F1: when Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello crossed finish line almost together in USA. When Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello crossed finish line side-by-side in the USA.

Do you remember when at the US Grand Prix Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello crossed the finish line almost together? If the answer is no, we’ll refresh your memory.

There was a time when Ferrari dominated and won race after race. It was the year 2002, one of the seasons of maximum splendor for the Maranello Red Team. The Scuderia could count on a complementary pair of drivers, Schumacher and Barrichello.

At the US Grand Prix in Indianapolis, Ferrari secured the front row. The German started from pole position, and the Brazilian from the second. It was a typical lineup for that year when Schumacher and Ferrari completely dominated Formula 1.

The race was quite straightforward, with the two red cars building a significant lead over their competitors. On the final lap, Michael Schumacher seemed destined to win his eleventh race of the season. However, the driver slowed down to allow his teammate to get significantly closer to him.

It was a parade finish for the two Ferrari cars, crossing the finish line just 0.011 seconds apart. Rubens Barrichello won.

The reason was that Michael Schumacher decided to repay the Brazilian for the gesture he had made at the Austrian Grand Prix. On that occasion, Rubens had received a rather controversial team order (followed by subsequent controversies) in which he had to slow down to let the German win.

To the press, after winning in the USA, Rubens Barrichello admitted that he had no idea how the race would end: “Winning was very nice. I got to the last corner, I didn’t know what to do, and I wasn’t told anything. Michael was very kind in letting us finish evenly.” – he pointed out.

Michael Schumacher expressed happiness for his Maranello teammate’s victory, explaining the race’s dynamics at the finish: “The end of the race was not planned. We tried to cross the finish line together, but we didn’t succeed for a moment. In fact, we didn’t know who had won until we got out of the cars. I felt that Rubens deserved to win.”

As remembered by Luca di Montezemolo, among Michael Schumacher’s qualities, there stood out not only his willingness (he was willing to return to Ferrari in 2009), but also his being a team player.

Schumacher ⚔️ Barrichello

Both drivers crossed the finishing line just 0.011 seconds apart in the 2002 #USGP 😱pic.twitter.com/cCsKZGmbmn

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) October 18, 2023

Source: f1ingenerale