Japanese Grand Prix 2000 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Michael Schumacher clinched his third World Championship and Ferrari's first Drivers' title in 21 years with a dominant victory at Suzuka, ending the Scuderia's longest championship drought in emotional fashion. The German driver controlled the race from pole position, never allowing Mika Häkkinen's McLaren to mount a serious challenge on the demanding Japanese circuit. When Schumacher crossed the line ahead of Häkkinen, the celebration erupted in the Ferrari garage and across Italy, with decades of frustration finally ending.

Häkkinen finished second but his championship challenge had mathematically ended, with Schumacher's victory giving him an unassailable points lead with one race still to run. David Coulthard completed the podium for McLaren, but it was scant consolation for a team that had seen their title hopes slip away in the second half of the season. The scenes of emotion in the Ferrari garage were unforgettable, with team principal Jean Todt, technical director Ross Brawn, and the entire Scuderia overcome with joy. Schumacher's championship triumph vindicated his move to Ferrari in 1996 and fulfilled his promise to restore the Italian team to glory, marking the beginning of an unprecedented era of dominance that would reshape Formula 1.