Thursday April 6th, 2000

by Timothy Collings

Michael Schumacher is confident of rubbing salt in McLaren's wounds by claiming his third successive victory in Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix on Ferrari's home track.

A third career win on the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari for the 31-year-old German, who won the season's opening races in Australia and Brazil, would ensure the pointless McLaren team remained adrift in the Italian team's wake.

McLaren have suffered three retirements through engine problems and had Briton David Coulthard disqualified after finishing second in Sao Paulo, where his car was adjudged to have infringed technical regulations.

The team appealed against Coulthard's disqualification but their case was rejected by the FIA's court of appeal in Paris on Tuesday, leaving Ferrari leading the constructors' title race with 26 points to McLaren's zero. Benetton are second on 10.

In the drivers' title race, Schumacher has 20 points to lead Italian Giancarlo Fisichella of Benetton on eight and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, the second Ferrari driver, on six.

Another Schumacher win would make him a clear favourite for his third title, particularly if world champion Mika Hakkinen of Finland failed to finish, or score, again in his McLaren.

"We have done a lot of work on the car since the last race and we have some new developments, so I do not see why we should not be fighting for another win at Imola," said Schumacher. "For me, it would be really great to make it a hat-trick.

"I love to race in Italy for Ferrari, especially at Imola. It is a beautiful place and has a great atmosphere. It is also a circuit which flows well and it has no nasty bumps, like Interlagos."

Schumacher's sly mention of the uneven surface at the Sao Paulo track will add to McLaren's irritation and disappointment at Coulthard's failed appeal against his disqualification.

His team had blamed the bumpy track for the condition of their irregular front wing end-plates.

McLaren, a battle-hardened team, will use their Paris disappointment as motivation to mount a revival at Imola where Coulthard won in 1998 and where Hakkinen, last year, led comfortably before making a mistake and crashing out.

The Finn's demise left the crowd in raptures at the track in the rolling vineyards of Emilia Romagna as Schumacher took control, and the fans will hope for more of the same this year.

Barrichello, racing for Ferrari on Italian soil for the first time, will also be fired up to make up for his disappointment in Brazil where he retired with an oil-pressure problem after running second.

"The Italian fans are something special and racing for Ferrari automatically makes you a son of Italy," said Barrichello. "It does not matter what nationality you are. I think it should be a very exciting weekend."

Previous results suggest a straightforward battle between the two big teams, Ferrari and McLaren, but on a track which is demanding on engines, brakes and fuel, reliability will be important.

That suggests the Jordan and Benetton teams could be strong contenders, particularly with Italian drivers Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella keen to impress in front of their own fans.