2001 Japanese Grand Prix

Championship standings

Both championships are settled. In the battle for Drivers’ runner-up, Coulthard leads Barrichello by seven points. To gain second, Barrichello must win the race and Coulthard finish fifth or lower. Sauber lead Jordan by five points for fourth in the Constructors’, though that gap could be narrowed if Jordan’s appeal against Trulli’s disqualification at Indianapolis succeeds.

Previous race

At Indianapolis, Häkkinen won — taking what would prove to be his final Formula One victory. Schumacher finished second and Coulthard third. Barrichello had led and looked set to win when his engine failed on the penultimate lap. Murray Walker, calling his final race, was on commentary.

Between-race developments

Reports circulating that the Japanese Grand Prix would be postponed due to the United States’ invasion of Afghanistan were denied directly by the FIA.

Mika Häkkinen announced earlier in the season that he was taking a sabbatical in 2002. Japan is now confirmed as his final race. Jean Alesi, who recently passed 200 Grand Prix starts, also races in Formula One for the last time. The Prost team — which announced bankruptcy — will not continue into 2002. Benetton also runs as a constructor for the last time; the team will be renamed Renault in 2002 following the French manufacturer’s full buyout.

Practice

Enge lost control of his Prost at the 130R corner with one minute left in FP1, oversteering across the gravel and striking the tyre barrier hard, removing both right-hand wheels. He complained of neck pain but exited the car unaided; a red flag ended the session. Enge did not take part in FP2.

Heidfeld was on his first quick lap in FP2 when he lost control at the final S-Curve corner and spun backwards into the inside tyre barrier at 150 mph. He suffered a minor headache and practice was stopped for ten minutes to clear debris. Coulthard also spun into the turn two gravel late in FP2; his right-front brake assembly caught fire in the pit lane when tape from the gravel trap ignited in the brake duct.

Schumacher was the first driver to lap under 1:35 all weekend in FP3. In the final session Ralf Schumacher set the first ever sub-1:34 lap at Suzuka with a 1:33.969.