FERRARI
Last years F201 was ‘perfect’ in the words of Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn. Anyone who pays attention to such things will realise that the last time a technical director said such a thing was possibly around the time the wheel was invented! It is true that finding fault with last years car was not an easy task, and such was the performance that a modified version of the F201 would probably still be competitive in the early stages of 2002 [Ferrari have just announced they will be running newly built ‘2001 spec’ cars in Melbourne]. This has given Ferrari a ‘safety net’ which has enabled them to be more radical with the design of the F202 with the aim of getting even more performance. Ultimately the penalty paid for trying too hard is poor reliability but with a design as good as the F201 to fall back on, they can take this chance. This is a very risky strategy, and if the new car proves to be less than reliable and Ferrari are forced into using the old car, this could hand the initiative to their rivals and allow them to steal a march in the early season.
Michael Schumacher.
The one driver on the grid who has nothing left to prove. Whilst usually motivation would be questioned for a sportsman who has so dominated his field, he shows absolutely no sign of easing up. Indeed his qualifying session in the final race of 2001 at Suzuka, Japan was as dominant as he has ever been. Qualifying being regarded as a true sign of a driver’s commitment. In fact, instead of taking the recommended holiday away from driving, he insisted on being back in the car to take the new F202 through its early life and hence maximise the time available to tune it to his liking. Whilst he is the unquestionable favourite to win the title for the third successive time, and a record equalling 5th in total, there are a few hurdles in his way.
Rubens Barrichello
One of the drivers with the most to prove. Possibly the only driver in Formula 1 who seems happy to be
second best in a team, albeit the best team. Unquestionably talented driver and his form towards the end of last season shows what he could achieve if he was given a fair crack of the whip. Why he has re-signed with Ferrari to be Schumacher’s understudy for a further period, only Rubens knows….
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