The result of the United States Grand Prix epitomized, to a large extent, Ferrari's 2002 season: sheer dominance and record-breaking results, along with controversy, bad judgement calls and lack of racing. The legendary Italian marque came back from a 21-year Championship drought stronger than ever but also, it seems, more afraid than they should be. It's not their dominance that hinders the sport; it's their attitude. Richard Barnes looks at Ferrari's own worst enemy

This year, Ferrari have had it all - a record points haul in both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, a record number of consecutive podium finishes for Michael Schumacher, the fastest ever WDC triumph (in terms of races remaining), ten wins in a season for one driver, and a plethora of pole positions, fastest laps and 1-2 finishes. The numbers accumulated are almost beyond belief. As a team, the Scuderia lack only one thing - the ability to look beyond the numbers and realise that true success is more than just a statistic.

The 21-year Championship drought took an inhuman toll on Maranello. The tragedy was not that the sport's marquee manufacturer failed to win, it was that they forgot how to be champions. Manufactured results were understandable in Ferrari's desperate attempt to break their losing streak. A year later, it could be argued that they still needed to win early and convincingly, to prove that the 2000 triumph hadn't been a fluke. Yet, after one of the most dominant seasons ever in the history of the sport, the Ferrari outfit still give the impression that they are terrified of letting a race run its course without interference.

When the team aren't deciding the result beforehand, the drivers are doing it of their own accord. In Austria, Michael Schumacher promised 'real racing' once the Championship had been settled. When that happened, the 'real racing' got deferred until after Barrichello had wrapped up second in the WDC. With Montoya struggling along in the minor placings for the whole of Sunday's race, Barrichello's WDC runner-up spot was in the bag. Yet the Ferrari pair still resolutely refused to do anything more than drive around in formation. What exactly are they afraid of?

When the Ferrari brains trust gets together after Suzuka to review the season, they will undertake a detailed scrutiny of all the measurables like tyre performance, engine reliability and aerodynamic efficiency. Instead, they should be asking themselves the key intangible question - 'In a year during which we dominated like never before, why have we attracted so much controversy?'

It is probably force of habit. During the lean years, there is no doubt that Ferrari became obsessed with the idea of winning again - whatever the cost. Maranello addressed the numbers aspect with devastating efficiency. Need more horsepower? You've got it. Need more reliability? No problem. Need the world's top driver? Here's a blank cheque. Need customised tyres when no other team can get them? Consider it a done deal. Ferrari's return to glory has been a triumph of technology. But it's been tainted with such caution and insecure cynicism that few outside the realm of the die-hard tifosi can empathise with it. And even within the tifosi, there is growing discontent with Ferrari's current approach to racing.

No single member of the team can take sole blame, because it's a group mentality. In Austria, the team management took the blame, from both of their drivers, the media and race fans. After Sunday's ridiculously contrived finish, Michael Schumacher stands alone in the dock. It is difficult to view Schumacher's finish-line decision as anything other than a catastrophic blunder, the sort of mental aberration that makes David Coulthard's formation-lap spins seem gifted by comparison. There is some debate and doubt about the motive for Schumacher's decision. It doesn't matter what Schumacher was thinking because, whatever his motive, it resulted in a no-win situation for the drivers, the team, the sport and the fans.

If Schumacher gifted the win to Barrichello in order to 'even the score', then it was a futile gesture. Barrichello had sacrificed his win when he desperately needed the points for his own Championship campaign, and was only returned the favour once it became meaningless in Championship terms. If Schumacher did it in a botched effort to score 'the closest finish ever', it was equally meaningless. Records are only credible when the combatants are actually racing.

Ultimately, it boils down to the inescapable fact that Schumacher threw away a 'deserved' win and compounded the Austrian debacle with yet another manufactured result. Grand Prix victories are sacred, many talented drivers spend their entire careers in pursuit of one yet still draw a frustrating career blank. What would Giancarlo Fisichella, battling manfully down the field in inferior machinery, have given for the victory on Sunday? For Schumacher and Barrichello, toying with the results makes a mockery of the sport. And if the drivers care nothing for the sanctity of well-earned victory, why should the fans?

There will be the usual calls for the FIA to intervene, but there's nothing to be done on their part. Team orders and manufactured results are within the ambit of the sport's business interests, and are considered fair play. The only way to stop manufactured results in F1 would be to scrap either the Drivers' or Constructors' Championship, and establish a single-championship formula. That is clearly unacceptable to all, so the sport must persevere with its anachronistic insistence that F1 can be both a team and individual sport simultaneously.

If there is to be a resolution, it has to come from Ferrari themselves. Sadly, they have shown no inclination whatsoever to change their modus operandi. After Austria, team chief Luca di Montezemolo promised that such interference would not happen again. Since then the situation has, if anything, worsened. Their drivers have not raced, do not race, and will not race. Even if the team rejects a manufactured result, the drivers will implement one anyway. Before Indianapolis, Ferrari Technical Director Ross Brawn tried to convince us that his drivers 'would be free to race'. It was a claim that few believed, and even fewer will believe in the future.

There is nothing illegal about team orders or manufactured results, every team is free to run the strategy it chooses within the rules. Unfortunately, the corollary is that fans are also free to decide whether a team or driver is worthy of their respect or not, and whether the sport deserves their ticket money or television viewing time.

If Formula One wanted to sell itself to the American market on Sunday, Michael Schumacher filibustered that motion all on his own. If there had been a Championship at stake, one could at least understand his motives. If anything, the lack of a cogent motive made the manipulation that much less bearable. What exactly did Ferrari or Schumacher achieve, that would not have been achieved far better if the German had simply held station for a formation 1-2 finish and the win?

Ferrari apologists will argue that the season was a whitewash anyway, and that interest has dropped off due to the lack of competition for the Scuderia. That is patent nonsense. Mike Tyson rejuvenated interest in boxing when he was flattening opponents within two rounds - because he was flattening opponents within two rounds. Tiger Woods has drawn tremendous interest back to golf, despite winning Major tournaments by unheard-of margins.

Fans do not necessarily demand close-fought thrilling contests. Look back over any listing of great drives in motor racing, and few involve close finishes. Most involve demolition of the opposition, from Clark and Fangio's mastery to Senna and Schumacher's jaw-dropping performances in the wet. Above all else, fans want to see star quality. Tiger Woods has it by the bucketful, Schumacher had it - and has sadly eschewed it in favour of team politics. It is reducing, not enhancing, his historical impact as a driver.

Driving carefully and conservatively to win championships is accepted and sensible behaviour. But, having sewn up the Championship by round 11, Schumacher had an opportunity to open the floodgates for the remainder of the season and expose a whole new group of F1 fans to the sort of stunning performances that built his legend in the mid-90's. He still has that capability, Spa proved that beyond doubt. Ferrari also had an opportunity to unleash their two stars and treat everyone to unrestricted and fair racing. If the odd F2002 got bent or a couple of Championship points sacrificed, so what? They'd already won everything in sight, and then some.

Perhaps Ferrari and Schumacher felt remorse at the way Barrichello has been treated, and wanted to manufacture some compensation for the Brazilian. If that is the case, it has backfired horribly. There was genuine warmth from fans of all persuasions when Ferrari finally broke their drought and clinched the WDC amidst a flurry of red wigs in 2000. How quickly that warmth has turned to frost. Ferrari can fool themselves that the negative reaction of late is due to jealousy or bitterness from frustrated rivals. Or they could just see the obvious truth, that being a champion is about more than just the numbers. How a team wins is ultimately more important than how much they win.