Ferrari F2001 - Mighty Machine for the New Century
The Ferrari F2001 was one of the best cars in the world. It won both Formula 1 World Championship titles in great style.
Built around the new regulations
The F2001 model was more than worthy successor of F1-2000. The team of Ferrari designers did a great job creating this car around new regulation changes which demanded a higher-mounted front wing assembly to reduce downforce.
Ferrari F2001 cutaway
Despite keeping some recognizable elements of Ferrari design, like periscope exhausts and the small barge boards, the overall look of the car wasn’t typical for Ferrari and many were saying that the design was similar to the McLaren’s one. However, Ferrari F2001 was easy to set up. It had excellent aerodynamics which probably proved to be decisive in 2001 Formula 1 World Championship battle against Williams team that had an advantage in the terms of power, thanks to the mighty BMW engine.
Mixture of the good old things and new approach
The Ferrari F2001 used many parts from its predecessors. The gearbox and internal layout were pretty the same like in F1-2000 but the aerodynamic efficiency was drastically improved. The suspension components and many elements including front wishbones and uprights have been manufactured using new methods. The new car was launched at Maranello on 29th of January, 2001 and debuted on the track the next day at Fiorano in the hands of Michael Schumacher.
Ferrari F2001 launch
Before the beginning of the season, they needed to make small changes on the cars because they were 2-3 seconds slower per lap than F1-2000. The hard work paid off and before the beginning of the season, the difference was just around 0.5s, mainly thanks to an overall reduction in weight which was achieved by using some innovative materials.
Ferrari F2001 won both Drivers’ and Constructors’ championship titles
When the season began, Ferrari F2001 immediately set the standards. Michael Schumacher won the opening two races in Australia and Malaysia. Later in the season, he added wins in Spain, Monaco, at European Grand Prix, and in France. By winning Hungarian Grand Prix, Schumacher clinched the title four rounds before the end of the season. After that, the German also won the races in Belgium and Japan and finished the season with a record number of points – 123.
Ferrari F2001 – one of the cars with legendary reputation
Ferrari also won the 2001 Formula 1 Constructors’ World championship title for the third year in a row. Schumacher won 9 out of 17 races that year, while his teammate Rubens Barrichello failed to win a single race but had 10 podium finishes and played an important role in the Ferrari’s road to the title.
Ferrari F2001B
Slightly modified Ferrari F2001B was used for the opening two rounds of 2002 Formula 1 World championship. It was still good and competitive enough and Schumacher won the Australian Grand Prix and finished 3rd in Malaysia. Throughout its lifespan, the F2001 scored 10 wins, 13 pole positions, three fastest laps and 197 points.
The Ferrari team of 2001
Technical specifications
Length: 4.460 mm
Width: 1.796 mm
Height: 1.100 mm
Chassis: carbon -fiber and composite honeycomb
Kerb Weight (with water and oil): 600 kg
Front Track: 1.470 mm
Rear Track: 1.405 mm
Front Suspension: Independent, push-rod activated torsion springs
Rear Suspension: Independent, push-rod activated torsion springs
Transmission: Rear-wheel drive, longitudinal semi-automatic sequential electronically controlled gearbox, limited-slip differential, 7 gears + reverse
Brakes: Carbon on all four disks
Wheels: 13″ BBS (front and rear)
Tires: Bridgestone
Engine
Designation: Ferrari tipo 050 3.0 l
Power: 800–900 horsepower (600–670 kW) at 18.500 RPM
Configuration: 90 degrees V10
Displacement: 2.997cc
Weight: 94 kg
Fuel &Lubricant: Shell
Timing Gear: 40 valves
Fuel Feed: Magneti Marelli digital electronic injection
Ignition: Magneti Marelli digital electronic ignition
Video – Ferrari F2001 onboard with Michael Schumacher
Photo: wheelsage.org primotipo.com supercars.net f1fanatic.co.uk
