Blundell's view: 2002 F1 season review - part two.

In this second part of a three-part interview with ex-F1 driver Mark Blundell, the Brit selects his most memorable races from 2002, discusses his top five teams and also talks about loads and loads more. Get reading...

Q:
Mark, if you had to pick out your top five teams, who would they be, and why?

Mark Blundell:
Ferrari first - obviously for dominance, consistency, and performance, BMW WilliamsF1 second, in terms of progress and outstanding performances in qualifying, then it would have to be McLaren-Mercedes. They made in-roads but were a little bit unreliable. Then I would put Renault, for making progress and finally, fifth... difficult to say... maybe British American Racing for a little bit of progress - but that's pretty marginal.

Q:
Which team or teams were the biggest disappointment in 2002?

MB:
Jaguar and Arrows would have to be the biggest disappointments - Jaguar because they haven't got their act together and are still far from it, and Arrows because it is just such a shame to see the demise of a team that has been around for so long.

Q:
Which team surprised you the most?

MB:
I think what surprised me most was probably Toyota, in that they came in and they were pretty consistent overall - and quite reliable too. Considering it was their first fully-fledged year in Formula One - and such is the level of F1 at the moment - the job they did was very good. Granted, they had the budget and resources, but to come and turn up, and be in effective shape from day one and compete, is no easy task.

Q:
Which was, for you, the best looking car?

MB:
The Ferrari was a great looking car and the McLaren was also a nice looking car. Adrian Newey did a top job. However, if I had to pick one, I would go with Ferrari because I like the colour!

Q:
Which race or races were the most memorable this year?

MB:
Austria - because of the way it was handled - and Indianapolis, because of the finish. Both of them involved Ferraris and both involved very debateable finishes.

Q:
If you could pick out a good race from 2002, which would it be?

MB:
Difficult one... probably Monte Carlo, with David Coulthard winning for McLaren-Mercedes.

Q:
What did you make of the Bridgestone/Michelin tyre war?

MB:
I was slightly disappointed with Michelin, as I thought they would be a little bit stronger. However, it is very difficult [for them] when you have got to compete against Ferrari and Bridgestone, and the special relationship which has built up between them both. Michelin had to supply two top teams, Williams and McLaren, and that made their job and lot, lot tougher...

Coming soon: The third and final part of Mark Blundell's 2002 F1 season review.