Schumacher not ready to celebrate yet

Michael McDonough

Thursday, July 5, 2001 | 6:16 a.m.

MAGNY-COURS, France - Michael Schumacher knows all about spraying champagne around on the podium. With two more wins, he will have done that more than any driver in Formula One history.

But the 32-year-old German refuses to get caught up in the hype that has been building all season as he approached Alain Prost's record of 51 career victories. In fact, Schumacher won't even get excited about another of his pending accomplishments - a fourth series championship.

"Unfortunately for you guys, I am a bit too realistic," he told reporters last Sunday after winning the French Grand Prix. "We have seen how quickly things can turn around again."

Perhaps Schumacher can be forgiven for what seems like a ridiculous notion - that something later this season would keep him from matching Prost's four championships. Then, the only target would be Juan Manuel Fangio, who won five titles in the 1950s.

Schumacher's fifth career victory in the French Grand Prix - and his sixth overall this season - has given him a 31-point lead over David Coulthard. That means Schumacher would hold the lead if he failed to score a point in the next three races and Coulthard won them all.

"Although to be honest it is a very comfortable lead we are in now, there are still seven races to go and 70 points to give away," Schumacher said. "So there is no reason to start celebrating before it's done, and until it's mathematically secure, I will keep fighting."

Perhaps a reason for Schumacher's caution as he gets ready for the British Grand Prix on July 15 is residue from last season, when he won his third title. He rallied to do that after squandering a 22-point lead by failing to gain any points in the next three races following a win in the Canadian Grand Prix in June.

Things are going so well this season that Schumacher is on pace to become the first 10-time winner in F1 history. Last season, he won nine times, matching his showing of 1995 and that of Nigel Mansell in 1992. Counting the end of the 2000 season, Schumacher has won 10 times in the last 14 races.

His approach is simple.

"There's a priority: coming to the race motivated and fighting for the maximum performance and achievement," he said. "You're not focused on the record of the most wins or the most championships. That's not the target.

"It's the second priority, but still the statistics do mean something."

Prost, now an F1 team owner, will not be upset when his victory total is surpassed.

"He deserves to have this kind of record," Prost said. "You cannot win more than 50 races if you're not good, and he is the best at the moment."

The British Grand Prix might provide Coulthard with the best chance for a while to slow Schumacher's roll. Schumacher has won only once at the Silverstone circuit in the English countryside, where Coulthard has victories the last two years.

"Obviously, I need to win now, and for Michael not to finish," Coulthard said.

Coulthard's McLaren has been having sporadic mechanical problems this season while reliability is a big reason Schumacher has a huge lead in the standings.

"Obviously Michael is doing a good job," Coulthard said. "He is having the luck but he has also got a good package with the Ferrari, and when you put all that together it's not surprising he is getting good results."

Although Coulthard realizes he's nothing more than a longshot for the title, he isn't ready to concede.

"The situation is difficult, but not hopeless," he said.