Schumacher's crowning glory

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER was crowned the most successful driver in history yesterday as he roared to his record-equalling fifth drivers' crown.

The tearful German’s triumph was inevitable but no less momentous after he snatched victory in the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours.

Schumacher finally matched the mark set by Juan Manuel Fangio in 1957 almost seven years to the day the legendary Argentinian died.

The 33-year-old Ferrari ace also raced to the quickest title success in championship history beating the mark set by Britain’s 1992 world beater Nigel Mansell.

However, he needed a patch of treacherous oil to deny young Finn Kimi Raikkonen his maiden win just over four laps from the finish and gift him the victory.

‘‘I was excited and emotional,’’ admitted Schumacher whose record 61 career wins - 37 more than Fangio - makes him the most successful driver Formula One has ever seen.

‘‘I have the desire to make it six but not because that would beat Fangio, just for the pleasure of getting more wins. We are in such good shape team-wise and performance-wise we can keep this performance for much longer and keep having success.

‘‘I will not compare myself to Fangio because what he did in his time is not comparable to what we do now. The effort he had to put in was a lot more than just being a driver.

‘‘All my titles have been special in so many ways you cannot compare one with another. I have never been good at these moments to find appropriate words. It has overcome me and I had not thought about the championship all week as I felt it would not happen here.’’

Schumacher had needed to win yesterday’s 72-lap battle and hope neither team-mate Rubens Barrichello nor Williams’ Juan Pablo Montoya finished second to take the title just 11 races into the 17-race campaign.

Barrichello was immediately taken out of the equation when his Ferrari developed an electrical fault and in the rush to beat the time-limit to get off the grid before the parade lap his mechanics left the car on its front jack.

The Brazilian could not hide his disappointment as he was forced out of a race before it had begun for the third time this season while Schumacher has not had a mechanical problem now for 12 months.

And when Montoya’s blistering one-lap pace, which brought him a fifth successive pole, deserted him in the race it looked as though nothing could stop Schumacher.

He inevitably took the lead when Montoya made his first pit stop but it all changed after his own stop for fresh fuel and tyres when he crossed the white line while returning to the circuit.

Schumacher was handed a drive-through penalty - meaning he had to go through the pit-lane obeying the speed limit without stopping - handing the initiative to the McLaren of 22-year-old Raikkonen.

The young charger took his chance and looked to be heading for the maiden win in his first season as David Coulthard’s McLaren team-mate following a fine debut campaign with Sauber last year.

But on lap 68 and with that coveted chequered flag in sight Raikkonen was given no warning that Allan McNish’s Toyota had deposited oil at Adelaide and he slid wide.

Schumacher immediately pounced and as Raikkonen struggled to get the car back on the circuit, he nipped past and went on to score his eighth win of the season - one off the record he shares with Mansell - by 1.1 seconds.

‘‘I don’t think I would have found a way past without a mistake or a backmarker because he drove a fantastic race,’’ admitted Schumacher. ‘‘It was just lucky and I didn’t think anything would happen like that, but that’s motorsport.

‘‘I was not feeling any pressure before the race because I didn’t believe I was going to win the title here.’’

Schumacher, also only the second driver after Fangio to complete the hat-trick, added: ‘‘But I saw Rubens stopping and the pace I had against Montoya so I started believing it. Then, when I made the mistake crossing the line, it must have been by millimetres, I thought it was all gone again.

‘‘Ten laps from the end I started pushing again. I don’t think the pressure was that much but if you don’t see oil that happens. I was warned of his problem and reacted and suddenly the championship was back in my pocket.

‘‘The weight was back on my shoulders. I was suddenly up front and that was the worst five laps of my career. But then you pass the flag and you know that you have done it and that’s a fantastic moment.

Disappointed Raikkonen said: ‘‘It was my mistake to hit the oil, but there were no warning flags. I didn’t feel any pressure with Michael behind me. This is the best finish of my career but my worst race.’’

Coulthard was almost 32 seconds back in third followed by Montoya whose fourth place lifted him into second in the championship but 62 unassailable points behind Schumacher with just six races left.

‘‘Again I could not take advantage of my pole position,’’ said the Colombian. ‘‘It’s great for Michael that he’s champion. He did the best job in the paddock, has the best car and knows how to use it.’’

Schumacher’s brother Ralf was fifth in the other Williams-BMW while Jenson Button again proved a point to his Renault bosses - who have dumped him in favour of test driver Fernando Alonso - by finishing sixth.

McNish was 11th while Eddie Irvine was ditched into the sand after the rear-wing flew-off his heavily revised Jaguar R3 while he was lying in seventh place.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis complained afterwards that Schumacher had illegally overtaken Raikkonen under the yellow warning flags but stewards upheld the result after talking to both teams.