In a year when points were hard to come by, Pironi's 9-point buffer with 5 races to go was more than handy. But then in a wet practice at Hockenheim, an unsighted Pironi ran into the back of Prost's Renault, and the horrific impact left the Frenchman with shattered legs. He could only sit and watch as Keke Rosberg barely passed his total. Didier's tally was still good enough for equal 2nd, so one has to assume that, had he not been injured, he would have been champion.

Then there was 1990, a year when Prost managed to work the Ferrari into a McLaren-beater, but ultimately his hopes were shattered by an act of villainy, in the form of Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian had the advantage going into the last two races in Japan and Australia, and Prost needed to win at Suzuka to keep his hopes alive. When the Ferrari beat the McLaren off the line, Senna decided to ram Prost off at the first corner, thereby clinching the title. Payback, some would say, for what was deemed to be a collision between the two caused by Prost the year before, but Ferrari had been denied yet again.

And you could reasonably say that tragedy struck once more last year when Schumacher broke his leg at Silverstone. Looking at McLaren's subsequent litany of mishaps, the conclusion is that Schumacher would have taken advantage better than what Irvine did. There's potentially some truth in that, but then again, if that were the case, would Hakkinen have been so relaxed (if one considers complacent too harsh a term) as to fall off the road at Monza?

Therefore, it was only logical that Ferrari win it again in a year ending in zero. They stuffed up big time in 1980, and then were knocked out in 1990 by what Ayrton Senna would no doubt call an act of God. Which leaves 2000, and, sure enough, Ferrari take the crown.

With no such limitations, they may well do it again in 2001.