2001 Monaco GP: Schumacher wins, Coulthard stuck behind Bernoldi

At the 2001 Monaco GP, Michael Schumacher claimed a commanding win for Ferrari. He finished ahead of his team-mate Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine, who gave Jaguar its first podium. The race was effectively decided before the start: polesitter David Coulthard stalled his McLaren and had to start from the back of the field.

On the tight Circuit de Monaco, only 10 of the 22 starters made it to the finish. Schumacher led the entire race apart from five laps during the pit stops. He crossed the line just 0.431 seconds ahead of Barrichello, as Ferrari had backed off the pace at the end.

Coulthard had taken pole, with Schumacher alongside him in 2nd on the grid. But when the field set off on the formation lap, the McLaren didn't move. A launch control fault had stalled the engine. By the time the mechanics had restarted the car, the field was gone, and Coulthard had to start from the back.

Mika Häkkinen in the second McLaren also had problems with the start system. He was stuck behind Coulthard but was allowed to start from his third grid position. Schumacher got away cleanly and led into Sainte Dévote, followed by Häkkinen and Barrichello, who had started 4th.

Nick Heidfeld's race was over on the opening lap. His Sauber touched an Arrows at Portier and hit the barrier. Sources disagree on which of the two Arrows cars was involved. Juan Pablo Montoya had made a strong start in his Williams and was putting Ralf Schumacher under pressure. In doing so he made a mistake of his own: he slid straight on into the barrier at the Swimming Pool section and retired after two laps.

Häkkinen initially kept pace with Schumacher. Then his McLaren began pulling more and more to the right. On lap 13 he let Barrichello through and came into the pits. The mechanics found no damage, but the problem returned immediately. After 15 laps the 1998 and 1999 world champion gave up, officially due to a steering failure. Olivier Panis had already retired in the BAR after 13 laps for the same reason.

From then on, Schumacher had no challenger. Barrichello couldn't get close to him in second, as according to grandprix.com he had been suffering from cramp in his right foot from early on. There was only one round of pit stops. Schumacher stopped first; according to crash.net, his stop took seven seconds. Barrichello took the lead for five laps from lap 55 until he pitted himself. From lap 60, Schumacher was back in front and brought the win home.

The defining story of the race unfolded further back. Coulthard had started with a heavy fuel load and was working his way forward. From around lap 8, however, he was stuck behind the Arrows of Enrique Bernoldi. The Brazilian was running light on fuel and had no reason to give way. Despite several attempts, Coulthard found no way past on the narrow streets. According to grandprix.com, the fuel difference cost him around 1.5 to 2 seconds per lap.

Only when Bernoldi pitted after around 43 to 44 laps (sources give slightly different laps) did Coulthard have a clear track. His lap times immediately dropped from 1:24 and 1:25 to 1:21 and 1:20. He didn't stop until a good ten laps from the end. He eventually finished fifth, one lap down.

The duel had repercussions: Bernoldi claimed that McLaren team principal Ron Dennis and Mercedes motorsport director Norbert Haug had threatened him with consequences for his career after the race. Dennis denied this.

Twelve drivers failed to finish. The key retirements:

• Pedro de la Rosa (Pedro de la Rosa, Jaguar): after 18 laps, hydraulics.
• Luciano Burti (Luciano Burti, Prost): after 24 laps, gearbox.
• Jarno Trulli (Jarno Trulli, Jordan): after 30 laps, hydraulics. His car caught fire and came to a halt at Rascasse.
• Giancarlo Fisichella (Giancarlo Fisichella, Benetton): after 43 laps, officially gearbox. He had already touched the wall at Sainte Dévote earlier. Reports give different laps for his final retirement.
• Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jordan): after 49 laps, accident. According to grandprix.com, he hit the barriers at high speed after the tunnel but was unhurt.
• Fernando Alonso (Fernando Alonso, Minardi): after 54 laps, gearbox.
• Tarso Marques (Tarso Marques, Minardi): after 56 laps, transmission.
• Ralf Schumacher (Williams): after 57 laps, officially electrics. According to grandprix.com, he was running 3rd at the time. He came into the pits, where the team could no longer repair the car. That meant Williams ended the day without any points.

Eddie Irvine was one of the big winners of the day. He started from 6th, benefited from the retirements of Montoya, Häkkinen and Ralf Schumacher, and finished 3rd, around 30 seconds down. It was Jaguar's first podium and, at the same time, the team's first points of the season. Irvine praised the new aerodynamic package.

Right behind him, Jacques Villeneuve went from 9th on the grid to 4th in the BAR, gaining five places. Jean Alesi also gained five places and scored Prost's first point of the season in sixth. He had 5th place in sight, but a puncture shortly before the end forced him into an extra stop, and Coulthard went past.

The Arrows drivers gained the most places: Jos Verstappen went from 19th on the grid to 8th, and Bernoldi from 20th on the grid to 9th, eleven positions each. Jenson Button climbed from 17th to 7th in the Benetton. Kimi Räikkönen finished tenth in the Sauber, five laps down. The big losers were Häkkinen (16 places lost), Montoya (14) and, of course, polesitter Coulthard.

After the seventh round of the season, the championship looked very much like Ferrari's. In the 2001 standings, Michael Schumacher led with 52 points, twelve more than Coulthard on 40. Behind them came Barrichello (24), Ralf Schumacher (12) and Heidfeld (8). Villeneuve, now on 7 points, jumped four places to 6th.

In the constructors' championship, Ferrari had 76 points, well clear of McLaren on 44. Williams followed in 3rd with 18 points.

For Schumacher it was the 48th Grand Prix win of his career and his fifth in Monaco. For McLaren it was a bitter day: Coulthard had set the fastest lap in qualifying, but two technical problems cost the team the chance of victory. Coulthard thus lost valuable ground in the title fight. In hindsight: it would be Ferrari's last win in the Principality until 2017.