 San Marino Grand Prix (Imola) 2002 preview.
Story by Andrew Frampton.
After the first three 'fly-away' races of the season in Australia, Malaysia and Brazil, the Formula One World Championship makes its first of eleven successive European appearances, with the San Marino Grand Prix this weekend. The historic Imola circuit has come a long way since the terrible accidents that claimed the lives of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna eight years ago. It is almost a second Italian Grand Prix, with the Ferrari team well supported by the 'tifosi' - their band of avid followers. However, Ralf Schumacher led the Williams team to victory here last season, to record his, and Williams' first victory of the season, and a repeat performance is not out of the question.
That Williams victory was the first of four during the 2001 season, and the Imola circuit's long straights are suited to the Williams-BMW chassis/engine combination, and its Michelin tyres. However, Interlagos was also supposed to favour the Williams, yet Ralf Schumacher could only manage second in Brazil, and now trails his brother Michael by eight points in the championship. The German's second position in Brazil followed a win in Malaysia and a first corner accident in Australia. His team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya has also shown his speed this season, but early collisions with Michael Schumacher in Malaysia and Brazil have dented his charge. However, the Colombian holds third in the championship after fighting back to two second positions and a fifth.
Ferrari currently trail Williams by six points in the constructor's championship and will be hoping to make up that deficit this weekend. Michael Schumacher's lead in the driver's championship is virtue of his victories in Australia and Brazil and a third place in Malaysia. Schumacher has scored all of Ferrari's points this season, as his team-mate Rubens Barrichello has yet to finish a race. However, this is not through lack of trying - the Brazilian was on pole in Australia, only to be eliminated early on, his engine expired while running 2nd in Malaysia, and he was leading his home event before the hydraulics packed up. He will be hoping to at least make it to the end in San Marino, and a points finish will be a well-earned bonus.
McLaren made a step forward in Brazil, and will be hoping to better either Williams or Ferrari in San Marino. A series of mechanical failures in the opening two races meant the only points the team had going into the Brazilian race were from Kimi Raikkonen's third place finish in Australia. David Coulthard finally got his season off the mark at Interlagos by taking a fine third place. Raikkonen had been heading for fourth before a wheel hub failed and forced him out with just three laps left to run. The eight points the team has scored reflect their poor reliability so far this season, so both cars completing the event in San Marino would be a real bonus.
Renault hold fourth in the constructor's championship, courtesy of the six points scored by Jenson Button so far this season. Fourth position in Malaysia was poor reward for the Brit who, after running third for much of the race, was passed by Michael Schumacher on the final lap as his suspension failed. Button backed up that performance with another fourth position in Brazil, and moved himself into fourth in the driver's championship. His team-mate Jarno Trulli has failed to finish a race this season despite a number of impressive performances, including running in the top six in Brazil before his engine blew, and holding second before spinning off in Australia.
So far this season, Sauber have failed to reproduce the form that saw them claim fourth in the constructor's championship standings in 2001. Nick Heidfeld and Felipe Massa claimed fifth and sixth in Malaysia, but both drivers failed to finish in Brazil - Massa retiring after contact with a Minardi, and Heidfeld with brake problems. The team will be hoping to get back into the point's positions at Imola.
Jordan have failed to make the points positions yet this season after a poor start to the campaign with the uncompetitive Honda engine, which has seen them battling in the midfield. Both cars were eliminated early on in Australia, while in Malaysia Takuma Sato drove into the back of his team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella forcing them into the pits and costing them any chance of a points finish. Fisichella was the faster of the pair in Brazil, yet could only manage 14th on the grid. The Italian's engine blew nine laps into the race, while Sato belied his experience to race well to ninth. The team will be hoping to be nearer the pace at Imola, but a drastic improvement is not on the cards.
The second Honda-powered team, BAR, has also struggled this season, and like Jordan, have yet to make the points positions. The team made a series of changes in personnel following disappointing performances in Australia and Malaysia, but the car seemed no more competitive in Brazil. The former world champion Jacques Villeneuve lined up fifteenth, two positions ahead of his team-mate Olivier Panis. Villeneuve made some progress in the race, taking 10th place at the finish. Panis is yet to finish an event this season, after a gearbox problem sidelined him at Interlagos.
The Jaguar R3 showed a considerable improvement in Brazil after a poor start to the season. Despite qualifying at the tail of the field in the first two races, Eddie Irvine took fourth, and three points in Australia virtue of the first-corner shunt that eliminated many of the cars ahead of him. His team-mate Pedro De La Rosa has generally been happier with the set up of the car than his Irish team-mate, and the Spaniard lined up a creditable 11th in Brazil. He raced to a good eighth position, while Irvine took seventh after starting thirteenth. If the improvement shown in Brazil is continued to San Marino, the team could be challenging for points.
Arrows have had a dismal start to the season, and have been out-performed by main rivals Minardi so far. The team had hoped for an improvement in Brazil, but Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi both retired with track-rod failures after lining up only 18th and 21st on the grid. The team is still suffering with the traction control problems that saw both cars left on the grid for the warm-up lap in Australia. Both drivers were later disqualified for rejoining the race illegally. The only finish the team has had is Frentzen's ninth place in Malaysia, and an improvement in performance would be very welcome.
After a superb start to the season in Australia, Minardi have failed to replicate the form that saw the rookie Mark Webber claim fifth position in his home race. However, his team is closer to the pace than they were last season, and has regularly out-performed some of its rivals at the tail-end of the field. Webber has been one of the surprises of the season, and was unfortunate to have to make two extra pit-stops in Brazil, which dropped him down to eleventh. Team-mate Alex Yoong looked out of his depth in Brazil, and the Malaysian finished last.
Toyota have been the surprise package of the season, and Mika Salo scored the team's second point of the season in Brazil. Their entry into Formula One racing at the beginning of the season yielded a point in their first race - Salo making the most of a depleted field to take sixth in Australia. Points were there for the taking in Malaysia too, but Salo retired when well placed, and Allan McNish finished seventh. More points are not out of the question for San Marino.
Driver's Standings:
1. Michael Schumacher 24pts
2. Ralf Schumacher 16pts
3. Juan-Pablo Montoya 14pts
4. Jenson Button 6pts
5. Kimi Raikkonen 4pts
6. David Coulthard 4pts
Constructor's Standings:
1. Williams-BMW 30pts
2. Ferrari 24pts
3. McLaren-Mercedes 8pts
4. Renault 6pts
5. Jaguar-Cosworth 3pts
6. Sauber-Petronas 3pts
2002 F1 season calendar
03/03/2002 - Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)
- Australia circuit by JR
- Australia preview by AF
- Australia grid by JR
- Australia review by AF
- Australia lap-by-lap by JR
17/03/2002 - Malaysian Grand Prix (Sepang)
- Malaysia circuit by JR
- Malaysia preview by AF
- Malaysia grid by JR
- Malaysia review by AF
- Malaysia lap-by-lap by JR
31/03/2002 - Brazilian Grand Prix (Sao Paulo)
- Brazil circuit by JR
- Brazil preview by AF
- Brazil grid by JR
- Brazil review by AF
- Brazil lap-by-lap by JR
14/04/2002 - San Marino Grand Prix (Imola)
- San Marino circuit by JR
- San Marino preview by AF
- San Marino grid by JR
- San Marino review by AF
- San Marino lap-by-lap by JR
28/04/2002 - Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona)
- Spain circuit by JR
- Spain preview by AF
- Spain grid by JR
- Spain review by AF
- Spain lap-by-lap by JR
12/05/2002 - Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg)
- Austria circuit by JR
- Austria preview by AF
- Austria grid by JR
- Austria review by AF
- Austria lap-by-lap by JR
26/05/2002 - Grand Prix de Monaco (Monaco)
- Monaco circuit by JR
- Monaco preview by AF
- Monaco grid by JR
- Monaco review by AF
- Monaco lap-by-lap by JR
09/06/2002 - Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal)
- Canada circuit by JR
- Canada preview by AF
- Canada grid by JR
- Canada review by AF
- Canada lap-by-lap by JR
23/06/2002 - European Grand Prix (Nürburgring)
- Europe circuit by JR
- Europe grid by JR
- Europe review by AF
- Europe lap-by-lap by JR
07/07/2002 - British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
- Britain circuit by JR
- Britain grid by JR
- Britain review by AF
- Britain lap-by-lap by JR
21/07/2002 - French Grand Prix (Magny-Cours)
- France circuit by JR
- France preview by AF
- France grid by JR
- France review by AF
- France lap-by-lap by JR
28/07/2002 - German Grand Prix (Hockenheim)
- Germany circuit by JR
- Germany preview by AF
- Germany grid by JR
- Germany review by AF
- Germany lap-by-lap by JR
18/08/2002 - Hungarian Grand Prix (Budapest)
- Hungary circuit by JR
- Hungary grid by JR
- Hungary lap-by-lap by JR
01/09/2002 - Belgian Grand Prix (Spa Francorchamps)
- Belgium circuit by JR
- Belgium grid by JR
- Belgium review by AF
- Belgium lap-by-lap by JR
15/09/2002 - Italian Grand Prix (Monza)
- Italy circuit by JR
- Italy grid by JR
- Italy lap-by-lap by JR
29/09/2002 - American Grand Prix (Indianapolis)
- USA circuit by JR
- USA grid by JR
- USA lap-by-lap by JR
13/10/2002 - Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)
- Japan circuit by JR
- Japan grid by JR
- Japan review by AF
- Japan lap-by-lap by JR
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