Michael Schumacher, the eventual World Champion, started the season in winning form, taking maximum points in Melbourne. Rubens Barrichello, whose race ended in the Australian gravel at the first corner, failed to score - something he would have to get used to for the first few races of the season as he endured a spell of extreme bad luck. Michael left Australia with 10 points, but he would be forced to work much harder for his points in Malaysia.

A first corner clash with Juan Pablo Montoya saw Michael rejoin the race on lap two in 21st position. Rubens was having a better race, but once again failed to finish when his Ferrari lost power mid-race. Michael drove an exceptional race, managing to pass the entire field with the exception of the two Williams to take third place - his lowest finishing position of the year so far!

Rubens’ luck did not improve at his home race in Brazil where he was forced to retire once again. All eyes were on Michael however, who drove one of the races of his career to beat his younger brother onto the top step of the podium and take his early season points tally in the Drivers’ World Championship to 24.

Brazil was also notable as Ferrari introduced the F2002 for the first time. Michael had already won 14 points with the F2001 (last year’s car), and with the new hardware beneath him, he was a class above the rest of the field.

Imola and the start of the European season brought another victory for Michael. More importantly, it saw Rubens get his campaign off the ground as he finished second behind his team-mate in a fine wet and dry race. Imola was also an important race for Shell as the Shell engineers working with Ferrari supplied the team with new race oil for Saturday’s session.

At Barcelona, Michael continued his winning streak whilst Rubens found that escaping his run of bad luck would prove harder than it had seemed at Imola. Whilst Rubens failed to leave the grid, Michael blazed away to victory and a 17 point lead in the Drivers’ World Championship.

By this stage in the season, Ferrari, along with its technical partners such as Shell and Bridgestone, had really found their groove. With the exception of Coulthard’s win in Monaco, a Ferrari would win all the remaining races of the year. Michael took victories in Austria, Canada, the UK and in France to win the Drivers’ World Championship a record-breaking eleven races into the season. Rubens also shook off his pre-season gremlins to clinch a fine second position in the Championship, including a win at the Nürburgring.

When Michael won his fifth Drivers’ World title in France, he was using a new formulation of Shell fuel, specifically developed for that stage of the season. The success did not end there however. Michael won his home race in Hockenheim, the first time he had won there in a Ferrari and the Constructors’ Championship was sealed at the next race in Hungary with another splendid one-two finish for Ferrari. When Michael won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, he won the 100th race of the Shell and Ferrari partnership. The winning run, started by José Froilán González in 1951, reached the 100 mark when Michael out-drove the rest of the field to win in style at his favourite track.

The two drivers were re-united in Monza where Shell presented the Ferrari team with a specially commissioned trophy to commemorate the occasion. Later that weekend, Rubens Barrichello took victory in front of an ecstatic crowd, a feat he would repeat two weeks later in the USA, passing Michael on the line for the win.