Schumacher's moment beckons

Come Sunday afternoon, Michael Schumacher could equal Formula One racing's most treasured record and create another for himself alone.

Schumacher could clinch a fifth Formula One driver's championship, thereby emulating the legendary Argentinian driver, Juan Manuel Fangio.

And if all goes well for the German, he could also wrap up the title quicker than any other driver in the history of the sport.

Last year, Schumacher claimed his fourth world title in August at the Hungaroring, the 13th round of the championship. That put him on level terms with Britain's Nigel Mansell who took the 1992 title at the same stage of the season.

This weekend Schumacher can put the title story to bed by the end of the 11th race of 2002.

In 1957, Fangio took the coveted crown for the fifth time in eight seasons. Out of the eight races that year, he piloted his Maserati to victory in four races and finished second twice.

It has been the yardstick by which all other have since been judged. Alain Prost, the canny French "professor", so controlled, so committed, came close, taking the title in '85, '86, '89 and '93. Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, even the legendary Ayrton Senna fell short, claiming three world titles.

Schumacher insisted yesterday that the championship and the complex mathematics involved in working out who would have to finish in the top six, and where, to hand him the title, were not his concern.

"We know under which circumstances what can maybe happen but it's not really a focus too much, honestly, because I don't expect it to happen here," he said. And from the placid look and the unconcerned shrug, it was readily apparent this wasn't a man who was denying the prospect of victory just be sure of not jinxing the whole thing.

"I'll race as normal and try, obviously, to win the race," he blithely added. "That's the target and we'll see what the result will be at the end of the weekend. Whether it happens here or at another time I don't think that it's really important to me. What matters to me is that it does happen in the end."

And it will. For it to happen, this time and banking on a Schumacher win, the German's closest championship rivals, Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya must finish lower than second. Lower than second for Schumacher would take the title race to its likely conclusion at Hockenheim. A win here, though, is a strong possibility. He's won the race five times - in '94, '95, '97, '98 and last year. Five wins from ten attempts.

Schumacher's dominance this year stacks the odds further in his favour and yesterday he admitted that the package of car and tyre he has been given this weekend by Ferrari and Bridgestone couldn't be better.

Elsewhere yesterday, Jacques Villeneuve appeared to rule himself out of the summer driver reshuffle, claiming he would stay at BAR in 2003. The Canadian, who has one year left on his contract with the struggling Honda-powered team, had been cited as a possible replacement for Jenson Button at the Renault team.

The 1997 champion was a target for Renault boss Flavio Briatore when it was Benetton in 2000 but Villeneuve said yesterday: "I don't see any reason for me not being back with BAR next year. It would take something really really extreme. At the moment I'm definitely with the team next year."