2001 Italian Grand Prix
The 2001 Italian Grand Prix (formally the Gran Premio Campari d'Italia 2001) was a Formula One motor race held on 16 September 2001 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza near to Monza, Lombardy, Italy. It was the 15th round of the 2001 Formula One World Championship and the 72nd Italian Grand Prix. Rookie Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya won the 53-lap race from pole position. Rubens Barrichello finished second in a Ferrari with Montoya's teammate Ralf Schumacher third.
| 2001 Italian Grand Prix | |||||
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Race 15 of 17 in the 2001 Formula One World Championship
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Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | |||||
| Race details | |||||
| Date | 16 September 2001 | ||||
| Official name | Gran Premio Campari d'Italia 2001 | ||||
| Location | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Lombardy, Italy | ||||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
| Course length | 5.793 km (3.600 miles) | ||||
| Distance | 53 laps, 306.749 km (190.604 miles) | ||||
| Weather | Sunny, partly cloudy, Air: 19 to 20 °C (66 to 68 °F), Track 26 °C (79 °F) | ||||
| Attendance | 110,000 | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver | Williams-BMW | ||||
| Time | 1:22.216 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver | Ralf Schumacher | Williams-BMW | |||
| Time | 1:25.073 on lap 39 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | Williams-BMW | ||||
| Second | Ferrari | ||||
| Third | Williams-BMW | ||||
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Lap leaders | |||||
Montoya maintained his start-line advantage and led until he exited a chicane slowly due to a tyre blister and was overtaken by Barrichello on the ninth lap. Barrichello pulled away from Montoya and held the lead until his first of two pit stops on lap 19 which proved problematic because of a faulty refuelling rig that had been reprogrammed. Montoya was put a one-stop strategy by his team and made a pit stop on lap 29, which allowed his teammate Ralf Schumacher to lead the race for six laps. Barrichello regained the lead on lap 36, and held it for six more laps until Montoya took over the position on lap 42 when Barrichello made a pit stop for the second time for fuel. Barrichello started to reduce the gap between himself and Montoya but was unable to challenge the Williams driver who achieved his maiden Formula One victory and the first for a Colombian driver.
The result meant Montoya moved into fifth position in the World Drivers' Championship, 83 points behind leader Michael Schumacher who clinched the title two races beforehand at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Barrichello's second position finish allowed him to close the gap to David Coulthard in second place in the World Drivers' Championship. Williams' strong finish meant the gap between themselves and McLaren was reduced to eight points in the World Constructors' Championship with two races remaining in the season.