2000 Australian Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Australia
Grand Prix = Australian
Date = March 12
Year = 2000

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Caption = Albert Park Circuit
Race_No = 1
Season_No = 17
Official name = LXV Qantas Australian Grand Prix
Location = Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia
Course = Temporary street circuit
Course_mi = 3.295
Course_km = 5.303cite web |title=GRAND PRIX RESULTS: AUSTRALIAN GP, 2000 |url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr647.html |work=GrandPrix.com |publisher=Inside F1, Inc. |accessdate=2008-06-05]
Distance_laps = 58
Distance_mi = 191.101
Distance_km = 307.574cite news |title=Michael Schumacher Wins the Australian GP |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/2128.htm |work=Atlas F1 and Reuters |publisher=Haymarket Publications |date=2000-03-12 |accessdate=2008-06-05]
Weather = Sunny, Hot
Pole_Driver = Mika Häkkinen
Pole_Country = Finland
Pole_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Pole_Time = 1:30.556cite news |title=Hakkinen Sets 22nd Pole in Qualifying - Australian GP |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/2118.htm |work=Atlas F1 and Reuters |publisher=Haymarket Publications |date=2000-03-11 |accessdate=2008-06-05]
Fast_Driver = Rubens Barrichello
Fast_Country = Brazil
Fast_Team = Ferrari
Fast_Time = 1:31.481
Fast_L

First_Driver = Michael Schumacher
First_Country = Germany
First_Team = Ferrari
Second_Driver = Rubens Barrichello
Second_Country= Brazil
Second_Team = Ferrari
Third_Driver = Ralf Schumacher
Third_Country = Germany
Third_Team = BMW-WilliamsThe 2000 Australian Grand Prix (officially known as the LXV Qantas Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on March 12, 2000 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne. It was the first race of the 2000 Formula One season.cite news |first=Ewan |last=Tytler |title=The Australian GP Preview |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/tytler.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05] The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Michael Schumacher for the Ferrari team after starting from third position. Schumacher's new team-mate for the 2000 season, Rubens Barrichello finished second in the other Ferrari, with Ralf Schumacher third for BMW-Williams.cite web |title=2000 Australian Grand Prix |url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2000/51/ |work=The Official Formula 1 Website |publisher=Formula One Management |accessdate=2008-06-05]

Mika Häkkinen started on pole position in a McLaren, with team-mate David Coulthard alongside him, but both retired with pneumatic valve failures.cite news |first=James |last=Mossop |title=Australian Grand Prix: Ferrari off to a flyer |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/2000/03/13/smagp13.html |work=Telegraph.co.uk |publisher=Telegraph Group |date=2000-03-13 |accessdate=2008-06-05] Three drivers made their Grand Prix debut: Jenson Button in a BMW-Williams, Nick Heidfeld in a Prost and Gastón Mazzacane in a Minardi. Mazzacane and Button retired from their debut race, while Heidfeld finished ninth, two laps behind.cite news |title=Slow starters, or dream debuts? |url=http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2007/3/5752.html |work=The Official Formula 1 Website |publisher=Formula One Management |date=2007-03-13 |accessdate=2008-06-05]

Report

Background

Heading into the first race of the 2000 Formula One season, many were tipping Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher and McLaren driver, the f1|1999 Drivers' Champion, Mika Häkkinen as the main contenders to win the 2000 Drivers' Championship.cite web |title=Australian GP Preview Homepage |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/index.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05] Schumacher, however, was favourite to win the Championship by the bookmakers and by some former Formula One drivers.cite news |title=Schumacher Bookie's Favourite to Win Drivers' Title |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/2075.htm |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |date=2000-03-03 |accessdate=2008-06-05] cite news |author=The F1 Rumours Team |title=The Grapevine - Rumours and speculation in the world of Formula One |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/grapevine.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05] Schumacher's team-mate from the 1999 season, new Jaguar driver Eddie Irvine tipped Schumacher to win the Championship.cite news |first=Derick |last=Allsop |title=Irvine provides new spin on McLaren rival |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/irvine-provides-new-spin-on-mclaren-rival-722975.html |work=The Independent |publisher=Independent News and Media |date=2000-03-01 |accessdate=2008-06-05] The last person to win the Drivers' Championship for Ferrari in the 1979 season, Jody Scheckter also tipped Schumacher to win the Championship.cite news |first=Ian |last=Gordon |title=Schumacher can Scheck in for title |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/schumacher-can-scheck-in-for-title-722984.html |work=The Independent |publisher=Independent News and Media |date=2000-03-04 |accessdate=2008-06-05]

Out of the 11 teams and 22 drivers on the starting grid, three drivers made their debut. Nick Heidfeld joined the Prost team alongside Jean Alesi.cite news |title=Prost Signs Heidfeld |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/1999/aug/1576.htm |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |date=1999-08-27 |accessdate=2008-06-05] The two replaced Prost's 1999 season line-up of Olivier Panis, who moved to McLaren as test driver and Jarno Trulli, who moved to Jordan alongside Heinz-Harald Frentzen following Damon Hill's retirement.cite journal |last=Fearnley |first=Paul |date=1999-10-22 |title=Pitpass: Ollie taks test |journal=F1 Racing |issue=November 1999 |pages=pp. 21 |publisher=Haymarket Magazine |location=Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom | issn = 1361-4487 ] cite journal |last=Fearnley |first=Paul |date=2000-02-18 |title=2000 Preview |journal=F1 Racing |issue=March 2000 |pages=pp. 54–86 |publisher=Haymarket Magazine |location=Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom | issn = 1361-4487 ] At the Minardi team, Gastón Mazzacane replaced Luca Badoer, who opted to continue as Ferrari test driver, a role he began in 1997.cite news |title=Minardi Announce Mazzacane as Second Driver |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/feb/2010.htm |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |date=2000-02-14 |accessdate=2008-06-05] The third rookie driver in the 2000 driver line-up was Jenson Button, who replaced Alessandro Zanardi at Williams. Button, at the time, became the youngest British driver ever to start a Formula One race.cite news |title=Williams Launch New Car; Button Replaces Zanardi |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/jan/1919.htm |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |date=2000-01-24 |accessdate=2008-06-05] Many observers and fellow drivers alike had differing opinions of Williams' choice to take Button on. Sauber driver Mika Salo stated that because of Button's inexperience, he could "hurt himself or somebody else".cite news |first=Donald |last=McRae |title=Moment of truth for Button, the most hyped driver since Senna |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,235485,00.html |work=guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=2000-03-11 |accessdate=2008-06-05]

Practice and qualifying

Race

21 of the 22 cars started on the grid, with Prost driver Alesi the only car to start from the pit lane.cite news |first=Michele |last=Lupini |title=The Australian GP Review |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/lupini.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05] Häkkinen converted his pole position from qualifying to lead into the first corner at the start of the race. Coulthard and Schumacher remained in second and third place respectively, but Barrichello was overtaken by Frentzen into turn one, dropping him down to fifth place. Trulli rounded out the top six places at the end of lap 1. At the back of the field, Button gained six positions, moving from 21st to 15th position.cite journal |authorlink=Peter Windsor |last=Windsor |first=Peter |coauthors=Clarkson, Tom |date=2000-03-17 |title=Schuey's confidence repaid |journal=F1 Racing |issue=March 2000 |pages=pp. 136–143 |publisher=Haymarket Magazine |location=Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom | issn = 1361-4487 ] cite news |first=Andrew |last=Benson |title=Button bright in baptism of fire |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,235615,00.html |work=guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=2000-03-13 |accessdate=2008-06-05] This was partially due to a collision between Minardi driver Marc Gené and rookie Heidfeld, which left Gené last in the order as he had to pit for repairs.

Jaguar driver Johnny Herbert was the first person to retire, retiring with clutch problems on lap two. By lap 4, the two McLaren's of Häkkinen and Coulthard, along with Schumacher, were already pulling away from Frentzen's Jordan, who was five seconds behind Schumacher. On lap 7, the front suspension on the Arrows car of Pedro de la Rosa failed, sending him into a tyre barrier. Herbert's team-mate, Irvine spun trying to avoid the Arrows car. Irvine couldn't get the Jaguar going again as it suffered an engine failure. Both retired from the race. The safety car was deployed to slow the other cars down so the marshalls could clear up the wreckage.cite news |first=Alan |last=Henry |authorlink=Alan Henry |title=Ferrari fire as Button comes undone |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,235624,00.html |work=guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=2000-03-13 |accessdate=2008-06-05]

When the green flag was given at the end of lap ten, Coulthard slowed dramatically and came in for a pit stop with engine problems. Coulthard resumed back onto the track, but the problem continued, and Coulthard retired on lap 11. Schumacher was now promted to second, with Frentzen in third place. Barrichello was in fourth place, with Trulli fifth. Behind the top five, BAR driver Jacques Villeneuve was in sixth place, heading a queue of cars down to 12th place Button. Häkkinen retired on lap 18, with the same problem as his team-mate. With Häkkinen's retirement, Schumacher led by 16.5 seconds from Frentzen in second. Schumacher made his one and only pit stop on lap 29, giving Frentzen the lead. Schumacher rejoined the track in third, just in front of Trulli. Barrichello was the next driver of the front running cars to pit on lap 33, but the Ferrari team switched him to a two stop strategy so that he could move ahead of Frentzen.

Trulli retired his Jordan car on lap 36 with gearbox problems. The retirements and pit stops moved Button up the order, putting the Williams driver in third place before his pit stop on lap 36. Frentzen also made a pit stop on lap 36, but the Jordan mechanics experienced problems while refuelling the car, costing Frentzen over ten seconds in the stop. Frentzen rejoined the track in sixth, but retired three laps later with gearbox problems. Barrichello took the lead on lap 45, overtaking team-mate Schumacher before making his second pit stop. Barrichello rejoined the track second.

The retirements of the McLaren and Jordan team cars elevated Ralf Schumacher, Button's Williams' team-mate, into third position. Villeneuve was fourth, Giancarlo Fisichella was fifth in the Benetton, with Button sixth. With 11 laps remaining Button retired from the race with an engine failure. Ricardo Zonta, in a BAR, was promoted to sixth, but was overtaken by Salo with a few laps remaining. Schumacher won the race after 58 laps in a time 1:34:01.987, twelve seconds ahead of second placed Barrichello second, completing a Ferrari one-two finish. Ralf Schumacher was classified third, with Villeneuve close behind in fourth, giving BAR their first ever points in Formula One. Fisichella finished fifth, with Salo initially classified as sixth in the Sauber. However, a few hours after the race, Salo was disqualified from the race for a bodywork infringement, promoting Zonta into sixth position.

Post-race

After the race, Michael Schumacher said:

;Formula One Website

;Telegraph.co.ukcite news |first=Andrew |last=Baker |title=Button presses his case |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/2000/03/11/smbake11.html |work=Telegraph.co.uk |publisher=Telegraph Group |date=2000-03-11 |accessdate=2008-06-05] cite news |first=Andrew |last=Baker |title=Button's start erases doubts |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/2000/03/13/smbake13.html |work=Telegraph.co.uk |publisher=Telegraph Group |date=2000-03-13 |accessdate=2008-06-05]

;Guardian.co.ukcite news |first=Andrew |last=Benson |title=It's modern-day gladiators. This is what people want to see |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,235309,00.html |work=guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=2000-03-08 |accessdate=2008-06-05] cite news |first=Alan |last=Henry |authorlink=Alan Henry |title=Schumacher fires the opening shots in war of nerves |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,235419,00.html |work=guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=2000-03-10 |accessdate=2008-06-05] cite news |first=Jamie |last=Reid |title=Odds fellow |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,235476,00.html |work=guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=2000-03-11 |accessdate=2008-06-05] cite news |first=Alan |last=Henry |authorlink=Alan Henry |title=Button gets the bird |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,235484,00.html |work=guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=2000-03-11 |accessdate=2008-06-05] cite news |first=Alan |last=Henry |authorlink=Alan Henry |title=Schumacher pushes into crash mode |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,235480,00.html |work=guardian.co.uk |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=2000-03-11 |accessdate=2008-06-05]

[http://www.independent.co.uk/search/index.jsp?ecePage=4&eceExpr=2000+Melbourne&eceFromDate=true&eceFromDay=1&eceFromMonth=2&eceFromYear=2000&eceToDate=true&eceToDay=1&eceToMonth=3&eceToYear=2000&eceSection=1181&eceSort=descending&eceField=all&eceMode=search&eceForm=simple&dateRange=custom]

;GrandPrix.com

;Atlas F1 (P)review

;Atlas F1 Grapevinecite news |author=The F1 Rumours Team |title=The Grapevine - Rumours and speculation in the world of Formula One |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/grapevine.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05]

;Atlas F1 Other!cite news |first=Ross |last=Stonefield |title=Everything You Need to Know about Albert Park |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/auslap.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05] cite news |first=Marcel |last=Borsboom |title=Qualifying Differentials |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/borsboom.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05] cite news |first=Will |last=Gray |title=Statistical Analysis: Back to 1999 |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/gray.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05] cite news |first=Roger |last=Horton |title=The Reflections on Melbourne |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/horton.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05]

;Atlas F1 News Archive [cite news |title=March 2000 - News Index |url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/index.html |work=Atlas F1 |publisher=Haymarket Publications |accessdate=2008-06-05]

;Books [cite book |first=Luc |last=Domenjoz |title=Formula 1 Yearbook: 2000–2001 |url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Formula-One-Yearbook-Jean-Todt/dp/0752547356/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212774305&sr=1-1 |accessdate=2008-06-06 | edition = 11th edition |origyear=2001 |publisher=Parragon |location=Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom |isbn=0-75254-735-6 |pages=pp. 80–90] [cite book |first=Christopher |last=Hilton |title=Michael Schumacher: The Whole Story |url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Schumacher-Whole-Christopher-Hilton/dp/1844250083/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212776074&sr=1-2 |accessdate=2008-06-06 |origyear=2006 | origmonth = November |publisher=Haynes Publishing |location=Yeovil, Somerset, United Kingdom |isbn=1-84425-008-3 |pages=pp. 277–278 ]

Classification

Qualifying

;Constructors' Championship standings

References

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Australian Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 2000
Previous_race_in_season = 1999 Japanese Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1999 Australian Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 2001 Australian Grand Prix