Overview

• Schumacher beat Mika Häkkinen at Suzuka in 2000 after losing the start, timing a decisive push before his final stop to rejoin just ahead and holding on in late rain to win by under two seconds.
• Ferrari’s rebuild under Jean Todt, with Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne, underpinned the breakthrough, including preparation on an artificially flooded Mugello track and Brawn’s cockpit message, “It looks very good.”
• The title was Ferrari’s first drivers’ crown since Jody Scheckter in 1979, restoring pride for the team and its tifosi after two decades without a champion.
• The Suzuka success marked the start of Schumacher’s run of five consecutive championships with Ferrari, contributing to his career total of seven world titles.
• Italy’s embrace of “Michaelangelo” endures in anniversary retrospectives, which also note Lewis Hamilton’s public admiration and aim to add a chapter with Ferrari despite a first season so far without a podium.