September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana (a separate city completely surrounded by Indianapolis) in the United States, is the second-oldest surviving auto racing track in the world (after The Milwaukee Mile), having existed since 1909. ... Nickname: Circle City, Indy, Naptown Location in Indiana Founded  -Incorporated 1821  {{{incorporated}}} County Marion County Mayor Bart Peterson Area  - Total  - Water 966. ... Kimi Matias Räikkönen (born October 17, 1979) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver. ... The Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta, Swedish: Republiken Finland) is a Nordic country in northeastern Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea to the southwest, the Gulf of Finland to the south and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west. ... McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren (1937-1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... Michael Schumacher (born January 3, 1969) is a German Formula One (F1) driver. ... While the German language and the feeling of Germanhood go back more than a thousand years, the state now known as Germany was unified as a modern nation-state only in 1871, when the German Empire, dominated by the Kingdom of Prussia, was forged. ... Scuderia Ferrari is the common name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ... Heinz-Harald Frentzen, born May 18, 1967, is a German racing driver most famous for his career in Formula One. ... Sauber, founded and managed by Peter Sauber, is a Formula One team based in Hinwil, Switzerland. ...

Summary

Michael Schumacher took a huge step toward his record-breaking sixth drivers championship by winning the 2003 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis by 18.258 seconds over pole-sitter Kimi Räikkönen before another huge American crowd. After the race, Räikkönen remained in mathematical contention for the championship with one race to go; however, the title hopes of Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya were taken away when he was penalized for an incident on Lap 3 with Schumacher's Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello. Michael Schumacher (born January 3, 1969) is a German Formula One (F1) driver. ... The FIA has awarded the Formula One World Drivers Championship (abbr. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event which has taken place at various times since 1959 in several locations, at first as a part of the American Grand Prize series and later as a race in the Formula One World Championship. ... Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana (a separate city completely surrounded by Indianapolis) in the United States, is the second-oldest surviving auto racing track in the world (after The Milwaukee Mile), having existed since 1909. ... The second (symbol s) is a unit for time, and one of seven SI base units. ... Kimi Matias Räikkönen (born October 17, 1979) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver. ... An audience is the/a group of people who participate in and experience or encounter a work of art, literature, theatre, music or academics in any medium. ... WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula One racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ... Juan Pablo Montoya (born September 20, 1975) is a Colombian Formula One motor racing driver. ... Scuderia Ferrari is the common name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ... Rubens Barrichello, born May 23, 1972 in São Paulo, Brazil, is a Formula One race driver. ...

It was the German's second straight win since the Ferrari team and its tire supplier Bridgestone accused rival tire maker Michelin of using illegal tires for most of the season and threatened to decide the title in court. Michelin had to scramble to retool their tires before the Italian Grand Prix, and its teams clearly suffered in the changing weather conditions at Indianapolis. The Bridgestone Tire Company (株式会社ブリヂストン) was founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (石橋 正二郎 Ishibashi Shōjirō) in the city of Kurume, Japan. ... Michelin logo Michelin (full name: Manufacture Française des Pneumatiques Michelin, French manufacturer of tyres Michelin), based in Clermont-Ferrand, France in the Auvergne région of France, is primarily a tyre (In American English, tire) manufacturer but is also famous for its series of travel guides and road maps... The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. ...

Rain clouds surrounded the circuit at the start, but everyone began the race on dry tires. The cars on the "clean" side of the track got off the grid much better, as Räikkönen took the lead ahead of Olivier Panis and the two Schumachers (all from the left side of the grid), while Barrichello, Fernando Alonso, David Coulthard and Montoya (all on the right side) dropped back. Räikkönen's McLaren quickly opened up a lead of 1.6 seconds over Panis' Toyota and Ralf Schumacher's Williams. On Lap 2, light rain began to fall on parts of the circuit, while Räikkönen increased his lead to 2.4 seconds and Panis came under attack by the Williams. Michael Schumacher was up to fourth from seventh on the grid, and Coulthard took fifth place from Barrichello, who was struggling with a finicky gear change mechanism. Olivier Panis, born in Oullins, Lyon, September 2, 1966, is a retired French Formula One racing driver. ... Fernando Alonso (b. ... David Coulthard (born March 27, 1971 in Twynholm, Scotland), is a British Formula One racing driver for Red Bull Racing. ... McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren (1937-1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ... Toyota redirects here. ... Ralf Schumacher driving for the Williams-BMW F1 team in 2003 Ralf Schumacher (born June 30, 1975) is a German Formula One racing driver for the Toyota team. ...

Entering Turn 1 on Lap 3, Ralf Schumacher overtook Panis for second place. Montoya then pulled alongside Barrichello on the outside of the 90-degree right-hander to challenge for sixth. As they entered the left-handed Turn 2, Montoya was squeezed onto the curb and then the grass by the Ferrari. As they began to exit the turn, the right front wheel of the Williams touched the Ferrari's sidepod and Barrichello slid into the gravel. The Renaults of Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli both got around Montoya as he avoided the spinning Barrichello, but the Colombian continued in eighth place with no apparent damage. In fact, on Lap 8, he set the fastest lap of the race to that point, and by Lap 15 had moved up to third spot on a drying track. Jarno Trulli driving for the Renault Formula One team at Indianapolis in 2003 Renault Sport (also known as Renault F1) is a Formula One racing team that started in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... Jarno Trulli (born 13 July 1974 in Pescara, Italy) is an Italian Formula One auto racing driver currently in the employ of the Toyota team. ...

Barrichello said, "We were running side by side. I thought I had left him enough space, but he touched me and I spun." While Barrichello's car was being removed from the runoff area under a local yellow flag in Turns 1 and 2, Schumacher went by Panis at the entry to Turn 1 on Lap 5, claiming that he completed the pass before the turn; the stewards agreed, and he was not penalized.

Several drivers tried to anticipate a heavier rainfall by stopping for wet tires very early in the first light shower. Panis, Cristiano da Matta, Jacques Villeneuve and Nicolas Kiesa all stopped on Lap 6 or 7, only to find the track beginning to dry already by Lap 8. Beginning with Villeneuve on Lap 9, they all stopped again within a few laps to change back to dry tires. Cristiano da Matta (born September 19, 1973) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. ... Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (born April 9, 1971) is a Canadian automobile racing driver, and winner of both Formula One and Champ Car championships. ... Nicolas Kiesa was a Formula One driver from Denmark. ...

Maddeningly for those who had already made two tire stops, the rain returned during the first scheduled pit stops, but when the championship contenders pitted -- Montoya on Lap 17, Räikkönen on Lap 19 and Schumacher on Lap 20 -- they all chose to stay with dry tires. On Lap 19, just as the rain began to get serious, Montoya was given a drive-through penalty for "causing an avoidable accident" with Barrichello. So while the others were either sliding off the track on dry tires -- Mark Webber (from the lead), Ralf Schumacher, Coulthard -- or diving into the pits for wets -- Michael Schumacher, Räikkönen, Alonso, Trulli, Jenson Button -- the Colombian had to enter the pit lane to serve his penalty but could not change tires. Forced to return to the circuit in a downpour still on dry tires, Montoya finally emerged from the pits again, yet now he was down in eleventh place, dashing any remaining championship hopes for the Columbian. Jenson Button is a Formula One driver currently in the employ of the BAR team. ...

"A very disappointing race," Montoya said later, "basically decided by the penalty I was given for the accident with Rubens and the moment I had to pay it. It is sad to lose my drivers championship chances in this way."

As the confusion ended, Button, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Justin Wilson found themselves in the top three places on Lap 23, having made their first stop at just the right time for the switch to wet tires. The changing conditions caused the fortunes of the two tire manufacturer's runners to swing like a pendulum as one advantage (Michelin in the dry) was superseded by another (Bridgestone in the wet). At this point, the race had been led by Räikkönen (Michelin), Michael Schumacher (Bridgestone), Webber (Michelin), Coulthard (Michelin) and Button (Bridgestone). Heinz-Harald Frentzen, born May 18, 1967, is a German racing driver most famous for his career in Formula One. ... Justin Wilson is a motor-racing driver from Great Britain. ...

Michelin motorsport director Pierre Dupasquier said: “Today's race was absolutely fascinating from a technical perspective. We set the early pace, and our drivers were the quickest out there when the circuit dried towards the end. In slightly damp conditions, our grooved dry weather tyres enabled our leading drivers to run up to three seconds per lap faster than Michael Schumacher. In wetter conditions, we were losing two seconds per lap."

According to Räikkönen, who ran with Michelins, "The weather basically lost us the race victory today as we were not as quick in the wet conditions as Michael.... I made a good start from pole and was pretty much in control.... Once the rain started things changed. We came in at the right times and didn't put a foot wrong but there was nothing we could do."

On Lap 28, Button led Frentzen by 5.8 seconds as Schumacher got around Räikkönen (the top Michelin runner, having already passed Wilson) for third place and then took Frentzen for second five laps later. On Lap 38, having taken 1.5 seconds per lap from Button's lead, Schumacher returned to the top spot while the other two Championship contenders, Räikkönen and Montoya, lay fourth and tenth despite the track beginning to dry once again.

The BAR team's hope for a podium finish by Button ended on Lap 42 when the Brit's engine let go on the main straight, restoring Frentzen to second place. When Schumacher pitted for the last time on Lap 48, Frentzen became the sixth driver to lead the race. The Sauber veteran gave it back when he stopped on the next lap, but only Räikkönen would get by him after that -- on Lap 55 -- and he claimed the final podium position, his second in four years at Indianapolis. Combined with teammate Nick Heidfeld's fifth place, the Sauber team was ecstatic to earn nine points and move past BAR and Jaguar into fifth in the constructor standings. British American Racing (BAR) is a Formula One constructor that entered the sport in 1999. ... Nick Heidfeld (born May 10, 1977) is a German Formula One auto racing driver who is driving for the Williams team in 2005. ... Jaguar Cars is a British automobile manufacturer famous for luxury saloon and sports cars. ...

Jarno Trulli finished fourth for Renault, ahead of Nick Heidfeld, Montoya, Giancarlo Fisichella and Wilson. Schumacher's win also put Ferrari back in front of Williams in the constructor championship standings, 147-144. Giancarlo Fisichella (born January 14, 1973 in Rome) is an Italian Formula One racing driver. ...

Classification

Michael Schumacher (born January 3, 1969) is a German Formula One (F1) driver. ... Scuderia Ferrari is the common name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ... Kimi Matias Räikkönen (born October 17, 1979) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver. ... McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren (1937–1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... Heinz-Harald Frentzen, born May 18, 1967, is a German racing driver most famous for his career in Formula One. ... Sauber, founded and managed by Peter Sauber, is a Formula One team based in Hinwil, Switzerland. ... Petronas logo Petronas, short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is Malaysias state owned oil and gas company that was founded on August 14, 1974. ... Jarno Trulli (born 13 July 1974 in Pescara, Italy) is an Italian Formula One auto racing driver currently in the employ of the Toyota team. ... Jarno Trulli driving for the Renault Formula One team at Indianapolis in 2003 Renault Sport (also known as Renault F1) is a Formula One racing team that started in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... Nick Heidfeld (born May 10, 1977) is a German Formula One auto racing driver who is driving for the Williams team in 2005. ... Sauber, founded and managed by Peter Sauber, is a Formula One team based in Hinwil, Switzerland. ... Petronas logo Petronas, short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is Malaysias state owned oil and gas company that was founded on August 14, 1974. ... Juan Pablo Montoya (born September 20, 1975) is a Colombian Formula One motor racing driver. ... WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula One racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ... The BMW logo is a circle (known as a roundel) divided into quadrants of alternating white and light blue color. ... Giancarlo Fisichella (born January 14, 1973 in Rome) is an Italian Formula One racing driver. ... The Ford Motor Company (often referred to simply as Ford; sometimes nicknamed Fords or FoMoCo, (NYSE: F) is an automobile maker founded by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, and incorporated on June 16, 1903. ... Justin Wilson is a motor-racing driver from Great Britain. ... Jaguar Cars is a British automobile manufacturer famous for luxury saloon and sports cars. ... A Ford Cosworth DFV on a Ligier JS11 Cosworth is now two companies, Cosworth Racing and Cosworth Technology; they split in 1998. ... Cristiano da Matta (born September 19, 1973) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. ... Olivier Panis driving for the Toyota F1 team at the 2004 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Toyotas Formula 1 involvement stemmed from Toyota Team Europe, set up by Ove Andersson to run in the World Rally Championship and used by Toyota to run its Le Mans 24 Hours... Jos Verstappen (4 March 1972) is a Dutch Formula 1 driver. ... Minardi is a automobile racing team, founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. ... A Ford Cosworth DFV on a Ligier JS11 Cosworth is now two companies, Cosworth Racing and Cosworth Technology; they split in 1998. ... Nicolas Kiesa was a Formula One driver from Denmark. ... Minardi is a automobile racing team, founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. ... A Ford Cosworth DFV on a Ligier JS11 Cosworth is now two companies, Cosworth Racing and Cosworth Technology; they split in 1998. ... Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (born April 9, 1971) is a Canadian automobile racing driver, and winner of both Formula One and Champ Car championships. ... British American Racing (BAR) is a Formula One constructor that entered the sport in 1999. ... Honda Motor Co. ... Ralph Firman - born 20 May 1975 - was a Formula One driver from Britain. ... The Ford Motor Company (often referred to simply as Ford; sometimes nicknamed Fords or FoMoCo, (NYSE: F) is an automobile maker founded by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, and incorporated on June 16, 1903. ... David Coulthard (born March 27, 1971 in Twynholm, Scotland), is a British Formula One racing driver for Red Bull Racing. ... McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren (1937–1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... Fernando Alonso (b. ... Jarno Trulli driving for the Renault Formula One team at Indianapolis in 2003 Renault Sport (also known as Renault F1) is a Formula One racing team that started in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... Jenson Button is a Formula One driver currently in the employ of the BAR team. ... British American Racing (BAR) is a Formula One constructor that entered the sport in 1999. ... Honda Motor Co. ... Olivier Panis, born in Oullins, Lyon, September 2, 1966, is a retired French Formula One racing driver. ... Olivier Panis driving for the Toyota F1 team at the 2004 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Toyotas Formula 1 involvement stemmed from Toyota Team Europe, set up by Ove Andersson to run in the World Rally Championship and used by Toyota to run its Le Mans 24 Hours... Mark Alan Webber (born August 27, 1976) is an Australian Formula One driver. ... Jaguar Cars is a British automobile manufacturer famous for luxury saloon and sports cars. ... A Ford Cosworth DFV on a Ligier JS11 Cosworth is now two companies, Cosworth Racing and Cosworth Technology; they split in 1998. ... Ralf Schumacher driving for the Williams-BMW F1 team in 2003 Ralf Schumacher (born June 30, 1975) is a German Formula One racing driver for the Toyota team. ... WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula One racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ... The BMW logo is a circle (known as a roundel) divided into quadrants of alternating white and light blue color. ... Rubens Barrichello, born May 23, 1972 in São Paulo, Brazil, is a Formula One race driver. ... Scuderia Ferrari is the common name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ...

Notes

• Fastest Lap: Michael Schumacher 1:11.473

• Jarno Trulli posted the fastest time in each of the weekend's first three sessions.

• Sir Jackie Stewart drove three laps in the new Ford GT prototype on Sunday morning, marking the thirtieth anniversary of his retirement at Watkins Glen, New York.

• Justin Wilson, after running as high as third in the race, finished eighth for Jaguar and scored his first career Championship point.

• Heinz-Harald Frentzen's podium was his first since the 2000 United States Grand Prix, when he was driving a Jordan.

• On Thursday after the race, Juan Pablo Montoya told The (London) Sun that it took him two days to overcome his anger about seeing his drivers championship hopes die; he gave no interviews at the circuit after the race.

Sir is an honorary title. ... Jackie Stewart speaking at the 2005 United States Grand Prix Sir John Young Stewart OBE (born June 11, 1939 in Dumbartonshire, Scotland), better known as Jackie Stewart, is a three-time Formula One racing champion representing Great Britain. ... The Ford Motor Company (often referred to simply as Ford; sometimes nicknamed Fords or FoMoCo, (NYSE: F) is an automobile maker founded by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, and incorporated on June 16, 1903. ... Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday, and the second day of the weekend in some cultures. ... Retirement is the status of a worker who has stopped working. ... Watkins Glen International (nicknamed The Glen) is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. ... Results from the 2000 Formula One United States Grand Prix held at Indianapolis on September 24, 2000 Classification Notes Fastest Lap: David Coulthard 1m 14. ... Thursday is the day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. ... The Suns most famous headline The Sun, a tabloid daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom, has the highest circulation of any daily English-language newspaper in the world, standing at around 3,200,000 copies daily in late-2004. ...