Prior to the introduction of the F2002, Ferrari had used a revised version of their championship-winning F2001 for the first few races of 2002. The F2002 was not merely a development of the F2001, but a revolutionary design incorporating many previously unseen technologies. The chassis was designed by Rory Byrne, Ignazio Lunetta, Aldo Costa, Marco Fainello, Nikolas Tombazis and James Allison and Paolo Martinelli, with engine design and development led by Giles Simon and engine operations overseen by Pino D'Agostino, all under the overall technical direction of Ross Brawn and team management of Jean Todt. Since the late 1990s, Ferrari had maintained a consistent gearbox concept, but the technical team pushed for a new version, resulting in a lighter and stronger titanium casing that reduced the car’s weight by up to 15% and lowered its center of gravity.
The F2002 was powered by the 3.0-litre Tipo 051 V10 engine, initially producing 835 horsepower (623 kW) at 17,800 rpm. In qualifying mode, this increased to 900 horsepower (670 kW) at 19,000 rpm, and during the race, it produced 865 horsepower (645 kW) at 18,600 rpm. The engine featured a low center of gravity, contributing to excellent handling. While not the most powerful engine of 2002 – the BMW P81 used by Williams produced 940 horsepower (700 kW) – the Tipo 051 was lighter, more compact, fuel-efficient, and driveable. An innovative, small clutchless gearbox allowed for ultra-quick gear changes, and its compact size enabled tightly packaged rear-end aerodynamics within a honeycomb structure. Bridgestone developed special tyres specifically suited for the car. Other advancements included a new fluid traction control system and upright, aerodynamically shaped exhaust outlets designed to both improve aerodynamics and prevent overheating of the rear suspension components.
The F2002 debuted at the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix, where Michael Schumacher secured victory. This continued Ferrari's winning streak since 1999. Schumacher’s first lap altercation with Juan Pablo Montoya did not prevent a relatively easy win. A controversy arose due to the team having only one F2002 chassis available, meaning Schumacher’s spare car was an F2001, requiring different wheel rim designs and, consequently, separate tyre allocations. Ferrari resolved this by aggregating tyre usage between the two cars. The season saw a period of domination, with nine 1-2 finishes achieved by Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, including five consecutive ones. Schumacher scored ten victories with the F2002, bringing his season total to eleven, setting a new record for most wins in a season. Barrichello added four wins. The only race the car failed to win was the Monaco Grand Prix. Schumacher finished every race on the podium, never finishing lower than second. He clinched the World Championship at the French Grand Prix, the 11th race of the season. Ferrari’s dominance was such that they scored 221 points, as many as all other teams combined.
The F2002 (renamed the F2002B) remained competitive at the start of 2003, with Schumacher taking the car’s final win at the San Marino Grand Prix before it was replaced by the F2003-GA.
In 2019, an F2002 chassis driven by Schumacher and Barrichello was sold at auction for $6,643,750, making it the second-most expensive Formula One car ever sold at auction. The car has been featured in several racing video games, including F1 2002, Formula One 2002, F1 Challenge '99-'02, F1 2017, and F1 2018 as a classic car.
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