2002 Spanish Grand Prix

The 2002 Spanish Grand Prix, also officially known as the XLIV Gran Premio Marlboro de España, was the fifth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, which took place at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, on 28 April 2002.'Spanish GP, 2002', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr685.html, (Accessed 15/11/2019) The race would see Michael Schumacher sweep to his third career Grand Chelem, having led every lap en-route to claiming pole position, fastest lap and victory.
Unfortunately such was Schumacher's dominance that the Spanish Grand Prix would not be considered a classic, with the German ace sweeping to pole by a third of a second over teammate Rubens Barrichello. The two s came closest to providing a threat, but were a second off the ultimate pace, with the two split by Jenson Button's behind.
Raceday saw decide to withdraw from the race weekend, after several wing failures including a scary accident for Mark Webber when his rear wing blew apart during qualifying. Their withdrawal was followed by a gearbox failure for Barrichello on the grid, with the Brazilian unable to take the spare Ferrari which had been setup for his teammate.
Barrichello's demise made it all the more easy for Schumacher at the start, with the German ace blasting into an unopposed lead. Behind, Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya scrapped for second, the German racer emerging ahead, while the two McLarens fought with Button for fourth.
The opening stages saw surprisingly little action of note, with the #1 Ferrari streaking away out front, while Ralf Schumacher and Montoya tried to keep with it in the Williams. Behind, Kimi Räikkönen became an early retirement when his rear wing failed on lap four while fighting with Button, with David Coulthard and Jarno Trulli moving up as well.
Beyond that there was no major drama at the head of the field, until Ralf Schumacher destroyed his hopes of a podium finish by running onto the grass on lap 29, demolishing his front wing and bargeboards. This resulted in the German racer having to make an unplanned pitstop for a new wing, only for a miscalculation on the setup of the wing to leave the #5 Williams with a very unresponsive front end.
There would be further chaos for Williams when Montoya made his planned stop, with chief mechanic and lollipop man Carl Gaden signalling for the Colombian to go, only to belatedly realise that the #6 Williams was still being refuelled. Montoya reacted quickly having initially gone to launch away, only to stop right on Gaden's foot as the rest of the pitcrew were bowled over. Fortunately there were no major injuries or issues, with Montoya released after only a few seconds of delay.
Behind, Button and Coulthard's fight would last until they made their stops, with the Scot ultimately emerging ahead of the Englishman, before Button's hydraulics failed late on. Trulli hence inherited fourth only for his engine to fail, putting the two ' and Heinz-Harald Frentzen up the order, albeit with Ralf Schumacher bearing down after a second nose replacement.
Out front, meanwhile, Michael Schumacher was able to cruise through the second half of the race to claim a dominant victory, and his first Grand Chelem since the 1994 Canadian Grand Prix. Montoya and Coulthard completed the podium ahead of Nick Heidfeld, Felipe Massa and Frentzen, after Ralf Schumacher's engine failed on the penultimate lap.
==Background==
Victory moved Michael Schumacher further ahead in the Drivers Championship after the fourth round of the season, the German ace leaving Imola with a fourteen point advantage. Ralf Schumacher remained his closest challenger, sat on twenty points, with Juan Pablo Montoya keeping in touch with his teammate, just three further back. Next up was Jenson Button on eight ahead of Rubens Barrichello, whose first points score of the season made him the twelfth different point scorer of the campaign.
In the Constructors Championship had retaken the lead after a two-race absence, establishing a three point advantage. had been forced to make way for the Scuderia, although they remained the most likely challengers to the Italian squad in-spite of the former's dominance in Imola. Behind, lost more ground, and just avoided slipping behind , with the field otherwise unchanged.
===Entry list===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
1 	Michael Schumacher 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	F2002 	 	051 3.0 V10 	
2 	Rubens Barrichello 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	F2002 	 	051 3.0 V10 	
3 	David Coulthard 	West McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-17 	 	FO 110M 3.0 V10 	
4 	Kimi Räikkönen 	West McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-17 	 	FO 110M 3.0 V10 	
5 	Ralf Schumacher 	BMW Williams F1 Team 	 	FW24 	 	P82 3.0 V10 	
6 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	BMW Williams F1 Team 	 	FW24 	 	P82 3.0 V10 	
7 	Nick Heidfeld 	Sauber Petronas 	 	C21 	 	02A 3.0 V10 	
8 	Felipe Massa 	Sauber Petronas 	 	C21 	 	02A 3.0 V10 	
9 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	DHL Jordan Honda 	 	EJ12 	 	RA002E 3.0 V10 	
10 	Takuma Sato 	DHL Jordan Honda 	 	EJ12 	 	RA002E 3.0 V10 	
11 	Jacques Villeneuve 	Lucky Strike BAR Honda 	 	004 	 	RA002E 3.0 V10 	
12 	Olivier Panis 	Lucky Strike BAR Honda 	 	004 	 	RA002E 3.0 V10 	
14 	Jarno Trulli 	Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	 	R202 	 	RS22 3.0 V10 	
15 	Jenson Button 	Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	 	R202 	 	RS22 3.0 V10 	
16 	Eddie Irvine 	Jaguar Racing 	 	R3 	 	CR-3 3.0 V10 	
17 	Pedro de la Rosa 	Jaguar Racing 	 	R3 	 	CR-3 3.0 V10 	
20 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	Orange Arrows 	 	A23 	 	CR-3 3.0 V10 	
21 	Enrique Bernoldi 	Orange Arrows 	 	A23 	 	CR-3 3.0 V10 	
22 	Alex Yoong 	KL Minardi Asiatech 	 	PS02 	 	AT02 3.0 V10 	
23 	Mark Webber 	KL Minardi Asiatech 	 	PS02 	 	AT02 3.0 V10 	
24 	Mika Salo 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF102 	 	RVX-02 3.0 V10 	
25 	Allan McNish 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF102 	 	RVX-02 3.0 V10 	
Source:'Spain 2002: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/engages.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/engages.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/engages.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/engages.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/engages.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/engages.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/engages.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/engages.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Qualifying Report===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Time 	Gap 	Ave. Speed
1 	1 	Michael Schumacher 	 	1:16.364 	— 	222.985 km/h
2 	2 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	1:16.690 	+0.326s 	222.037 km/h
3 	5 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	1:17.277 	+0.913s 	220.350 km/h
4 	6 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	 	1:17.425 	+1.061s 	219.929 km/h
5 	4 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	1:17.519 	+1.155s 	219.662 km/h
6 	15 	Jenson Button 	 	1:17.638 	+1.274s 	219.326 km/h
7 	3 	David Coulthard 	 	1:17.662 	+1.298s 	219.258 km/h
8 	7 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	1:17.851 	+1.487s 	218.726 km/h
9 	14 	Jarno Trulli 	 	1:17.929 	+1.565s 	218.507 km/h
10 	20 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	 	1:18.121 	+1.757s 	217.970 km/h
11 	8 	Felipe Massa 	 	1:18.139 	+1.775s 	217.919 km/h
12 	9 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	1:18.291 	+1.927s 	217.496 km/h
13 	12 	Olivier Panis 	 	1:18.472 	+2.108s 	216.995 km/h
14 	21 	Enrique Bernoldi 	 	1:18.515 	+2.151s 	216.876 km/h
15 	11 	Jacques Villeneuve 	 	1:18.847 	+2.483s 	215.963 km/h
16 	17 	Pedro de la Rosa 	 	1:18.885 	+2.521s 	215.859 km/h
17 	24 	Mika Salo 	 	1:18.897 	+2.533s 	215.826 km/h
18 	10 	Takuma Sato 	 	1:19.002 	+2.638s 	215.539 km/h
19 	25 	Allan McNish 	 	1:19.025 	+2.661s 	215.476 km/h
20 	23 	Mark Webber 	 	1:19.802 	+3.438s 	213.378 km/h
21 	22 	Alex Yoong 	 	1:21.415 	+5.051s 	209.151 km/h
107% Time: 1:21.709 	107% Time: 1:21.709 	107% Time: 1:21.709 	107% Time: 1:21.709 	107% Time: 1:21.709 	107% Time: 1:21.709 	107% Time: 1:21.709
EXC* 	16 	Eddie Irvine 	 	1:18.779 	+2.415s 	216.149 km/h
Source:'Spain 2002: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)'Gran Premio Marlboro de España 2002 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2002/races/724/spain/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)'Gran Premio Marlboro de España 2002 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2002/races/724/spain/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)'Gran Premio Marlboro de España 2002 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2002/races/724/spain/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)'Gran Premio Marlboro de España 2002 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2002/races/724/spain/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)'Gran Premio Marlboro de España 2002 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2002/races/724/spain/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)'Gran Premio Marlboro de España 2002 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2002/races/724/spain/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)'Gran Premio Marlboro de España 2002 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2002/races/724/spain/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 15/11/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session.
*Bold indicates a driver's best/qualifying time.
** Irvine was excluded from the results of qualifying after his fuel sample was found to contain different fuel than the team had submitted for pre-weekend scrutineering.
===Grid===
** Barrichello was unable to start the race due to a gearbox failure on the formation lap.
*† The two Minardis of Webber and Yoong were withdrawn on safety grounds after wing failures in practice and qualifying.
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	1 	Michael Schumacher 	 	65 	1:30:29.981 	1 	10
2 	6 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	 	65 	+35.630s 	4 	6
3 	3 	David Coulthard 	 	65 	+42.623s 	7 	4
4 	7 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	65 	+1:06.697 	8 	3
5 	8 	Felipe Massa 	 	65 	+1:18.973 	11 	2
6 	20 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	 	65 	+1:20.430 	10 	1
7 	11 	Jacques Villeneuve 	 	64 	+1 Lap 	15 	
8 	25 	Allan McNish 	 	64 	+1 Lap 	19 	
9 	24 	Mika Salo 	 	64 	+1 Lap 	17 	
10* 	14 	Jarno Trulli 	 	63 	Engine 	9 	
11* 	5 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	63 	Engine 	3 	
12* 	15 	Jenson Button 	 	60 	Hydraulics 	6 	
Ret 	12 	Olivier Panis 	 	43 	Exhaust 	13 	
Ret 	16 	Eddie Irvine 	 	41 	Hydraulics 	20 	
Ret 	21 	Enrique Bernoldi 	 	40 	Hydraulics 	14 	
Ret 	10 	Takuma Sato 	 	10 	Spin 	18 	
Ret 	9 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	5 	Hydraulics 	12 	
Ret 	4 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	4 	Wing 	5 	
Ret 	17 	Pedro de la Rosa 	 	2 	Spin 	16 	
DNS† 	2 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	 	 	 	
WD‡ 	23 	Mark Webber 	 	 	 	 	
WD‡ 	22 	Alex Yoong 	 	 	 	 	
Source:'Spain 2002: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/classement.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/classement.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/classement.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/classement.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/classement.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/classement.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/classement.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)	Source:'Spain 2002: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne/classement.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
** Trulli, Ralf Schumacher and Button were all still classified despite retiring as they had completed 90% of the race distance.
*† Barrichello was unable to start the race due to a gearbox failure on the formation lap.
*‡ The two Minardis were withdrawn from the race on safety grounds.
==Milestones==
* 57th career victory for Michael Schumacher.'5. Spain 2002', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2002/espagne.aspx, (Accessed 15/11/2019)
** It was also Schumacher's third career Grand Chelem.
* 148th win for as a constructor and engine supplier.
==Standings==
With less than a third of the season completed it already looked as if the title fight was over, for another dominant victory for Michael Schumacher had moved the German ace onto 44 points out of a maximum 50. That left him a daunting 21 clear of second placed Juan Pablo Montoya, the Colombian racer himself having moved ahead of Schumacher's brother Ralf in Spain. Behind, David Coulthard had moved into fourth ahead of Jenson Button, while Heinz-Harald Frentzen had become the thirteenth scorer of the campaign.
In the Constructors Championship, meanwhile, had managed to inch away from , leaving Spain with an enhanced lead of seven points. Those two were in a class of their own at the head of the field, with Williams holding a 30 point advantage over third placed . The Anglo-German alliance itself had managed to ease away from after the latter's late demise, although remained just five clear of the returning French effort.
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Michael Schumacher 	44 	
2 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	23 	1
3 	Ralf Schumacher 	20 	1
4 	David Coulthard 	9 	2
5 	Jenson Button 	8 	1
6 	Rubens Barrichello 	6 	1
7 	Nick Heidfeld 	5 	3
8 	Kimi Räikkönen 	4 	1
9 	Eddie Irvine 	3 	1
10 	Felipe Massa 	3 	2
11 	Mark Webber 	2 	2
12 	Mika Salo 	2 	1
13 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	1 	6
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	50 	
2 	 	43 	
3 	 	13 	
4 	 	8 	
5 	 	8 	1
6 	 	3 	1
7 	 	2 	
8 	 	2 	
9 	 	1 	1
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
*
References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Spanish Grand Prix
Category:2002 Grands Prix
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Formula One races in Spain