2002 Austrian Grand Prix

The 2002 Austrian Grand Prix (formally the Grosser A1 Preis von Österreich 2002 ) [ 4 ] was a Formula One motor race held on 12 May 2002 at the A1-Ring in Spielberg, Styria , Austria. It was the sixth round of the 2002 Formula One World Championship and the 25th Austrian Grand Prix as part of the Formula One World Championship. Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher won the 71-lap race starting from third position. His teammate Rubens Barrichello finished second, and Juan Pablo Montoya took third for...

The win increased Michael Schumacher's lead in the World Drivers' Championship to 27 championship points over Montoya in second place. Ralf Schumacher came fourth to maintain third place, and Barrichello moved past David Coulthard of the McLaren team to fourth. In the World Constructors' Championship, Ferrari further extended their advantage over Williams to 16 championship points. McLaren were another 36 championship points behind in third with eleven races remaining in the season.

Michael Schumacher, who had won four of the opening five Grands Prix in 2002, [ 7 ] was strongly considered by the British press, [ 8 ] bookmakers, [ 9 ] and former drivers Gerhard Berger and Niki Lauda the favourite to win the Austrian Grand Prix, an event he had not won in four previous attempts. [ 8 ] [ 10 ] He said of his chances in Austria, "We believe we have a very competitive package overall but it's a question of how good the others can be." [ 11 ] He expressed confidence he could chall...

For the Grand Prix, a total of 11 teams (each representing a different constructor ) each entered two race drivers, with no changes from the season entry list. [ 14 ] In technical developments, Sauber introduced a revised evolution of its Ferrari 050 engine that the team had used in the first five races of the 2002 championship. The team installed a new aerodynamic package that included a revised undertray, front wing and altered bodywork around the cover of the C21 's engine. The Ferrari, McLar...

Frentzen in 11th spun on oil and removed some bodywork components from his car in a gravel trap. His vehicle was later repaired to continue driving. [ 29 ] [ 33 ] His Arrows' teammate Bernoldi followed in 12th and expressed satisfaction with his car's balance. [ 32 ] Traffic slowed Button on his four timed laps and left him 13th. [ 35 ] McNish and Toyota located a car setup tailored to suit him, and took 14th. [ 32 ] Fisichella ran a new engine in qualifying and took 15th with a car setup suited...

At the end of the first lap, Barrichello led Michael Schumacher, Heidfeld, Ralf Schumacher, Montoya, and Coulthard. [ 44 ] Heidfeld ran wide at Castrol Kurve at the beginning of the second lap and the Williams pair of Ralf Schumacher and Montoya demoted him to fifth. [ 49 ] Barrichello and Michael Schumacher began to pull away from the rest of the field. [ 45 ] There were overtakes further down the field. On lap two, Salo passed Button for eighth. [ 44 ] Villeneuve overtook his teammate Panis fo...

That same lap, Massa entered the pit lane to join the list of retirees with a failed left-rear suspension ; it failed in turn two, causing the Sauber C21's right-front wheel to lift from the tarmac surface and its undertray to scrape along it. Villeneuve made a pass on Fisichella for ninth place on lap ten. [ 44 ] [ 48 ] Not long after Villeneuve overtook Button for eighth position. By the same lap, Barrichello led by a second over his Michael Schumacher, who in turn was 17 seconds ahead of Ralf...

As the Ferraris extended their lead over Ralf Schumacher, the stewards informed the BAR team on the 23rd lap Villeneuve had incurred a drive-through penalty as they deemed him at fault for the collision with Frentzen on lap one. [ 47 ] Lap 24 saw the safety car 's first deployment by the race director: Panis' engine seized without warning on the start/finish straight. [ 49 ] [ 3 ] His rear wheels locked, spun to the centre of the track and avoided hitting the barrier. [ 2 ] [ 48 ] Track marshals...

Soon after, a major accident prompted the safety car's second deployment on lap 28. [ 52 ] As the field entered the right-hand turn two situated atop a hill, [ 51 ] [ 53 ] Heidfeld noticed smoke coming from Yoong's Minardi and applied his cold brakes heavily, locking his rear wheels and sending him out of control about 100 yd (91 m) from the apex . [ 49 ] [ 3 ] He veered into the grass at approximately 280 km/h (170 mph) as his car spun 180 degrees; [ 3 ] [ 51 ] [ 52 ] the grass did not slow him...

A visibly shaken Heidfeld was extricated from his car by track marshals with a heavily bruised left leg. [ 46 ] [ 50 ] After Sato's car absorbed enough energy in the accident, [ 53 ] he remained in it with soft-tissue damage to his right thigh, [ 51 ] but did not lose consciousness; [ 56 ] a section of the Sauber's rear crash structure penetrated the side of the Jordan's monocoque just below Sato's right knee and his helmet was squeezed between the car's head restraint , both of which stopped hi...

The Ferrari team were booed, jeered, whistled at and given a thumbs down signal by the crowd in parc fermé and on the podium. [ 50 ] [ 51 ] Michael Schumacher insisted Barrichello mount the first step on the podium, as " Deutschlandlied " was played. [ 2 ] Schumacher then stood beside his teammate when " Il Canto degli Italiani " played. [ 46 ] Wolfgang Schüssel , the Chancellor of Austria , presented the winner's trophy to Schumacher who proceeded to give it to Barrichello. [ 51 ] Barrichello's...

Sato and Heidfeld were deemed fit to compete at the Monaco Grand Prix held two weeks later after passing fitness tests. [ 66 ] Sid Watkins told Eddie Jordan , the owner of the Jordan team, that Sato had "a miraculous escape", leading Jordan to remark, "Somebody up there likes him." [ 55 ] Sato said he had not observed Heidfeld approaching him, "When I opened my eyes I could see my legs were squashed by the damaged monocoque and I could see the ground through the hole. Although there was some pai...

Although they have been part of the history of Formula One since its very beginning and continuining into the 21st century, [ 7 ] being a team sport, [ 67 ] [ 68 ] [ 69 ] Ferrari's use of team orders to determine the finishing order overshadowed the race. [ 51 ] [ 55 ] Reuters cited it as the most "particularly blatant" application of team orders applied to favour one driver over another since Coulthard relinquished first position to his McLaren teammate Mika Häkkinen in the final laps of the 19...

In response to the controversy, Mosley established a four-member working group to discuss team orders and invited the public to lend their opinion on the practice on the FIA's website. [ 88 ] The FIA accepted feedback from 5 July to 1 September, which was passed on to the working group. They reviewed it and gave their recommendations to the governing body. [ 89 ] At a meeting of the 26-member Formula One Commission on 28 October, it was confirmed "team orders that interfere with the race result"...

Although Ferrari and Michael Schumacher were the reigning World Champions, they had narrowly lost the 1997 and 1998 championships, in addition to the 1999 Drivers' Championship, despite Micheal Schumacher letting his World Championship contender teammate Irvine win upon his return from injury, [ 94 ] and Formula One World Championships had been decided by less than the four points Barrichello gave up, a point that was also made by Ross Brawn. [ 68 ] During the 2002 season, Ferrari continued to u...

Drivers who scored championship points are denoted in bold .

47°13′11″N 14°45′53″E  /  47.21972°N 14.76472°E  / 47.21972; 14.76472