After four years racing for F1’s most successful and famous team, Michael Schumacher had yet to claim a championship for Ferrari.
However, that all changed at Suzuka in 2000.
Schumacher had to fight hard to claim victory at the 16th round of the season, but just beat Mika Hakkinen to first place.
He entered the weekend as the leader in the drivers’ standings, eight points clear of McLaren’s Hakkinen with only Japan and Malaysia to go.
Qualifying was close and the pair were separated by just 0.09 seconds in the result. Schumacher secured pole position, with Hakkinen second, David Coulthard third and Rubens Barrichello fourth.
Conditions were dry but overcast for the race start on Sunday, with Hakkinen getting a lightning launch from the grid and snatching the lead away from his rival on the run to the first corner. Ralf Schumacher was another driver who had a strong start, moving his Williams up to fourth, ahead of Barrichello and right behind Coulthard.
The leading two pulled away from the rest of the field, with Hakkinen managing to maintain the gap to Schumacher in the early stages of the race. The Finnish driver extended his lead ahead of his first stop, pitting on lap 22. Schumacher took over at the front but stopped on the following tour and when Coulthard pitted on the next lap, Hakkinen moved back into first place.
By lap 26 the McLaren’s lead was up to 2.9 seconds, but Schumacher was still in his mirrors. He lost time through traffic and by the 31st tour of Suzuka, just seven tenths separated the leaders. Hakkinen’s second stop took place on lap 36 but Schumacher stayed out, putting in some very quick times.
When the Ferrari exited the pit lane on lap 40, he was in first place, over four seconds clear of Hakkinen. Despite his advantage falling in the final laps, he crossed the finish line in first place to claim the 2000 championship – his third in F1 and first for Ferrari.
It was an emotional victory for Schumacher, particularly after breaking his leg and losing out on a potential title bid in 1999, and was also Ferrari's first drivers' title since Jody Scheckter in 1979.
Hakkinen was 1.8 seconds down in second, while Coulthard was over a minute further back in third, showing the top two were in a league of their own. Barrichello, rookie Jenson Button and BAR’s Jacques Villeneuve completed the points.
He entered the weekend as the leader in the drivers’ standings, eight points clear of McLaren’s Hakkinen with only Japan and Malaysia to go.
Qualifying was close and the pair were separated by just 0.09 seconds in the result. Schumacher secured pole position, with Hakkinen second, David Coulthard third and Rubens Barrichello fourth.
Conditions were dry but overcast for the race start on Sunday, with Hakkinen getting a lightning launch from the grid and snatching the lead away from his rival on the run to the first corner. Ralf Schumacher was another driver who had a strong start, moving his Williams up to fourth, ahead of Barrichello and right behind Coulthard.
The leading two pulled away from the rest of the field, with Hakkinen managing to maintain the gap to Schumacher in the early stages of the race. The Finnish driver extended his lead ahead of his first stop, pitting on lap 22. Schumacher took over at the front but stopped on the following tour and when Coulthard pitted on the next lap, Hakkinen moved back into first place.
By lap 26 the McLaren’s lead was up to 2.9 seconds, but Schumacher was still in his mirrors. He lost time through traffic and by the 31st tour of Suzuka, just seven tenths separated the leaders. Hakkinen’s second stop took place on lap 36 but Schumacher stayed out, putting in some very quick times.
When the Ferrari exited the pit lane on lap 40, he was in first place, over four seconds clear of Hakkinen. Despite his advantage falling in the final laps, he crossed the finish line in first place to claim the 2000 championship – his third in F1 and first for Ferrari.
Hakkinen was 1.8 seconds down in second, while Coulthard was over a minute further back in third, showing the top two were in a league of their own. Barrichello, rookie Jenson Button and BAR’s Jacques Villeneuve completed the points.
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