2000 United States Grand Prix

Championship standings

Häkkinen leads with 80 points, Schumacher second on 78. Schumacher won in Italy to close the gap to two points. Three races remain with 30 points available. McLaren lead the Constructors’ Championship by four points.

Previous race

At Monza, Schumacher won his 41st career victory — equalling Ayrton Senna’s record of wins. When a journalist informed him of this in the post-race press conference, he burst into tears; once he had composed himself, he said he remembered Senna’s fatal accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. The race itself was overshadowed by a first-lap accident in which fire marshal Paolo Ghislimberti was struck by a wheel and killed. Häkkinen finished second, closing the gap from six points to two. Häkkinen had won three of the previous five races; this is a championship that is going to the final round.

Circuit

This is the United States Grand Prix’s return to Formula One after a nine-year absence. The road circuit is built inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ending construction just two weeks before the event. The banked turn 13 is the circuit’s defining feature — the only section where F1 cars will use the oval. Most drivers praised the layout; Villeneuve was critical, calling the infield section “very slow.” 1978 World Champion Mario Andretti tested the track beforehand. All but one team has never raced here.

Weather

Cloudy, drying; air 12 °C, track 14 °C.

Tyre choices

Bridgestone brings the hardest available compounds: hard and extra hard dry, plus extra tyre allocations for Friday practice given the new circuit.

Practice

FP1 is warm and dry. Schumacher leads early at 1:14.927. An electrical fault strands Coulthard at the pit-lane exit, preventing him from participating further under series regulations. Fisichella removes a wheel in a crash at the turn 11 tyre barrier. Ralf Schumacher slows with a wheel-bearing failure. Coulthard leads FP2 at 1:14.561. Herbert crashes at turn one, veering into the outside tyre barrier and ending his session. Alesi beaches his Prost in the gravel at turn four.

Saturday morning is damp from overnight rain, with patches of standing water. Häkkinen leads FP3 at 1:15.802. Button runs quick and is second. Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher, and Wurz all run off the circuit at various points. Ferrari leads FP4; Schumacher fastest at 1:14.804, Button separates the McLarens. Gené and Schumacher both run off track but continue. A passing car dislodges a track marking, which a marshal removes from the circuit.

Milestones

Barrichello and Coulthard have been instructed by their respective teams to prioritise their championship-leading teammates. Ron Dennis: “With just three races left it makes no sense for me to be taking points away from Mika only to allow Michael to win the championship.”