The 2002 European Grand Prix (formally the 2002 Allianz Grand Prix of Europe) was a Formula One motor race held before 150,000 spectators on 23 June 2002 at the Nürburgring, Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was the ninth of 17 rounds in the 2002 Formula One World Championship and the seventh European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello won the 60-lap race after starting from fourth position. His teammate Michael Schumacher finished in second and McLaren's Kimi Räikkönen took third.
Going into the event, Michael Schumacher led the World Drivers' Championship from the Williams pair of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher and Ferrari led Williams in the World Constructors' Championship. This was the first race on the newly rebuilt Nürburgring layout, which was extended to provide for more passing possibilities. Montoya took his third consecutive pole position by setting the fastest lap time in the one-hour qualifying session. At the start, he lost the race lead to teammate Ralf Schumacher, who kept it until Barrichello passed him midway through the first lap. Barrichello led throughout the race, winning his first race since the 2000 German Grand Prix and second of his career. His teammate Michael Schumacher ran close behind in the closing laps and was 0.294 seconds adrift in second.
The result promoted Barrichello from fifth to fourth in the World Drivers' Championship but was tied with David Coulthard on championship points. Michael Schumacher strengthened his championship lead to 46 championship points over Ralf Schumacher, with Montoya trailing three championship points behind his teammate. Ferrari's one-two finish allowed them to draw further ahead of Williams in the World Constructors' Championship and McLaren maintained third position. Renault in fourth extended their points advantage over the fifth-placed Sauber with eight races remaining in the season.
Background The 2002 European Grand Prix was the ninth of seventeen Formula One races in the 2002 Formula One World Championship, held on 23 June 2002, at the clockwise Nürburgring, Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, which hosted the European Grand Prix for the seventh time since the circuit was re-opened in 1984. It was one of two Grands Prix staged in Germany, preceding the by a month.
Going into the race, Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher led the World Drivers' Championship with 70 championship points, followed by Williams teammates Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya who were tied for second on 27 championship points. David Coulthard of McLaren was fourth with 26 championship points, and Rubens Barrichello was fifth with 16 championship points. Ferrari led the World Constructors' Championship with 86 championship points, ahead of Williams in second with 54 championship points. McLaren were third with 33 championship points, while Renault (12) and Sauber (eight) contested fourth.
Following the on 9 June, the majority of teams tested racing setups, car and electrical components and tyres at several European racing courses to prepare for the European Grand Prix. Eight teams ran variously for three days at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain. Alexander Wurz, McLaren's test driver, was fastest on the first day. McLaren's regular driver Kimi Räikkönen led the second and third days, and his teammate Coulthard paced the fourth and final day. Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer tested the F2002's car setup and Bridgestone tyres at Italy's Mugello Circuit before being relieved by Michael Schumacher for three days of component testing. They were joined by Sauber drivers Nick Heidfeld and Felipe Massa for three days of aerodynamics and mechanical testing. Jordan spent two days testing at Britain's Elvington Airfield, conducting aerodynamic work to collect track correlation of wind tunnel development with Formula Renault champion Marcel Lasée. Arrows conducted aerodynamic straightline tests at the RAF Kemble aerodrome near the team's Leafield headquarters while prepping their cars for the race. Minardi were the only team not to test, instead preparing their cars at their Faenza factory. Michael Schumacher had won the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks previously, his sixth of the season, and wanted to focus on the potential threat from Williams and McLaren in the European Grand Prix. He felt Ferrari could be confident and competitive at the Nürburgring, and that tyres would be an important aspect. Montoya claimed he had recovered from his disappointment in the Canadian Grand Prix, where he retired due to an engine problem, and that he hoped to improve on his podium performance in the previous year's European Grand Prix. He also said that Williams had addressed his engine problems. Räikkönen was looking forward to competing at the Nürburgring, the home race of McLaren's engine supplier Mercedes-Benz, and hoped to score a good finish for the German fans.
Following the previous race at the Nürburgring, the circuit's layout was altered, the first major change since its reopening in 1984. The chicane that previously formed the first corner was replaced by a sharp right-hand hairpin with tight left and right-hand turns, with the improvements intended to increase the number of overtakes. The asphalt was widened by to facilitate overtakes. The changes increased the circuit's length by 645 yards (590 metres) and the number of laps run was reduced from 67 to 60. Journalist Boris Muradov wrote the changes had made the circuit "even more twisty and narrow, requiring increased traction and, therefore, more downforce." Jaguar team principal and former World Champion Niki Lauda believed the revised layout would provide a better view for spectators in the grandstands.
The new section garnered mixed opinions from drivers and critics, and it was the main discussion topic heading into the race. Ralf Schumacher described it as "a nice part of the circuit," although he struggled to identify the optimal braking spot and predicted that passing would be tough. Jordan's Takuma Sato noted although the surface was bumpy upon entry he felt being unsighted in the first corner would be "a good feeling". Räikkönen speculated that the changes would provide for more overtakes. Bild columnist and retired driver Hans-Joachim Stuck described it as "sexiest the new corner" on the revised layout and that it was made for aggressive drivers. Coulthard was more vocal in his criticism saying the bumpiness of the section was "ridiculous" and preferred the challenge of the former first corner chicane. Montoya felt the section was "too slow" for himself, and British American Racing (BAR) driver Jacques Villeneuve said it did not provide a decent rhythm.
There were eleven teams (each representing a different constructor) with two drivers each for the Grand Prix, with no changes from the season entry list. Some teams modified their cars ahead of the race. Ferrari brought new electronic bi-directional telemetry and steering wheels and Michael Schumacher evaluated a new engine cover which was not used in Sunday's race. Renault unveiled a new aerodynamic package, including a redesigned extractor profile and a new traction control system, purportedly targeted at improving the R202's performance exiting slow-speed corners. McLaren unveiled a new aerodynamic package. For the race, Honda introduced a more powerful, updated V10 engine specification while Jordan made modest changes to their front wings. Sauber reverted to a front wing featuring inverted V supports.
Practice Preceding the race were two one-hour practice sessions on Friday and two 45-minute sessions on Saturday. The FIA scheduled the Saturday morning practice and afternoon qualifying sessions 45 minutes earlier than usual, at 09:00 CEST (UTC+2), 10:15 and 14:00 to accommodate the 2002 FIFA World Cup's last two quarter-final matches, which were held on the same day in Japan and South Korea.
The first practice session on Friday morning was gloomy and dry, with a brief rain shower just after halfway through, but not heavy enough to disrupt proceedings. Barrichello set the quickest time of 1:33.665, one-tenth of a second faster than Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher. Heidfeld was third-fastest, ahead of Toyota's Allan McNish, Massa. Coulthard, Frentzen, Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella, Toyota's Mika Salo and Montoya. Several drivers locked up entering the turn one hairpin and ran wide. Enrique Bernoldi lost the rear-end of his Arrows car through the Ford Kurve on 36 minutes and its right side made light contact with a tyre barrier; this required a yellow-flag to be shown as marshals were needed to remove Bernoldi's car from the track.
In the second practice session, held later in the afternoon in cool and overcast conditions, Despite running into the Dunlop Kurve gravel trap, Coulthard was fastest with a 1:31.886 lap; his teammate Räikkönen was third. The Ferrari drivers second and fourth; Michael Schumacher ahead of Barrichello. They were followed by the Williams pair of Montoya (who complained of understeer) and Ralf Schumacher. Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button were seventh and eighth for Renault with Salo and Panis ninth and tenth. During the session, eight drivers left the course and ended up in gravel traps. Minardi's Mark Webber ran into the Dunlop Kurve gravel trap with a right-rear suspension member failure. His teammate Alex Yoong's session was cut short after 42 minutes due to an engine failure.
It remained warm and overcast for the Saturday morning practice sessions, in which teams prepared for either qualifying or the race. Michael Schumacher set the third session's fastest time of 1:30.658 ten minutes before the end, despite losing control of his Ferrari's rear-end after clipping a kerb at the Veedol-S chicane earlier in his first attempt at a fast lap. His teammate Barrichello was second-fastest. The Williams pair of Ralf Schmacher and Montoya, Heidfeld, Massa, Button, Coulthard and Trulli followed in the top ten. Massa ran wide in the revised stadium section and Villeneuve spun at the right-hand Bit-Kehre corner.
In the final practice session, Michael Schumacher was unable to improve his lap time but remained fastest; Barrichello was third, ahead of Heidfeld, Ralf Schumacher, Salo, Coulthard, Montoya, Trulli and Button in positions four through ten. Pedro de la Rosa had a hydraulic leak and fire in his Arrows car and stopped at the side of the circuit which prevented him from setting a lap time. Yoong ran over the kerbing at the last chicane during the final ten minutes but returned to the pit lane. Button ran into the gravel at the Dunlop Kurve hairpin but extricated himself back to the track.
Qualifying