Michael Schumacher breaks Ferrari record as F1 rivals have 'ugly' clash - On This Day

Michael Schumacher celebrated his record-breaking 97th race for Ferrari with a commanding victory at the 2002 San Marino Grand Prix, whilst a bizarre spat between present and past Ferrari drivers erupted behind him.

The German surpassed Gerhard Berger's mark as the driver with the most starts for the Scuderia, marking the milestone in fitting fashion at Imola on 14 April 2002.

Starting from pole position, Schumacher dominated proceedings to claim his third victory in four races that season, extending his championship lead to 14 points over Williams' Ralf Schumacher, a gap that would prove insurmountable.

"I didn't expect such domination," Schumacher said. "It had been close in qualifying, and I expected the race to be more difficult. It's a special day for me and the history of Ferrari, and I am proud of that."

The race bore all the hallmarks of Ferrari's extraordinary supremacy during the 2002 campaign. Schumacher had qualified just 0.064 seconds ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello, yet converted that slender advantage into a crushing 17.9-second victory.

The Brazilian followed him home to secure Ferrari's first one-two finish of the season and the team's first such result at Imola since 1982.

Schumacher's former and current team-mates in heated exchange

Whilst Schumacher celebrated up front, a peculiar incident unfolded further back involving Barrichello and Eddie Irvine, the Jaguar driver who had spent four seasons at Ferrari before departing at the end of 1999.

As Barrichello attempted to lap the struggling Irvine, the Ulsterman allegedly delayed the Ferrari driver for several corners. An incensed Barrichello responded with a one-finger salute as he eventually passed.

"I was basically telling him to go to hell," said Barrichello. "He let Ralf [Schumacher] by nice and easy, and he could have done the same to me."

Irvine, never one to shy from confrontation, fired back with characteristic wit. "I might be older than Rubens, but I'll never be as ugly," he retorted.

"He is just being over-emotional as usual. I had already let Ralf by, and I looked in the mirror and saw Rubens coming and was quite prepared to do the same for him."

The spat added a touch of colour to an otherwise processional afternoon at Imola, where Ralf Schumacher completed the podium for Williams ahead of McLaren's Kimi Räikkönen.