Ferrari F1-2000 - A Car That Won the Long-awaited Title

The Ferrari F1-2000 was the car that won both Drivers’ and Constructors’ championship titles for the Italian team in 2000.

Ferrari F1-2000 wasn’t a revolutionary car

The new car was quite different in comparison to the previous two models. While the gearbox, operated by paddles mounted behind the steering wheel remained literally the same, the engine was new. The most important change was that the gravity center of the car was lowered with a new engine which had a wider cylinder bank angle. The aerodynamics also was improved and brought almost at the level of McLaren. The Ferrari F1-2000 also features exhausts exiting at the top of the sidepods, ahead and between the rear wheels.

Ferrari F1-2000 cutaway

Everybody was pretty satisfied with the new car and the team officials Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, and Rory Byrne (who was a chief designer) were sure that success will come. Ferrari won the Constructors’ championship in 1999 but the main ambition was to win Drivers’ title after 21 years and Jody Scheckter’s triumph. Two-time champion Michael Schumacher was hungry for success, while Rubens Barrichello, who arrived as a replacement for Eddie Irvine, had to be a second fiddle in the red orchestra.

Excellent start of the campaign

The start of the season was perfect. Schumacher scored three consecutive wins, in Australia, Brazil, and at Imola. Everyone in Ferrari was especially happy after the season-opening event in Melbourne when Barrichello finished 2nd. Michael’s winning streak ended in the British Grand Prix when he finished third, while Rubens retired for the second time in the season.

Ferrari won both Formula 1 titles in 2000

For the first time in 2000, Barrichello outperformed his teammate at the Spanish Grand Prix. Brazilian driver finished third at Catalunya Circuit, while Schumi was fifth. The next race was European Grand Prix at Nurburgring and Schumacher scored the fourth victory of the season. After the first third of the season, Schumacher was 18 points ahead of Mika Hakkinen and 22 ahead of David Coulthard in the overall standings, while Ferrari had an advantage of 10 points to McLaren.

Bad luck for Schumacher, Barrichello in form

In the middle of a campaign, fortune was against Schumacher and he retired from four out of five races. Luckily for the team, Barrichello did very well in that period. In Monaco, Schumacher retired on lap 55 but Brazilian finished second in the race. Michael recovered by winning the Canadian Grand Prix when he beat Barrichello by only 0.174s, which was a second 1-2 finish for Ferrari.

Barrichello scored his first Formula 1 win at Hockenheim in 2000

Schumacher failed to finish the races in France, Austria, and Germany. At Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours he retired on lap 55 due to engine failure, at A1 Ring he was involved in the collision at the beginning of the race, while at Hockenheimring he again collided with Giancarlo Fisichella at the start of the race. Luckily, Barrichello did well in these races. He won the German Grand Prix and finished third in France and Austria.

With six races remaining, Schumacher lead in the Drivers’ championship was reduced to just two points. Both Hakkinen and Coulthard had 54 points on their accounts, while in the Constructors’ championship Ferrari was four points ahead of McLaren.

Schumi was perfect in the last third of the campaign

The two-time F1 champion Schumacher ended the bad streak in Hungary where he finished 2nd, behind Hakkinen, and for the first time, he lost the leading position in the standings. The same outcome was in the Belgian Grand Prix. Hakkinen was now six points clear of Schumacher, while McLaren topped the Constructors’ standing with an advantage of eight points to Ferrari. It looked like the Italian squad will end the season without trophies. However, Schumacher did an amazing job when it was crucial.

Michael Schumacher celebrating the 2000 F1 title at Suzuka

He triumphed in the final four races of the season – Italy, USA, Japan, and Malaysia. Barrichello also did well, scoring two podiums (Sepang, Indianapolis) and the 4th place at Suzuka. At the end of the year, Schumacher won the title with 108 points, 19 more than Hakkinen. Ferrari grabbed the Constructors’ championship by beating McLaren by 18 points and that was the beginning of the Scuderia’s supremacy.

What the numbers say?

Ferrari F1-2000 had remarkable results – 10 wins out of 17 races. A total of 21 podiums were scored, as well as 10 pole positions (Schumacher 9, Barrichello 1) and 5 fastest laps (Schumacher 2, Barrichello 3).

Jean Todt, Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Luca di Montezemolo celebrating

Ferrari F1-2000 technical specifications

Length: 4.397 mm
Width: 1.795 mm
Height: 959 mm
Weight: 600 kg (including driver)
Chassis: Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite monocoque
Front track: 1.490 mm
Rear track: 1.405 mm
Front suspension: Double wishbones, push-rod activated torsion arms
Rear suspension: Double wishbones, push-rod activated torsion arms
Engine: Ferrari Tipo 049 V10, 3.0 l, 2.997 cc, normally aspirated, mid-longitudinally at 90 degrees
Max power output: over 770 hp
Transmission: Ferrari 7-speed longitudinal semi-automatic sequential
Brakes: Carbon-fibre ventilated discs
Fuel: Shell
Tires: Bridgestone

Video – Ferrari F1-2000, Italian Grand Prix at Monza

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