Michael Schumacher Wins Belgian GP

<br>SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) _ Five-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher set a record for most victories in one season Sunday with a win in the Belgian Grand Prix. <br><br>Schumacher won

Monday, September 2nd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) _ Five-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher set a record for most victories in one season Sunday with a win in the Belgian Grand Prix.

Schumacher won his 10th race this season, roaring out from the pole position to complete the 44-lap race on the scenic 4.327-mile track in one hour, 21 minutes, 20.634 seconds.

``It very much looked like the perfect race,'' Schumacher said. ``I was just enjoying myself, drove for fun this afternoon.''

Schumacher now hold records for most victories in one season, most Grand Prix wins (63), and most championship points (923).

Brazil's Rubens Barrichello, driving in a backup car, finished second, almost two seconds after Schumacher. BMW-Williams' Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya crossed the line third, nearly 20 seconds behind.

David Coulthard finished fourth for McLaren Mercedes. Schumacher's younger brother Ralf, in the other BMW-Williams, was fifth.

Barrichello cemented second place in the drivers' championship with 51 points, extending Ferrari's dominance this season. Montoya added four championship points and now has 44.

``I was on different tires than Michael this time,'' Barrichello said. ``It was a wrong choice, but I'm still happy with my performance. I had no chance to catch him today.''

Schumacher's triumph brought him a record sixth win on the track. It also was the 50th race in succession a Ferrari driver has been on the podium, continuing an incredible sequence that began in Malaysia in 1999.

``We hadn't really expected anything like that,'' Schumacher said. ``We managed a very good start, and we were able to drive our own pace.''

Kimi Raikkonen, who started in the second position, struggled throughout the race. Barrichello beat Raikkonen to the first curve and moved into second place right after the start.

Raikkonen's engine blew up on lap 36, leaving the Finn hopeless on the sidelines.

``Not the ideal way to end the weekend,'' Raikkonen said. ``At the start I couldn't hold back Rubens. I had an engine failure and that was the end of the race for me. I enjoyed starting from the front row, but ideally I would've liked to stay there.''

Italy's Jarno Trulli, sixth for the entire race, joined the retirement list soon after, followed by Jordan's Gianfranco Fisichella, whose engine blew in a spectacular hot fire on lap 39.

Olivier Panis' engine also caught fire on the same lap, forcing the Frenchman out of the race.