HOCKENHEIM, Germany - Michael Schumacher has equalled his own record of 11 wins in one season with a commanding victory in the German Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver, who has now won all but one of the 12 races staged this year, matched the mark he had set in 2002 to
move closer to a seventh championship crown.
The dominant German set off from pole position in his home race and blew away his rivals on the Hockenheim track in warm, dry weather, surrendering the lead only briefly because of pitstops.
Briton Jenson Button, in a BAR, finished second after an exciting battle with young Renault driver Fernando Alonso of Spain, who took third place.
The result was quite an achievement for Button, who started from the seventh row after losing 10 places on the grid due to an engine change on Friday.
Alonso's third place and the fact that Schumacher's team mate, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, could finish only 12th mean Ferrari will have to wait before securing the constructors' title.
The Italian team needed to score 13 points more than Renault to wrap it up with six races remaining.
The next Grand Prix is in Hungary on August 15.
RESULTS
Race distance: 66 laps, 301,884 km
1 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1:23:54.848
(average speed 215.852 kph)
2 Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:24:03.236
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:24:11.199
4 David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:24:14.079
5 Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:24:17.903
6 Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:24:35.956
7 Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Williams 1:24:36.804
8 Takuma Sato (Japan) BAR 1:24:41.690
9 Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Sauber 1:25:01.950
10 Christian Klien (Austria) Jaguar 1:25:03.426
11 Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:25:05.106
12 Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:25:08.100
13 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Sauber 1 lap
14 Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1
15 Giorgio Pantano (Italy) Jordan 3
16 Zsolt Baumgartner (Hungary) Minardi 4
17 Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) Minardi 4
Not classified (did not finish):
Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Jordan 42 laps completed
Cristiano Da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 38
Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 13
Fastest lap: Raikkonen, lap 10, 1:13.780
HOCKENHEIM, Germany - Michael Schumacher has equalled his own record of 11 wins in one season with a commanding victory in the German Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver, who has now won all but one of the 12 races staged this year, matched the mark he had set in 2002 to
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