The 2003 Italian Grand Prix (officially known as the Gran Premio Vodafone d'Italia 2003) was a Formula One motor race that took place on 14 September 2003 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy. It was the fourteenth round of the 2003 Formula One World Championship. Michael Schumacher took pole position for the race in the Ferrari and went on to take the race win, ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya for Williams and Rubens Barrichello in the other Ferrari.
With an average speed of , this race stood as the fastest-ever Formula One race for 22 years, until the 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Background
The event was held at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza for the 53rd time in the circuit's history, across the weekend of 12–14 September. The Grand Prix was the fourteenth round of the 2003 Formula One World Championship and the 54th running of the Italian Grand Prix as part of the Formula One World Championship.
Championship standings before the race
Going into the weekend, Michael Schumacher led the Drivers' Championship with 72 points, 1 point ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya in second and 2 ahead of Kimi Räikkönen in third. Williams, with 129 points, led the Constructors' Championship for the first time since their title in 1997, from Ferrari and McLaren, who were second and third with 121 and 115 points, respectively. Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello set the fastest time in the first session, ahead of teammate Michael Schumacher and McLaren's Kimi Räikkönen, in second and third places respectively. In the second session, Schumacher was ahead of Barrichello, and David Coulthard was the McLaren in third. Juan Pablo Montoya led the third practice session in his Williams, ahead of Michael Schumacher and stand-in teammate Marc Gené.
Friday drivers
Three teams in the 2003 Constructors' Championship had the right to run a third car on Friday's additional testing. These drivers did not compete in qualifying or the race.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 85%;"
|-
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Constructor !! Q1 Time !! Q2 Time !! Gap !! Grid
|-
! 1
| 1
| data-sort-value="scm"| Michael Schumacher
| Ferrari
|1:21.268
| 1:20.963
|
| align="center" | 1
|-
! 2
| 3
| data-sort-value="mon"| Juan Pablo Montoya
| Williams-BMW
|1:20.656
| 1:21.014
| +0.051
| align="center" | 2
|-
! 3
| 2
| data-sort-value="bar"| Rubens Barrichello
| Ferrari
|1:20.784
| 1:21.242
| +0.279
| align="center" | 3
|-
! 4
| 6
| data-sort-value="rai"| Kimi Räikkönen
| McLaren-Mercedes
|1:21.966
| 1:21.466
| +0.503
| align="center" | 4
|-
! 5
| 4
| data-sort-value="gen"| Marc Gené
| Williams-BMW
| data-sort-value="21"|-
| 1:21.834
| +0.871
| align="center" | 5
|-
! 6
| 7
| data-sort-value="tru"| Jarno Trulli
| Renault
|1:22.034
| 1:21.944
| +0.981
| align="center" | 6
|-
! 7
| 17
| data-sort-value="but"| Jenson Button
| BAR-Honda
|1:22.495
| 1:22.301
| +1.338
| align="center" | 7
|-
! 8
| 5
| data-sort-value="cou"| David Coulthard
| McLaren-Mercedes
|1:23.154
| 1:22.471
| +1.508
| align="center" | 8
|-
! 9
| 20
| data-sort-value="pan"| Olivier Panis
| Toyota
|1:22.372
| 1:22.488
| +1.525
| align="center" | 9
|-
! 10
| 16
| data-sort-value="vil"| Jacques Villeneuve
| BAR-Honda
|1:22.858
| 1:22.717
| +1.754
| align="center" | 10
|-
! 11
| 14
| data-sort-value="web"| Mark Webber
| Jaguar-Cosworth
|1:21.966
| 1:22.754
| +1.791
| align="center" | 11
|-
! 12
| 21
| data-sort-value="da m"| Cristiano da Matta
| Toyota
|1:21.829
| 1:22.914
| +1.951
| align="center" | 12
|-
! 13
| 11
| data-sort-value="fis"| Giancarlo Fisichella
| Jordan-Ford
|1:24.179
| 1:22.992
| +2.029
| align="center" | 13
|-
! 14
| 10
| data-sort-value="fre"| Heinz-Harald Frentzen
| Sauber-Petronas
|1:22.203
| 1:23.216
| +2.253
| align="center" | 14
|-
! 15
| 15
| data-sort-value="wil"| Justin Wilson
| Jaguar-Cosworth
|1:23.609
| 1:23.484
| +2.521
| align="center" | 15
|-
! 16
| 9
| data-sort-value="hei"| Nick Heidfeld
| Sauber-Petronas
|1:22.547
| 1:23.803
| +2.840
| align="center" | 16
|-
! 17
| 19
| data-sort-value="ver"| Jos Verstappen
| Minardi-Cosworth
|No Time
| 1:25.078
| +4.115
| align="center" | 17
|-
! 18
| 12
| data-sort-value="bau"| Zsolt Baumgartner
| Jordan-Ford
|1:24.872
| 1:25.881
| +4.918
| align="center" | 18
|-
! 19
| 18
| data-sort-value="kie"| Nicolas Kiesa
| Minardi-Cosworth
|1:26.299
| 1:26.778
| +5.815
| align="center" | 19
|-
! 20
| 8
| data-sort-value="alo"| Fernando Alonso
| Renault
|1:22.103
| 1:40.405
| +19.442
| align="center" | 20
|-
!
|4
| Ralf Schumacher
|Williams-BMW
|data-sort-value="21"|No time
|data-sort-value="21"|-
|data-sort-value="21"|
|data-sort-value="21"|
|-
!colspan="8"| Sources:
|}
Notes
- - Earlier in September, Ralf Schumacher had crashed during a private test session at Monza. He was cleared by Formula One's race doctor Sid Watkins and participated in Friday testing and qualifying, but together with his team, the German decided to step back and let third driver Marc Gené stand in, ahead of the sessions on Saturday.
- - Jos Verstappen did not set a time in Q1 due to engine problems.
- - Ralf Schumacher initially set a lap time in Q1 (1:21.965), but his time was removed after cutting the first chicane on his flying lap.
Race
The race was held on 13 September 2003 and was run for 53 laps.
Race report
At the start, Michael Schumacher almost braked too late for the first chicane but was just able to make the first corner and hold on to his lead, ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya and Jarno Trulli, who had made a very fast start from sixth on the grid. The other Renault of Fernando Alonso hit the back of Justin Wilson, who had stalled on the grid. He lost his front wing but was able to continue after making a pit stop. Attempting a pass around the outside into the second chicane, Montoya got alongside and even momentarily ahead of Schumacher, but he was slower exiting the corner and came under pressure from Trulli behind him. The Renault, however, suddenly lost hydraulic pressure and Trulli was out of the race before the first lap was over.
|}
Notes
- - Giancarlo Fisichella started the race from the pitlane.
|}
;Constructors' Championship standings
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
|-
! scope="col" | +/–
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" | Constructor
! scope="col" | Points
|-
! scope="row" | 10px
| align="center"| 1
| Williams-BMW*
| 141
|-
! scope="row" | 10px
| align="center"| 2
| Ferrari*
| 137
|-
! scope="row" | 10px
| align="center"| 3
| McLaren-Mercedes*
| 120
|-
! scope="row" | 10px
| align="center"| 4
| Renault
| 79
|-
! scope="row" | 10px
| align="center"| 5
| BAR-Honda
| 18
|-
!colspan=4|Source: