The race was interrupted after McLaren's Mika Häkkinen's engine stalled on the starting grid, prompting the safety car's deployment.

The 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix, the third round of seventeen in the 2001 Formula One World Championship, took place on 1 April 2001, at the anti-clockwise Autódromo José Carlos Pace track in São Paulo, Brazil.

[4] The Grand Prix featured eleven teams of two drivers (each representing a different constructor), with no changes to the season entry list.

[6] Barrichello did not remember a time he was very excited for a race because of his Ferrari's competitiveness,[16] and was certain of beating his teammate Michael Schumacher to win, saying, "I know what it would mean to the fans especially to see a home winner.

"[17] McLaren co-ordinator Jo Ramírez admitted "We were and we are still lost" because their car was slower than Ferrari's in the first two rounds, "Frankly, I don't know what we will be able to do at this Grand Prix.

[19][20] On 17 March, a contractor's dissatisfaction with São Paulo city administration caused a disruption in the renovation work, prompting inquiries.

[24] However, the event's director, Carlos Roberto Montagne, refuted Barrichello's assertions, saying that the road surface was approved by two British engineers.

[27][28]: 534–535  British American Racing (BAR) tested two rear wing configurations and a modified upswept exhaust to increase the 003's engine revolutions while avoiding gearbox overheating.

Barrichello, Coulthard, BAR's Olivier Panis, the Jaguars of Eddie Irvine and Luciano Burti, Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya, Heidfeld and Jordan's Jarno Trulli rounded out the session's top ten fastest drivers.

[34][36] Montoya and Ralf Schumacher of Williams (who ran off the track at turn ten, damaging his car's front aerodynamic devices) were fourth and sixth, separated by Häkkinen.

[39] Frentzen (who stopped on track at Subida do Lago corner when his engine suddenly cut out with more than 20 minutes remaining), Heidfeld and Irvine followed in the top ten.

[29]: 220–221  Qualifying was contested in hot, sunny weather with no rain forecast,[48] stopping the top teams from lapping faster near the end of the session.

[48][56] Montoya separated the McLaren duo in fourth, having lost control of the rear of his Williams car at the fast left-hand Mergulho corner and collided with the tyre barrier on the far side of the track on his first quick lap.

[28]: 290 [49][50] Enrique Bernoldi took 16th for the Arrows team, ahead of teammate Jos Verstappen, who changed his car's setup in practice to try to remove understeer but ended up with oversteer in qualifying.

[50] They were separated by Alonso in the quicker Minardi, who believed he could have qualified ahead of Fisichella if not for slower traffic on an aborted final run.

[19] On a pre-race reconnaissance lap, Barrichello had to stop his Ferrari on the grass at the far side of the track because of an oil pressure fault caused by a fuel pump failure.

[19][75][76] Häkkinen raised his hands to inform the 18 drivers behind him, who were able to avoid colliding into his car and cause a major accident;[19][58][76] he was so upset that he forgot to properly reattach the steering wheel,[56] a violation of the sporting regulations.

[71] The track layout prevented marshals from moving Häkkinen's car off the main straight into a gap in the pit lane wall, forcing them to push it forward.

[73][80] He used his more powerful engine to aggressively overtake Schumacher on the unclean inside line by braking later at the Senna S chicane for the race lead.

[13][66] Both drivers made contact and Montoya drove Michael Schumacher wide right onto the grass in the middle of the turn to take the lead into the Curva do Sol corner.

[56][80] Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn and race engineer Luca Baldisserri called Michael Schumacher into the pit lane on the following lap.

[28]: 405, 408  On lap 28, Alonso retired in the pit lane due to an potentiometer failure in the throttle mechanism, which produced engine trouble.

[76][80] Michael Schumacher lost control of his Ferrari on lap 48 when a rear tyre hit a damp white line on the circuit's edge entering turn five.

[77] Drivers on intermediate or full-wet tyres had variable lap times, and it was quite wet on parts of the course, with some areas hit by rain and others by sunshine.

On lap 56, Mazzacane pulled to the side of the track near the turn one run-off area after his clutch burned out, resulting in a fire that marshals had to extinguish.

Räikkönen in ninth lost control of his car after he was caught off guard by the rain, sliding backwards onto the grass and retiring on the following lap.

[67][69][72][73] Coulthard slowed down in the final laps but maintained the lead to achieve his first win since the 2000 French Grand Prix and the tenth victory of his career.

[73][80] Heidfeld finished third for his first career podium and Sauber's first since the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix,[58][73] despite a slow pit stop in which a fuel filler got stuck.

[83] Mercedes-Benz motorsport head Norbert Haug welcomed Coulthard's victory as "a turning point" and praised the driver, stating, "He showed what he is really capable of by beating Michael Schumacher in extremely difficult conditions.

"[92] Three-time world champion Niki Lauda felt Barrichello should have received a two-race ban for his involvement in a recent series of accidents.