Ferrari Not Worried if Forced to Start 2002 with Old Car

Ferrari may have to start the 2002 Formula One season with their old car, according to technical director Ross Brawn. But the Briton claimed the team were not worried about it.

"We have the option to run the old car if we want to," he told the annual Autosport awards ceremony in London at which the Ferrari F2001 was named as racing car of the year.

Ferrari's four-times World Champion Michael Schumacher, who set a string of records in a year of dominance, won the international racing driver of the year award but was not present. Brawn said Ferrari were working hard to get the new car ready for the start of the season in Australia on March 3 and that it would race if completed.

"If not, the old car will be racing in Australia. We're not too worried if we have to take the old car," he said.

The new Ferrari is expected to feature a radical new approach to integrate the engine and gearbox, casting both as one unit. There have been suggestions from sources close to the team that, for reasons of reliability, it may not be used until the first three long-haul races in Australia, Malaysia and Brazil are out of the way.

"The 2002 car will be very different to this year's," chief designer Rory Byrne said last month. "When you see it, you'll understand why. It is pretty special."

Other Awards

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was among several Formula One drivers honoured at the ceremony, named as rookie of the year by an online poll and collecting the award from former champion Damon Hill. Montoya's sensational overtaking manoeuvre on Schumacher at the Brazilian Grand Prix was shown, with Hill, who had some notorious on-track clashes with Schumacher, commenting: "I don't know how he did it without both crashing."

The Briton also paid tribute to his friend George Harrison, the former Beatle who died last week. Hill's former team boss Frank Williams, current employer of Montoya, was presented with an award for outstanding achievement by former World Champion Mario Andretti and also praised Montoya.

"It was brilliant to see Juan driving the way he did," he commented. "He is our sort of driver. (Technical director) Patrick (Head) and I just love the oversteer and we get lots of that with Juan."

McLaren's David Coulthard, runner up in 2001 to Schumacher, was British international racing driver of the year while Japan's Takuma Sato, who will race for the Jordan team next season, won a national award.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis collected a British racing Drivers' Club gold medal, only the sixth recipient after Bernie Ecclestone, Williams, the late Ken Tyrrell, Stirling Moss and retired commentator Murray Walker.

Richard Burns, England's new World Champion, was international rally driver of the year. Junior Formula Ford racer Steven Kane, 21, won a 50,000 pound cheque and a test drive with the McLaren team after being named as Young Driver of the Year.

"I can handle it," he said confidently.