After the amazing 1-2 obtained at Imola by Ferrari, all the Formula 1 teams on Tuesday, April 16, 2002, are already at work trying to recover for the next Spanish Grand Prix. Seven teams at Silverstone, where Jenson Button with Renault sets the best time and test driver Marc Gené destroys the Williams going off track. McLaren, on the other hand, decides to stay in Italy, where it will be able to directly face the cars made in Maranello. The Anglo-German team runs at Mugello with Jean Alesi and Alexander Wurz, then at the weekend, when the Frenchman will have to go to Germany for the DTM championship, Kimi Raikkonen will also be included. The Maranello team also wastes no time. Luciano Burti runs at Monza with a tyre development program. However, considering the characteristics of the Italian circuit, which is very fast, it cannot be ruled out that Ross Brawn and his technicians with the old F2001 are also evaluating aerodynamic solutions. The F2002 will be busy from Wednesday, April 17, 2002, with Luca Badoer at Mugello. Michael Schumacher will arrive on Friday. As designer Rory Byrne says:
"There is some evolution of the car in all areas, including electronics, mechanics and engine".
Ferrari, therefore, continues to seek improvement, preparing a power unit to be used first in qualifying and then in the race.
"I am confident".
Says Michael Schumacher, speaking of the Spanish Grand Prix, the fifth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. On Tuesday, April 23, 2002, Luca Badoer tests at Fiorano the three F2002s to be sent to Barcelona. All goes well, there are no problems. The German, however, warns:
"Let's not get our hopes up, it will be tough. Watch out for Williams".
And for McLaren too, one might add, as it seems to have made good progress in recent tests. Predictions cannot be based on the results at the start of the season, nor on those of last year. Each race can make history on its own, although everyone points to the Maranello team as the big favourite for victory. The challenge between the top teams has taken on an almost paroxysmal level that involves practically everyone in Formula 1. The need to excel or at least make a good impression has created a new situation. From the sudden bankruptcy of Prost to the upheavals that have shaken several teams, even top teams. Jordan - in a results crisis - announced a massive renewal: no more CEO Trevor Poster and engine manager Tim Holloway. It will be owner Eddie Jordan who will manage the team directly, entrusting the design to Henri Durand and responsibility on track to Gary Anderson. A necessary choice because Honda, supplier of the engines, is likely to leave its partner at the end of the year. The Japanese company would be willing to buy the shares of BAR, which recently passed from the hands of Craig Pollock to those of David Richards. Here too, many technicians have been replaced, and there have been radical changes in the team. Same thing at Jaguar, where Niki Lauda had had general manager Bobby Rahal fired before the start of the championship and has now renewed the entire aerodynamics department, signing Ben Agathangelou (former Renault and Benetton), Mark Gillian at McLaren and Peter Machin at Arrows. Chief designer Steve Nichols had already been fired when it was discovered that the new car, the R3, was not competitive. McLaren took an experienced engine driver (Luigi Mosele) from Ferrari, BMW tried to take technicians from other teams. No stone is left unturned to make up ground. There is also turmoil in the drivers' camp. McLaren is unhappy with David Coulthard. While waiting to see if Mika Hakkinen will return to racing, it seems that the Woking team is courting Jacques Villeneuve, who is now on a break with BAR.
Even poor Rubens Barrichello, since the beginning of the season, has been rumoured to leave Ferrari at the end of the year. Many names have already been mentioned: from Jos Verstappen to Juan Pablo Montoya, up to Jenson Button, on whom the British have been insisting for a few days. The Maranello team denies it and confirms its confidence in the Brazilian. But Rubens Barrichello's contract expires at the end of the year and a possible renewal should not be announced before June. On Thursday, April 25, 2002, on the eve of the Spanish Grand Prix, Formula 1 is also capable of joking, of laughing a little. The cue comes from F1 Magazine, published by a company owned by Bernie Ecclestone and edited by former driver Nigel Mansell. In its May issue there is a list, in order of importance, of the 100 most powerful people in the business, those who matter. A questionable ranking that nevertheless manages to amuse and also to create some discontent, obviously among those who considered themselves undervalued. First on the list is Michael Schumacher, defined as the king of Formula 1. Best driver, excellent management of his professionalism, great results, a rosy future, with roles that could be at the highest level. But in second place is Bernie Ecclestone, self-proclaimed godfather, unbeatable in business and organisation. All true, especially when it comes to money, as he is one of the richest men in England and perhaps even worldwide with assets valued at several thousand million euros. Number three is Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, president of Ferrari and Maserati.
"A true nobleman, a marquis, the most charming man in Italy, with an enviable lifestyle. He led the two car companies to results beyond all expectations. No one could have done better".
Under the podium of the best Max Mosley, president of the FIA, incredibly McLaren design engineer Adrian Newey (mentioned however for his 5.000.000 euro annual salary), then the technical director of the Maranello team Ross Brawn (for results), Charlie Whiting (race director, competent and incorruptible) then the unfailing Flavio Briatore (considered the most eclectic, imaginative and capable manager), the almost unknown Mr. Ekrem Saini, McLaren marketing director (for his skill in catching rich sponsors). Closing the list of the top ten is Jean Todt, hard worker, perfect manager of men and Ferrari's policy. The surprises are not lacking: the first of the other drivers is Juan Pablo Montoya, twelfth, ahead of constructor Frank Williams. In pole position for the Italian drivers is Giancarlo Fisichella, 28th. Only in forty-seventh place is Jacques Villeneuve, the former World Champion, who is mocked because - the magazine claims - since Olivier Panis arrived in his team he realised he was not fast enough. In the middle of the ranking is the Italian Pasquale Lattuneddu, Bernie Ecclestone's right-hand man, inflexible guardian of the paddock, where not a leaf moves that he does not want. Rubens Barrichello is 62nd, David Coulthard 66th, Niki Lauda 67th. Ranking however ennobled by the presence of Prince Ranieri of Monaco, 72nd, patron of the most prestigious race in the World Championship. Number one among the journalists is the Swiss Roger Benoit, correspondent of the tabloid newspaper Blick, appreciated for being invited to Bernie Ecclestone's poker table. Last, hundredth, the Argentinean designer Sergio Rinland, who has been in many teams without ever having managed to stay there long enough to develop a car thoroughly. As you can tell, there is a lot of humour in this story. Michael Schumacher, asked about it, officially says:
"These are not things that interest me".
Then on German television he specifies:
"This is bullshit".
On the other hand, the first round will be a serious affair, as Williams-BMW aims for a rematch of Imola, and McLaren-Mercedes hopes to resurrect. Juan Pablo Montoya, talking about the contrasts with the German Ferrari driver, says there is no reason for it:
"There is nothing between us".
Ralf Schumacher, on the other hand, takes it out on Rubens Barrichello:
"If he's also going well, it means that the F2002 is really a great car".
Ferrari proves it on Friday, April 26, 2002: Michael Schumacher is first. This is not the news of the day. Although, once again, the German Ferrari driver is the fastest in the free practice of the Spanish Grand Prix, thrilling the tens of thousands of his and the Maranello team's fans who spend the weekend on the new grandstands of the Montmelò circuit. The news concerns his most direct rivals of the moment, namely Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya. If it is true that Friday's times count for little, it is equally true that Williams-BMW does not want to hide, nor play tactics, taking fifteenth place with the young German and seventeenth with the Colombian, about a second apart, which on a short track like this is a lot. In Formula 1 you can turn everything upside down overnight. McLaren had managed it several times in the past. Today, however, it will be difficult: a recovery can be expected, but Montoya himself, who is not usually pessimistic, says:
"For pole position, no way. Let's hope for the race".
Some timid steps forward are taken by Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard, seventh and eleventh respectively, and perhaps there is something to it. Perhaps the designer of their cars, the now-disbanded wizard Adrian Newey, has found a couple of aerodynamic solutions to make the MP4/17s feel better on the road. The ranking is rather strange: behind Michael Schumacher is his compatriot Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the unexpected Arrows - sporting a new nose and modified car bottom - just 0.070 seconds behind the Scuderia Ferrari driver, then Jenson Button with the Renault that Flavio Briatore already sees close to the podium, then Rubens Barrichello, Olivier Panis with BAR, Enrique Bemoldi with the other Arrows, Kimi Raikkonen, Giancarlo Fisichella, Felipe Massa and Jarno Trulli. This will not be the starting grid for the Spanish Grand Prix, yet there is at least someone trying to shuffle the cards. Michael Schumacher explains:
"AIl I can say for the moment is that the situation looks pretty good, although I don't know our rivals’ plans. It seems that our tyres adapt well to this circuit and are consistent in their performance. Furthermore, the first impression is that the results, as far as we are concerned, have confirmed those we had obtained here in the tests in the past few weeks".
Michael Schumacher laps in 1'20"380, averaging 211.843 km/h. But there is something that we are missing: during practice at the start of the season Kimi Raikkonen had set the unofficial track record lapping in 1'17"2, but on this first day of practice he did not go beyond a time of 1'20"9. Clearly, this is a changing circuit. The wind blowing erratically and a bit of sand on the asphalt can make the difference. There is only one constant left: the Ferrari F2002 goes fast, it also seems to have used bidirectional telemetry for the first time, while special deflectors that resemble shark's teeth. Even if there are some who are trying to create problems for Ferrari (from Brazil comes a rumour that Toyota has offered a three-year contract to Rubens Barrichello, a rumour immediately denied by the Japanese company), the recent beatings lay bare difficult relationships within the other teams. For example, on the dualism in McLaren between David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen.
Martin Brundle, Englishman, former driver and now TV commentator, says:
"Raikkonen has many points of contact with Hakkinen. He is blond, has blue eyes, drives and is as committed as Mika. Both go faster than David".
A joke that nevertheless gives a sense of the situation. The Scot, when asked to compare the two Finns, replies:
"There are no points of contact. Mika is a two-time world champion, took a sabbatical, lives in Monaco, is married, and has a child. And if you really want to know, he doesn't have good taste, especially when he chooses which underwear to wear. I don't know much about Kimi. I'm sorry".
Giancarlo Fisichella seems remorseful. For leaving Renault at the end of last season and accepting proposals from Jordan, with a three-year contract, luckily with several options to terminate it if the relationship between the Italian driver and the team should become unsustainable. At Barcelona Fisichella scored a hard-fought eighth place and is very happy. He hopes to confirm himself in the top ten on Saturday, but he is not exactly optimistic. Jordan is in crisis, in the last few days it has laid off about sixty people between technicians and mechanics. Giancarlo Fisichella admits:
"Eddie Jordan spoke to me. He has budget problems. Also, the structure of the team had become complicated in his opinion, too much bureaucracy. Now he wants to take over the reins again, take care of everything himself. I hope this is true, that he doesn't just want to buy a bigger boat…".
Could it be that drivers cost too much?
"I think I am worth what they give me. So far I have been paid regularly. At least, I hope. We'd better go and check".
But what are the prospects for the future?
"Promises. A more powerful Honda engine, mechanical innovations, aerodynamics. However, it can't get worse than this".
And what does his teammate, Japanese Takuma Sato, think about what is happening at Jordan?
"I don't know. I don't think he even noticed".
On Saturday, April 27, 2002, after qualifying, Michael Schumacher admits:
"I copied from Rubens".
Since they gave him the new Ferrari, no one has yet managed to finish a race or qualifying ahead of him. After taking pole position number 46 of his career, the German explains:
"Sometimes you think you've gone to the top and instead your teammate shows you that you haven't. I went to look at Rubens' times in the three sectors of the circuit and in the corners to see where I could improve".
Logical that he succeeded, having adopted his colleague's set-up and studied telemetry. At Imola Michael Schumacher pretended to drive Rubens Barrichello's car; at Barcelona he copied him.
"I enjoyed this qualifying and the duel with him: it was a good challenge and I like challenges. In the first two attempts I made a few mistakes, but in the last one I managed to do a perfect lap as the wind conditions improved".
Statistics show that Michael Schumacher becomes World Champion if he takes pole position in Spain. The interested party, as always, disregards it:
"Forget it, there is one of these statistics every Grand Prix. I'm interested in the present and in the race the gaps always close. However, I am optimistic, because in Barcelona the aerodynamics, Ferrari's strong point, is fundamental. Also, the combination with the Bridgestones is simply perfect".
The most accredited rival is Rubens Barrichello, who has returned to excellent levels since he has the F2002, a single-seater that seems to give him good sensations.
"At Imola I started on the dirty side of the track. Whatever the conditions of the asphalt are, I want to start well here, hoping that the Formula 3000 drivers have rubberized the track".
In the opposing teams, anger gives way to resignation. While McLaren boss Ron Dennis announces a technical restructuring of the team within three months, David Coulthard gives up all hope:
"I have no chance to win the World Championship. I work to improve the car in an attempt to finish on the podium. The secret of Ferrari? It's the single-seater that makes the tyres perform better".
Juan Pablo Montoya was content with a fourth place finish:
"We changed everything we could to find the right balance. The car is going well now. The Ferraris are faster, there's nothing we can do unless they make mistakes. They have the advantage that Bridgestone only works for them".
The Colombian's surrender opens up the risk of the boredom Formula.
"At Imola it was a total bore. We will recover in Austria, we will suffer again in Monte Carlo, we will be strong in Canada. Unfortunately to win the title you have to be competitive all the time".
The only one who still believed a little was Ralf Schumacher, third with the other Williams:
"The team did a great job. We will try to maintain positions, adopt a good strategy and bring home points".
Jarno Trulli's performance is a special case. The Renault driver managed to claim ninth place driving the reserve car.
"My car hasn't been running for a fortnight".
Says the Italian driver, emphasising the word my.
"A mystery for us, too".
Admits team general manager Flavio Briatore, who dreams of a victory between now and October:
"It would take a stroke of luck, though".
Trouble for Minardi: the two ailerons that have detached from the single-seaters cause technical director Gabriele Tredozi to fly to the Faenza factory. Checks will be made during the night. On Sunday, April 28, 2002, at the start of the warm up lap of the Spanish Grand Prix on Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari the transmission breaks, forcing the Brazilian driver to retire even before the start of the race. The start goes smoothly, with Michael Schumacher holding first position ahead of Ralf Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Räikkönen, Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Jarno Trulli and Nick Heidfeld. The Ferrari driver immediately begins to gain a considerable advantage over his rivals, who are unable to keep up with his pace. During the course of the fourth lap, on Kimi Räikkönen's McLaren the rear wing gives way: the Finnish driver manages to control the car, drives it back to the pits and retires. Except this episode and the retirements of Giancarlo Fisichella and Takuma Sato, respectively due to gearbox problems (lap 5) and an off-track incident (lap 10), there are no major incidents until the first series of pit stops, after which the leading positions remain unchanged: Michael Schumacher leads the race by a large margin over Ralf Schumacher, followed by Juan Pablo Montoya, Jenson Button and David Coulthard. On lap 29, however, Ralf Schumacher loses control of his Williams-BMW, running off the track and damaging it. Returning to the pits for repairs, the German driver loses another thirty seconds because the mechanics can no longer find the left front wheel, thus permanently compromising his race. On lap 34, David Coulthard gets the better of Jenson Button, who is suffering gearbox problems. Two laps later the English driver will also be forced to give way to his teammate. The second series of pit stops do not change the situation, apart from Nick Heidfeld's overtaking move on Jenson Button, who is in increasing difficulty and is also overtaken, during lap 56, by Felipe Massa and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. On lap 57, Jarno Trulli also begins to slow down due to a problem with his accelerator. The Italian driver is passed by Nick Heidfeld, Felipe Massa, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jacques Villeneuve. In the final laps both the Renaults of Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button stop for good, as does Ralf Schumacher, who breaks the BMW engine of his Williams (lap 63). Michael Schumacher wins the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Scuderia Ferrari driver edged out Juan Pablo Montoya, David Coulthard, Nick Heidfeld, Felipe Massa and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who gained a point for the Arrows team. Once upon a time, Ferrari needed Michael Schumacher to win. Today, the Maranello team, with the F2002 missile, in all probability - although there is no proof yet - could well put a good rookie behind the wheel to achieve success. Symbolic is the gesture of the German driver when he gets out of the car at the end of the race, and remains for a few seconds leaning on just his right foot while raising his left, as if to say:
"I did everything with one leg".
Even more significant was the fastest lap set by the World Champion on lap 49, immediately after his second pit stop: 1'20"55, an absolute circuit record in the race, 1.385 seconds faster than Juan Pablo Montoya, the best of his rivals. An abyss. With this Ferrari, Michael Schumacher produces what the English call the Grand Chelem, which is achieved by taking pole position, first place by always running in the lead and the fastest lap. This hasn't happened since the 1998 Monaco Grand Prix. Back then, the star of the feat was Mika Hakkinen. But Michael Schumacher now leads almost every possible ranking. In Barcelona, by winning his fourth Spanish Grand Prix he achieved victory number 57. If, after the 1-2 at Imola, one could still have had some small doubts about the World Championship, now there are only certainties, even considering that in Formula 1 some surprises must always be expected. Like the negative one that struck, once again, poor Rubens Barrichello, who was stuck on the grid before the starting lap. A problem with the electronic gearbox management cut him out of the race, even before it started. Despite being forced to race with only one car, Ferrari increased its advantages in both classifications: 21 points margin for Michael Schumacher over the closest of pursuers, i.e. Juan Pablo Montoya, 7 points to Williams-BMW who - for the second time since the FW24's championship debut - did not bring two cars to the finish line.
Ralf Schumacher had retired because of Rubens Barrichello's collision, and in Barcelona he eliminated himself, going off the track when he was in second position. Williams, as mentioned, made up for it with Juan Pablo Montoya. McLaren brought David Coulthard up to third. The Scotsman regained some grit (but Kimi Raikkonen was ahead of him anyway when he lost three quarters of the rear wing of his car), but was helped by the retirements of his teammate, by that of Ralf Schumacher and almost certainly by the absence of Rubens Barrichello. Behind came the Sauber-Petronas with its drivers, Nick Heidfeld and Felipe Massa, and a point also went to the Arrows of veteran Heinz-Harald Frentzen. They were the ones who put on a good show away from Michael Schumacher. Jenson Button and Jarno Trulli (still fourth on lap 56 of the scheduled 65) were also there, but their Renaults are not yet ready to compete at a high level, even if they keep on growing. If it goes on at this pace (by the way, Michael Schumacher had never kept such a high average of results since his Formula 1 debut in the first part of the World Championship, four successes and one second place), in a very short time Ferrari, Williams and McLaren will already be at work preparing the 2003 cars. Gerhard Berger, head of BMW, and Patrick Head, technical director of the Grove team, almost raise the white flag:
"With this Ferrari, at best we can aim to win a few races. We'll forget the World Championship, we'll talk about it next year".
And Ron Dennis, owner of the Woking team, linked to Mercedes, has already announced a deep technical restructuring within a couple of months. Now, however, the F2002 still has an important goal to achieve: in a fortnight, the Austrian Grand Prix will take place. On the former Zeltweg track (now called A1 Ring in honour of a sponsor) Michael Schumacher has never won. Perhaps the time has come for the World Champion to erase this shame. If one 'no' day a year is forgiven, the Williams-BMW pits are set until 2005.
Incidentally: the result would not have changed. Juan Pablo Montoya maintained second position, without ever having had the chance to see Michael Schumacher. Ralf Schumacher paid for an error in the race, but eventually stopped due to engine failure. If, however, the mistakes did not cause any consequences, they were tragicomic. With Ralf Schumacher, the first of the mistakes: four laps after the pit stop, the champion's brother went straight into the escape route a few hundred metres from the pit entrance, damaged the nose and decided to return immediately. Taken aback, the mechanics got in as fast as they could: one replaced the damaged nose, the others took advantage of the stop to mount fresh tyres. Both operations succeed rather badly: the new nose was not the right one and the front left wheel was missing.
"I made a stupid mistake and got angry".
Admits the German, omitting a detail revealed by technical director Patrick Head:
"When he stopped, Ralf did not explain what had happened. He merely said that he had a problem".
Back to the race, Ralf Schumacher realised that the race was spoiled, especially as his single-seater was running at the pace of the last ones. On lap 40 he returned to the pits for a second refuelling and had his front wing replaced again. Performance improved, but with one lap to go the powerful BMW engine broke down. At the end of the race Michael Schumacher pulled in and offered him a ride. Ralf Schumacher was in no mood for bluster and declined, returning disconsolate to the box. Back to his teammate. Dribbling off flaps and taking advantage of other people's misfortunes, Juan Pablo Montoya climbed to second place. On lap 45 he pitted for his final stop. There was no reason to be nervous: Michael Schumacher, in front, was unreachable. David Coulthard, behind, at a safe distance. Yet tension played a nasty trick on Carl Gaden, chief mechanic. He’s the lollipop man (the long paddle used to give the driver the stop and go). Gaden raised the paddle while the petrol pump was still running. In a split second Juan Pablo Montoya released the button on the steering wheel that engages the starting system. At the same time the chief mechanic realised his mistake, put the lollipop back down and jumped in front of the car, which ran a couple of metres and crushed his foot, throwing him to the ground. Another mechanic also fell. These were moments of fear, but all ended well: Montoya restarted and maintained second position, the mechanic got away with a bruise. Ferrari comes to mind again: two years ago, at Barcelona, Michael Schumacher fractured the foot of chief mechanic Nigel Stepney.
"It went well. They immediately warned me that Carl was OK. If I hadn't braked immediately, the accident could have had much more serious consequences. The balance of my race? Against a Ferrari like that, today’s result is the best".
Gerhard Berger, director of BMW Motorsport, agrees:
"More could not be achieved. Juan Pablo's second place gives us hope for the future".
The team remains in Spain: on Tuesday, April 30, 2002, test driver Antonio Pizzonia will test in Valencia, while on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 May 2002 it will be Juan Pablo Montoya's turn. The challenge for the World Championship victory is still a long one. But, in the meantime, Michael Schumacher sentences:
"This is a dream car".
What more could one ask for? A dream team:
"Perfect from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon thanks to the fantastic work of our engineers".
With the sole exception of the warm-up:
"There was a drop in pressure in the hydraulic system, which was resolved, but I still decided to start with the reserve car".
Nothing shakes the quiet Sunday of the reigning world champion, who after just five races is already on his way to the fifth title of his career. On the retirement of Rubens Barrichello he says:
"At first I didn't even notice because I was focused on my start. Then we pitted safely and took some precautions to prevent the same problem from happening to me".
Michael Schumacher avoids explaining what the arrangements were. On the other hand, he is generous with his encouragement of his teammate, promoted to the role of lightning rod:
"Rubens is really unlucky. Everything that went wrong at Ferrari this year happened to him. But if you always give your best, sooner or later fate rewards you".
After the start, the German racked up second after second, until he was behind a trio fighting for points. The advantage was such that he did not even attempt a lapping.
"They were fighting for sixth place. It was nice to stand there and watch them and I didn't want to disturb their race. Attempt to pass them? Ross Brawn [the technical director, ndr] advised me against it to avoid risks".
For the record, the three were Jenson Button, Felipe Massa and Heinz-Harald Frentzen: the former retired, the others finished fifth and sixth. And Michael Schumacher there to watch them, and perhaps to think back to the Sundays of a few years ago, spent scanning the sky invoking a few drops of rain, because water was the only hope he had of winning. Today, a test of strength which was almost boring.
"Difficulties will come".
Assures Michael Schumacher, who cites the example of Brazil, where the rookie F2002 rejected the advances of Ralf Schumacher's Williams with some apprehension, but then triumphed. If all the difficulties are summed up in timid attacks, it is frankly unclear who will undermine the Maranello team's dominance. Michael Schumacher continues with the examples:
"There are circuits that favour us and others where the confrontation is tighter".
But as things stand, there are no tracks where Ferraris start out beaten: the maximum defeat is the podium, as in Malaysia. The only unknown factor is reliability, which so far has only been lacking in Barrichello's single-seater and on which Ferrari has announced that it will concentrate future efforts. The Austrian Grand Prix, which will be held in a fortnight, promises to be a little more intense. In 2001 David Coulthard, who these days is content with third place, won.
"It will depend on the behaviour of the tyres. We will have a chassis-engine-tyre package that is certainly competitive, everything will depend on the performance of our opponents".
Then it's on to Monte Carlo, a tailor-made track for the Maranello cars, where pole position exorcises any attempt at overtaking, then Canada, which again could mark Williams' redemption.
"Don't worry, it will be an interesting championship. I know this world well and I know how quickly certain balances change".
To bring the World Champion good luck, his teammates (the football team in which he plays in Switzerland, the Echichens) came to visit him. They were in the grandstand before the last corner, next to his fan club. On Saturday evening Michael Schumacher had dinner with them, on Sunday he greeted them before passing under the chequered flag. Having completed the slow lap, the German driver returned to the grandstand and improvised a little show. At the same time, Brazilians say that if Rubens Barrichello showed up at the sanctuary of Lourdes he would find the door closed. However, they are convinced that some evil spirits have put a macumba on him, that is, a spell to get him into trouble. And they advise him to go to a pai de santo, translated: an exorcist. Jokes aside, the driver from São Paulo certainly does not have luck on his side: in five races, he has arrived at the finish line once, at Imola. His season resume includes an accident in Australia with his Ferrari, violently hit by Ralf Schumacher's Williams at the start; a retirement on lap 40, when he was in second position due to engine problems (with the F2001); the abandonment in Brazil on lap 17 due to a hydraulic system failure and in Barcelona the missed start due to problems with the gearbox management system. Yet, after slamming the gloves down in the pits, Rubens Barrichello once again takes his misadventures philosophically.
"First gear would not engage, there was nothing to be done. While I was operating the starting procedure, I had already noticed some anomalies. I could see on the steering wheel display that the numbers were changing, but nothing was happening. It occurred to me that I had broken something. However, I kept my composure. I was convinced that if I had started even a couple of laps behind, I could have finished in the points with this Ferrari. But no, I was forced to get out of the car and watch the race on television. I didn’t have much fun".
His attention span in front of the video must not have been continuous. When asked what he thought of Felipe Massa and his excellent placing, the Brazilian makes it clear that he was unaware of his compatriot's fourth place. And, just as Rubens Barrichello is speaking, on the screen installed in the Ferrari motorhome, Ronaldo scores Inter's third goal, on a free kick. And all the medias present turn to watch, leaving the driver alone with himself. A few seconds later, however, he is surrounded again. Then he resumes his speech:
"I was very confident this weekend, I even thought I could win. That's why I am a bit disappointed, even though this would not have been the race of a lifetime. Unfortunately, in motor racing these things happen. Tomorrow, we start again. Three days in Monte Carlo with the family, with Silvana and my Edoardo, then to Mugello for testing ahead of Austria. I promise that the next race will go well. Even if I remain in the classification with the six points taken at Imola, I will be able to recover. The bitterness is stronger when I think that the F2002 is a fantastic car but I was not able to take advantage of it".
Indeed, for a driver to have such a jewel at his disposal and not be able to reap the rewards, it must be dramatic. If you think of Fisichella who keeps retiring with the Jordan always in pieces, but considering that the car is also uncompetitive, you can understand Rubens Barrichello's torment. But the car's unreliability affecting him is like taking a shot at roulette and always picking the wrong number. For example, Michael Schumacher had a problem in the morning warm-up with his race car, when he was stopped due to a hydraulic system failure. The mechanics repaired the single-seater before the race. Michael Schumacher did a lap in that one, did another in the spare and chose the last one, because he liked it better. And he did the en plein. A Ferrari that everyone dreams of, then, and that perhaps also disturbs Felipe Massa's nights. The Brazilian of Italian origin, if he were to win a Grand Prix by 2003, would become the youngest driver ever to win a race. In Barcelona he finished fifth behind teammate Nick Heidfeld, fending off attacks from Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Two more Saubers in the points. With engines produced in Maranello.
"The Ferrari? Another planet. Me at Maranello? I'm not a fortune teller".
And at the end of the race, Jean Todt adds:
"At Barcelona it was Ferrari domination. Since I have been at Maranello I have never seen one of our cars dominate like that".
And if the French manager, who until now had always put the realism of numbers before the optimism of passion, says so, it really means that the adversaries of the past are no longer there. And perhaps there won't be for a few seasons, given the gap.
"Michael Schumacher's best lap was 1.4 seconds faster than Montoya's".
A gap that until last year separated the best performance of a Ferrari from that of a BAR or a Jaguar. This does not mean that Ferrari is looking at the World Championship without the usual care. The triumph is the result of work, so the work continues. On Tuesday, April 30, 2002, the Maranello team is back on the track: at Monza Luciano Burti will test for three days with the old F2001 (for tyres and brakes development), at Fiorano, Luca Badoer will drive the new single-seater, which in the environment is by now defined a spaceship, ready to hand it over to Rubens Barrichello, who will test it on Thursday and Friday at Mugello, a circuit with technical characteristics similar to those of the A1 Ring, where the sixth Grand Prix of the World Championship will be run. Excessive concern or an attack of workaholism? Planned and indispensable work, Todt replies:
"Looking ahead, my concerns are about reliability and tyre development, because we will only be back here in Barcelona in a year's time and each race has its own specific characteristics".
The fragility of the new, invincible single-seater is an almost invisible mole that Maranello wants to eliminate quickly.
"The gearbox problem Rubens had, left me much less happy than it might appear. We have to understand what caused this inconvenience. Performance is important, but our priority is to finish the races with both cars".
Find an adjective for the F2002?
"This is the work of journalists".
Responds Jean Todt, who does not shy away from praise:
"It's a great single-seater, we understood that right from the first test laps at Fiorano. It's also more sophisticated and complex: we haven't yet studied all its characteristics and potential, and there is certainly plenty of room for improvement, especially reliability-wise. I am a great believer in cycles of life. And I am sorry for what happened to Barrichello. He had bad luck, but I always told him: the good days will come for you, too. And he is also convinced of that".
If he can't find an adjective for the car, let alone its first driver, Michael Schumacher, on whom Jean Todt has already lavished all possible praise:
"We have known each other for many years and there is more than just a professional relationship between us. We love each other so much that it is no longer a working relationship. There is a common passion for our work, which is like a drug. Michael is an extraordinary professionist: last week, for example, he could have stayed at home, but instead he came to test the car and did it with the same passion as always".
Even his rivals realised this, crushed by such superiority. Schumacher who always wins, who has an interminable series of records (he lacks a World Championship to catch up with Juan Manuel Fangio and 19 pole positions to catch up with Ayrton Senna, all other records are his), who never tires, who redoubles his enthusiasm with every triumph: will it be a boring Formula?
"For me there are never boring races. In this sport there can be favourable situations, as it was for us in Spain, but things can change quickly".
A worrying alarm signal for safety in Formula 1 comes from the Spanish Grand Prix. The Minardi did not take part in the race, having lost first two front wings and then the rear wing in the warm-up on Saturday and Sunday morning. During the race, the rear wing came off Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren on lap four. The piece flew onto the track and was avoided by a few centimetres by Jenson Button who was following the Finnish driver in his Renault. The Anglo-German team immediately pulled Kimi Raikkonen back into the pits and did not even attempt to repair the car. These structural failures are nothing new in the motor racing circus (in Spain, in 1975, at the Montjuïc circuit, also in Barcelona, a similar event had caused a terrible accident with some deaths among the spectators), but when they happen in series and on different single-seaters, you know that something is wrong. One of the problems that may have caused the accidents may stem from the characteristics of the Montmelò circuit. At the Catalan track, the kerbs delimiting the asphalt are rather high and stepped. In order to maintain the best trajectories, the drivers pass over them at high speed. The wings are very stiff and vibrations can obviously cause unnoticed damage. Then all it takes is a swipe on the asphalt or catching the slipstream of another car in front (the air displacement creates a lot of turbulence) to cause a break. Another explanation could come from the fact that the designers, who need to design ever lighter single-seaters in order to be able to move the various ballasts placed on board so as to make them more balanced, take the wings themselves to the limit of their physical resistance. Finally, there is also the hypothesis that material already stressed in previous races or tests is used. For Minardi and McLaren, however, the cases involving their teams remain mysterious.
"We will have to examine the parts in the factory to find out exactly what happened".
In all seriousness, however, Paul Stoddard, the Australian owner of the Faenza-based team, had announced in the morning that his drivers would not take part in the race for safety reasons. On the Minardi PS02s the front wings had come off in practice on Saturday and the technical director, Gabriele Tredozi, flew to the factory with the two remaining noses of the cars for an initial analysis and the parts had also been reinforced as a precaution. But during the morning warm-up, Mark Webber went off the track at almost 300 km/h on the straight - ending his race with a series of spectacular spins and an understandable scare - due to the detachment of the rear wing. Thus, the immediate retirement of the two Minardis was decided. A similar thing had already happened in 2000 in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Back then, it was the Sauber-Petronas that withdrew from the race due to the detachment of the wings.