F1-2000

2000 was a record-breaking year for Ferrari which took 170 points, 10 wins and 10 pole positions. But most of all it was the year of the double World Championships. After 21 long years, Ferrari ruled the world once again with Michael Schumacher crowned World Champion after nine wins. Thanks to the valuable contribution of Irvine’s replacement, Rubens Barrichello, the Scuderia also took the Constructors’ title for the second year running.

The season proved an emotional rollercoaster. Schumacher managed a triple whammy (Australia, Brazil and San Marino) at the start, then won at the Nürburgring and Montreal, taking a comfortable lead. However, July turned out to be disastrous for him. He retired at Magny-Cours and was eliminated from the running right at the start at Zeltweg and Hockenheim. However, Barrichello saved his teams face in Germany with his first F1 success at the end of a thrilling wet race. Hakkinen took Budapest and Spa. Schumacher and Ferrari arrived late at Monza but the Italian event marked the start of an extraordinary run: four consecutive poles and four wins for Michael who became World Champion at Suzuka with one race still to go. Ferrari crowned a brilliant season with the Constructors’ title in Malaysia.

The car that brought these results had a unique, four-number designation: it was very different from its predecessors especially with regard to its front-end aerodynamics with a high nose cone that then dipped to support the low wing. The car’s shape spoke volumes about the enormous amount of research that had gone into improving the lines and the surfaces to make it more efficient. The chassis’ centre of gravity was lowered with even the brake callipers at the bottom of the disc down rather than vertically. The more powerful Tipo 049 engine was also redesigned with a 90° V between the cylinder banks to make it lower.