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2003 French Grand Prix
The 2003 French Grand Prix (formally the Mobil 1 Grand Prix de France) was a Formula One motor race held on July 6, 2003 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. It was the tenth race of the 2003 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Ralf Schumacher driving for the Williams team after starting from pole position. Juan Pablo Montoya finished second in the other Williams car, with Michael Schumacher third driving for Ferrari. Ralf Schumacher's victory was his second consecutive win of the season having won the preceding European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.
As a consequence of the race, Michael Schumacher extended his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to eight points over Kimi Räikkönen, with Ralf Schumacher a further three points behind. In the World Constructors' Championship, Williams reduced the gap to Ferrari from thirteen points to three points.
This was the first French Grand Prix held at the upgraded version of Magny-Cours, having made Château d'Eau a sharper right hand corner, and a complete modification of the Lycée section, becoming a very sharp right hand turn after the back straight which then leads to a difficult final chicane next to the pit entrance. The pit lane was also significantly shortened as a result of the upgrades.
Contents
Classification
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 Time | Q2 Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 23x15px Ralf Schumacher | Williams-BMW | 1:29.327 | 1:15.019 | |
| 2 | 3 | 23x15px Juan Pablo Montoya | Williams-BMW | 1:28.988 | 1:15.136 | +0.117 |
| 3 | 1 | 23x15px Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:27.929 | 1:15.480 | +0.461 |
| 4 | 6 | 23x15px Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:29.120 | 1:15.533 | +0.514 |
| 5 | 5 | 23x15px David Coulthard | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:28.937 | 1:15.628 | +0.609 |
| 6 | 7 | 23x15px Jarno Trulli | Renault | 1:29.024 | 1:15.967 | +0.948 |
| 7 | 8 | 23x15px Fernando Alonso | Renault | 1:29.455 | 1:16.087 | +1.068 |
| 8 | 2 | 23x15px Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 1:27.095 | 1:16.166 | +1.147 |
| 9 | 14 | 23x15px Mark Webber | Jaguar-Cosworth | 1:25.178 | 1:16.308 | +1.289 |
| 10 | 20 | 23x15px Olivier Panis | Toyota | 1:24.175 | 1:16.345 | +1.326 |
| 11 | 15 | 23x15px Antonio Pizzonia | Jaguar-Cosworth | 1:24.642 | 1:16.965 | +1.946 |
| 12 | 16 | 23x15px Jacques Villeneuve | BAR-Honda | 1:24.651 | 1:16.990 | +1.971 |
| 13 | 21 | 23x15px Cristiano da Matta | Toyota | 1:26.975 | 1:17.068 | +2.049 |
| 14 | 17 | 23x15px Jenson Button | BAR-Honda | 1:30.371 | 1:17.077 | +2.058 |
| 15 | 9 | 23x15px Nick Heidfeld | Sauber-Petronas | 1:24.042 | 1:17.445 | +2.426 |
| 16 | 10 | 23x15px Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Sauber-Petronas | 1:26.151 | 1:17.562 | +2.543 |
| 17 | 11 | 23x15px Giancarlo Fisichella | Jordan-Ford | 1:28.502 | 1:18.431 | +3.412 |
| 18 | 12 | 23x15px Ralph Firman | Jordan-Ford | 1;23.496 | 1:18.514 | +3.495 |
| 19 | 19 | 23x15px Jos Verstappen | Minardi-Cosworth | 1:20.817 | 1:18.709 | +3.690 |
| 20 | 18 | 23x15px Justin Wilson | Minardi-Cosworth | Time deleted | 1:19.619 | +4.600 |
Race
Notes
- This race was Ralf Schumacher's 6th and final victory of his Formula One career.
- This race ended David Coulthard's 5 consecutive fastest laps in France, which began in the 1998 race.
- Jos Verstappen ended up quickest after the first qualifying session due to a drying track. This was the only time a Minardi topped the timesheets at a race weekend.[1]
- Justin Wilson's time after Q1 was deleted after scrutineering found his car was 2 kg underweight. It was 1:20.968 which at the time was good enough for 2nd place giving Minardi a 1-2.
Standings after the race
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- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
External links
| 40x40px | Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2003 French Grand Prix. |
| Previous race: 2003 European Grand Prix |
FIA Formula One World Championship 2003 season |
Next race: 2003 British Grand Prix |
| Previous race: 2002 French Grand Prix |
French Grand Prix | Next race: 2004 French Grand Prix |
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References
- ^ "Provisional pole for Verstappen in French GP qualifying". Motorsport.com. 15 May 2013.
Coordinates: 46°51′51″N 3°09′49″E / 46.86417°N 3.16361°E{{#coordinates:46|51|51|N|3|09|49|E|source:kolossus-nowiki |primary |name= }}