Giancarlo Fisichella's triumph of chaos at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix

Giancarlo Fisichella took his first victory in Formula 1 at the end of the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, a race as legendary as it was eventful. In a torrential downpour on the Interlagos circuit, the Jordan driver survived a festival of retirements to climb to the top step of the podium.

It all began three hours before the lights went out: a violent storm hit São Paulo. Safety conditions were so precarious that the start was delayed. Michelin and Bridgestone, the tire manufacturers of the time, had only brought an intermediate compound, so race control launched the field led by the local rider and pole-sitter of the day, Rubens Barrichello (Classic Ferrari for sale), behind the safety car. While the battle rages at the front during the restart, Giancarlo Fisichella, eighth on the grid, waits for his moment.

A truly epic Brazilian Grand Prix

From lap 18 onwards, the Grand Prix descended into chaos: Ralph Firman's (Jordan) suspension failed and took Jarno Trulli (Renault), prompting the first intervention of the safety car. The track quickly turned into an ice rink. The Curva do Sol became the scene of pile-ups, successively trapping Antônio Pizzonia (Jaguar), Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams), Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) and Jenson Button (BAR) in the same flooded corner. The carnage continued as local hero Rubens Barrichello saw his hopes dashed on lap 47 following a mechanical problem while leading the race.

The chaos reached its peak on lap 53: while Giancarlo Fisichella overtook Kimi Räikkönen (McLaren) for the lead, Mark Webber wrecked his Jaguar on the pit straight. Moments later, Fernando Alonso (Renault), coming up behind, hits a tire and ends up in a wall. The red flag brings this carnage to a definitive end.

Initially, Kimi Räikkönen was declared the winner on the podium. However, the Jordan team appealed. The regulations stipulate that the classification must be taken two laps before the race is stopped. By proving that Giancarlo Fisichella had started his 56th lap, the team ultimately prevailed: the classification from lap 54 was indeed the determining factor.

Giancarlo Fisichella thus lifted his trophy five days after the race, which was marked by ten retirements. A first triumph for the Italian, which incidentally also marked the last for his team, who retired from F1 two seasons later.

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