Mika Hakkinen, the double world champion with McLaren in 1998 and 1999, drove his last race in Formula 1 at Suzuka on October 14th 2001 while Michael Schumacher secured ninth victory of the season.
In his last race, Flying Finn qualified in fifth place (1:33.662), 1.178 seconds slower than fastest Michael Schumacher.
Although he was running in third place, Hakkinen let his team mate Coulthard through to help him secure second place in the drivers’ championship, although Coulthard didn’t need his help as Barrichello finished only fifth.
This is also the last race where we saw legendary duel between Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher and the last race for the Frenchman Jean Alesi. Jordan driver didn’t had a nice farewell, as he retired after a collision with Kimi Raikkonen which broke his car’s suspension.
Michael Schumacher won the race for the second consecutive year after he secured Ferrari’s first driver’s title after 21 years in 2000.
The German won nine races in 2001 after winning first and last race of the season, just like in 2000, and equalized his own record from 1995 and Mansell’s record from 1992 when Briton also won nine times.
However, the record of nine wins in a season will not last long because Schumacher will win 11 times in 2002 and 13 times in 2004 while Sebastian Vettel will equal his record in 2013 with Red Bull Renault.
STARTING GRID
| 1 | 1 | M.Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:32.484 | – |
| 2 | 6 | J.P.Montoya | Williams/BMW | 1:33.184 | 0.700 |
| 3 | 5 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams/BMW | 1:33.297 | 0.813 |
| 4 | 2 | R.Barrichello | Ferrari | 1:33.323 | 0.839 |
| 5 | 3 | Mika Häkkinen | McLaren/Mercedes | 1:33.662 | 1.178 |
| 6 | 7 | G.Fisichella | Benetton/Renault | 1:33.830 | 1.346 |
| 7 | 4 | David Coulthard | McLaren/Mercedes | 1:33.916 | 1.432 |
| 8 | 11 | Jarno Trulli | Jordan/Honda | 1:34.002 | 1.518 |
| 9 | 8 | Jenson Button | Benetton/Renault | 1:34.375 | 1.891 |
| 10 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber/Petronas | 1:34.386 | 1.902 |
| 11 | 12 | Jean Alesi | Jordan/Honda | 1:34.420 | 1.936 |
| 12 | 17 | Kimi Räikkönen | Sauber/Petronas | 1:34.581 | 2.097 |
| 13 | 18 | Eddie Irvine | Jaguar/Cosworth | 1:34.851 | 2.367 |
| 14 | 10 | J.Villeneuve | BAR/Honda | 1:35.109 | 2.625 |
| 15 | 22 | H-H.Frentzen | Prost/Acer | 1:35.132 | 2.648 |
| 16 | 19 | Pedro de la Rosa | Jaguar/Cosworth | 1:35.639 | 3.155 |
| 17 | 9 | Olivier Panis | BAR/Honda | 1:35.766 | 3.282 |
| 18 | 21 | Fernando Alonso | Minardi/European | 1:36.410 | 3.926 |
| 19 | 23 | Tomas Enge | Prost/Acer | 1:36.446 | 3.962 |
| 20 | 15 | Enrique Bernoldi | Arrows/Asiatech | 1:36.885 | 4.401 |
| Start from the pitlane | |||||
| 21 | 14 | Jos Verstappen | Arrows/Asiatech | 1:36.973 | 4.489 |
| 22 | 20 | Alex Yoong | Minardi/European | 1:38.246 | 5.762 |
REZULTATI UTRKE
| 1 | 1 | M.Schumacher | Ferrari | 53 | 1:27:33.298 | |
| 2 | 6 | J.P.Montoya | Williams/BMW | 53 | 1:27:36.452 | 3.154 |
| 3 | 4 | David Coulthard | McLaren/Mercedes | 53 | 1:27:56.560 | 23.262 |
| 4 | 3 | Mika Häkkinen | McLaren/Mercedes | 53 | 1:28:08.837 | 35.539 |
| 5 | 2 | R.Barrichello | Ferrari | 53 | 1:28:09.842 | 36.544 |
| 6 | 5 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams/BMW | 53 | 1:28:10.420 | 37.122 |
| 7 | 8 | Jenson Button | Benetton/Renault | 53 | 1:29:10.400 | 1:37.102 |
| 8 | 11 | Jarno Trulli | Jordan/Honda | 52 | 1:27:43.816 | 1 lap |
| 9 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber/Petronas | 52 | 1:27:44.304 | 1 lap |
| 10 | 10 | J.Villeneuve | BAR/Honda | 52 | 1:27:48.007 | 1 lap |
| 11 | 21 | Fernando Alonso | Minardi/European | 52 | 1:28:31.445 | 1 lap |
| 12 | 22 | H-H.Frentzen | Prost/Acer | 52 | 1:28:31.691 | 1 lap |
| 13 | 9 | Olivier Panis | BAR/Honda | 51 | 1:27:41.084 | 2 laps |
| 14 | 15 | Enrique Bernoldi | Arrows/Asiatech | 51 | 1:28:52.657 | 2 laps |
| 15 | 14 | Jos Verstappen | Arrows/Asiatech | 51 | 1:30:00.139 | 2 laps |
| 16 | 20 | Alex Yoong | Minardi/European | 50 | 1:28:51.095 | 3 laps |
| 17 | 7 | G.Fisichella | Benetton/Renault | 47 | 1:19:55.042 | Gearbox |
| (12) | 19 | Pedro de la Rosa | Jaguar/Cosworth | 45 | 1:16:39.624 | Oil |
| (19) | 23 | Tomas Enge | Prost/Acer | 42 | 1:15:00.290 | Brakes |
| (10) | 18 | Eddie Irvine | Jaguar/Cosworth | 24 | 40:34.728 | Fuel |
| (9) | 17 | Kimi Räikkönen | Sauber/Petronas | 5 | 8:32.348 | Spun off |
| (10) | 12 | Jean Alesi | Jordan/Honda | 5 | 8:32.624 | Collision |
Fastest lap: Ralf Schumacher – 1:36.944 (lap 46)
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 17/17 RACES
| 1 | Michael Schumacher | 123 | 10 | 10 | 6 | – | 10 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 6 | – | 10 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 2 | David Coulthard | 65 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 2 | – | 4 | 3 | – | – | 4 | 6 | – | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | Rubens Barrichello | 56 | 4 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | – | 2 |
| 4 | Ralf Schumacher | 49 | – | 2 | – | 10 | – | – | – | 10 | 3 | 6 | – | 10 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 |
| 5 | Mika Häkkinen | 37 | – | 1 | – | 3 | – | – | – | 4 | 1 | – | 10 | – | 2 | 3 | – | 10 | 3 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 31 | – | – | – | – | 6 | – | – | – | 6 | – | 3 | – | – | – | 10 | – | 6 |
| 7 | Jacques Villeneuve | 12 | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| 8 | Nick Heidfeld | 12 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – |
| 9 | Jarno Trulli | 12 | – | – | 2 | 2 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – |
| 10 | Kimi Räikkönen | 9 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | 3 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 11 | Giancarlo Fisichella | 8 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | 4 | – | – | – |
| 12 | Eddie Irvine | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| 13 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | 6 | 2 | 3 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 14 | Olivier Panis | 5 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 15 | Jean Alesi | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| 16 | Pedro de la Rosa | 3 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | ||||
| 17 | Jenson Button | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 18 | Jos Verstappen | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 19 | Ricardo Zonta | 0 | – | – | |||||||||||||||
| 20 | Luciano Burti | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 21 | Enrique Bernoldi | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 22 | Tarso Marques | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| 23 | Fernando Alonso | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 24 | Tomas Enge | 0 | – | – | – | ||||||||||||||
| 25 | Gastón Mazzacane | 0 | – | – | – | – | |||||||||||||
| 26 | Alex Yoong | 0 | – | – | – |
CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
| 1 | Ferrari | 179 | 14 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | McLaren/Mercedes | 102 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 10 | – | 6 | 9 | – | 14 | 7 |
| 3 | Williams/BMW | 80 | – | 2 | – | 10 | 6 | – | – | 10 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 3 | – | 14 | – | 7 |
| 4 | Sauber/Petronas | 21 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – |
| 5 | Jordan/Honda | 19 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 3 | – |
| 6 | BAR/Honda | 17 | – | – | 3 | – | 4 | 2 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| 7 | Benetton/Renault | 10 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | – | – |
| 8 | Jaguar/Cosworth | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | – |
| 9 | Prost/Acer | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 10 | Arrows/Asiatech | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 11 | Minardi/European | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
