15 years ago today, Michael Schumacher achieved the first driver’s Championship for the Scuderia since Jody Scheckter in 1979
On October 8th 2000 the 26th Fuji Television Grand Prix of Japan was held at Suzuka International Racing Course as second to last stage of the season. With Michael Schumacher winning, the Scuderia, after winning for the first time since 1983 in 1999, finally achieved the driver’s championship for the first time since 1979.

It has been Schumacher’s third title with numbers four to seven to follow until 2005.

The season had started down under and Schumacher took his F2000 #200 to p3 on the grid. After both McLaren failed to finish, Schumacher and his team mate, Rubens Barrichello, who achieved the fastest lap with1:31,481, made it a 1-2 for the Scuderia.

Schumacher did win the next two Grand Prix in Brazil, with #200, and at Imola, hosting the Grand Prix of San Marino, where he used #198.

Even 15 years ago, Silverstone seemed not to be the best place for the Scuderia. Coulthard and Häkkinen took the victory for McLaren with Schumacher being 3rd on #200 again.

Schumacher (#198) came to Spain with 20 pts. ahead of Coulthard in the Championship, a bad second pit stop left nothing more than the fifth position in Barcelona and giving McLaren another double.

A 14 pts.-lead before the European Grand Prix at the Ring was extended after the King of Rain’s victory in a wet race at the first of his home races in 2000 with brand new chassis #203.

Monaco 2000 was no good place at all. A broken suspension on #203 in lap 55 was the start of four drop-outs in the next five races, interrupted by 198’s final ride and final victory at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal one week later.

Mechanical issues in Magny-Cours, an accident with Zonta at Spielberg and with Fisichella in lap 1 on the Hockenheimring kept Schumacher away from adding points. However, the Budapest-race resulted in a 2nd place after achieving pole with #205. Häkkinen took the lead in the Championship for the first time in the 2000 season.

Schumacher’s “Living Room” in Spa saw one of the most spectacular passing manoeuvres of all times when Häkkinen, on the inside, and Schumacher, on the outside, passed Zonta with Häkkinen taking the lead and the win.

And that was it with suspense in the 2000 season as Michael Schumacher did win the following four races in Monza, Indianapolis, Suzuka and Sepang. Schumacher’s car had been #205 since the Austrian Grand Prix.

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