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Schumacher Grabs 10th Season Win in Belgium

World Champion Michael Schumacher was in a class of his own around his favourite Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Sunday as he secured his record 10th victory of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix.

World Champion Michael Schumacher was in a class of his own around his favourite Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Sunday as he secured his record 10th victory of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The dominance of the German star and his Ferrari car was never shown more than in his cool performance in the overcast Ardennes forests as he marched to his 63rd career victory to secure the Italian team's 50th consecutive podium.

Not even his Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello could get close as the "Red Baron" flew around the undulating track to beat his and Briton Nigel Mansell's record for the most wins in a season.

After pounding out lap after lap of record times, Schumacher was left with a comfortable cruise to the finish and crossed the line 1.9 seconds clear of Barrichello to secure the sixth Ferrari one-two finish of the season in yet another astonishing display of supreme domination.

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, of Williams-BMW, won a hard-fought battle with British McLaren-Mercedes driver David Coulthard for the final podium spot, with Ralf Schumacher, in the second Williams-BMW fifth.

A delighted Eddie Irvine scored the final point for Jaguar after a controlled performance from the rejuvenated team allowed him to claim his first top six finish since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The Ferrari pair, with Schumacher leading Barrichello, were the first to clear La Source at the start of the race as the rest of the cars jostled for position around the tight hairpin corner.

Despite the close bunching all cars escaped without collision, but Ralf Schumacher was one of the biggest losers in the melee as he conceded fourth place to teammate Montoya and then lost fifth to Coulthard on the exit of Eau Rouge.

Behind the Ferrari pair, who were already storming into the distance, Montoya and Raikkonen were battling again, with the Colombian driver passing his rival on lap two to claim third. By the end of that lap, however, Schumacher was already 5.1 seconds ahead, and the impressive but expected speed of the Ferrari left anyone else with their hopes for victory strongly dimmed.

Australian Mark Webber was the first casualty of the race, pulling his Minardi to the side of the track after La Source on lap five as the top ten held position. Behind that chain, Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, of BAR Honda, and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, in the Jordan Honda, fought an exciting battle for 13th place, which Fisichella eventually conceded on lap eight.

But it was all over for Briton Jenson Button soon after as he saw his race end early on lap 12 when his Renault ground to a halt after Pouhon and he was left to walk back to the pits. Villeneuve continued to scythe through the field, passing Toyota's Allan McNish on lap 14 as Schumacher, now way out in front, extended his run of near continuous fastest laps.

After 15 laps, Schumacher had reeled off 10 fastest laps, was 13.9 seconds ahead of Barrichello and 32.4 seconds in front of closest non-Ferrari rival Montoya, who led a train of Raikkonen, Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher close behind him.

One lap later, leader Schumacher was in the pits, stopping for 8.6 seconds and still coming out in second, 10.2 seconds ahead of Montoya. His and Ferrari's dominance was already very clear.

Ralf Schumacher spun his Williams and lost a place to Jarno Trulli on lap 17 as the rest of the leaders began to come in for their stops. Barrichello, Trulli and Schumacher pitted at the end of that lap and Montoya and Raikkonen followed one lap later.

Briton Anthony Davidson ended his current spell at Minardi on a sour note on lap 19 when he spun into retirement at Pouhon. He will now make way for rested Malaysian driver Alex Yoong at the next race in Monza.

Once the pit stops had been concluded, by the end of lap 21, Schumacher led Barrichello by 16.9 seconds, with the Brazilian a further 21.4 seconds ahead of closest rival Montoya.

Coulthard, after a stop of 8.7 seconds compared to Raikkonen's 9.6, had jumped his younger teammate to claim fourth, while Trulli trailed the McLaren pair in sixth.

Schumacher came in for his second stop on lap 30 and, after 8.8 seconds in the pit, he rejoined just ahead of Barrichello in second place but immediately re-gained the lead when the Brazilian pitted for 9.1 seconds one lap later.

Ralf Schumacher pitted from sixth at the end of lap 31 but after a reasonable stop he almost stalled and was slow to get going as his trouble-struck race continued.

Montoya pitted at the end of lap 33, stopping for 7.4 seconds, with Raikkonen coming in the following lap for an 8.2 seconds stop, and Coulthard stopping for 6.2 seconds one lap later.

With Schumacher's lead on Barrichello peaking at around 25 seconds, Montoya was left as the 'best of the rest' behind the galloping Ferraris as Raikkonen's challenge ended when his car ground to a halt on lap 36.

Jarno Trulli also lost out on a possible points finish when his Renault gave up the ghost one lap later, and that signalled a rapid run of retirements as the race headed towards its conclusion.

In the following four laps, Pedro de la Rosa, who had been running inside the top ten for Jaguar, lost control and parked up, Brazilian Felipe Massa, of Sauber, stopped, and the Honda engines in Italian Giancarlo Fisichella's Jordan and Frenchman Olivier Panis' BAR both blew up.

With the Ferrari pair cruising home for another one-two finish, the action focussed on Montoya and Coulthard, who were split by just 0.5 seconds for the final podium position as Ralf Schumacher and Irvine, who had moved up into sixth for Jaguar, drove alone to the finish.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps; 44 laps; 306.592km; Weather: overcast, dry. Classified: Pos Driver Team-Engine Tyres Time 1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1h 21:20.634 2. Barrichello Ferrari (B) + 1.977 3. Montoya Williams BMW (M) + 18.445 4. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) + 19.357 5. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) + 56.440 6. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) + 1:17.370 7. Salo Toyota (M) + 1:17.809 8. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) + 1:19.855 9. McNish Toyota (M) + 1 lap 10. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) + 1 lap 11. Sato Jordan Honda (B) + 1 lap Fastest Lap: M.Schumacher, 1:47.176, lap 15 Not Classified/Retirements: Driver Team On Lap Panis BAR Honda (B) 40 Fisichella Jordan Honda (B) 39 de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 38 Massa Sauber Petronas (B) 38 Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 36 Trulli Renault (M) 36 Davidson Minardi Asiatech (M) 18 Button Renault (M) 11 Webber Minardi Asiatech (M) 5 World Championship Standing, Round 14: Drivers: Constructors: 1. M.Schumacher 122 WC 1. Ferrari 173 CC 2. Barrichello 51 2. Williams-BMW 86 3. Montoya 44 3. McLaren-Mercedes 57 4. R.Schumacher 42 4. Renault 15 5. Coulthard 37 5. Sauber-Petronas 11 6. Raikkonen 20 6. Jordan-Honda 7 7. Button 11 7. BAR 5 8. Heidfeld 7 8. Jaguar-Cosworth 4 = Fisichella 7 9. Toyota 2 10. Trulli 4 = Arrows 2 = Massa 4 = Minardi-Asiatech 2 = Irvine 4 13. Villeneuve 3 14. Webber 2 = Salo 2 = Frentzen 2 = Panis 2 All timing unofficial

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