The 2001 Belgian Grand Prix (officially the 2001 Foster's Belgian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium on 2 September 2001. It was the 14th round of the 2001 Formula One World Championship and the 48th Belgian Grand Prix counting as part of the series. Ferrari driver and World Drivers' Champion Michael Schumacher won the 36-lap race starting from third. David Coulthard finished in second for McLaren with Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella third.
Juan Pablo Montoya of the Williams team won the pole position by recording the fastest lap in qualifying; he stalled on the grid and forfeited pole. His teammate Ralf Schumacher lost the lead to Michael Schumacher into Les Combes turn. Michael Schumacher led the next four laps before the race was stopped for an accident involving Jaguar's Eddie Irvine and Luciano Burti of Prost on lap five. The race was declared null and void and recommenced with a revised distance of 36 laps. Michael Schumacher led every lap of the restarted race to take his eighth victory of the season. Schumacher overtook the four-time world champion Alain Prost's all-time career wins total with his 52nd, a record he held until Lewis Hamilton surpassed it at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix.
Burti was kept in hospital with facial bruising and a concussion until 10 September; his accident helped enhance helmet safety. The race result allowed Coulthard to further his Drivers' Championship advantage over the second Ferrari driver of Rubens Barrichello by four points in second position. Barrichello in turn moved another two points clear of fourth-placed Ralf Schumacher. In the World Constructors' Championship, McLaren in second moved further ahead of Williams in third by nine points as Jordan passed British American Racing (BAR) for fifth with three races left in the season.
Background
The 2001 Belgian Grand Prix was the 14th of the 17 races in the 2001 Formula One World Championship and the 48th running of the event as part of the series. It took place at the 21-turn Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium on 2 September. While the track's length has been reduced from for safety reasons, it is still the longest in Formula One. It contains a number of fast and long sweeping corners along with a high degree of gradient change, which puts a high amount of g-force on the driver.
Before the race, both the Drivers' Championship and Constructors' Championship were already settled, with Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher having claimed both titles in the preceding Hungarian Grand Prix, with their nearest rivals McLaren too many points behind to be able to catch them. Several positions in the standings were undecided. In the battle for second place, David Coulthard of McLaren was five points in front of the second Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello in third and a further two ahead of Williams' Ralf Schumacher in fourth. In the Constructors' standings, McLaren in second were 13 points ahead of Williams, while Sauber and British American Racing (BAR) contended for fourth.
Although a crash during testing at the Mugello Circuit left him with a sore neck, doctors deemed Michael Schumacher fit to compete in Belgium. He stated that he would be unwilling to be concentrated in his driving, and did not say when he felt he would surpass four-time world champion Alain Prost's all-time record of 51 race victories, which he equalled in Hungary. Coulthard said he set himself the objective of winning the season 's final four races to consolidate second in the Drivers' Championship. Barrichello stated he had also targeted second and his teammate Michael Schumacher promised to help him, saying, "For me the season has just started."