The COAT - Round Three - Ferrari F2004 vs Ferrari F2002

[crmalcolm]

The fifth match in Round Three - we have two cars from Ferrari going head-to-head; the F2004 takes on the F2002.

The F2004 defeated the Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid 6-0 in the second round, whilst the F2002 defeated the Renault R25 5-1.

Ferrari F2004 (drivetribe.com):
How do you follow up a car as successful as the F2002? Pretty simple really, the F2004. Excluding a retirement at Monaco, Schumacher was able to win 12 of the first 13 races of the season. Barrichello supported him in the best way possible, he only achieved 2 wins in the year, but got 14 podiums.

The F2004's legacy in the sport continues to live on as it still [as of 2018] holds numerous records at current circuits. Albert Park, Hungaroring and Monza are just a few of the circuits where the car still holds the fastest lap.

Ferrari F2002 (goodwood.com):
A bit like picking which of the Mercedes hybrid winners or which of the Red Bull early-2010s cars is the best, the only way to really differentiate between the Ferrari F1 cars of 2000-2004 is by the numbers. The 2002 and 2004 are the cars that really dominated, both winning 15 races, but the 2002 just about edges it by clinching those victories in one fewer race.

So dominant was Ferrari at this stage that it didn’t even introduce the F2002 until the third race of the 2002 season. And it would soldier on until the fourth race of the 2003 season. In fact if you take just the season the F2002 was originally designed to race in it won 14 of 15 races.

Powered by a screaming 3.0-litre V10 the F2002 wasn’t the most powerful car on the grid – that honour fell to the BMW-powered Williams cars – but it was by far and away the best handling. Featuring an innovative clutchless gearbox that was so small that the rear could be packaged in almost any way designer Rory Byrne wished. It was this extra capacity for aerodynamic design that led to the late introduction of the F2002. Michael Schumacher, in his absolute pomp, still won the first race of the season in the old car, and then finished third in Malaysia at race two. Then when the new car arrived he set off on a winning run that has barely been seen in F1. Four successive wins were followed by a run of six wins in the last ten races, during which time team-mate Rubens Barrichello added another four victories and Schumacher never finished outside the top two. So dominant was the F2002 that the Constructors Championship was won with nearly triple the number of points of Ferrari’s nearest challengers – Williams. The F2002 began 2003 while Ferrari struggled with the design of the follow up. As the F2002B it would win its final race at the San Marino Grand prix. Interestingly, while the F2002 was undeniably the best racing car of the 2002 season, it only just edged the Williams FW24 for qualifying, by seven to the Williams’s eight. But that could have been largely due to the barnstorming season that Juan Pablo Montoya was having.

[S griffin]

Two peas in a pod there

[chillibowl]

2002 for me. Partially came down to the shade of red.

Perhaps its just the picture but i like that marlboro red more then the traditional Ferrari red (or at least i think that darker shade is their traditional red?).

[S griffin]

F2002 seemed more dominant IMHO

[Adam43]

If this is a draw does that mean the F2003 goes through?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Adam43

If this is a draw does that mean the F2003 goes through?

Well - I guess it could.

Although with the 2003-GA not getting a single vote in the first round, I think there would be mutiny letting it get back in with a wild-card!!

So - my vote goes for the F2004. On results alone, it is hard to split them, so the looks take it.