8 October 2000: Ferrari returns to the top of the world

Today marks a historic tenth anniversary for Ferrari fans.

On Sunday 8 October 2000, on the Suzuka circuit (precisely where the next round of the 2010 World Championship will take place), Ferrari finally breaks a 21-year fast and regains, with Michael Schumacher, the World Drivers' title that it had been missing since 1979 with Jody Scheckter .

Suzuka is known for having been the scene of some of the most famous epilogues in the history of F1. Just think of the two-year period 1989-1990, with the clashes between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Also in 2000, the Japanese track offers the opportunity to decide the World Championship.
Mika Hakkinen, reigning champion for two years now, is 8 points away from the German leader, 88 to 80.

The situation is good. Even if you lose a few points you can go and play the World Cup in Malaysia. But Ferrari wants to close the matter as soon as possible, two or more points earned are enough to win the championship.

The Championship
2000 is a fluctuating World Cup.
After just three races, Michael Schumacher has a 24-point lead over Mika Hakkinen and seems headed towards a controlling championship. The situation and the gap remain stable until the Canadian Grand Prix, where Michael wins and Mika comes fourth.
No one can imagine, however, what will happen in the next 5 races. Schumacher suffered three consecutive retirements (France, Austria and Germany), and Hakkinen took advantage of this to recover 22 of the 24 points behind the German. In Hungary, in Budapest, thanks to the Finn's first place and Michael's second, an overtaking in the rankings takes place that few would have imagined. And at Spa there is even a gap, aggravated by the resounding defeat on the track with probably the most spectacular overtaking of recent years.

The arrival at the finish line is identical to the Hungarian one. The ranking now says Hakkinen 74, Schumacher 68. A terrible summer. The nightmares return and criticism begins to rain down on the German.

Monza, sigh of relief and tears of joy
We arrive in Monza in desperate conditions. Ferrari hasn't won in 5 races, Mclaren is psychologically in the best condition. Having started quietly, she recovered and overtook Cavallino. Another bad race for the Red team could produce disastrous effects, also in light of how the championship started.

Qualifying brings a sigh of relief. Michael gets pole, Mika starts third.
Sunday's race is a very tense ride towards victory. Hakkinen gains a position compared to the start but finishes almost 4 seconds behind. Monza is in a frenzy. After a torrid summer (in every sense) Schumacher and Ferrari recapture a World Championship that was about to head towards Woking. Now the gap in the standings is only 2 points, with three races still to go.

For Michael it is a very important day. Criticized during the hot months, he returned to success and equaled the number of victories (41) of the Great Ayrton Senna. In the post-race press conference the German can't handle his emotion and lets out a liberating cry which also moves Mika and his little brother Ralf, third at the finish line.

The US GP gives a further jolt to the rankings. Schumacher takes pole again. Hakkinen started third behind teammate David Coulthard, but did not finish the race. On lap 25 the Mercedes engine gives out, and for Schumacher it is the ideal opportunity to extend his lead in the standings. An opportunity that the German did not miss by going on to win the first United States GP held in Indianapolis, on a circuit that uses Turn 1 and the main straight of the famous oval and then takes advantage of a mixed area created within it. Hakkinen's KO is very heavy.

Return to the top since 1997
Ferrari is now a reality back at the top of Formula 1. The dark years have been forgotten. The Schumacher-Brawn-Byrne bloc allowed the Reds to return to the top in 1997, where they came close to winning the World Championship against Jacques Villeneuve's Williams. Dream shattered by a header from Schumacher, who hits the Canadian in the final race in Jerez and gets stuck in the sand.

1998 saw Schumacher and Hakkinen fight until the last Grand Prix. But everything went badly right at the start in Suzuka (again), when Micheal recklessly let the engine of his F300 shut down at the start of the reconnaissance lap. Starting from the back, you led a furious comeback to third place. The explosion of the right rear tire, however, put an end to any hopes of the World Championship and made up for the regret for the mistake at the start.

1999 was a half-prolific year, with the victory of the Constructors' title. The drivers' side, however, was much more troubled. Michael's injury at Silverstone (fractured right leg) forced the Cavallino to rely on Eddie Irvine and Mika Salo to replace the German in the F399 number 3. All in vain, because Mika Hakkinen was able to repeat the success of 1998, even if with some hesitation.

The following years would then leave consequences and diatribes on the famous forgotten wheel at the Nurburgring on the Irishman's Ferrari and Schumacher's alleged lack of combativeness again at Suzuka, after Sepang's gift to his teammate.

Suzuka, 8 October 2000
The trend of the season, with several overtakings in the standings between the two protagonists, leaves no room for mathematical calculations and predictions.
The gap is now 8 points, not a small number in the era of 10 to win, but looking at the developments of the season for Ferrari it is better to close the issue as soon as possible. And to do it mathematically and safely there is only one solution: to win. With Schumacher first, Hakkinen can no longer do anything to still have a chance. In all other cases, we must hope for Barrichello to insert himself between the two duelists. In fact, only a two point gap in the race is enough for the World Championship to return to Maranello.

Qualifying sees Michael once again excelling. Hakkinen is second. Behind them, Coulthard and Barrichello.

The dawn of Sunday morning sees the Ferrarista people awake, anxiously awaiting a joy that can explode after 21 years. The tension is very high. The ghosts of recent years and the latest Suzukas mix with the desire for revenge.

53 heart-pounding laps
The start once again proved to be Schumacher's Achilles' heel. At the start the Ferrari skids, the German tries to close but Hakkinen takes the lead. He seems to be in a bad situation but neither the rider nor the wall give up. Michael remains behind Mika until the first pit stop, in which more fuel is loaded into the Ferrari than the Mclaren, to make the most of the central stretch of the race.
The second stop is crucial. Hakkinen rejoins first, Schumacher continues for three laps, in which his advantage increases to the point of allowing him, after a perfect stop, to rejoin ahead of the Finn. The mechanics celebrate, 13 laps to go.
13 very long laps for Michael, for the wall and for all the Ferrari fans in the world. But, after 21 years, this time everything goes well, and Ferrari returns to the Drivers' World Champion with Schumacher winning ahead of Hakkinen with just under two seconds of advantage.

We leave you with the images, better than any description.

Schumacher's Team Radio was thrilling once they crossed the finish line and Mika Hakkinen's sportsmanship in parc fermé.

2000-2010
10 years have passed since that day and a lot has changed. The cars, the scores, the circuits. Michael Schumacher, who would never have imagined that October 8th was the beginning of a spectacular five years, now races for the competition and in just one season has seen his star fade.

On Sunday we still race in Suzuka, and Ferrari with Fernando Alonso is still in the running for the World Championship. This probably won't be the decisive race, but another victory after those in Monza and Singapore could put a serious threat on this season.

Even if there is and will always be only one Suzuka 2000.

Alessandro Secchi