Grapevine: Schuey's Home Town Goes Berserk

More than 2,000 Michael Schumacher fans - most clad in Ferrari red - erupted with an ear-splitting roar on Sunday the moment the home-town hero won his fourth Formula One Drivers' Championship.

Packed into a small local arena to watch the Hungarian Grand Prix on a giant video screen, the crowd went berserk when Schumacher crossed the finish line first to seal a record-equalling 51st Formula One victory and his second World Championship with Ferrari.

Schumacher, who grew up in Kerpen - a town of 17,000 west of Cologne - later appeared on the giant screen himself via a German television network to greet the cheering fans.

"Michael Schumacher is the greatest," said Marcus Glondsdra, 32, whose entire body was painted Ferrari red. "He's one of us," he said, breaking into tears as Schumacher won. Aside from local crowd, Schumacher fans made the pilgrimage from across Germany to Kerpen, which is sometimes dubbed "Schumi Town" by the locals. Some 2,000 celebrated here last year when Schumacher won his third title.

On Sunday Ferrari flags were hanging on every street. Aside from "Michael-Schumacher-Strasse" avenue and a museum that pays tribute to Schumacher, Kerpen is also home to the go-kart track run by Schumacher's father Rolf. It is the track Schumacher and his younger brother Ralf grew up on.

Clogged Streets

A parade of honking cars clogged the streets as hundreds of people danced on the sidewalks. A local German popsinger, Juergen Drews, dressed in Ferrari clothes, sang a song about "Schumania".

"It would be even nicer to be in Budapest right now," Drews said. The sentiment was widespread in Kerpen.

"If I couldn't get to Hungary to see the race then I figured the next best thing would be to come to Kerpen," said Margarete Pink, 30, from Neuss, wearing a red blouse. "Anyone here in Kerpen who tells you they know Schumacher personally is lying," said Glondsdra. "He's a icon. You don't get to know icons."

Other fans were happy to be in Kerpen, where the party was expected to last most of the night.

"There is nothing better," said Frank Graefen. "It's an amazingly cool feeling!" Lutz Waende, who like many was crying with joy, said: "It's a super feeling. This is the first time I'm experiencing something like this."

Even Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder got in on the celebrations, sending his congratulations to Schumacher, saying he had thrilled fans with his superior driving skills.

"In defending your title and you have broken records thanks to your professional and highly motivated team," Schroeder said in a letter to Schumacher. "You have also excited the fans with your superior driving skills. Few formula one drivers have had the same influence on the sport as you have."