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Record-breaking year for Ferrari
Germany, Dec 27: The question hanging over Formula One at the moment is how long Ferrari can maintain their domination of the sport. After Michael Schumacher`s record-breaking year in 2001, it would have been comforting for Ferrari`s rivals to believe that he and his team would back off a little in 2002. This was emphatically not the case.
Germany, Dec 27: The question hanging over Formula One at the moment is how long Ferrari can maintain their domination of the sport. After Michael Schumacher's record-breaking year in 2001, it would have been comforting for Ferrari's rivals to believe that he and his team would back off a little in 2002. This was emphatically not the case.
Rather than rest on their laurels, Ferrari produced in the F2002 one of the great cars of the last decade, a machine with no apparent weakness and a daunting number of strengths. It had more grip and aerodynamic downforce than probably any other car in the field.
Ferrari's engine department improved the V10 to the point that the gap to BMW was closed almost to nothing. Bridgestone moved the goalposts on tyre development, leaving Michelin - which supplied McLaren and Williams - far behind. And it had Ferrari's usual brilliant reliability.
That last was one of the few hopes of Ferrari's rivals early in the season. Ferrari started the season with a modified version of their old car while they ironed out problems with the new-for-2002 developments on the new one. That could have backfired, but did not.
Schumacher won in the old car in Australia, and when it was outpaced in Malaysia, the new one was ready for the next race in Brazil, where it scored a debut victory. Ferrari were superior to their rivals in almost every way in 2002, and a fifth title - which always looked a formality - was duly wrapped up in record time.
That was not the only record to tumble - Schumacher set a new mark for wins in a season, and incredibly finished on the podium in every single race. The only tarnish on the season for Ferrari was their ham-fisted use of team tactics, which made a mockery of F1 and angered fans around the world.
So self-centred has become Ferrari’s quest for success, though, that the team could not see the damage they were doing to themselves. The only question is whether anyone can do anything about Ferrari and Schumacher breaking yet more records – and causing more uproar - in 2003.
Bureau Report
Rather than rest on their laurels, Ferrari produced in the F2002 one of the great cars of the last decade, a machine with no apparent weakness and a daunting number of strengths. It had more grip and aerodynamic downforce than probably any other car in the field.
Ferrari's engine department improved the V10 to the point that the gap to BMW was closed almost to nothing. Bridgestone moved the goalposts on tyre development, leaving Michelin - which supplied McLaren and Williams - far behind. And it had Ferrari's usual brilliant reliability.
That last was one of the few hopes of Ferrari's rivals early in the season. Ferrari started the season with a modified version of their old car while they ironed out problems with the new-for-2002 developments on the new one. That could have backfired, but did not.
Schumacher won in the old car in Australia, and when it was outpaced in Malaysia, the new one was ready for the next race in Brazil, where it scored a debut victory. Ferrari were superior to their rivals in almost every way in 2002, and a fifth title - which always looked a formality - was duly wrapped up in record time.
That was not the only record to tumble - Schumacher set a new mark for wins in a season, and incredibly finished on the podium in every single race. The only tarnish on the season for Ferrari was their ham-fisted use of team tactics, which made a mockery of F1 and angered fans around the world.
So self-centred has become Ferrari’s quest for success, though, that the team could not see the damage they were doing to themselves. The only question is whether anyone can do anything about Ferrari and Schumacher breaking yet more records – and causing more uproar - in 2003.
Bureau Report