Sizzling Schuey rewrites record books
The five-time world-beater came home 0.5 seconds ahead of Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello as he slowed dramatically in the closing laps.
But by then Schumacher had left the Brazilian in no doubt about who is number one with another flawless display of his talent, which will surely bring him a record sixth title in 2003.
The 33-year-old became the first driver in championship history to finish every race in the season on the podium.
Schumacher also established a set of benchmarks which even he might struggle to beat in the future.
The victory was a record 11th of the season and took his all-time leading mark to 64 in an 179-race career.
Schumacher's final points total of 144 beat the record of 123 he set last year while the margin of 67 points over second-placed Barrichello eclipsed the 58 by which he took the title in 2001.
It was Ferrari's 10th win in succession and 15th in 17 races to equal the mark set by McLaren in 1988, although the campaign then was just 16 races.
Schumacher and Barrichello's ninth one-two of the season and their fifth in succession established them as the most successful partnership in F1 history.
The duo have finished first and second 15 times, to beat the total achieved by Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna over the 1988-89 seasons.
Ferrari, manufacturers' champions for the fourth successive year, ended with 221 points the same as the rest of the nine teams put together.
''It has been an incredible year,'' said Schumacher. ''Results talk there is nothing else to say.
''What has been outstanding is that we have finished every race on the podium which shows the quality of the mechanics. It is an incredible job they have done."
Schumacher's victory in the 53-lap race was never in doubt once he hared into the lead from pole . He only relinquished his advantage to Barrichello during his two stops for fuel and tyres.
The rest of the field were nowhere in sight with McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen inheriting third place after the Williams of Ralf Schumacher suffered an engine failure.
Colombia's Juan Pablo Montoya took fourth place for Williams with Japan's Takuma Sato scoring his first points in Formula One with fifth place for Jordan to the delight of the home fans.
Sato gave Eddie Jordan a vital multi-million pound boost by ending his rookie season by scoring his first points in front of his delirious countrymen.
The way the crowd celebrated it was as if the 25-year-old had won the race.
The two points ensured Jordan finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship instead of eighth which will earn the team several million pounds in prize money.
''Getting sixth makes a big difference,'' said Jordan, one of the few team bosses left trying to survive without the backing of a major manufacturer.
''It wasn't a great season, but it was a great ending and is worth a few million at least. This gives us respectability.
''Eighth is not somewhere where Jordan would like to be. We were sixth before and were fifth last year. Its been a tough battle in the midfield this season.''
Sato's season-ending flourish could well ensure he stays with Jordan in 2003 after a maiden campaign that has featured several crashes.
The 2001 British F3 champion does have a contract for next year but there has been speculation that he could be released especially with Jordan switching their engine supply from Japanese car giant Honda to Cosworth.
Eddie Irvine, who finished ninth for Jaguar, has been linked with a return to his former team but refused afterwards to divulge his future whereabouts.
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