2002 United States Grand Prix

Championship standings

Schumacher holds 128 points as champion. The battle for second is unresolved: Barrichello has 51 points and must score three points at Indianapolis to secure runner-up ahead of Montoya (44) and Ralf Schumacher (42). Coulthard is fifth on 41. Ferrari are Constructors’ Champions; Williams have secured second, McLaren third.

Previous race

Barrichello won at Monza for his third victory of the season, with Schumacher second by 0.255 seconds. Irvine took third for Jaguar’s first podium since the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix. Montoya retired after cutting across the Variante chicane and damaging his front suspension. Ralf Schumacher cut the first chicane at the start to take the lead but was ordered to give it back, and suffered an engine failure as he complied. Renault achieved their first double-points finish of the season, Trulli fourth and Button fifth.

Between-race developments

Several teams tested at European circuits. Williams and McLaren ran at Circuit de Catalunya for four days, joined by BAR and Jaguar. Renault and Sauber tested at Silverstone, with Jordan joining for two days. Ferrari did four days of tyre and electronics work at Mugello.

Sauber has signed Heinz-Harald Frentzen — who left Arrows when the team collapsed after Germany — to race in place of Massa this weekend. The manoeuvre allows Massa to avoid a ten-place grid penalty imposed for his collision with De la Rosa at Monza; under the FIA’s wording, the penalty attaches to the driver, not the team, at their next race. Massa will return at Japan. Frentzen has also signed with Sauber as their 2003 race driver.

Renault’s Jenson Button was cleared to race after suffering dizzy spells from an inner ear infection that affected his balance during testing.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course has been diamond-ground to smooth bumps and improve grip. A pit wall now separates the circuit from the pit lane entry. The FIA agreed to retain the SAFER barrier at turn 13. Part of turn one’s kerb was removed to widen the opening.

Car upgrades

McLaren debuts a new front suspension with the strut attached directly to the hub carrier. BAR fits lighter-weight Brembo brake calipers. Honda provides an advanced qualifying engine to BAR and Jordan. Toyota introduces new front aerodynamic profiles for practice and qualifying.

Practice

Four sessions. Schumacher led all four. Friday saw heavy overnight rain, leaving the circuit more abrasive than expected and causing several incidents.

In the first session, Barrichello lost pressure in the left-rear tyre at the entry to banked turn 13, went onto the grass and hit a concrete wall sideways. The left-rear wheel and front wing were removed; Barrichello sustained bruising but exited unaided. Officials stopped practice for 18 minutes. Because the rules prohibit using the spare car on Fridays, Barrichello missed the rest of Friday. Ralf Schumacher spun into the turn eight tyre wall with ten minutes remaining.

In the second session, Sato locked the wheels on wet grass and spun off at turn eight. Montoya stopped with a suspected engine problem; Button was asked to park after a possible oil-gearbox issue was detected on telemetry.

In Saturday’s third session, run in thick fog, Sato’s engine failed in the opening minute and his Jordan caught fire; the engine was replaced from the team’s backup car. In the fourth session, Räikkönen spun and broke his front suspension against the tyre barrier between turns nine and ten just before practice ended, requiring the use of the spare car in qualifying.