2003 French Grand Prix

2003 French Grand Prix
Race 10 of 16 in the 2003 Formula One World Championship
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Race details
Date 6 July 2003
Official name LXXXIX Mobil 1 Grand Prix de France
Location Magny-Cours, France
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 4.411[1] km (2.741 miles)
Distance 70 laps, 308.586[1] km (191.746 miles)
Weather Cloudy, Air: 26 °C (79 °F), Track 35 °C (95 °F)
Attendance 101,537
Pole position
Driver Williams-BMW
Time 1:15.019
Fastest lap
Driver Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya Williams-BMW
Time 1:15.512 on lap 36
Podium
First Williams-BMW
Second Williams-BMW
Third Ferrari
Lap leaders
Juan Pablo Montoya finished 2nd and set the fastest lap of the race.
Ralph Firman finished 15th in his Jordan EJ13.
Kimi Räikkönen took 4th in his McLaren MP4-17.

The 2003 French Grand Prix (formally the LXXXIX Mobil 1 Grand Prix de France) was a Formula One motor race held on 6 July 2003 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. It was the tenth race of the 2003 Formula One season. The 70-lap race was won by Ralf Schumacher driving for the Williams team after starting from pole position, which would turn out to be his last race win in Formula One. Juan Pablo Montoya finished second in the other Williams car, with Michael Schumacher third driving for Ferrari. Ralf Schumacher's victory was his second consecutive win of the season having won the preceding European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.

As a consequence of the race, Michael Schumacher extended his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to eight points over Kimi Räikkönen, with Ralf Schumacher a further three points behind. In the World Constructors' Championship, Williams reduced the gap to Ferrari from thirteen points to three points.

This was the first French Grand Prix held at the upgraded version of Magny-Cours, having made Château d'Eau a sharper right hand corner, and a complete modification of the Lycée section, becoming a very sharp right hand turn after the back straight which then leads to a difficult final chicane next to the pit entrance. The pit lane was also significantly shortened as a result of the upgrades.

As of 2023, this is the last 1–2 finish for Williams.

  1. ^ a b "Grand Prix de France". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. Archived from the original on 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2023-07-21.