According to FIA regulations drivers can be nominated and/or changed up until 4 p.m. on March 2, 2002.
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Despite the absence of the Prost team (cars 18 & 19), it has been reported that Arrows, Minardi and Toyota are to keep the numbers that their cars were initially assigned for the 2002 Season, .
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San Marino: on Saturday, Alex Yoong (Minardi) did not manage a qualifying time within 107% of the pole position, and could therefore not line up for the race on Sunday.
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Despite having been denied admittance to the current Formula One Season, the Phoenix Team (which purchased Prost's cars) is reported not to have given up their attempts to join this year's championship.
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Spain: Right before the formation lap started moving, Rubens Barrichello could not engage first gear in his new Ferrari. He was pushed to the pits, but unfortunately there was no swift cure to his car problem and he was out of the race before it had even begun. A sad way to end the weekend, for a driver who had headed the practices and qualitying time sheets, only to lose pole position to M.Schumacher in the German's last attempt.
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Spain: For security reasons (the wings had fallen off their cars for three times), the Minardi Team withdrew from the race, after Sunday's warm-up practice.
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Spain: Eddie Irvine was penalized due to irrgularities found in the fuel powering his Jaguar, having to line up at the back of the grid.
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Austria: Takuma Sato (Jordan) was blessed to escape a horrifying crash, side-on, with Heidfeld (Sauber). Although there was much concern when Sato was airlifted to the University Hospital in Graz, it may turn out that he has suffered no more than bad bruises, and soft tissue damage to his right thigh. Eddie Jordan has remarked that it was a miracle the Japanese rookie seems to have sustained no serious injuries, considering the force of the impact that destroyed the right side of his Jordan. Sato is being held in hospital for observation.
Heidfeld, in turn, was taken in the medical car for a check. Apparently all that was wrong with him was shock. It was the back side of Heidfeld's car that slammed into Sato's. The impact, though, was indeed violent.
Montoya. who luckily escaped the accident by a very close shave, commented that he heard a very loud bang as Heidfeld's car crashed into Sato's.
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Austria: During the Formula 3000 Podium ceremony, the British flag was raised over third placed Brazilian driver Mario Haberfeld.
A milder faux pas insinuated itself all weekend long, amongst the country flags waving at the A-1 Ring: the Brazilian flag displayed was upside-down.
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Austria: Villeneuve (BAR) was given a drive-through penalty for dangerous driving at the start of the Grand Prix (an incident in which Frentzen saw himself pushed off).
Surprisingly, Villeneuve took his penalty under the yellow flag – the BAR team acknowledging to the press, when questioned, that it was not against the F1 regulations.
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Austria: Ferrari did it again!...rather, dared further...although last year they had vowed that they wouldn't dare this far...
Just as it had already happened in the 2001 Austrian GP. when Barrichello was second and M.Schumacher was third, this year Barrichello was likewise ahead of M.Schumacher and was likewise asked to move over for the German to pass. Like last year, both Ferrari cars crossed the finish line with just a split of a second between them. There was just one striking difference this year, though: Barrichello was winning the race !!!
The Austrian public booed, whistled and jeered loudly throughout the cooling lap, and throughout the podium ceremony, in an unprecedented protest at a race track, clearly directed at M.Schumacher and Ferrari. Other protests echoed all over the world. [less ado, but no less unsporting]
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Monaco: as usual, only about half of the grid made it to the final flag (12 cars, this year), as a result of the unforgivingly close guardrails. Among the many crashes, Sato was once more involved in one that made everyone fear for the Japanese rookie, and again he was unhurt.
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Monaco: Trulli's fourth place was reported under threat, after post race scrutineering: a seal on an electronic box was missing or damaged. As this could of course indicate an illegal advantage, the FIA is investigating the issue and a final announcement is expected sometime toward the end of the week. Until then, the only official race results are first, second and third places.
Last year, a similar situation occured involving Hakkinen's car. At that time, McLaren lost their race points, though Hakkinen was allowed to keep his.
Trulli's points and Renault's have now been confirmed, so the unofficial outcome of the race stands now as official.
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Nürburgring: Massa was ordered to relinquish his well-earned sixth place in favor of team-mate Heidfeld, who had been running in seventh.
In the course of three laps, Massa is reported to have unsuccessfully attempted to reason Peter Sauber out of the surprising team-order: the Sauber team would anyhow be scoring one point with either driver finishing in sixth, and Massa had rightfully earned that place on hiw own merit and efforts.
Reasoning ultimately proving futile, the young rookie frustatingly complied with the order to switch places, and escorted his German team-mate to the final flag.
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Net
All Motor Racing (Car + Moto) included – F1, too, of course!
Celebrating 
