2001 British Grand Prix Race Report
in 12th place whilst behind the Ulsterman, Villeneuve stopped on lap 32, dropping from 6th to 11th. Clearly being held up by Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher elected to stop on lap 35 and after experiencing problems with the re-fuelling nozzle, emerged 12.1s later in 6th place. It was all, however, of little importance for Ralf who parked his Williams two laps later with a blown engine. "I believe I was on the right one-stop strategy," declared Schumacher. "But unfortunately during the pit stop the fuel nozzle stuck and this cost me several seconds, but these things happen. Then suddenly I heard a noise and the engine just stopped."
Continuing to set blistering lap times, Hakkinen began to pull away from Schumacher at over 3 tenths per lap and it was now obvious that Ferrari's strategy of stopping once, was the wrong way to go. His lead now up to a comfortable 29 seconds, lap 39 saw Hakkinen come in for his second and final stop of the afternoon, emerging 8.1s later, still in 1st place. Behind the McLaren, Schumacher pulled into the pits for his only stop and re-joined 8.2s later in 4th - behind Barrichello and Montoya. With Raikkonen having stopped again, Frentzen set about passing Heidfeld, yet his ambitious manoeuvre into the chicane at Abbey, came to nothing and the pair of them pitted together, allowing Raikkonen to easily re-claim his position. Frustrated at being unable to pass Barrichello, Montoya also came in for new boots and fuel on lap 41, emerging 8.6s to the good and in 5th place. His tyres now blistered, Barrichello finally brought his Ferrari into the pits on lap 42 and after 8.5s, re-joined ahead of the Sauber's and a charging Montoya in 4th.
The closing stages of the race saw very little happen on track, yet interest was maintained courtesy of everyone's hopes and prayers for Mika Hakkinen. Images of his McLaren breaking down on the last lap in Barcelona came rushing back to the mind. Surely it wouldn't happen again? It didn't, and for the first time in 15 races, the gods at Silverstone smiled on the Finn and with 18 seconds in hand, he slowly rounded the final turn, and lazily took the chequered flag on lap 60 to rapturous applause from the pit wall and the thousands of spectators in the grandstands. "The last lap I was sure that something was going to happen,"
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