Rubens Barrichello won in Monza for the first time and for the third time in the season after beating Williams drivers and Michael Schumacher on this day in 2002, bringing his Ferrari team the seventh 1-2 win of the season.
Michael Schumacher had already secured his record equaling fifth title in the 11th race of the season in France and Ferrari did the same in the 13th race in Hungary.
On Saturday, Juan Pablo Montoya won his seventh pole position of the season and the tenth in his career (1:20.264). Michael Schumacher was 0.257 seconds slower, Ralf Schumacher was 0.278 seconds behind and Barrichello 0.442 seconds.
Montoya’s lap was the fastest in Formula One history at that time (259.827 km/h), breaking the record of Keke Rosberg from Silverstone in 1985, and the record will be broken again by Montoya in 2004 (262.242 km/h), Raikkonen in 2018 (263.587 km/h) and Hamilton in 2020 (264.362 km/h).
Ferrari and Williams were a class to themselves in Monza as the fifth fastest Irvine in the Jaguar was 1.342 seconds behind, and McLaren drivers Raikkonen and Coulthard were 1.4 and 1.5 seconds behind.
Montoya got off to a bad start, Ralf doing much better and overtaking Michael, but also cutting the first chicane and moving into a lead that didn’t last long because he had his BMW engine expired in the fifth round.
Montoya did not have a clear view of the smoke from the Ralf and Barrichello takes the lead on a two-stop strategy, with Montoya soon overtaken by Michael on a single pitstop strategy.
The Colombian was third until he dropped out in the lap 34 due to a damaged chassis and Raikkonen was fourth behind Montoya until he had his Mercedes engine expired for the fifth time in the season.
Barrichello celebrated in front of Michael and Irvine in the Jaguar, which was the first time that season that someone not driving a Ferrari, Williams or McLaren was on the podium.
It was the Brazilian’s fourth career win and the first of three Monza wins as he celebrated there in 2004 at Ferrari and in 2009 at Brawn GP.
