2001 Italian Grand Prix

2001 Italian Grand Prix
Race 15 of 17 in the 2001 Formula One World Championship
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Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Race details[1][2][3]
Date 16 September 2001
Official name Gran Premio Campari d'Italia 2001
Location Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Lombardy, Italy
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 5.793 km (3.600 miles)
Distance 53 laps, 306.749 km (190.604[4] miles)
Weather Sunny, partly cloudy, Air: 19 to 20 °C (66 to 68 °F), Track 26 °C (79 °F)
Attendance 95,000–110,000[5]
Pole position
Driver
Williams-BMW
Time 1:22.216
Fastest lap
Driver Germany Ralf Schumacher Williams-BMW
Time 1:25.073 on lap 39
Podium
First
Williams-BMW
Second
Ferrari
Third
Williams-BMW
Lap leaders

The 2001 Italian Grand Prix (formally the Gran Premio Campari d'Italia 2001)[7] was a Formula One motor race held before around 95,000 to 110,000 spectators on 16 September 2001 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza near Monza, Lombardy, Italy. It was the 15th round of the 2001 Formula One World Championship and the 72nd Italian Grand Prix. Rookie Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya won the 53-lap race from pole position. Rubens Barrichello finished second in a Ferrari with Montoya's teammate Ralf Schumacher third.

Montoya maintained his start-line advantage and led until he exited a chicane slowly due to a tyre blister and was overtaken by Barrichello on the ninth lap. Barrichello pulled away from Montoya and held the lead until his first of two pit stops on lap 19 which proved problematic because of a faulty refuelling rig that had been reprogrammed. Montoya was put a one-stop strategy by his team and made a pit stop on lap 29, which allowed his teammate Ralf Schumacher to lead the race for six laps. Barrichello regained the lead on lap 36, and held it for six more laps until Montoya took over the position on lap 42 when Barrichello made a pit stop for the second time for fuel. Barrichello started to reduce the gap between himself and Montoya but was unable to challenge the Williams driver who achieved his maiden Formula One victory and the first for a Colombian driver.

The result meant Montoya moved into fifth position in the World Drivers' Championship, 83 points behind leader Michael Schumacher who clinched the title two races beforehand at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Barrichello's second position finish allowed him to close the gap to David Coulthard in second place in the World Drivers' Championship. Williams' strong finish meant the gap between themselves and McLaren was reduced to eight points in the World Constructors' Championship with two races remaining in the season.

  1. ^ "2001 Italian GP". ChicaneF1. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
    "2001 Italian Grand Prix". Motor Sport. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference gprace was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference ESPNResults was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Callahan, Terry; Kelly, Paul (16 September 2001). "Formula One: Montoya caps solemn weekend with first F1 victory". The Auto Channel. Archived from the original on 13 September 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  5. ^ F1 Racing. October 2001.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference regulations was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Italian". Formula1.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.