The 2001 FIA Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher completed the season in a fitting way, with yet another dominant win, and at the same time breaking Alain Prost's all time points record.

Schumacher's ninth win of the season came at the end of an uninspiring race, in which he was rarely threatened, despite a late charge from Juan Pablo Montoya.

Schumacher was awesome in qualifying, taking his 11th pole position of the season by 0.7 seconds. His time of 1:32.484 was also a massive 3.4 seconds faster than last year's pole time, set on Bridgestone development tyres. Montoya claimed second spot on the grid on his first visit to Suzuka, clocking a time marginally ahead of team-mate Ralf Schumacher. Next up were Rubens Barrichello, whose Ferrari had been suffering from understeer, and Mika Hakkinen, who suffered a similar problem on his last Grand Prix for at least a year. Giancarlo Fisichella put in a brilliant performance in the ever-improving Benetton to take sixth. Team-mate Jenson Button also impressed, taking ninth on the grid.

Schumacher got the jump from pole position, and by swerving to block Montoya's run at the start, he held his lead into the first corner. As Ralf Schumacher and Barrichello held position behind, Michael Schumacher would pull out a lead of 3.6 seconds by the end of lap one. Barrichello would pass Ralf on lap 2, before nipping up the inside of Montoya at the Chicane on lap 2. However, the Colombian had the run into the first corner, and the Ferrari driver had to yield. His early race pace meant the first pit stop of the day on lap 15, the first of three for the Brazilian, which would drop him out of contention for the race win, and also dash his slim hopes of David Coulthard's second position in the championship. Ralf Schumacher also chose to make three stops, and although his strategy worked more successfully than Barrichello's, cutting the Chicane meant a ten-second stop-go penalty, which ended his desires on Barrichello's third position in the championship.

The battle at the front was between Montoya, and the elder Schumacher, and while Montoya, Ralf Schumacher and Hakkinen all took turns to lead as the cars pitted for the first time, it was the champion who always held the advantage. After a good second stop, Schumacher looked odds on for victory, but Montoya was threatening to cause an upset as he closed on the leading car, which was delayed in traffic. Montoya, would get no closer than 3.1 seconds behind the Ferrari, but this underlined the fact that Montoya is likely to be Schumacher's main rival next year. The McLarens of David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen took third and fourth, after Hakkinen let through his team-mate to assure his second position in the championship. Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher were fifth and sixth after poor strategies cost them any chance of a race victory.

Jenson Button took an impressive seventh, ahead of Jordan's Jarno Trulli and Sauber's Nick Heidfeld. Their team-mates Jean Alesi (Jordan) and Kimi Raikkonen (Sauber) had been involved in a dramatic accident early in the race. The Sauber driver spun his car across the track in front on Alesi, competing in his last ever Grand Prix, they touched and both cars speared off the track and into the Armco, thankfully both walked away uninjured. Jaques Villeneuve took 10th after another poor weekend for BAR, ahead of Minardi's Fernando Alonso and Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Prost. Olivier Panis (BAR), Enrique Bernoldi, Jos Verstappen (both Arrows) and Alex Yoong (Minardi) completed the finishers.

Result - Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
1. Michael Schumacher (Ferrari-Ferrari)
2. Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams-BMW)
3. David Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes)
4. Mika Hakkinen (McLaren-Mercedes)
5. Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari-Ferrari)
6. Ralf Schumacher (Williams-BMW)

Final Standings: 1. M Schumacher 123pts; 2. Coulthard 65pts; 3. Barrichello 56; 4. R Schumacher 49; 5. Hakkinen 35; 6. Montoya 35.