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#663 2000 Malaysian Grand Prix

2021-04-10 01:00

Osservatore Sportivo

#2000, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Monica Bessi, Davide Scotto di Vetta,

#663 2000 Malaysian Grand Prix

Did you sleep well, Michael Schumacher, after the race that crowned him for the third time in his career Formula 1 World Champion? "Practically nothin

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Did Michael Schumacher sleep well after the race that crowned him for the third time in his career a Formula 1 World Champion?

 

"Practically nothing. I was struggling at first to realise what had happened. I get it now, but it’s always hard to find the right words to describe how I feel. I brought the world championship back to Maranello after twenty-one years, I crowned a dream. It is the most beautiful thing that happened to me in life".

 

Will he ever forget Suzuka’s victory?

 

"When I passed the finish line I felt the greatest emotion of my career. I had never exulted so. I lifted a huge weight from my shoulders. Finally world champion, with Ferrari. A liberation. The last lap was the longest of my life. I wasn’t myself, I was completely gone, out of my mind. I cried, laughed, I didn’t understand anything anymore".

 

Five years in Ferrari to become champion. Did he think he had to wait so long?

 

"I hoped that the wait would be shorter. I was convinced, but for three years we were just close. The bitterness of the last race, the disappointment: Jerez, twice Suzuka with me and then Irvine. But for this reason now the joy is greater. It pays for everything. I had already won two world championships, but it is absurd to compare them to this. Ferrari does not have the history of Benetton, Ferrari in Formula 1 is the myth. Who triumphs on this car becomes a legend".

 

Three times champion, but Fangio has reached five titles. Does he hope to reach him?

 

"Forget it. It makes no sense to talk about new goals now, I just want to enjoy this triumph. Indeed, we can talk about a goal: we are one step away from the Constructors' title, we are three points short. In Malaysia I will fight like crazy to give the team this success, too".

 

However, there is talk of a winning Barrichello, considering a promise made by the German to Rubens after he had given up overtaking him in Canada:

 

"I’m happy to help him, but Rubens can do just fine on his own. He’s the teammate who put the most pressure on me, the closest he ever came to me. On many occasions he has been very fast, with him Ferrari has a great future. In Montreal he was very intelligent in understanding the situation, in Hockenheim he won a crucial race. For himself, for the team and for me too, since he took four points from Hakkinen".

 

Speaking of Hakkinen, did he see how he accepted defeat?

 

"I have never known such a loyal person. The way he reacted is splendid. There are drivers who, when they are defeated, complain, spit out poison. He never loses control, and if he does, he recognizes your superiority. Mika doesn’t like to lose, but he is correct and calmly accepts the verdict. He’s the nicest rival I’ve ever had, as well as the best and the hardest. And then, how do you call him a loser? There were two of us, we dominated, no one is able to approach us today. I hope it continues for many years, the duels with him are very exciting".

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Schumacher, who is also a father, returns home as World Champion. What will he say to his children?

 

"First I have to give Gina Maria back the bell I put in the suit. My daughter is amazing: every time I leave she entrusts me with a lucky charm. I don’t believe in the Cabals, but it seems to work. And then it’s such a tender gesture".

 

Did he ever think he lost again this year?

 

"Never. I had signals that made me realise that it would not be easy, but I did not give up. Of course, without the troubles of Monte Carlo, Magny Cours, Zeltweg and Hockenheim I could have ended it in advance. But it wouldn’t have been so exciting".

 

Everyone talks about Monza as the key Grand Prix of the season:

 

"An important success. But it was decisive to be very fast and reliable from the beginning". 

 

At the end of 1995, after two world titles, Michael left Benetton to join Ferrari. The first impression was as follows:

 

"It looked like my friends' go-kart shop".

 

This is how Schumacher begins, with something that closely resembles an offence, the story that he tells Bild about his adventure with Ferrari.

 

"I immediately understood that there was a lot of work to do. The mechanics were and are fantastic, but the whole organisation...well, even the supposed little Benetton was much more developed. However, we must not forget that for Ferrari it is doubly difficult, because it produces both engines and chassis".

 

Then, is the rebirth all thanks to Schumacher? No, the German says that the key name is another:

 

"Jean Todt. He’s a friend of mine, he’s one of the most upright and honest people I know. With his work, Todt has made Ferrari one of the most modern teams in the world, we have become a fantastic team, and if he hadn’t been there I would never have become World Champion, ever".

 

And besides Todt, what was the secret to success?

 

"Unity. We win and lose together, as in a football team".

 

After the men of Ferrari and rival Hakkinen, the first that Michael hugged was Flavio Briatore, the man who discovered him ten years earlier and made him enter into Formula 1. Flavio remembers that moment with pleasure:

 

"It was the end of 1990, and I was recently at Benetton, a small team, with little money and much need to grow. I couldn’t think of big-name drivers because I didn’t have the money to pay them, nor would they ever accept a team to redo".

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And adds:

 

"So I invested the first money in the reorganisation and in the technical field. Then I thought about betting on young drivers, but I didn’t know any. I happened to meet a Mercedes man, then engaged in another type of car racing, who gave me three names to follow: Schumacher, Frentzen and Wendlinger. But I had the drivers for the 1991 season and I could not change them. At some point in the championship a Jordan driver, Gachot, had to be replaced. I spoke to Eddie Jordan right away and we arranged for him to hire this Schumacher for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. And it was at Spa that I personally met Michael. I immediately liked him for his ability to concentrate, for his preparation. For his way of thinking, that was not usual in a 22-year-old boy. He had great confidence and this convinced me definitively. He had his first race at Spa and the next day he came to my house in London. That first experience in Formula 1 had enormously motivated him. Jokingly I told him not to expect much money from me but he overlooked this subject. He wanted to know about the car, the programs, the men of the team. The money was not his first motivation and perhaps not even the second".

 

After the Belgian Grand Prix came the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and Briatore fired one of his drivers, the Brazilian Moreno, and hired Schumacher:

 

"All hell broke loose, we ended up in front of the Magistrate of Monza in a case that I won and Michael stayed with me and Benetton. And he gave us a great help in the development of the car. And I discovered something else: his great ability to motivate the people who work with him. He created an exceptional feeling, one of the reasons for the success we had. He knew that if we grew up, more money would come in and we could develop the car faster. And he came with me on a sponsor hunt. When I went to Japan to bring the biggest cigarette manufacturer in that country to Formula 1 as a sponsor, Michael came with me. The same thing happened when we went to Renault to get the engines. He immediately proved to be a great worker, one who sacrifices himself and makes others sacrifice and in the end the results come and everyone is happy. And that’s what he did to Ferrari. But if Ferrari is back, it certainly owes it to Michael, but also to Jean Todt who wanted it and was able to create the right team around him. The same was true of Ross Brawn, the man who rebuilt Benetton and led it to become World Champion".

 

With the constructors' title won in 1999, and the chance to win both championships this season, Brawn’s goal is clear: Ferrari wants to open a cycle. The technician-strategist, the man whom Barrichello calls master and whose Schumacher, first in Benetton and then in Ferrari, never wanted to race without:

 

"For four years we have been working together, always the same group of people, thanks to Fiat and President Montezemolo. The critics wanted changes, our summit resisted. And the prize is this world title. I’m doing very well in Italy, I’m happy to work for Ferrari, I hope my career here is still very long and full of success".

 

An elegant way to kill the rumours that would like him in a perpetual departure, tempted by the British. Now that the best part comes, Ross Brawn does not want to miss it:

 

"Many people argue that the McLaren is the best car, but it is a colossal injustice to Byrne, who designed our car. This year the Ferrari is at least as competitive as its opponent, if not more. It is well built, easy to balance. We had problems on the rear tyres, they were worn and heated too much, but after Magny Cours everything was solved. This Ferrari is fantastic, and deserves the world championship".

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And above all, Schumacher deserved it, to whom Brawn is tied by double thread:

 

"I’ve never worked with Senna and Prost, I can’t compare them to Michael, but Schumacher is the best of the new generation. He always takes the car to the max, even when he doesn’t seem to be able to offer it. Other drivers give up, he doesn’t. Schumacher is very committed to the development of the car and this allows him to have a great feeling with the car and the team".

 

Congratulations in return, as Schumacher often uses the word masterpiece in describing Brawn’s decisions. Suzuka is the last example, with that overtaking on Hakkinen in the pits that meant the world title. Strategist Ross, shy, does not like excessive praise:

 

"The whole team deserves the credit. And the rain helped us a bit".

 

But above all they worked on the calculations about the fuel to put in the car, and on the laps to cover. Precise calculations, made by a Brawn three times World Champion, like Schumacher. As pointed out by Briatore, another important figure in the success of Ferrari is Jean Todt, who remembers the day of his arrival at Ferrari, specifically when a driver told him that he would never succeed in winning anything. That driver was certainly not just anyone, given that it was Alain Prost, one that had not remained in good relations with the environment of Maranello. A year earlier, in these times, the sports director of Ferrari was booed at the Festa dell'Unità in Modena by fans and then resigned for the case of the deflectors at Sepang. They were rejected by Montezemolo, and so now he can tell how he became the architect, his definition, of success:

 

"What happened will remain imprinted on my skin and in my head until the end of my days. In 1994, when Berger won my first Ferrari Grand Prix, I said to myself: now I can get kicked out but I can at least say that I experienced a victory at Ferrari. It was only the first step, on Sunday we made the second".

 

After making three mistakes:

 

"In 1997 in Jerez we got very close: only fifteen laps from the end. And at the wall of Suzuka when thirteen laps were missing I could not help but tell myself: I’ve already lived this. I was terrified. But another important moment in Ferrari, though underestimated by many, was last year’s constructors' championship. Winning that drivers' is no longer difficult, indeed".

 

Six seconds will remain in the history of Ferrari: those of the pit stop masterpiece in Suzuka:

 

"We have a great team, I wanted to put many people on the podium with me. And I would have liked to bring here more mechanics out of the seventy who were there. We have done so much work to get here".

 

The dedication to Montezemolo is obvious:

 

"He took a big risk taking me because for all Italians it would have been better to see an Italian and not a French in my role. I always knew it, and it has never bothered me. Maybe he had no alternative but it was a gamble: as the fact of defending me also against many external pressures, including those of the shareholders who paid so much to win but did not see the results. As for the history of the deflectors, of course I was targeted: I am responsible and if there is a mistake I have to pay. Then I was glad that the facts proved not to be a mistake".

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His contract expires in 2001:

 

"I am a man of will. The motivation that drives me to move forward is to win: it is like hunger. At first I thought it would be difficult for me to live in Italy and instead it was the easiest thing. In fact, I don’t know if I will be able to leave Italy. Since I’m in Ferrari we have gone 101 times on the podium. It would be nice to do more. I’m already thinking about Malaysia and the car of 2001. It’s a drug, and if it ends, it is better to go and do something else".

 

What did this Frenchman bring to Ferrari and vice versa?

 

"Inside of me I always refused to think of Ferrari as a different stable: it would have meant not doing things properly. I tried to run it like any other company, always realising what it represents. For me it was a course of life: I learned to suffer, to take hard hits, to never give up thinking even to those six hundred boys in production that Schumacher has never seen. So I managed to keep the team strong, clean, and winning. In a passionate environment I brought method, mentality and procedures. I found a stable in crisis, I made sure that the wind always blew in a single direction. You made up the fact that I'm a hard man. Sometimes I just imposed things that were not easy to understand".

 

Moving on to defeats, the first day as a former Formula 1 monarch, Mika Hakkinen spent it in Southeast Asia, in Singapore. A short holiday with his wife Erja, before heading to Sepang for the last act of a championship that the Finnish driver will try to close with the fifth success of the season, almost two months from the last win in the Belgian Grand Prix. A few days of relaxation will serve to get rid of the tension accumulated during an entire season that for the top driver of McLaren had incredible ups and downs: the false start, the need to recover on Michael, a part of the season colourless, then the summer resurrection that had its best image in the overtaking of Spa, and then ended with the three consecutive defeats in Monza, Indianapolis and Suzuka that forced him to hand the world crown to Schumacher and Ferrari. A sad epilogue that the McLaren driver knew how to live as a great gentleman with gestures of sincere sportsmanship and a serene smile always printed on the face, so much so that before leaving Suzuka he joined the party of Schumacher. Paradoxically the new situation of deposed sovereign could even be convenient in this period, because almost certainly the promotional commitments will have a moment of fatigue and he will have more time to stay close to Erja, that will soon make him a father for the first time. Meanwhile, Mika can already draw the conclusions:

 

"On the one hand I’m really sorry for how it ended on Sunday, but on the other I also realise that I certainly could not expect to remain World Champion forever. Sometimes it is logical, indeed right that someone else wins, because otherwise the world of sport would be of an incredible boredom. And I have no intention of spoiling the natural atmosphere of partying that you can breathe in these days at Ferrari and in the team of Michael, saying maybe that Suzuka was not a good race, that the championship was bad, also because I do not think so at all. This has been an exciting and fun season, despite how it ended for me. Michael and I have always fought loyally, often creating great spectacle. Arriving second, therefore, is not a disgrace".

 

The grade the former World Champion gives to his seventh world championship season is therefore high:

 

"I think I’ve done a great championship anyway. Take for example the race at Suzuka: even after being overtaken by Schumacher I did not give up at all and I tried to chase him, trying to push to the max. Something I actually recovered, also because I imagined that he ran at a more cautious pace considering that the asphalt was slimy, and so on the last lap I went even beyond my limit to try to catch him".

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About the team, he says:

 

"I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me this year. In short, I only regret that in Formula 1 there is no tie rule because we certainly deserved to get it. I believe that to redeem us we must start from here, from what is positive in this defeat".

 

The challenge for 2001 is therefore already being re-launched:

 

"I know the people I work with, so I’m not at all worried about 2001. Ours is a group of experienced people, who know how to handle victories as well as defeats. That’s why there is no excessive disappointment in the stable. For us, fighting for the World Championship is never a nightmare but always a pleasure". 

 

With his eyes turned to the upcoming season, on October 13, 2000, Luca Badoer concludes the test session on the circuit of Fiorano. Forty-eight laps, fastest in 1'01"209; two starting simulations. The program is: development of new mechanical components, brakes and reliability accessories. Badoer, a Ferrari test driver since 1998, laughs at the effects that the conquest of the World Championship has left on the faces of those who returned to Maranello. His hair is also at risk after some mechanics' hair was cut in Japan. In Malaysia, Luca will be on the runway, an award trip decided by Jean Todt:

 

"Do not write that I am going to replace someone. I will be there to suffer. We still need to win the other title". 

 

Then on holiday:

 

"We will see. After Malaysia, there are still ten days of testing".

 

The most beautiful memory?

 

"The test results. Schumacher remembered me in Japan: it was the best award. We work in tune, there is a great exchange of information. And we get along even when we do not talk about work".

 

The worst one? 

 

"When they chose Mika Salo over Michael who was injured last year. It is not, however, when you break an engine, but if the solutions found with so much effort are not competitive in the race. And I remember the German Grand Prix: when I saw Michael standing off the track and Rubens so far behind I was sick. I turned off the television, I cursed, I sent everything to hell. Then I repented. I turned it on and the Grand Prix gave me strong feelings. I was looking forward to filming Rubens' camera car: my fantasy was flying".

 

It was the Brazilian’s first victory:

 

"I was very nervous during those last laps, with dry tyres and such a tricky track. I concentrated on that risky choice, the only winner: only in those conditions I had an advantage. I remembered my fourth place at the Nürburgring, with the Minardi in similar conditions. I missed it because of a gear failure. When I saw Rubens at the chequered flag, on the podium, I felt an envy that I cannot describe".

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How did the F1-2000 grow this year?

 

"The most important breakthroughs have come since September. But we have wide areas of improvement: working at 360, we found nice news. And something might be ready for the last Grand Prix. At the factory they are working non-stop. The development was also useful to identify new areas of intervention for the 2001 car".

 

When will we see a Ferrari starting like the McLaren?

 

"The technical and regulatory limitations imposed by the FIA do not allow for a fully assisted management of the starting procedure. The technology comes up to a certain point. The driver is what always counts. You can optimise everything you want, but the driver cannot intervene with the tests. That’s why it is essential to try and try again the starts. We need the maximum harmony with Formula 1 in a moment that is decisive for the race, even if we start from pole".

 

When did you realise that the driver’s title was within reach of Schumacher? 

 

"At Spa, despite that result. Monza and the other races confirmed it. But since the beginning of the season I had understood that this F1-2000 would not allow McLaren and Hakkinen to gain the advantage that would put them away from the surprises that Ross Brawn, a magician of strategy, can find. Ross knows perfectly the data of tyre consumption, availability of fuel and the race situation per lap in order to determine the exact time of the stop for refuelling".

 

With the third title, thanks to which he reached Ayrton Senna, Schumacher can already set the next goal. The fourth World Championship, in fact, would allow him to reach Alain Prost. The Frenchman is aware of it, but he does not seem to care much. By now his career as a driver is the past, and Alain, forty-five years old, four world titles, fifty-one victories (absolute record: Schumacher has forty-three), now only thinks to get out of the buckets with his team, which this year has not won even a point. Is it his fault? A confusing management, some man not in the right place, resignation in the race of the technical director, a collaboration by Peugeot that deserves some psychoanalytic session to be fully deciphered. A long, painful list. Prost realises it and then willingly speaks of other things, knowing that in the future it will be better for him. Alain, before the arrival of Schumacher, was the last driver in Ferrari to touch the World Championship: if there had been the famous accident in Suzuka with his eternal rival Senna, perhaps it would have been his honour to bring the title back to Maranello:

 

"Maybe, but basically today Ferrari has bet everything on Schumacher, while that year I had thirty-five points ahead of my teammate Mansell, yet the team continued not to express hierarchies. Now there was a different philosophy and a different management. Schumacher and Barrichello had stability and clarity, this allowed them to work well and Michael to conquer the World Championship".

 

How did the Frenchman feel when he saw Ferrari triumph, also in light of the fact that next year he will have Ferrari engines on his cars?

 

"I was naturally happy, the title was well deserved. Ferrari can boast of not having won for luck, but for merit".

 

On the driving level, what is Schumacher's best quality?

 

"He is an always motivated driver, ready to fight. And with this commitment he pushes those around him to give more. Even in the tests he runs like crazy. In driving he has no weaknesses".

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And what about Hakkinen?

 

"On Mika weighed the first three races due to the lack of reliability of his car. He certainly did not lose the World Championship in Suzuka. When you’re World Champion for two years in a row and you throw away the first three races, you’re automatically under pressure and it gets harder. Had he won two out of three races, at the beginning, this championship would have changed".

 

Where to place Schumacher in a ranking of the greatest ever: 

 

"In the area of Senna and the greatest ones. I would avoid comparisons between ages. I would also put Hakkinen high, very high. Mika is an amazing driver".

 

Will it be possible to avoid, perhaps as early as next year, that any result is undermined by the suspicion of irregularities, traction controls hidden in softwares, that the FIA commissioners, if they want, do not see?

 

"Very difficult. It is a complex problem. On the one hand, complaints should be avoided to ensure that the regulation is respected. On the other hand, if one has a doubt about a rival car, it is right that he makes a protest. The difficulty is that today there is such a vast technology in Formula 1 that the regulations leave room for suspicion. The way in which the rules are drawn up and the way in which they are checked must be changed. Complaints are always negative: for those who make them and for those who are brought under investigation. It is not great".

 

Will the future still be Ferrari-McLaren?

 

"Yes, for at least two more years".

 

What about next year’s Prost-Ferrari?

 

"It is being born on the basis of an engine World Champion. It is not a small thing. Finally, for two years, we will have stability and we can work on everything else. The new car is already outlined. Now I have to take care of the organisation. For the second driver, who will support Alesi, I’m not in a hurry". 

 

Goals?

 

"Certainly not to win a Grand Prix next season. Against Ferrari and McLaren, I repeat, there will be little to do. But Prost has found serenity and will certainly work better".

 

Once in Sepang, you can immediately notice how different the atmosphere is compared to the previous year. In 1999, the season of the first edition of the Malaysian Grand Prix, the championship was characterised by the fight in the drivers' title between Hakkinen and Irvine, Schumacher's return to racing more than three months after the dramatic accident at Silverstone, and the curiosity to get to know this futuristic circuit designed by the German architect Hermann Tilke, which the Malays built by wiping out a part of equatorial forest. 

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Everyone then remembers how it ended on Sunday, with the joy for the Ferrari 1-2, extinguished by the disqualification triggered by the alleged irregularity of the deflectors. In 2000, however, thanks to the fact that almost all the protagonists are veterans of a week spent on the most beautiful beaches of South-East Asia, it is possible to breathe the classic air of the last day of school, which even the fight for the constructors' championship is not able to cancel. The usual Gerhard Berger jokes by saying:

 

"Of course everyone is so relaxed: don’t you know that they have already agreed? The drivers' title went to Michael and now it’s up to McLaren to take home the constructors' one".

 

In fact, for Ferrari hitting this second World Championship for the second consecutive year should be easy: for them it would be enough to place a car in fourth place even if McLaren hits a 1-2. But Jean Todt warns:

 

"But we must not forget what happened in Indianapolis: we have overturned the standings, taking home sixteen points while our rivals have won only two. What if it’s our turn on Sunday?"

 

A catastrophic scenario that, however, hardly fits in with the prudential policy of the Ferrari leader. Especially since the 049C engines will not be used unless qualifying is disastrous. In short, more than the Constructors' World Championship, it is the Barrichello situation that intrigues: it is expected that after having put in his pocket the drivers' title, Schumacher here will facilitate the eventual second success of his teammate in Formula 1. Rubens admits that: 

 

"I hope I don’t need Michael’s help, but that’s not the point. The two Ferraris must be in front and close in order to implement a possible strategy of this type".

 

Obviously much will depend on the reaction of McLaren-Mercedes after the Japanese defeat. Norbert Haug, on the sad Sunday of Suzuka, made it known that 2001 for the Anglo-German binomial would start immediately in Malaysia. A way to keep up the tension of the stable and provide new stimuli to Hakkinen and Coulthard, because - if things are as the manager of Mercedes said - which of the two should eventually centre success in this race, would benefit the other one in the eyes of the stable ahead of next season. For their part, Hakkinen and Coulthard have sworn that they have not yet given up mentally. Mika claims, albeit with little conviction:

 

"If I had won my third world title, maybe I would have retired, instead I have new stimuli".

 

Coulthard reiterates that he aims to hit the first row on Saturday and win the race on Sunday. But the last 2000 Grand Prix, even if it will be a private affair between Ferrari and McLaren (except for surprises linked perhaps to the sudden, violent thunderstorms that are on the agenda in Malaysia), also has other topics. First of all, there is the three-way fight for fourth place among the constructors’ championship that sees Benetton (20), BAR (18) and Jordan (17) separated by three points and involves the two Italian drivers, Fisichella and Trulli. The first is optimistic:

 

"The BAR has gone very well in these last races but on the slopes with so much aerodynamic load like this we should be a little more advantaged". 

 

The other Italian driver is pessimist:

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"This is not a suitable track for our car".

 

Finally, this Grand Prix also represents the farewell to Formula 1 of Peugeot and Johnny Herbert, who after 161 races and three successes (Great Britain and Monza 1995; Europe 1999) aims to move to the United States (later to become Arrows test driver). For him Jaguar organises a party in the area behind the pits on the eve of free practice. Still stalled, however, the situation of other drivers such as Pedro Diniz and Alex Wurz, who are looking for a seat for the following season. In place of the Brazilian driver, Sauber hired the young Kimi Raikkonen, coming from the British Formula Renault, and protagonist of excellent test sessions at the wheel of the C19. Having landed in Malaysia in the company of his wife Corinna after a holiday in Thailand, Schumacher says he is ready to conquer the World Constructors' Championship. The new World Champion also hopes to enjoy a race weekend without any pressure. The driver’s title obviously lifted a weight from his stomach:

 

"Weight? It was as if I had tons of weight on me that crushed me. I felt overwhelmed by a mountain of rocks, but I came out of it. And Ferrari with me. You know, it’s easy to hide it, but the pressure was so, so much". 

 

And how was the holiday?

 

"Beautiful, different from usual. Holidays are always good, but this was different. When we arrived in Thailand, with my wife we saw a lot of serene people, maybe poor, but serene. People who stood there, doing nothing but, despite this, they had relaxed faces. They looked at life with other eyes. And I said to my wife: why don’t we try to do so too? At least for these holidays".

 

In Italy, believe it or not, Michael was much criticised because, according to someone, he mocked the Mameli's Hymn on the podium of Suzuka:

 

"I know, I know. I was told and I’m very sorry. I apologise if I offended anyone, but when I’m on the podium and they play the German anthem, I’m alone. I can’t share that joy with anyone. When they play the Italian anthem I am in great and beautiful company: with all my team, which is made for the most part of Italian people. A month ago I was criticised and I stopped partying on the podium. But the team resented: what? Don’t you sing the anthem with us? It would have seemed an insult and that day in Japan I did it again. For me but also for them. When I saw Pino (D'Agostino) singing at the top of his lungs, I couldn’t resist. That’s all, I didn’t want to mock and offend anyone, I’m sorry I was misunderstood".

 

After twenty-one years, finally a Ferrari world champion. But how will it be next year?

 

"On the one hand it will be better: we will have less pressure on us and that makes things easier. On the other hand, it’s gonna be worse, because everyone’s gonna expect me to win again. And I can do it, because at this point, the most beautiful thing that the world has brought us is the awareness of being strong. I mean that Ferrari no longer has weak points. In none of the areas that concern the car, a race, a championship. We just have to keep our development programs running smoothly".

 

On Friday, October 20, 2000, the first two free practice sessions are held at the Sepang circuit, and Mika Hakkinen immediately demonstrates his intentions to compete for the constructors' title against Ferrari until the end.

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The Finn sets the best time, but Michael Schumacher is right behind him, just fourteen thousandths away. The duel, in short, continues. And to decide whether Ferrari will do the en plein or if the Silver Arrows will at least be able to win the constructors’ title, an important role belongs to the teammates of the two champions. Coulthard and Barrichello will be the needle of the balance of the last challenge; their points will decide which of the two teams will be the best constructor. And the two do not find themselves unprepared; they are, respectively, in third and fourth place chasing closely the two of the first row. But on the day of free practice, and with the season practically over, the Formula 1 of poisons does not stop: in a ferocious letter addressed to Ron Dennis, the president of the FIA, Max Mosley, contests McLaren’s number one criticism of Suzuka because an Italian, Roberto Causo, had been included among the sports commissioners. And he extends the discussion to a series of topics that concern not only the actions, but also the hidden intentions of the same English patron. Such a thing has never been seen in Formula 1. Mosley mentions several times, in the letter, that the image of transparency of the FIA and Formula 1 is affected. Without realising that his letter weighs the poisons of Formula 1 beyond the bearable level. Here are some excerpts of the letter:

 

"Dear Ron, in the Japanese Grand Prix your criticism about Roberto Causo as race commissioner was reported. You also criticised Charlie Whiting’s briefing to drivers on the possible use of the black and white flag, publicly attacking the FIA. No one has anything against criticism, but you’re doing a disservice by suggesting that the World Champion is not running properly. Such conduct can be considered an infringement of the Sports Code. No one can dispute the experience and capacity of Causo as a Commissioner. Your protests seem to be related to the fact that he is Italian and/or that he is a lawyer who in the past represented, among others, the Italian Automobile Club (not Ferrari) and the Williams team. But the running director, an observer, two software specialists, the fuel controller, the head of the medical service (in addition to the FIA president and the holder of commercial rights) are as British as you and your team. Don’t you see the absurdity of that? What would happen if Italy and Ferrari (or Benetton, Jordan, Minardi, Prost and Sauber) adopted the same attitude towards the British? Apart from that, your criticism is a heavy insult to Mr Causo who, according to you, is not prepared to be impartial, which is very detrimental to a lawyer who voluntarily offers his time to our sport. I hope that a reflection will lead you to withdraw the claims and write him a letter of apology".

 

And he continues:

 

"The black and white flag: in recent years there has been a lot of controversy between drivers, the latter concerning Michael Schumacher (Malaysia 1999) and David Coulthard (USA 2000). Some might say that what Schumacher did to Coulthard in Malaysia was unsportsmanlike, but Michael was struggling with Hakkinen, fighting for the constructors' title and following Fangio’s rule: you have to drive as slow as you can while you’re ahead and the race is ending. Others might say that Coulthard in Indianapolis has moved on. He anticipated the start and could not win, given the inevitable penalty. He could still continue at his own pace until the pit stop, it was up to Michael to overtake him. These considerations are very subjective; it is difficult to prove the difference between a defensible conduct and a deliberate plan to interfere with the race. The gap between Schumacher and Hakkinen in Japan was very small and what should the governing body do? It would have been easy to destroy this fight. The possible scenarios are countless. We have chosen three. Each of these scenarios involves a driver. The best deterrent is to dissuade a driver who can distort a result with the threat of a disqualification even for the following season; or warn a driver before he can interfere with a result. Although Ferrari, McLaren or other teams have never thought of behaving incorrectly, the FIA, with Whiting, warned the drivers. You should be grateful to an organisation that tries to prevent difficulties. Managing motorsport is very complex. If you think you could do better, it would be the case - as I have suggested before - to establish your own championship with your technical and sporting rules. As long as you respect the rules, the FIA will be happy to listen to you. Instead, you should not participate in a World Championship with known rules for thirty years and then sabotage it with protests made to the media. Honestly, yours Max Mosley".

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There is no one in the Anglo-German stable who wants to laugh about this delicate business. Sewn mouths is the watchword that is circulated: even Hakkinen and Coulthard line up immediately. Ditto for the Mercedes man Norbert Haug, while Dennis prefers to express himself with a letter that in turn is sent to the president. In which, basically, the manager of the stable says he has been misunderstood by journalists and makes his sincere apologies if this has created embarrassment to Causo. And as for the matter of the black and white flag, he reiterates that he sent Whiting a confidential missive with which he obtained significant answers. The letter concludes with an invitation to discuss the subject privately. The other stables avoid the topic. Out of the silent choir only Giancarlo Minardi and Daniele Audetto of Arrows. The latter says: 

 

"Mosley is right. The letter is hard but appropriate, and after reading it I am even more happy that Ferrari won the title".

 

The manufacturer from Faenza stresses that:

 

"The FIA made the right choice, it was time to stop all those rumours about the regularity of the championship".

 

On Saturday, in qualifying, Schumacher gets the better of Hakkinen and once again takes pole position, the fourth consecutive, the ninth of the season and the thirty-fourth of his career. For the Maranello team it is the tenth pole of the season, an equal record: only in 1974 Ferrari had done just as well. Behind the Ferrari driver, there are Hakkinen and Coulthard, who have set this time only on the last lap. The two McLaren drivers manage to qualify ahead of Barrichello, who is only fourth. It must be noted the fifth place of Alex Wurz, ready to become the new McLaren test driver (replacing Panis who will go to BAR). Once in a while the Austrian manages to be much faster than his teammate Fisichella, who is only thirteenth. To complete the third row is Jacques Villeneuve, determined to give the fourth place in the constructors’ championship to BAR. To contend with him, it is the Benetton of Wurz and Fisichella, as well as the Jordan of Frentzen and Trulli, which will start from the eighth and ninth boxes. On Sunday, October 22, 2000, at the Sepang circuit, Formula 1 is hoping to close an exciting season. At 2:00 p.m, in the heat that hovers over Malaysia, the last race of the year begins. Michael Schumacher confirms his difficulties at the start, as after a few metres he is crossed by both Hakkinen and Coulthard. As for the Finn, however, the commissioners note an early start, and therefore a Stop&go will most likely be given in the following laps. At the first corner, after an unhappy sprint, Barrichello resumes the fourth position to the disadvantage of Villeneuve and Wurz, who had overtaken him. In the midfield the situation becomes chaotic when an accident occurs involving Diniz, the one who triggers the carom, de la Rosa, Heidfeld and Alesi. The first three must retire, Alesi instead manages to continue. 

 

The damaged cars and the many debris scattered on the track force the race direction to get the Safety Car on track for a couple of laps. When the race starts again, Hakkinen makes the pace ahead of Coulthard, Schumacher, Barrichello, Wurz and Villeneuve. Aware of the imminent penalty - which arrives on the next lap - Hakkinen lets Coulthard pass to facilitate his eventual breakaway, but in the guided part of the circuit, due to a power loss, the Finn is also surprised by the two Ferraris, so they move into second and third position. Coulthard tries to make a breakaway attempt, as the Ferraris do not seem to be able to keep up with his race pace, having started with a greater load of fuel. Hakkinen, meanwhile, returns last after having served the penalty. So, Eddie Irvine makes his entrance in the points area. On lap seven, with Trulli in the rear for a contact with Irvine and Frentzen retiring for the eleventh time in seventeen races due to a failure in the electrical system, Jordan’s hopes of winning the fourth place in the constructors' championship are now very close to zero. After ten laps, Coulthard and Schumacher are divided into five seconds. The Scotsman does not raise his foot, and on one occasion he becomes the protagonist of a small off-track on the grass. Seven laps later, a little earlier than expected, the Scotsman returns to the pits for the first stop. The cause lies in that off-track that has effectively clogged the radiators with debris. To avoid overheating, Coulthard has to anticipate the stop and have the radiators cleaned by the mechanics. 

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As soon as Coulthard leaves him the lead of the race, Michael Schumacher records the fastest lap in 1'39"571. On lap 24, the German makes his stop that lasts 7.1 seconds. Assessing the evolution of the situation (and the excessive and unexpected wear of the tyres), the Ferrari pit wall changes strategy, passing from one to two stops. The move pays off, as Schumacher returns to the track ahead of Coulthard. The next lap is for Barrichello to stop, but the Brazilian has to join the Scottish, in third position. At mid-race the remaining points positions are occupied by Herbert, Verstappen and Villeneuve, with Mika Hakkinen in seventh position. The Jaguar Briton and the Arrows Dutchman are on a one-stop strategy, as is the McLaren driver. Herbert stops on lap 29, but his stop is marked by problems with the petrol outlet, so the pit-stop lasts 19.7 seconds. Trouble that compromises his race. Behind him, there is a good fight between Villeneuve and Hakkinen, with the world champion trying to get into turn 14 twice. The two go along the straight ahead of the last bend, but when they reach the braking section, Jacques goes wide, facilitating the task of Hakkinen, who gains the position. At the front, meanwhile, Coulthard does not want to resign and gradually reduces the gap of three seconds that divides him from Schumacher. Although the chances of winning the constructors' championship are more than low, David is very keen to win the fourth victory of the year in what is his best season in Formula 1. His teammate Hakkinen, after having made the only pit-stop of his race, is back in sixth, behind Villeneuve and Irvine, who, however - as well as the three leading drivers - will have to stop again. During the second series of pit-stops, Coulthard stops before Schumacher to try an undercut that is unsuccessful. After his stop, Michael keeps the lead with two seconds of advantage over the opponent, but even in this case he does not give up and immediately reduces the gap. Ten laps from the end, the two are very close, but Coulthard never manages to be dangerous. There are eight laps to go before the end of the race, as well as Johnny Herbert’s Formula 1 career. And unfortunately for him, it is not the most pleasant way to end such an experience: at the braking of turn 4, suddenly the right rear suspension of the Jaguar suddenly jumps. Herbert’s car ends with violence against the tyre barriers, which at least limit the damage. 

 

Johnny limps out of the wrecked car, then is taken away in a shovel by the commissioners, who then put him on a stretcher. At the end of the fifty-sixth and final lap, Coulthard has to renounce and settle for second place. Michael Schumacher wins again, exactly for the fourth time in a row, the ninth in the season. To complete the podium, in addition to Coulthard, there is Barrichello, who can thus celebrate with his teammate the victory of the tenth Constructors' Championship for Ferrari. Hakkinen finishes fourth, ahead of Jacques Villeneuve, whose result allows BAR to reach Benetton at 20. However, thanks to the number of podium finishes, it is Benetton that ranks fourth in the constructors'. Irvine closes the points area, it is his second point finish after the fourth position obtained in Monte Carlo, in an extremely disappointing season for Jaguar. With its tenth title, Ferrari overtakes Williams with nine. For the sixth time, however, Ferrari wins the two world championships, coupling the constructors' title to that of the drivers’. It happened in 1961 with Hill, in 1964 with Surtees, in 1977 with Lauda and in 1979 with Scheckter. Another notable result for Ferrari concerns the points positions: in every race of the season, among the top six there has always been one between Schumacher and Barrichello. A record that concerns only six teams: Cooper (1961), B.R.M. (1962), Lotus (1963), Benetton (1992), Williams (1993) and now Ferrari. Remaining on the subject of records, Schumacher equals Mansell’s 1992 record and himself’s 1995 record of nine wins in a season. In the parc fermé, before getting on the podium, Michael and Rubens wear red wigs, as well as the entire team, including Todt. The idea, strange but true, comes from the French team manager. Michael is moved. He too, who has often been portrayed as resistant to emotions, this time lets himself go. He took Ferrari to the highest podium, he took away the urge to win the world championship and now he can give free rein to emotions. He laughs and jokes. It is a river in flood. He talks about everything and with everyone:

 

"I have butterflies in my belly - oh yes, it’s true, you Italians say stomach cramps - for the emotion. Huge. Two titles won, the drivers’ and the constructors’ are an immense joy. My dream has become reality. And with a perfect ending, another victory. This is the strongest team I’ve ever run with. And do not underestimate the constructors’ title, it is an important recognition, a title that is worth a lot. Everybody laughed when we celebrated it last year. We had a party and someone made fun of us. But behind this success there are hundreds of people who work hard. This title continues to make me very happy. I don’t see a big difference with that".

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Schumacher getting emotional on the podium. Schumacher who sings the German anthem and who during the Italian one shakes only slightly the cap, firmly in the left hand at the height of the belly, avoiding the usual conducting. But above all Schumacher (not during the hymns, but in all the other moments of the intoxicating Malaysian afternoon) with the showy wig. Why the red hair?

 

"Because we are a red team. Red is my heart, my suit and now also my hair. We are a big family. Winning. And we wanted to show it to everyone. That’s why every member of the team has a wig. I wanted to run with red hair. I tried it this morning before the race, but the spray didn’t work. I was making a mess of it. So we thought of wigs. We bought them clear and sprayed them over. I would have cut my hair in Thailand when I was on vacation, but I was advised against it. Here I did not find a hairdresser, the wig saved me. I have only one problem: my parents were watching television. What did they think when they saw me like this?"

 

He even made the enemy Coulthard wear it:

 

"He wanted to celebrate with us. And then he’s not my enemy: after the race he apologised to me, for all the disagreements we had this season. His was a loyal gesture, I really appreciate it. I have made mistakes towards him, too, I hope that now we can leave aside the animosity and go back to the way it was before".

 

Even peace with Coulthard. Truly an unforgettable year.

 

"My nine wins, the nine pole positions, are figures that speak for themselves, for me and for the team. It’s one of the best results Ferrari has ever had, if not the greatest. It’s wonderful to be part of this team".

 

In Malaysia he won the forty-fourth victory. Prost’s record is at fifty-one. Is there a real possibility of reaching him in 2001?

 

"If I keep having a car like this and driving like this, I have the chance. But now I don’t want to think about it. And I have a great desire to do it with all the fans: I can’t wait to be at Mugello, on Saturday and Sunday we will have a wonderful weekend. I’m in love with Italy. With my mechanics, my engineers, my car, my team. Going on holiday with this mood is very important. In March we will be ready to start again at the same level".

 

Does that mean Ferrari is favoured for 2001?

 

"When you have two titles in your pocket, you always are. But there will also be McLaren. And Williams will start to scare us with the BMW engine. For our part we must absolutely improve the starts".

 

About the starts: Hakkinen claims that he also moved early:

 

"I didn’t notice his manoeuvre, I heard on the radio about his Stop&go. Even my start, honestly, was not perfect. These moments are difficult to evaluate. Of course I once again trembled: I found myself third and I was very worried". 

 

Meanwhile, from Germany, Willi Weber, the powerful manager of the champion, assumes for his protégé an end to his career which is not in Ferrari. When asked by the journalist from Welt am Sonntag, whether Schumacher would like to continue his career with Ferrari or instead change team to try to bring some other stable back to the top, Weber answered enigmatically:

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"I am almost convinced that the answer is the second. There is nothing better than to lift a team from the second row to the top. I can certainly not speculate on the distant future, but I think that this second hypothesis is possible".

 

Jean Todt also speaks about the future, in the specific case when he is asked his age. He immediately replies:

 

"I am fifty-four, but be assured that in ten years I will no longer be here in Formula 1. I don’t think I will be doing this job for so much longer".

 

Then he talks about the present. And about Ferrari. And he also responds a little grumpily when a journalist dares to tell him that, seen up close, those wigs are not beautiful. Consideration that made him hiss a dry phrase: 

 

"You see, we had to make at least one mistake here".

 

But can we say that, after the second consecutive constructors' world championship and after the drivers' world championship conquered in Japan, a Ferrari cycle has opened?

 

"But we have been competitive since 1997, not today. In 1999 we started to win a title, now we have added two more. And the importance of the constructors has been rediscovered. The figures speak for themselves: ten wins, ten pole positions, 170 points with eighteen more than our strongest competitors. If this is the basis, I have to assume that there is a good chance of doing a good job in 2001".

 

Two world championships are not a small thing: which has given him more joy?

 

"I would have been disappointed if we had not managed to win the constructors' title here. But the drivers' title had become a nightmare. Twenty years of waiting, then twenty-one...we could not wait any longer. It is good that we stopped at twenty-one".

 

Last Grand Prix, ninth victory for Schumacher, with Barrichello third on the podium. A perfect race?

 

"A race is perfect when you win first and second place. This was a very good Grand Prix. We wanted to close the World Championship with a success, not just to get those three points that we needed for the constructors' championship. We then ran to the attack, to avoid someone telling us that the title was ours thanks to the points taken from others, with that disqualification [Hakkinen in Austria, ndr]. We travelled at a pace of ten race points. Perfection would have been 272. But it was still a great season. The dream came with a dream team".

 

World Champion with Ferrari, world champion, many years ago, as Peugeot manager in rallies: is it more difficult to run on the beaten ground or on the track?

 

"Rallies were easier. For two reasons. First: the tension in Formula 1 complicates life. Second, the technical level in Formula 1 is of another planet".

 

What about Todt in these successes?

 

"Put the team together and let him work quietly".


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