2000 Australian Grand Prix

1st round of the 2000 Formula One season December 2019 F1 Australia Australian 2000 Australian Grand Prix https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/2000-australian-grand-prix/ Motor Sport 13 May 2024 12 March 2000 1999 Japanese Grand Prix 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix Albert_Lake_Park_Street_Circuit_in_Melbourne,_Australia.svg Albert Park Circuit 1 17 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix Albert Park Circuit, Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Temporary street circuit 3.295 5.303 58 191.118 307.574Michael Schumacher Wins the Australian GP http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/2128.htm Atlas F1 and Reuters Haymarket Publications 12 March 2000 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20110929103319/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/2128.htm 29 September 2011 live Sunny, Air Temp: 20 °C Mika Häkkinen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.556Hakkinen Sets 22nd Pole in Qualifying – Australian GP http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/2118.htm Atlas F1 and Reuters Haymarket Publications 11 March 2000 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20110929103339/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/2118.htm 29 September 2011 live Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari 1:31.481 41 Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari Ralf Schumacher Germany Williams-BMW AUS The 2000 Australian Grand Prix (officially known as the 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix)https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2000/races/47/australia/race-result.html Australia Formula1.com 20 November 2021 was a Formula One motor race held on 12 March 2000 at the Albert Park Circuit in Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia before a crowd of 124,300. It was the first race of seventeen in the 2000 Formula One World Championship. The 58-lap race was won by Michael Schumacher for the Ferrari team after starting from third position. Schumacher's new teammate for the 2000 season, Rubens Barrichello finished second in the other Ferrari, with Ralf Schumacher third for BMW-Williams. Mika Häkkinen started on pole position in a McLaren after setting the fastest overall lap time in the one-hour qualifying session, with teammate David Coulthard alongside him, but both retired with pneumatic valve failures. Three drivers made their Grand Prix debut: future world champion 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, and Heidfeld finished ninth, two laps behind.Slow starters, or dream debuts? http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2007/3/5752.html The Official Formula 1 Website Formula One Management 13 March 2007 26 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20140222184404/http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2007/3/5752.html 22 February 2014 This race also marked the debut of team Jaguar Racing, who were previously known as Stewart Grand Prix. Background The 2000 Australian Grand Prix took place at the 5.303 km (3.295 mi) Albert Park Circuit in Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria on 12 March 2000; it was the first round of seventeen in the 2000 Formula One World Championship and the eighth staging of the World Championship Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.Ewan Tytler The Australian GP Preview http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/tytler.html Atlas F1 Haymarket Publications 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20110929103346/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/tytler.html 29 September 2011 live 8 March 2000 6 10 Tyre supplier Bridgestone brought Extra Soft, Soft and Medium compound tyres to the race. The NASCAR Sensation, the BMW Celebrity Challenge, the Formula Ford Track Attack, the International Supersports Cup and V8 Supercars held support races during the weekend.17 November 1999 Got to live Formula One! http://www.grandprix.com.au/cars/news/Articles/n1711got_to_live.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20001021071129/http://www.grandprix.com.au/cars/news/Articles/n1711got_to_live.html 21 October 2000 19 October 2026 GrandPrix.com.au Heading into the first race of the season,Goodman Louise Louise Goodman https://archive.org/details/beyondpitlanegra0000good/ Beyond the Pit Lane: The Grand Prix Season from the Inside Headline Publishing Group 2000 0-7472-3541-4 London, England 1–18 Australian Grand Prix registration Internet Archive many were tipping Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher and 1999 World Drivers' Champion, McLaren's Mika Häkkinen as the main contenders to win the 2000 World Drivers' Championship.Australian GP Preview Homepage http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/index.html Atlas F1 Haymarket Publications 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080429114721/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/index.html 29 April 2008 live Schumacher was favourite to win the Championship according to the bookmakers and by some former Formula One drivers,Schumacher Bookie's Favourite to Win Drivers' Title http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/2075.htm Atlas F1 Haymarket Publications 3 March 2000 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20110929103433/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/mar/2075.htm 29 September 2011 live The F1 Rumours Team The Grapevine – Rumours and speculation in the world of Formula One http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/grapevine.html Atlas F1 Haymarket Publications 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20110929103421/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/preview/grapevine.html 29 September 2011 live including Schumacher's teammate from the 1999 season, and new Jaguar driver Eddie Irvine.Derick Allsop Irvine provides new spin on McLaren rival https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/irvine-provides-new-spin-on-mclaren-rival-722975.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/irvine-provides-new-spin-on-mclaren-rival-722975.html 1 May 2022 subscription live The Independent Independent News and Media 1 March 2000 5 June 2008August 2021 medicmedic The last Drivers' Champion for Ferrari, Jody Scheckter, who did so in the 1979 season, also tipped Schumacher to win the Championship.Ian Gordon Schumacher can Scheck in for title https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/schumacher-can-scheck-in-for-title-722984.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/schumacher-can-scheck-in-for-title-722984.html 1 May 2022 subscription The Independent Independent News and Media 4 March 2000 5 June 2008August 2021 medicmedic Out of the 11 teams and 22 drivers on the starting grid, three drivers made their debut.Evans Ben 11 March 2020 Schumacher’s winning start to bid for first Ferrari world title https://www.racefans.net/2020/03/11/schumachers-winning-start-to-bid-for-first-ferrari-world-title/ 19 October 2026 RaceFans Nick Heidfeld joined the Prost team alongside Jean Alesi.Prost Signs Heidfeld http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/1999/aug/1576.htm Atlas F1 Haymarket Publications 27 August 1999 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20110929103437/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/1999/aug/1576.htm 29 September 2011 live 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.Fearnley Paul 22 October 1999 Pitpass: Ollie taks test F1 Racing November 1999 21 Haymarket Magazine Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom 1361-4487 Fearnley Paul 18 February 2000 2000 Preview F1 Racing March 2000 54–86 Haymarket Magazine Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom 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.Minardi Announce Mazzacane as Second Driver http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/feb/2010.htm Atlas F1 Haymarket Publications 14 February 2000 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20101227131936/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/feb/2010.htm 27 December 2010 live 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.Williams Launch New Car; Button Replaces Zanardi http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/jan/1919.htm Atlas F1 Haymarket Publications 24 January 2000 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080605005428/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/2000/jan/1919.htm 5 June 2008 live 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".Donald McRae Moment of truth for Button, the most hyped driver since Senna https://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,,235485,00.html guardian.co.uk Guardian News and Media 11 March 2000 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20131220132544/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,,235485,00.html 20 December 2013 live The main talking point going into the race was the side head protection for drivers, the design of which had been revised in the new technical regulations.Piola Giorgio 14–20 March 2000 Le regole in gioco The Rules of the Game Autosprint it 11 46 Giorgio Piola Although the solutions adopted by Ferrari and Jordan during winter testing to mitigate the impact of the new configuration had caused some comment, the inspections found no irregularities on the cars of those two teams; the Arrows A21, however, was found to be non-compliant and was therefore had to raise the side guards using temporary material, pending a permanent solution for the following 2000 Brazilian. David Coulthard’s McLaren was also found to be non-compliant: Coulthard had requested that the sidepods be slightly filed down to allow for greater lateral movement of the head. Practice There were four practice sessions held before the Sunday race, two one-hour sessions on Friday and two 45-minute sessions on Saturday.Domenjoz Luc Formula 1 Yearbook 2000–2001 Sporting regulations https://archive.org/details/formula1yearbook0000unse_d5v4 2000 Parragon Bath, Somerset 220–221 0-75254-735-6 registration Internet Archive The first day of practice was when cars were heavy with fuel to allow drivers and engineers to fine-tune their racing setups. In the first practice session, held on a slippery track surface, Häkkinen set the fastest lap of 1:32.768, followed by Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Coulthard, Jacques Villeneuve, Ralf Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jos Verstappen, Eddie Irvine and Alexander Wurz.http://www.atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2108.htm Friday First Free Practice – Australian GP 10 March 2000 Atlas F1 https://web.archive.org/web/20160422092944/http://atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2108.htm 22 April 2016 live 27 February 2019 During the session, Ricardo Zonta and Heidfeld spun into a gravel trap beside the circuit, Johnny Herbert's car had a possible engine failure that cut out its ignition system, and Michael Schumacher's driving was curtailed due to the on-board television camera mounted atop of his Ferrari melting a wiring loom.http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A84616571/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=GPS&xid=c9cbdcfe Australian Grand Prix; Rookie Button gets bird 11 March 2000 The Advertiser 27 February 2019 152 subscription Infotrac Newsstand Although he removed the left-rear wheel of his car in an sideways accident at the fast sweeping turn 14 concrete barrier on his 15th lap midway through the second practice session because he missed the braking point, Michael Schumacher recorded the day's fastest lap of 1:32.130 in clear, sunny conditions. Coulthard was second and Barrichello third. The rest of the top ten were Häkkinen, Villeneuve, Pedro Diniz, Frentzen, Wurz, Zonta and Irvine.http://www.atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2109.htm Friday Second Free Practice – Australian GP 10 March 2000 Atlas F1 https://web.archive.org/web/20160422093409/http://atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2109.htm 22 April 2016 live 27 February 2019Pye John 11 March 2000 Slipup all that slows Schumacher https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-slipup-all-that-slows/208602803/ 19 October 2026 The Tampa Tribune Sports 7 Newspapers.com Associated Press Although Michael Schumacher's car was heavily damaged in the accident, he was unhurt.Gardner John 10 March 2000 Practice 2: Schumacher Sets Fast Time, Crashes http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01Formula1/000310b.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000408183121/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01Formula1/000310b.html 8 April 2000 21 October 2026 Speedvision In the third practice session, Michael Schumacher continued to run strongly with the fastest time of 1:30.439.11 March 2000 Fast start for Schumacher https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-fast-start-for-schumacher/208606329/ 19 October 2026 The Gazette F4 Newspapers.com Associated Press Coulthard was 0.519 seconds behind in second place and Frentzen placed third. Fourth went to Barrichello and Trulli was fifth. Ralf Schumacher, Villeneuve, Herbert, Giancarlo Fisichella and Irvine followed in the top ten positions.http://dbs.galeforcef1.com/event_times.asp?s=2000&e=01&p=f2t Top Six: Session Times: Free 2 11 March 2000 Gale Force F1 https://web.archive.org/web/20020227084621/http://dbs.galeforcef1.com/event_times.asp?s=2000&e=01&p=f2t 27 February 2002 dead 27 February 2019 Häkkinen's engine failed mid-way through his first lap, necessitating two teams of McLaren mechanics to spend 42 minutes dismantling both his and teammate's Coulthard's rear of their cars to change their engines and gearboxes to enable driving in the second practice session later that day.http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines00/australia/s1588.html Two engines changed by McLaren mechanics in record time 11 March 2000 Formula1.com https://web.archive.org/web/20001217184600/http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines00/australia/s1588.html 17 December 2000 dead 27 February 2019 15 minutes in and midway through his fourth lap, Button crashed into the turn ten right-hand side barrier at 160 mph km/h on after clipping a kerb that was slippery,http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=2845 New boy Button crashes in Grand Prix practice 11 March 2000 F1Racing.net https://web.archive.org/web/20050318214831/http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=2845 18 March 2005 dead 27 February 2019 removing the rear wheels from his Williams and heavily damaging its bodywork.http://www.atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2116.htm Button crashes in Saturday's First Free Practice 11 March 2000 Atlas F1 https://web.archive.org/web/20160422092932/http://atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2116.htm 22 April 2016 live 27 February 2019 The session was halted for ten minutes as track marshals extricated his car from the circuit. Häkkinen was left with six laps to prepare for qualifying later in the day.https://archive.org/details/formel1saison2000000unbe/ Formula One – The 2000 Season Mixing Medienprodukt 2000 8-02-253580-X Neckarsulm, Germany 18–25 Penfold Chuck Australian Grand Prix – Topsy-Turvy Down Under registration Internet Archive Michael Schumacher paced the final practice session with a lap of 1:30.390, ahead of Coulthard, Frentzen (despite missing most of the session due to a gearbox sensor issue), Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Trulli, Pedro de la Rosa, Verstappen, Villeneuve and Herbert.11 March 2000 Grand Prix of Australia: Free practice + qualifying http://www.fia.com/presse/f1news-a/Australie2-2000.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20001025164452/http://www.fia.com/presse/f1news-a/Australie2-2000.htm 25 October 2000 20 October 2026 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile Mazzacane spun his Minardi car into the grass and Häkkinen ran off the circuit at turn nine during the session. Qualifying Saturday's afternoon qualifying session lasted for an hour. Each driver was limited to twelve laps, with the starting order decided by the drivers' fastest laps. During this session, the 107% rule was in effect, which necessitated each driver set a time within 107% of the quickest lap to qualify for the race. Qualifying was relatively routine until halfway through the session when there were a number of driver errors and a three-way duel for pole position.Gardner John 11 March 2000 Hakkinen Takes Melbourne Pole http://speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1/000311c.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000407200158/http://speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1/000311c.html 7 April 2000 21 October 2026 Speedvision With a lap time of 1:30.556 set on his final run, Mika Häkkinen took the 22nd pole position of his career and his third in succession at the Australian Grand Prix by three-tenths from teammate David Coulthard, after the pair locked out a McLaren front row to start the season.Pye John 11 March 2000 Hakkinen captures pole https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-state-journal-register-hakkinen-capt/208605206/ 19 October 2026 The State Journal-Register 13 Newspapers.com Associated Press Michael Schumacher ran nine laps, made multiple errors on his fast laps and was disappointed with third after a heavy spin by Coulthard across the gravel trap on his last run against the barriers at the exit to Stewart turn had damaged his McLaren and caused a red flag forcing him to abandon his final attempt.11 March 2000 Hakkinen dominates qualifying https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/hakkinen-dominates-qualifying-5036096/5036096/ 19 October 2026 Autosport Coulthard was unhurt in the accident. He said that it "was not the intention" for him to disrupt Schumacher on his final flying lap. The top three qualifying places were identical to what they had been in the previous two years. Schumacher's new Ferrari teammate, Rubens Barrichello, qualified fourth, and was delayed on each of his runs and had a pit lane weight check. The Jordans of Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli behind Barrichello qualified on the third row in fifth and sixth. Frentzen made contact with the barrier during his opening run while Trulli experienced gearbox issues on both his race car and spare car. Eddie Irvine qualified seventh for Jaguar during an incident-free session for himself, with Jacques Villeneuve eighth. Giancarlo Fisichella took ninth after making suspension damper changes and Mika Salo in 10th was pleased with how his Sauber car felt. Ralf Schumacher was 11th for the Williams-BMW, with Verstappen 13th after his right-rear suspension failed during his last run but Verstappen regained control of his car to prevent him from hitting anything. Ralf Schumacher's rookie teammate Jenson Button qualified 21st for his first race, setting a lap time 1.6 seconds slower after switching to the spare Williams car because of fuel pressure issues with his race car that was repaired following his fourth practice session accident. Behind Button was another rookie, Mazzacane, and in front was Jaguar's Johnny Herbert, who had engine failures, gear selection issues and power steering trouble that caused his Jaguar to pull to the right.Hamilton Maurice 12 March 2000 Button the back-row driver https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-observer-button-the-back-row-driver/208578050/ 19 October 2026 The Observer 16 Newspapers.com Button later described his qualifying session by saying "It can't get worse than this".Andrew Benson Button bright in baptism of fire https://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,,235615,00.html guardian.co.uk Guardian News and Media 13 March 2000 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20131220131122/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,,235615,00.html 20 December 2013 live Qualifying classification Pos No Driver Constructor Time Gap 1 1 Finland Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.556 2 2 UK David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.910 +0.354 3 3 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:31.075 +0.519 4 4 Brazil Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1:31.102 +0.546 5 5 Germany Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jordan-Mugen-Honda 1:31.359 +0.803 6 6 Italy Jarno Trulli Jordan-Mugen-Honda 1:31.504 +0.948 7 7 UK Eddie Irvine Jaguar-Cosworth 1:31.514 +0.958 8 22 Canada Jacques Villeneuve BAR-Honda 1:31.968 +1.412 9 11 Italy Giancarlo Fisichella Benetton-Playlife 1:31.992 +1.436 10 17 Finland Mika Salo Sauber-Petronas 1:32.018 +1.462 11 9 Germany Ralf Schumacher Williams-BMW 1:32.220 +1.664 12 18 Spain Pedro de la Rosa Arrows-Supertec 1:32.323 +1.767 13 19 Netherlands Jos Verstappen Arrows-Supertec 1:32.477 +1.921 14 12 Austria Alexander Wurz Benetton-Playlife 1:32.775 +2.219 15 15 Germany Nick Heidfeld Prost-Peugeot 1:33.024 +2.468 16 23 Brazil Ricardo Zonta BAR-Honda 1:33.117 +2.561 17 14 France Jean Alesi Prost-Peugeot 1:33.197 +2.641 18 20 Spain Marc Gené Minardi-Fondmetal 1:33.261 +2.705 19 16 Brazil Pedro Diniz Sauber-Petronas 1:33.378 +2.822 20 8 UK Johnny Herbert Jaguar-Cosworth 1:33.638 +3.082 21 10 UK Jenson Button Williams-BMW 1:33.828 +3.272 22 21 Argentina Gastón Mazzacane Minardi-Fondmetal 1:34.705 +4.149107% time: 1:36.895Sources:http://www.statsf1.com/en/2000/australie/qualification.aspx Australia 2000 – Qualifications en https://web.archive.org/web/20181114223955/http://www.statsf1.com/en/2000/australie/qualification.aspx 14 November 2018 live 14 November 2018 StatsF1 Warm-up In Sunday morning's half an hour warm-up session for teams to make their final preparations for the race, which took place in hot and sunny conditions, Barrichello paced the field with a lap time of 1:31.225.12 March 2000 Grand Prix of Australia: Warm-up http://www.fia.com/presse/f1news-a/Australie3-2000.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20001025164455/http://www.fia.com/presse/f1news-a/Australie3-2000.htm 25 October 2000 20 October 2026 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile He was 1.573 seconds faster than Button in second place who had a small oil leak and fire in the pit lane. The two McLarens were third and fourth, with Häkkinen ahead of Coulthard. Verstappen was fifth and Fisichella sixth. Jean Alesi, Michael Schumacher, De la Rosa and Salo completed the top ten.http://www.atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2127.htm Sunday Warm-Up – Australian GP 12 March 2000 Atlas F1 https://web.archive.org/web/20160315163517/http://www.atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2127.htm 15 March 2016 live 27 February 2019Gardner John 12 March 2000 Barrichello, Button Top Pre-Race Warm-Up http://speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1/000312a.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000608021837/http://speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1/000312a.html 8 June 2000 21 October 2026 Speedvision Ralf Schumacher went off the circuit and damaged his nose cone while De la Rosa drove the spare Arrows car after his race car needed its oil tank changed. Button had an oil leak in his race car at the start of the session and switched to the spare Williams car until his race car was repaired. Herbert stopped at the pit lane entrance when his engine failed. Race The race began in sunny weather conditions before a total of 124,300 people at 14:00 local time.D'Alessio Paolo Formula 1 2000: World Championship Yearbook: The Complete Record of the Grand Prix Season Australian GP https://archive.org/details/formula12000worl0000dale October 2000 Voyageur Press Stillwater, Minnesota 169 0-89658-499-2 registration A total of 21 of the 22 cars started on the grid, with Alesi the only driver to start from the pit lane due to an electro-hydraulic engine issue that forced a switch to the spare Prost car setup for his teammate Heidfeld.Michele Lupini The Australian GP Review http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/lupini.html Atlas F1 Haymarket Publications 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20090106145203/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/aus/lupini.html 6 January 2009 live 15 March 2000Ryan Melissa 13 March 2000 GP 2000: How the Race Unfolded https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-gp-2000-how-the-race-unfolded/208595373/ 19 October 2026 The Age S12 Newspapers.com When the lights went out to begin the race, Häkkinen converted his pole position from qualifying to lead into the first corner at the start of the race.Grand Prix Results: Australian GP, 2000 http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr647.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020102030426/http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr647.html 2 January 2002 19 October 2026 GrandPrix.com 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.Peter Windsor Windsor Peter Clarkson, Tom 17 March 2000 Schuey's confidence repaid F1 Racing March 2000 136–143 Haymarket Magazine Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom 1361-4487 This was partially due to a collision between Minardi driver Marc Gené and rookie Heidfeld at turn one, which left Gené last in the order as he had to pit for repairs to a bent steering arm. Jaguar driver Johnny Herbert was the first person to retire, retiring with a slipping clutch on the second lap, having first experienced issues at turn two on the previous lap. By lap four, the two McLarens of Häkkinen and Coulthard, along with Schumacher, were already pulling away from Frentzen's Jordan, who was five seconds behind Schumacher. On lap seven, the front suspension on the Arrows car of De la Rosa failed, sending him into a tyre barrier and removing two wheels from his car. Herbert's teammate, Irvine spun trying to avoid the Arrows car. Irvine could not get the Jaguar going again as it suffered an engine failure due to an anti-stall system failure.Tremayne David 13 March 2000 Schumacher has McLaren seeing red https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent-schumacher-has-mclaren-s/208581202/ 19 October 2026 The Independent 1 Newspapers.com David TremayneGardner John 12 March 2000 Schumacher Wins Melbourne http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1/000312b.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000408140321/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1/000312b.html 8 April 2000 21 October 2026 Speedvision Both retired from the race. The safety car was deployed to slow the other cars down so the marshals could clear up the wreckage.Alan Henry Alan Henry Ferrari fire as Button comes undone https://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,,235624,00.html guardian.co.uk Guardian News and Media 13 March 2000 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20140228182039/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,,235624,00.html 28 February 2014 live When the green flag was given at the end of lap 10 and racing resumed between turns 15 and 16, Coulthard slowed dramatically and came in for an unscheduled pit stop with an engine misfire for the McLaren team investigate. Coulthard returned to the track, but the problem was a pneumatic valve system failure in the engine continued and forced his retirement on lap 11. Schumacher was now promoted 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. After a new steering arm was installed in his car, Verstappen retired in the pit lane on lap 16 with defective steering. Arrows withdrew Verstappen after discussions with De la Rosa in case of a similar failure to his teamate. Häkkinen retired on lap 19, with the same problem as his teammate; a double retirement almost identical to the 1999 race. With Häkkinen's retirement, Schumacher led by 16.5 seconds from Frentzen in second. On lap 28, Alesi retired with fluid seeping from the gearbox.Collings Timothy 13 March 2000 Schumacher sets pace https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-schumacher-sets-pace/208579185/ 19 October 2026 The Daily Telegraph S1, S14 Newspapers.com Schumacher made his one and only pit stop on lap 30. His stop lasted 12.2 seconds, 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 earlier than scheduled by Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn on lap 33, but the Ferrari team switched him to a two stop strategy so that he could move ahead of Frentzen because his Ferrari would have less fuel onboard and therefore be lighter, allowing him to lap quicker. Trulli retired his Jordan car on lap 36 with a broken exhaust pipe that caused his engine to fail.Henry Alan Alan Henry 12 March 2000 Alan Henry’s Melbourne News and Notes http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1/000312f.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000408202415/http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1/000312f.html 8 April 2000 21 October 2026 Speedvision 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 when the fuel nozzle became jammed while refuelling the car, costing Frentzen more than ten seconds in the stop. Frentzen rejoined the track in sixth, however retired three laps later with a hydraulic leak in the gearbox, preventing him from selecting gear correctly. Mazzacane retired on lap 41 with a gearbox problem and Diniz retired on the following lap with a similar issue. Barrichello was two seconds a lap quicker than his teammate Schumacher and set the race's fastest lap of 1:31.481 on lap 41. He took the lead on lap 45, overtaking teammate Schumacher before making his second pit stop for a quick fuel stop. As Schumacher regained the lead, Barrichello rejoined the track second. The retirements of the McLaren and Jordan team cars elevated Ralf Schumacher, Button's Williams teammate, 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 smoke billowing from his car due to an engine failure. Ricardo Zonta, in a BAR, was promoted to sixth, but was overtaken by Salo on the back straight with eight laps remaining. Schumacher took his 36th career victory and won the Australian Grand Prix for the first time in ten entries after completing 58 laps in a time 1:34:01.987, twelve seconds ahead of second placed Barrichello, who completed a Ferrari one-two finish, and achieved his joint career-best finish that equalled the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix and the 1997 Monaco Grand Prix.Gordon Ian 13 March 2000 Schumacher sounds warning to title rivals https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-northern-echo-teesside-ed-schumac/208581618/ 19 October 2026 The Northern Echo 18 Newspapers.com Ralf Schumacher was classified third, with Villeneuve close behind in fourth, giving BAR their first ever points in Formula One. Fisichella finished fifth despite steering problems early in the race, 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 in which the front wing endplates on his car were 20 mm in on outside the regulations, promoting Zonta into sixth place, the final points-scoring position. In an era of poor car reliability, a total of ten drivers of the 22 starters were running at the conclusion of the race, with 12 not classified.Donaldson Gerald 12 March 2000 Schu wins Down Under https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-schu-wins-down-under/208597976/ 19 October 2026 Toronto Star C5 Newspapers.com Gerald Donaldson Post-race After the race, Michael Schumacher said: I was driving pretty easily from the beginning, I was saving my tyres, saving my fuel, ready for the final moments when the pit stops came and I had to attack. Unfortunately the two guys in front of me broke down. I would have preferred to race them to the end, to prove how good we really are.Barrichello was complimentary of Brawn and the rest of the Ferrari team, "He has been described as the maestro, and now I can say he really is the best. He changed my strategy, and although I don't know what happened to Frentzen, I think we would have got him anyway."12 March 2000 Post-Race Press Conference https://www.atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2135.htm 19 October 2026 Atlas F1 Ralf Schumacher was full of praise for his Williams car and his BMW engine after finishing in third place, "It did the job, it is nice to drive, it was reliable and we finished 3rd. I thought that we would be in the points if we finished the race, but I never imagined we would be 3rd. This was a great day for us." Ferrari's sporting director Jean Todt noted it was the first one-two finish with the team's revised driver-line up of Michael Schumacher and Barrichello and that their primary opposition had not finished.Tremayne David 14 March 2000 New model Schumacher forces McLaren to take stock https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent-new-model-schumacher-for/208583815/ 19 October 2026 The Independent 22 Newspapers.com David Tremayne McLaren's head Ron Dennis accused Ferrari to treating Barrichello as a "sacrificial lamb" in order to protect Schumacher when the team switched Barrichello from a one-stop to a two-stop strategy, saying, "If they are trying to convince Rubens it was a super strategy, they are misleading him."Henry Alan 14 March 2000 Ferrari accused of two-stop plot https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-ferrari-accused-of-two-stop/208582457/ 19 October 2026 The Guardian 31 Newspapers.com Alan Henry Brawn's response was that it was "a bit strange making these sorts of statements" and that Dennis had no understanding of Ferrari's strategy, "I don't see how he works that out. It was worth a gamble; if we hadn't done anything, Rubens would have stayed behind Heinz-Harald Frentzen anyway."15 March 2000 Brawn Denies Dennis' Claims https://www.atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2141.htm 19 October 2026 Atlas F1 Häkkinen said although he was disappointed to not score any championship points at the opening round of the championship, it did not mean he was out of title contention as there were still "a long way to go in the season".12 March 2000 Hakkinen: 'We'll be back' https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/hakkinen-well-be-back-5036045/5036045/ 19 October 2026 Autosport Mercedes Motorsport boss Norbert Haug said it was a shame the McLarens retired in Australia but noted the 1999 season began the same way for the team. Sauber decided not to appeal Salo's disqualification from sixth position.12 March 2000 Salo Disappointed after Disqualification https://www.atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2138.htm 19 October 2026 Atlas F1 Reuters Team owner Peter Sauber said that despite Salo's disqualification, the team could feel hopeful about the car's possible performance. BAR managing director Craig Pollock heralded the team's double-points result, To get two cars in the top six is more than successful for us. Behind Ferrari we were the second team to bring both cars home which is some achievement."Brunskell Bob 15 March 2000 BAR happy with Australian finish https://www.newspapers.com/article/southern-daily-echo-bar-happy-with-austr/208582769/ 19 October 2026 Southern Daily Echo 42 Newspapers.com Villeneuve commented on his fourth-place finish, "It feels great. I knew we would be able to score points today and after the struggle of the last year, it is good to finally achieve this."13 March 2000 Villeneuve crowns Honda's F1 return https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/villeneuve-crowns-hondas-f1-return-5036030/5036030/ 19 October 2026 Autosport He added, "This is a great start to the season and gives us something to build on." Button was praised by his teammate Ralf Schumacher, Michael Schumacher, BMW sporting director Gerhard Berger, Williams team principal Frank Williams and Williams technical director Patrick Head for his performance in Australia despite retiring.Collings Timothy 12 March 2000 Button Passes his First Formula One Test https://www.atlasf1.com/news/2000/mar/2133.htm 19 October 2026 Atlas F1 Button commented that he "had a great race" and a "great start to my F1 career" and thought he had proven his detractors wrong, "But that's not the most important thing for me. What was most important was that I proved I've got what it takes for Formula One."12 March 2000 Bad luck robs Button of sixth-place https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/bad-luck-robs-button-of-sixth-place-5036068/5036068/ 19 October 2026 Autosport As this was the first race of the season, Michael Schumacher led the World Drivers' Championship with ten championship points. Barrichello followed in second with six championship points and Ralf Schumacher had scored two fewer championship points in third. Villeneuve was fourth and Fisichella rounded out the top five.Jones Bruce https://archive.org/details/officialitvsport0000jone/ The Official Grand Prix Guide 2001 Carlton Books 2001 1-84222-197-3 London, England 120–121 2000 Final Tables registration Internet Archive Ferrari took the lead of the World Constructors' Championship with sixteen championship points, followed by Williams and BAR with four championship points each. Benetton were the last of the eleven teams to score with two championship points with sixteen races remaining in the season. Race classification Pos. PositionNo. Car numberDriverConstructorLaps Laps completedTime/RetiredGrid Final grid positionPoints13Germany Michael SchumacherFerrari581:34:01.98731024Brazil Rubens BarrichelloFerrari58 +11.4154639Germany Ralf SchumacherWilliams-BMW58 +20.009114422Canada Jacques VilleneuveBAR-Honda58 +44.44783511Italy Giancarlo FisichellaBenetton-Playlife58 +45.16592623Brazil Ricardo ZontaBAR-Honda58 +46.468161712Austria Alexander Wurz Benetton-Playlife58 +46.91514820Spain Marc Gené Minardi-Fondmetal57 +1 Lap18915Germany Nick Heidfeld Prost-Peugeot 56 +2 Laps15 Ret Retired10UK Jenson Button Williams-BMW 46Engine21 Ret Retired16Brazil Pedro DinizSauber-Petronas41Transmission19 Ret Retired21Argentina Gastón MazzacaneMinardi-Fondmetal40Gearbox22 Ret Retired5Germany Heinz-Harald FrentzenJordan-Mugen-Honda39Hydraulics5 Ret Retired6Italy Jarno TrulliJordan-Mugen-Honda35Engine6 Ret Retired14France Jean AlesiProst-Peugeot27HydraulicsPL1 1 Ret Retired1Finland Mika HäkkinenMcLaren-Mercedes18Engine1 Ret Retired19Netherlands Jos VerstappenArrows-Supertec16Suspension13 Ret Retired2UK David CoulthardMcLaren-Mercedes11Engine2 Ret Retired18Spain Pedro de la RosaArrows-Supertec6Suspension/Accident12 Ret Retired7UK Eddie IrvineJaguar-Cosworth6Spun off7 Ret Retired8UK Johnny HerbertJaguar-Cosworth1Clutch20DSQ Disqualified17Finland Mika SaloSauber-Petronas58Bodywork infringement (+45.624)2 210Source:2000 Australian Grand Prix http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2000/51/ The Official Formula 1 Website Formula One Management 5 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080607102602/http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2000/51/ 7 June 2008 Notes 1 1 – Jean Alesi started the race from the pitlane. 2 2 – Mika Salo finished sixth but was disqualified for an illegal bodywork infringement. Championship standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos. Position Driver Points1Germany Michael Schumacher102Brazil Rubens Barrichello63Germany Ralf Schumacher44Canada Jacques Villeneuve35Italy Giancarlo Fisichella2Source:https://www.statsf1.com/en/2000/australie/championnat.aspx Australia 2000 – Championship StatsF1 7 March 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190307173919/https://www.statsf1.com/en/2000/australie/championnat.aspx 7 March 2019 live Constructors' Championship standings Pos. Position Constructor Points1Italy Ferrari162UK Williams-BMW43UK BAR-Honda44Italy Benetton-Playlife25ITA Minardi-Fondmetal0Source: Note: Only the top 5 positions are shown for both sets of standings. References External links Australian Grand Prix 2000 1999 Japanese Grand Prix 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix 1999 Australian Grand Prix 2001 Australian Grand Prix 37 50 59 S 144 58 06 E source:kolossus-nowiki title Grand Prix Australian Grand Prix Category:Australian Grand Prix Australian Grand Prix Category:Motorsport at Albert Park