Schumacher leads Ferrari
one-two in Japan
Alan Baldwin
World champion Michael Schumacher led Ferrari to a one-two finish in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday to wrap up the Formula One season in triumphant style.
It was the German's 64th career win, one of the many records in his collection.
Already the first driver ever to win 10 races in a championship, the five-times champion took his final tally to 11 as his dominant team equalled McLaren's 1988 record of 15 victories in a year.
Ferrari, accused of turning the sport into "Formula Yawn" in a crushing year accompanied by dwindling television viewing figures, secured their fourth successive constructors' title in August.
"I'd rather be criticised for being dominant than being too slow," said Schumacher after celebrating with his mechanics and team members.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello anchored Ferrari's fifth successive one-two and ninth of the season, ahead of McLaren's young Finn Kimi Raikkonen and the Williams of Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya.
Takuma Sato, the only Japanese driver in the race, received a winner's ovation from a delirious home crowd after he finished fifth in a Jordan for the first points of his grand prix career.
Briton Jenson Button was sixth in his last race for Renault before joining British American Racing.
Sato's result allowed Honda-powered Jordan to finish sixth in the final standings, leapfrogging ahead of Jaguar and BAR on nine points.
He was the first Japanese driver to score points in Formula One since Shinji Nakano did so for Prost in 1997.
SPECIAL DAY
"Today I think has been a special day in a few ways," said Schumacher. "We have achieved what we have achieved plus the Japanese fans have basically had two wins -- Ferrari winning the grand prix and Sato taking his first points in his home grand prix.
"So I guess they had a good grand prix and got very excited."
Schumacher's win completed an extraordinary year on the podium for the German, who secured his record-equalling title in France in July with six races to spare and completed an unprecedented final tally of 144 points.
He made a great start from pole and never looked back as the Ferraris sped away from their rivals, lapping all but three cars by the finish
McLaren's David Coulthard and Schumacher's brother Ralf, both running high in the points, retired with mechanical problems.
Barrichello was overall runner-up with 77 points and Montoya clinched third place with 50.
Schumacher has now finished on the podium in 19 successive races, scoring points in his last 22, both records in Formula One.
He has not retired from a race since July 2001 and Sunday's win completed a hat-trick in Japan after his wins in 2000 and 2001.
There was disappointment for Toyota's British driver Allan McNish, who was ruled out before the start on medical grounds after a big crash in Saturday's qualifying.
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