The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Schumacher in stratosphere

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 16, 2004

Sport

Sport - Racing : Motor

Schumacher in stratosphere

BUDAPEST, AUG. 15. Michael Schumacher set another record in winning Sunday's Hungarian GP, becoming the first driver to claim 12 races in a single season. He has failed to win only once all season (Monaco), and he probably should have won it, too.

Schumacher's victory, with second for teammate Rubens Barrichello, also brought Ferrari its sixth straight constructors' championship with five races remaining.

Schumacher could wrap up an unprecedented seventh drivers' title in two weeks at the Belgian GP.

In the most lopsided season in F1 history, the 35-year-old German on Sunday also became the first to win seven consecutive races in a single season.

Italian Alberto Ascari won nine straight, but that was over two seasons, 1952-53, and in a different era.

Schumacher won five straight to start the season. In Monaco, he was leading when he was knocked out in a freak crash with Juan Pablo Montoya as the cars were running under the safety flag.

Renault's Fernando Alonso, who won in Budapest last year, was third and 44.5 seconds behind the winner with fourth place for Williams-BMW's Juan Pablo Montoya. Jenson Button of BAR-Honda was fifth followed by teammate Takuma Sato.

Starting from the pole with Barrichello alongside, Schumacher took the lead on the first turn and never trailed, not even after his three pit stops.

In a season made dull by Schumacher's dominance, this race was another non-event, free of incidents with little passing in a processional parade behind Schumacher. Only five cars failed to finish.

Schumacher was in complete control, and led Barrichello by 20 seconds with 20 laps to go in the 70-lap event. He slowed at the end, allowing the Brazilian to finish just 4.4 seconds behind.

Amazing achievements

A look at the major Formula One records held by Michael Schumacher:

— most victories in a season (12).

— most career victories (82).

— most series championships (6).

— most points (1,158).

— most consecutive wins in a single season (7).

In this season's constructors' championship, Ferrari has 202 points. Renault is No. 2 with only 91.

In the drivers' standings, Schumacher has 120 with Barrichello on 82. They are followed by Button (65) and Jarno Trulli of Renault (46).

Anyone hoping for Schumacher to be knocked out by a mechanical failure can forget it. He hasn't gone out of a race that way in three years.

Jordan owner Eddie Jordan summed up Schumacher's dominance.

"We had just better sit down and pray that Michael retires sooner rather than later," Jordan said.

The results: 1. Michael Schumacher, 192.798 kph; 2. Rubens Barrichello; 3. Fernando Alonso; 4. Juan Pablo Montoya; 5. Jenson Button; 6. Takuma Sato; 7. Antonio Pizzonia; 8. Giancarlo Fisichella; 9. David Coulthard; 10. Mark Webber. — AP

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