FERRARI FORMULA 1
Australian GP 2000

P. No Driver Team - Car Time/Laps  1. 3 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari 1h34'01"987 196.255 km/h 2. 4 BARRICHELLO Ferrari + 0'11"415 195.858 km/h 3. 9 R.SCHUMACHER Williams BMW + 0'20"009 195.561 km/h 4. 22 VILLENEUVE BAR Honda + 0'44"447 194.721 km/h 5. 11 FISICHELLA Benetton Playlife + 0'45"165 194.696 km/h 6. 23 ZONTA BAR Honda + 0'46"468 194.652 km/h

ITALY HAILS FERRARI'S CONQUERING HEROES [13/03/00 - 12h36 ]
"It's the first sign of greatness in the year 2000." 



Italian newspapers were hailing Ferrari's conquering heroes on Monday after Michael Schumacher led
home teammate Rubens Barrichello at the Australian Grand Prix. The one-two finish in the opening race
of the season was welcomed with a single word splashed across the front page of the country's biggest
sports daily, the Gazzetta dello Sport: "Delighted!"

"The Ferrari engines were sending Verdiesque music up into the skies above Melbourne... while columns
of grey smoke rose from the souls of the enemy's cars...," the paper read. "And after the silver of the
McLarens, the yellow of the Jordans, the so-called 'third force' (in the championship) disappeared as
well, on the Melbourne circuit remained only our queen, who continued to sing like a Callas. In this
almost surreal atmosphere, Ferrari celebrated one of the greatest victories of its half-century of history.
It's the first sign of greatness in the year 2000." 

The Corriere della Sera was carried away on a similar, though less rhapsodic, wave of enthusiasm, the
headlining on its inside pages reading, "Schumacher triumphs and Ferrari dreams."
"The Ferrari which won the world constructors' title last season was not as good as the one which has
started the 2000 season. And here we're not talking about the car, whose qualities had been clear since
Friday in practice, but the drivers. Michael Schumacher is the ace we all know him to be ... Barrichello
showed he has the potential to be the ideal teammate for Schumi, being in the right place at the right time."

The nightmares of the past three seasons, when Ferrari lost the championship in each of the final races,
were also banished by "La Repubblica" who headlined "Schumi and Barrichello, Ferrari are dreaming."
"The adventure started in typical Italian style, with high hopes and lots of proclamations," the paper read.
"But on the starting grid, the two heroes of the red cars were in their usual places, third and fourth behind
the McLarens...But then came the triumph, one that opens the door to a season which will be perhaps the
one that dreams are made of - the one when Ferrari finally will be the best beyond question."