FFFFF 11 222 000 000 222 F 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 FFFF 1 22 0 0 0 0 22 F 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 F 11111 22222 000 000 22222 DDDD RRRR IIIII V V NN N GGGGG D D R R I V V N N N G D D RRRRR I V V N N N G GG D D R R I V V N N N G G DDDD R R IIIII V N NN GGGGG GGGGG U U IIIII DDDD EEEEE G U U I D D E G GG U U I D D EEEE G G U U I D D E GGGGG UUUUU IIIII DDDD EEEEE F1 2002 DRIVING GUIDE by Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Initial Version Completed: July 24, 2002 Version 6.2 Completed: October 27, 2002 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ACCOLADE #1: The F1 2002 Driving Guide won the initial FAQ of the Month contest at GameFAQs (http://www.GameFAQs.com/) for the month of July 2002 :-) ACCOLADE #2: The F1 2002 Driving Guide was recognized as Full Circle FAQ of the Day on the FAQ Contributors Message Board for September 18, 2002 :-) GUIDE NOTE: Those interested primarily in car set-ups may instead wish to view/print the F1 2002 Car Set-ups Guide. As changes are made to car set-ups in the Car Set-ups Guide, the changes will also be made in this (full) guide accordingly. The same holds true for the circuit histories, which are available separately in the F1 2002: Circuit Histories Guide. JOIN THE FEATHERGUIDES E-MAIL LIST: To be the first to know when my new and updated guides are released, join the FeatherGuides E-mail List. Go to http://www.coollist.com/group.cgi?l=featherguides for information about the list and to subscribe for free. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Assumptions and Conventions Race Order: 2002 Season Changes From F1 2001 To F1 2002 Normal Handling vs. Simulation Handling Quick Race Mode Challenge Mode Team Duel Mode Grand Prix Modes EA Sports Cards EA Sports Cards Acquisition Suggestions Survival Driving: Braking Survival Driving: Cornering Survival Driving: Rumble Strips Survival Driving: Concrete Extensions Survival Driving: Tire Care Survival Driving: Drafting (Slipstreaming) Flags and Boards General Tips F1-speak A Major Problem: FIA Rules Completely Subjective Section Team Information Arrows BAR Ferrari Jaguar Jordan McLaren Minardi Renault Sauber Toyota Williams Advertisers A1 (A1-Ring) ABN-AMRO Agip Air Canada Allianz Alpine AMP Aral ARCOR Banco Real Bridgestone Canon Casino (de Montreal) Casio Chevrolet D2/Mannesmann Daimler-Chrysler Deutsche Post/Deutsche Post World Net EuroBusiness Evenrudee Firestone France Fuji Television/Fuji TV FujiFilm GPF1 Honda HSBC Ipiranga Jaguar Kaimin Magneti Marelli Malaysia Melbourne MillionCard Mobil 1 Monaco Grand Prix Monaco Monte Carlo Grand Hotel NGK Nicos Nikon Nokia Orange Panasonic Pastor Petronas PIAA Pioneer Pony Canyon Potenza Qantas Sao Paulo SAP Shell/Helix Siemens Spa-Francorchamps Toenec United States Grand Prix Vodafone Zepeter International Circuit Histories Circuit History: Albert Park Circuit History: Kuala Lampur Circuit History: Interlagos Circuit History: Imola Circuit History: Catalunya Circuit History: A1-Ring Circuit History: Monte Carlo Circuit History: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Circuit History: Nurburgring Circuit History: Silverstone Circuit History: Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit History: Hockenheim Circuit History: Hungaroring Circuit History: Spa-Francorchamps Circuit History: Monza Circuit History: Indianapolis Circuit History: Suzuka Parts Used in Car Set-ups Suggested Set-ups Suggested set-up for Australia (Albert Park) Suggested set-up for Malaysia (Sepang) Suggested set-up for Brazil (Interlagos) Suggested set-up for San Marino (Imola) Suggested set-up for Spain (Catalunya) Suggested set-up for Austria (A1-Ring) Suggested set-up for Monaco (Monaco) Suggested set-up for Canada (Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve) Suggested set-up for Europe (Nurburgring) Suggested set-up for Great Britain (Silverstone) Suggested set-up for France (Nevers Magny-Cours) Suggested set-up for Germany (Hockenheim) Suggested set-up for Hungary (Hungaroring) Suggested set-up for Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps) Suggested set-up for Italy (Monza) Suggested set-up for the United States (Indianapolis) Suggested set-up for Japan (Suzuka) Grand Prix Of Australia: Albert Park Grand Prix Of Malaysia: Kuala Lampur Grand Prix Of Brazil: Interlagos Grand Prix Of San Marino: Imola Grand Prix Of Spain: Catalunya Grand Prix Of Austria: A1-Ring Grand Prix Of Monaco: Monte Carlo (Temporary Street Circuit) Grand Prix Of Canada: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Grand Prix Of Europe: Nurburgring Grand Prix Of Great Britain: Silverstone Grand Prix Of France: Nevers Magny-Cours Grand Prix Of Germany: Hockenheim Grand Prix Of Hungary: Hungaroring Grand Prix Of Belgium: Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix Of Italy: Monza Grand Prix Of The United States: Indianapolis Grand Prix Of Japan: Suzuka Diagrams Wish List - Mine Wish List - Others Thanks Wrap-up Contact Information ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz This guide is now approximately *****245 pages long**** in the Macintosh version of Microsoft Word 98 using single- spaced Courier 12 font. This means that it is likely NOT a good idea to print this guide in its entirety. ============================================== PERMISSIONS Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use. However, due to the extreme length, printing this driving guide may not be such a good idea. This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, Games Domain, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, GameReactors.com, RedCoupe, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, CheatHeaven, IGN, cheatingplanet.com, RobsGaming.com, neoseeker.com, ps2fantasy.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Should anyone wish to translate this game guide into other languages, please contact me for permission(s) and provide me with a copy when complete. Remember: Plagiarism in ANY form is NOT tolerated!!!!! ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== INTRODUCTION F1 2002 is the latest entry in EA Sports' line of F1-based games for (originally) the PlayStation and (now) the PlayStation2. F1 Championship Season 2000, the game immediately preceding F1 2001, marked EA Sports' first foray of the series to the PS2, but F1CS2K was actually released in two 'flavors:' PSX and PS2. F1 2001 was thus the first PS2- only game of the series, and F1 2002 continues EA Sports' great tradition with its F1 games. Most likely, if you play F1 2002, then you are at least a casual fan of F1 racing, and have at least a basic knowledge of many or all of the F1 courses currently in use. That knowledge certainly does help when first playing F1 2002, and vice versa - as any extensive gameplay greatly helps in determining where the drivers are on each course when races are televised. The final segment of this driving guide provides information to help you to cleanly drive each course. Even those who know the courses fairly well and/or play the game regularly can always use tips. Please note that much of this information comes from the driving guide I wrote for F1 Championship Season 2000 and updated in the guide written for F1 2001, both games also by EA Sports. Those who have read and/or downloaded the driving guide for F1CS2K and/or F1 2001 will already have the same basic information covered in this driving guide. Information also comes from my General Racing/Driving Guide, with appropriate modifications. This driving guide has been modified and expanded to reflect the many additions in F1 2002, including the minor circuit alterations included in the game. Please also note that this guide is written specifically for the PlayStation2 version of F1 2002. I do not own a PC and do not have access to a PC on which to play games, nor do I own any other gaming consoles on which this game appears, so this guide does not address any of the cross-platform or cross-console differences in the game. ============================================== ASSUMPTIONS AND CONVENTIONS Most race circuits outside the United States name most corners and chicanes, and even some straightaways. Where these names are known, they will be referenced in the Notes section of each circuit's suggested set-up. These names have been gathered from course maps available on the courses' official Web sites, my memory of how F1 races have been called by American TV sportscasters (Fox Sports Net and SpeedVision, in 1999-2001, and Speed Channel in 2002), and/or from the Training Mode of F1 Championship Season 2000 (corner/segment names are listed at the bottom of the screen). To the extent possible, these names have been translated into English. ============================================== RACE ORDER: 2002 SEASON F1 2002 presents the courses in the order in which they were presented for the 2002 Formula 1 season. This driving guide will follow the same convention. F1 Race Schedule, 2002 Season: March 3 Australia Albert Park March 17 Malaysia Kuala Lampur March 31 Brazil Interlagos April 14 San Marino Imola April 28 Spain Catalunya May 12 Austria A1-Ring May 26 Monaco Unnamed (Street Circuit) June 9 Canada Circuit Gilles Villeneuve June 23 Europe Nurburgring July 7 Great Britain Silverstone July 21 France Nevers Magny-Cours July 28 Germany Hockenheim August 18 Hungary Hungaroring September 1 Belgium Spa-Francorchamps September 15 Italy Monza September 29 USA Indianapolis October 13 Japan Suzuka ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CHANGES FROM F1 2001 TO F1 2002 In many ways F1 2001 and F1 2002 are the same game, simply updated. Colors and reflections are much more vibrant, it is MUCH easier to see the flags waved by the corner workers - and certainly, the teams and drivers have been updated for the 2002 season. Each team's cars also sounds and handles slightly differently from other teams' cars; for example, in Normal Handling, a Toyota's top speed is about 170MPH, whereas a Ferrari can climb to nearly 185MPH. This is initially quite noticeable when completing Challenge Mode. However, whether using Normal Handling or Simulation Handling, car control seems a bit twitchier than in F1 2001. In terms of the race circuits, they are largely the same, with appreciable enhancement in colors. However, the Monaco circuit seems to have been narrowed from the entrance to The Tunnel all the way to the entrance to Swimming Pool Chicane. In terms of gameplay, the AI has become even MORE aggressive than in F1 2001. This is especially significant on the standing starts, where it is fairly common to get speared from behind and knocked off the circuit. 'Gamebreakers' have been added to F1 2002. Whenever a major event takes place during a race (i.e., a massive crash), all action will suddenly stop as multiple cameras show the incident at regular speed and in slow-motion. Gamebreakers is an optional feature. A nice addition is the slipstream effect. On the right side of the race screen, a set of bars will slowly light up as a driver gets closer and closer behind another car, thus able to take advantage of the lead car's slipstream (aerodynamic vacuum) to suddenly jump out and make a pass. When racing in very wet weather when cars are launching a tall 'rooster tail' of spray in their wake, the slipstream meter can be used to approximate the distance to the car in front as well as the closing speed. EA Sports Cards are new to F1 2002. The EA Sports Cards for the Challenge Mode events are rather easy to obtain, as are those for Team Duel Mode; the others are gained seemingly 'at random' as certain tasks are completed in races. At the end of each race, a status screen will list the EA Sports Cards earned in the race (if applicable); during the race, if TV Panels is activated, then an indicator at the bottom of the screen will show that an EA Sports Card has been awarded (this notice will be repeated at the end of the race). See the EA Sports Cards section for more details. ============================================== NORMAL HANDLING VS. SIMULATION HANDLING Most game modes of F1 2002 allow the player to select which handling option is preferred. Normal Handling is essentially arcade-style driving. Here, the only 'tuning' option is whether to use hard or soft tires as the dry-weather tire compound (the compound option is only available in one of the Grand Prix Modes offering a Practice session). There are extremely few variables affecting car control in Normal Handling, which makes this driving option quite forgiving should the player make a mistake. For example, braking late for a corner does not necessarily mean that the car will slide off the outside of the turn; in fact, it is often possible to keep to the pavement in this situation and continue cornering. In another example, should the car get speared from behind and start to spin, it is TOO easy to 'catch' the vehicle and point the car back in the correct direction of travel. Simulation Handling introduces MANY more variables in the issue of car control, as well as many more tuning options. The Suggested Set-ups section is designed with Simulation Handling in mind; it covers the various tuning elements and presents car set-ups for all seventeen circuits in current F1 racing as presented in F1 2002. Whereas Normal Handling might be good for young adolescents and those just learning to drive in reality, Simulation Handling is best left to the parents and those with A LOT of gaming experience, as Simulation Handling is a MUCH more difficult level in terms of car control. Here, tuning is key, as improper tuning means horrific car control; since there is no such thing as a perfectly-tuned car (especially with so many tuning elements involved), there will always be a compromise somewhere in car control. ============================================== QUICK RACE MODE Here, players can simply jump into a car in P22 and get out on the tracks in four-lap races using Normal Handling. Initially, only Hockenheim, Monza, and Silverstone are available for race venues. Winning at these venues opens new venues. Here is the list, with easiest circuits listed first and most difficult circuits listed last: Hockenheim Initially available Monza Initially available Silverstone Initially available Imola Win at Monza Melbourne (Albert Park) Win at Monza A1-Ring Win at Monza Barcelona (Catalunya) Win at Monza Indianapolis Win at Hockenheim Nurburgring Win at Hockenheim Magny-Cours Win at Silverstone Montreal (Gilles-Villeneuve) Win at Imola Sepang (Kuala Lampur) Win at Imola Hungaroring Win at Melbourne Interlagos Win at A1-Ring Spa-Francorchamps Win at Barcelona Suzuka Win at Indianapolis Monaco Win at Nurburgring Expect weather conditions to change at least once during a race in Quick Race Mode. If a race begins in the dry, expect rain by the end of Lap 3. If a race begins in the wet, expect the rain to end by the end of Lap 3 (but the road will still be a little damp at the end of the race). There are no FIA Rules in effect for Quick Race Mode; this means that shortcutting, dangerous driving, ignoring yellow flags, and other unsportsmanlike/unsafe conduct IS permitted. Also, the driver is protected from incurring damage and does not suffer mechanical failures... unlike some of the competitors. Quick Race Mode is VERY forgiving in terms of the technique of racing. Missing a braking zone is not necessarily disastrous here, even with Speed Assist deactivated. Catching a spinning car is fairly easy, even at over 150MPH. Botching an apex can still result in good cornering, even passing while cornering. ============================================== CHALLENGE MODE Challenge Mode presents 22 challenges total, 11 basic challenges and 11 advanced challenges; within each category, the challenges are listed by team, where the player takes the role of a given driver for that team and must complete the task at hand. Before each challenge, the player is presented with a screen detailing exactly what is about to happen, and what is required for success. This ranges from simply maintaining position to passing an inordinate number of cars in VERY little time to an interactive Pit Stop. Note that each team's challenges are often similar between the basic challenge and the advanced challenge, but this is not always the case. Also, it only takes one pixel for a car to be considered out of bounds, so high-speed car control is crucial to success in many of the advanced challenges. ============================================== TEAM DUEL MODE This unique race mode works on the concept of intra-team rivalry: Each driver wants to prove that he is better than his teammate. In Team Duel Mode, all that matters is that the player finish better than his teammate in a race of four or eight laps total, with the player starting at P22. Note that Team Duel Mode is essentially one of the Grand Prix Modes (see next section), with the exception that a race win is not necessary. As long as the player can beat his teammate, that will suffice. Team Duel Mode also awards EA Sports Cards. One EA Sports Card is granted per Team Duel Mode win per team per difficulty level. ============================================== GRAND PRIX MODES Here is where an F1 driver earns his money!!! These modes present one or more full race weekends - Practice, Qualifying, Warm-up, and Race - using either Normal Handling (easiest) or Simulation Handling (hardest). Grand Prix events are quite customizable: race length, transmission, FIA Rules, slipstream effects, etc. Single Grand Prix is a single race weekend, using any driver at any venue. Full Championship covers the entire 2002 season in order using any driver. Custom Championship allows the player to create an original championship season using any number of races and any order of venues with any driver; the possibilities are endless: all-technical circuits (Monaco, Suzuka, etc.), all high-speed circuits (Monza, Hockenheim, etc.), the reverse of the actual 2002 season (Suzuka, Indianapolis, etc.)... For the various Grand Prix Modes, points are distributed in accordance with FIA regulations: First Place: 10 points Second Place: 6 points Third Place: 4 points Fourth Place: 3 points Fifth Place: 2 points Sixth Place: 1 point Others: 0 points These points are given to both the cars' drivers AND the cars' teams (constructors) for the Drivers Championship and Constructors Championship; in effect, the points do 'double duty.' Those concerned about winning both championships should elect to play as a driver from a team with a strong track record (pardon the pun) for winning: McLaren, Ferrari, etc. Grand Prix Modes include the following sessions: Practice: The first step in a race weekend is to prepare the car as best as possible for the weekend's race. There is no such thing as a 'universal car set-up,' as each venue requires different things from each car. A total of sixty minutes is allowed for Practice; a car may complete any lap already in progress when the sixty-minute timer expires. Practice is generally held on Friday of a race weekend. If FIA Rules is activated, there are no penalties assessed for any infractions. It is important to wisely choose a tire compound before the end of Practice; whatever compound is on the car at the end of Practice is the same tire compound which MUST be used throughout the rest of the grand prix weekend. Qualify: The day before a race, all twenty-two cars have a total of one hour to qualify for the race and try to begin the race as high up on the grid as possible. Each driver is permitted a total of twelve laps - INCLUDING out-laps and in-laps - to qualify for the race, and only the fastest lap time is used to place the driver on the grid. If FIA Rules is activated, infractions will result in the loss of the current lap in progress. Warm-up: The morning of the race, cars are given one hour in which to further hone car set-up for the race. This can be very important, as the best qualifying set-up may not necessarily be the best race set-up for a particular circuit. Race: This is the big event!!! Once the lights go out, hit the accelerator and try to gain multiple positions by reacting faster than any cars before you. If you decided to skip the Qualify session, you will automatically be placed in the very last position on the grid (P22) for the Race session. The slowest cars are obviously placed at the rear of the starting grid, so if a player has an excellent reaction time on the standing start, up to half the field (and possibly even more!!!!!) can be passed before reaching the first corner of the circuit. ============================================== EA SPORTS CARDS F1 2002 presents EA Sports Cards, awarded for completing specific events in the game, or for achieving certain feats during races. The following is a checklist of the EA Sports Cards available per team, and the requirements for earning each of these cards. Keep this list handy and cross them off as the various requirements are completed :-) Toyota (Gold) Duration: Complete an eight-lap race Racing: Gain a place Milestone: Score ten Top Six finishes Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team Toyota (Silver) Toyota (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge Minardi Duration: Complete a sixteen-lap race Racing: Overtake a teammate Milestone: Ten podium finishes Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team Minardi (Silver) Minardi (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge Arrows Duration: Complete a race of at least half the full race distance (i.e., a race of at least 39 laps at Monaco, which has a full race distance of 78 laps) Racing: Finish in a higher position than where started the race Milestone: Start P1 twenty times Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team Arrows (Silver) Arrows (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge Renault Duration: Complete five 16-lap races Racing: Take first place Milestone: Win 20 races Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team Renault (Silver) Renault (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge Jaguar Duration: Complete five races of at least half full race distance (i.e., a race of at least 39 laps at Monaco, which has a full race distance of 78 laps) Racing: Once at P1, keep from being overtaken for at least one full lap* Milestone: Score the fastest race lap twenty times Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team Jaguar (Silver) Jaguar (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge BAR Duration: Complete five full-lap races Racing: Never leave the track for a single lap Milestone: Earn 100 points Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team BAR (Silver) BAR (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge Jordan Duration: Complete nine 16-lap races Racing: Start a race P22 and finish P1 Milestone: Win a season** Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team Jordan (Silver) Jordan (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge Sauber Duration: Complete nine races of at least half full race distance (i.e., a race of at least 39 laps at Monaco, which has a full race distance of 78 laps) Racing: Set a fastest lap for a race Milestone: Earn 150 points Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team Sauber (Silver) Sauber (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge Williams Duration: Complete nine full-lap races Racing: Win two races in a row Milestone: Win two seasons** Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team Williams (Silver) Williams (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge McLaren Duration: Complete 17 races of at least half full race distance (i.e., a race of at least 39 laps at Monaco, which has a full race distance of 78 laps) Racing: Lap a backmarker Milestone: Earn 200 points Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team McLaren (Silver) McLaren (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge Ferrari Duration: Complete 17 full-lap races Racing: Lead race from start to finish* Milestone: Earn maximum points in a season Team Duel: Win Team Duel for the team Basic Challenge: Complete Basic Challenge for the team Advanced Challenge: Complete Advanced Challenge for the team Ferrari (Silver) Ferrari (Bronze) Duration Duration Racing Racing Milestone Milestone Team Duel Team Duel Basic Challenge Basic Challenge Advanced Challenge Advanced Challenge *If another driver can put the nose of his car just one pixel ahead of yours for just one millisecond, your chances of attaining this EA Sports Card at the current race are destroyed. **While it is obviously possible that a player can 'win' a season before the final race, the CPU does not recognize a season as officially having been WON until the player at least goes to the starting grid of the final race. However, for those races the player chooses to 'skip,' once the car is on the grid for the race, the player can elect to 'Retire from Session.' If this is done before the final race, the CPU will simply move on to the next round of the season; if this is done at the final race of the season, the CPU will first show race results and championship points (as usual), THEN award any appropriate EA Sports Cards if they have been earned during the season. This checklist can be used for strategy purposes. By studying this checklist carefully, players can determine the best approach for the game to gain as many of the EA Sports Cards as possible in the shortest possible time. Note that there are indeed some rewards for attaining ALL the teams' EA Sports Cards at Gold Medal level. These are detailed in my F1 2002: Unlockables Guide. ============================================== EA SPORTS CARDS ACQUISITION SUGGESTIONS Here are some suggestions for acquiring the medals as quickly as possible. However, A LOT of time will still be spent trying to collect each of the EA Sports Cards. General F1 2002 permits players to effectively 'skip' medals. There is no reason to first earn a team's Bronze Medal before working on its Silver Medal. Instead, players can immediately work toward earning a team's Gold Medal. Earning a higher medal will still grant access to those features unlocked with the acquisition of a lower medal. F1 2002 also permits players to acquire more than one EA Sports Card (per team) per event. 'Event' is specifically used here, as even when working on Challenges or Team Duel, other EA Sports Cards (such as a team's Racing Card) can also be earned. Not surprisingly, the EA Sports Cards requirements for the 'lesser' teams (Toyota, Minardi, etc.) are far easier than those for the 'greater' teams (i.e., Williams, McLaren, and Ferrari). Acquiring the various EA Sports Cards can be made a little easier by using Normal Handling with Tire Wear, Fuel, and FIA Rules deactivated, and with only dry Weather. Also, using shortcuts where available can be very handy, especially for those cards where one must gain first place and keep from being passed for a specific period of time. (For information on shortcuts, see my F1 2002: Illegal Times Guide. I find that Monza is the best circuit to use when shortcutting could be an integral part of attaining one or more EA Sports Cards.) Toyota The Racing Card can be easily acquired in the hunt for any of the other Toyota cards. Ten finishes in the points are required to gain Toyota's Milestone Card. One of these can be earned simultaneously by scoring in the points in an eight-lap race, which itself will grant the Duration Card. Minardi The Racing Card requires overtaking a teammate, which is the entire point of Team Duel. Thus, winning Team Duel will also grant the Racing Card. Arrows Somewhat similar to Minardi, the Arrows Racing Card requires finishing in a position higher than where one began an event. Therefore, since Team Duel always begins with the player at P22, successfully passing Team Duel will grant two cards at once: the Team Duel Card and the Racing Card. This comes from Nick Wade, who e-mailed me with this tip for getting the Arrows Milestone Card: '...for the Arrows Milestone Card, which is getting 20 pole positions, you don't actually have to do the race that you get pole position for. I was able to just go to any track I wanted and qualify, then once I got pole position, I would get to the screen where the only choices left are 'warm up' 'race' and 'exit'. I would choose 'exit' and just quit the whole event. Then I would begin a new event, either at the same track or another (it doesn't matter which track), and repeat the same process 20 times. And on the 20th time, I got the silver card, so there you have it.' Renault The requirement for Renault's Milestone Card (winning twenty races) inherently means taking first place, which is the requirement for the Racing Card. Since the Duration Card requires completing five sixteen-lap races, winning a single sixteen-lap race will grant the Racing Card. Successfully earning the Duration Card with ONLY RACE VICTORIES means that five of the required twenty wins for the Milestone Card will have been successfully attained. The Basic Challenge and Advanced Challenge for Renault both involve interactive Pit Stops at Indianapolis. In both scenarios, the Challenge begins at the entrance of Turn 12 (where the infield course rejoins the Indy 500 banking). To shed a few milliseconds and especially to ensure getting TO Pit Lane before the rival in the Advanced Challenge, the CPU WILL permit using the access road FROM TURN 11; this means that as soon as the Challenge begins, the player needs to cross the rumble strips to the right and get on the access road (the one used by Indy and NASCAR in their events), even though the official F1 Pit Entry is between Turn 12 and Turn 13. Also, a caution: In the Advanced Challenge, the player begins with an automatic speed boost due to inherent drafting from starting the Advanced Challenge directly behind the rival entering Turn 12, so it is far too easy to miss this 'extra' Pit Entry road and put all four wheels into the grass. Jaguar The Jaguar Milestone Card requires scoring twenty Fastest Laps. This is NOT 'Fastest Lap at twenty races,' which is the misinterpretation I included in earlier versions of this guide. This means that if a player elects to compete in a race of at least twenty laps, the Milestone Card could easily be attained at just that one race. However, such a tactic could almost certainly never be realized, as a player will occasionally be slowed by traffic, make a mistake and run off-course, etc. On the other hand, a good driver can easily set the required twenty fastest laps within five races of at least half the full race distance, which is the requirement for attaining the Duration Card. BAR The BAR Milestone Card requires earning 100 points. Fortunately, this is cumulative across the entire game, so simply playing as usual in virtually any race or event and placing consistently within the Top Six will amass points which will automatically be put toward the acquisition of this card. The Racing Card requires never leaving the track for a single lap. Since the Duration Card requires completing five full-lap races, even a novice player should be able to keep to the track for one full lap in a full-distance race and not lose so much time that the player cannot perform well in the race. I personally tried attaining the Racing Card while working on the BAR Team Duel (held at A1-Ring), and it was a major handful trying to keep to the track for an entire lap AND maintain position. The BAR Milestone Card is earned by accumulating 100 points. This can be earned quickly by competing in and winning ten four-lap races. Jordan Jordan's Racing Card is earned by starting last and finishing first. Depending on a player's skill, this can be easily done while working toward the Duration Card, which requires the completion of nine sixteen-lap races. For the Milestone Card, a season can use races as short as four laps each. Sauber The Racing Card is earned by setting the Fastest Lap for a race. The best way to do this is to choose a four-lap race, and start P22. Those with excellent skills combined with prime shortcut knowledge (and FIA Rules turned off) can quickly catapult themselves from P22 to P1 in just one lap, inherently resulting in a Fastest Lap (since F1 2002 awards Fastest Lap beginning with Lap 1 - this is a programming error which can be greatly exploited!!!). From here, a player must simply stay in front; if challenged seriously, dirty tactics such as banging wheels or cutting off the challenger should preserve the Fastest Lap set on Lap 1, unless the player can better that lap time in the three laps which remain. Note: Team Duel is a great place to attain the Racing Card, although it will be eight laps in length. As with BAR, the Milestone Card is based upon points, which are gained cumulatively across most racing events. Consistent performance in the Top Six will result in points being automatically used toward the acquisition of the Sauber Milestone Card. Williams The Williams Basic and Advances Challenge Cards take place at Monza, finishing just beyond the exit of Ascari (the left-right-left chicane leading onto the back straightaway). The key to a Gold Medal time here is to take Ascari at full acceleration, which requires intimate familiarity with this portion of the Monza circuit as well as fast reflexes. This is actually an important skill to have at Monza, as the traditional top-running drivers (both Schumachers, Barrichello, Montoya, Raikkonen, and Coultard) are all able to fly through Ascari at top speed, so a player able to do the same can maintain position in relation to these CPU-controlled drivers. Winning two seasons is required to earn the Milestone Card. It is certainly possible within a season to win two races in a row, which just happens to be the requirement for the Racing Card. For the Milestone Card, a season can use races as short as four laps each. McLaren McLaren's Racing Card requires lapping a backmarker. This can easily be accomplished in one of the seventeen half-distance races required for the Duration Card. Depending on the CPU, this may also occur in Team Duel or even in a standard four-lap race is Failures is activated, as cars may have trouble and go to Pit Lane for repairs - thus giving the player a chance to lap the backmarker(s). As with BAR, the Milestone Card is based upon points, which are gained cumulatively across most racing events. Consistent performance in the Top Six will result in points being automatically used toward the acquisition of the McLaren Milestone Card. Ferrari Ferrari's Racing Card requires starting AND finishing a race P1 WITHOUT EVER BEING PASSED. This effectively means no Pit Stops without having a large enough lead to maintain P1 (a lead of at least thirty seconds should be adequate for this purpose). This also places prime importance upon gear ratios and circuit selection - if a player wishes to attain the Racing Card at a circuit which requires long gear ratios (such as Hockenheim), the player will likely fail at the standing start due to long ratios' inherent slow acceleration. A circuit with good shortcutting opportunities, such as Albert Park or Monza, can work to the player's advantage. The Milestone Card requires earning maximum points in a season - in other words, the player must win EVERY race in the season. This will be extremely difficult at circuits where passing is fairly rare, such as Monaco and Hungaroring, unless the player can qualify P1 and never be passed during the race. It may also be a good idea to disengage Autosave, so that if a player does not win a race within a season, progress can be reloaded and the loss wiped clean, allowing the player to make another attempt; of course, the player should save game progress after each win!!!!! Ferrari's Duration Card is one of the hardest of the EA Sports Cards to acquire - after all, who really has the time to spend playing SEVENTEEN full-lap races??? Fortunately, HondaF1 from the GameFAQs message board for F1 2002 (PlayStation2 version) has discovered a nice time-saving measure: At the start of a race, pass the Start/Finish Line, then pull aside (out of the optimum racing line to avoid getting speared from behind) and walk away; come back about ninety minutes later, finish the lap, and since the leader should have won the race by then, the game will end. (It is important to note that on the race results, the CPU will deem the player 'DNF' for the race, but this does not matter.) Doing this seventeen times results in 'earning' the Ferrari Duration Card :-) Note that this same strategy can be used for other teams which require simply completing a specific number of races at a given distance. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SURVIVAL DRIVING: BRAKING The first step in driving fast is knowing when, where, and how much to slow down (braking). In some games, a brake controller can be acquired or purchased, allowing the player to customize the brake strength by axle or by adjusting the bias of the brakes toward the front or the rear of the car. The use of a brake controller will affect the braking zone, as will other factors. Specifically, the car's speed on approaching a corner, the amount of fuel in the car at a given moment, the drivetrain of the car, the weight of the car, and even the car's center of gravity can all affect the braking zone. Similarly, the driving conditions - sunny, overcast, damp, wet, icy, snowy etc. - will affect the braking zone for each corner (as well as the car's ability to attain high speeds). Except for purely arcade-style games, the braking zone will differ somewhat for each car depending upon its strengths and weaknesses. It certainly helps for the player to try a Free Run or a Time Trial (if these modes exist in a given game) to learn the circuit(s) - including the braking zones. When looking for braking zones, try to find a particular stationary object near the entry of each corner; it helps tremendously if this object is far enough away from the circuit that it will not be knocked over during a race. To begin, try using the brakes when the front of the car is parallel with the chosen stationary object. If this does not slow the car enough before corner entry or if the car slows too much before reaching the corner, pick another stationary object on the following lap and try again. Whenever changes are made to the car - whether to the brake controller or to other aspects of tuning and/or parts - it would be a good idea to go back into Free Run mode and check that the braking zones still hold; if not, adjust as necessary using the method in the paragraph above. For those races which include fuel loads, the car will become progressively lighter during a race. The lesser weight can often mean a slightly shorter braking zone; however, if tire wear is excessive (especially if there have been numerous off-course excursions), that might dictate a longer braking zone. Cars with a higher horsepower output will inherently attain faster speeds, and will therefore require a longer braking zone than cars with a lower horsepower output. Try a Renault and a Ferrari along the same area of a circuit and note how their braking zones differ. A final note on braking: To the extent possible, ALWAYS brake in a straight line. If braking only occurs when cornering, the car will likely be carrying too much speed for the corner, resulting in the car sliding, spinning, and/or flipping. (Some games purposely do not permit the car to flip, but a slide or spin can still mean the difference between winning and ending up in last position at the end of a race.) If nothing else, players should strive to become of the 'breakers' they possibly can. This will essentially force a player to become a better racer/driver in general once the player has overcome the urge to constantly run at top speed at all times with no regard for damages to self or others. Also, slowing the car appropriately will make other aspects of racing/driving easier, especially in J-turns, hairpin corners, and chicanes. ============================================== SURVIVAL DRIVING: CORNERING Ideally, the best way to approach a corner is from the outside of the turn, braking well before entering the corner. At the apex (the midpoint of the corner), the car should be right up against the edge of the pavement. On corner exit, the car drifts back to the outside of the pavement and speeds off down the straightaway. So, for a right-hand turn of about ninety degrees, enter the corner from the left, come to the right to hit the apex, and drift back to the left on corner exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for a sample standard corner. For corners that are less than ninety degrees, it may be possible to just barely tap the brakes - if at all - and be able to clear such corners successfully. However, the same principles of cornering apply: approach from the outside of the turn, hit the apex, and drift back outside on corner exit. For corners more than ninety degrees but well less than 180 degrees, braking will certainly be required. However, for these 'J-turns,' the apex of the corner is not the midpoint, but a point approximately two-thirds of the way around the corner. J-turns require great familiarity to know when to begin diving toward the inside of the corner and when to power to the outside on corner exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for a sample J-turn. Hairpin corners are turns of approximately 180 degrees. Braking is certainly required before corner entry, and the cornering process is the same as for standard corners: Approach from the outside, drift inside to hit the apex (located at halfway around the corner, or after turning ninety degrees), and drifting back to the outside on corner exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for a sample hairpin corner. If there are two corners of approximately ninety degrees each AND both corners turn in the same direction AND there is only a VERY brief straightaway between the two corners, they may be able to be treated like an extended hairpin corner. Sometimes, however, these 'U-turns' have a straightaway between the corners that is long enough to prohibit a hairpin-like treatment; in this case, drifting to the outside on exiting the first of the two corners will automatically set up the approach to the next turn. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for a sample U-turn. FIA (the governing body of F1 racing, World Rally Championship, and other forms of international motorsport) seems to LOVE chicanes. One common type of chicane is essentially a 'quick-flick,' where the circuit quickly edges off in one direction then realigns itself in a path parallel to the original stretch of pavement, as in the examples in the Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Here, the object is to approach the first corner from the outside, hit BOTH apexes, and drift to the outside of the second turn. FIA also seems to like the 'Bus Stop' chicane, which is essentially just a pair of quick-flicks, with the second forming the mirror image of the first, as shown in the Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Perhaps the most famous Bus Stop chicane is the chicane (which is actually called the 'Bus Stop Chicane') at Pit Entry at Spa- Francorchamps, the home of the annual Grand Prix of Belgium (F1 racing) and the host of The 24 Hours of Spa (for endurance racing). Virtually every other type of corner or corner combination encountered in racing (primarily in road racing) combines elements of the corners presented above. These complex corners and chicanes can be challenging, such as the Ascari chicane at Monza. See the Diagrams section for an idea of the formation of Ascari. One thing which can change the approach to cornering is the available vision. Blind and semi-blind corners require ABSOLUTE knowledge of such corners. Here is where gamers have an advantage over real-world drivers: Gamers can (usually) change their viewpoint (camera position), which can sometimes provide a wider, clearer view of the circuit, which can be especially important when approaching semi-blind corners; real-world drivers are obviously inhibited by the design of their cars and racing helmets. Great examples of real-world blind and semi-blind corners would be Turns 14 and 15 at Albert Park, and each of the first three corners at A1- Ring. Also important to cornering - especially with long, extended corners - is the corner's radius. Most corners use an identical radius throughout their length. However, some are increasing-radius corners or decreasing-radius corners. These corners may require shifting the apex point of a corner, and almost always result in a change of speed. Decreasing-radius corners are perhaps the trickiest, because the angle of the corner becomes sharper, thus generally requiring more braking as well as more turning of the steering wheel. Increasing-radius corners are corners for which the angle becomes more and more gentle as the corner progresses; this means that drivers will generally accelerate more, harder, or faster, but such an extra burst of speed can backfire and require more braking. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for sample images of a decreasing- radius corner and an increasing-radius corner. For traditional road racing circuits, increasing-radius and decreasing-radius corners may not be too much of a problem. After several laps around one of these circuits, a driver will know where the braking and acceleration points are as well as the shifted apex point (should a shift be required). One particularly interesting aspect of cornering is one which I honestly do not know if it works in reality (I am not a real-world racer, although I would certainly LOVE the chance to attend a racing school!!!), but which works in numerous racing/driving games I have played over the years. This aspect is to use the accelerator to help with quickly and safely navigating sharp corners. This works by first BRAKING AS USUAL IN ADVANCE OF THE CORNER, then - once in the corner itself - rapidly pumping the brakes for the duration of the corner (or at least until well past the apex of the corner). The action of rapidly pumping the accelerator appears to cause the drive wheels to catch the pavement just enough to help stop or slow a sliding car, causing the non-drive wheels to continue slipping and the entire car to turn just a little faster. Using this rapid-pumping technique with the accelerator does take a little practice initially, and seems to work best with FR cars; however, once perfected, this technique can pay dividends, especially with REALLY sharp hairpin corners, such as La Source at Spa-Francorchamps. ============================================== SURVIVAL DRIVING: RUMBLE STRIPS Depending on car set-up and weather conditions, rumble strips (sometimes also called 'alligators') can be either useful or dangerous. The purpose of rumble strips is to provide a few extra centimeters of semi-racing surface to help keep cars from dropping wheels off the pavement, which can slow cars and throw grass and other debris onto the racing surface (which makes racing a little more dangerous for all involved, especially in corners). Generally, rumble strips are found on the outside of a corner at corner entry and corner exit, and also at the apex of a corner - these locations provide a slightly better racing line overall. If a car is set with a very stiff suspension (i.e., there is not much room for the suspension to move as the car passes over bumps and other irregularities in the racing surface), hitting rumble strips can cause the car to jump. Even if airborne for only a few milliseconds, at speed, it could be just enough so that the driver loses control of the car. Obviously, if one or more wheels are not in contact with the ground, the car is losing speed, which could be just enough of a mistake for other cars to pass by, and the lack of contact with the ground could result in excessive wheelspin which risks to flat-spot the tire(s) when contact is regained with the ground. When the racetrack is damp or wet, however, it is generally best to avoid using the rumble strips. Since rumble strips are painted (usually red and white), ANY amount of moisture will make the rumble strips extremely slick as the water beads on the paint, so that hitting a rumble strip in the process of cornering (especially at the apex of a corner) will cause the tire(s) to lose traction and often send the car spinning. ============================================== SURVIVAL DRIVING: CONCRETE EXTENSIONS Similar to rumble strips are concrete extensions. These are generally (much) wider than rumble strips, and may or may not be painted (at FIA-approved F1 circuits, for example, these are generally painted green). Also, whereas rumble strips protrude slightly above the level of the racing surface, concrete extensions are at the same level as the racing surface. Concrete extensions can be used in the same manner as rumble strips. However, if painted, concrete extensions should be avoided for the same reasons listed above for rumble strips n the event of wet or damp racing conditions. Players should note that in some games - especially where challenges or license tests are involved - concrete extensions are often NOT designated as part of the official track, resulting in an 'Out of Bounds' designation. This is true, for example, in EA Sports' F1-based series (F1 2000, F1 Championship Season 2000, F1 2001, and F1 2002). ============================================== SURVIVAL DRIVING: TIRE CARE At the beginning of a race and immediately after a Pit Stop, the tires are brand new ('stickers') and need to be brought up to temperature as quickly as possible so that they can provide the best possible grip. During this period, sharp turns or extremely-fast cornering will almost certainly cause the car to slide, and perhaps even spin. However, slides and spins will bring the tires up to optimum temperature even faster, so you may wish to purposely induce slides when entering corners, but only with extreme caution, as the already-thin line between having control of the car and losing control of the car will be at least halved until the tires come up to optimum temperature. The longer you run on the same set of tires, the more you need to take better care of your tires. This is especially important if you have had one or more off-course excursions. You may experience slides when cornering. If you have several offs with the same set of tires and find yourself sliding around the circuit a lot more than usual, you definitely need to return to Pit Lane for a new set of tires. Essentially, you are driving on pure ice, and the only way to 'reliably' get around the circuit is to bounce off the rails - which is extremely difficult to do 'correctly' to keep yourself pointed forward. One of the best ways to reduce the durability of the tires is to corner at high speeds. The manual for Gran Turismo 3 gives an excellent, detailed description of what occurs with the tires when cornering. In short, cornering at high speeds causes a high percentage of the tire to be used for speed, and a low percentage to be used for the actual cornering. To combat this and thus extend the durability of the tires, try to brake in a STRAIGHT line before reaching a turn, thus reducing overall speed and providing a lower percentage of the tires to be used for speed, and a greater percentage used for cornering. Note that if the percentage of the tires used for speed is too high compared to the percentage used for cornering, the car will slide and/or spin. ============================================== SURVIVAL DRIVING: DRAFTING (SLIPSTREAMING) Drafting (also called slipstreaming) can be a very valuable technique for passing, especially on high-speed circuits with long straightaways. Drafting entails closely following a car, and allowing that car's aerodynamic vacuum to draw your car closer and closer while simultaneously giving your car a short boost in speed; just before colliding with the other car, dart out to the side and speed past as the 'extra' speed gained slowly drains away. This tactic is best used on long straightaways, and can be a prime passing method when combined with late braking at the end of a straightaway. If at all possible, try to draft off multiple cars, making several passes at once while gaining a TRULY dramatic spike in top-end speed. However, QUICK reflexes and good tire grip are very important to edging your car far enough out of the way to safely make a pass while drafting, otherwise you will ram or clip the lead car. Also, in F1 2002, some CPU-controlled cars will actually slow (sometimes significantly) if you try to use their aerodynamic wake to pass, adding more necessity to a player's quick reflexes. On the right side of the race screen, a set of bars will slowly light up as a driver gets closer and closer behind another car, thus able to take advantage of the lead car's slipstream (aerodynamic vacuum) to suddenly jump out and make a pass. When racing in very wet weather when cars are launching a tall 'rooster tail' of spray in their wake, the slipstream meter can be used to approximate the distance to the car in front as well as the closing speed. ============================================== FLAGS AND BOARDS Auto racing presents a number of flags and boards to quickly convey information to drivers as they speed around a circuit. Many of these flags are shown by corner workers, track-side personnel who display the various flags to warn drivers if there is potential trouble ahead or behind them. Boards are generally shown only at the Start/Finish Line. Please note that not all of these flags and boards are used in F1 2002, but they are used in real-world F1 racing. Boards Safety Car (SC): What is called the Safety Car in many countries is better known as the Pace Car in American motorsports. When this board is displayed at the Start/Finish Line (the board is painted white with the letters 'SC' painted in large black font), there is a significant incident somewhere on the circuit warranting that all cars at all areas of the circuit must slow down and follow the Safety Car. The main reason a Safety Car may be used is to allow safety personnel to get to areas of the track which are otherwise not easily accessible when cars pass at full speed; this situation usually means that there has been a collision or mechanical problem which has left one or more cars sitting idle in a vulnerable situation. The Safety Car board may also be displayed in the event that the weather does not permit full-speed racing. Flags Black Flag: Generally shown only at the Start/Finish Line, a driver is shown this flag when her or his car has suffered severe damage which the race marshals deem MUST be repaired immediately, or when a driver has committed an infraction of the racing rules. Depending on the form of motorsport, a Black Flag may also mean automatic disqualification from the event, especially if it is being displayed due to an infraction of the racing rules. Blue Flag: The Blue Flag is generally displayed by the corner workers to indicate that a slower car must pull aside to allow a faster car to pass. This generally means that the slower car is not on the lead lap, as many forms of auto racing allow for drivers to fight to remain on the lead lap, especially in oval-track racing. Green Flag: The Green Flag means that full racing conditions are in effect. If a driver is coming out of a Yellow Flag area of a track, this flag indicates that the car can at least be brought back to full racing speed. Red Flag: Generally shown only at the Start/Finish Line, the Red Flag indicates that a race has been suspended temporarily. The rules regarding what can take place during a Red Flag period vary by the form of motorsport in question. For example, NASCAR parks all cars behind the Safety Car/Pace Car on the track and all drivers must remain in their cars unless NASCAR officials (usually at Race Control) grant drivers permission to leave the vehicles (this usually only occurs in inclement weather). In F1 racing, if a race is Red Flagged, the race essentially begins again once the condition creating the Red Flag situation has passed or has been remedied. White Flag: Shown at the Start/Finish Line, the White Flag indicates that there is only one more lap remaining in a race. Not all forms of motorsport use the White Flag. In some endurance races, the white flag is displayed when it is calculated that the official race duration (in terms of time) will expire by the time the lead car completes one more lap of the circuit. Yellow Flag: A Yellow Flag means that drivers must slow due to a potentially-dangerous situation. On oval tracks, a Yellow Flag covers the entire circuit, although some forms of oval-track racing (such as NASCAR) permit drivers to race back to the Start/Finish Line to 'take' the Yellow Flag there. On road courses, the Yellow Flag usually only applies to a specific section of the circuit, which allows for full-speed racing elsewhere; should a full-course Yellow Flag situation be warranted, a Safety Car or Pace Car will be used to collect all the competitors and lead them slowly around the race venue. One of the STRANGEST Yellow Flag situations took place in 2000 at the F1 Grand Prix of Germany at the high-speed Hockenheim circuit. A local Yellow Flag was issued for one of the long, insanely-fast straightaways (where cars can easily achieve 180MPH... or more) because a spectator somehow made his way out of the grandstands and onto the track itself. Fortunately, this EXTREMELY dangerous situation did not result in any injuries or accidents, and the imbecile was quickly grabbed, hauled off the track, and arrested. ============================================== GENERAL TIPS A general tip for ALL racing games is to successfully complete ALL the license tests in any game of the Gran Turismo series. This is a great way to learn how to handle cars of all drivetrain formats and horsepower ratings in a wide variety of situations - starting and stopping, J-turns, right-angle corners, chicanes, blind turns, wet racing conditions, etc. This will all be very handy for virtually ANY racing/driving game you ever play, and the Gran Turismo games are also extremely good to have in your PSX/PS2 collection (especially GT3). Another general tip for ALL racing games is to read through my General Racing/Driving Guide, available EXCLUSIVELY at FeatherGuides (http://feathersites.angelcities.com/) and at GameFAQs (http://www.GameFAQs.com). This presents many of the same information the Gran Turismo license tests present in practice, plus plenty of other information ranging from judicious use of rumble strips to typical tuning options to tire management. When first playing F1 2002 (irrespective of whether or not you have played the preceding games in the series), play with flags, damage, etc., set to off, and with weather set to dry; also, use Normal Handling. This will give you the best possible (and most forgiving) conditions for learning how to handle the cars in F1 2002. As you progress with the game, add weather, damage, Simulation handling, etc. F1's standing starts can either give you a great advantage, or put you at the back of the pack. To reduce or eliminate wheelspin from a standing start, try to time the use of the accelerator with the exact millisecond the lights go out. If you use the accelerator too soon, you WILL have wheelspin, which can cause flat-spotting in the rear tires and can even cause your car to go askew so that it points in a trajectory taking you directly OFF the circuit (or into a barrier). Also related to the standing starts, if you are deep in the pack, the car directly in front of you is likely to produce A LOT of smoke (and spray, if in wet conditions at the beginning of a race) due to wheelspin. If at all possible, swing to the edge of the pavement immediately to avoid an early accident if you can get off the line a lot sooner than the car in front. Some circuits are set up so that there is either wide pavement on the Pit Straight or an expanse of pavement unofficially part of the main circuit itself (such as the right side of the pavement at Monza and at Suzuka); making use of these areas can allow you to swing out wide to avoid incidents, and also get you clear of traffic so that you can REALLY slam on the accelerator and pass huge numbers of cars before the initial corners of the circuit. Braking is always important in racing. However, F1 2002 demands SMOOTH braking (especially if using Simulation handling), which often means braking rather early. Slamming on the brakes often results in wheel lock and/or car spin, which can induce flat-spotting on the tires and tremendously increases the risk of collision - especially with the Tire Wear option activated. Even after the standing starts, the use of the accelerator is extremely important in F1 2002. By exercising extreme care with both the brakes and the accelerator, anyone can rapidly learn to essentially glide through corners at a rather quick speed. A pristine racing line is also important in these situations, as the changes in G-force and velocity need to be constantly kept in check if you want to remain on the official course. I personally find it sometimes easier to take tight corners WITHOUT braking. In these cases, simply let off the accelerator and coast toward and through the corner until the appropriate acceleration point, usually at or just beyond the apex. One very good place to attempt this strategy is at the initial corners at Kuala Lampur (Malaysia), although this tactic can have rather dire consequences at the start of a race with all the cars bunched together. The AI in F1 2002 produces some interesting challenges in terms of action on the track. For example, I have several times seen a group of cars four-wide on the Pit Straight at Monza (coming off the Curva Parabolica) as they dice for position. If you are coming up quickly upon a pack of slower cars involved in a heated battle for position, this can be a particularly challenging situation, especially if you are yourself being pursued rather aggressively. Try to analyze the movements of the cars in front of you and look for an opening. However, remember that most CPU-controlled cars use the exact same racing line, so once they fall into line for a corner or a chicane, dart up past them and try to outbreak them into the corner/chicane (IF you have confidence in your brakes and reflexes). Speed Assist (which automatically handles braking when cornering) can be great when first learning a course. However, to be truly effective in these races, Speed Assist should be turned off. This will allow YOU to handle braking (if wanted) while cornering, and will generally allow you to have MUCH more speed in corners. This translates to more difficult handling, as cars will always handle better when going slow than when going fast (assuming the car set-up has not been changed). This also means that passing while cornering will be much easier - and much more dangerous. For those who wish to shortcut corners, deactivating Speed Assist will also help to keep your momentum as you drive through sand and/or grass. If you REALLY want to achieve fast lap times and generally be much more competitive in a race, then Speed Assist simply MUST be deactivated. Some circuits have distance-to-corner markers in anticipation of tight and/or (semi-)blind corners. While these markers are useful, DO NOT completely rely on them, as they may 'disappear' as the race progresses. These markers can be knocked down by a car which slips or is forced off the pavement, and the markers are not replaced. Therefore, try to use permanent objects (such as grandstands or trees) to judge the braking zone for a corner or chicane. ALWAYS listen attentively to the team radio communications; this will give you information about your teammate's progress and the condition of your own car, as well as alert you to any incidents on the circuit, such as spins, cars with smoking engines (which often leak oil), etc. Especially when you hear that another car has a problem, always be on the lookout for EXTREMELY slow cars in the indicated sector of the circuit - cars WILL come to a complete stop in the middle of the pavement, and if you are playing with Flags off, it is quite easy to miss seeing the slowed/stopped vehicle until it is too late to take evasive action. If you are assigned a Stop-Go Penalty, you will also receive radio communications instructing you when to come to Pit Lane to serve the penalty. For those playing with Simulation Handling, it is important to note that using long gear ratios will produce an automatic loss of position for the standing starts due to the inherent decreased acceleration. However, there are times when the decreased acceleration can be of tremendous benefit, such as taking a series of tight S-curves quickly without the need for braking (such as through Bechetts at Silverstone). The most obvious benefit to long gear ratios is the higher top- end speed, yet the long gear ratio must be matched with medium or low downforce settings for the wings to force the car into seventh gear (in automatic transmission) on long straightaways (such as Rettilineo Parabolica at Monza). F1 2002 features CPU-controlled opposition which is FAR more competitive and relentless than in previous incarnations of the series. However, this also means the competitors are absolutely ruthless. Should you have an off or an on-track accident, do not expect those behind you to give you room to rejoin the race. Instead, the competitors will often plow into you at full throttle, knocking your car around like a snowboarder at Tokyo Megaplex. While this certainly presents some interesting visuals in Replay mode, this can very quickly become frustrating... and costly, as you will likely find yourself at the very tail end of the pack once you can recover. ============================================== F1-SPEAK F1 racing has a somewhat specialized vocabulary. Here are some of the more common terms: ARMCO: The type of barriers generally used at F1 races. Information on these crash barriers can be found at Hill and Smith Web site (http://www.hill-smith.co.uk/). Blowed up: A car's engine has expired. This is characterized by a massive plume of white-grey smoke pouring from the rear of the car. Also, there is often oil deposited all over the race circuit, so if a blowed up car does not instantly pull off the pavement, that section of the circuit will be very dangerous for the remainder of the race. Catch: In any form of auto racing, it is quite common to see a car slide off the course, often at high speeds. Generally, this results in a car either being essentially beached in a sand trap, stuck in the grass if the area has recently experienced a significant rainfall, or a collision a barrier. Even if the car does not slide off the course, spins on the racing circuit itself also occur with relative frequency. A 'catch' is when one of the above incidents occurs, but the driver is able to either keep the car from hitting a barrier (or another car) and/or is able to keep the car from getting stuck in the sand or grass before returning to the circuit. Lollipop Man: The man holding the Brakes stick in a Pit Stop. This stick essentially looks like a long lollipop, with its long handle and rounded end with instructions for the driver. Off: A car has gone off-course. A minor off means that only one or perhaps two wheels have slipped off the pavement, and the driver can generally recover quickly. However, a major off involves a trip well off the pavement, and usually also occurs at very high speed. P#: This indicates a driver's race position. P1 is Pole Position; P6 is the final points-paying position; P22 is last place. Points-paying Positions: These are the Top 6 places in a race. At the end of a race, P1 awards 10 points, P2 awards 6 points, P3 awards 4 points, P4 awards 3 points, P5 awards 2 points, and P1 awards 1 point. There are NO points awarded to drivers not finishing in the Top 6. This also the reason why the TV Panels at the bottom of the screen update by six positions at once; in F1 2002, the updates are generally ONLY for the points-paying positions. Shunt: A collision, generally between cars. This term could also be used for cars swapping paint, but that is EXTREMELY difficult to do in open- wheel racing (such as F1) without inducing an accident. Team Orders: Each F1 team runs two cars at each race weekend. Team orders involve one or both drivers purposely altering driving style or changing race positions for the betterment of the team. While team orders are NOT illegal in F1 competition (they are illegal in some other forms of motorsport), many generally have a strong dislike (and even a nasty hatred) for team orders, especially in those situations where team orders actually change the results of a race. The most notable incidence of team orders - and likely the most controversial use of team orders in F1 history past, present, or future - involved Ferrari's Reubens Barrichello, who had dominated the entire race weekend, pulling over in the final meters of the 2002 Grand Prix of Austria (at A1-Ring) so that his teammate Michael Schumacher could instead take the win, thus gaining an extra four points over his strong rival Juan Pablo Montoya in the Drivers' Championship. This use of team orders severely angered F1 fans at the circuit and around the world, but was justified by Ferrari by the team's desire to protect Schumacher's lead in the Drivers' Championship. World Feed: Because F1 races are televised (generally live) worldwide, FIA has implemented the World Feed system, in which the images of grand prix weekends are provided by the FIA- licensed F1 broadcaster for the country hosting each grand prix; all other F1 broadcasters must then use these images and sounds for their F1 coverage. There are provisions for the many F1-licensed broadcasters worldwide to include Pit Lane reports, but once a race begins, FIA prohibits any images from Pit Lane which are NOT provided by the World Feed system. Since each race is essentially 'televised' by a different country's F1-licensed broadcaster, the World Feed coverage between races definitely varies in quality. The World Feed for races in Malaysia is generally rather poor, with images often focusing on action away from what is most significant for the race or the overall season standings, reflecting Malaysia's F1-licensed broadcaster's lack of experience and knowledge in televising live F1 races. Races held in Western Europe - where many F1 races are held - generally have a very high quality World Feed due to extensive experience and knowledge in televising F1 races. ============================================== A MAJOR PROBLEM: FIA RULES My only MAJOR complaint about F1 2002 (as with F1 2001) is its implementation of FIA rules, which includes the use of flags. While I personally WANT to race with flags active, the implementation of the rules is FAR too oppressive - to the point that I have thrown the controller in frustration several times, and will probably need to buy a new one soon. What makes the FIA Rules option oppressive is how the Yellow Flag is used, particularly in accident situations. For example, as a highly aggressive driver, I tend to get into accidents or at least bump tires with someone fairly often. When this happens, if the other car has even one pixel ahead of my car, then ends up spinning or otherwise slipping behind me while I am able to keep going, the Yellow Flag is often presented instantly, and a $@#%^#&*!@ Stop-Go Penalty assigned for supposedly 'Passing Under the Yellow Flag.' Also oppressive is the Yellow Flag speed limit of 130MPH. When the Yellow Flag is first displayed, the CPU does not allow enough time for the player to see the Yellow Flag waved (or its indicator at the top-right of the screen) and slow appropriately, resulting in a $@#%^#&*!@ Stop-Go Penalty. While not necessarily a problem, I personally wish that the 107% rule would actually be enforced (or at least allow the player to choose to have the 107% rule enforced). The 107% rule means that anyone qualifying with a time higher than 107% of the race's pole position is deemed to not have qualified, thus keeping really slow cars (which could possibly be dangerous to other drivers in the race) out of the race. Granted, this then makes it possible that the player may be the only one participating in a race (especially if shortcutting where 'permitted' during qualifying), or that a player not qualify well enough to compete in a race. I have been unable to check this, but if there is a minimum speed rule in F1 racing, the game definitely needs to implement this rule as well. There have been several times when a super-slow car, or even a car stopped on the track in an area without a Yellow Flag displayed, has suddenly 'appeared from nowhere' and - due to my closing speed at top acceleration - caused me to crash. I know NASCAR has a minimum speed rule (which is even more important on oval- based tracks), but I would be surprised if a similar rule did not exist in F1 racing. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE SECTION My favorite circuits are: Albert Park Imola Monaco (to watch a race, not to actually race - especially since I was able to visit Monaco in 1991) Hockenheim Spa-Francorchamps Monza (my personal 'test course' for the game) Suzuka My least favorite circuits are: Hungaroring Interlagos (but NOT because of any falling billboards!!!) Nurburgring Monaco (to race) A1-Ring Kuala Lampur My favorite corners/segments: Albert Park: Turns 11 and 12 Silverstone: Bechetts Monaco: The Tunnel and the entry to the Swimming Pool Chicane Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve: Nurburgring and Turns 12 and 13 Hockenheim: The Stadium Spa-Francorchamps: La Source, Red Water, and Blanchimont Monza: Ascari (especially at full speed) and Curva Parabolica Indianapolis: Turn 13 (Indy/NASCAR Turn 1) Suzuka: Degner and 130R My least favorite corners are: Monaco: Everything but The Tunnel and the entry to the Swimming Pool Chicane Spa-Francorchamps: Bruxelles Most hairpins (especially at Nurburgring) My favorite Pit Lanes (based on Pit Entry) are at: Imola Spa-Francorchamps Monza Indianapolis My least favorite Pit Lanes (based on Pit Entry) are at: Albert Park Interlagos Monaco A1-Ring Hungaroring Kuala Lampur My least favorite Pit Lane (based on Pit Exit) is at: Interlagos My favorite teams are: Ferrari Toyota Williams ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== TEAM INFORMATION This section will present each team alphabetically and some team information. Information is taken from the teams' official Web sites; some information is extremely brief, while other teams present essentially a book full of information. Arrows Full Team Name: Arrows Grand Prix International, Ltd. Web Site: http://www.arrows.com/ Sponsors and Partners: Orange, Red Bull, Lost Boys, Bridgestone, Cosworth, Paul Costelloe Whilst working for the Shadow team in 1977, and frustrated by on-track results, Alan Rees, Jackie Oliver, Dave Wass and Tony Southgate decided to start their own Grand Prix team. On November 28th, after months of initial preparation, Alan Rees arrived at their new factory in Milton Keynes ready to face a big challenge. There wasn't even a telephone in the new place, but as soon as one was installed the next day it began to ring. People wanted to be part of the Arrows dream. The equipment arrived on December 5th and by January 28th, 1978, the first car (the FA1) was ready to be unveiled to the press at a snowy Silverstone. Ricardo Patrese was the team's first and only driver at that time. The car made it's debut at the 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix where Patrese qualified in 18th position, 2.7 seconds behind pole sitter Ronnie Peterson in the Lotus. He stayed out of trouble and finished 10th, four laps down on the winner, Carlos Reutemann. The next Grand Prix took place a month later in South Africa giving the team more time to prepare. Patrese wowed everyone with his pace, starting from seventh position (0.87 sec. behind Nikki Lauda in his Brabham) and taking the lead halfway through the race. Unfortunately his Ford engine gave up 14 laps before the finish, taking with it Arrows' hopes for an early win. There was also trouble brewing away from the track. When the new Shadow car was shown to the press, it was noticed that it looked exactly like the Arrows car. As most of the Arrows team-members were former Shadow employees, Shadow accused the Arrows team of plagiarism and sued. The High Court in London ruled in favour of Shadow, stating the Arrows FA1 was a copy of the Shadow, and Arrows was forced to build a new car. In a record breaking time of just four weeks, the new car was built and ready to race but there were still problems on the horizon During the Italian Grand Prix that year there was a 10-car pile-up on the first lap of the race. Patrese was later accused of causing the accident as he hit the McLaren of James Hunt that in turn hit the Lotos of Ronnie Peterson, sending him into the barriers. Peterson was to later die from his injuries and Patrese was suspended for the next race because he was held indirectly responsible. Patrese lived with this accusation for many years before he was finally cleared of any blame. By the end of the debut season, Arrows had accumulated 11 World Championship points and had beaten their old team, Shadow, in the Constructors' Championship. In 1979, Arrows fielded two cars in the World Championship and Patrese was joined by Jochen Mass. It wasn't until the last race of the year that they were able to score points but the next year, 1980, would see the cars competing more strongly. At the United States Grand Prix at Long Beach, Patrese finished second, behind Nelson Piquet, and by the end of the year the team had amassed enough points to take seventh place in the Constructors' Championship, equal to McLaren and ahead of Ferrari. In 1979, Arrows fielded two cars in the World Championship and Patrese was joined by Jochen Mass. It wasn't until the last race of the year that they were able to score points but the next year, 1980, would see the cars competing more strongly. At the United States Grand Prix at Long Beach, Patrese finished second, behind Nelson Piquet, and by the end of the year the team had amassed enough points to take seventh place in the Constructors' Championship, equal to McLaren and ahead of Ferrari. In 1980, Tony Southgate left the team and David Wass assumed the mantle of Chief Designer. At the 1981 San Marino Grand Prix the team came tantalisingly close to its first win but Patrese had to settle for second place, just 4.5 seconds behind Piquet. New driver, Siegfried Stohr, who replaced Mass was unable to score any points so he too was replaced, this time by Jacques Villeneuve, the brother of Gilles. Patrese scored all 10 points the team achieved that year but then left the Arrows at the end of 1981 to join the Brabham team. The 1982 season started badly for Arrows with Mauro Baldi and Brian Henton unable to even qualify for the first Grand Prix and, after five races, Henton was replaced by Marc Surer. By the end of the season Arrows had only scored five points. This was not good enough for the team and plans were put in place to build for the future. Tough seasons in 1983 and 1984 followed but, by the beginning of 1985, Arrows had a stronger car, an engine supplied by BMW and a solid driver line-up in Gerhard Berger and Thierry Boutsen. This combination gave Arrows 14 points that year and it looked like the team was on its way up. The 1982 season started badly for Arrows with Mauro Baldi and Brian Henton unable to even qualify for the first Grand Prix and, after five races, Henton was replaced by Marc Surer. By the end of the season Arrows had only scored five points. This was not good enough for the team and plans were put in place to build for the future. Tough seasons in 1983 and 1984 followed but, by the beginning of 1985, Arrows had a stronger car, an engine supplied by BMW and a solid driver line-up in Gerhard Berger and Thierry Boutsen. This combination gave Arrows 14 points that year and it looked like the team was on its way up . The 1982 season started badly for Arrows with Mauro Baldi and Brian Henton unable to even qualify for the first Grand Prix and, after five races, Henton was replaced by Marc Surer. By the end of the season Arrows had only scored five points. This was not good enough for the team and plans were put in place to build for the future. Tough seasons in 1983 and 1984 followed but, by the beginning of 1985, Arrows had a stronger car, an engine supplied by BMW and a solid driver line-up in Gerhard Berger and Thierry Boutsen. This combination gave Arrows 14 points that year and it looked like the team was on its way up. The 1982 season started badly for Arrows with Mauro Baldi and Brian Henton unable to even qualify for the first Grand Prix and, after five races, Henton was replaced by Marc Surer. By the end of the season Arrows had only scored five points. This was not good enough for the team and plans were put in place to build for the future. Tough seasons in 1983 and 1984 followed but, by the beginning of 1985, Arrows had a stronger car, an engine supplied by BMW and a solid driver line-up in Gerhard Berger and Thierry Boutsen. This combination gave Arrows 14 points that year and it looked like the team was on its way up. Berger departed for Benetton in 1986 and his replacement, Christian Danner, scored the teams' only point that year. This was a big disappointment for Arrows but the arrival of new designer, Ross Brawn, produced a car that helped its drivers Eddie Cheever and Derek Warwick to pick up 11 points. In 1987 the team was even stronger and often on the pace with the powerful factory-backed teams, finishing sixth in the Constructors? Championship. More good fortune was on the way. Berger departed for Benetton in 1986 and his replacement, Christian Danner, scored the teams' only point that year. This was a big disappointment for Arrows but the arrival of new designer, Ross Brawn, produced a car that helped its drivers Eddie Cheever and Derek Warwick to pick up 11 points. In 1987 the team was even stronger and often on the pace with the powerful factory-backed teams, finishing sixth in the Constructors' Championship. More good fortune was on the way. With a more or less unchanged car in 1988, Arrows took fourth place in the Constructors' Championship. The team continued its good form in 1989. A long pit-stop in Brazil scuppered Warwick's chance of taking Arrows' first win but a podium finish for Cheever in Detroit did much to motivate the team. The team continued its good form in 1989. A long pit-stop in Brazil scuppered Warwick's chance of taking Arrows' first win but a podium finish for Cheever in Detroit did much to motivate the team. At the end of 1989 the Arrows team needed an injection of cash if it was to continue in Formula One and it was at this point that the Japanese Footwork Corporation bought a major share of Arrows, splitting the directorship of the team between Jackie Oliver, Alan Rees and Mr. Nagata from Footwork. The 1990 season began with two new drivers, Alex Caffi and Michele Alboreto, and a new engine from Porsche but again the results just wouldn't come their way. In 1991, the team was renamed 'Footwork' but the change of name didn't produce a change of fortune and the struggle continued. It wasn't until 1992, when Footwork teamed up with Mugen, that the results changed. Alboreto scored six points that year, taking seventh place for the team in the Constructors' Championship. The 1990 season began with two new drivers, Alex Caffi and Michele Alboreto, and a new engine from Porsche but again the results just wouldn't come their way. In 1991, the team was renamed 'Footwork' but the change of name didn't produce a change of fortune and the struggle continued. It wasn't until 1992, when Footwork teamed up with Mugen, that the results changed. Alboreto scored six points that ear, taking seventh place for the team in the Constructors' Championship. The 1990 season began with two new drivers, Alex Caffi and Michele Alboreto, and a new engine from Porsche but again the results just wouldn't come their way. In 1991, the team was renamed 'Footwork' but the change of name didn?t produce a change of fortune and the struggle continued. It wasn't until 1992, when Footwork teamed up with Mugen, that the results changed. Alboreto scored six points that year, taking seventh place for the team in the Constructors' Championship. Another tough season followed in 1993 because, although the Footwork Mugens, now driven by Derek Warwick and Aguri Suzuki, were qualifying higher up the grid, the race results were poor and only 4 points were scored. Footwork reduced its involvement in the team at this point so in early 1994 it was renamed 'Arrows Grand Prix International'. Warwick and Suzuki were replaced by F3000 Champion Christian Fittipaldi and Gianni Morbidelli who together brought in nine points for the team that year. Fittipaldi headed off to the American Indycar series at the end of the year but a replacement was quickly found in Taki Inoue, a Japanese driver. A shortage of funds in 1995 forced Arrows to take on drivers who brought sponsorship money with them. Inoue didn't make the grade on the track but as he brought finance it was Morbidelli who the team had to begrudgingly let go. Max Papis arrived to take his place but for the last three races Morbidelli returned and duly rewarded the team for having faith in him by finishing on the podium in Australia! In March 1996, the Arrows team was bought by TWR Group owner, Tom Walkinshaw, who moved the entire operation to new headquarters in Leafield, Oxfordshire. Walkinshaw's dream was to turn Arrows into a top-line team. He set about his task and hired two promising young drivers, Jos Verstappen and Riccardo Rosset. The team proved itself to be fast in qualifying but needed to start producing strong race results so Arrows needed a driver with a proven record. Walkinshaw pulled off the coup of the year and signed newly-crowned F1 World Champion Damon Hill for the 1997 season. With the new Yamaha engine and Bridgestone tyres, the team had a fighting chance and, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the moment they had all been waiting for arrived - almost. Hill had put in a stunning performance and was leading the race when, on the penultimate lap, he slowed dramatically. Hydraulic problems had finally beaten him and on the very last lap Jacques Villeneuve got past to take the chequered flag. Although delighted with second place, the team was greatly disappointed after getting so close to a victory. In 1998, John Barnard, the famed ex-Ferrari designer joined the team along with two new drivers, Mika Salo and Pedro Diniz. Together they scored six points that season. A lack of money for testing and development meant that the black-liveried A19 quickly fell of the pace. The Hart designed Arrows V10 which the team built in the absence of a factory deal couldn't match the power of Mercedes, Renault, Ferrari and the like so did not allow the team to exploit the car. Apart from a great drive by Salo to claim fourth in Monaco, the year was disappointing. Barnard departed, replaced by Mike Coughlan who designed the A20 for the 1999 season. Pedro de la Rosa and Tora Tagaki took the driver's seats in 1999 and, in his debut race, Pedro finished in sixth place, taking one World Championship point. Unfortunately this was to be the only point Arrows collected in 1999. At the beginning of the same season, the Arrows team needed another injection of cash and it was Nigerian Prince Ado Ibrahim Malik who offered the rescue package. In return for becoming a co-director with Walkinshaw, Malik sourced a 45% buyout of the team from Morgan Grenfell. However, Malik's continued failure to source sponsorship money was resulted in his departure at the end of that season. It was time to move onwards and upwards. Pedro de la Rosa was re-signed for 2000 and was joined by Jos Verstappen. In March 2000, telecommunications giant, Orange, joined Arrows as title sponsor. The increased investment, in addition to a new management structure, aided the team's ability to develop and create greater security for the all new OrangeArrows Team. The A21 chassis, powered by a Supertec V10 engine proved to be a strong combination and Vertappen and de la Rosa were both able to fight with the front-runners. Finishing seventh in the Constructors' Championship was a great result for the team and this impressive performance was duly awarded when Arrows was voted 'Most Improved Team of the Year, 2000' in a public opinion vote. In 2001, Arrows looked to build on its strong results from the previous year. Powered by a new Asiatech engine package, and with fresh faces in the race team and design office, the team was confident of success. Early signs were indeed positive, with the A22 proving its reliability in Australia, and Jos Verstappen giving possibly the drive of the season in rain-soaked Malaysia, which left the team desperately unlucky not have finished in the points. Despite other strong efforts, notably in Canada and Germany, the team's best result came in Austria, where a consistent drive by Verstappen saw him bring home a valuable point, in what otherwise proved to be a tough season for Arrows. BAR (British American Racing) Full Team Name: British American Racing Honda Web Site: http://www.britishamericanracing.com/ Sponsors and Partners: Lucky Strike, Honda, Tiscali, Intercond, smugone.com, Sonax, Bridgestone, EDS, Koni Racing, Acorn, OZ Racing, Barco, Cartwright, PerkinElmer, Lincoln Electric, Sandvik Coromant, CRP Technology, DeVilbiss Automotive Refinishing, AMIK, Acer, NTT DoCoMo, Bottaro British American Racing (B.A.R) was formed in November 1997 by Craig Pollock, Reynard Racing Cars and British American Tobacco. British American Racing purchased Tyrrell Racing shortly afterwards and moved to a state-of the-art 86,000 square foot headquarters in Brackley, near Northampton (UK). The facility boasts some of the most up to-date, technologically advanced engineering machinery available, including a purpose-built wind tunnel. B.A.R was launched to the world's media on 2 December 1997. Jacques Villeneuve, the reigning Formula One World Champion, signed to drive for the fledgling team in July 1998; Ricardo Zonta joined three months later and the inaugural driver line-up was complete. With everything in place, B.A.R staged its first team launch at Brackley in January 1999 - only 14 months after it was founded. The team competed in its first-ever Formula One race in Melbourne, Australia on 7 March 1999. Lessons learnt from a tough first season were put to good effect. The new Honda-powered BAR002 came 4th and 6th on its first competitive outing in 2000 and went on to finish the season equal on points with fourth-placed Benetton. British American Racing had finally arrived. However, after such a successful second year, Lucky Strike B.A.R Honda was unable to continue the momentum into 2001 and the year petered out into mediocrity. Jacques Villeneuve had been joined by the highly experienced and versatile Olivier Panis to form one of the best driver line-ups in Formula One. However, despite grabbing the team's first podiums in Spain and Germany, not even the mercurial French-Canadian was able to really conquer a hard-to-handle car. 2002 would have to be a completely fresh start and an all new car - the BAR004 - was only the tip of the iceberg. Honda designed a completely new engine - the RA002E - and announced that it has reached agreement for a new three year partnership with the team. In practical terms that means Honda is stepping up its involvement in the chassis programme and clearly focusing its resources on Formula One to underline its determination to win the World Championship. More good news emerged in the form of an additional commitment from technical partner Bridgestone. The Japanes tyre giant announced that it has also laid the foundations for a long-term partnership with Lucky Strike B.A.R Honda. Finally and perhaps of most significance, the team revealed that David Richards, founder of Prodrive, would take over the reins as Team Principal, following the departure of Craig Pollock. David Richards' first task was to make a detailed and extensive review of the team. As a result of this study a new structure was implemented to give clearer lines of reporting, more focused accountability and an overall leaner organisation. Malcolm Oastler and Andy Green both left the team and there was a reduction of some15% of the workforce at the Brackley based team. Richards commented: 'I have the greatest respect for the people who created this team, and the dedication they have shown to the task, but at the end of the day the organisation has not delivered. I know that Malcolm and Andy recognise that the results have been below their expectations and I appreciate their disappointment and thank them for their efforts.' 'We need to build a team with a very clear structure, with the very best people and give them the responsibility to deliver against precisely determined goals. As I have said from the beginning, B.A.R has many extremely talented people and what we are now doing is giving them the framework within which they can fulfil their true potential.' Following the restructure, the new management team has immediately set about the task of turning B.A.R into a future World Championship contender, although they are under no illusions that it will take a couple of years before all the ingredients are in place to challenge the top 3 teams. Realistically, 2002 has been all about laying a foundation, paving the way for the achievement of solid longer-term objectives. A great deal of hard work lies ahead and B.A.R will rely heavily on the excellent relationship it has with its partners Honda and Bridgestone to achieve its ambitions. With this in mind B.A.R signed Jenson Button in July in a four-year deal. 2003 looks like being a very interesting year indeed. Ferrari Full Team Name: Scuderia Ferrari Web Site: http://www.shellmotorsport.com/ ferrari/index.html Sponsors and Partners: Shell Scuderia Ferrari, formed in 1929 in Modena, has stamped it's charismatic identity on the history of the Formula One World Championship, the legend and achievements of it's scarlet racing cars standing above all others. Motor racing's most successful team, with countless sportscar wins and an unrivalled 113 Grand Prix victories to its credit, out of 586 Grand Prix starts the stable of the prancing horse is also its most historic, exuding boundless emotion. Ferrari has contested every World Championship since the title was inaugurated in 1950, and employed the talents of some of the sport's most colourful and talented personalities. Journeyman racing driver Enzo Ferrari was manager of the most successful of the many private teams racing Alfa Romeos in the 1930s, using the emotive cavallino rampante (prancing horse) emblem for his Modena-based team; the heraldic gift was presented by the Italian World War One flying ace Francesco Baracca's family. Ferrari eventually became Alfa Romeo's factory sporting director before resigning and setting up his own team in 1940; and with the designer GioacchinoColombo, the first racing car to carry the Ferrari name on it's engine, the 125S, was created. It competed in that year's Mille Miglia race. After World War Two, Ferrari was amongst those leading the revival of motor racing in Europe. Based in the Modena suburb of Maranello, the new marque initially enjoyed success in sportscar racing, scoring its debut race win in 1947. The first Formula One design followed in 1948, penned by the gifted former Alfa designer, Aurelio Lampredi. The advent of the new World Championship saw Ferrari developing its V12 engine - a configuration that was to become synonymous with his name - the marque claiming its first Grand Prix win in 1951 with the Shell fuel and lubricated 4.5-litre 375. This set the stage for Ferrari's domination of the 1952 season, when Alberto Ascari won the first of his back-to-back world titles in Formula Two machinery (as set out by new regualtions). The unrivalled talent of Juan Manual Fangio was dominant at this time, and the World Championship crown did not return to Maranello until the Argentinean joined Ferrari in 1956. The final World Championship achieved by a front-engined car was to be Ferrari's honour in 1958. Fittingly, Britain's Mike Hawthorn claimed the title at the wheel of a car named after Ferrari's son, Dino, who had succumbed to leukaemia two years earlier. The following season's rear-engine revolution left Ferrari trailing the British teams, as Enzo was reluctant for change. However, in 1961, Ferrari's new designer Carlo Chiti created the famous (rear-engined) 156 shark nose which carried American Phil Hill to the World title in convincing style. John Surtees, a World Champion on two wheels, piloted the first monocoque-chassis Ferrari to the World title in 1964, and just missed out on another crown in 1966, the debut season of the three-litre formula. 1968 saw Grand Prix cars radically change in their appearance, when Ferrari introduced the use of ground effect rear wings. However, the late 1960s proved to be somewhat of a dry spell for the team. An all-new flat (boxer) 12 engine, designed by Mauro Forghieri put the prancing horse back in contention for the 1970 World Championships. With the support of it's new partner Fiat, Ferrari opened its own test facility at Fiorano in 1972, replicating sections of the world's most demanding circuits and featuring speed sensors and television cameras covering every metre of track. The end of the 1973 season saw the arrival of Luca di Montezemolo as racing director, and he persuaded the commendatore to hire the young Austrian driver Niki Lauda from the struggling BRM team. This partnership was to herald the full-scale revival of the marque's fortunes. Ferrari and Lauda dominated the 1975 season, claiming the Driver's title, and di Montezemolo moved on to other responsibilities within Fiat. 1976 started where the previous season left off, with Lauda convincingly dominating the championship. However, his near-fatal accident at the Nurburgring put him out of action for several months, and despite his heroic comeback at Monza, he relinquished the crown to James Hunt. The following year, he re-claimed the title. Lauda left Ferrari before the end of the year, and was replaced by the young Canadian, Gilles Villeneuve. Ferrari remained competitive throughout the end of the decade, and South African Jody Scheckter clinched the 1979 World crown (Ferrari's last) in his first season with the team. The face of Grand Prix racing changed yet again with teams embracing the turbo-charged engine and a ground-effect design philosophy that was to prove ultimately fatal. Ferrari was slow to embrace turbos, not fielding its first turbocharged mount until the 1981 season. British designer Harvey Postlethwaite replaced Forghieri in 1982, and his designs propelled the team to the brink of the championship, only for fate to cruelly strike down their drivers, Gilles Villeneuve and Frenchman Didier Pironi. The team managed to gather their emotions and won consecutive Constructors' titles. The pace of technical development stepped up a gear in 1986 with the opening of a wind tunnel and the appointment of design innovator John Barnard, from Mclaren, as technical director. At a dinner in 1987, the ailing Enzo Ferrari poignantly announced: 'I'm coming up to the finishing line,' and just a few weeks after a Papal visit to Maranello, he passed away on 14 August 1988 in Modena at the age of 90. The racing gods smiled on his emotional legacy when the scarlet cars scored a famous one-two in the Italian Grand Prix a month later. Barnard's first design for the marque featured a revolutionary semi-automatic gearbox and the car won on its debut in 1989. His temporary departure at the end of that season affected the team's planning for the 1990 campaign, and Alain Prost narrowly failed to win the championship when he was punted off the track by Ayrton Senna at Suzuka. Barnard's return in 1992, along with the appointment of Montezemolo as company president and Frenchman Jean Todt as racing director, restored the team's momentum. The 1994 and 1995 seasons saw steady development of the team's performance with Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi bringing the prancing horse back to the brink of success. The addition of the then World Champion Michael Schumacher - and Shell fuel and lubricants for the first time since 1973 - to the marque's 1996 package saw Ferrari achieve three inspired victories in Spain, Belgium and Italy. With the new development V10 in the 1999 F399, and the unrivalled support of Shell, the famous stable of the prancing horse took the Constructors' Championship and narrowly missed out on the Drivers' Championship. However, the team returned with a vengeance in 2000 to win the Drivers' and the Constructors' Championship once again for the legendary marque. Jaguar Full Team Name: Jaguar Racing Web Site: http://www.jaguar-racing.com/ Sponsors and Partners: HSBC, Beck's, AT&T, EDS, DuPont, HP, Michelin, Castrol, Lear, 3D Systems, Aqua-Pura, Rolex, s.Olivier, Volvo Trucks Jaguar Racing extends a long and distinguished motorsport tradition with its entry into the 2002 Formula One World Championship. The company has been involved in motorsport since it was founded in 1922. Seven times it has won the world's toughest endurance race at Le Mans, been World Sports Car Champions three times and in 1956 won both Le Mans and the Monte Carlo Rally in the same year. The roll call of drivers who have raced Jaguars during the past 50 years reads like a Who's Who of motorsport. In the Fifties, Mike Hawthorn, Paul Frere, Duncan Hamilton and Stirling Moss were regulars with the Jaguar team. Jackie Stewart (and brother Jimmy), Sir Jack Brabham, Briggs Cuningham and Graham Hill all drove Jaguars during successful racing careers. In more recent times, Martin Brundle, Tom Walkinshaw, Derek Warwick, Patrick Tambay, John Watson, Eddie Cheever and Jan Lammers all drove for Jaguar. The lessons learned on the race tracks will benefit the Company's customers around the world as Jaguar prepares to expand its model range. This will extend the appeal of the marque to new sectors of the premium car market. Jordan Full Team Name: Jordan Grand Prix Web Site: http://www.f1jordan.com/ Sponsors and Partners: Deutsche Post, Benson & Hedges, Damovo, Brother, Imation Corp., Hewlett-Packard, Virgin Mobile, Liqui Molly, MasterCard, Puma, Infineon, vielife, Powermarque, Sparco, Grundig, Laurent-Perrier, Honda, Bridgestone, Celerant Consulting, Schroth, Touchpaper, Imasaf, KPMG, Attenda, Tridion, Bang New Media Founded in 1991 by flamboyant Irishman Eddie Jordan Jordan Grand Prix has brought colour and a sense of humour to Formula One. In just over a decade in the sport, the team has also produced impressive results, notably three race wins, a further fourteen podiums, plus six front rows in qualifying. In 1998 the team broke the top four strangle-hold of Ferrari, Williams, McLaren and Benetton which had stood since 1989; in 1999 Jordan went one better - beating two former world champions, Williams and Benetton, to leave only the might of Ferrari and McLaren un-challenged. In 2000, Jordan was the only team to join McLaren and Ferrari on the front row of the grid, but the team suffered reliability problems which, allied to much bad luck, saw it slip to sixth in the Championship. 2001 saw Jordan begin a long-term partnership with Honda Motor Company and move up to fifth in the World Championship. Jordan Grand Prix is based in England at a purpose built factory opposite Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire which in 2001 expanded to house ever growing departments and staff numbers. The team's wind tunnel is housed in nearby Brackley, five miles from Jordan's headquarters. From just 43 employees in its first season, the team has grown to employ just over 200 staff whilst its budgets have increased 600 percent over the last decade. A new state of the art factory, adjacent to the current site, is scheduled for occupation in time for the 2004 season. Jordan enjoys financial backing from sponsors Deutsche Post and Benson and Hedges with a further twenty sponsors, plus equity investment from investment bank Warburg, Pincus*. In addition, from the start of the of the 2001 season, the team has enjoyed competing with Honda works engines and now enters its second year of a long-term partnership with Honda in 2002. This support enables Jordan to invest in the very latest technologies necessary to become a powerful force within Formula One. For the 2002 season, Jordan will fight for the World Championship with Italy's Giancarlo Fisichella, who returns to Jordan on a three year deal after a four year absence, and 2001 British F3 Champion and Japan's young talent, Takuma Sato. Sato's initial two year contract alongside Fisichella gives Jordan vital continuity and a dynamic and strong long-term driver line up which will be key in the team's development with Honda. In 2002, Jordan announced a new racing team name and logo: DHL Jordan Honda. * Jordan Grand Prix was the first Formula One team to acquire equity investment from a financial institution. The deal was announced in November 1998. McLaren Full Team Name: McLaren International Web Site: http://www.mclaren.com/ Sponsors and Partners: West, Mercedes, Mobil1, Michelin, BAE Systems, BS Catia, Computer Associates, Loctite, Siemens Mobile, Sun Microsystems, BO