Schumacher left for dead by fighter jet

MICHAEL Schumacher’s Ferrari was outshone by an Italian Air Force fighter jet yesterday.

Driving his F2003-GA in which he won the Formula One world title for a record sixth time, Schumacher lost 2-1 over three distances 600, 900 and 1,200 metres against a Eurofighter Typhoon in a duel designed to bring the full acceleration range of both machines into play.

The jet, piloted by former Italian astronaut Maurizio Cheli and which can only stay on the ground for the first 400 metres, occupied the main runway at the Baccarini airport, 140km from Rome, while the Ferrari raced alongside it on an asphalt track.

Schumacher edged the Eurofighter over the shortest distance but was no match for the jet's superior acceleration in the final two races watched by thousands of spectators in the driving rain. Cheli, a test pilot for the company which built the Eurofighter, admitted Schumacher had given him a run for his money.

"The result could not be taken for granted," he said. "It was a great challenge and I was not sure of beating Ferrari. Victory hung in the balance until the very end."

The F2003-GA is capable of reaching a maximum speed of up to 369 kilometres per hour, while the Eurofighter, packed with military technology, can speed at almost 2,450 kmh.

The jet carried no weapons and weighed slightly under 21,000 kilograms. The Ferrari weighed in at 600 kilograms and was slightly modified for the race with its outer shell adjusted slightly to make it more aerodynamic on the straight track.