World champion Michael Schumacher ended the season on a record equalling high as he triumphed in the Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur today. Schumacher held off McLaren's David Coulthard to win by just 0.7 seconds and clinch his ninth win of the campaign to match the record he shares with Britain's Nigel Mansell. The German's team-mate Rubens Barrichello was third as Ferrari easily completed the championship double of drivers' and manufacturers' titles for the first time since 1979. But there was disappointment for Johnny Herbert, whose hopes of ending his Formula One career as he began it in 1989 with a points finish were dashed as he crashed out in spectacular style.
The 36-year-old lost his suspension on his Jaguar just six laps from the end of the 56-lap race and was sent skidding across the gravel before slamming into a tyre barrier. Herbert, who had been lying fourth early on before being hit by a botched pit-stop, saw his rear wheels ripped off in the impact for a retirement that sums up his last few seasons in Formula One. The Monaco-born racer, whose career was almost over before it begun following his horrific crash in a F3000 race in 1988, was able to get out of the cockpit of his Jaguar. Deposed world champion Mika Hakkinen was fourth after being penalised for a false start in his McLaren with Jacques Villeneuve fifth for British American Racing. Eddie Irvine scored a points finish for only the second time in 17 races this year for Jaguar with sixth place. Jenson Button's final race of his maiden season - and his last for Williams before joining Benetton in a two-year loan deal - also ended in disappointment with a blown BMW engine.
The day again belonged to Schumacher who held off Coulthard's attempt to overtake him in the final laps to claim the 44th victory of his career. The 31-year-old will launch the defence of his title in Australia next March, needing just seven more wins to equal Frenchman Alain Prost's career tally of 51. Schumacher had promised to try and gift victory for Barrichello following his help in securing his third drivers' crown and Ferrari's first in 21 years. But Schumacher, who had clinched the title two weeks ago in Japan, was unable to manufacture that result and had to settle for spearheading Ferrari's successful defence of the manufacturers' title.
The Italian team duly claimed the trophy by a massive 18 points from McLaren, who had needed a miracle to stand any chance of snatching the championship. That unlikely scenario was on at the first corner as Hakkinen shot past pole-sitter Schumacher who was also overtaken by Coulthard. But within a few laps Hakkinen had been called in for his penalty leaving Coulthard to lead until his first pit-stop on lap 17 from when Schumacher was always in control. The Swiss-based racer also won nine races during his 1995 championship winning campaign with Benetton when he first equalled the record set by Mansell with Williams in 1992. Officials had been forced to send out the safety car after a three-car collision on the opening lap.
Filed by Pat Nugent
