Toward the end, Michael Schumacher, who was leading the race, eased off the throttle at the last moment, attempting to create a "dead heat" between himself and teammate Rubens Barrichello (partially in atonement for the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix fiasco); Schumacher wound up losing the race by 11 thousandths of a second, the second-closest finish in Speedway history, beating out the historic finish of the 1992 Indianapolis 500 between Al Unser Jr. and Scott Goodyear.
•
Earlier in the year Barrichello had been ordered to let Schumacher past on the final lap so he could win the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.
2002 | Austrian Netherlands | Austrian | 2002 in music | Austrian Empire | Grand Prix motorcycle racing | Grand Canyon | 2002 Winter Olympics | Grand Trunk Railway | Grand National | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 2002 Commonwealth Games | Grand Prix | Grand Duchy of Lithuania | Top Gear (2002 TV series) | Grand Central Terminal | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | 2002 FIFA World Cup | Grand Theft Auto IV | Grand Tour | Grand Ole Opry | 2002 ATP Tour | Grand Duchy of Hesse | War of the Austrian Succession | Grand Rapids | Grand Vizier | Grand Union Canal | Houston Grand Opera | Grand Theft Auto V | Grand Théâtre de Genève |
On the Wednesday before the race, Ferrari were summoned before the FIA World Motor Sport Council to answer charges related to fixing a race outcome through the use of team orders – banned since 2003 under Article 39.1 of the sporting regulations following an infamous incident at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix – and subsequently bringing the sport into disrepute at the German Grand Prix.