Schumacher slips past

FORMULA ONE: One slip. One momentary absence of control and the potential future of the Formula One world championship gave way to the current undisputed leader of the pack.

Kimi Raikkonen, in control of the French Grand Prix and within five laps of his maiden victory, slides on oil left at the Adelaide Hairpin by Toyota's Allan McNish. And waiting to pounce? Who else but the vulpine Michael Schumacher, himself the master of a great race yesterday.

He didn't need asking twice. Raikkonen locked up, Schumacher shimmied under braking, regained control and slipped past the Finn to take the lead and the host of glittering prizes that have had his name written all over them since he took to the track for the first time this season in Melbourne.

Five times a world champion, the equal of the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, the new keeper of a 45-year old record, the holder of the most quickly-won championship in the sport's history.

You want more? How about the single-circuit equal of Ayrton Senna. Yesterday was Schumacher's sixth Magny Cours win, matching Senna's half dozen at Monaco. Maybe not in the same class, but the statistic is there.

Justifiably, if perhaps a little heart-breakingly, Schumacher deserved the crown yesterday.

But hold that thought, and consider Raikkonen. Watching the 22-year-old Finn take advantage of an aerodynamically refined McLaren MP4/17, more consistent Michelin tyres and his team's superb manipulation of pit stop opportunities yesterday, there was the distinct impression of a kid finally arriving.

Brought into Formula One after only a handful of Formula Renault races in 2001, he raced a remarkably cool-headed first season for Sauber. This year he earned the big bucks-transfer to McLaren as heir apparent to Mika Hakkinen and then - missed the opportunity.

All this season, Raikkonen seemed to be faking everyone out. He didn't eclipse David Coulthard with the ease expected. He was cursed with mechanical failures and technical inferiority which forced him into uncharacteristic errors.

The error that robbed him of his maiden GP win yesterday was another deus ex machina denial of opportunity, but the run to that point had shown that if McLaren arm Raikkonen with the right weapons, he could yet be the silver bullet that downs the all-consuming monster that ate Formula One which Schumacher and Ferrari have become.

Sure we're been here before. We've trumpeted Montoya - and maybe there's still some race craft to come from the hyper-aggressive Colombian - but maybe Raikkonen's softly, softly approach is the real deal.

He doesn't say much, he doesn't give good quote, but on track he's as committed as Montoya, as clinically efficient as Hakkinen and maybe, in machinery headed in the direction McLaren appear to be going, as fleet as Schumacher.

On Saturday he took his improved McLaren and claimed his best grid spot of fourth. On Sunday, McLaren, reportedly on softer Michelins, were expected to drift back from Ferrari and Williams as they lost traction as the heat took its toll. But that wasn't the case.

Raikkonen stayed put and wouldn't be shaken off. As pole-sitter Montoya grappled with Schumacher through the opening laps, and Rubens Barrichello was left to curse his crew for leaving him on jacks at the start, Raikkonen tucked in, kept his head down and maintained third place and a bridgeable gap to the front two.

Enter McLaren's strategists. While Williams erred by bringing their drivers in too early, McLaren stayed out, gaining crucial time on low-fuel, traffic-free laps.

Raikkonen first came in on lap 27 to hold third. That translated to second when he blasted past second-placed Montoya during the Colombian's second stop. By the time Raikkonen had pitted for more fuel and tyres six laps later, he had claimed the lead.

Michael Schumacher, who had been hit with a drive through penalty for crossing the white line on pit exit, was dropped to second.

Raikkonen's times, floating around the mid 1.15s, were the equal or better of Schumacher's. The German, battling in the dirty air, couldn't find a way through and with a little over six minutes remaining Raikkonen looked on course to defy Schumacher's superiority, to deny him a championship until a visit to home soil.

But it wasn't to be. One slip. One momentary absence of control on oil from McNish's stricken Ferrari made a champion of Schumacher and a secondary pretender of Raikkonen.

In the end Schumacher admitted that Raikkonen's misfortune had been his unexpected gain.

"Honestly, I don't think I would have found a way without a mistake or a back marker in the right position, to find a way by. There wouldn't have been. He drove a fantastic race, he was enough in front of me so that I couldn't get a go at him."

Elsewhere, Jordan had a cruelly difficult weekend. On Saturday, lead driver Giancarlo Fisichella crashed heavily and after a visit to hospital in nearby Nevers was advised not to race.

That left Takuma Sato driving the sole Jordan and despite being impressively quick all weekend, the Japanese crashed out on lap 24, flying into the gravel at the tricky final Lycee corner.

Michael Schumacher

Born: Kerpen, Germany, January 3rd, 1969.

Races: 173

Wins: 61

Poles: 46

Fastest Laps: 47

Points: 897

Drivers' championships: 5 - 1994, 1995 (with Benetton), 2000, 2001, 2002 (with Ferrari)

Debut: Belgium, 1991

First win: Belgium, 1992 (after 18 races)

Juan Manuel Fangio

Born: Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina June 24th, 1911.

Died: Balcarce July 17th, 1995.

Races: 51

Wins: 24

Poles: 29

Fastest Laps: 23

Points: 277

Drivers' championships: 5 - 1951 (with Alfa Romeo), 1954 (with Maserati & Mercedes), 1955 (with Mercedes), 1956 (with Ferrari), 1957 (with Maserati)

Debut: Britain 1950

First win: Monaco, 1950 (second race)