2000 United States Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of USA 2000 was held on 24 September at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis and was the fifteenth round of the Formula 1 season 2000.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
After the Italian Grand Prix, Mika Hakkinen led the drivers' standings with two points ahead of Michael Schumacher and with 19 points ahead of David Coulthard. McLaren -Mercedes resulted in the Constructors' Championship with four points ahead of Ferrari with 97 points ahead of Williams - BMW.
There was not a former winner of this Grand Prix.
Training
In free practice on Friday Coulthard scored the fastest lap time ahead of Häkkinen and Michael Schumacher. In Saturday's training Michael Schumacher took the lead position ahead of his team mate Barrichello, Coulthard himself was third fastest time.
Qualifying
In qualifying, turned Michael Schumacher as outdoor training before again set the fastest lap and this year took the pole position ahead of the two McLaren drivers Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard
Warm Up
In the Warm Up on Rennsontag again David Coulthard scored the fastest lap, the second was Mika Hakkinen ahead of Michael Schumacher.
Race
The long predicted rain turned one for about an hour on Sunday morning and when the cars were made successively prepared on the grid, the track consisted of two parts - an almost dry steep curve and straight line and a still wet infield. This meant that all drivers took the race with rain tires in attack except Johnny Herbert. When, after the formation lap the lights went out, Coulthard took to the astonishment of all started from the pole position Michael Schumacher into the first corner and sat down at the top, but in repetitions of the launch was to recognize that the Scot was started too early and would be very likely soon be punished for it.
As Coulthard its too early riding realized itself after a few rounds and the confirmation of the race management was now because he had to settle for a 10-second stop-and- go penalty (along with Giancarlo Fisichella ) he started a little to slow down in order to stop Schumacher behind him, thus enabling it Hakkinen on his part to close the gap behind the Ferrari. Schumacher, who had narrowly itself prevents a false start, Coulthard finally overtook on the straight line and the subsequent curve one - with light touches of the wheels - in round 7 Hakkinen Coulthard happened too soon after at turn four and then immediately stopped in the pits, to change to dry tires.
As the Finn came back onto the track, he was now in fifth place behind the Minardi Gastón Mazzacane, still drove on rain tires. During five rounds, with oval section now dry but still very wet infield, not Häkkinen got past Mazzacane. In round 14, including the Minardi entered a pit stop and Hakkinen was immediately faster. He improved his lap times by almost five seconds, then drove nearly 2.5 seconds faster per lap than Michael Schumacher and Ferrari as the Germans called fairly quickly to the box to also change to dry tires.
As Schumacher on the track came back, he led ten seconds ahead, but while the track was drying continue to Häkkinen approached in dramatic style more and more. He placed eighth fastest lap times within ten rounds and was now back just 4.1 seconds. Then suddenly, in the 25th round, the McLaren slowed down rather than speed at the entrance to the Oval in curve Twelve; Flames were out on the left side under the motor cover. Häkkinen rolled slowly back towards the pit lane with burning motor, had to leave a little later the car standing and ad - hence the race was virtually decided. The problem was located according to Mercedes -Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug on a problem in the pneumatic valve system, caused by a poor set of parts.
While Barrichello and Coulthard battled their way back into the points of 15 or 16 point and provide each other with undercut the fastest race lap, Michael Schumacher led lap after lap the race, followed by the Williams of his brother Ralf, then Fretzens Jordan and finally Barrichello. When about four laps were still to go, Michael Schumacher came with his right front wheel over the curb and turned on the wet grass. He returned to the track and radioed his pit crew ". Dont't worry, I'm awake now" ( " Do not worry, I'm awake now. " ) He remained 12.118 seconds ahead of Barrichello.
At the end of Michael Schumacher won and celebrated his 42nd career success - so that he was now the sole second. This was also the first Ferrari victory in the United States since Gilles Villeneuve in 1979 at Watkins Glen International in front of Jody Scheckter also were first or second classified.
Frentzen defended his third place for Jordan Jacques Villeneuve's BAR successfully against. Seven laps to go, Villeneuve had gone at the end of the long straight at Fretzens inside and passed the apex of Jordan, but had too much momentum and fell on the grass. He came back on the track and finished at the end of the fourth place, ahead of Coulthard and his team mate Ricardo Zonta. Villeneuve later said it had made him this much fun and they were in the race very quickly, but it was frustrating to come so close to the podium over. He had a pair made mistakes, but that would have played no role in the end probably. He was on Frentzen was not close enough to it to overtake him, but he just did not see any run-off area with sand and no tire wall, so he wanted to try it. In the curve the route he had gone out, and just as he was stopped, he knew that it was not possible for him to stop.
In the World Cup, with two races to go, Michael Schumacher took the top position of Hakkinen back and now had a lead of eight points - so he could be world champion in the penultimate race in Japan - the first for Ferrari since Jody Scheckter; David Coulthard but now had mathematically no chance at the title. In the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari won also the lead back, the distance was now ten points to McLaren.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
The first six of the race were 10, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).