Complete calendar with 17 races
The 2002 Formula 1 season stands as the most dominant performance in the sport's history, with Michael Schumacher and Ferrari reaching an unprecedented peak of superiority that has rarely been matched. Schumacher claimed his fifth World Championship - equaling Juan Manuel Fangio's legendary record - with six races still remaining, while Ferrari swept to the Constructors' title with a staggering margin that left every rival in their wake. The red cars won fifteen of the seventeen races, a supremacy so absolute it prompted discussions about the need for regulation changes to restore competitive balance.
Schumacher's statistical dominance was breathtaking. He won eleven races, finished on the podium in every single round except for the Malaysian Grand Prix retirement, and accumulated 144 points - more than double his nearest challenger. The Ferrari F2002, introduced at the third round in Brazil, proved to be a masterpiece of engineering that combined devastating power, superior aerodynamics, and bulletproof reliability. Schumacher clinched the championship at the French Grand Prix in July, his earliest title triumph, before cruising through the remaining races adding to his victory tally with wins at Silverstone, Hockenheim, Hungary, and Suzuka.
The season's defining controversy erupted at the Austrian Grand Prix, where team orders sparked one of Formula 1's most infamous moments. Rubens Barrichello, leading comfortably, was ordered to move aside for Schumacher on the final lap despite the championship being far from decided. The Brazilian reluctantly complied, slowing dramatically at the finish line in a gesture of protest. The staged finish was met with jeers from the crowd and widespread condemnation from the media and fans. Schumacher, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, pushed Barrichello to the top step of the podium during the ceremony, but the damage to Ferrari's image was done. The FIA subsequently banned such blatant team orders and fined Ferrari $1 million, though the sanction did little to quell the outcry.
Barrichello managed just four victories throughout the season - in Australia, Europe, Hungary (after Austria), and Indianapolis - though several came in circumstances suggesting Ferrari had allowed him to win. His role as supporting driver became increasingly frustrating, and while he finished second in the championship, his 77-point deficit to Schumacher told the story of the team's clear hierarchy. Nevertheless, the Brazilian remained professional and continued to deliver crucial points for Ferrari's constructor campaign.
The rest of the field struggled to compete with Ferrari's relentless machine. Juan Pablo Montoya provided the only non-Ferrari victories of the season, winning at Monaco and Monza for Williams-BMW in spectacular style, showcasing his aggressive driving that made him one of the few drivers willing to challenge Schumacher wheel-to-wheel. Ralf Schumacher finished third in the championship for Williams, while David Coulthard's McLaren-Mercedes could only manage fourth despite the team's strong pedigree. Kimi Räikkönen, making his second F1 season with McLaren after replacing Mika Häkkinen, impressed with his speed and composure, signaling his future potential.
The season witnessed several notable moments beyond Ferrari's procession. The first race at the rebuilt Hockenheimring showcased the new, shorter layout, while the introduction of the F2002 mid-season demonstrated Ferrari's commitment to continuous development even when dominating. Mark Webber scored his first points for Minardi in Australia, while Toyota and Renault (the renamed Benetton team) continued their rebuilding processes with limited success.
Schumacher's fifth world title placed him alongside Fangio in the record books as joint-most successful driver in Formula 1 history. His achievement came just forty-six years after Fangio's final championship, bridging eras of the sport and cementing Schumacher's status as one of the all-time greats. The manner of his dominance - winning nearly two-thirds of the races and finishing on the podium 96% of the time - established new standards for excellence. However, the season also sparked debates about competitive balance, leading to regulation changes aimed at preventing any one team from achieving such overwhelming superiority again. For Ferrari, 2002 represented the absolute zenith of their modern era dominance, a season of such total control that it would define the benchmark for team and driver excellence for generations to come.