Round 7 | Circuit de Monaco

2001 Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco, 2001-05-27. Michael Schumacher won it for Ferrari. Podium: Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Eddie Irvine.

Winner

Michael Schumacher

Ferrari

Pole

not available

Fastest lap

David Coulthard

1:19.424

Circuit

Circuit de Monaco

Monaco

Barry · Gary · Kat · Mara

The Panel

Opening Takes

Barry Blake

I watched this one live, and Monaco that year was less a race than a demolition derby with harbour views. Schumacher and Barrichello brought it home for Ferrari, but half the grid didn't see the chequered flag.

Gary Finch

Twenty-two cars started. Ten were still running at the end, on the lead lap or not. That ratio alone tells you more about this race than the result sheet does.

Key Story

Barry Blake

Schumacher won it from second on the grid, which barely tells the story. The one everyone still talks about is Coulthard: pole position, gone by lap 15 in the pecking order that mattered, down to fifth and a lap behind by the flag.

Gary Finch

Twelve retirements from twenty-two starters - gearbox, hydraulics, steering, electrical, an accident and a collision besides. Only four cars were actually classified 'Finished' on the same lap as the winner; six more were credited a lap or more down.

Kat Moreno

Häkkinen's retirement is the cleanest mechanical story here: steering failure ended his race after 15 laps, from a grid slot of third. That's a car problem taking out a front-row starter before the race had even settled - not strategy, not a mistake, just the part failing.

Mara Voss

Ten points for the win, same as any other Sunday, on a day when getting to lap 78 at all was the harder achievement than being fast while doing it. The points table doesn't know the difference between a dominant win and a war of attrition - it pays the same either way.

Stat Nugget

Gary Finch

The fastest lap of the race belongs to Coulthard - 1:19.424 on lap 68 - three tenths quicker than anything Schumacher managed all afternoon (his best was 1:19.770). The quickest car on track that day finished fifth.

Kat Moreno

A late fastest lap from a driver already a lap down usually means one thing at Monaco: nothing left to lose and a clear track ahead. It's not evidence Coulthard's race pace was quicker than Schumacher's when it mattered on lap 1 through the traffic - just that once the positions in front of him were settled, his car had pace in hand with no one to spend it on.

Panel Verdict

Barry Blake

MONACO DIDN'T CARE WHO STARTED ON POLE.

Gary Finch

TWELVE RETIREMENTS AND THE FASTEST CAR STILL FINISHED FIFTH - THAT'S MONACO IN ONE STAT LINE.

Kat Moreno

THE RACE WAS DECIDED BY WHO STAYED ON THE ROAD, NOT WHO WAS QUICKEST ON IT.

Mara Voss

THE SCOREBOARD REWARDS THE FINISH, NOT THE DRIVE - AND THIS ONE PROVED IT TWICE OVER.

Race result

Classification

PosDriverTeamGridLapsStatusPts
1 Ferrari 2 78 Finished 10.0
2 Ferrari 4 78 Finished 6.0
3 Jaguar 6 78 Finished 4.0
4 BAR 9 78 Finished 3.0
5 McLaren 1 77 +1 Lap 2.0
6 Prost 11 77 +1 Lap 1.0
7 Benetton 17 77 +1 Lap 0.0
8 Arrows 19 77 +1 Lap 0.0
9 Arrows 20 76 +2 Laps 0.0
10 Sauber 15 73 +5 Laps 0.0
R Williams 5 57 Electrical 0.0
R Minardi 22 56 Transmission 0.0
R Minardi 18 54 Gearbox 0.0
R Jordan 13 49 Accident 0.0
R Benetton 10 43 Gearbox 0.0
R Jordan 8 30 Hydraulics 0.0
R Prost 21 24 Gearbox 0.0
R Jaguar 14 18 Hydraulics 0.0
R McLaren 3 15 Steering 0.0
R BAR 12 13 Steering 0.0
R Williams 7 2 Spun off 0.0
R Nick Heidfeld Sauber 16 0 Collision 0.0

Grid movement

Movers

Grid 19 to P8 (+11)

Jos Verstappen

Arrows

Grid 20 to P9 (+11)

Enrique Bernoldi

Arrows

Grid 17 to P7 (+10)

Jenson Button

Benetton

Grid 22 to P12 (+10)

Tarso Marques

Minardi

Grid 9 to P4 (+5)

Jacques Villeneuve

BAR

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2001 season

Season hub

Circuit de Monaco

Circuit profile

Michael Schumacher

Winner profile

Ferrari

Winning team