2001 Canadian Grand Prix: No Brotherly Love Here

June 20, 2014 by Jeremy McMullen

Though highly regarded from the moment he set his sights on a career in motor racing, Ralf Schumacher would face the unfortunate case of constantly being compared to his older brother Michael. The moment he arrived in Formula One, however, everyone in and around the series looked forward to that day when both brothers would be on equal footing and the two could really battle it out for top honors. Everyone looked and waited for that perfect battlefield. And, in 2001, on a small island in the St. Lawrence River, the stage would be set. The brothers would oblige.

Ralf would come into Formula One already at a disadvantage. Not only would his older brother already be a double World Champion, but the success meant Michael was assured a seat just about anywhere he wanted. Ralf would be hotly-tipped as a champion of the future, but he needed to justify such lofty lauds, and it wouldn't be easy in the beginning, even if his last name was Schumacher.

Both men would find themselves in teams on the rebound. However, Michael had an advantage in that he had been in the sport longer, was a proven winner and was with a team looking for every possible solution to their long drought of success. This deeply motivated the Scuderia from Maranello and would culminate in a third World Championship for Michael in 2000.

Williams would be a slightly different story. Throughout the 1980s, and the vast majority of the 1990s, they were the team to beat. The team would be at a loss when Renault left the sport after the 1997 season, but the general attitude around Formula One was that things would rebound quickly for Williams. There was no reason to fret just yet.

Ferrari's determination certainly put them ahead of the game. Heading into the 2000 season the team appeared strong on all fronts. Williams would begin a new era with BMW supplying their engines. Nearly everyone up and down the pitlane believed there was great potential with the partnership, but there was a sense it would take some time before BMW would iron out its teething issues. They would be wrong.

Ralf was in just his second season with Williams when BMW came onboard as the engine suppliers to the team. The year before, Schumacher had proven himself a number of times, even though the Williams' were powered by a Supertec engine. Therefore, it was believed Ralf would have great potential with BMW power, but it would take some time.

Overall, there would be some problems. Compared to the previous season, Ralf would suffer two more retirements and would only have three 3rd place finishes compared to a couple of 3rds and a 2nd earned the year prior. Still, there was a sense of excitement surrounding Williams. The team was no longer getting by. It was building. It became a matter of how long would that building process take?

BMW helped their case. They had started out their engine development program by looking first to endurance sportscar racing and Le Mans. They would secure an overall win in the 24 hour race in 1999 and this would be the final stepping stone for the engine manufacturer before it made the leap into Formula One.

---

Trending News

• Iconic Lowriders Take Center Stage in Petersen Automotive Museum's Newest Exhibit this May
• The Quail Motorcycle Gathering is the Family-Friendly Event of the Year
• Estimated 3,000 Classic and Collector Vehicles at Dana Mecum's 37th Original Spring Classic May 10-18
• New Aston Martin Vantage GT3 targets victory in WEC and IMSA
• 2024 F-150 Lightning orders open; Flash model available under $70k MSRP

---

The results from 2000 suggested it would be another year before Ralf would be on somewhat equal footing with his brother. And, the first two races of the 2001 season would seemingly confirm this fact with Michael taking two-straight victories and Ralf enjoying only a 5th place result in Malaysian Grand Prix. Following another retirement in the Brazilian Grand Prix, most talk about Ralf would pretty much disappear. But all of that would change with the next race.

The fourth round of the 2001 season would be the San Marino Grand Prix. It was, for intents and purposes, Ferrari's home ground. The Tifosi would be all assembled in force expecting Michael and the Scuderia to romp home to a third victory on the season. If ever there was a time for Ralf to exert himself and make a case for himself it would be at the circuit named after Enzo and Dino Ferrari.

Ralf would fully appreciate the situation and would seize upon his opportunity. Taking the lead right from the start, he would hardly be challenged over the course of the race and would secure a very dominant win. The younger Schumacher had had some impressive drives in the past, but this was on a whole different level. Not only did he appear a champion, able to command a race from start to finish, but the Williams FW23, with its BMW engine, also appeared ready to take the fight to Ferrari and Michael Schumacher. It would be a remarkable first win for Ralf. It was not only dominant. It was a big 'take that' to his brother and Ferrari on what was, virtually, home ground.

Sadly, the result in Imola would followed by Michael launching nearly three-straight shots across Ralf bow. Two victories out of three races put Michael firmly in the championship lead while Ralf would be some 40 points behind in 4th place. Just when it appeared Ralf was ready to challenge his brother, all would seemingly come to naught. But then there was Canada.

From the moment he arrived in Formula One, everyone looked forward to that moment when Ralf would be on equal footing and would be able to challenge big brother. Everyone looked for and longed after a great duel in which the two would be mere feet apart and dueling for the win. In the middle of the St. Lawrence River in 2001, Formula One would get exactly what it wanted.

In July of 1867 the federal dominion of Canada would be formed. Drawing from the Iroquoian word for 'village', Canada would become a settlement comprised of an amalgamation of cultures and societal differences. It would become a nation in which the queen's English would be spoken predominantly in one part and French spoken in another. Though parts of the country could be drastically different from another, it is still one nation, one family of people. Therefore, it seemed the best setting for two brothers to have at it, to test and challenge each other.

The neutral ground for this contest would be the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Measuring in at 2.74 miles to the lap, the Gilles Villeneuve circuit would be the perfect battleground for both Schumachers. Essentially a circuit filled with some long straights and some chicane-like corners, the circuit set amidst the St. Lawrence would be all about braking, acceleration and top speed, the perfect middle-ground for a contest between two brothers in two entirely different cars.

Things would get interesting right from the very beginning. By the end of qualifying, Michael Schumacher would be on the pole having posted a lap time of 1:15.782. This would be half a second quicker than anyone else on the grid. But, the man occupying that 2nd place on the grid would be none other than Ralf in the Williams-BMW. The two brothers on the front row of the grid offered Formula One fans perhaps the best opportunity to see two brothers battle it out.

Throughout qualifying it had been all Michael and Ralf. The only other driver to come close to these two would be David Coulthard in the McLaren. His best offering would be just a tenth of the pace of Ralf, but would still seem quite a ways adrift of the front. Right from the end of qualifying and heading into the race it appeared as though it was going to be a match race between the two Schumachers.

Heading into the race on the 10th of June, the weather would be ideal for a straight-up fight between two brothers. The sun would be shining and there would be no rain in the forecast. Therefore, the whole of the race would be at 100 percent. It would be an ideal chance to see if Ralf could keep his concentration, and, if big brother was intimidated at all by his younger brother.

At the start of the 69 lap race the main concern would be making it through the treacherous turns one and two complex. More than one race had come to an end in those first two corners and it would have to be on the minds of Ralf and Michael, despite starting from the front row of the grid.

The lights would go out and Michael would get away well. Most eyes would look behind to David Coulthard, who would make a great start from the second row of the grid. However, heading into the first turn it would be Ralf that would be right alongside his brother. The position would be defended perfectly by Michael having the inside line. Ralf would have to slot in behind. There they were, the two brothers at the head of the field. The fight had begun.

The fight would come to an end for more than a couple of drivers however. While all of the attention and warnings would be around the first two corners of the track, it would be some of the others that would lend to some drama on the very first lap of the race. Giancarlo Fisichella had enjoyed a good run of success in Canada but it would all come to naught without him having finishing even a single lap. The second lap would see Eddie Irvine ram his Jaguar right up the back of Nick Heidfeld's Sauber taking those two out of the running. Thankfully, things would settle down after this and all attention could shift back to the battle of the brothers at the head of the field.

It would be a good thing too. Michael would lead the first lap of the race and would actually pull away from his brother a bit over the course of the first lap. Coulthard would drop back seeing that he had started the race with fully fueled tanks in order to make it a one stop race. Rubens Barrichello would be about the only one able to match the speed of the two Schumachers at the front of the field, but the Brazilian would be stuck behind Coulthard for the first couple of laps.

Though Michael led clearly at the end of the first lap, Ralf would pick up the pace down the long straight and would be closed right up behind his brother heading around on the second lap. This would be just the beginning of the two Schumachers clearing the rest of the traffic and beginning a duel that would last all race long.

Michael would have the advantage over his brother throughout the first 10 laps of the race. The Ferrari would seem to have the legs over the Williams, but Ralf would remain within easy reach of his brother.

Many believed Ralf had reached far above himself in qualifying to start 2nd on the grid and that Michael would just pull away over the course of the event. However, Ralf would quickly set the fastest lap of the race and would use the horsepower of the BMW engine to keep his brother within reach at the end of each lap.

Barrichello would challenge Ralf allowing Michael to escape, but the Williams driver would keep the challenge at bay and the two brothers would make it clear it was going to be battle for the lead between just the two brothers. This would be effectively demonstrated by Barrichello spinning as he tried to take 2nd away from Ralf coming out of the hairpin. The two brothers were clearly alone now. The match race was now on.

The challenge from Rubens having gone spinning away, Ralf was free to concentrate on his brother ahead of him. And he would do just that. Lap after lap, Ralf would stalk his brother. The Michelin tires were just warming up. Ralf was on the harder compound Michelins and they were known to like the heat. This would be proven as the younger Schumacher would sit there behind his brother bothering him at nearly every opportunity.

Nearly every trip down the long straight before the final chicane, Ralf would pull up in Michael's slip-stream, would pull out to have a look and then would tuck in content to follow his brother. Later, Ralf would say, 'I had the upper hand. I was following him quite easily.' And this would show as the Ferrari would never got more than a few tenths of a second ahead of the Williams at any point after the 10th lap of the race. Even after a safety car period, in which Michael would get a great restart to pull out an advantage, Ralf would reel his brother in as though merely playing with his brother.

It certainly appeared as though the younger brother was merely playing with the older. Ralf, all of a sudden, appeared to be the three-time World Champion and Michael was the one in search of just his second Formula One victory. The BMW engine certainly had the advantage down the long straight. Constantly through the speed trap it would be either the Williams of Montoya or Ralf that would be posting the fastest speeds and it would be Ralf that would consistently set fastest lap of the race.

To nearly everyone around the pitlane, it was Michael that was holding up his brother. This would be demonstrated very clearly when, after 46 laps, the Ferrari would enter the pitlane for its stop. Since passing was so difficult, this was the time in which Ralf had to put the hammer down and post some really fast laps. At the conclusion of qualifying, most were convinced Ralf had overreached. However, each passing lap, after assuming the lead of the race, the young German dropped his lap times by a second. Those within Williams and Ferrari knew the likely end to the story.

Ralf would carry on and would only grow the gap between himself and his brother. On the lighter fuel load, the Williams driver would say later that he knew he was carrying a lot of fuel and that, by his ability to keep up with the Ferrari, he would just sit still and wait for his opportunity.

It would come and he would take full advantage of it. Stunning lap times meant Ralf had more than enough in hand when he did decide to make his one and only stop of the afternoon. The Williams team was full of confidence. All they needed to do was make sure they had a smooth and mistake-free pitstop and the victory would be surely within sight.

Ralf had done his job. He had put in fast lap after fast lap. He had broken the lap record more than once. He had done everything he could do. It was now down to his crew doing theirs. He would come down the straight and into the pitlane. This was the race, right here. Ralf would slowly make his way down the pitlane as Michael pushed hard out on the track. Ralf would hit his marks and the team would go to work.

By the time the car was off the jack and heading back down the pitlane, Michael was just making his way through the final chicane. Though the Ferrari was up to speed, Ralf had done more than enough to give himself a clear lead as he headed into the first turn. The crowd would erupt in a cacophony of cheers. This is what everybody had been waiting for. The younger brother had withstood the presence, the reputation of his brother. He was not in awe. In fact, he knew he was in the better car, and he was making the most of it. It was the three-time World Champion that was in a state of weakness.

Four successive lap records made the difference. The lap records were what was needed in order to have the advantage over Michael in the Ferrari, but Ralf would look every bit the talent everyone tipped him to be. He had got on with his duties like a seasoned champion and had landed one huge blow to his brother. He had been playing, toying, with him throughout two-thirds of the race. And now, he had landed a haymaker that thoroughly demoralized his sibling.

Right then and there, with more than a dozen laps remaining in the race, the conclusion had been drawn. Barring any mechanical malady, Ralf was going to trounce home to his second Formula One victory. The dropping of the checkered flag was a mere formality as the race ended the moment the blue and white Williams appeared heading into turn one with Michael more than five seconds behind.

Ralf had bested his brother and Michael knew it. Though he would fight on in the couple of laps following the stop of the Williams, Michael would more than concede victory to his brother tailing off in the last ten laps of the race. More than enough in hand over the third place man, Mika Hakkinen, Michael would be content to bask in the glow in the achievement of his younger brother. For a decade it had been Michael that had carried the Schumacher name proudly within Formula One. However, on this day, on an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, it was the younger brother's moment to shine. Michael hadn't just been beaten. For all intents and purposes he had been dominated by his brother. His younger sibling had proven himself at every turn. Every blow Michael tried to land, Ralf turned away and had an answer in return. Though Michael now clearly led the fight for the championship, he had been soundly beaten in this battle within his brother.

BMW had come to the race with a new update to its engine. They were worried about its reliability. By the time Ralf coasted across the line to take his second victory of his career and on the season, it was more than obvious BMW had the most powerful engine in the paddock. Prior to the race, Michael appeared to have more than equal footing to his brother, and, as the season would go on, that would prove true. However, the victory in Canada revealed that Williams was back. Aided by BMW power, Williams was now nearly at full strength. Finally, Ralf was now nearly on equal footing with his brother and the 20 second gap at the end more than proved that point.

For the first time in Formula One history, two brothers would have at it in nearly equal machinery. They would provide Formula One its first one-two finish by brothers in history and it was a straight-up fight all the way. It was time for the Schumachers to have at it. No quarter, no getting out of the way of the faster brother; it was time for each to let go and let the chips fall where they may. Prior to this, Michael had landed nearly all of the blows. The victory in Canada wouldn't be a weakly-landed punch by Ralf; it would be a wallop with power. It was a response from the younger to the older that he was now ready to fight.

Sources:
'Drivers: Ralf Schumacher', (http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-schral.html). GrandPrix.com. http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-schral.html. Retrieved 11 June 2014.

2001 Round 08-Canada Grand Prix. Video. (2001). Retrieved 11 June 2014 from http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjE1NjI5OTAw.html.

'Grand Prix Results: Canadian GP, 2001', (http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr671.html). GrandPrix.com. http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr671.html. Retrieved 11 June 2014.

'Canada 2001', (http://statsf1.com/en/2001/canada.aspx). Stats F1. http://statsf1.com/en/2001/canada.aspx. Retrieved 11 June 2014.

'Canadian Grand Prix Review', (http://www.f1rejects.com/centrale/2001/canada/index.html). F1Rejects.com. http://www.f1rejects.com/centrale/2001/canada/index.html. Retrieved 11 June 2014.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Ralf Schumacher', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 May 2014, 14:09 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ralf_Schumacher&oldid=608691251 accessed 11 June 2014

Wikipedia contributors, 'Canada', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 June 2014, 17:01 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canada&oldid=612159100 accessed 11 June 2014