Schumacher joins Fangio as five-time champion

French Grand Prix: Ferrari No 1 matches Argentinian's domination of Formula One after capitalising on late Raikkonen error

If the Championship had run to a predictable script, the twist in the tail provided drama befitting the occasion.

Michael Schumacher's record-equalling fifth Formula One title was achieved faster than any other in the 53 seasons of the tour, just when it seemed he would be held up for another week.

Kimi Raikkonen, the 22-year-old Finn, was less than five laps away from his maiden victory when he slithered wide and allowed Schumacher through to win the French Grand Prix and confirm his place in the annals of the sport.

Schumacher joins Argentina's Juan Manuel Fangio as the most successful championship campaigner and displaced Britain's Nigel Mansell as the earliest champion. His eighth victory of the season puts him only one short of the record he shares with Mansell and stretched his unchallenged career total to 61.

The landmarks crumble before the Ferrari driver's relentless advance and the accomplishment of this season's mission was merely a matter of time. He maintained all weekend that it would not happen here and he perhaps would have preferred to leave it until next week, when the stage switches to his homeland.

Schumacher went into this race requiring a win but also his closest rivals Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya, to finish no higher than third. Barrichello, in the other Ferrari, was taken out of the equation when he was left stranded on his jack with an electrical problem at the start. Montoya, on pole for the fifth consecutive race, led the early stages yet his Williams-BMW was clearly not as fast as the Ferrari or the McLaren-Mercedes and he could only manage fourth place.

It ought to have been another routine win for Schumacher once Montoya went in for his first pit stop and the champion was able to pull ahead. However, Schumacher's tyre crossed the white line of the pit lane exit following his first stop and he was called back in for a drive-through penalty. Suddenly Raikkonen's McLaren emerged as the unlikely obstacle in his path.

Raikkonen, in only his second season of Formula One, held his advantage through the second round of stops and appeared to be holding his nerve as he reeled off the laps to the end, with one of the greatest drivers of all time looming large in his mirrors. Surely, we thought, the final act would have to be played out at Hockenheim.

Then, on lap 68, Allan McNish's crippled Toyota spilled oil on the approach to the Adelaide hairpin, moments before the leaders speared towards him. Raikkonen lost crucial grip, slewed wide, and by the time he had recovered the Ferrari was ahead of him.

Another championship, another record beckoned. Schumacher, routinely portrayed as some automaton, was in a turmoil of emotion, but controlled enough to sustain an unfailing line to the flag.

Jean Todt, Ferrari's technical director, bellowed the radio message that the world championship was his. Schumacher had, of course, worked that one out for himself and he wiggled the scarlet car in celebration. As he sat down to consider his achievement, Schumacher said: "I'm never good at finding the appropriate words for something like this. But I was certainly excited and emotional. I have been relaxed since coming here because I honestly never felt this was going to happen. But then I saw what happened to Rubens and I realised that Williams didn't have the pace.

"I pushed hard after the first pit stop but it was my mistake to cross the line and as a Formula One driver we should know not to do that. I put pressure on Kimi but he drove a fantastic race and I didn't think I would be able to pass him.

"I realised what happened when he went wide and I saw the yellow flag warning us of an incident. For a moment I was concerned I had overtaken him when I shouldn't, but I was confident I had gone past him after the flag.

"That was when I suddenly felt the weight of pressure on my shoulders. It was my opportunity to put the championship back in my pocket but those last five laps were the longest of my career. I realised for the first time how much pressure there can be on a driver.

"All my championships have been special in different ways and you cannot compare them ­ that is why they're so great, and why each win is different. You can never get used to it. You enjoy it and feel good about it.

"This came in a great, exciting race and I'm sure it was very entertaining for the public. This is not only for me, it is for all the team who have done such a tremendous effort. It would be wrong to mention names because there are so many who have played their part but I love all these guys and thank them for this."

Raikkonen stood expressionless on the podium accepting the trophy for his best result in Formula One but inwardly berating himself for tossing away the win. He said: "I haven't had much good luck this year but it was my mistake and quite a disappointment not to win the race. I'll try to do better next time.''

McLaren's improvement after the shambles of their effort at Silverstone produced the day's sub-plot. They outperformed Williams, as David Coulthard's third place served to emphasise.

Coulthard, who has never hid his disapproval of Schumacher's more aggressive tactics, gave the champion due credit and openly coveted a share of that euphoria. The Scotsman, whose interest in the closing scene ended when he, too, stepped over that white line, said to the champion: "If it feels that good you ought to spread it around a little.''

Schumacher's younger brother, Ralf, yet another victim of that pit lane line, was fifth in the other Williams and Jenson Button, who will be released by Renault at the end of the season, had the satisfaction of taking sixth place and extending his lead over his team mate, Jarno Trulli, to seven points. Eddie Irvine spun off when the rear wing of his Jaguar broke away.

Button's place at Renault is to be taken by the team's test driver, the Spaniard Fernando Alonso. Button, meanwhile, says the identity of his new team would be revealed this week, with Toyota and BAR-Honda at the head of his pursuers.

RACE DETAILS

1 M Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1hr 32min 9.837 sec

2 K Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes +1.105sec

3 D Coulthard (GB) McLaren-Mercedes +31.976

4 J P Montoya (Col) Williams-BMW +40.676

5 R Schumacher (Ger) Williams-BMW +41.773

6 J Button (GB) Renault +1 lap

7 N Heidfeld (Ger) Sauber-Petronas +1 lap; 8 M Webber (Aus) Minardi-Asiatech +1; 9 P De la Rosa (Sp) Jaguar +2; 10 A Yoong (Mal) Minardi-Asiatech +4.

Not Classified (did not finish): A McNish (GB) Toyota 65 laps completed; E Irvine (GB) Jaguar 52; J Trulli (It) Renault 49; F Massa (Br) Sauber-Petronas 48; M Salo (Fin) Toyota 48; J Villeneuve (Can) BAR-Honda 35; O Panis (Fr) BAR-Honda 29; T Sato (Jap) Jordan-Honda 23 laps; R Barrichello (Br) Ferrari 0.

Fastest Lap: Coulthard 1:15.045 (lap 62)

Constructors' Championship: 1 Ferrari 128 pts; 2 Williams-BMW 66; 3 McLaren-Mercedes 47; 4 Renault 15; 5 Sauber 10; 6 Jordan-Honda 6; 7 BAR-Honda 5; 8 Jaguar 3; 9= Minardi; Toyota & Arrows 2.