Auto-Racing @ MieNet: Grand Prix 2001 Special Notes

Your browser does not support java script, so pls. use MieNet's SiteMap to navigate.

F1 - 2001 Season
Special Notes

Note 1:

The F1 Sporting Regulations (Art.60) state March 1st. 2001 (16:00 GMT) as the deadline for a team to hand in or alter its driver line-up for the 2001 Season.

Note 2:

On April 19 the following changes of drivers took place:

Luciano Burti (Brazil), who started the season driving the No.19 Jaguar replaced

Gaston Mazzacane

(Argentina), in the Prost-Acer car No.23,

the Brazilian driver, in turn, being replaced in the No.19 Jaguar by Jaguar's (so far) test driver Pedro de la Rosa (Spain)

As of this date, Gaston Mazzacane is not currently driving or testing for any F1 team.
&nbsol

For the Italian GP (September 16, 2001), newly hired development driver Thomas Enge sits in the Prost # 23, deputizing for Luciano Burti who is recovering from the serious accident he had during the previous GP. Enge thus becomes the first national from the Czech Republic ever to take part in a Formula One Grand Prix.

Since he is taking part in the F1 race, Thomas Enge is missing the closing F-3000 race, taking place the day before the Monza F1 GP, and thus ends the F-3000 Championship side by side with Australian Mark Weber, in second place.

Note 3:

The current FIA Sporting Regulations allow one driver change for their first car and allows additionally three drivers for their second car. These drivers may be changed at any time, provided that the change be made in accordance with the FIA Code and before the start of qualifying practice. [

Click here for more on this topic

]

Note 4:

Click here for further information on the F1 Sporting Regulations for the substitution of drivers and a historical outlook on F1 mid-Season driver replacements.

Note 5:

On June 10, current Jordan development driver Ricardo Zonta started the Canadian Grand Prix in Heinz-Harald Frentzen's car. Frentzen, who had come from a hard crash in Monaco, which left him with headaches and sensitivity to the G-forces in the cockpit, had a second crash during practice, in Canada, on Friday, June 8. These symptoms returned, following this crash, which forced the German driver to fly to Nice for a check-up, and the Jordan team to call Brazilian Ricardo Zonta to drive their second car, on an emergency basis. [

Click here to read further about this and the Canadian Grand Prix

. ]

Following a surprising termination of Heinz-Harald Frentzen's contract, on July 26, Ricardo Zonta's services were once requested as Jordan's race driver, again taking the seat in the Nr.11 yellow car, this time for the German GP. Little was been reported about Frentzen's dismissal: on the Jordan side, an unlucky season for both (driver + team) was mentioned amid a reference to an exchange of ideas between Frentzen and Jordan following the British Grand Prix, which alledgedly resulted in the present state of affairs; on Frentzen's side, in turn, all that is known is that he does not endorse the reasons put forth by the Jordan Team and is taking legal action. Frentzen therefore refrains from uttering any views on this issue, except for having told a German newspaper that he had been sacked by fax, the veracity of which fact Eddie Jordan is reported to deny. [

See Notes 3 & 4, right above, for further information on mid season drivers' substitutions, a situation that the 2001 Season has witnessed plenty of thus far

. ]

The “musical chairs” continued throughout the 2001 Season August month break. In this mean time, Eddie Jordan offered Prost's Jean Alesi the vacant seat at Jordan, a situation which has reportedly shaken the long friendship that Allan Prost and Jean Alesi were known to enjoy since their days at Ferrari. Eddie Jordan and Jean Alesi, on the other hand, have also been long time friends--since the late 1980's, when Alesi lived with Eddie Jordan's family in order to polish his English, during which period he not only raced for Eddie Jordan's Camel Team EJR (driving their Reynard 89D-Mugen), but also took the F3000 title for Jordan in 1989. [

See here for more on this topic

]

The suddenly vacant seat at Prost's was then filled with none other than Heinz-Harald Frentzen, delighted with his immediate return to F1 racing.

Amid all the surprising changes that have taken place (so far?) in the present Season, the Prost Team will be ending the year with a totally different driver line-up from the one they started with (including development driver!). Luciano Burti, in addition, has already had three different team-mates (so far?) in one single season! [

See Notes 3 & 4, right above, for further information on mid season drivers' substitutions, something that the 2001 Season could emerge as a record contender

. ]

Note 6:

On October 5, 2001, Monza is the scene of another first time ever in F1 (see Note 2, above, for the first one mentioned):