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#682 2002 Malaysian Grand Prix

2021-08-10 01:00

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#2002, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Monica Bessi,

#682 2002 Malaysian Grand Prix

From 7 to 17 March 2002, the Geneva International Motor Show was renewed, one of the most anticipated events of the year by all motor enthusiasts. The

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From March 7 to 17, 2002, the Geneva International Motor Show, one of the most anticipated events of the year by all motor enthusiasts, takes place. The Ferrari stand, on the long wave of the triumph in Melbourne, is an ode to Formula 1 wins. Among the cars, there is also a special edition of the 456M GT made especially for Schumacher: two-tone painting with customised interior, exceptional hi-fi and satellite-radio navigation. Next to it, the new 575M Maranello. Montezemolo presents the company’s accounts, announcing yet another growing balance sheet: 4,150 deliveries in 2001 and a turnover of over one billion euros. Then he talks about racing. Speaking of Melbourne, Ferrari president Luca Montezemolo confesses:

 

"An immense joy, of course. That said, it would be an unforgivable mistake to think that the situation in Australia will repeat itself. Let’s not be presumptuous or in Malaysia we risk taking a good beating. We have to improve a lot more, especially on the starts".

 

Looking ahead to the next race, Ferrari is still considering whether to present the new F2002. As the president said, tests will be held this week with the test drivers. For now, however, the impression on the new car is positive:

 

"There is good progress, the feedback is exciting, but nobody forces us to take risks".

 

Ferrari can count on a very fast car that, thanks to a great job, has established itself very well at the last Grand Prix, despite the few changes being few, just to adapt the electronics to the regulations.

 

"It doesn’t matter so much that we won, it’s how we won in Australia. We’re still hungry. We believed it from the start. You are not by chance the fastest for three days in a row. The hunger of Schumacher is also ours".

 

Speaking of the German driver, the president of Ferrari adds:

 

"It makes me laugh to hear about Michael getting gentrified. No one like him is able to give the decisive twists in key moments. This was demonstrated by the back-to-back overtake on Montoya, a very good driver, and then by setting fifteen record laps until the triumph. Thanks to him, to the whole team, and to Bridgestone. We were right not to change partners".

 

There are also words for the other Ferrari driver, described by Schumacher himself as a better Barrichello.

 

"It’s true. Todt also confirmed it to me: more serene, more confident and determined. So, stronger".

 

Driving a Ferrari is not for everyone, and the experience is crucial.

 

"I will never give a Ferrari to those who don’t really have enough experience".

 

Adds the Ferrari president, who does not mince words when he is asked some questions about Kimi Raikkonen.

 

"Hakkinen’s heir is promising, but we have to wait for a demanding season before judging him".

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Massa, on the other hand, says that before judging him, it takes time. As a matter of fact, the driver has yet to compete in a full Grand Prix. There are also questions on the rivals. Expecting fierce competition, Montezemolo says:

 

"What we’ve seen in Australia doesn’t add up. I hope Sauber becomes the fourth team behind us, McLaren and Williams. In winter testing it was fast. Yes, it will still be a race fought between three teams, as between Inter, Juve and Roma. As last year: a fantastic, exciting duel".

 

To conclude, the president also mentions the hypothesis of bringing Ferrari on the Stock Exchange:

 

"It is a reflection to be made, assuming that quoting is useful and convenient. The results of this will not be seen tomorrow morning".

 

About ten days before the Malaysian Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari decides that the second race of the World Championship will also be raced with the F2001. After a quick consultation with the technical managers, on Thursday, March 7, 2002, Scuderia Ferrari team principal Jean Todt announces:

 

"The development of the F2002 is continuing well. The work carried out by Luca Badoer at Mugello is giving good indications: we have completed a race simulation. That said, we believe that the F2001 proved to be competitive in the Australian Grand Prix and that it can also be competitive in Malaysia, where we will presumably find different weather conditions. In the meantime, we will continue to work on the new car in order to bring it into the race as soon as possible".

 

After the Australian Grand Prix, it is clear that it is useless to take risks, especially considering that in the past three editions held in Malaysia, Schumacher won twice. If you then consider that in 1999, after taking the lead, he had left the position to teammate Irvine - fighting for the title - you could say that the victories of the German in Kuala Lumpur were three. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that changing all the material would entail enormous costs in terms of technical effort. The F2022, however, should be ready for the Brazilian Grand Prix at the end of March. Last year, on the same circuit, the F2001 had some problems. Schumacher and Barrichello, therefore, will have to drive once again the car that someone has described as Cinderella. A protagonist with whom the German driver and the Brazilian hope to continue to enchant the prince, namely the podium. For this reason, at Fiorano, Luciano Burti continues to work on the F2001, testing the starts and the tyres. Meanwhile, the opponent’s front gets more and more nervous. Bmw and Mercedes are thinking of rejecting the cost reduction plan that provided, from next year, the use of only one engine per race weekend.

 

"It’s too late to do that".

 

Both representatives of the two German car manufacturers declare. Even Patrick Head - technical director of Williams - suggests that, with only one engine available, Ferrari would be advantaged as the teams that use Michelin tyres have to cover more kilometres to break them in and would have been in trouble. One thing is certain: everyone is getting ready to the maximum with the new cars to hunt down Ferrari. But not Jaguar, since its R3 is proving too weak and cannot be redesigned in a short time. So, the team led by Niki Lauda is considering whether to bring back to Brazil the old R2. For Malaysia it is too late. After Schumacher’s victory in Melbourne, the opponents are ready for revenge. Montoya has not yet accepted the overtaking suffered by the German Scuderia Ferrari driver and is more determined than ever to take this victory. At the same time, Ralf Schumacher fears the supremacy of his teammate, so he will not be able to allow himself any more mistakes. The Scotsman David Coulthard, after being beaten by Kimi Raikkonen, will be forced to push hard. 

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Finally, Rubens Barrichello knows that he has wasted a great opportunity with the accident at the start of the Australian Grand Prix. The atmosphere is tense and the expected high temperatures that will surround the Malaysian track will make it more difficult. In the days leading up to the race weekend, the thermometer reaches 40 °C. This is not the first time that they are running in extreme heat: in 1984 in Dallas, Texas, the asphalt was melting due to the deadly temperature. And here, at Sepang, Formula 1 has been racing since 1999 without too many problems; all you need is the right tyres. But the speech is wider and is also applicable to dry or wet asphalt conditions. For this reason, the challenge between teams is added to the exasperated one among the tyre suppliers. In Australia, out of eight cars that crossed the finish line, only one, the F2001, was fitted with Bridgestone tyres. Nine single-seaters had been eliminated from the initial caramboles. All the others had Michelin tyres.

 

"We believe we comply with the regulations. Anyway, we will have new tyres for construction and mixes".

 

Ferrari is relying on the Bridgestones that in the opening race showed a certain superiority. The tropical climate does not seem to frighten Michael Schumacher, who declares:

 

"The heat is not an insurmountable obstacle. It’s true, it’s hard to breathe, it seems to be in a sauna at 60 degrees. Three years ago, at the debut on this track, on a particularly torrid day, in a straight line I changed trajectory to make a few hundred metres in the shadow. But it’s more of a feeling I was looking for than a real relief. However, the important thing is that the car is competitive. I think it will be difficult to win, I have the impression that our rivals have already reached us. They will do everything to beat us, to recover the points lost in Australia, to fill the small disadvantage remedied in the first race. A lot will depend on the tyres. But in this sense I am confident, we should be good on the asphalt-grating. The Bridgestones are consistent. Last year in a series of tests in Magny-Cours we understood how to work to improve performance with high temperatures".

 

Last year a downpour flooded the asphalt starting from the third lap, and the race direction was forced to use the Safety Car immediately. Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello had just left the track on an oil stain and were already late. In addition, a moment of chaos in the pits caused both drivers to lose almost two minutes, as they could not find the right front tyre for Rubens Barrichello's single-seater. Behind the Safety Car and then in the middle tyre race, in a few laps, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello made the difference, finishing first and second in front of David Coulthard. In a season in which monsoons are the order of the day, in Sepang another storm capable of upsetting the race would not be a surprise. Predictions are open: Williams-Bmw and McLaren-Mercedes, caught unprepared in Melbourne, are fierce. A good performance from Renault, deprived of a brilliant result for the exit of Jarno Trulli when he defended the second position from the attacks of Michael Schumacher, is also expected. Among other things, the technical director of the French team, Mike Gascoyne, triggers a controversy against the German driver of Ferrari, guilty of having criticised the Italian driver:

 

"His opinion on Jarno’s manoeuvres was pathetic and unjustified".

 

But Schumacher does not reply to the engineer of the French team. On the eve of the technical checks of the cars, on Wednesday, March 13, 2002, in Kuala Lumpur, everything is still calm. Among the contenders there is no Prost, blocked at the entrance of the circuit because the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile believes that the owner of the cars did not buy the sports rights of the team of the former French champion. One of the drivers of the blue car, Tarso Marques, who arrived in Malaysia, will be forced to stand in the pits to watch the race of his rivals. Gaston Mazzacane, on the other hand, stops halfway after learning that he would not run.

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Prost, however, would have had difficulty during qualifying. The rivals of Ferrari are present. Apart from some tyre tests on the old McLaren with Alesi, and some more in-depth tests of test driver Marc Gené with Williams, the two British teams have not worked much on the track in recent days. However, the technicians have studied in detail the data emerged in Melbourne, to prepare the changes on the circuit of Sepang. All of Scuderia Ferrari’s rivals rely on Michelin tyres. The French company has new tyres and has brought over 1.800 compounds. The Bridgestone answers with 1.500 tyres, 720 of which are wets; if the weather forecast is not wrong, they could serve only in the course of the free practices that will be held on Friday, March 15, 2002. The only drivers on track since Wednesday are the two Williams drivers, Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, obviously at different times, since they do not hang out too much. Ralf Schumacher, 26, married to Cora and father of a young son, 84 races to his credit, three wins in 2001, participates in a promotion in the city and lets himself go to some public confidences.

 

"Meanwhile I hope to pass the first corner. If I can, the heat will give us a hand, I’m in great shape. The Malaysian asphalt should be favourable to our tyres. I hope to break Ferrari’s dominance on this track. We have a plan to stop it. Already last year we were close, then the rain stirred the cards and I had to settle for a fifth place. This time it will be different. I am ambitious, I want to fight for the world title. My brother and my teammate are among the opponents. It’s inevitable".

 

As regarding the news that Ferrari will fight with the old cars, Ralf says:

 

"It was a choice that paid off for the first race. But now we won’t be surprised anymore. They will be competitive but not clearly superior as in Australia. I think we at Williams and McLaren won’t let them pass so easily".

 

The Sepang circuit is 5.543 metres long and is run clockwise. It is one of the longest tracks in the world, with a track that in some parts is around 25 metres. It is characterised by fifteen sharp curves, five on the left and ten on the right, and two very fast straights connected by a very slow hairpin bend in which, however, you can overtake. The first corner, very narrow, looks like a funnel. After about eleven seconds of straight, in which the drivers push hard, they are forced to shift suddenly from seventh to second gear. The fastest corners on the track are fifth and sixth. Sudden changes of direction put the engines - and in particular the oil systems - under pressure.

 

The asphalt is smooth and very abrasive with high adhesion. The fuel consumption, according to experts, should be medium, with the engine requiring the opening of the butterfly for 60% of the distance of each lap. Scuderia Ferrari’s strategy will probably depend on the result of practices. A possible victory would allow the team principal of the Maranello team, Jean Todt, and his men to get to the third race of the season, in Brazil, with two opportunities: not to risk and continue with the F2001 to take points or to debut the new F2002, in order to handle best the progress of their rivals. But much will depend on the tests that will take place in Barcelona, where Ferrari will produce a considerable effort: two new cars and an old one on the track in direct comparison with three drivers. Meanwhile, Barrichello expresses confidence in himself and in the car:

 

"It was bad in Melbourne. I haven’t talked to Ralf and I don’t think we need to. I’ll try to stay away from him anyway. I want to get a good result. I know that Michael is on the team and that it will be hard. I would never fight with a Sumo wrestler, but on the track I feel strong. I can always think of winning, I do not stop dreaming. If I did, I’d stay home".

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About the new F2002, which is looking forward to driving, the Brazilian driver says:

 

"Everyone tells me it’ll go like a missile. I’ll only need three or four days to learn its secrets. If everything goes well, we will have it available in Brazil, but the decision will be up to Todt and the technicians. We have to give our best with the car we have now, then we’ll see".

 

On Friday, March 15, 2002, the weekend of the Malaysian Grand Prix begins with free practice. In the morning session both Ferraris confirm to be the fastest cars on track. Behind them, though at over 1.5 seconds, Nick Heidfeld’s Sauber. The second session in the afternoon is more surprising. Kimi Raikkonen, at the wheel of the McLaren, gets the better of the Scuderia Ferrari drivers. David Coulthard, on the other hand, remains stationary along the circuit because during the tests the left bank of his McLaren engine overheats, burning the exhaust and part of the body. The Scottish driver, in order to return to the pits and recover the car as soon as possible, pushes it by hand, alone, for about a kilometre, under the tropical sun. At the end of free practice, Kimi Raikkonen stops to talk to the media, to which he declares:

 

"I had a lot of fuel in the tank, I didn’t do a qualifying lap" .

 

His words, however, are immediately denied by his teammate David Coulthard:

 

"He and I were in very different conditions".

 

There remains the undoubted feeling that, a little for the preparation of the single-seater, a little for the recovery of the Michelin tyres with the great heat, the McLaren-Mercedes is already in the attack phase. Michael Schumacher’s session was marked by some unforeseen events. First an off-track exit, then a spin caused by the asphalt, which was too slippery. However, the German driver looks rather relaxed.

 

"Am I worried? No, not at all. I remain optimistic. The only real problem is the tyre choice. We must not make mistakes, because they will be decisive. The tyres are so important that I did not even bother to prepare the set-up of the car, focusing instead on the evaluation of the tyres. We knew the others would be faster here, but we have to keep in mind that Friday times are relative and no one knows what exactly the others did".

 

But Michael Schumacher is not the only one facing some setbacks. Rubens Barrichello’s Ferrari V10 engine almost broke. However, it does not seem that the F2001 has lost competitiveness. Indeed. The difference from Melbourne is that the type of circuit and the heat require special arrangements to avoid unforeseen events. In the meantime, Williams-Bmw reported driveability problems during testing, but these could be resolved before the race. The other single-seaters remain behind, even if Toyota hints of continuous growth. As is regularly the case on Friday, the free practice session on Saturday, March 16, 2022, is divided in two. The first sees, once again, the two Ferraris as protagonists, followed by less than a second from the McLaren-Mercedes of the Finn Kimi Raikkonen. In the second and final session, Juan Pablo Montoya’s Williams-Bmw sets the fastest time, followed by Kimi Raikkonen and teammate Ralf Schumacher. A few hours later, the qualifying session is very exciting. Michael Schumacher accumulates centimetre by centimetre, cent by cent, until he becomes unreachable. And so, the German driver manages to get his first pole of the season, the 44th of his career and the 150th of Scuderia Ferrari, recording a lap of 1'35"266, 0.04 seconds from the record of the circuit that belongs to him. 

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His talent is evident, so much so that he is forgiven even a small mistake. But pole is not everything for the driver:

 

"It’s the pleasure of driving that counts. After all, qualifying is just about getting the race ready. The victory, the first crossing the finish line, getting on the highest step on the podium, shouting all your joy constitute the drive, the emotions that gratify you to the fullest, that allows you to always find new motivations. It is clear that you cannot always beat everyone, but when you get past you already think about the next time, when you will try to take revenge".

 

And to the voices that say that there are no opponents that can fight with him, he replies:

 

"The rivals are there and seem to be several. I think I have faced many challenges in these years, I won and even lost. First with Damon Hill, then with Villeneuve, against Hakkinen and against Coulthard. I never had the road paved. And if Ferrari is going strong it is because we all worked hard, from president Montezemolo to Jean Todt, from the technicians to us drivers and the mechanics who never come to the races. We have built success, no one has ever given us anything".

 

However, less than a second behind Michael Schumacher, three drivers qualified: Juan Pablo Montoya (+0.231s), Rubens Barrichello (+0.625s) and Ralf Schumacher (+0.762s). The others follow further apart. A qualifying that only he can do, that has forgiven him even a small mistake, while Juan Pablo Montoya is forced to settle for second place, Rubens Barrichello to reel in not to make a bad impression, and Ralf Schumacher to suffer from envy, not to mention the two McLaren-Mercedes drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard, so far away that only the stunts appear. Woking’s cars pay a gap of more than a second from Schumacher’s pole position. Nick Heidfeld sets the seventh fastest time, ahead of Jenson Button, Giancarlo Fisichella and Mika Salo, driving a surprisingly competitive Toyota in the second Grand Prix of its history.

 

The difficulties of the Jaguar continued, with its drivers relegated to the back row. Schumacher on certain tracks, such as that of Sepang, manages to keep trajectories impossible for others. It is a question of sensitivity, technique and talent mixed in a deadly cocktail. Michael does not have the lightning-fast approach of an Ayrton Senna, who was a last-minute rage. The German programs, works on the car, studies every detail, takes advantage of everything from Ferrari, the tyres, the references that occur along the circuit. You might even take advantage of the shadow of a passing cloud if you want to earn something in the performance. The determination, the way to dedicate himself totally, when he is on the track and outside, with exhausting workouts, every day of the year. When Eddie Irvine parties, when David Coulthard takes one of his beautiful girlfriends for a walk, Michael Schumacher is there struggling, in the gym, in the pool, on the bicycle.

 

Even on vacation. The only distraction is the family, his wife Corinna, the children Gina Maria and Mick, but without interference on the driver activity. There are few concessions: one or two grappas before the start of the season, a Cuban cigar smoked without breathing, a few excursions in the most extreme sports, from skydiving to bobsleigh. He is not only a robot of the steering wheel: he plays football enthusiastically, listens to music, he even got two tattoos on his arms. For the rest Michael is always ready to do a test, to try to improve himself and the car. A 33-year-old driver who is determined to leave an indelible mark in the history of motorsport. On Sunday, March 17, 2002, all drivers will have to pay attention to the first corner, being narrow, since it looks like a funnel, after a long straight. During the briefing held on Friday, March 15, 2002, Racing Director Charlie Whiting recommends with the drivers:

 

"Don’t do anything stupid, this time we will be inflexible. Whoever makes a mistake will have to pay". 

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In the briefing almost all drivers line up in favour of Ralf Schumacher and against Rubens Barrichello, regarding the incident at the start that occurred during the Australian Grand Prix. Unleash is especially the usual Jacques Villeneuve, backed by Eddie Irvine and David Coulthard. The only abstention, because the poor Michael Schumacher is involved, having the story his brother and his teammate as protagonists. The German Ferrari driver, after all, must think about defending himself from the attacks, even if those brought by McLaren-Mercedes did not upset him that much. During the Malaysian afternoon of Sunday, March 17, 2002, the drivers prepare on the grid to face the next fifty-five laps of the Malaysian Grand Prix. The temperature is around 40°C, the asphalt is even higher. In these conditions, the drivers after a race lose about three or four pounds of weight. Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya are in the front row, followed by their teammates, Rubens Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher. The third row is occupied by McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard. Seventh and eighth positions for Nick Heidfeld and Jenson Button. Giancarlo Fisichella and Mika Salo finished the top ten ahead of Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s Arrows and Jarno Trulli’s Renault. In the seventh row, Jacques Villeneuve and Felipe Massa; in the eighth, Takuma Sato and Enrique Bernoldi, followed by Pedro De La Rosa and Olivier Panis. The grid is closed by Allan McNish, Eddie Irvine, and the two Minardi drivers, Mark Webber and Alex Yoong. The pole is located on the outside of the main straight, the more rubberized one; therefore, during the warm-up, Juan Pablo Montoya passes several times on the inside, to deposit a little more rubber and have more grip at the time of the start. When the traffic lights go out, Michael Schumacher shoots well and closes the trajectory of Juan Pablo Montoya, who however has an exceptional sprint and struggles to take the first position together with Rubens Barrichello. The German Ferrari driver, however, closes a little too much at the first corner and collides with Juan Pablo Montoya, who is about to overtake him. Michael Schumacher thus loses the spoiler, which ends up under the right front wheel of the Colombian driver’s car. Juan Pablo Montoya continues along the external trajectory of the curve and loses many positions. Rubens Barrichello takes advantage of this situation, led by Ralf Schumacher, who in turn tries to gain ground on the Brazilian driver, Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard. 

 

Michael Schumacher continues in fifth place, with the damaged car, while Juan Pablo Montoya tries to recover ground against Felipe Massa. In the meantime, the Ferrari mechanics are getting ready, and the German driver returns to the pits. After a pit stop of 12.5 seconds, Michael Schumacher returns to the track in last place. Meanwhile, during the second lap, at the Pangkor Chicane a contact between Giancarlo Fisichella and Takuma Sato makes the two Jordan-Honda drivers lose the rear wing and the front wing respectively. In the collision, the diffuser of Giancarlo Fisichella’s car remains damaged, but against all odds the mechanics of the Jordan manage to fix the Italian driver’s single-seater, which returns to the track even if separated from the rest of the group, having lost four minutes in the meantime. As these events unfold, Juan Pablo Montoya is in ninth place, but soon recovers until getting sixth position back, passing Mika Salo, Jarno Trulli (slowed down by technical problems) and Jenson Button. Further on, Rubens Barrichello, in first position, brings to 2.735 seconds the advantage that separates him from Ralf Schumacher’s Williams. Michael Schumacher sets a record lap of 1:39.7, but still has a delay of fifteen seconds from Mark Webber, who is in eighteenth place, but above all has more than 43 seconds to recover against Rubens Barrichello, who manages to gain an additional 0.5 seconds over Ralf Schumacher. Michael Schumacher has the free track ahead of him, but Rubens Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher run a separate race, giving a different pace to the race and turning on times of 1'41"0, about a second faster than the drivers who had started from the third row of the grid. At the same time as Barrichello runs the teammate, Michael Schumacher (1'40"9), still in nineteenth position, three seconds away from Mark Webber. Meanwhile, at the pits of Williams-Bmw comes an unpleasant communication: the commissioners open an investigation on the manoeuvre made at the start by Juan Pablo Montoya and, therefore, on the contact with Michael Schumacher. At the moment, the Colombian driver is in seventh place, followed by the Toyota of Mika Salo who is surprising everyone, scoring a time of 1'41"8.

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Also the other Toyota driver, Allan McNish, who started nineteenth, is the author of a wonderful comeback. Towards the seventh lap comes the verdict of the commissioners: Juan Pablo Montoya will have to pay the drive-through, in the passage through the pitlane with the limiter inserted. During the seventh lap Pedro De La Rosa is forced to return to the pits without wing, following a contact that involved him with the French driver Olivier Panis. Back in the pits, the mechanics of the Jaguar team find it difficult to extract the wing of the Spanish driver’s car, which got stuck under the car. After a stop of almost thirty seconds, the driver is ready to start again. Rubens Barrichello, meanwhile, leads Ralf Schumacher with 4.3 seconds of advantage. The other Ferrari, that of Michael Schumacher, which is in fifteenth position, is also catching up. After a brief pit stop during the eighth lap, Jarno Trulli is forced to retire, as the temperatures of his car are too high, especially that of the oil.

 

"After one lap I lost a lot of power and then all the cars passed me. Too bad, because I made a good start".

 

Comments, a little bitter, the Italian driver. At the same time the car of Olivier Panis, who had previously had a contact with Pedro De La Rosa, also stops at the pits. The mechanics drag it off the track. In this case, the French driver’s BAR-Honda is stopped by the clutch malfunction. In the paddock there is a bad mood when Juan Pablo Montoya returns to the pitlane, during the ninth lap, to make the drive through: the Colombian driver of the Williams-Bmw shakes his head. Montoya, however, is not the only one who is disappointed: many believe that the penalty is not fair. Back on track following the drive through, the Colombian lost two positions to the advantage of the two Toyotas of Mika Salo, in seventh position, and Allan McNish, in eighth position.

 

On lap 12, Rubens Barrichello leads the Malaysian Grand Prix by 4.9 seconds, ahead of Ralf Schumacher. Kimi Raikkonen, David Coulthard, Nick Heidfeld, Jenson Button follow. Michael Schumacher, in thirteenth position, turns in 1'40"4 and is 0.8 seconds from Jacques Villeneuve. Angry is the response to the penalty suffered by Juan Pablo Montoya, who records the best time in 1'38"8. Micheal Schumacher, author of a great comeback after also passing Jacques Villeneuve, has the left side slightly damaged. But, from his performance, this does not seem to have any effect on the behaviour of his F2001. Scuderia Ferrari’s technical choice to start with only two profiles on the upper wing of the rear wing proved to be successful, as it allows the driver to take advantage of the slipstream to overtake his opponents, despite not being studied for this role. Felipe Massa, who is easily overtaken by the German driver, is the loser. Michael Schumacher is currently in 11th position, but the Brazilian Arrows driver, Enrique Bernoldi, is already on target. On lap 15, after a first overtaking attempt gone wrong, the German Ferrari driver manages to overtake the Brazilian Arrows driver. But the joy for tenth place does not last long, because after the Pangkor Chicane Enrique Bernoldi manages to recover the position, taking advantage of the braking close to the Langkawi curve. Michael Schumacher tries to answer, but without success. Obviously the German driver does not give up and shortly after takes advantage of the Arrows' slipstream, delays the braking and, without the opponent’s hindrance, succeeds in overtaking. Meanwhile, on lap 15, David Coulthard returns to the pits and retires with the engine that does not work. It is his second consecutive retirement of the season.

 

"We had an engine problem. It kept losing power".

 

The Scottish McLaren-Mercedes driver comments. The race, in the meantime, proceeds smoothly, with the return to the pits, at the same time, of Allan McNish and Michael Schumacher, to make the refuelling. The stop of the German driver lasts about 9 seconds. The Scuderia Ferrari mechanics load 83 litres of fuel, which will be enough to make the next twenty-one laps. 

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This means that the Scuderia Ferrari engineers have decided to make a two-stop strategy with the German driver. Meanwhile, Allan McNish is slower at refuelling, so Michael Schumacher manages to gain another position. Soon after, Minardi’s Malaysian driver, Alex Yoong, also makes his way to the pits. At the Ferrari box they are getting ready for the arrival of the second single-seater, that of Rubens Barrichello, with whom the team decides to make two stops, having supplied 49 litres of fuel that will serve him to complete twelve laps. When the Brazilian driver leaves the pits, Kimi Raikkonen manages to take his position. Juan Pablo Montoya and Mika Salo also return to the pits to refuel. The Williams-Bmw team opts for the assembly of a set of used tyres, and the Colombian driver returns to the track, managing to stay ahead of the Brazilian driver Felipe Massa for a few metres. On lap 20, Enrique Bernoldi’s Arrows is forced to stop because of a problem at the gas pump. The Brazilian driver was eighth at the time of his retirement. On the way out of the Berjaya hairpin bend, Rubens Barrichello approaches the McLaren-Mercedes of Kimi Raikkonen. Ahead of them, Ralf Schumacher is in first position. It is an important phase for the Brazilian driver of Ferrari, who must be able to overtake the McLaren-Mercedes of the Finnish driver so as not to remain penalised, losing the position in favour of Ralf Schumacher. On lap 24, while Barrichello is engaged in the manoeuvre, suddenly, during the braking phase, the Mercedes engine of the Raikkonen single-seater explodes. Both McLarens are down. According to the opinion of the Finnish driver, there had been no warning sign of a technical failure before the explosion of the German engine. Rubens Barrichello now has the green light, and Jenson Button is currently in third position with his Renault. The performance of the British driver and the French engine, the same used in qualifying in Australia, is excellent. While Rubens Barrichello manages to recover 0.3 seconds over Ralf Schumacher, Mika Salo returns to the pits. Although he remains in the cockpit, technicians place the fans in the vents. Considering also the pit stop made by Felipe Massa, in the meantime Michael Schumacher gains two more positions, scoring even a time of 1'40"2, corresponding to the third fastest time so far recorded in the race. 

 

The German driver breaks into the points, in sixth position. Those who choose the single stop tactic should head to the pits between lap 28 and lap 29. You have to wait two or three more laps to see all the drivers stop and understand how the games will change. Who for sure will not stop for the only stop is the Jaguar of Eddie Irvine, since he returns to the pits with part of the aileron damaged. This is because during overtaking, the trajectory of the Northern Irish driver was closed abruptly by the Malaysian driver of Minardi, Alex Yoong. In the pits, the mechanics of Jaguar meet many difficulties, given that the Northern Irish driver’s car has also shut down the engine. Eddie Irvine starts from the pits in an angry way, also because already at the end of the warm-up he had admitted that if he did not see improvements, he would be ready to leave. During the 29th lap Ralf Schumacher makes his last lap in 1'39"1, gaining 0.4 seconds over Rubens Barrichello who is 24.4 seconds behind. Michael Schumacher’s beautiful comeback continues, from the sixth position, running in 1'39"8 and gaining 1.1 seconds on Nick Heidfeld’s Sauber-Petronas. Meanwhile Ralf Schumacher, close to the pit stop, sets a new record running in 1'38"369. The German driver has to take advantage of having a clear road ahead of him, and to have a lighter car available, to increase the margin that separates him from Rubens Barrichello. The German driver of the Williams-Bmw starts the thirty-first lap, while his mechanics remain inside the box, sitting in front of the monitors. It seems that the Anglo-German car will remain on track for a while. Mark Webber returns into the pits while the Jordan-Honda mechanics are preparing to welcome Takuma Sato and Giancarlo Fisichella, and Renault mechanics Jenson Button. Meanwhile, Alex Yoong retires with the second Minardi, due to the malfunction of the gearbox, during the twenty-ninth lap, and Eddie Irvine, due to the malfunction of the electrical system, during the thirtieth lap. Ralf Schumacher finally returns to the pits to change the tyres, now very worn, and make the refill of fuel. Rubens Barrichello recovers the first position, but he must make the most of this moment to increase the advantage over the German driver of the Williams-Bmw, since he will surely wait another stop.

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The gap between Rubens Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher goes from three to five seconds. The Brazilian driver of Ferrari is about to pass Allan McNish, in turn fighting with Felipe Massa for the seventh place, which however does not make life easy for him. During the lapping, Rubens Barrichello appears rather annoyed and makes a gesture with his hand. Thirty-fifth lap. Twenty laps to the end of the second race of the 2002 season. Ferrari mechanics return from the box, ready to welcome Rubens Barrichello, and take the opportunity to remove some debris from the air intake. Meanwhile, Ralf Schumacher is passing in front of the finish line, recovering the first place. Rubens Barrichello follows him. Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher chases Nick Heidfeld, overtakes him and takes the fifth position. Now, only 2.9 seconds separate the German Ferrari driver from Jenson Button, who is fourth. During the 34th lap the race also ends for the second Minardi, that of the Australian driver Mark Webber. During the 37th lap, Ralf Schumacher has a 24-second lead over Rubens Barrichello, who in turn has a six-second margin over Juan Pablo Montoya. Jenson Button, meanwhile, is being chased by Michael Schumacher. Nineteen laps from the end, on the main straight, the German Ferrari driver manages to overtake the British driver’s Renault, thus bringing himself to fourth position. Michael Schumacher has a delay of eighteen seconds against Juan Pablo Montoya, but he still faces the second pit stop, if we exclude the start of the race. The Colombian driver, meanwhile, records a new fast lap in 1'38"049 and goes to attack the second position occupied by Rubens Barrichello. Juan Pablo Montoya returns to the pits to pit in 7.8 seconds, and returns to the track in fifth place. On lap 39, the Scuderia Ferrari mechanics also leave the pits, but not to wait for Michael Schumacher. In fact, Rubens Barrichello returns to the pits passing in the pitlane, and raising the visor of the helmet. Even on the Brazilian driver’s car there are engine problems from the right bank. During Friday’s free practice the Brazilian driver had already broken an engine. Rubens Barrichello is forced to leave the car inside the Scuderia Ferrari box, where Luca Colaianni, the new head of the press office, announces:

 

"The driver had not reported any problems in particular. Now we will have to see what happened to the car".

 

Now Michael Schumacher is fighting alone, against the two drivers of the Williams-Bmw team. The German driver returns to the pits to make the second pit stop, along with the Scottish Toyota driver, Allan McNish. Pedro De La Rosa and Mika Salo are back on track. Ralf Schumacher has a 48-second lead over Jenson Button, who is being chased by Juan Pablo Montoya. On lap 42, the two are in full battle, so Michael Schumacher can take advantage of this possible slowdown to recover ground on his opponents. With eleven laps to go, Juan Pablo Montoya shows up and takes advantage of Jenson Button’s Renault to attack his rival at the Pangkor Chicane.

 

Jenson Button concedes the inside to the Colombian driver of Williams-Bmw, to avoid contact, but manages to keep the position. But on the next corner, the Langkawi, Juan Pablo Montoya has the upper hand over the British driver. The two Williams-Bmw cars are now leading the Malaysian Grand Prix. During the 47th lap both Sauber-Petronas of Nick Heidfeld and Felipe Massa are fifth and sixth respectively. Currently, only thirteen drivers remain in the race, although Giancarlo Fisichella and Mika Salo are three laps behind, and Pedro De La Rosa and Takuma Sato two laps behind the race leader Ralf Schumacher. The German driver of the Williams-Bmw can relax as he has a wide margin from his teammate. Michael Schumacher is 16.2 seconds behind Jenson Button. The German Ferrari driver gains a few tenths of a second per lap, so it seems difficult that he can recover in just five laps the British Renault driver. Michael Schumacher, however, is the author of a wonderful comeback, going from being 21st - after the contact with Montoya - to fourth. The final lap begins. The Williams team is about to score the 31st 1-2 of its history. The two drivers of the British team, Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, cross the finish line in first and second place. Meanwhile, surprisingly, Michael Schumacher is very close to Jenson Button. The Englishman slows down in the last corners, because his car has a technical problem. 

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Michael Schumacher takes advantage of it and overtakes him, crossing the finish line in third place. Jenson Button follows with his Renault and finishes the race in fourth place, ahead of the two Sauber-Petronas driven by Nick Heidfeld and Felipe Massa. The doubts of the eve were well founded. The pole position won by Michael Schumacher, with minimal gaps, had made it clear that Williams-Bmw would be a fierce competitor in the race. The German driver at Scuderia Ferrari said he was optimistic and confident, but he couldn’t even count on the fact that he would experience the race from the back and not from the top. And, once the world champion was out of the fight, Ferrari defended itself well with Rubens Barrichello, at least until the Brazilian’s car engine broke down. Ralf Schumacher had two goals to achieve: win and above all beat his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, the most uncomfortable you can have. After all, the Colombian, tangling with Michael Schumacher at the start of the race, has done a double favour to his teammate, making his life easier with the two main opponents forced to make a hard recovery. If Bridgestone had given competitiveness to the old F2001 in Australia, in Malaysia Michelin would have given additional strength to the cars of the Anglo-German team. Frank Williams, Patrick Head and Gerhard Berger had studied a double tactic: sending Montoya to the attack, who was in the front row of the grid with a two-stop strategy and playing at a distance with Ralf Schumacher, one stop to change tyres and refuel the car. Failed, in a sense, the first, but the second strategy came out well. Ralf Schumacher, fast and regular, first chased Rubens Barrichello through the lead, then hunted him down and then passed, as the Brazilian had to stop twice. Without the slightest problem against the two McLaren-Mercedes, immediately slower and still out of the race after a few laps with broken engines. So Williams scored a great 1-2, which Growe’s team had not been able to achieve since the 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix, under Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill. Four wins last year. One in two at the start of the season. 

 

But above all three cars in the points against only two of Ferrari, which now chases with eight points of disadvantage in the Constructors' standings. The Maranello team, however, in an unhappy day, manages to save a series of prestigious placings. From 37 races in fact, Ferrari has always arrived with at least one car on the podium. It seemed that the record was about to break because on the penultimate lap Michael Schumacher was still fourth with a handful of seconds behind Jenson Button’s Renault. A mechanical failure, however, slowed down the dismayed English driver and a few corners from the end the German driver of Scuderia Ferrari grabbed a miraculous third place that allowed him to climb to 38. A little satisfaction, but it is not enough. The result of Sepang sounds like an alarm for Scuderia Ferrari. It would be stupid and wrong to talk about a crisis, but it is clear that this Williams-Bmw is really dangerous, to be feared, in all respects. As a team, for the drivers, for the engine and the means available. And without forgetting that the next race, in Brazil, could give a further boost to the team of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher: last year in Interlagos David Coulthard won with McLaren-Mercedes, but Montoya remained in the lead of the race for thirty-eight laps, before being hit by the reckless Jos Verstappen. The challenge starts with the tyres - it is not new - to have a decisive weight on the balance on the track. It is difficult to make predictions, because in Formula 1 everything changes quickly, but Ferrari must block the escape attempt that the current opponent is putting in place. Rush is a bad advice, the new car will not be used in the San Paolo track if reliability is not assured. But further delays could favour the attack plans of Williams, which has now taken the role of main antagonist. At the conclusion of the podium celebrations, during the press conference, Ralf Schumacher comments on his victory by saying:

 

"The team did a fantastic job, throughout the race we did very well, especially after the second pit stop. It was really an easy game. I still can’t believe how fast the car was today. Thanks again to the team".

 

The German Williams-Bmw driver also states that he was partly lucky with the accident between his brother and teammate and that, looking at Saturday’s practice, he would not have expected to win, as he was six tenths slower than Juan Pablo Montoya. On the one-stop strategy, however, he says:

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"It was rather difficult to drive the heavy car, with the fuel load in the very first few laps. But when a car is so well balanced it is even a pleasure to suffer a little. I had tried the two-stop strategy several times in the past, but I didn’t like it. My idea was to have a race on the rhythm. If there are no particular obstacles and your direct opponent is not much faster than you, you can always win this way. It was a good move, I’m happy and satisfied. I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment, in Melbourne I was frustrated and disappointed. In Australia I said we weren’t worried. Often at the beginning of the season we didn’t start well, it happened also in 2001. But we knew the situation could change quickly. The car is fine, it works in the right way with aerodynamics and the engine pushes hard. If you put together the whole package, with Michelin tyres, you realise that in the end it is not a big surprise to be the best".

 

Is there any need to think about a season as protagonists to aim for the World Championship? And the next race in Brazil to whom will be more favourable?

 

"Last year at Interlagos we were better than the Ferraris. And Juan Pablo was unlucky. So I’m optimistic. I can aim to at least get on the podium and make life difficult for Michael and Rubens".

 

The 1-2 of Williams-Bmw made, however, particularly happy a person, that is the manager of the German company, the former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger.

 

"The accident? A normal story. I don’t care. The two different strategies of Montoya and Ralf Schumacher? It was a good idea. What counts is this result, a fantastic result that we hope to repeat several times in this championship. If our opponents allow it, of course". 

 

If someone thought that Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya, once they got out of the cockpit of their car, would be beaten, they are wrong. The two maintained a glacial detachment. The Colombian goes to congratulate Ralf Schumacher and so does Michael. Among the protagonists of the accident not even a glance. Although Juan Pablo, he had menacingly shaken a hand immediately after the collision and again when he knew he had been penalised. During the press conference, Montoya answers the journalists' question about the incident:

 

"I saw that Michael was coming from the right. I gave him enough space, he touched me and that was the end of the story. There is little to say. I was a bit angry with him. I was frustrated because the car was going really well. But I think in the end the strategy worked out".

 

About the penalty, however, he states:

 

"I think it’s very unfair, because I gave him space, he approached me and touched me. It’s a racing accident, of course. Immediately afterwards I had to do an extreme run and this penalised us in the end. But I don’t dramatise. On the contrary. The result is fine. I’m very close to Schumacher, Ralf is behind and Williams leads the constructors' championship. In addition, we showed Ferrari what our potential is". 

 

Michael Schumacher’s answer comes soon after, when is his turn.

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"If he had moved a little bit more we wouldn’t have touched each other. He didn’t do it so there was no room for me. It was a shame. I lost the first position and a lot of time at the pit stop. However, I have to say that it was an exciting race".

 

Calm statements, each maintaining their point of view, and serene explanations. Both agree on the definition of a racing accident, and the German Ferrari driver even claims that the punishment inflicted on the rival was excessive:

 

"Honestly, I think Juan Pablo was treated a little too harshly. We have seen much more extreme situations in the past where no action has been taken. Today there was a little touch, something quite normal".

 

But behind the pits, at least on the part of the Williams driver, it feeds the fire of anger. Talking to his mechanic, Juan Pablo Montoya lets himself go, and says:

 

"I had to give him more space because he drives the fucking red car? To hell with him!".

 

And then he adds:

 

"We are not here to run like snails behind the Safety Car".

 

A real resentment, with the obvious thought that the responsibility for the accident that happened at the first corner of the Malaysian Grand Prix is entirely of the world champion in charge. Yet, the stewards were clear. It reads in the judgement:

 

"After receiving the report of the race director [Charlie Whiting, ndr] according to which the driver of car No. 6, Juan Pablo Montoya, was involved in a collision with the car No. 1 of Michael Schumacher, the commissioners decide to impose a drive-through on the Colombian for causing an avoidable accident".

 

This is the first time this punishment has been imposed: drive-through, which means driving through the pits, of course. And Montoya had to go back and run the whole pitlane at the maximum speed of 80 km/h, which took him 24 seconds. Less serious, however, than the classic Stop and Go with ten seconds. Yet, Juan Pablo Montoya disagrees:

 

"It was not a correct decision. At the start Schumacher wanted to move, as was his right, to the right. I was able to flank him on the outside. His car obviously oversteered and moved towards mine. He hit me, Michael confirmed it too. I had given him space but he couldn’t hold the line".

 

In truth, the German driver of Ferrari was already moved on the kerb of the curve and when he found the Williams-Bmw of the Colombian driver next door he could not do anything because the collision was inevitable. However, Michael Schumacher explains to the media: 

 

"Everyone has its own opinion. They all saw the television images. I had taken the narrow line and could no longer avoid contact. I couldn’t brake or change the line, he closed me too much. It was impossible to react differently. He didn’t give up, that’s what happened. Anyway, there was no malice, it was a racing accident. The rules allow me to make a shift when I’m in the lead. Mine was a manoeuvre on the limit, but I respected the rules".

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If the trouble of the first corner hadn’t happened, with a two-stop strategy, would a victory have been possible?

 

"We could have won, even with the two stops. I don’t know exactly how much I lost to replace the front of the car. In the end I was lucky, I didn’t expect to finish third. Renault gave us a gift, even if I feel sorry for Button. I had a lot of fun. Every now and then you win and you’re not satisfied. This has been a day that I will remember for quite a while. Many battles. Nobody gave me any problems, they were all correct, only with Bernoldi I had to make a double overtaking, but it was my mistake. In Australia the opposite happened, we dominated. It will happen often: once us and once them. It will be a difficult season, but they all are. The F2002? When it is ready, Ferrari will send it on track. Not before, it would be a mistake".

 

The German Ferrari driver is convinced that, if it wasn’t for the accident, they could have won. Embittered, Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello confesses:

 

"It’s a shame not to be there. I would not have won, because Michelin was stronger today, but I did everything I had to do and today was a podium".

 

From Tuesday March 19, 2002, Rubens Barrichello and Luca Badoer (joined by Michael Schumacher on Thursday) will be on track in Barcelona for an important series of comparative tests between the F2001 and the F2002. The new car will not be used on the São Paulo track unless reliability is assured. But further delays could favour the attack plans of the Williams-Bmw, which has now taken on the role of main antagonist. Compared to the beginning of last season, when Scuderia Ferrari achieved two successes in the first two races, the situation is almost reversed. But the team principal of the Maranello team Jean Todt says:

 

"We must not let ourselves be overwhelmed by emotions".

 

This means that Ferrari will not take excessive risks to debut the new F2002:

 

"We will do comparative tests with the F2001, and only if we have a reasonable certainty on the reliability of this year’s car will we try to bring it to Brazil. We are convinced that it is faster than the previous model, but we proceed calmly. We were not taken by surprise. We knew that the competition was strong, that they would replicate our success in Melbourne. However, it was not just a matter of tyres, always important and decisive. Some environmental conditions, the complete package, car, tuning, strategy. According to calculations, our two-stop strategy was the best option. And we don’t know if he would have had any luck had it not been a collision between Michael and Montoya in the first corner. The two drivers have given their versions, we respect them, as we respect the decision of the commissioners to penalise the Colombian. The facts remain: luckily the world champion remained at the top of the standings, albeit with narrow margins, and in the Constructors' championship we found ourselves chasing. So Williams was better than us. Of course I can’t be satisfied with the result. The only one who can be is Frank Williams".

 

Speaking of strategy, Todt confirms that for the type of car, the choice of the two stops was the best for Ferrari, even if you cannot have certain confirmation, since the accident and technical failure have jeopardised the race.

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"To recover, Ferrari will do what it has always done. It will do its best. This is not the first time we have to chase. We still had a small lead last Saturday in qualifying, we lost it in the race. However, there is no guarantee that the situation in Interlagos will not change again. In addition, it should be considered that, despite the problems encountered, I always consider McLaren a rival to be feared and I see Renault growing rapidly".

 

After the race, Renault team principal Flavio Briatore comments on the sudden slowdown of the French car:

 

"I think it was a car problem and not an engine problem. A bit of bad luck, but in the end we gained points and that’s fine. The car was competitive so we are happy".

 

Going back to what happened at the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Juan Pablo Montoya adds:

 

"It is clear that I am sorry. I wonder what they should have done to other drivers in much more serious cases. But I do not dramatise. Indeed. The result is fine for me. I am very close to Schumacher, Ralf is behind and Williams leads the constructors' championship. In addition, we showed Ferrari what our potential is".

 

One thing is certain, however. Among the drivers of recent generations, Montoya is the one who has impressed the most. He brought to Formula 1 something that had not been seen for some time: courage and determination, along with the show. From him there is always something special to expect. He still lacks two things: continuity and physical preparation. Although he plays various sports for pleasure, Juan Pablo is mostly a flying animal. So much so that Patrick Head, technical director of Williams, does not spare him certain criticisms:

 

"If he was a little less fat and in better shape, no one would ever beat him. Instead we cannot convince him to do exercise".

 

In fact, the 26-year-old from Bogota has for the four wheels a visceral love, equal only to what he feels for his girlfriend Connie. At the age of 5, in 1980, Montoya already debuted on karts and in 1984 he won the national children’s championship. Ten years after the debut of the first of the two world championships of the specialty. And since then an endless series of successes, passing through the various categories. Among the most important titles won, that of F3000, the American Kart Championship (together with the Indianapolis 500). In the past season the debut in Formula 1, strongly wanted by Frank Williams who did not hesitate to drive away the promising Englishman Jenson Button, with a single victory, important, but in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.


"There is no relationship with Ralf. We have nothing to say to each other, we are different. The only thing we have in common is that we have to work together to make Williams progress. And Michael is an opponent like any other. I don’t see why I should be awestruck by him. I had to learn a lot in 2001. I didn’t know any circuits and the team didn’t have the right chemistry yet. Now I’m safer and faster. Two Schumachers are not enough to stop me".

 

So far, Juan Pablo Montoya has always confirmed words with deeds. His overtaking of the World Champion is an icon in the Formula 1 of the last two years, even if the Colombian had to suffer some from the German driver.

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"And there will be others. The challenge continues. I’m waiting for them at Interlagos, a track that I really like and that suits me and my car. They won once each, it’s time for the third wheel".

 

Bridgestone tyres will be one of the most delicate factors of the championship. Because if there will be a superiority of the cars that mount Michelin tyres, Ferrari will risk being in front in qualifying and perhaps even in a race from four to six cars (Williams-Bmw, McLaren-Mercedes and Renault). A challenge that, in this case, must be faced alone, because the Sauber-Petronas is able, at the moment, to fight only for the positions of relief. On the side of the Italian team, however, there are two important unknowns: the internal rivalry between Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya and a latent crisis between McLaren and Mercedes. The two drivers of Williams-Bmw will certainly not help, at least in the race, while tensions begin to emerge in the Anglo-German team. It seems that McLaren team principal Ron Dennis, in the days leading up to the Malaysian race, has blamed the performance of the engines produced by the Stuttgart-based company for most of the problems encountered so far, including since 2001. Not so much because of the two breakups recorded at Sepang, but because of the not exceptional potential of the Mercedes V10. But Ferrari must rely above all on itself and its drivers. On this front especially Michael Schumacher, author in Malaysia of an extraordinary pursuit, remains a security. In short, it all starts from the beginning. Everything seemed easy for Ferrari, after the debut victory in Australia. At a distance, Schumacher is hunted in the standings not by a single opponent, but by the pair of Williams-Bmw, with Juan Pablo Montoya at 2 points and Ralf Schumacher at 4, while Rubens Barrichello, twice out of the race, is at zero. Compared to the beginning of last season, when the team of Maranello obtained in the first two races two successes, a second and a third place, the situation is almost reversed.


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