SUZUKA (Japan), Oct 12: Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher claimed a record sixth Formula One title on Sunday in a Japanese Grand Prix won by Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello.

One point was all the German needed to overtake late Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio’s 1950s haul of five championships and in the end the German did not even need that to leap into motor racing history.

But he scored it anyway, finishing eighth in a damp season-ending race of fluctuating fortunes and occasional scares.

McLaren rival Kimi Raikkonen, who had to win and hope Schumacher failed to score to have any chance of becoming the youngest champion at the age of 23, finished second.

Schumacher closed out the season with 93 points to Raikkonen’s 91.

But with Raikkonen leading for one lap while Schumacher was well out of the points and battling with tail-enders there was always a chance of one of the greatest upsets in Formula One history.

Schumacher had clipped the rear of the BAR driven by Japan’s Takuma Sato after seven laps in an accident that sent him to the back of the field and was then almost shunted out by younger brother Ralf 11 laps from the end.

Result (race distance: 53 laps, 307.573 km):

1. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1 hour 25 minutes 11.743 seconds (average speed 216.611 kph); 2. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:25.22.828; 3. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:25.23.357; 4. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:25.44.849; 5. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:25.46.012; 6. Takuma Sato (Japan) BAR 1:26.03.435; 7. Cristiano da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 1:26.08.537; 8. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1:26.11.230; 9. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1:26.11.902; 10. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1:26.13.587; 11. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:26.22.748; 12. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams one lap behind; 13. Justin Wilson (Britain) Jaguar one lap; 14. Ralph Firman (Britain) Jordan two laps; 15. Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Minardi two laps; 16. Nicolas Kiesa (Denmark) Minardi three laps.—Reuters