Schumacher gives Ferrari dream start

The one-two finish will boost Ferrari’s morale considerably as they make yet another attempt to win their first World Championship title in 21 years since Jody Scheckter’s success in 1979.

Schumacher clocked 1 hour 34 minutes 01.987 seconds and raced with a one-stop strategy, while Barrichello made two pit stops in his maiden race for Ferrari.

Ralf Schumacher was third on the podium in a superb return of BMW after a 13-year absence as engine supplier of the Williams team. Ex-champion Jacques Villeneuve finally won the first points for Bar in fourth place, Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy was fifth in a Benetton and Finland’s Mika Salo placed sixth in a Sauber-Petronas.

Competing from his 22nd career pole position, Hakkinen got off to a dream start and led Coulthard, Schumacher, Jordan driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Barrichello into the first curve.

The leading trio quickly got a solid lead over their rivals, but the others were able to close in again when the safety car came out in the eighth lap after the 1999 winner Eddie Irvine and Pedro de la Rosa were involved in a collision and the wreckage from De La Rosa’s arrows had to be cleared off the track.

The incident marked an early end for Jaguar in their debut Grand Prix because prior to Irvine’s bad luck Johnny Herbert had lasted just one lap.

Hakkinen maintained his lead once the safety car phase ended in the 10th lap, but Coulthard lasted only two further laps. The Scot came into the pits, was sent out again after some endless 43 seconds, only to park the car for good half a lap later.

The McLaren disaster was complete for the second straight year at Albert Park when Hakkinen also had to retire seven laps later. In 1999, Coulthard had lasted 15 and Hakkinen 23 laps.

Coulthard and Hakkinen said that their engines had simply overheated, possibly when they were forced to reduce speed during the safety car phase.

“A lot of heat built up,” said Coulthard, while Hakkinen said “some smoke came out of my engine.” team boss Ron Dennis later named pneumatic problems with the engine as the reason for their bad fate.

“We are disappointed. But I am not too concerned. The World Championship is over 17 races, you can’t be too philosophical about failures,” said Dennis, who also said the race had shown that McLaren could match Ferrari’s speed.

As a result Schumacher got the lead without a fight, lost it to Frentzen and Barrichello after his pit stop in the 29th lap, but was back on top seven laps later when the others also had to refuel and change tyres.

Frentzen was the next to fall out with what appeared to be gearbox problems, which gave Ferrari a double lead from Schumacher and Barrichello. The Brazilian overtook Schumacher in the 45th, but had to make his second pit stop in the next lap which gave Schumacher the lead back and then the victory.

The Formula One season continues in a fortnight, March 26, with the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.