Häkkinen's best time, however, was deleted by the stewards after he was penalized for a pit lane infraction during the warm-up session and dropped to fourth on the basis of his second-best qualifying lap.

The final result meant that Michael Schumacher broke the all-time record for most points scored in a season, which he shared with Nigel Mansell.

[8][14][15] The September 11 attacks occurred 19 days before the race, forcing several teams to be hesitant to send workers to Indianapolis amid security concerns at the circuit.

[16] Some drivers and team principals publicly questioned the race's viability due to concerns about behavior and personal safety but others believed it had to be held to show support for the United States.

[17][18] The race went on as planned, with additional security measures implemented by local, state, and federal law enforcement to protect spectators and participating teams.

[30] FIA doctor Gary Hartstein ordered Luciano Burti to rest until at least the end of December 2001, and he was replaced for the season's final two races by Czech driver Tomáš Enge.

[42] Mika Häkkinen's McLaren was on the jacks due to a pneumatic valve gear failure, requiring the mechanics to change the engine in 45 minutes to resolve the issue;[37]: 147 [39] this restricted him to four laps and was 14th-fastest.

[37]: 355 [44] During Saturday's practice sessions, which were held in dry and sunny conditions,[49] Ferrari were the only team to test rear brake lights, although no concrete conclusions were drawn from their use.

[52] Montoya lost control of his car's rear while braking due to oversteer and spun through 180 degrees at turn six, although he continued driving without damage.

[49][55] Häkkinen skidded into the gravel trap between turns three and four before rejoining the track, and Alex Yoong spun twice in his Minardi midway through the race but continued without stalling.

[57] Michael Schumacher was unaffected by slower cars,[58] securing his tenth pole position of the season in 16 races and 42nd of his career with a time of 1:11.708 set on his third quick lap with nine minutes remaining.

[18] Räikkönen, 11th, was the fastest non-top-ten qualifier, unable to establish the optimal chassis balance after small setup changes proved ineffective and had handling issues.

[54][61] Minardi's Fernando Alonso secured 17th on his final attempt after suspecting an engine problem in his race chassis on his third run and switching to the team's spare car with an older gearbox.

[37]: 381 [54][61] Panis's teammate Jacques Villeneuve in 18th drove a car lacking grip after an incorrect chassis setup and tried the spare BAR vehicle.

[37]: 355 [61] Enge, 21st, experienced a right-front brake failure on his final quick lap and collided head-on with the left-hand turn eight tire barrier at the end of the back straight.

[67] Montoya's engine failed in the spare Williams car setup for him eight minutes into the session, dropping oil and metal debris on the track between the banked turn 13 and the main straight.

[66][68] An hour before the race began,[70] the stewards deleted Häkkinen's fastest qualifying lap for not noticing the red light situated on the left-hand side at the pit lane exit and overtaking cars stopped in a line waiting for the session to restart following Montoya's engine failure.

306.016 km (190.150 mi) race,[1] began at 13:00 local time, an hour earlier than other Grands Prix to accommodate European television viewers.

Singer and Indiana native John Mellencamp performed his single "Peaceful World" from his album "Cuttin' Heads" and then the American Cabaret Theatre sung a patriotic melody.

IMS pastor Mike Welch from the St. Christopher's Catholic Church delivered a sermon before the Indianapolis Children's Choir performed the American National Anthem.

[76][89] Both Ferraris began to distance themselves from Montoya, who showed signs of tire trouble, delaying his teammate Ralf Schumacher on a lesser fuel load and allowing Häkkinen and Coulthard to stay in contention.

[89] On lap five, Michael Schumacher realized that Barrichello was faster than him because of the latter's two-stop strategy and slowed slightly, letting his teammate by on the inside approaching turn eight at the end of the back straight and into the lead.

[89] On the same lap, smoke billowed from the rear of Montoya's car going through the banked turn 13 due to faulty hydraulics, stopping after crossing the start-finish line.

[76][93] The yet-to-stop McLarens of Häkkinen and Coulthard continued to hold first and second through the low fuel consumption of their Mercedes engines and lapping quickly enough to exploit the situation but they encountered De la Rosa, Villeneuve and Alesi's slower cars.

[89] Barrichello was 2.2 seconds behind Häkkinen on lap 61,[75] when blue smoke began emanating from the rear of his Ferrari which gradually became larger but no oil was laid on the track.

[37]: 508–511 [86][89] Alesi lapped similarly to his teammate and finished seventh,[37]: 225  ahead of the Benetton duo of Fisichella (who nursed a blistered rear tire) and Button in eighth and ninth, respectively.

[96] Michael Schumacher called his race "pretty straightforward" and added that he was struggling to cope with slower traffic prior to his first pit stop.

"[97] Trulii expressed satisfaction with finishing fourth and said that he set up his car to accommodate for the laying of tire rubber onto the track surface during the race.

[18][103]: 310–311  Jordan appealed the decision through the Royal Irish Automobile Club,[104][105] claiming that the rear fasteners broke loose during the race and caused the excessive wear.

The FIA general secretary ruled that Trulli's disqualification should be reversed due to "a breach of the right of defence" since a steward was absent at the initial post-race hearing, a violation of the International Sporting Code.