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One, a thousand, ten thousand Schumachers. Caps, T-shirts, flags: this is where the party is. All dressed up like the champion, red dominates the new circuit that from Friday, July 26, 2002, hosts the German Grand Prix. Even though the Ferrari driver won his fifth title at Magny-Cours, his fans do not want to give up applauding him: a very high number of spectators is expected, so much so that already on Thursday the streets are clogged.
"I get goosebumps thinking about the Motodrom where 90% of the audience will be screaming and exploding firecrackers for us. I want to win for them. Relaxation after the triumph? Nope. The only thing I can say is that I will not push harder than usual, I think it's difficult".
Michael Schumacher is still looking for a win, but at the same time he wants to help Rubens Barrichello to take second place in the standings. And as a first move, he left the spare car, which had always been at his disposal, to his teammate. A concession, obviously decided by Scuderia Ferrari, that the German accepted wholeheartedly, knowing how jealous he was of the privilege. On the other hand, the unfortunate Brazilian on Thursday did not arrive in time for the usual press conferences. The plane that was supposed to take him to his destination broke down in Algarve where Rubinho had spent a few days' vacation with his little son Eduardo. He had to wait for them to change the jet. And someone - maliciously - virtually imagined the jet stopped on the stands on the airport runway, paraphrasing the scene seen last Sunday in France. Barrichello did not seem to like it. The Brazilian shows up at 6:00 p.m. at the circuit, dark in the face. And he gives 50 seconds (no more) to Brazilian reporters, and little more to others.
"The reserve car? I don't know, I haven't talked to the team yet. However, nothing changes. Ferrari has always given me their best. I was so sad and disappointed after the breakdown at Magny-Cours, then I heard about Michael, I took a helicopter and came back. The negative day turned into a positive one. Enough. I had won here in 2001, but the track has been redone, so I don't know. The only thing that is sure is that with the championship gone, we will have fun from now on".
Sibylline. Much more cheerful and helpful, Michael Schumacher shows off his new cap, which shows the inscription 5 times World Champion, with five stars and, of course, a sponsor. One hundred thousand caps and a multitude of T-shirts will be offered for sale in Germany by Kamps, a bakery chain (controlled by Barilla). For every piece bought, 1/6 will be given to charity:
"I am happy when I can do something. We decided to do bread against poverty, and we will invest the money collected in Africa by creating something to teach young people professions".
How do you feel as champion a few days later?
"The night of the race we had a big party. It was nice, there was a family atmosphere. But it was hard to get up the next day. Then I went back home, to the children, returning to my normal life".
The German driver takes a lap of the new track riding a red Vespa, carrying manager Willi Weber on the back seat:
"Interesting, I think safe, there are places where you can overtake".
On Friday, July 26, 2002, from 11:00 a.m., the first free practice will begin. If there are no last-minute changes, Arrows will be there with Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi. The financial problems are not fully resolved yet, but Tom Walkinshaw seems to be on the right track. And McLaren announces the 2003 lineup: no surprises. Still David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen. Meanwhile, in an interview, Luca Montezemolo takes stock of the situation after winning the World Drivers' Championship with Michael Schumacher. Granted that no one asked him to be a minister this time, he admits:
"I wouldn't mind doing something for my country".
However, his decision to stay at Ferrari is final:
"Over the past few months I have been asking myself this question. The conclusion is that my life is tied to Ferrari and that anything else risks making me feel like an outsider".
But the manager already sketches out what could be the post-Maranello era:
"I also think about something of my own, a project on an entrepreneurial level that has nothing to do with cars, but that allows me to think that in perspective, in life, there can be something of my own".
The arrival of new shareholders (Mediobanca) is not viewed negatively by Montezemolo:
"The positive note is that this opens up new possibilities for development: there may be a risk that too many people will be in charge, but I am sure that the operation will leave Ferrari with its autonomy in decision-making".
In the immediate term, Montezemolo is also expected to complete the relaunch of Maserati:
"We have two sports models, which compete with Porsche, and at the end of next year we will introduce a sedan that will compete with the big Mercedes and Bmw, to cover a new market segment for the Italian car".
Friday, July 26, 2002, Michael Schumacher completes his lap of honor. The first during the morning, alone on the track, waving to the crowd in the grandstands, red everywhere, even on the private Mercedes one. Then, later in the day, the German sets the fastest time in free practice for the German Grand Prix, overtaking Rubens Barrichello at the last moment.
"I'm here to win, to have fun and entertain the fans. And also with the goal of bringing points to Ferrari in the World Constructors' Championship".
Sacrosanct intentions, which opponents hope to nullify. After all, Michael Schumacher, World Champion for the fifth time, is left alone. There are, between him and the others, the claims of his teammate, the hopes of revenge of Kimi Raikkonen, mocked in France, the residual ambitions of David Coulthard, the dream of Ralf Schumacher, who would like to beat his brother at home, and also the usual Juan Pablo Montoya, who will start by trying to win his sixth consecutive pole position. On the surface, the emerging team is McLaren, which in recent races has been trying to erode the advantage accumulated by Williams.
British rivalries, but also German ones, with Bmw and Mercedes engaged in a less than fraternal fight. Just Friday, as was known, Ron Dennis announced the confirmation of David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen for 2003. Only one year, better not to get off the hook for the future. But the British team manager also officially makes it known that Mika Hakkinen has decided to leave the business, the Finn's sabbatical vacation turned into an early retirement. With at least fifty million euros in the bank, the Finn, at 33, has chosen to devote himself to his wife Erja and raising his little son Hugo.
"I had watched the Monaco Grand Prix from the pits to see what I was going to do. And I decided to leave: I've given and had a lot from Formula 1, I don't want to push things over the edge".
Two world titles (1998 and 1999), 20 victories, 26 pole positions, 25 fastest race laps, 161 races run: he remains one of the best in history, fast, brave, fair, and loyal. His greatest feat? Perhaps overtaking Michael Schumacher at Spa in 2000, at the top of the Radillon climb. Informed of the news, Michael Schumacher says he is sorry:
"Too bad, we had set up a good challenge. But I would have been surprised if he changed his mind. He made a life choice that I don't feel like disapproving".
From now on the Finnish colors will be defended by Kimi Raikkonen, 22, who seems to have a similar talent to that of Mika Hakkinen. At McLaren they hope he will be the anti-Schumacher and the anti-Montoya. The team that in 1988 (at the time of the internal duels between Senna and Prost) won fifteen out of sixteen races has been waning: four successes last year, one in this championship, with David Coulthard in Monaco. Little enough for an ambitious Ron Dennis, who is finishing the construction of the new, mega-galactic headquarters called Paragon. But if he doesn't return to the top, the name will only get a laugh. It will be seen. The new track, completely different from the classic one (however, many teams had mistaken computer simulations claiming that the lap average would be around 200 km/h, and Michael Schumacher's time of 1'16''086 has already exceeded 216 km/h) finds almost unanimous opinions. High praise from the Germans, the Schumachers in the lead, but Rubens Barrichello is also satisfied, saying that on this track you can overtake. The only voices outside the chorus are those of Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya. The Canadian says:
"It's boring. You brake and accelerate all the time. At most there are a couple of decent turns".
The Colombian adds:
"It seems insulting to me. There is only one fast circuit left in the world, Monza. But sooner or later they will change that too. They want to turn them all into living rooms".
Saturday, July 27, 2002, Michael Schumacher is insatiable. Exaggerated. A few days after winning his fifth world title, the German will start on pole position in the German Grand Prix. He wants to win. Another driver would have been distracted, deconcentrated, left a few crumbs for his opponents. Not him, he wants to win:
"It is my home race, the last and only time I imposed myself in front of my fans was in 1995, with Benetton. Seeing the satisfaction on their faces and hearing their cheering gave me an extra boost. Driving the Ferrari here, both Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello came first in past years. Now it's my turn".
To build on his success, Michael Schumacher regains pole position, which he had been missing for three months, since the Spanish Grand Prix. Double joy, because at the same time he breaks Juan Pablo Montoya's positive series, which had been starting ahead of everyone for five races. The Colombian will have to start over if he wants to equal or beat the record of Alain Prost, who had obtained seven in the same season. The last lap was decisive, when in the lead of the time chart was, surprisingly, his little brother, Ralf Schumacher: Michael Schumacher beat him by only 0.181 seconds, just enough to bring out a tear of anger or disappointment, immediately wiped away and hidden, on the face of the 27-year-old Williams driver. Michael Schumacher's time (1'14"389) and average (221.355 km/h) make the new circuit, that everyone thought was slow, fast. However, Michael and Ralf Schumacher will be together, on the same front row, for the sixth time. In 1997 the two, at the Nurburgring, while not in front of everyone, collided with Giancarlo Fisichella as a third wheel and eliminated each other. Afterwards they locked themselves in a motorhome and argued for more than an hour blaming each other for the sensational and embarrassing incident. Ralf's presence alongside Michael Schumacher has troubling implications. The young brother has often been accused of suffering a subservience to the titular Ferrari driver. And recently Patrick Head, the technician-owner of Williams, urged him in no uncertain terms to give battle like Juan Pablo Montoya. Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya, who are just waiting to beat the Schumacher family, will be shooting behind the two German drivers.
"Ferrari will do something to help the Brazilian. But I consider the challenge for second place in the standings still open. Unfortunately, my car at the beginning of qualifying was not well balanced and I went off the track at the first attempt. Then I fixed it, but I made a mistake, locking the wheels under braking. Being fourth, especially behind Michael, is a huge disadvantage. However, I will try to play my cards".
Montoya has an ace up his sleeve, at least compared to his teammate: he used hard tyres, which should be better in the race, while the German preferred softs. And the expected heat could favor him. But that would be a surprise because the F2002s continue to travel like thunderbolts, especially in their race configuration, while the McLarens mark the pace, with Kimi Raikkonen fifth and David Coulthard relegated to ninth place, although the team has renewed his contract by paying him 12.000.000 euros in fees, an amount that will at least allow the Scot to let his gorgeous Brazilian girlfriend Simone have a good life. It's always tough instead for the Italians, but they have done themselves honour: Giancarlo Fisichella will start from sixth position, very good after his accident at Magny-Cours, and Jarno Trulli from eighth. Giorgio Pantano, 23, from Padua, who won the Formula 3000 race with Coloni, was also excellent. There is something new in the small Italian patrol.
"Look. Barrichello is very good. They all go off the track, because the circuit is slippery, including Schumacher".
So speaks in the course of the morning a character in the pits. He has not yet finished the sentence, that Rubens runs into a wall damaging his F2002. More unfortunate, perhaps, than menacing, the man in question. The fact remains that the Brazilian had lost half of free practice, as the mechanics had to change the two right-hand suspensions and something on the steering as well. Rubens Barrichello explains:
"They worked well, the accident did not affect my performance. The single-seater was fine, although I used the first attempt just to see if there were any problems. I changed the settings a little bit later, but I ended up on a kerb. Finally, at the last moment, pushing hard, I went wide in one of the corners leading to the pit straight. I think I left at least three tenths on the asphalt".
Without that mistake then Barrichello, detached from his teammate by 0.304 seconds, might have been able to challenge him for pole position. Now it is difficult to see what can happen in the race: Michael Schumacher dreams of success and the jubilation of the crowd in red (120,000 spectators are expected), the driver from São Paulo would not mind repeating the first place of 2000, when he started in P18 and thanks to his skill on the rain-soaked track he imposed himself in an extraordinary way.
"Filed the World Championship in Michael's favour, we are free to run our own race, always safeguarding the interests of the team. It would be foolish to get into a tussle on the track. I am confident, I have a good feeling, I think positive".
But he also has different feelings and ideas from his teammate.
"On this track you always have to push to the limit, and the smallest mistake can cost a lot".
Michael Schumacher, on the other hand, says:
"The good thing about the new circuit comes from the fact that you get off the track, maybe you lose positions but stay in the race. And this is also good for safety".
In short, views diverge. The only one who has no problem, at least on the surface, is Jean Todt, the head of Ferrari's Ges.
"As usual we saw a very good challenge for pole position. Michael showed his great motivation, Rubens got a good result when you consider that he missed the second part of free practice. We expect a tough race. It is easy to make mistakes here. There should be even higher temperatures and it will be a challenging race for the drivers, the cars and the tyres. Michael dreams of winning his home race, and Rubens would like to take a win in his teammate's own Grand Prix. The important thing for us is to take points with both F2002s to get closer to winning the World Constructors' Championship and second place in the drivers' standings. All in all, it's good to be in this situation, with a title already in the bag".
On Sunday, July 28, 2002, at the start of the German Grand Prix, Heinz-Harald Frentzen remains stationary on the grid. His car is pushed into the pits, from where the German restarts two laps behind the pack. At the front, Michael Schumacher maintains the first position, while Kimi Räikkönen passes Juan Pablo Montoya and Jarno Trulli moves up to sixth. Michael Schumacher gradually increases his lead over his brother, while Juan Pablo Montoya contends with Kimi Räikkönen for fifth position, overtaking the Finnish driver during lap 11. During lap 12, however, Jarno Trulli, in crisis due to abnormal tyre wear, is forced to surrender sixth position to David Coulthard, and will also be overtaken by other drivers in the following laps. Michael Schumacher also begins to have tyre problems, gradually losing his advantage over his brother, who sets the fastest lap several times in the race. There are, however, no major events until the first series of pit stops, opened, among the leading drivers, by Rubens Barrichello on lap 26. Michael Schumacher refuels on lap 27 and then he is tailed at a short distance by Ralf Schumacher. The Williams driver refuels on lap 29, setting the fastest lap, but missing his chance to overtake his brother after being slowed by Jacques Villeneuve, about to retire with a gearbox problem, in the pit lane. On lap 30 Juan Pablo Montoya also makes his stop, returning to the track behind the Schumacher brothers and Rubens Barrichello and ahead of Kimi Räikkönen (who decides not to change tyres during the pit stop), David Coulthard and Olivier Panis. The situation remains stable until lap 37, when Kimi Räikkönen punctures his left rear tyre and is forced to return to the pits, sinking to the rear. Olivier Panis climbs to sixth potion but he is forced to retire just two laps later due to a failure of his BAR's Honda engine.
On lap 46 Rubens Barrichello makes his second pit stop, but on the Brazilian driver's car there is a problem with the fuel filler flap, which does not open immediately, causing him to lose about twenty seconds and third position to Juan Pablo Montoya. The second series of pit stops produces no further changes in the leading positions, with Michael Schumacher continuing to lead the race ahead of Ralf Schumacher, Juan Paolo Montoya, Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthard, and Nick Heidfeld. On lap 63, however, Ralf Schumacher is forced to pit to refuel with air, which is inserted into the pneumatic valve system, losing second position to his teammate. Michael Schumacher wins the German Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthard and Nick Heidfeld at the finish line. Arrows ended its last appearance in Formula 1 with two retirements, in a race that saw only nine drivers at the finish line. A 1.500-meter-long, Guinness World Record-breaking ola welcomes the Schumacher-Ferrari pair's first victory in the German Grand Prix. A red tide of crowds with arms raised, swaying over the immense grandstands of the German circuit, triggering a celebration amid bursts of firecrackers, blaring of trumpets, roll of drums and putipus. There is no limit anymore for the World Champion and Scuderia Ferrari, capable of shattering every record, in an endless series of numbers that become bigger, more important, more enviable. To accomplish yet another feat, Michael Schumacher chose the weapon of intelligence. He forced only when necessary, he saved the car and the tyres at crucial moments of the race, he did not take excessive risks. In this way he managed to beat a Williams-Bmw that proved to be very competitive, very close, in lap times, to those obtained by the 33-year-old driver of the Maranello team. Behind him the standings are lying: second Juan Pablo Montoya, third Ralf Schumacher, fourth Rubens Barrichello, fifth David Coulthard, and sixth Nick Heidfeld. This time the youngest Schumacher would have deserved the number two step of the podium and Rubens Barrichello the third. But it was not their day. Ralf, clearly faster than his teammate (whose only merit was to put on a show in overtaking Kimi Raikkonen), was slowed by an unexpected third pit stop, when the team's technicians were forced to recall him because the engine's pneumatic valve system was losing pressure and had to be recharged. Rubens Barrichello, on the other hand, had his usual troubles.
Meanwhile, he immediately savoured the taste of having the spare car at his disposal as an alarming signal referring to the transmission was found on his, already on the starting grid. So the Brazilian had to drive the single-seater he had tested only in morning warm-up practice. Then, at the second refuelling, while firmly in third position, the Brazilian lost a dozen seconds. The fuel filler door, which is supposed to open automatically when the driver engages the speed limiter in the pit lane, did not open. A mechanic had to pop it open by hand. For those who saw it on television, the race may have seemed boring, apart from the rustic duel between Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen that recalled, somewhat distantly, the one between René Arnoux and Gilles Villeneuve at Dijon in 1979. The race, on the other hand, was tight. The heat that plummeted in the Hockenheim area brought the asphalt to about 50 °C, and the Michelins, with the Williams, were good. Ralf Schumacher kept up well with Michael Schumacher's pace and, at one point, a few minutes before the first pit stop, came within a little more than two seconds of him. But bad luck got in the way of the German Williams-Bmw hotshot: first he caught Jacques Villeneuve slowly re-entering the pit lane, then he had to give up his ambitions with the aforementioned third stop. The challenge between the two brothers was the reason for interest in the German Grand Prix. Disappointing, though due to no fault of their own, the Italians. Giancarlo Fisichella got off to a bad start, recovered but found his clutch out at the first refuelling stop, and the mechanics were unable to fit his right front wheel right away. Finally, he was back under but was forced to abandon due to a failure in his Jordan's new Honda engine. Powerful but still unreliable. Jarno Trulli's test was a hurdle. A beautiful sprint at the start that allowed him to gain two positions was all the positive balance of the Italian driver. After three laps, having chosen soft tyres, he already had bubbles on the rear ones. Everyone was passing him as if he had been stationary. Grand finale: he practically had to throw himself off the track to avoid hitting Giancarlo Fisichella who had braked in front of him. The only downside for Jarno: he was given a penalty - drive through - for not giving way to the front drivers who were lapping him. But he disputes this decision, which may have been made only because Ralf Schumacher had shown him his fist. And the Germans wanted to punish him. It is an emotional day for Michael Schumacher.
He wanted to win the German Grand Prix with Ferrari and he succeeded. No tears, but he is moved by the warmth of the fans who forgave him everything, erasing every original sin from his soul as a driver. From the excessive agonism he had shown in the Benetton years, to the Austrian Grand Prix. After all, who has a champion of this level? He wanted to win and he did, peremptorily.
"Yes. Everyone knows that I had been trying for seven years with Ferrari. It had always gone wrong for me. Now I'm at a loss for words, because this year we had an incredible series of results. I can only thank God for giving me this opportunity. The team, once again, was perfect. I engaged in a good battle with my brother, and I think the German fans appreciated that. I am sorry for Ralf, it would have been nice to be first and second. We will have more chances in the future".
The race was probably decided in the first part when Michael Schumacher pushed hard.
"It seems to me that we all had problems with the tyres because of the very high temperature. I had to struggle a lot especially with the first set of tyres that were deteriorating quickly. For that reason I was forced to give it my all to get a small margin that would prove decisive in the end".
Now, after the ninth success of the season, you have an extra week of vacation ahead of you, as the championship will resume in Hungary, Sunday, August 18, 2002...
"Of course. I want to celebrate the achievements in the best way. With the family, of course. Some relaxation and time to recharge the batteries in order to face the last part of the season in the best way. We need to win the Constructors' title, which we have within our grasp. There are still five races to enjoy, though".
Would he have won even on the old, very fast, circuit?
"We have a car, the Ferrari F2002, that is good on every track. However, I hope to show something at Monza, where we still race at our best".
Ferrari is breaking all reliability records...
"They are outstanding, since their debut they have not missed a beat. I know the laws of statistics are against me, I hope, however, that they will hit me as late as possible. They are doing a great job in Maranello. It hasn't always been like this, but for the last few years it has really been spinning. I am proud of this team, and I felt a special emotion on the podium when I heard the German anthem: to win in Hockenheim with Ferrari is something special".
After the ritual ceremonies, Michael Schumacher pauses for a long time in the paddock. The German driver receives from broadcaster Rtl a check for 150.000 euros (the proceeds of the soccer match played last Wednesday in Mannheim in front of 25.000 spectators), which he gave to Unesco. Then he is given, as a gift for his fifth world title, the Formula 3 car in which he had debuted - without ever winning - in 1989. A Volkswagen-powered Reynard, sponsored by Ford and Mercedes, with Michelin tyres... Michael is moved - he will put it in the Gallery of his cars in Kerpen - and then slips into the cockpit. The German driver starts the engine twice but it goes out. So he decides to let it go. And before he leaves, talking to the German media, he also remembers Rubens Barrichello:
"I felt sorry for Ralf and also for Rubens".
Perhaps it was too much to ask him on this day to also think about his teammate. For his part, Rubens Barrichello accepts the result philosophically. The Brazilian leaves for Portugal where he will join his wife Silvana, then spend about ten days in Brazil. The fact that the driver from São Paulo does not take it too hard stems perhaps from a double reason: he would like to win a few races and this time he really did not have the chance, and the problem that occurred on his car, when the fuel tank flap did not open, was perhaps caused by a hasty manoeuvre on his part. This is only a hypothesis, which of course Ferrari does not confirm, however, there are doubts. The driver, when he arrives at the pits, has to operate the button that limits the speed (80 km/h), and the same automatically commands the release of the lid. Perhaps Barrichello was wheezing, braked hard and did not hit the right procedure.
"I noticed it, and then a mechanic opened it. By that time, though, victory was out of my reach. I got a good start, fought with Ralf, and together we were catching up with Michael. He, however, went strong as usual and managed to avoid the risk of being caught up".
Things were not off to a good start for the Brazilian even as he hit the track.
"I had noticed on the reconnaissance lap that the gearbox was strangely slow. I pointed it out to my technicians, they checked the car and as a precaution decided to change it. We performed a lightning manoeuvre: the mechanics pushed the F2002 race car back, and I ran to the pits to get the spare. We had three minutes, I came out with 30 seconds to go, then I would be penalised. If we see things one way, I was lucky. It was the first time I had the T-car available and I was able to use it right away".
But it was no picnic. Rubens had quite a few problems:
"The seat was new and it hurt a little bit. So I ran out of drink in the pouch we carry in the cockpit to quench our thirst during the race. It was very hot and I ran out almost immediately, so I was feeling a little dehydrated. Finally, I was having difficulty with the brakes and the rear tyres were blistering. In short, it was not my day".
Now the challenge for second place becomes more difficult. Juan Pablo Montoya has a five-point lead, Ralf Schumacher just one.
"It would be nice to finish behind Michael. But that's not what I'm most interested in. I would like to win more races. And that's what I will try to do in the five we have left".
Juan Pablo Montoya never backs down, however, when he can make excuses, he uses them without making a fuss. Basically, in the post-race, the Colombian blames Kimi Raikkonen for costing him the chance to fight with Michael Schumacher for victory.
"The duel with the Finn cost me a good part of the result. It's true, we had fun, I enjoyed it. At the start we all started well, however I had Barrichello in front and Raikkonen took advantage to overtake me. So I had to stay behind him for about 10 laps. He was slower and kept behind me. At one point I decided to attack him and he held on to the limit, we didn't bump into each other by a miracle. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. To make the overtake I radioed to the pits and said, I have to do it. They, with the two-way telemetry increased the engine revs and I was able to pump more on the accelerator. It was interesting".
In the end, however, the Colombian took an important second place.
"Sure. After winning five consecutive pole positions, I had collected little. This time I started fourth and found myself on the podium next to the winner. That's the ultimate".
Kimi Raikkonen does not even hint at a controversy over the risky overtaking that lasted three or four turns:
"He was faster than me and passed. Then however I punctured, wasted valuable time and also lost control of the car and finished my race off the track".
Changing the subject, as the fate of the Formula One World Championship is now decided, the time for the drivers' market has come, although the top teams have already made their choices. Ferrari and McLaren have confirmed their respective pairs Michael Schumacher-Rubens Barrichello, and David Coulthard-Kimi Raikkonen. Some doubt remains for Williams, which will keep Ralf Schumacher in 2003 and has an option on Juan Pablo Montoya. The Columbian does not have much chance of finding another competitive team, if he ever wants to leave, but he negotiates on the salary, which - at his level - is one of the lowest. Frank Williams on these issues has always held firm, kicking out World Champions such as Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and others when their demands got heavy. The German newspaper Bild reports that Frank Williams, however, is sure that Juan Pablo Montoya from 2004 will end up at Ferrari. Those in Maranello retort that they have no contact with the driver. The most tumultuous negotiation is the ongoing one between Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jordan. The German driver, now 35 years old, is still considered one of the best, fast and reliable in both races and qualifying. But teams also like him because he is backed by Deutsche Post, a powerful private company in which the state is a strong shareholder. The Post would buy a few thousand commercial vehicles from Ford, in return asking the American company to supply its engines officially to Jordan. And for the Irish team to take Heinz-Harald Frentzen. The driver, however, has an open legal dispute with Eddie Jordan, who last year let him off the hook on the eve of the German Grand Prix, claiming he was physically unfit to race. Lawyers for the two sides cannot reach an agreement, not least because Heinz-Harald has demanded a compensation of $30.000.000.
The story is thus complicated. Frentzen would also be liked by Swiss Peter Sauber, which meanwhile has confirmed Nick Heidfeld, one of the least talked about drivers, who nevertheless shows good talent and is also being watched with much interest by Jean Todt for Ferrari. The Swiss manufacturer has not yet renewed the contract of young Brazilian Felipe Massa, who is fast but often the protagonist of accidents and unreliable because he is inexperienced. One who pushes a little too hard and causes damage to cars. As Sauber aims high in the standings, with two Germans like Heidfeld and Frentzen it would go a long way. As for the Italians, Giancarlo Fisichella will remain at Jordan, but with a very special option: if in the first eight races of 2003 the team is not among the top four in the standings, he can leave. That is, if he has an attractive offer. Jarno Trulli will stay at Renault where he will have to contend with Spanish driver Fernando Alonso. In the other mid- and lower-ranking teams, Eddie Irvine, who may still be of interest to Jordan and Toyota, is in negotiations, as is Olivier Panis, who was dropped by BAR to take Jenson Button. The Frenchman's affair is unbelievable: he is often faster than Jacques Villeneuve, but the Canadian (team shareholder) is immovable with a salary ($25.000.000) that is second only to Michael Schumacher's and weighs like a boulder on the budget of the team now run by David Richards. Finally, Australian Mark Webber could remain at Minardi (which is trying to leave the disappointing Alex Yoong at home to take Dutchman Jos Verstappen as early as the next race in Hungary) if the team finds means not only to survive but also to improve, or he could go to Jaguar. The latter, according to leaked rumours, is looking around to replace Niki Lauda, but cannot find a good manager who can efficiently run a Formula 1 team.