FERRARI F2001

   It had been since 1990 that the number 1 hadn’t appeared on a Ferrari, and finally, in the 2001 season, this honor went to the new single-seater coming out of the Maranello factory: the F2001, driven by German champion Michael Schumacher. The fantastic team of technicians assembled by Team Manager Jean Todt remained unchanged, with the sole addition of the new Head of Research and Development, Ignazio Lunetta, who replaced Giorgio Ascanelli. The Technical Director was the Englishman Ross Brawn, under whose guidance worked South African Chief Designer Rory Byrne and Italian Chassis Project Leader Aldo Costa. Another Italian engineer, Marco Fainello, was in charge of Vehicle Dynamics, while the aerodynamics of the car were entrusted to Greek Nikolas Tombazis and young Englishman James Allison. As for the powerful V10 engine, the Technical Director was Italian Paolo Martinelli, while Frenchman Gilles Simon was its designer.

Ferrari F2001, Michael Schumacher
Catalunya-Barcelona, Spanish GP 2001

   The new F2001 immediately appeared very different from its predecessor, the F1-2000. For the new season, in fact, significant regulatory changes introduced by the FIA in favor of safety and performance reduction forced Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne to rethink the key elements of the new car’s design. The introduction of stricter crash tests at the rear and in side-impact trials required Maranello’s technicians to review the entire process of building the carbon fiber composite monocoque, ensuring that the changes would not negatively affect the car’s aerodynamics. Cockpits were widened to make driver extraction easier in case of an accident, and additional leg protection was introduced to help absorb impacts. In testing, the F2001 proved capable of absorbing four times more energy in a side impact without compromising its shape. Only the side beltline was slightly raised, while the space lost to the larger cockpit was recovered by reducing the fuel tank’s capacity behind the driver. Another regulatory measure to reduce aerodynamic load on the front end was the raising of the front wing by 5 cm, forcing engineers to rebalance the rear as well. Tombazis’ team, working in the wind tunnel and comparing the F1-2000 nose adapted to the new regulations, found the ideal shape for a lower and more curved nose, and, more importantly, designed a new spoon-shaped wing that quickly restored the same downforce levels as the previous one.

Ferrari F2001, Michael Schumacher
Imola, San Marino GP 2001

   Despite the regulatory constraints, the F2001 was immediately faster in winter testing, revealing incredible potential thanks to improved aerodynamic efficiency and the new, powerful V10 Tipo 050. With the ban on the use of beryllium alloys, following a 1998 FIA directive prohibiting it due to the health hazards from toxic vapors during metal processing, Ferrari gained an indirect advantage. In the past, the beryllium alloy had been the magic solution for some designers, as it was both highly resistant to stress and extremely light, even used in space shuttle construction. The team that had benefited most from it was Ferrari’s greatest rival, Mercedes-Benz, whose V10 engines had achieved unmatched power-to-weight ratios. Ferrari, however, had never used the banned alloy, and in 2001, its new V10 Tipo 050 not only weighed 5 kg less but also reached 830 hp at 18,000 rpm, achieved thanks to micro-casting processes and the elimination of cylinder liners, which reduced cylinder spacing and therefore engine length.

Ferrari F2001, Rubens Barrichello
 Interlagos, Brazilian GP 2001 

   Alongside reigning World Champion Michael Schumacher, the Maranello team also confirmed Brazilian Rubens Barrichello as second driver and Italian Luca Badoer, joined by fellow countryman Fabrizio Giovanardi, as reserve drivers. The superiority of the F2001 allowed the Italian team to dominate from the very first race of the season in Melbourne, Australia, where both F2001s took the front row, with Schumacher winning and Barrichello finishing third. In the following Malaysian Grand Prix, it was once again a front-row lockout and a one-two finish, with Schumacher ahead of Barrichello. Schumacher’s march toward his fourth title continued with second place in Brazil, followed by a retirement at Imola. From the Spanish Grand Prix onward, after rumors and complaints about the use of undetected electronic aids, the FIA reintroduced traction control and launch control. Rivals hoping this would change the balance of power were quickly disappointed when Schumacher won again in Catalunya-Barcelona. In fact, McLaren-Mercedes and Williams-BMW, after adopting anti-spin systems (which cut ignition to certain cylinders under acceleration to prevent wheel spin), suffered engine or transmission failures due to the increased mechanical strain.

Ferrari F2001, Michael Schumacher
Suzuka, Japanese GP 2001

   The 2001 season was a true triumph, with 9 victories, 10 second places, 5 thirds, and 11 pole positions. The 179 points scored by the F2001 gave Ferrari its eleventh Constructors’ Championship, the third in a row, while Michael Schumacher, with 123 points, clinched his fourth Drivers’ Championship in Hungary with four races to spare. Rubens Barrichello scored 56 points and finished third in the standings, proving to be the perfect wingman for the German “Kaiser,” always executing team strategy to perfection under the guidance of Ross Brawn’s strategic genius. For the final race of the season in Japan, the Italian team brought an even lighter chassis, also intended for use in the early races of 2002. A special mention goes to the mourning livery, completely devoid of sponsor logos and with a black nose, used on the F2001 during the Italian Grand Prix, just five days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York.

Ferrari F2001 Monza, Italian GP 2001

   The Monza event became the Grand Prix of grief and fear. The weekend unfolded in an unreal atmosphere, with drivers, staff, and spectators shaken by the events, and the sporting aspect taking a back seat. Michael Schumacher, often accused of being a “robotic” driver, proved himself a deeply sensitive man, psychologically affected by the insecurity that Al-Qaeda’s attack had generated among all Westerners. Having also seen, on the Saturday before the race, the television images of the dramatic accident in which Alex Zanardi lost both legs at the Lausitzring, the German champion reportedly considered retiring from racing. His lackluster race on Sunday fueled such rumors, but history would show that the German still had much more to give to Formula 1.