Sunday March 26th, 2000

By Timothy Collings

Michael Schumacher celebrated his second win in a row for Ferrari this season as world champion Mika Hakkinen was again left cursing his misfortune on Sunday.

The 31-year-old German took the chequered flag 4.3 seconds ahead of Briton David Coulthard in a McLaren to secure Ferrari's first Brazilian Grand Prix win since Frenchman Alain Prost triumphed at Interlagos in 1990.

Schumacher always looked in command due to his Italian team's strategy of two pitstops to McLaren's one and took the lead from Hakkinen with a precise overtaking manoeuvre at the start of the second lap.

The Finn, who has been on pole position for both races so far this season, went out after 29 laps when his McLaren developed engine problems while he was leading.

Hakkinen had also retired from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix while in the lead due to an engine fault.

Schumacher's win gave him a maximum 20 points and lifted him to a 14-points lead over three drivers on six -- Coulthard, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Italy's Giancarlo Fisichella -- but he was wary of the expectations being built up.

"People told me in Australia that the guy who wins that race will be the champion and now I have been asked the same question here," said Schumacher afterwards.

The last six winners of the Brazilian Grand Prix have gone on to win the title at the end of the season.

Schumacher Wary of Statistics

"Statistics can easily prove to be wrong," added Schumacher. "If they were right, I could go home now and watch the rest of the season on television, but I am not going to do that.

"This is going to be a very close season, a really close fight and I want to enjoy it all the way."

Schumacher's victory was the 37th of his career and his third in Brazil. Both of his previous Brazilian wins came in his title-winning years of 1994 and 1995 with Benetton.

"We are looking very competitive and the season could not have started better," he said. "Our development programme means we will have an improved car for Imola and I hope we can get the same result as last year for all the tifosi."

The San Marino Grand Prix is next on April 9.

Schumacher's team-mate Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was out of luck after his second placed finish in Australia and was forced to retire with hydraulics trouble after leading briefly, for two laps, during the pit-stops.

"I am disappointed," he said. "Michael made a great start, better than mine, but I think I showed I could keep up with him thanks to a competitive car.

The retirements left the race wide open for Fisichella to finish third for Benetton ahead of the Jordans driven by German Heinz-Harald Frentzen and team-mate Italian Jarno Trulli.

Schumacher's younger brother Ralf grabbed a point for Williams by finishing sixth ahead of his 20-year-old team-mate Briton Jenson Button.

Schumacher made his first pit stop after 20 laps and came in for a second after 55. Coulthard, on a one-stop strategy which saw him pit after 43 laps, struggled with gearbox problems.

"Given the circumstances, I am happy with six points to kickstart my championship challenge at last," said Coulthard.

"I lost third gear after only a few laps and I also experienced a problem with the radio. That meant I could not communicate with the team during the race.

"I think we chose the right strategy and if the race had been trouble-free I'm sure we could have scored more points."

Hakkinen Devastated

Hakkinen said he was totally disappointed.

"Nothing can describe how I feel," he said. "We have been quick all weekend, right the way through, so I am not happy to be leaving Brazil without any points. We have some work to do before the start of the European season."

Schumacher was so much in command in the closing stages of the race that he was able to obey team orders to slow down and allow Coulthard to cut his lead from 24 seconds.

"It was an exciting race and it was good to see some overtaking," said Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn. "We knew the pit-stop strategy would be tight, but we followed our policy of 'what have we got to lose' and it worked.

"Following McLaren around using a one-stop strategy wouldn't have got us anywhere."