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Rediff.com  » Sports » Schumi lets numbers do the talking

Schumi lets numbers do the talking

May 10, 2004 11:54 IST
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Ferrari's Michael Schumacher let the numbers speak for themselves after celebrating a landmark win in Spain on Sunday.

The six-times world champion's 200th Grand Prix saw him salute the chequered flag, fist pumping the air, and spray the winner's champagne for the 75th time in his career.

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It was his fifth win in a row, sixth at the Circuit de Catalunya, and his achievement equalled Formula One's best start to a season by Briton Nigel Mansell in 1992.

As Ferrari staff donned red 200th Grand Prix T-shirts to mark the special occasion, Schumacher was asked what it all meant to him.

"What means a lot is that it is 200, it's 75...It's obviously a lot of nice numbers that come together at one weekend, which I am proud of," he said.

"But on the other side, now we look forward to the next one."

The next is Monaco and the twisty city streets where Schumacher has won five times previously and can be expected to go well again.

It could be, with Ferrari's rivals still scrabbling for the scraps from the champions' table, that the German extends his run of domination for some time yet.

Nobody has won as many races or scored as many points as Schumacher in Formula One history. Only five drivers have started more races.

ASCARI RECORD

Schumacher's own best winning streak is six in a row between 2000-2001 and only one driver has done better than that, Italian Alberto Ascari chalking up nine in succession for Ferrari from 1952-53.

But the German, as he has so often on the past, said statistics like that left him cold.

"I don't drive for statistics," he said. "If they do happen they make me proud but it is not what makes me keep going.

"The next race is Monte Carlo, a very prestigious race and just for that, as it is a driver challenge, it would obviously be ideal to win and I very much wish and want to win."

Sunday's win was the third one-two for Ferrari in five races and Schumacher, starting on pole and also setting the fastest lap, made it look easy.

Only afterwards did he reveal how hard and uncertain his race had been, with a cracked exhaust diagnosed after the first pitstop.

"(Technical director) Ross (Brawn) came on the radio and said 'there's not very much we can do, we can just hope it will last'," he said.

The German added: "I just did what I was able to do in preserving it as much as possible and we drove it home...even having such a problem the car still makes it home to the finish and that's exceptional, really exceptional."

Ferrari boss Jean Todt, who has presided over the most successful team in the history of Formula One, said there could be no better way to mark Schumacher's milestone.

"You need a bit of luck in Formula One and this time it came our way," he said.

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Source: REUTERS
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