expressed disappointment at losing the opportunity to win his first Grand Prix due to his retirement, adding that ...