Michael Schumacher's victory extended his Drivers' Championship lead and returned Ferrari to the top of the Constructors' standings with one race left in 2003.
Key Facts
- Race laps
- 73
- Schumacher career wins
- 70th career victory
- Season victories for Schumacher
- 6th of the 2003 season
- Championship round
- 15th of 16 (penultimate)
- Drivers' Championship gap after race
- Schumacher led Räikkönen by 9 points
- Constructors' Championship shift
- Ferrari retook lead from Williams by 3 points
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Heading into the penultimate round of the 2003 season, Michael Schumacher held the Drivers' Championship lead while Williams led Ferrari in the Constructors' standings. Changing weather conditions during the race created unpredictable strategy decisions, with several drivers switching to rain tyres, producing six different race leaders.
Held on September 28, 2003, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 73-lap race saw pole-sitter Kimi Räikkönen lead the opening 18 laps before pit stops and weather shuffled the order. Schumacher, starting seventh, overtook Jenson Button on lap 38 and led to the finish, with Räikkönen second and Heinz-Harald Frentzen third in his final career podium.
The result extended Schumacher's Drivers' Championship advantage over Räikkönen to nine points and eliminated Juan Pablo Montoya from title contention after a collision and drive-through penalty left him sixth. Ferrari reclaimed the Constructors' Championship lead from Williams by three points, with McLaren a further 16 points back entering the season finale.