Byrne Hints at Using F2002 at the Start of 2003

Ferrari could start next season with this year's all-conquering F2002 car as chief designer Rory Byrne revealed a new machine will not be completed until February.

The Italian World Champions romped to the drivers' and manufacturers' titles this season winning 15 of the 17 Grands Prix despite starting the year with an updated version of their 2001 car rather than the F2002, which made its debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the third round of the Championship.

Byrne revealed that Ferrari could go for a similar move again in 2003, with this year's car being used in the opening races while the performance of the new F2003 is honed in testing.

"We have refined this year's car, and it will run in early February," Byrne said at an event in his honour in his native South Africa. "Even if we don't race it immediately, we will ensure that it builds on our successes.

"The F2002 was a completely integrated design, one which made small leaps in almost every engineering area over the F2001. We made improvements everywhere - some you could see, like in aerodynamics, some like suspension details, you could not because they were hidden."

German champion Michael Schumacher started the opening two Grands Prix of this year in Australia and Malaysia with the team's 2001 car, while teammate Rubens Barrichello remained in the old machine one race longer in Brazil.

The 2003 season starts in Australia on March 9.