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Sunday, 15 April, 2001, 13:39 GMT 14:39 UK
Ralf roars to maiden victory
Ralf Schumacher (far right) started superbly at Imola
Click here for race result
BBC Sport Online's Andrew Benson reports from Imola. Ralf Schumacher won the first Grand Prix of his career at the San Marino Grand Prix, in a historic day for his Williams-BMW team. The German's victory marked a number of firsts for Williams, engine supplier BMW and tyre company Michelin, whose partnership only began this season. Williams had not won since 1997, BMW since 1986 and Michelin since 1984. All three had been threatening to win since the beginning of the season, and Schumacher achieved it in dominant style.
Then he fought off a determined challenge from the McLaren-Mercedes of David Coulthard before the first pit stops, and consolidated his lead for the rest of the race. Schumacher broke Coulthard's attack just before the first of two stops. For the first 15 laps the two were rarely separated by more than two seconds as the drivers traded fastest laps. But then the Williams began to pull away and he was nearly six seconds ahead when they pitted.
"With forty laps to go I thought for the first time about winning," said Schumacher said. "But then I remembered Nurburgring in 1999 when it was 15 laps to go (and he suffered a puncture). "The last three laps were pretty long, (but) I felt pretty relaxed. I don't know why. "It is obviously a great feeling, but the pressure is on now because people will expect us to go well." Coulthard finished second, but will not be too disappointed.
The Scot said that he would not have been able to beat the Williams even if he had held the lead from pole position at the start. A Ferrari finished third, but it was Rubens Barrichello and not the older Schumacher. Barrichello stole third place from Hakkinen at the first stops. The McLaren driver was unable to respond because he had damaged his front wing in a collision with Jarno Trulli's Jordan-Honda on the first lap. Montoya misery Michael Schumacher's afternoon went wrong from very early on. He had lost three places in the first three laps, after his car seemed to falter twice, allowing Montoya, Olivier Panis and Barrichello to pass. Then Schumacher retired on lap 25 after running seventh for most of the race. He had run comfortably on the back of a group being held up by Jordan driver Jarno Trulli until he suffered a front-left puncture on lap 24. The Ferrari mechanics changed it and sent him out again, but he came back at the end of the lap. The brake caliper had been damaged. Former world champion Mika Hakkinen scored only his second bunch of points this year with fourth place for McLaren, while Trulli and his Jordan team-mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen rounded out the top six. Montoya was heading for fifth place after a combative drive in which he made two excellent overtaking manoeuvres. But he had a clutch problem just before his final pit stop. The car stalled and although he was sent back into the race after a minute's delay, he was forced to retire on the next lap.
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