Trulli’s U.S. Grand Prix Result Reinstated

Jarno Trulli’s fourth-place finish in last month’s United States Grand Prix has been reinstated. Trulli was originally disqualified after the September 30th race in Indianapolis when it was discovered that the skid plank under his car had been worn down too much during the race.

This decision means more to the Jordan Formula One team than it does to Trulli as it moves them into fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, two points ahead of their Honda powered British American Racing.

This decision does not actually mean that the Jordan was legal after all, they just won their appeal by default when one of the three stewards who was supposed to hear it did not appear at the hearing. Trulli will move to Benetton next year when it will be renamed Renault.

Complete U.S. GP results.

Posted: Monday, October 29th, 2001

Michael Schumacher Wins 2001 Japanese GP

The Japanese Grand Prix pretty much summed up the entire 2001 season: Michael Schumacher started from his 11th pole of the year, led the race from start to finish apart from pit stops and won his ninth GP this year. In so doing he eclipsed Alain Prost’s record of total points scored which was about the only record he didn’t already own. To complete the effect the Ferrari, McLaren and Williams teams took all of the point scoring positions.

Juan Pablo Montoya was close on Schumacher’s heels all race and finished just three seconds behind him. David Coulthard was third and locked up second place in this year’s Drivers’ Championship. Mika Hakkinen finished fourth amid speculation that he had deliberately let his teammate Coulthard pass him to avoid having to attend the podium finisher’s press conference where he would almost certainly have faced more retirement questions as he starts his one year sabbatical.

Rubens Barrichello was fifth, his now almost routine three stop strategy didn’t help him much today as even with a light fuel load he couldn’t make a pass on Montoya stick and so he lost time in the pits on the extra stop without any speed advantage on the track. Ralf Schumacher took the final points scoring position after a stop-and-go penalty for straight-lining a chicane cost him several places. He almost landed another penalty for crossing the white line at the pit exit but slowed to let Barrichello pass him to show that he had not gained any advantage from the move

Jean Alesi finished his 201^st and final GP on lap 6 after he came together with the spinning Sauber of Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen will be moving to McLaren next year to replace Hakkinen.

Complete Japanese GP results.

Posted: Sunday, October 14th, 2001

Jean Alesi To Retire From Formula One

Veteran French Formula One driver Jean Alesi confirmed today that he will retire from Formula One racing after the season finale at Suzuka in Japan this Sunday. His announcement follows an earlier one from Team Jordan that he would not be required next year as they had signed Takuma Sato — the 2001 British Formula Three champion — to a two year contract.

Alesi moved to Jordan from Prost halfway through the season to replace Heinz-Harald Frentzen who in turn signed on with Prost.

At 37 Alesi is the most experienced active driver in F1 and has driven for Tyrell, Ferrari, Benetton, Sauber, Prost and Jordan since his first race in 1989. In 200 Grand Prix starts he has one victory at Montreal in 1995 for Ferrari.

Although Alesi stated that he would not race next year and would not return to Formula One he did not entirely rule out other forms of racing. In the past he has expressed an interest in racing in the United States after his F1 career is over and he may be thinking of a CART or IRL ride like Johnny Herbert.

Posted: Wednesday, October 10th, 2001