2000 Spanish Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Spain
Grand Prix = Spanish
Date = May 7
Year = 2000


Official name = Gran Premio Marlboro de Espana
Race_No = 5
Season_No = 17
Location = Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 2.875
Course_km = 4.627
Distance_laps = 65
Distance_mi = 186.875
Distance_km = 300.755
Weather = Cloudy, Mild, Dry
Pole_Driver = Michael Schumacher
Pole_Team = Ferrari
Pole_Time = 1:20.974
Pole_Country = Germany
Fast_Driver = Mika Häkkinen
Fast_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Fast_Time = 1:24.470
Fast_Country = Finland
Fast_L

First_Driver = Mika Häkkinen
First_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
First_Country = Finland
Second_Driver = David Coulthard
Second_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Second_Country= UK
Third_Driver = Rubens Barrichello
Third_Team = Ferrari
Third_Country = BrazilThe 2000 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 7, 2000 at the Circuit de Catalunya.__FORCETOC__

Report

Qualifying had Michael Schumacher on pole position, with Mika Häkkinen second, Rubens Barrichello third, David Coulthard fourth, Ralf Schumacher in fifth and Jacques Villeneuve in sixth.

At the start, Schumacher was slightly slower off the line than Häkkinen but moved across to block him and stay ahead. Behind them, Ralf got a good start and went round the inside of Barrichello and the outside of Coulthard to climb up to third. Behind them, Jacques Villeneuve was sixth ahead of Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli. The race was now settled with overtaking quite hard.

It was soon known that the top had divided itself into three groups. Schumacher and Häkkinen were together at the front. Ralf in third was dropping back and was holding both Coulthard and Barrichello. There was another gap back to Villeneuve, Frentzen, Trulli and Jenson Button. It stayed like that until lap 21 when Villeneuve retired with mechanical problems, freeing everyone behind him. Three laps later, Schumacher went into the pits with a 3 second lead. He was at rest for 7 seconds when he was waved away too quickly, causing the refuellor minor injuries. Next lap, Barrichello and Coulthard came into the pits. The Ferrari team reacted fast and there was a replacement refuellor. Coulthard selected second gear as he left the pits and Barrichello's stop was slower than usual. Even then, Barrichello got ahead of Coulthard but that meant Ralf was still ahead of them after his stop. On lap 26, Häkkinen went into the pits. Due to Schumacher's problems, his lead was down to just 0.6 seconds after the stops.

Trulli also had problems in his stop and the battle for sixth was between Button and Frentzen. At the front, Schumacher did not pull away from Häkkinen like in the first stint. Häkkinen was right with him, the lead between 0.4 and 0.8 seconds. Behind them, Barrichello did not make an impression on Ralf, just like Coulthard earlier. The race was the same until lap 39 when Coulthard went into the pits from fifth. Barrichello and Ralf stayed out a lap longer. That lap in which Coulthard was at full speed and Barrichello was in Ralf's wake got Coulthard ahead of both of them. Ralf stayed ahead of a now frustrated Barrichello. Behind them Button had got ahead of Frentzen and began to pull away in sixth. On lap 41, Schumacher and Häkkinen went into the pits together. Schumacher had more problems and he was stuck in the pits for 17 seconds. Häkkinen was 10 seconds ahead and gone.

After the stops, Schumacher was slowing down and fast. Häkkinen was getting away at almost a second a lap and Coulthard was closing in at around a second a lap. On lap 46, Coulthard was right with him, Next lap, he made his move at the first corner, trying to get him on the inside. Schumacher moved to the inside but Coulthard got past him on the outside, like he did on Barrichello in Britain. Within 4 laps, Schumacher fell down toward the battle between Ralf and Barrichello. On lap 51, Ralf made his move but Schumacher blocked him. Both of them lost momentum and Barrichello was ahead of both of them and Ralf was ahead of Schumacher as well. Michael went directly into the pits. The team replaced the left rear tire where air was leaking out, thus reducing his pace. Schumacher rejoined back in fifth. On lap 63, Button's engine failed, giving sixth to Frentzen. Häkkinen got his first win of the year and Coulthard made it a second consecutive 1-2 for the team. Barrichello was third, Ralf fourth and Schumacher fifth.

Classification

Notes

*Fastest l

*With his 1998 and 1999 victory included, Häkkinen has won the Spanish GP three years in a row.

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Spanish Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 2000
Previous_race_in_season = 2000 British Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 2000 European Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1999 Spanish Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 2001 Spanish Grand Prix