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Schumacher secures historic sixth title win
Suzuka (Japan), Oct 12: Michael Schumacher claimed an historic sixth world championship here today when his Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello kept title rival Kimi Raikkonen at bay to win the Japanese Grand Prix.
Suzuka (Japan), Oct 12: Michael Schumacher claimed an historic sixth world championship here today when his Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello kept title rival Kimi
Raikkonen at bay to win the Japanese Grand Prix.
Raikkonen needed a victory to have any hope of stealing
Schumacher's crown but cloudy conditions played into the hands
of Ferrari and Barrichello ensured the German secured a
record-breaking sixth world championship.
It was his fourth successive title for Ferrari and surpassed the record of legendary argentine Juan Manuel Fangio.
Schumacher did enough to secure the title himself by finishing eighth but Barrichello's win allowed Ferrari to celebrate in style as they landed their fifth consecutive constructors' title.
Ferrari technical chief Ross Brawn said it was a tough afternoon. "It will take a few hours for this to sink in."
"Rubens did a fantastic job and Michael made it entertaining. It has been a tough year and there were times in the year when we didn't know if we were going to do it."
"But in the last three races, the guys turned it around. This is something very special."
Barrichello crawled across the line and stopped briefly alongside his team as they celebrated on the pit wall and was embraced in Parc Ferme after jumping out of his car.
He then walked across to hug Schumacher, on the other side of the fence, before Schumacher, who won the title by just two points, was mobbed by the team and Boss Jean Todt arrived to join in the celebrations.
McLaren pair Raikkonen and David Coulthard completed the podium in second and third places respectively but that, and the runners-up place in the championship, was of little consolation to the disappointed Finn.
Briton Jenson button finished fourth with Japanese team-mate Takuma Sato sixth on his debut for Bar-Honda to earn fifth place for the team in the world championship on home ground at Suzuka.
Italian Jarno Trulli finished fifth for Renault after starting from the back of the grid and Cristiano Da Matta, of Toyota, claimed seventh ahead of Schumacher.
Barrichello made a strong start to take the lead into the first corner but was passed by Montoya before the end of the first lap.
Schumacher, who started 14th, moved up two places to 12th.
Ralf Schumacher, who started from the back of the grid along with Jarno Trulli, spun at the Chicane on lap two as home hero Sato moved through the field after passing both Jaguars.
But the Japanese driver inadvertently got in the way of Michael Schumacher as the German tried to pass him into the Chicane on lap six and knocked the front wing off the Ferrari.
Schumacher dived into the pits and his team changed the nose cone in 18.1 seconds but the incident put him down to last place, one minute behind the leader Montoya.
Williams' world championship hopes fell apart on lap nine, however, when Montoya was forced to park his car at the side of the circuit and Ralf Schumacher spun again.
Bureau Report
It was his fourth successive title for Ferrari and surpassed the record of legendary argentine Juan Manuel Fangio.
Schumacher did enough to secure the title himself by finishing eighth but Barrichello's win allowed Ferrari to celebrate in style as they landed their fifth consecutive constructors' title.
Ferrari technical chief Ross Brawn said it was a tough afternoon. "It will take a few hours for this to sink in."
"Rubens did a fantastic job and Michael made it entertaining. It has been a tough year and there were times in the year when we didn't know if we were going to do it."
"But in the last three races, the guys turned it around. This is something very special."
Barrichello crawled across the line and stopped briefly alongside his team as they celebrated on the pit wall and was embraced in Parc Ferme after jumping out of his car.
He then walked across to hug Schumacher, on the other side of the fence, before Schumacher, who won the title by just two points, was mobbed by the team and Boss Jean Todt arrived to join in the celebrations.
McLaren pair Raikkonen and David Coulthard completed the podium in second and third places respectively but that, and the runners-up place in the championship, was of little consolation to the disappointed Finn.
Briton Jenson button finished fourth with Japanese team-mate Takuma Sato sixth on his debut for Bar-Honda to earn fifth place for the team in the world championship on home ground at Suzuka.
Italian Jarno Trulli finished fifth for Renault after starting from the back of the grid and Cristiano Da Matta, of Toyota, claimed seventh ahead of Schumacher.
Barrichello made a strong start to take the lead into the first corner but was passed by Montoya before the end of the first lap.
Schumacher, who started 14th, moved up two places to 12th.
Ralf Schumacher, who started from the back of the grid along with Jarno Trulli, spun at the Chicane on lap two as home hero Sato moved through the field after passing both Jaguars.
But the Japanese driver inadvertently got in the way of Michael Schumacher as the German tried to pass him into the Chicane on lap six and knocked the front wing off the Ferrari.
Schumacher dived into the pits and his team changed the nose cone in 18.1 seconds but the incident put him down to last place, one minute behind the leader Montoya.
Williams' world championship hopes fell apart on lap nine, however, when Montoya was forced to park his car at the side of the circuit and Ralf Schumacher spun again.
Bureau Report