2003 Brazilian Grand Prix

2003 Brazilian Grand Prix
Race 3 of 16 in the 2003 Formula One World Championship
← Previous raceNext race →
Race details[1][2]
Date 6 April 2003
Official name XXXII Grande Prêmio do Brasil
Location Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo, Brazil
Course Permanent Racing Facility
Course length 4.309 km (2.677 miles)
Distance 54 laps, 232.656 km (144.566 miles)
Scheduled distance 71 laps, 305.909 km (190.083 miles)
Weather Rainy: 20 °C (68 °F)
Pole position
Driver Ferrari
Time 1:13.807
Fastest lap
Driver Brazil Rubens Barrichello Ferrari
Time 1:22.032 on lap 46
Podium
First Jordan-Ford
Second McLaren-Mercedes
Third Renault
Lap leaders

The 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 6 April 2003 at Autódromo José Carlos Pace (Interlagos). It was the third round of the 2003 Formula One World Championship, the 32nd Brazilian Grand Prix and the 700th Formula One World Championship race.

The race was scheduled to run for 71 laps, but was stopped on lap 56 after two major crashes blocked the circuit. Due to confusion about the timing of the red flag, the win was initially awarded to Kimi Räikkönen of McLaren, with Giancarlo Fisichella of Jordan in second and Fernando Alonso of Renault in third. However, following a post-race appeal by the Jordan team, eventually heard in court, it was established that Fisichella was leading when the race results were declared, and he was awarded the win with Räikkönen demoted to second. Alonso remained in third place; he had missed the podium ceremony at the time as he was receiving medical attention. It was attended by 120,000 spectators.

The race was Fisichella's first Grand Prix victory. It was also Jordan's fourth and final victory, and the team's 200th Grand Prix.[3] This was the first victory for a Ford engine since the 1999 European Grand Prix, and the first victory for an Italian driver since Riccardo Patrese won the 1992 Japanese Grand Prix. This was also the last victory for a Ford-powered car to date, and marked the last time the Brazilian Grand Prix was held during the opening rounds of a Formula One season.

  1. ^ "2003 Brazilian GP – XXXII Grande Prêmio Marlboro do Brasil". Chicane F1. Archived from the original on 9 December 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Grand Prix Results: Brazilian GP, 2003". GrandPrix.com. 6 April 2003. Archived from the original on 6 December 2003. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  3. ^ "200th race for Jordan". formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 3 April 2003. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2015.


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).