Japanese Grand Prix 2002 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Michael Schumacher concluded Ferrari's most dominant season in Formula 1 history with victory at Suzuka, securing his eleventh win of 2002 and capping a campaign of unprecedented superiority. The German controlled the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position, managing the challenging figure-eight circuit with typical precision while teammate Rubens Barrichello followed him home in second. Ferrari's thirteenth one-two finish of the season provided the perfect conclusion to a year in which they rewrote the record books and established new standards for team and driver excellence.

Barrichello drove solidly to claim second place, completing a strong end to his season with five consecutive podium finishes. The Brazilian's late-season form - including four consecutive victories before Japan - partially restored his reputation after the Austria controversy and demonstrated his value to Ferrari's championship efforts. Kimi Räikkönen completed the podium for McLaren, the young Finn ending his breakthrough season with another impressive result that confirmed his status as a future championship contender.

Schumacher's Suzuka triumph provided the finishing touch to a season of utter domination - fifteen wins from seventeen races, eleven pole positions, and the championship secured with six races remaining. Ferrari's F2002 had proven virtually unbeatable across all circuit types, while Schumacher's consistency and speed had elevated him beyond all contemporary rivals. The season stood as a testament to what perfect synergy between driver, team, and machine could achieve, though it also prompted regulation changes aimed at preventing such one-sided dominance from recurring. For Ferrari and Schumacher, 2002 represented the absolute pinnacle - a season of such complete superiority it defined an era and set benchmarks that would endure for decades.