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Ferrari. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Michael Schumacher. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Rubens Barrichello. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







McLaren. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Mika Hakkinen. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. David Coulthard. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







Williams. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Ralf Schumacher. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Juan Pablo Montoya. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







Benetton. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Giancarlo Fisichella. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Jenson Button. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







BAR. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Jacques Villeneuve. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Olivier Panis. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







Jordan. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Jarno Trulli. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Jean Alesi. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







Arrows. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Jos Verstappen. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Enrique Bernoldi. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







Sauber. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Nick Heidfeld. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Kimi Raikkonen. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







Jaguar. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Eddie Irvine. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Luciano Burti. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







Minardi. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Fernando Alonso. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Alex Yoong. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.







Prost. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Jean Alesi. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Luciano Burti. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA. Tomas Enge. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.
Gaston Mazzacane. Picture by John Rigby of the FIA.


The 2001 FIA Formula One season review
Story by Andrew Frampton - November 2001.

Welcome to The Car Enthusiast look back through the 2001 Formula One season.

It was another great year for Formula One, despite the fact that Michael Schumacher's dominance deprived us of a title fight. It was an excellent year for the 'Prancing Horse', as they out-performed their challengers in the shape of McLaren, and the resurgent Williams. Sauber were the surprise of the season, while Jordan edged out BAR in the Honda battle. Of the others Benetton had a disappointing season - their last before officially being named Renault. Jaguar, Prost, Arrows and Minardi have a platform to build on for 2002, when the Toyota team of Mika Salo and Allan McNish will join them.

FERRARI
2001 was an exceptional year for Ferrari, romping home to both the drivers' title with Michael Schumacher, and the constructors' championship. Ferrari finished ono-two in Malaysia, Monaco and Hungary, wrapping up the title at the latter, with four rounds to go. They were the only manufacturer to score points in every round, and ended the season with a 77 point winning margin.

Michael Schumacher - 9/10
It was another superb season for the reigning champion, but the limited opposition rather dulled down what could have been a tremendous title battle. Nine victories and eleven pole positions takes the German into the record books on several fronts, not least surpassing the all-time points record held by Alain Prost.

Rubens Barrichello - 7/10
As Michael's understudy, Rubens never had a chance at the title, but persevered with his task to assure Michael's championship perfectly. Was unlucky not to take a win, but five second place finishes guided the Brazilian to third in the standings - only nine points behind Coulthard. The battle could have gone down to the wire, if he had not retired on the penultimate lap of the US Grand Prix.

MCLAREN
It was, in truth, a poor year for the McLaren team - always out-shone by the Ferraris and often by Williams as well. David Coulthard took yet another second place in the championship, while former champion Mika Hakkinen's decision to take a year's sabbatical next year follows a dreadful season which yielded just two wins.

Mika Hakkinen - 4/10
Despite wins at the British and American Grand Prix, it was an awful year for the former double world champion. He took just fifth in the standings, and was comprehensively outpaced by teammate Coulthard. Mika suffered numerous mechanical maladies, the most notable on the last lap of the Spanish Grand Prix, when he was set for victory. Kimi Raikkonen replaces him next year, but the jury is out on whether he is likely to return to Formula One again.

David Coulthard - 7/10
Was the best of the rest in the chase of Schumacher, but had his work cut out for much of the season to hold onto second place in the standings. Although he took wins early in the season at Interlagos and the A-1 Ring, he season fell apart, with a number of mechanical problems sidelining him later in the season.

WILLIAMS
In some ways, Williams were the surprise package of the season, running much closer to the top two of Ferrari and McLaren than had been expected. They burst onto the scene following Ralf Schumacher's win at the San Marino Grand Prix, and although they failed to match the glory days of Hill and Villeneuve, they regularly outperformed McLaren. Although they finished the season with the same number of wins as McLaren (four), they lost out by 22pts in the constructors' championship.

Ralf Schumacher - 8/10
It was a great year for the younger Schumacher, as he took three wins on his way to fourth in the championship. The German took advantage of the straight-line speed of the Williams to claim victories in San Marino, Canada and Germany. Reliability was a problem early on in the season, costing him any chance of a championship challenge. If it is sorted out for 2002, Ralf could challenge his brother for the title.

Juan Pablo Montoya - 8/10
Top rookie of the season, he claimed sixth in the championship despite only scoring points in five of the rounds. Following second place finishes at the Spanish and European Grand Prix, and a fourth in Britain, he took a long-overdue win in Italy. He was on course for victory in the third round of the season after pulling off an audacious manoeuvre around the outside of Michael Schumacher in Brazil. However, a clash while lapping Jos Verstappen put him out of the race. Consistency let him down in 2001, but he could be a real challenger in 2002.

BENETTON
It was a disappointing year for the former championship winning team, with Giancarlo Fisichella and Jenson Button battling with the Minardis for much of the first half of the season. Post-French GP aerodynamic changes helped and they ended the season with 10 points. Next season, the team is to be renamed Renault.

Giancarlo Fisichella - 6/10
Raced well in what was for most of the season, an uncompetitive car. A third place in Belgium and fourth in Germany were as good as it got for the Italian.

Jenson Button - 5/10
For the first half of the season he was out-paced by both his teammate, and on some occasions by the Minardi of Alonso. When his future at Renault in 2002 looked under threat, he put in some better performances, notably in qualifying, and looks to have secured a drive for next season. Punting his prospective teammate Trulli off in Italy won't have helped though!

BAR
The British American Racing team had a season of two halves. Despite scoring twelve points in the first half of the season, a second-half score of five showed that they were falling off the pace. They threatened to outscore fellow Honda-engined team Jordan in the constructors' championship, only for Eddie Jordan's team to be awarded the place after an appeal. Jacques Villeneuve's third place finish in Spain was the highlight of the season.

Jacques Villeneuve - 6/10
Ended the season with 12 points, and although he scored more than double the number of points than his teammate Panis, he looked a shadow of his former-championship winning self. Managed to score two thirds and a fourth, but was generally disappointing.

Olivier Panis - 6/10
British American Racing gave the Frenchman a route back into F1, after time as a test driver. A former race winner, having claimed victory for Ligier in Monaco, Panis would have his work cut out to repeat that performance, and in the end was unable to do so. Showed flashes of speed, which netted him a fourth and a fifth, but these were the only times he made it into the points, as he fell back down the field towards the end of the season.

JORDAN
Jordan's battle with BAR for Honda-engined supremacy was highly publicised before the season's start, but in the end they clinched it thanks to a successful appeal over Jarno Trulli's exclusion from the US Grand Prix. However, 19 points and fifth in the championship was nothing to get excited about after the previous years' promising performances. Jean Alesi did well to secure points after moving from Prost to replace the sacked Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Jarno Trulli - 6/10
The Italian was unlucky not to score more points than were yielded from a fourth and three fifth place finishes. Generally qualified well, but the Honda's reliability let him down in many races when well placed. He moves to Renault (formerly Benetton) next year.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen - 4/10
Scored just six points in the first half of the season, before being sensationally sacked just before his home German Grand Prix. Ricardo Zonta stood in for him, before Frentzen moved to Prost, and Alesi took his seat at Jordan.

Jean Alesi - 8/10
Was Jordan's driver of the season, having to learn new machinery after his move from Prost. Scored a point with sixth position in Belgium, and would have done the same in the US, if his team had not successfully appealed over Trulli's exclusion. Sadly crashed out of his 201st and final Grand Prix in Japan - only his second failure to finish of the season.

ARROWS
It was another tough year for the small British team in 2001, and although they did muster a point through Jos Verstappen's sixth position in Austria, they gradually fell back through the field as the season progressed.

Jos Verstappen - 6/10
A good start to the season saw him unlucky not to claim a point in Malaysia after a gritty drive to seventh. He went one better in Austria to claim the teams' only point of the season. In between times however, he punted out leader Montoya as he was being lapped in Brazil. As the season progressed the car would tend to be either reliable but slow, or fast and unreliable, and he was unable to match his early season form despite some adventurous fuel loads. Usually running light at the beginning, he overtook in excess of 70 cars in the 2001 season!

Enrique Bernoldi - 5/10
Another product of Formula 3000, the Brazilian out-qualified his team-leader Verstappen towards the end of the season, but did not have the pace in the races to make any impression.

SAUBER
Last year's Ferrari engines, and two superb young drivers meant that 2001 was a superb season for Sauber. Although they never had the measure of the top three, a secure fourth in the championship, ahead of teams like Benetton and Jordan was exceptional. Most of their 21 points came in the first half of the season, including Nick Heidfeld's superb podium in Brazil.

Nick Heidfeld - 9/10
After his move away from Prost, the young German finally had a competitive car to show his worth. His season netted 12 points, including a superb third at Interlagos. Was unlucky not to be chosen for the vacant McLaren seat in 2002.

Kimi Raikkonen - 9/10
Montoya aside, Raikkonen was the rookie of the season, despite only having taken part in a couple of dozen car races prior to the season. Possibly deserved more than two fourth places, a fifth and a sixth, but should have the chance to prove himself next season, after being signed up by McLaren.

JAGUAR
A much-improved season in 2001 resulted in ten points in the constructors' standings. Started the season with Eddie Irvine and Luciano Burti, before the Brazilian's move to Prost resulted in Pedro De La Rosa being drafted in.

Eddie Irvine - 7/10
Was very competitive on occasions, and stuck in the midfield on others, Eddie's third in Monaco was a great result for the Jaguar team. Went on the claim fifth position in the US Grand Prix after an audacious move on Heidfeld.

Luciano Burti - 5/10
Although the car was reliable, Burti was unable to make the most of it. When Mazzacane left Prost, he took his place, and was more competitive.

Pedro De La Rosa - 7/10
Stepped up when Burti moved to Prost and impressed by taking three points (one in Canada and two in Italy). Had a decent turn of pace, and regularly out-qualified his more experienced teammate Irvine.

MINARDI
Considering Paul Stoddart came to the rescue only weeks before the beginning of the season, when the team had yet to secure drivers or an engine supplier, 2001 was a superb season. Although neither Tarso Marques nor Alex Yoong really shone, Stoddart deserves credit for bringing Fernando Alonso to the world's attention and the Italian put in some superb performances.

Fernando Alonso - 9/10
A rookie in the 2001 season, having moved up from the Minardi Formula 3000 team, his appointment took many by surprise, as did his speed in what was uncompetitive machinery. Showed his pace almost immediately, qualifying 18th in Spain for example, and although tenth was his best finish, he out-performed his more experienced teammate Marques, and looks a star for the future.

Tarso Marques - 3/10
Was brought in as he had the experience (and the money) to improve the handling of the car. However, he usually qualified on the back row, and was put in the shade by his younger teammate Alonso. Replaced by Yoong at the Italian Grand Prix.

Alex Yoong - 4/10
Although short of experience, Minardi drafted him in for the Italian Grand Prix onwards to replace Marques. Although he wasn't much faster, he did become the first Malaysian in Formula One, and brought the team some much-needed sponsorship money.

PROST
After failing to score a point in 2000, Alain Prost's team's 4-point haul in 2001 must have come as a relief. It was thanks to veteran Frenchman Jean Alesi that they claimed the points, and he would surely have scored more if he had not been signed up by Jordan mid-season. Prost used five drivers in the 2001 championship.

Jean Alesi - 8/10
Scored four valuable points for the French team, and was probably the best of the five drivers in the Prost line-up. May have scored more points for Prost later in the season, if Jordan had not signed him up, when they sacked Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen - 7/10
Brought true pace to the Prost team, following his sacking from Jordan. Qualified in a brilliant fourth position in Belgium, and was unlucky not to score points for the team in his half-season. Also deserves credit for racing for free.

Luciano Burti - 6/10
Although he showed occasional pace, he was often to be found languishing in the mid-field. Two crashes, one in Germany and one at Spa, blighted his season, the latter ending his season prematurely.

Tomas Enge - 4/10
Was drafted in to replace the injured Burti, but never really got on the pace in the limited amount of time he had with the car. A little more experience, and he could get into F1 full-time.

Gaston Mazzacane - 2/10
Only lasted four races before being sacked over a performance clause in his contract, which he had not reached.


Relevant links:
The F1 season
 

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