2002 Formula One Season May 2026

Welcome to the season of the Scarlet Steamroller. On paper, 2002 should have been a thriller. The 2001 season had ended with a resurgent Williams-BMW pairing of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya promising to dethrone the red empire. McLaren-Mercedes, with David Coulthard and a young Kimi Räikkönen, looked sharp in pre-season testing.

Two decades on, the 2002 FIA Formula One World Championship remains the ultimate case study in sporting hegemony. It was the year Ferrari didn’t just win—they erased the competition. It was the year Michael Schumacher didn’t just claim a third consecutive title—he clinched it in July, with six races left on the calendar. 2002 formula one season

“It wasn’t racing. It was a royal procession. But what a procession.” – Murray Walker Welcome to the season of the Scarlet Steamroller