HistoryData
sports2000

2000 Australian Grand Prix — 647th Formula 1 Championship Grand Prix

March 12, 2000

Michael Schumacher won the season-opening 2000 Australian Grand Prix for Ferrari, marking the start of his dominant 2000 championship campaign.

Quick Facts

Year
2000
Category
sports

Key Facts

Race winner
Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
Starting position of winner
3rd on grid
Race length
58 laps
Crowd attendance
124,300
Grand Prix debut drivers
Jenson Button, Nick Heidfeld, Gastón Mazzacane
Championship round
Round 1 of 17 in 2000 F1 World Championship

By the Numbers

3
Starting position of winner
58
Race length
124,300
Crowd attendance
1
Championship round

Location

Map of Melbourne, AustraliaMap of Melbourne, AustraliaMelbourne, Australia

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

As the opening round of the 2000 Formula One World Championship, teams arrived at Albert Park with new machinery and driver lineups. Ferrari paired Michael Schumacher with new teammate Rubens Barrichello, while McLaren's Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard occupied the front row following qualifying.

Event

Held on 12 March 2000 at the Albert Park Circuit before 124,300 spectators, the 58-lap race saw Schumacher advance from third on the grid to victory after both McLarens retired with pneumatic valve failures. Barrichello finished second and Ralf Schumacher third, giving Ferrari a dominant one-two result.

Consequence

Ferrari's commanding result foreshadowed Schumacher's 2000 world title. The race also introduced three future or notable Grand Prix drivers in Button, Heidfeld, and Mazzacane, and marked the debut of Jaguar Racing as a constructor, formerly known as Stewart Grand Prix.

Result

Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) — 1st
vs
Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari) — 2nd; Ralf Schumacher (BMW-Williams) — 3rd

at Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne, Australia

Timeline Context

Timeline around 200020001997199819992001200220032000 Formula One World Championship — sports season20th century — time period between January 1, 1901, and ended on December 31, 20002000s — decade from 2000 to 20092nd millennium — millennium spanning the years 1001 to 20002000 Summer Olympics — Games of the XXVII Olympiad, in Sydney, AustraliaUEFA Euro 2000 — 11th European association football championshipGreat Recession — 2007–2009 international economic declineEurovision Song Contest 2000 — 45th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest2000-australian-grand-prix-647th-formula-1-championship-gr-2000