2002 Canadian Grand Prix

The 2002 Canadian Grand Prix (formally the Grand Prix Air Canada 2002 ) [ 5 ] was the eighth round of the 2002 Formula One season and was held on 9 June 2002 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve . Michael Schumacher won his sixth Grand Prix of the season and his fifth Canadian Grand Prix win. Schumacher fended off the challenges of Juan Pablo Montoya , who later retired, and his teammate Rubens Barrichello , whose race strategy cost him a chance of victory and demoting him to third. Fresh off his vi...

The 2002 Canadian Grand Prix was the eighth of seventeen rounds in the 2002 Formula One World Championship and took place at the temporary road course Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal , Quebec , Canada on 9 June 2002. [ 2 ] [ 6 ] It was the 34th Canadian Grand Prix on the Formula One calendar and one of two races in North America. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] The Ferrari Challenge , Formula Ford 1600 and the Victory Lane Historic Can-Am held support races during the weekend. [ 8 ]

Following the 2001 Canadian Grand Prix , the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; Formula One's regulatory body) requested that the circuit be shortened, increasing the race length from 69 to 70 laps. [ 6 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] For safety reasons, the pit lane was extended parallel to the start/finish straight and straightened. The exit was now located outside the right-hand Virage Senna corner rather than the left-hand turn before it. The L'Epingle hairpin to the east was shortened by 60 m (...

Heading into the Grand Prix, Ferrari 's Michael Schumacher led the World Drivers' Championship with 60 championship points , followed by the Williams duo of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya in joint second with 27 championship points each. McLaren 's David Coulthard was fourth (20) and Michael Schumacher's teammate Rubens Barrichello was fifth (12). [ 13 ] Ferrari led the World Constructors' Championship with 72 championship points, ahead of Williams on 54 and McLaren on 24. Renault were f...

Following the Monaco Grand Prix on 26 May, the teams evaluated aerodynamic , electrical, and car components, tyres , and racing setups at various European circuits in preparation for the Canadian Grand Prix. [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] Ten out of eleven teams tested at Northamptonshire 's Silverstone Circuit from 28 to 30 May. [ 14 ] [ 17 ] Giancarlo Fisichella ( Jordan ) lapped fastest on the first day, [ 14 ] and Barrichello led on the second and final days. [ 15 ] [ 17 ] Minardi spent two days testi...

There were eleven teams (each representing a different constructor ) with two drivers each for the Grand Prix, with no changes from the season entry list . [ 26 ] Most teams focused substantially on their cars ' braking systems because the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve put a lot of strain on them, and several teams tested brakes from various manufacturers, including Brembo , Carbon Industrie and Hitco . [ 27 ] BMW and Mercedes introduced more powerful engines; McLaren ran theirs in qualifying and Wi...

Panis qualified 11th. [ 50 ] At the end of his first lap, his car experienced a shifting fault, claiming his car was uncomfortable to brake heavily. Massa was 12th with an oil radiator leak, wrong differential settings, and no traction control system on his first run. Sato's oil affected Massa's second run before adjusting his downforce, which degraded his car on his third lap. [ 43 ] [ 52 ] Renault's Jenson Button took 13th, [ 50 ] failing to run in the slipstream of another car on all four run...

Montoya got the jump at the start, to lead into the first hairpin, with Barrichello slotting in ahead of Michael Schumacher for second. Räikkönen moved up to fourth ahead of Ralf Schumacher, while a good start elevated Coulthard ahead of Heidfeld and Fisichella. Montoya's lead only lasted for the opening lap, however, as the Colombian ran wide at the final chicane, allowing Barrichello the run into the first corner, and the race lead. The Ferrari driver began to gradually extend his lead, but wi...

Montoya used this break to make his first stop, emerging in fifth place, while Barrichello stayed out in the lead. However, fate seemed to be smiling on the Colombian, as he quickly passed Räikkönen and Ralf Schumacher after the two delayed each other at the final chicane. Barrichello made his first stop on lap 26 dropping down the field as Michael Schumacher inherited the lead until his stop 12 laps later. This allowed Montoya back into the lead for a second time, but Schumacher resumed just 3....

With Montoya out, Schumacher was able to take it easy, while his teammate set about Coulthard for second position, after the Scot had passed both Barrichello and Räikkönen during the pit stops. However, the Brazilian was unable to find a way past, and had to settle for the third spot on the podium, with Räikkönen taking fourth position 30 seconds behind. Fisichella took his third consecutive fifth-place finish, with Trulli claiming the final point. Williams' miserable day was completed when Ral...

Frentzen's teammate Bernoldi was an early casualty after a persistent vibration, while De La Rosa's Jaguar survived an early skirmish with McNish, but later retired as a result of gearbox dramas. The second Jaguar of Irvine only lasted twelve laps longer before its engine blew, while neither Toyota made the finish either; Salo succumbed to brake problems, while McNish spun off. Button was the final retirement of the race with an engine failure five laps from the end.

Canada had been seen as one of Williams' best chances to close on Ferrari, but as they took fourteen points, they left empty-handed. This was Ferrari's 150th Formula 1 victory. [ 63 ] [ 64 ] [ 65 ]