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| October 14, 2002 | Monday | Sha'aban 7, 1423 |
Schumacher ends season in great style
SUZUKA (Japan), Oct 13: World champion Michael Schumacher led a Ferrari one-two in the Japanese Grand Prix Sunday to wrap up a record-breaking season for the dominant team in Formula One.
Already the first driver to win 10 races in one year, the five times champion took his final tally to 11 as Ferrari equalled McLaren’s 1988 record of 15 in a season.
The German’s 64th career win, one of many records in his collection, was an untroubled passage from pole to podium ahead of Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello.
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.
Barrichello crossed the line 0.506 behind Schumacher, anchoring 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.
Results: 1. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari one hour 26 minutes 59.698 seconds (average speed 212.644 kph); 2. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:27:00.205; 3. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:27:22.990; 4. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:27:35.973; 5. Takuma Sato (Japan) Jordan 1:28:22.392; 6. Jenson Button (Britain) Renault 1 lap behind; 7. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1 lap; 8. Mika Salo (Finland) Toyota 1 lap; 9. Eddie Irvine (Britain) Jaguar 1 lap; 10. Mark Webber (Australia) Minardi 2 laps; 11. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams did not finish.
Fastest lap: Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1:36.125 on lap 15.—Reuters
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