Background
Heading into the Italian Grand Prix, both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships were already settled, with Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher having claimed the Drivers' Championship four races earlier in France , and Ferrari securing the Constructors' Championship two races later in Hungary . After the Belgian Grand Prix on 1 September, all teams (except Arrows ) conducted mid-season testing at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza between 3–6 September to prepare for the upcoming race at the circuit. Michael Schumacher was fastest on the first day, ahead of BAR test driver Anthony Davidson which was held in wet weather conditions, with intermittent dry spells. Ralf Schumacher set the fastest times on the second where the rain continued into the morning before stopping meaning the t... Due to the configuration of the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, with its high average speed, the teams set up their cars to produce the minimum amount of downforce possible. Ferrari introduced a new qualifying-specification engine but the team installed a previous engine specification for the race on Sunday. Williams and BAR introduced revised engine specifications for the qualifying session, while Renault debuted new front wings for the race.
Practice
It was a good fight with Ralf and Michael and I am pleased to be on pole. We knew we would be at ease on this track from the start and we haven't needed to change the car too much during the weekend. The tyres are very consistent and we have found a good balance for our car. I hope for my first win this season and for my second here at Monza and in Formula One overall. It is going to be a good race.
Qualifying
Trulli was eleventh in the Renault, joined on the sixth row by Fisichella in the other Jordan. McNish was thirteenth in the second Toyota, followed by the two Saubers of Massa and Heidfeld. Panis was sixteenth in the second BAR, with Button seventeenth in the second Renault. Despite the incident with Räikkonen, Sato took eighteenth and said "That was the most difficult qualifying session of my career". The two Minardis lined up on the back row of the grid, Webber ahead of the retur... ^1 – Kimi Räikkönen 's fastest time (1:21.163) was cancelled following a collision with Takuma Sato during qualifying, this dropped him one place from fifth to sixth.
Race
Ralf Schumacher began to pull away from Montoya. Further down the field, Villeneuve got ahead of Heidfeld to take over tenth, while Button passed Massa to move into thirteenth position and Yoong overtook teammate Webber for eighteenth. Ralf Schumacher set a new fastest lap , a 1:26.230 on lap three, but was later eclipsed by Barrichello. Villeneuve was overtaken by Trulli on the same lap and Webber reclaimed eighteenth from Yoong. Williams received a reply to order Ralf Schumacher ...
References
45°36′56″N 9°16′52″E / 45.61556°N 9.28111°E / 45.61556; 9.28111
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Williams-BMW | 1:20.264 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:20.521 | +0.257 |
| 3 | 5 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams-BMW | 1:20.542 | +0.278 |
| 4 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 1:20.705 | +0.442 |
| 5 | 16 | Eddie Irvine | Jaguar-Cosworth | 1:21.606 | +1.342 |
| 6 | 4 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:21.7121 | +1.448 |
| 7 | 3 | David Coulthard | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:21.803 | +1.539 |
| 8 | 17 | Pedro de la Rosa | Jaguar-Cosworth | 1:21.960 | +1.696 |
| 9 | 11 | Jacques Villeneuve | BAR-Honda | 1:22.126 | +1.862 |
| 10 | 24 | Mika Salo | Toyota | 1:22.318 | +2.054 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air at Monza tasted of burnt rubber and anticipation – a peculiar cocktail, considering the championship was already secured. Barrichello, a man sculpted by quiet determination, wrestled his Ferrari across the line, the 3. 6-liter V10 howling a defiant song against the established order. Schumacher, ever the relentless strategist, shadowed him, a mere 0. 25 seconds separating the two, a testament to the brutal precision demanded by the McLaren-Mercedes engine's 800 horsepower. It was a victory not just for Ferrari, but for the enduring human story of a driver seizing a moment, a single, glorious lap.
The air at Monza tasted of diesel and anticipation, a familiar cocktail for the Ferrari faithful. Barrichello's victory, a calculated, almost melancholic triumph, felt like a quiet acknowledgement of a career's worth of near misses. Consider the statistical oddity: Schumacher, despite dominating the season, surrendered a precious 0. 25 seconds – a minuscule fraction that, in the grand scheme of racing, could shift fortunes. It was a peculiar reminder that even the most dominant force can yield to the subtleties of a single, decisive moment, mirroring perhaps the shifting geopolitical landscape of the time.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain hadn't relented, a sullen grey curtain drawn across Monza. Barrichello wrestled with the scarlet beast, a bead of sweat tracing a path down his temple – a testament to the relentless pressure. Schumacher, a ghost in the machine beside him, edged forward, the subtle shift in throttle a calculated aggression. You could almost taste the desperation in Barrichello's grip, the knowledge that this wasn't merely a victory, but a final, defiant act against a championship already secured. The roar of the crowd, a fractured wave of Italian passion, felt strangely muted, absorbed by the tension radiating from the two Ferraris. A flicker of doubt crossed Barrichello's face – a fleeting image of Schumacher's relentless pursuit. It was a brutal ballet, this final dance on a track steeped in legend.
The rain, a sullen grey drape across Monza, seemed to mirror the mood clinging to Michael Schumacher. He stood, motionless, beside his Ferrari, the scent of damp asphalt and exhaust a familiar comfort, yet today, it offered little solace. A flicker of frustration crossed his face – a brief, contained storm – as he watched Barrichello celebrate his victory. It wasn't the championship, of course, that weighed on him, but the ghost of a race unfulfilled, a chance lost to the relentless, beautiful chaos of the track. The years were accumulating, and the shadow of what might have been lengthened with each passing lap. A silent acknowledgement, perhaps, that even the greatest need to find a new measure of victory.