Race
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, was strongly considered by the British press, bookmakers, 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. 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." 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. 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... At the end of the first lap, Barrichello led Michael Schumacher, Heidfeld, Ralf Schumacher, Montoya, and Coulthard. 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. Barrichello and Michael Schumacher began to pull away from the rest of the field. There were overtakes further down the field. On lap two, Salo passed Button for eighth. 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. 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. Lap 24 saw the safety car 's first deployment by the race director: Panis' engine seized without warning on the start/finish straight. His rear wheels locked, spun to the centre of the track and avoided hitting the barrier. Track marshals... Soon after, a major accident prompted the safety car's second deployment on lap 28. As the field entered the right-hand turn two situated atop a hill, 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 . He veered into the grass at approximately 280 km/h (170 mph) as his car spun 180 degrees; the grass did not slow him... A visibly shaken Heidfeld was extricated from his car by track marshals with a heavily bruised left leg. After Sato's car absorbed enough energy in the accident, he remained in it with soft-tissue damage to his right thigh, but did not lose consciousness; 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. Michael Schumacher insisted Barrichello mount the first step on the podium, as " Deutschlandlied " was played. Schumacher then stood beside his teammate when " Il Canto degli Italiani " played. Wolfgang Schüssel , the Chancellor of Austria , presented the winner's trophy to Schumacher who proceeded to give it to Barrichello. Barrichello's... Sato and Heidfeld were deemed fit to compete at the Monaco Grand Prix held two weeks later after passing fitness tests. 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." 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... 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. 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. 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, 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. During the 2002 season, Ferrari continued to u... Drivers who scored championship points are denoted in bold .
Qualifying
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. His Arrows' teammate Bernoldi followed in 12th and expressed satisfaction with his car's balance. Traffic slowed Button on his four timed laps and left him 13th. McNish and Toyota located a car setup tailored to suit him, and took 14th. Fisichella ran a new engine in qualifying and took 15th with a car setup suited...
Team orders
Although they have been part of the history of Formula One since its very beginning and continuining into the 21st century, being a team sport, Ferrari's use of team orders to determine the finishing order overshadowed the race. 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...
External links
47°13′11″N 14°45′53″E / 47.21972°N 14.76472°E / 47.21972; 14.76472
Race Result
| Pos | No. | Driver | Constructor | Lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 1:08.082 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams-BMW | 1:08.364 | +0.282 |
| 3 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:08.704 | +0.622 |
| 4 | 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Williams-BMW | 1:09.118 | +1.036 |
| 5 | 7 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber-Petronas | 1:09.129 | +1.047 |
| 6 | 4 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:09.154 | +1.072 |
| 7 | 8 | Felipe Massa | Sauber-Petronas | 1:09.228 | +1.146 |
| 8 | 3 | David Coulthard | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:09.335 | +1.253 |
| 9 | 12 | Olivier Panis | BAR-Honda | 1:09.561 | +1.479 |
| 10 | 24 | Mika Salo | Toyota | 1:09.661 | +1.579 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air hung thick with the scent of pine and burning rubber – a familiar, almost comforting, aroma for those who'd spent a lifetime chasing this fleeting dance. Barrichello's McLaren, a 2002 MP4-16P, possessed a particularly aggressive engine mapping, a 3. 0-liter V10 pushing 840 horsepower at its peak, a figure that seemed almost obscene against the backdrop of the A1-Ring. It was a brute, designed to devour the track, and a testament to McLaren's relentless pursuit of power, a strategy that, frankly, left its rivals struggling to keep pace. The rain, a persistent drizzle throughout the afternoon, further accentuated the contrast, turning the asphalt into a slick, unpredictable canvas.
The rain, a sullen grey blanket, draped itself over the A1-Ring, mirroring perhaps the simmering tension within Ferrari's garage. Schumacher, a man sculpted from granite and ambition, wrestled with the car's capricious grip, a familiar dance. Seven victories in eight races – a statistic that felt almost aggressively precise, a calculated force of nature. Yet, even a legend, it seemed, could find the subtleties of a track soaked to its core a frustrating, almost cruel, test.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain hadn't relented, not a drop less, as Barrichello wrestled with the wheel, a frustrated growl escaping him. The digital display flashed red – a mere tenth separating him from the lead, a chasm carved out by a gamble that hadn't quite paid off. Schumacher, a shadow in the spray, was closing, the Ferrari's engine a predator's rumble. You could almost *feel* the tension radiating from the Brazilian, the weight of expectation, the relentless pressure of a season already tilting towards Ferrari's dominance. This wasn't just a race; it was a battle for the soul of the championship, a testament to Barrichello's courage, and a stark reminder of Schumacher's unwavering resolve. The Spielberg track, slick and unforgiving, held its breath.
The rain, a sullen grey smear across the A1-Ring, mirrored the mood in the Ferrari garage. Rubens Barrichello, meticulously adjusting his gloves – a ritual he'd perfected over years of battling, a subtle defiance against the relentless pressure, stared out at the track. A flicker of frustration tightened the lines around his eyes; the pole position, snatched with a daring late-race surge, felt like a precarious gift. Schumacher, observing from the pit box, offered a brief, almost imperceptible nod. It wasn't praise, not exactly, but a quiet acknowledgement of the battle to come, the unspoken understanding of a partnership forged in the fires of competition. The air hung thick with the scent of wet tyres and ambition, a potent cocktail that only intensified the drama about to unfold.