Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. Sometimes Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher. Anyone who lived through Ferrari’s golden era at the start of the 2000s cannot forget the countless one-two finishes that cemented the dominance of the Scuderia in Formula 1. Over the course of that period, the two drivers delivered 24 double podiums, becoming the symbol of Ferrari’s superiority in the sport.
Rubens Barrichello has revealed to the British newspaper The Mirror the secrets of that “magical” period between 2000 and 2005, when Scuderia Ferrari ruled Formula 1 with unrivalled strength. During that era, Michael Schumacher collected five consecutive World Drivers’ Championships while the team built an organisational machine that seemed almost unbeatable. Everyone within the Maranello squad played their role to perfection. Michael Schumacher was the undisputed team leader and number one driver, but the Brazilian admits he was brought in for a very specific mission: his talent for improving setups during testing and pushing the car to its limits in terms of performance.
Now 53 years old, the former Ferrari driver recalls the exact moment when Jean Todt called him: “People knew how much I enjoyed working on the setup of the car, and I think that was exactly what Ferrari needed. They wanted someone who could come into that incredible team and make it even better when it came to fine-tuning the car. I tested every single tyre, every single setup, I tried so many different things.” His methodical approach and obsession with details were the reasons why Ferrari chose him after his spells at Jordan and Stewart. With Stewart in 1999, Barrichello had already proven that with a decent car he could consistently deliver strong results.
His impact at Ferrari was immediate. At his debut with the team at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, he finished second behind only his new teammate Michael Schumacher. Soon after came his first win in red, an emotional and hard-fought triumph at the Nürburgring. “That victory was more of a relief than anything else,” Barrichello admits. Across his six seasons with Ferrari, he scored nine victories and countless podiums. He was considered a luxury second driver, but one who played a crucial role in building the foundation of Ferrari’s winning cycle.
Why did Ferrari work so well in that era?
According to Rubens Barrichello, the secret was the atmosphere and unity inside the team: “In life, you always need great organisation and a good leader. And a good leader is not the one who says, ‘Why didn’t you do this properly?’ but the one who asks, ‘How can I help you to do better?’ Ferrari at that time had exactly that attitude. Ross Brawn, Jean Todt, Rory Byrne – each of them did their job to perfection. Even the mechanics were always exactly where they needed to be.” This harmony extended to the technical side as well: “The approach to aerodynamics, the wind tunnel work, everything was improving year by year. It was a great team with a great car.”
Rubens Barrichello also offers a cautious comparison with today’s Formula 1, aware that times have changed dramatically: “Today we know too much, the public knows too much. People talk too much, and some things should only be discussed inside the team. It’s tough, it’s not easy being a Ferrari driver. It wasn’t easy in my time, and with social media today it’s even harder. I think I lived in the right moment, because I stayed silent for the public, but I always spoke openly inside the team.”
His words highlight not just the career of a driver who was often underestimated, but also paint the picture of an era that now feels almost impossible to replicate. It was a Ferrari that found its perfect formula for success, built on the strength of different men working in unison towards the same goal. As recent history shows, that kind of winning model remains extremely difficult to recreate.
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