The 2002 French Grand Prix (formally the Mobil 1 Grand Prix de France 2002) was a Formula One motor race held before 106,000 spectators at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in Magny-Cours, Burgundy, France on 21 July 2002. It was the 11th of 17 rounds of the 2002 Formula One World Championship as well as the 11th anniversary of Magny-Cours' debut Formula One event. Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher won the 72-lap race after starting in second. McLaren teammates Kimi Räikkönen and David Coulthard finished second and third, respectively. Schumacher's victory confirmed him as the 2002 World Drivers' Champion, as no other driver could overtake Schumacher's championship points total with a record six races remaining in the season.
Only Michael Schumacher, his teammate Rubens Barrichello and Williams's Juan Pablo Montoya were in contention for the World Drivers' Championship entering the race, with Schumacher leading by 54 championship points. Ferrari led Williams in the World Constructors Championship by 57 championship points. Michael Schumacher began alongside pole position winner Montoya on the grid's first row. Montoya led the opening 23 laps before the first round of pit stops, when Michael Schumacher took the lead but received a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line at the pit lane exit. Montoya regained the lead until a delayed second pit stop put Räikkönen into the lead following the second round of pit stops. Räikkönen led until he ran over oil from the Toyota of Allan McNish on lap 68, allowing Michael Schumacher to pass him and take the lead for the remaining five laps, securing his eighth victory of the season and 61st of his career.
Schumacher secured his fifth World Drivers' Championship title, equalling Juan Manuel Fangio's record set in . Formula One individuals praised Michael Schumacher, including former champion Jody Scheckter and three-time world champion Niki Lauda. He also received official congratulations from world leaders Gerhard Schröder, Silvio Berlusconi and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. Montoya moved from third to second in the World Drivers' Championship while Ferrari extended its World Constructors' Championship lead over Williams to 62 championship points.
Background
left|thumb|The [[Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours (pictured in 2006), where the French Grand Prix was held.]]
The 2002 French Grand Prix was the 11th of 17 rounds in the 2002 Formula One World Championship, contested on 21 July 2002 at the clockwise Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in Magny-Cours, Burgundy, Central France, the 11th anniversary of the circuit hosting its maiden Formula One event in 1991. The race swapped places with the to avoid a scheduling conflict with the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea.
Ferrari's Michael Schumacher led the World Drivers' Championship with 86 championship points before the event, followed by his teammate Rubens Barrichello on 32 and Williams's Juan Pablo Montoya on 31. Montoya's teammate Ralf Schumacher was fourth with 30 championship points and McLaren's David Coulthard was fifth with 26 championship points. If Michael Schumacher won the race and both Barrichello and Montoya finished lower than third, he would have won five world championships, matching Juan Manuel Fangio's record. Ferrari led the World Constructors' Championship with 118 championship points, 57 ahead of Williams. McLaren were third with 37 championship points, with Renault fourth on 14 and Sauber fifth with 10. in preparation for the French Grand Prix, the teams tested aerodynamic and car components, racing setups and tyres on four European circuits. The Arrows, Jordan, Renault. Sauber and Williams teams tested variously for four days at Spain's Circuit Ricardo Tormo. The British American Racing (BAR), Jaguar, Toyota and Williams teams all tested variously over a four-day period at Italy's Monza Circuit. Ferrari's race preparations included testing at two Italian racing tracks. while Badoer also tested at the Mugello Circuit. Minardi was the only team that did not test, remaining at their factory. He indicated that he would try to win the championship at Magny-Cours since he wanted to win the French Grand Prix, but that it would be dependent on other drivers' actions and that it did not matter if the title fight continued at the following . He indicated he would compete normally, but he did not expect to win the title in France, "Whether it happens here or at another time I don't think that it's really important to me. What matters to me is that it does happen in the end." Ross Brawn, Ferrari's technical director, stated that the team was concerned about a mechanical failure during a race.
There were eleven teams (each representing a different constructor) with two drivers each for the Grand Prix, with no changes from the season entry list. Arrows' participation in the event was jeopardised by outstanding debts to engine supplier Cosworth. Arrows manager Tom Walkinshaw directed the team's transporters from Oxfordshire's Leafield factory to France on the evening of 16 July. Arrows' participation in the Grand Prix was ensured when Walkinshaw paid off the team's debt to Cosworth for a continued supply of engines the next day, before the noon deadline. Ferrari combined the rear wing mounting point with the deformable structure above the gearbox and the extractor profile's upper part at the F2002 car's rear-end. Given the high temperatures expected during the race, Williams introduced large openings in the FW24's sidepods to enhance heat dissipation. Arrows did not take part in the Friday practice sessions because Walkinshaw kept the two cars in the pit lane after being urged to do little while negotiating with shareholders Morgan Grenfell to persuade the bank to allow new prospective investors into the team.
The first practice session on Friday morning was held in hot, sunny weather. Barrichello set the fastest lap of 1:15.056 31 minutes in. Coulthard, Michael Schumacher, the Williams duo of Montoya and Ralf Schumacher, McLaren's Kimi Räikkönen, Renault's Jenson Button, the Jaguar duo Eddie Irvine and Pedro de la Rosa and Jordan's Takuma Sato completed the top ten. Toyota's Mika Salo was on a fast lap when Sato cut across him at the fast-right/left Imola turn. This meant Salo drove onto the run-off area but Sato's left-rear collided with Salo's right-front wheel because Sato did not yield for him. Salo returned slowly to the pit lane with front suspension damage but continued after checks by Toyota, Coulthard set the day's fastest lap of 1:14.025, 0.072 seconds quicker than his teammate Räikkönen. The Ferrari duo of Michael Schumacher and Barrichello as well as Ralf Schumacher, Irvine, Salo, De la Rosa Button and Montoya followed in positions third through tenth. Some drivers again went off the circuit. causing him to lose control of his Renault's rear. Michael Schumacher was fastest with a time of 1:12.974 he set at the conclusion of the session and was the only driver to set a sub 1:13-lap. His teammate Barrichello was 0.529 seconds slower in second, followed by Räikkönen, his McLaren teammate Coulthard, Sauber's Felipe Massa, Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, Button, Massa's teammate Nick Heidfeld and BAR's Olivier Panis in positions three to ten.
thumb|[[Giancarlo Fisichella (pictured in 2010) was withdrawn from the race by doctor Sid Watkins following a heavy accident in the final practice session.]]
Although he failed to lap faster in the final practice session, which took place in sunny weather, Michael Schumacher remained fastest overall after losing control of his Ferrari's rear heading towards the Adelaide hairpin. lifting the front wheels into the air off the tarmac surface. He lost frontal downforce, Fisichella experienced a hit at , leaving him confused, dazed and with no recollection of the accident. Practice was stopped for 26 minutes as marshals repaired the tyre wall.
Fisichella was left with a concussion, a cut finger, and a slightly stiff neck as a result of his crash. Sid Watkins, a doctor from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), examined him at the circuit's medical centre before flying him to Nevers for a brain scan. Although hospital scans revealed no serious injuries, Watkins deemed Fisichella unfit to race, citing the risk of another major accident during the race because of the g-forces he experienced.
Qualifying
left|thumb|upright|[[Juan Pablo Montoya secured his fifth consecutive pole position with the fastest lap time in the one-hour qualifying session.]]
Each driver was allowed twelve laps during Saturday's one-hour qualifying session, with starting positions determined by the drivers' quickest laps. During this session, the 107% rule was in effect, requiring each driver to remain within 107% of the quickest lap time in order to qualify for the race. in hot and sunny weather, appearing to favour the Michelin-shod cars. Montoya secured his fifth successive pole position with a 1:11.985 lap, Michael Schumacher qualified second, 0.023 seconds behind, He lost control of his Ferrari and cut across the gravel trap at the final chicane, invalidating his lap time. Michael Schumacher's third run was likewise invalidated for cutting the Nurburgring chicane. Barrichello, third, had his car modified in between sessions. Ralf Schumacher, fifth, drove an unbalanced car and was unable to improve his lap when he slid entering the start/finish straight. drivers Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi intentionally failed to lap inside 107% of Montoya's pole position time when they slowed in the final third of the lap.
Post-qualifying
Jordan sponsor Deutsche Post sought to persuade Frentzen to join Jordan because it wanted a German driver to replace Fisichella in the race. The FIA permitted this as long as there were no contractual concerns and all teams agreed 15 minutes before the warm-up session,
Qualifying classification
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:85%;"
|-
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" | Driver
! scope="col" | Constructor
! scope="col" | Lap
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" |
|-
! scope="row" | 1
| align="center" | 6
| data-sort-value="MON" | Juan Pablo Montoya
| Williams-BMW
| 1:11.985
| align="center" | —
| align="center" | 1
|-
! scope="row" | 2
| align="center" | 1
| data-sort-value="SCHM" | Michael Schumacher
| Ferrari
| 1:12.008
| +0.023
| align="center" | 2
|-
! scope="row" | 3
| align="center" | 2
| data-sort-value="BAR" | Rubens Barrichello
| Ferrari
| 1:12.197
| +0.212
| align="center" | 3
|-
! scope="row" | 4
| align="center" | 4
| data-sort-value="RAI" | Kimi Räikkönen
| McLaren-Mercedes
| 1:12.244
| +0.259
| align="center" | 4
|-
! scope="row" | 5
| align="center" | 5
| data-sort-value="SCHR" | Ralf Schumacher
| Williams-BMW
| 1:12.424
| +0.439
| align="center" | 5
|-
! scope="row" | 6
| align="center" | 3
| data-sort-value="COU" | David Coulthard
| McLaren-Mercedes
| 1:12.498
| +0.513
| align="center" | 6
|-
! scope="row" | 7
| align="center" | 15
| data-sort-value="BUT" | Jenson Button
| Renault
| 1:12.761
| +0.776
| align="center" | 7
|-
! scope="row" | 8
| align="center" | 14
| data-sort-value="TRU" | Jarno Trulli
| Renault
| 1:13.030
| +1.045
| align="center" | 8
|-
! scope="row" | 9
| align="center" | 16
| data-sort-value="IRV" | Eddie Irvine
| Jaguar-Cosworth
| 1:13.188
| +1.203
| align="center" | 9
|-
! scope="row" | 10
| align="center" | 7
| data-sort-value="HEI" | Nick Heidfeld
| Sauber-Petronas
| 1:13.370
| +1.385
| align="center" | 10
|-
! scope="row" | 11
| align="center" | 12
| data-sort-value="PAN" | Olivier Panis
| BAR-Honda
| 1:13.457
| +1.472
| align="center" | 11
|-
! scope="row" | 12
| align="center" | 8
| data-sort-value="MAS" | Felipe Massa
| Sauber-Petronas
| 1:13.501
| +1.516
| align="center" | 12
|-
! scope="row" | 13
| align="center" | 11
| data-sort-value="VIL" | Jacques Villeneuve
| BAR-Honda
| 1:13.506
| +1.521
| align="center" | 13
|-
! scope="row" | 14
| align="center" | 10
| data-sort-value="SAT" | Takuma Sato
| Jordan-Honda
| 1:13.542
| +1.557
| align="center" | 14
|-
! scope="row" | 15
| align="center" | 17
| data-sort-value="DEL" | Pedro de la Rosa
| Jaguar-Cosworth
| 1:13.656
| +1.671
| align="center" | 15
|-
! scope="row" | 16
| align="center" | 24
| data-sort-value="SAL" | Mika Salo
| Toyota
| 1:13.837
| +1.852
| align="center" | 16
|-
! scope="row" | 17
| align="center" | 25
| data-sort-value="MCN" | Allan McNish
| Toyota
| 1:13.949
| +1.964
| align="center" | 17
|-
! scope="row" | 18
| align="center" | 23
| data-sort-value="WEB" | Mark Webber
| Minardi-Asiatech
| 1:14.800
| +2.815
| align="center" | 18
|-
! scope="row" | 19
| align="center" | 22
| data-sort-value="YOO" | Alex Yoong
| Minardi-Asiatech
| 1:16.798
| +4.813
| align="center" | 19
|-
! colspan="7" |107% time: 1:17.023
|-
! scope="row" data-sort-value="20" |
| align="center" | 20
| data-sort-value="FRE" | Heinz-Harald Frentzen
| Arrows-Cosworth
| 1:18.497
| +6.512
| align="center" | —
|-
! scope="row" data-sort-value="21" |
| align="center" | 21
| data-sort-value="BER" | Enrique Bernoldi
| Arrows-Cosworth
| 1:19.843
| +7.858
| align="center" | —
|-
! scope="row" data-sort-value="22" |
| align="center" | 9
| data-sort-value="FIS" | Giancarlo Fisichella
| Jordan-Honda
| align="center" |
| align="center" |
| align="center" |
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan="7" |
|}
Warm-up
On race morning, a half-hour warm-up session was held for teams to shake down their race and spare cars in dry and fine weather. Michael Schumacher set the fastest lap time of 1:14.174 towards the end of warm-up. His teammate Barrichello was 0.714 seconds slower in second. Trulli, Massa, Heidfeld, Button, Räikkönen, Irvine, Coulthard and Panis rounded out the top ten. Ralf Schumacher spun twice during the session, The air temperature was between and the track temperature was at . There was an attendance of 106,000 spectators. Following Fisichella's withdrawal and the Arrows team's failure to qualify, 19 cars were scheduled to start, but at the start of the formation lap, A steering wheel replacement and an effort by the mechanics to restart Barrichello's car failed to correct the problem, thus his Ferrari was pushed into the pit lane, and Barrichello did not start the race. This resulted in 18 starters, the fewest since the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix. Massa made a brisk start, moving from 12th to seventh, Massa turned sharply to the left to avoid colliding with teammate Heidfeld. Michael Schumacher was close behind Montoya and began pressuring him for the lead. At the conclusion of the first lap, Montoya led Michael Schumacher by 0.4 seconds, followed by Räikkönen, Ralf Schumacher, Coulthard and Button. While Michael Schumacher was expanding his lead over Montoya by about a second per lap in clear air, Räikkönen failed to notice McNish's oil and ran over it, causing him to lock his brakes while attempting to maintain control of his McLaren and running off the racing line in a wide arc. He also broke Nigel Mansell's ten-year record of winning the championship with the most Grands Prix remaining in a season. Räikkönen finished second, 1.104 seconds behind, his best result of the season. Coulthard finished third in a McLaren with understeer. He added, "I was just so glad that we have achieved this together with a tremendous team, with people behind who you can just love and can just admire with the effort that they put in, the workload, the motivation they have." Dennis' comments drew the attention of the FIA stewards even though he did not register an official complaint. The stewards reviewed video footage of the pass and spoke with the drivers and their representatives. While the stewards accepted Michael Schumacher passed Räikkönen in a yellow flag area, they assessed Räikkönen to be off the track, and no further action was required, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the Italian president and the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi also praised Michael Schumacher, noting his success was aided by Italian engineering. Three-time world champion Niki Lauda and world champion Jody Scheckter heralded Michael Schumacher as the greatest Formula One driver. Church bells in Maranello, the Italian town where Ferrari's headquarters are based, were rang by the parish priest with 600 fans celebrating Schumacher's accomplishment. Celebrations by German and Italian fans were reported on Adriatic Sea beaches. He said, "We will have to investigate the problem to find the cause, but in my opinion it was a different problem to the one I experienced at Silverstone." Williams chief operations director Sam Michael said that the team's tyre choice appeared to be an error and their race performance was "not enough."
The race result left Michael Schumacher as the World Drivers' Champion with 96 championship points. Montoya's fourth-place finish moved him from third to second while Barrichello's failure to start dropped him from second to third. Ralf Schumacher remained fourth while Coulthard stayed fifth.
|}
Championship standings after the race
;Drivers' Championship standings
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
|-
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" | Driver
! scope="col" | Points
|-
| align="left"| 10px
| align="center"| 1
| Michael Schumacher*
| align="left"| 96
|-
| align="left"| 10px 1
| align="center"| 2
| Juan Pablo Montoya
| align="left"| 34
|-
| align="left"| 10px 1
| align="center"| 3
| Rubens Barrichello
| align="left"| 32
|-
| align="left"| 10px
| align="center"| 4
| Ralf Schumacher
| align="left"| 32
|-
| align="left"| 10px
| align="center"| 5
| David Coulthard
| align="left"| 30
|-
!colspan=4|Sources:
|}
;Constructors' Championship standings
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
|-
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" | Constructor
! scope="col" | Points
|-
| align="left"| 10px
| align="center"| 1
| Ferrari*
| align="left"| 128
|-
| align="left"| 10px
| align="center"| 2
| Williams-BMW*
| align="left"| 66
|-
| align="left"| 10px
| align="center"| 3
| McLaren-Mercedes*
| align="left"| 47
|-
| align="left"| 10px
| align="center"| 4
| Renault
| align="left"| 15
|-
| align="left"| 10px
| align="center"| 5
| Sauber-Petronas
| align="left"| 10
|-
!colspan=4|Sources: