Schumacher thought it was all over

"I was a little bit confused to say the least," said Schumacher. "I had my fist in the air but I was being careful because I knew Ralf was right behind me. I looked up and there was no flag and I wondered for a split second whether there was another lap to go."

A few laps before the end of the race, a note came around the Interlagos press room proudly informing everyone that the waver of the chequered flag would be none other than the world's greatest ever footballer, the king, Pele. Unfortunately, it seems that as he was taken to the gantry with the famous flag in his hand, the great man lost track of the race and didn't have the chequer unfurled ready to wave as the Schumacher brothers shot across the line beneath him.

"I must admit, at that speed I didn't have time to look around for Mr Pele," Schumacher smiled, "but I would have liked to have seen the flag!"