2001 Belgian Grand Prix Race Report
with the warm up session experiencing temperatures as low as fifteen degrees. Predictably, Schumacher's Ferrari was the pace setter at this, the Germans favourite circuit. Second was Hakkinen in the McLaren, followed by the Sauber of young sensation Kimi Raikkonen and Ralf Schumacher. Eddie Irvine was 5th in the seemingly improved Jaguar, with Frentzen, Montoya and Trulli in the Jordan claiming 8th spot. Completing the top ten, Nick Heidfeld finished 9th for Sauber with Barrichello next up in the Ferrari.
The emergence of rain on race day is somewhat of a tradition at Spa and an hour or so before the off, the heavens emptied their contents in time honoured fashion. As the 2.00pm start neared, all participants were fitted with dry tyres and readied themselves for the 44 lap event. Having completed the formation lap, the lights came on but there was a problem on the second row. Waving his hands frantically outside his cockpit, Frentzen stalled his Prost and as a consequence, the start was duly aborted - the German demoting himself to the back of the grid. "I had a dog to dog in the gearbox," announced Frentzen. "I could not shift into first gear quick enough, so I tried to push the neutral, and to switch into first gear again, but the last light of the start procedure was almost off and I probably clutched too early..." Nine minutes later, they tried again only this time it was Montoya's turn to disrupt the proceedings - the Colombian stalling his Williams from pole position.
Eventually, they all got it right - albeit at the third attempt, and it was Ralf Schumacher who lead the field into La Source and down to Eau Rouge. Up from 8th on the grid, Fisichella slotted in behind Barrichello in 4th whilst at the front, Michael Schumacher passed his brother up the hill to Les Combes and into the lead. Behind the Ferrari, both Coulthard and Hakkinen muscled their respective McLaren's passed Villeneuve's BAR and as they completed the first lap, the order was Schumacher M - 2.1s up on Ralf, Barrichello, Fisichella, Hakkinen, Coulthard whilst further back and having catapulted himself away from the blocks superbly, Jenson Button found himself lying 8th.
Lap 2 and with race leader Schumacher increasing his lead to 3.4s, Jean Alesi wrestled his Jordan passed the Jaguar of de la Rosa and Olivier Panis to take 10th spot. Making
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