28th July 2002:  FIA Formula 1 World Championship, German Grand Prix ( Hockenheim ), Round 12

race
 

Michael Schumacher celebrated his fifth F1 World Championship title with his first ever win in the German Grand Prix at the newly revised Hockenheim circuit. The new shortened circuit generally got the thumbs down with much of the old circuits character having been lost and limited opportunities presenting themselves for overtaking. Starting from pole Schumacher was followed by younger brother Ralf until a late unscheduled pitstop to refil his pneunatic system pushed the Williams driver down to third, behind his team mate Juan Pablo Montoya. Rubens Barrichello had another race to forget. He was push started after developing a gearbox problem on the grid and while harrying Ralf Schumacher hard for second, a refuelling rig problem cost him over tens seconds and left him to trail in a distant fourth. McLaren had a race to forget, David Coulthard bringing the sole surviving car home lapped in fifth. Kimi Raikkonen had mixed it with the Williams' early on before a tyre blow out dropped him down the order, his day eventually ending when he spun out on lap 61. Nick Heidfeld claimed the final point for Sauber, leading his team mate Felipe Massa across the line in sixth while behind them Takumo Sato had his best showing for Jordan to come home 8th.

Juan Pablo Montoya's run of five consecutive pole positions was ended by the newly crowned world champion Michael Schumacher. Having lost none of his motivation he fired in a blistering lap two minutes from the end to knock brother Ralf off the top of the time sheets and set himself up for his home grand prix which he has never won. Ralf had sat on provisional pole after setting a time earlier in the session which neither Ferraris could match, Michael's pole lap pushed him down into second, making the front row an all Schumacher affair for tomorrows German Grand Prix. Rubens Barrichello in the second Ferrari lined up third with Juan Palo Montoya, unable to keep up his amazing run of poles after a poor session, completing the second row. Kimi Raikkonen was fifth, the McLarens struggling to make the Michelins work as well as the Williams' around Hockenheim, while team mate David Coulthard was a despondent ninth. Best performances of the session went to sixth placed Giancarlo Fischiella, setting Jordan's highest grid slot of the season after missing last weeks French Grand Prix while recovering from a massive practice accident, and Oliver Panis, who put the BAR one place behind him in seventh.