Battle not over yet, claims Schuey

The Ferrari star has won three of the four races run so far this year and holds a commanding 14-point lead over his brother Ralf in the drivers' title standings.

Williams was the favourite to win at Imola, a track that was thought to be better suited to its BMW-powered car than Ferrari's. But the new F2002 showed a clean pair of heels to its main rival, with Rubens Barrichello following his team-mate home for a dominant one-two.

But with 13 races left, Schumacher claims he is taking nothing for granted.

"The whole weekend went off perfectly," he said. "We wanted to do well at Imola to make up for the previous year and so it turned out.

"However, to talk about the championship already being in the bag, which some people are doing, is totally premature. If there is one thing I have learnt in all my years of Formula 1, it's that there can always be surprises.

"Nothing should be taken for granted and a small thing can change everything. The fact we dominated on a track reckoned to suit the Williams is great and I am very happy about it, but we will still have problems and difficulties to face. We have to concentrate and we certainly cannot afford to be complacent."

But in this week's AUTOSPORT magazine, out on Thursday, Williams chiefs have made it clear that they won't find a quick fix to stop Schumacher and Ferrari. For more, check out the magazine's Top Story.

Schumacher was awarded the title 'Unesco Champion for Sport' earlier this week for his work for the Children in Need project. The United Nations organisation for culture and organisation recognised his involvement in the construction of two schools: one in Dakar, Senegal and one in Lima, Peru, along with a paedeatric hospital in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. "This is definitely a very special moment for me," Schumacher said.