Page 1 of 1 In 2000, Michael Schumacher finally ended Ferrari's drought in the Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship with the F1-2000. Subtle rule changes ahead of the 2001 season meant more than an evolution of the existing design was needed for Schumacher's and Ferrari's title defences in the Drivers' and Constructors' championships respectively.
In an effort to reduce downforce and with it cornering speeds, the minimum height of the front wing was raised for the new season. This prompted the Ferrari engineers to reconsider the complete nose architecture. Where the previous F1-2000 featured a raised tip, the new F2001 followed the McLaren philosophy with a drooped nose. Carried over were the compact barge-boards and the periscope exhausts.
Powering the F2001 was a further evolution of the Tipo 049 engine, which was wider than the first generation of V10s used by Ferrari. It had a relatively short stroke, which allowed it to rev to 19,000 rpm in qualifying trim. At that speed, it produced around 900 bhp from a three-litre displacement. The ten-cylinder engine was mated to an in-house developed seven-speed sequential gearbox that was actuated by paddles behind the steering wheel.
Schumacher was once again joined behind the wheel by Brazilian Rubens Barrichello. With back-to-back victories, the German had a dream start to the 2001 season. He would go on to win seven more Grands Prix that season. He was already World Champion in Hungary with four Grands Prix to spare and ended the dominant season with nearly twice the points of his closest challenger, McLaren's David Coulthard.
The F2001 was so far ahead of the competition that Ferrari could afford to compete in the opening Grands Prix of 2002 with an evolution while the new F2002 was further refined. In F2001B guise, the very successful Formula 1 racer added a tenth win to the tally. Schumacher switched to the F2002 at the third round of the year and continued his winning ways.
With ten wins in 19 starts, the Ferrari F2001 remains as one of the most successful Grand Prix cars. Page 1 of 1
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In 2000, Michael Schumacher finally ended Ferrari's drought in the Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship with the F1-2000. Subtle rule changes ahead of the 2001 season meant more than an evolution of the existing design was needed for Schumacher's and Ferrari's title defences in the Drivers' and Constructors' championships respectively.