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The 2001 French Grand Prix, officially advertised as the LXXXVII Mobil 1 Grand Prix de France, was the tenth round of the 2001 FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in France, on the 1st of July 2001.
Victory moved Michael Schumacher a huge 24 points clear of his closest challenger in the Drivers Championship, passing the halfway point with 68 points to his name. David Coulthard therefore had some serious work to do in the second half of the campaign, although he had solidified his grip on second, moving eighteen clear of Rubens Barrichello. Behind, Ralf Schumacher had inched closer to the Brazilian in fourth, while Juan Pablo Montoya broke into the top five for the first time.
In the Constructors Championship, it had been another strong day for Ferrari, leaving Germany just six points shy of the 100 point mark. That also resulted in a 41 point lead over second placed McLaren-Mercedes, while Williams-BMW had inched closer to their compatriots in third once again, ending the weekend sixteen behind. Otherwise, there had been little change after the European Grand Prix, with the top three having been the only scorers.
FUN FACTS
– Williams as a constructor started their 400th Grand Prix start.
– This was the maiden pole position for Michael’s younger brother, Ralf Schumacher.
– The qualifying also saw Ralf’s birthday on the same day.
– Michael Schumacher claimed a Grand Prix victory for the 50th time, as well as the 50th win for tyre supplier Bridgestone! As if it was all meant to be…
– This weekend saw the debut of a revised pitlane exit made to try and be safer, with mixed reactions from the drivers.
PRE-RACE
0:09 – ITV Pre-Race Show (part 1)
3:31 – Qualifying discussion
6:35 – Ralf Schumacher psyche talk
8:50 – Ferrari’s woes at France 2000
10:37 – Starting Grid overview (ITV)
11:46 – Michael Schumacher interview (ft. James Allen)
14:23 – David Coulthard report (ft. Kevin Piper)
17:03 – Jenson Button speculation (ft. Louise Goodman)
19:51 – Jim Rosenthal and Tony Jardine discuss the JB speculation
20:56 – Lap Track Guide (ft. Martin Brundle)
22:45 – Kevin Piper paddock report
23:40 – Beverly Turner chats with the press
27:18 – TRAILER: at home with Jean Alesi
27:56 – Channel 9 intro
29:10 – lookback at Nurburgring 2001
29:58 – Ralf Schumacher’s birthday + Qualifying summary
30:52 – Qualifying press conference
31:24 – Starting Grid overview (CH9)
32:12 – Mark Webber makes a name for himself
34:11 – Bridgestone stays, Goodyear out for good
34:33 – Jean Todt leaving Ferrari’s crew?
35:10 – new Pitlane exit concerns
35:34 – FIA makes Spare Car rules
36:46 – ITV Pre-Race Show (part 2)
37:25 – at home with Jean Alesi (ft. Louise Goodman)
44:29 – Ross Kemp tries out as a Jordan mechanic + Eddie Jordan chat
48:45 – Murray Walker banner competition
49:22 – Fernando Alonso is Spanish
50:16 – Louise Goodman describes the new pitlane exit
RACE TIME
51:50 – World Feed Pre-Race footage
54:20 – Digital+ Supersignal footage (upgraded source starts at 1:01:26)
1:09:26 – Formation Lap
1:11:09 – RACE START
2:42:30 – RACE WIN & Parade Lap
2:46:00 – Michael exits the car and greets the team
2:47:30 – FINAL RACE CLASSIFICATION
2:49:32 – Podium Celebration
2:52:21 – 1st Place Driver Trophy
2:52:39 – Winning Constructor Trophy
2:52:49 – 2nd Place Driver Trophy
2:53:00 – 3rd Place Driver Trophy
2:53:15 – CHAMPAGNE TIME
2:54:39 – World Feed ends (alternate angles from PTP)
2:55:00 – press conference (line cut)
2:00:15 – Post-Race cooldown
3:00:30 – HIGHLIGHT REEL
3:02:36 – Digital+ Feed ends
POST-RACE
3:03:30 – ITV Post-Race Show (part 1)
3:03:38 – Jim Rosenthal recaps the results
3:04:14 – David Coulthard talks about his stop-go penalty
3:05:20 – Jim and Tony discuss possible McLaren software glitches
3:07:49 – Constructors title overview
3:08:10 – (end of part 1)
3:08:16 – Channel 9 coverage ends
3:11:42 – ITV Post-Race Show (part 2)
3:11:57 – Race Start and pitstop analysis
3:13:33 – Montoya’s miserable luck
3:14:07 – Kevin Piper interviews Eddie Irvine after the race
3:14:49 – talking about the next race
3:15:23 – Martin Brundle advertises F1 at Silverstone
3:16:42 – ITV coverage ends
BONUS FEATURES
3:17:37 – ITV Highlights with Jim Rosenthal
4:08:19 – Alternate Angles and Raw Footage