Analysis: 2nd at Indy may be Enough for Schumacher

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher can win a record sixth Formula One World Championship at Indianapolis on Sunday if circumstances go his way.

Schumacher currently has 82 points, while Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya has 79 and Finland's Kimi Raikkonen 75. The top eight finishers score in Formula One with a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system.

If Schumacher wins, Montoya finishes sixth or lower and Raikkonen no higher than third - Schumacher would end with 92 points, Montoya with 82 at best and Raikkonen 81.

Even if Montoya won the final round in Japan and Schumacher failed to score, the Ferrari driver would still win on number of victories - six to Montoya's three (Schumacher currently has five and Montoya two).

Alternatively, if Schumacher finishes second, Montoya no higher than eighth and Raikkonen fourth or lower - Schumacher would then have 90 points, while Montoya and Raikkonen at best would have 80 each. And in that case, even if Montoya or Raikkonen won the last race and Schumacher did not score, the German would triumph on number of wins.

On current form, however, the title looks like going down to the final race in Japan.

Montoya has finished the last eight races on the podium while Schumacher's last win at Monza followed a five-race losing streak.

There have been two occasions this year when Schumacher has won and Montoya finished sixth or lower: in San Marino, Schumacher finished first and Montoya seventh. Likewise, in Austria, Schumacher was first while Montoya retired. But in both those races Raikkonen finished second.

Nevertheless, Schumacher has yet to finish a race as runner-up this year and Ferrari have yet to take a one-two result in 2003.