Chassis no. 202

The end of the 1990’s was a great period for Ferrari in Grand Prix racing. The team were making continuous improvements, lured Michael Schumacher to drive, and in 1999 won the Constructor’s Championship, a feat they had not achieved since 1983!

As ever, the Scuderia were only content with complete success, and at the end of 1999 they immediately set to work on the F1-2000 which was to compete against the formidable McLarens over the course of the 2000 Formula One season. The chief designer was Rory Byrne and using the teams new wind tunnel in Maranello, he and his team would create the Scuderia’s first Formula One car to be conceived entirely in a wind tunnel, a milestone in race car design and development. To improve upon the 1999 F399, Bryne designed a car with a lower centre of gravity which also resulted in gains in aerodynamic performance and tyre wear.

The F1-2000 was fitted with an all-new 3-litre V10 engine capable of developing over 800 bhp which was mated to a seven-speed, paddle-actuated, sequential transmission. The carbon fibre and Kevlar-reinforced body was wrapped tightly over the mechanical components resulting in undoubtedly one of the most elegant and efficient Formula One cars ever designed!
The car offered here, chassis 202, was built in early 2000 and first saw track action at the Circuit de Catalunya with Michael Schumacher performing driving duties from 26th to 28th April. In total he completed 239 laps in dry conditions over the three days. The car was then returned to the Scuderia in Maranello and shaken down at Ferraris fabled Fiorano circuit by Scuderia test driver Luca Badoer in preparation for the European Grand Prix where Rubens Barrichello would use the car. The 2000 European Grand Prix was held at the Nurburgring in Germany from the 19th to 21st May. Barichello used chassis 202 throughout the weekend and qualified 4th behind the two McLarens and sister Ferrari of Michael Schumacher. The race was a similar story, and Schumacher would win in the sister F1-2000 with Barichello coming home in 4th.

Again the car was returned to Maranello where Badoer took to the wheel at Fiorano to prepare the car for Barrichellos use at the Monaco GP in early June where he qualified 6th on the grid. The race was a different story and Barrichello was in the form of his life, eventually progressing to finish second at the world’s most famous Grand Prix!
Only five days later after its podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix, chassis 202 was again at Fiorano with Badoer preparing it for Barrichellos use at the Canadian Grand Prix. Here the car enjoyed its equal best qualifying result, third on the grid. The race was again strong for Barrichello and he chased Michael Schumacher to finish 0.174 seconds behind him.
After another shakedown back at Fiorano, Barichello and chassis 202 participated in the French Grand Prix. Consistency was the key to the 2000 championship, and another 3rd place on the grid, mated to yet another podium finish in third was precisely what was required, a result which both Barrichello and 202 matched again at the Austrian GP.

The German GP, held at the Hockenheimring, took place over the weekend of the 11th to 13th August and would prove to be both Barrichellos, and 202s, crowning moment. The car was used during free practise for 29 laps before qualifying on the Saturday. Unfortunately, chassis 202 developed a small oil leak and the team opted to let Barrichello qualify using Michael Schumacher’s car. This led to Barrichello starting the race in 18th place, but most importantly with chassis 202. The start was sensational and at the end of the first lap Barrichello was already up to 10th! Lap two and another two places gained, lap three and he passes Irvine and then on lap four Verstappen locked a wheel which put Barrichello up to sixth! A phenomenal start to the race, which was not over with Barrichello setting consecutive fastest laps to close the gap to Pedro de la Rosa who he eventually passed on lap 12! Before being the first car to pit on lap 17, Barrichello also passed Jarno Trulli for third place.

On lap 33 rain began to fall which resulted in all drivers apart from Barrichello, Coulthard, Frentzen and Zona pitting and at the end of lap 39, with all pit stops complete, Barrichello was leading the race, a position he would not relinquish. He continued to pull away from double World Champion Mike Hakkinen to win his first Grand Prix by over seven seconds. This was Barrichellos first ever Grand Prix victory, and for it to be in a Ferrari must have been incredible. Shortly after the race Barrichello said “I just feel great. On the last lap, I heard the guys telling me I was going to win, but it’s such a long lap here. Also, it’s been such a long time (since my last victory) that I had almost lost the taste. And I can promise you that it was getting more and more tricky today, because the rain was falling in separate places. Yesterday was such a bad day that I was just thinking to myself that this one had to be mine. I told myself it could come good, so let’s make it as simple as possible. But I still can’t believe it.”

After the success of the German Grand Prix, Barrichello and 202 would reconvene at the Hungarian Grand Prix and again record a strong performance resulting in 4th place at the end of the race. Chassis 202 would compete at two further Grand Prix with Barrichello in Belgium and Italy, helping Ferrari defend its Constructors World Championship, and Michael Schumacher claim his third World Drivers Championship.

In total, chassis 202 competed at nine Grand Prix, finished on the podium five times, was driven to victory by Rubens Barrichello and tested by Michael Schumacher, a true piece of history which formed a pivotal part of the Scuderia’s complete domination of Grand Prix motor racing throughout the early 2000s.