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Champion: Michael Schumacher. 2000 heralded another season of packed full of exciting Formula 1 action. Ferrari wasted no time putting the pressure on McLaren, underlining just how competitive they had become. Michael Schumacher's early dominance threatened to conclude the championship before it had really begun. But once McLaren found their form, first David Coulthard and then Mika Häkkinen challenged for the title.
Approximately, 2000 was a trademark year. Williams BMW employed the youngest ever British driver, twenty year old Jenson Button, who helped catapult the team high in the constructor's championship. Big cats Jaguar opened their first Fomula One season, hoping to follow on from previous success in sports car racing. Their optimism was soon stifled. Finally, the US hosted its first F1 race for nine years, attracting the biggest spectator crowd the sport has witnessed in recent times.
The season saw wave of emerging talent such as Pedro de la Rosa (Arrows), and notably Jarno Trulli (Jordan), who ran strong at the Nürburgring and Monaco respectively. But no one looked close to challenging the sports' contemporary strars Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) and Mika Häkkinen (McLaren).
With the aid of Ferrari's master strategist Ross Brawn, Michael Schumacher persistence and determination won him nine races. Early rumors that Häkkinen had lost motivation were quashed after a gripping race in Spa, where the Finn pulled off one of the most sensational overtaking manoeuvres in memory.
By the penultimate race in Japan, Schumacher only needed onemore win to clinch the championship title for the third time. Mika Häkkinen was a super competitor througout the season, but will undoubtedly be remembered for this gentlemanly attitude after Michael's triumph. This video captures the season's most awesome moments, inlcuding unique footage previously only seen on the pay-per-view channels.
Running time: 130 minutes
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