Analysis: New Race, Same Old Schumacher

Michael Schumacher added the Middle East's first Grand Prix to his list of Formula One favourites on Sunday after emerging from the desert smelling of roses.

Schumacher's win in Bahrain was the 73rd of a record-breaking career and the six times champion has now triumphed in Australia, the Far East, Middle East, North and South America and Europe.

Apart from China, which makes its own debut in the Championship in September, there is not a race on the calendar where he has not won and scarcely a region outside Antarctica and Africa.

The German, who led Ferrari's second one-two of the season, said Bahrain had done a superb job.

"They have prepared a circuit for us which was very interesting to drive, technically very difficult, a big challenge," he said. "The welcome of the fans, all the people here, was very warm so it was a very nice experience I guess we all had here and we look forward to coming back."

Sunday's success was Schumacher's third win in three races this season and the first that he has celebrated by spraying a bottle of fizzy pomegranate and rosewater on the podium.

"It smells very good, I have to say," said the German, whose fingers have uncorked more winners' bottles of champagne than any driver over the years, of a non-alcoholic concoction in keeping with local Islamic custom.

"Usually we smell a bit strange but now all three of us have a beautiful smell after the race."

Schumacher described his victory as "the dream result at the end of a superb weekend" and if he wins again at Ferrari's home Imola circuit in three weeks' time he will have matched his best start to a season.

But he said it had not been easy, even if he had expected his rivals to put up more of a fight.

"It was a little bit surprising. I certainly expected it to be a closer race. That might have been the case if the temperatures had been a bit higher but fortunately that wasn't the case," he said.

"It was hard work because the brakes were sort of marginal and we had to keep an eye on the tyres," he added.

"But it was a superb weekend. We worked our way through, it was tough at times. We looked reasonable on Friday, had a bit of difficulty on Saturday to get the balance right as conditions changed but in the final moment we had everything spot on.

"We managed the first row and we managed the first and second position. That is obviously the dream result."

Team boss Jean Todt was unstinting in his praise of the 35-year-old phenomenon.

"I have to say I had not expected to witness Ferrari put on such a spectacle on such a fantastic circuit," he said. "Michael was simply majestic."