Formula One Japanese Grand Prix: Michael Schumacher earned himself a place in the history books yesterday, an eighth-place finish at the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix enough to claim a record sixth championship title and deny Finland's Kimi Raikkonen the chance of stealing the crown from under his nose.
Schumacher's latest title win, by just two points, enabled him to break the record of five titles he shared with Juan Manuel Fangio. He also became the first man since the legendary Argentine, in 1957, to win the championship four years in succession.
In truth, this season was all over as a realistic contest two weeks ago in Indianapolis, when then closest challenger Juan Pablo Montoya's title shot was washed away by rain and a dubious penalty inflicted by the race stewards for causing an avoidable accident.
The promotion of Raikkonen, nine points adrift of Schumacher heading into yesterday and with just a single win to his credit this year compared with Schumacher's six, always had the feel of a sport clutching at a very fragile straw, once the real battle had ended prematurely in America.
Not that Raikkonen was indugling in such negativity and with Schumacher suffering two almost disastrous incidents during yesterday's showdown in Suzuka, the straw that was the McLaren youngster's late title bid could have been the one that broke the back of Schumacher's championship.
Having qualified a poor 14th on Saturday as rain hampered his lap and with Raikkonen eighth on the grid, Schumacher had much to do if he was going to rise to eighth himself to claim the single point he needed to deny the Finn, even if the McLaren driver won the race.
Schumacher did have an ace up his sleeve, in the shape of pole-winning team-mate Rubens Barrichello whose job it would be to prevent Raikkonen from taking that winning position but still he had his own task to complete.
But as Barrichello fulfilled his part of the bargain by consistently keeping Raikkonen at bay, despite the Ferrari number two ceding his lead to Juan Pablo Montoya, during the race's early phases, Schumacher failed in his.
On the sixth lap he was too aggressive in attempting a move on BAR's Takuma Sato into the Casino Triangle and the pair clashed, Schumacher having to to limp to the pits for a new front wing section. That dropped him down the order, from where he would have to fight back all over again.
He did so, only to find himself battling with Toyota's Cristiano da Matta and with his own brother, Ralf, in pursuit. The defending champion again erred at the Triangle chicane in a bid to pass da Matta, had to swerve, an evasive manoeuvre which caused Ralf to smash into the rear of his Ferrari. The younger Schumacher had to pit for repairs but to his relief, the Ferrari driver was able to drive on.
Up ahead Barrichello, having inherited the lead when Montoya's engine failed, had made his pit-stop strategy work well to deny Raikkonen, who had risen to second, any chance of attack. Indeed, in the closing stages eventual race-winner Barrichello had more than 30 seconds over the Finn to ensure there would be no chance of a last-gasp assault.
And behind, when da Matta pitted, Schumacher claimed the eighth place he needed to wrap up a remarkable championship and to claim the most remarkable of records.
"The feelings are not there now," he said of the record championship win. "I can feel for the team but not for me, they have not sunk in yet. I am empty, exhausted.
"It has been a tough year and a tough late stage of the season, and it has been one of my toughest races.
"The fight with Ralf and Cristiano da Matta was tough. I was having big vibrations in the car down the straight. There are a lot of thoughts going through your head and you just try and carry your car as safe and easy as possible to the chequered flag.
"It is very strange for me. Most of my championships I have won with a victory but here I am winning it with eighth place so it is a mixed emotion."
Ferrari too had another reason to celebrate, having claimed the constructors' title for a record fifth consecutive time.
Raikkonen admitted that while he was disappointed, his bid was always going to rely on a large slice of luck.
"Obviously I'm a bit disappointed not to win the World Championship, but we needed a bit of luck to do it, and whilst we were close, we were not close enough - however, at least we took the battle to the last round. "
Jordan ended a miserable year again without points, the Irish team finishing ninth in the constructors' championship, the team's worst result since 1993, when they were 10th.
Yesterday, rookie Ralph Firman finished 14th Sauber-bound-driver Giancarlo Fisichella was forced to retire on lap 34 with a fuel pick-up problem.
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX RESULT: 1. R Barrichello (Bra) Ferrari 1 hour 25 minutes 11.743 seconds (average speed 216.611 kph) 2. K Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren 1:25.22.828 3. D Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:25.23.357 4. J Button (Britain) BAR 1:25.44.849 5. J Trulli (Ita) Renault 1:25.46.012 6. T Sato (Jap) BAR 1:26.03.435 7. C da Matta (Bra) Toyota 1:26.08.537 8. M Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1:26.11.230 9. N Heidfeld (Ger) Sauber 1:26.11.902 10. O Panis (Fra) Toyota 1:26.13.587 11. M Webber (Aus) Jaguar 1:26.22.748 12. R Schumacher (Ger) Williams one lap behind 13. J Wilson (Britain) Jaguar one lap 14. R Firman (Ire) Jordan two laps 15. J Verstappen (Neth) Minardi two laps 16. N Kiesa (Den) Minardi three laps Not classified (did not finish): Gi Fisichella (Ita) Jordan 33 laps completed F (Esp) Renault 17 H Frentzen (Ger) Sauber 9 J P Montoya (Col) Williams 9. Fastest lap: R Schumacher, lap 43, 1:33.408 (average speed 223.805 kph)
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