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Dispute over 199th or 200th start for Schumi in Spanish Grand Prix
Barcelona, May 07: Statisticians are at loggerheads over whether the Spanish Grand Prix will be Schumacher`s 199th or 200th start.
Barcelona, May 07: Statisticians are at loggerheads over whether the Spanish Grand Prix will be Schumacher's 199th or 200th start.
Ferrari say it is the six times world champion's 200th. But others, including Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper and respected statistician Jacques Deschenaux, say it is his 199th because he did not start the 1996 French Grand Prix after breaking down on the warm-up lap. Only five other drivers have started more than 200 grands prix in Formula One history: Italian Riccardo Patrese (256), Austrian Gerhard Berger (210), Italian Andrea de Cesaris (208), Brazilian Nelson Piquet (204) and France's Jean Alesi (201). Schumacher, who has won five times in Spain, has always finished in the points there -- in 13 races he has racked up five wins, two seconds, three thirds, a fourth, a fifth and a sixth place. But Barrichello, who is second in the drivers' standings, will probably find it tougher to get a podium place and he acknowledges the difficulties of the Barcelona track.
The Brazilian was second in Australia and Bahrain, but could not get a podium place in either the Malaysian or San Marino races.
Bureau Report
Ferrari say it is the six times world champion's 200th. But others, including Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper and respected statistician Jacques Deschenaux, say it is his 199th because he did not start the 1996 French Grand Prix after breaking down on the warm-up lap. Only five other drivers have started more than 200 grands prix in Formula One history: Italian Riccardo Patrese (256), Austrian Gerhard Berger (210), Italian Andrea de Cesaris (208), Brazilian Nelson Piquet (204) and France's Jean Alesi (201). Schumacher, who has won five times in Spain, has always finished in the points there -- in 13 races he has racked up five wins, two seconds, three thirds, a fourth, a fifth and a sixth place. But Barrichello, who is second in the drivers' standings, will probably find it tougher to get a podium place and he acknowledges the difficulties of the Barcelona track.
The Brazilian was second in Australia and Bahrain, but could not get a podium place in either the Malaysian or San Marino races.
Bureau Report