2003 Brazilian Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Brazil
Grand Prix = Brazilian
Date = April 6
Year = 2003
Race_No = 3
Season_No = 16


Official name = XXXII Grande Prêmio do Brasil
Location = Autódromo José Carlos Pace
São Paulo, Brazil|
Course = Permanent Racing Facility
Course_mi = 2.667
Course_km = 4.309
Distance_laps = 54
Distance_mi = 144.558
Distance_km = 232.686
Scheduled_laps = 71
Scheduled_mi = 189.357
Scheduled_km = 305.939
Weather = Rainy
Pole_Driver = Rubens Barrichello
Pole_Country = Brazil
Pole_Team = Ferrari
Pole_Time = 1:13.807
Fast_Driver = Rubens Barrichello
Fast_Team = Ferrari
Fast_Time = 1:22.032
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Brazil
First_Driver = Giancarlo Fisichella
First_Country = Italy
First_Team = Jordan-Ford
Second_Driver = Kimi Räikkönen
Second_Country = Finland
Second_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Third_Driver = Fernando Alonso
Third_Country = Spain
Third_Team = Renault

The 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 6, 2003 at Autódromo José Carlos Pace (Interlagos).

Race summary

The 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix was a controversial race decided by a court case, with the podium ceremony featuring two drivers instead of three.

Due to regulation changes for the new season, teams were only allowed to bring one wet-weather tyre compound to the race. All the teams on Bridgestone tyres had only brought an intermediate tyre, and this was deemed unsuitable for the torrential conditions. The race was started under the safety car and due to several accidents caused by the wet weather, the safety car deployed several times throughout the race.

Originally scheduled for 71 laps, the race saw several storm fronts make their way across the circuit, leaving the track with very little grip. Numerous drivers, including defending world champion Michael Schumacher, spun off the track; there were also several accidents, as drivers fought the weather as well as each other. Most notably, the third corner where Schumacher was just one of many drivers to drop out of the race at this corner, a consequence of losing control on a deep channel of water caused by an overflowing drain. Mark Webber (Jaguar) was the only driver to spin out at this corner and recover to continue racing - Webber's later crash contributed to the race being stopped early.

Several teams adopted a pit strategy whereby they filled their cars with fuel early in the race, attempting to save enough fuel under the safety car to avoid having to stop again. This was successful for Giancarlo Fisichella, whose Jordan went from last in the field after an early pit stop to an eventual first place after the race was prematurely stopped. Fisichella admitted after the race he would have been unlikley to complete the race on that fuel load had the race continued to its full distance. "Honestly, it was on the limit", he later said after being asked about his strategy. Fisichella nearly had an accident when team-mate Ralph Firman suffered a suspension failure while running immediately behind him; Firman's car missed Fisichella and crashed into Olivier Panis.

Rubens Barrichello secured pole position, but lost the lead following the start. Barrichello put in a consistent performance to re-pass Coulthard during the race. Barrichello then set several fastest laps and lead the race by twenty seconds. On lap 47 Barrichello's Ferrari slowed and stopped, due to a fuel system fault. After Barrichellos car stopped, he watched the remainder of the race from a marshal's post.

After race leader David Coulthard was called for a pit-stop, his team-mate Kimi Räikkönen was lead the race after 53 laps, but a mistake allowed Giancarlo Fisichella to assume the lead on lap 54. Near the end of his 54th lap, Mark Webber crashed while exiting the final corner, bringing out the safety car. Fernando Alonso failed to slow for the waved yellow flags, and hit one of Webber's tyres at full speed on the 55th lap; his Renault crashed into a tyre wall protecting a guardrail, the impact damaging the barrier and sending car tyres across the circuit, effectively blocking the track and making continuation of the race, even behind the safety car, impossible. The race was subsequently red flagged, ending the race immediately for safety concerns.

At the lap of the red flag being shown, Fisichella was in the lead, however the circumstances of the race conclusion meant he would not necessarily win the race according to FIA rules. The circumstances also meant the post-race ceremonies were marked by considerable confusion on the part of the race stewards, organisers, the teams and drivers. Fisichella believed that he had won; he and his team boss, Eddie Jordan were shown initially celebrating victory before being informed that Räikkönen and McLaren were being awarded the win. Amidst all this, Fisichella's car caught fire in the pit lane, adding to the confusion. Under Formula One regulations in place at the time, article 154 stated that, if 75% of the race distance had been completed in this case 54 completed laps - 76% of race distance, it was "deemed to have finished when the leading car crossed the line at the end of the lap two laps prior to that lap during which the signal to stop was given". The stewards, believing that Fisichella was on his 55th lap and had completed the 54 laps required for a full result, awarded the victory to the race leader at the end of the 53rd lap, namely Räikkönen. Fisichella was awarded second place and Alonso third.

Post race

Several days later, after the Grand Prix, the official scoring evidence showed that Fisichella had just started his 56th lap before the red flag signal was given; this meant that the race results should have been determined as of the end of the 54th lap, not the end of the 53rd lap. Fisichella was leading after 54 laps and was named the race winner in an April 11 FIA court decision handed down in Paris.

After hearing oral arguments and timing evidence, McLaren declined to file a protest; Räikkönen's, points tally was reduced by 2 (to 8, from 10). A ceremony was held at the next grand prix at Imola during the San Marino Grand Prix where Räikkönen and Ron Dennis handed over the winning driver's and constructor's trophies to Fisichella and Eddie Jordan.

Classification

Notes

*Last win for Jordan Grand Prix and Ford-Cosworth engine.

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Brazilian Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 2003
Previous_race_in_season = 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 2003 San Marino Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix