The greatest F1 seasons No. 2 – 2003: Schumacher and the Ferrari empire on the brink of collapse

FanF1 continues its overview of the most memorable seasons of the 2000s. In 2003, Michael Schumacher had to redouble his efforts in a highly competitive championship that could have slipped away from him.

The 2001 and 2002 seasons were a parade of dominance, with Ferrari crushing the competition much like Red Bull does today. Many expected David Coulthard to give Michael Schumacher a real battle in 2001, but the superiority of the F2001 and its German driver quickly dispelled any doubts.

After a 2002 season that left no room for suspense, the sport's governing bodies introduced a few changes to spice things up: teams could choose between Bridgestone and Michelin tires, traction control was banned, and the automatic gearboxes that Ferrari had popularized were prohibited. A new points system was also adopted: the top eight in the standings now earned points, instead of the top six as before, and qualifying was reduced to a single lap, run in championship order. The stage was set.

Eight different winners

The 2003 season turned into a real rollercoaster ride, with races swinging dramatically from one end of the grid to the other. Although the 1982 record of eleven different winners remained intact, the spectacle was still impressive: eight drivers won at least one race.

McLaren started the year with the MP4-17B, an evolution of the 2002 car that worked perfectly. Coulthard opened the season in Melbourne with his 13th and final Grand Prix victory, and his young teammate Kimi Räikkönen followed suit a week later in Sepang. Not only did Räikkönen fight for the title until the final race, but he also managed to bring a tear to the eye of the usually unflappable Ron Dennis in Malaysia. Jordan's moment of glory came at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, a race marred by organizational problems that benefited the opportunistic Giancarlo Fisichella. The Italian was classified second after the race was stopped due to Fernando Alonso's accident, but he was actually leading two laps before the red flag. As the stewards did not count those laps, his trophy was presented to him later at Imola, marking both his first Formula 1 victory and the last victory for the Jordan team and the Ford engine.

Williams-BMW also made its mark: Ralf Schumacher had a successful summer, winning two consecutive races at the Nürburgring and Magny-Cours, the last two victories of his career, while Juan Pablo Montoya won at Monaco and Hockenheim, remaining in contention for the title until Indianapolis.

As expected, Ferrari added six wins for Michael Schumacher and two for Rubens Barrichello, at Silverstone and Suzuka. Renault entered the race with the R23, which was fast but temperamental. It was only when Fernando Alonso showed extraordinary talent in Hungary that the team won its first victory of the season.

Three contenders neck and neck

Schumacher had to wait until the fourth round at Imola to return to winning ways. That Sunday, April 20, was an emotional one: the Schumacher brothers had lost their mother that very morning and wore black armbands, with Michael celebrating his victory discreetly. It was also the last appearance of the F2002, which was to be replaced by the equally powerful F2003-GA (named after Giovanni Agnelli, the figurehead of the FIAT group and then owner of Ferrari).

Despite his five championship titles, Michael's season was mixed. He suffered setbacks in Brazil (a near-collision with a crane), in Europe (a collision with Montoya), and at Hockenheim (a flat tire that cost him the podium). These incidents paved the way for two young challengers. Räikkönen, despite winning only one race, showed remarkable consistency that allowed him to remain at the top of the standings until the Canadian Grand Prix. A series of misfortunes—a first-lap accident with Antonio Pizzonia's Jaguar in Spain, a mechanical failure at the Nürburgring after securing his first pole position, and another accident on the starting line at Hockenheim—ultimately cost him the title. One less mistake would have made him the youngest world champion of all time.

Montoya, meanwhile, regretted his difficult start to the year: he spun out in Melbourne, experienced several problems with the powerful BMW engine, and received a penalty after colliding with Barrichello in Indianapolis, which ended his title hopes with one race to go. At that point, he was ten points (one win) behind Schumacher, even though he had won as many races as the German. However, Montoya made a spectacular comeback in the middle of the season, scoring eight consecutive podium finishes from Monaco to Hungary, including wins in the Principality and at Hockenheim. On the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the championship was neck and neck, with only two points separating Schumacher, Räikkönen, and Montoya, before the “Red Baron” launched his final offensive and finally overtook his rivals.

Alone at the top

At Monza, the penultimate round, Montoya tried to prevent Schumacher from winning, something the tifosi had not seen since the Canadian Grand Prix three months earlier. The first lap was marked by a brief but spectacular duel in the second chicane: Montoya attempted to overtake on the outside, Schumacher reacted by defending the inside, and the German took the lead. Montoya never managed to regain the lead, and his comeback was further hampered by Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who was soon to retire. With the Williams driver already out of the title race after Indianapolis, the confrontation at Suzuka almost turned to Kimi Räikkönen's advantage. Schumacher had qualified in 14th position, while the Finn started in 8th, just nine points behind the German. His task was clear: win the race and hope that Schumacher did not score any points. Schumacher's day, however, was anything but easy. A collision with Takuma Sato, who had joined BAR Honda to replace Jacques Villeneuve, ended his comeback, and a tense duel with his brother Ralf in the final chicane saw both cars go wide, narrowly avoiding disaster.

Rubens Barrichello's victory ultimately decided the championship. Räikkönen finished second, just two points behind Schumacher, who won what many consider to be one of his finest titles, if not the finest, due to the difficulty with which he achieved it. This victory also saw him win his sixth world championship, eclipsing Juan Manuel Fangio's long-standing record.

The 2003 season added a more human touch to the German champion, but the following year he would dominate ruthlessly, for the last time in his career.