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Schumacher Scores 52nd Win in Chaotic Race at Spa

Michael Schumacher became the most successful Grand Prix driver as he claimed his 52nd win at an incident-filled Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Michael Schumacher became the most successful Grand Prix driver as he claimed his 52nd win at an incident-filled Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Ferrari driver Schumacher was forced to ignore a huge shunt involving Prost's Luciano Burti and get through two re-starts before powering away to a comprehensive win. The atmosphere had turned bleak when Burti crashed into a tyre wall at 160 mph after being nudged by the overtaking Eddie Irvine on lap five following the first re-start.

Irvine joined marshals in attempting to pull the Prost out of the tyre wall in an effort to administer treatment to the stricken Burti, and when a blanket appeared, the whole of Formula One held its breath. But after being driven to hospital, reports suggested that Burti was conscious, and with a possible tragedy averted, Schumacher powered home to win the race.

David Coulthard ended the race in runners-up spot in his McLaren, ahead of Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella. Mika Hakkinen, Rubens Barrichello and Jordan's Jean Alesi claimed the minor points-scoring spots in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

Spitting rain greeted the drivers at the start of the race but the initial start was aborted when Heinz-Harald Frentzen stalled his Prost from fourth place on the grid. Pole-sitter Juan Pablo Montoya suffered heartbreak with the same problem and joined Frentzen in starting at the back of the grid.

Ralf Schumacher got away well to lead from the first corner ahead of the two Ferraris as Fisichella moved up to fourth in his Benetton. But four-time World Champion Michael Schumacher was able to pass his younger brother easily on the opening lap and pulled away to lead at the end of the first lap.

Colombian Montoya was given the arduous task of moving through the field as he moved up two places in his Williams. Benetton's Jenson Button was another big mover as he improved to ninth from 15th on the grid, while Coulthard moved up to fifth in the opening laps.

Eddie Irvine touched former teammate Burti on the fifth lap as he attempted to overtake him and the contact forced the Brazilian through the gravel trap and into the tyre wall at approximately 160 mph. The race was immediately red-flagged.

Irvine immediately joined marshals in removing the Prost from the tyre wall and after Burti was taken away in an ambulance, the Ulsterman told Jaguar team boss Niki Lauda that he was conscious. A hospital spokesman said that he had escaped with concussion and no broken bones.

During the second restart, Ralf Schumacher was left stranded with his car still on its jacks as Williams team mechanics got their timing wrong on the new starting procedure. The German began the race from the back of the grid.

The new race, scheduled to be 36 laps, saw Michael Schumacher, now on pole, get away in front while Italian Fisichella moved up to second. Briton Button moved up to fourth before he was quickly passed by Coulthard. Sauber's Nick Heidfeld toured round and retired after an early collision with Jaguar's Pedro de la Rosa, who was also forced out, while Williams' Montoya capped an unhappy day as he pulled off the track with a blown engine.

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen and Spain's Fernando Alonso also retired in the early stages as 15 cars were left to contest the remainder of the race. McLaren's Hakkinen came in for an 8.5-second pit-stop on the eighth lap of 36 as all the drivers began coming in for their opening stop as race strategies were revised after the restarts.

The elder Schumacher came in for an 8.4-second stop as he came out behind Fisichella, before the Benetton driver came in on lap 11 to drop down to second ahead of Coulthard. Button was forced out of the race when he lost his front wing at the Bus Stop to join the list of retirements in his Benetton as the leading drivers safely undertook their second stops.

Leader Schumacher opened up a 29.3-second lead over Fisichella after 22 laps with McLaren pair Coulthard and Hakkinen in third and fourth positions. Coulthard managed to put the pressure on Fisichella and get past the Benetton at Eau Rouge on lap 28 to move into runners-up spot behind the all-conquering Schumacher.

Jordan's Jarno Trulli went off with a blown engine while in a points-scoring spot in the closing laps as leader Schumacher powered home for a historic win.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps, Liege; 42 laps; 306.592km; Weather: Dry. Classified: Pos Driver Team-Engine Tyres Time 1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1h08:05.002 2. Coulthard Mclaren Mercedes (B) + 0:10.098 3. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) + 0:27.700 4. Hakkinen Mclaren Mercedes (B) + 0:36.087 5. Barrichello Ferrari (B) + 0:54.521 6. Alesi Jordan Honda (B) + 0:59.684 7. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) + 0:59.986 8. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) + 1:04.970 9. Frentzen Prost Acer (M) + 1 Lap 10. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) + 1 Lap 11. Panis BAR Honda (B) + 1 Lap 12. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) + 1 Lap 13. Marques Minardi European (M) + 4 Laps 14. Trulli Jordan-Honda (B) + 5 Laps Fastest Lap: M.Schumacher, 1:49.758, lap 7 Not Classified/Retirements: Driver Team On Lap Button Benetton-Renault 17 Montoya Williams-BMW 5 Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas 4 De la Rosa Jaguar-Cosworth 4 Raikkonen Sauber-Petronas 4 Burti Prost-Acer 3 Irvine Jaguar-Cosworth 3 Alonso Minardi-European 2 World Championship Standing, Round 14: Drivers: Constructors: 1. M.Schumacher 104 WC 1. Ferrari 152 CC 2. Coulthard 57 2. McLaren 81 3. Barrichello 48 3. Williams 59 4. R.Schumacher 44 4. Sauber 20 5. Hakkinen 24 5. BAR 16 6. Montoya 15 =. Jordan 16 7. Villeneuve 11 7. Benetton 10 =. Heidfeld 11 8. Jaguar 5 9. Trulli 9 9. Prost 4 =. Raikkonen 9 10. Arrows 1 11. Fisichella 8 12. Frentzen 6 13. Panis 5 =. Alesi 5 15. Irvine 4 16. Button 2 17. Verstappen 1 = de la Rosa 1 All timing unofficial

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