Barrichello: Michael in a Different League

Michael Schumacher led Ferrari to a flawless one-two in the Belgian Grand Prix to make Formula One history as the first driver to win 10 races in a single season.

The German, his fifth world title wrapped up in record time more than a month ago, was in a class of his own at his favourite circuit as he led Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello from start to finish.

"Michael was in a different league today," said Barrichello, who chose different tyres and set-up to Schumacher. "He was driving away and there was no way I could catch him up."

Schumacher has now won an unprecedented six times at Spa, where he made his debut in 1991 and won his first race in 1992, and a record 63 times in his career.

The final margin of 1.977 seconds over Barrichello disguised his complete supremacy, with Schumacher racing away from the Brazilian at the rate of almost a second a lap before easing off towards the end.

"I just enjoyed myself and went flat out as much as possible," the World Champion said. "It was a very nice race for me. It is not always necessary to have a fight to have a good feeling in the car.

"I think we haven't really expected anything like that," he said about his dominance. "We were optimistic. We had a very good weekend altogether but you never know what is going to happen in the race with the temperature and so on with different tyres.

"Then we managed a very good start where Rubens and myself immediately went up front and that was basically the decision for the race where we could drive our own pace and drive it home."

Ferrari have already clinched their fourth straight constructors' title and have 173 points to Williams's 86 and McLaren's 57.

Schumacher had previously shared the record of nine wins in a season with Britain's former World Champion Nigel Mansell, a former Ferrari driver who first set the record with Williams in his title year of 1992.

The two champions met in the Spa paddock before the race, with Mansell wishing him luck. The one-two, Ferrari's sixth of the season, also handed the champions their 50th successive podium finish and Schumacher his 16th in a row.

He has also scored points in the last 19 races and his victory took his tally for the season to 122. Barrichello consolidated his second place overall with 51 ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya on 44, the Colombian finishing third today.