Ferrari ace looks to extend lead on home soil

WORLD champion Michael Schumacher has a commanding 37 point lead in the drivers' championship heading into his home German Grand Prix at Hockenheim this weekend.

A win on home soil for Schumacher could see him virtually secure his fourth world drivers' title, especially if main rival David Coulthard fails to finish for the second race in a row.

With just five races after Hockenheim, a lead of 47 points would be near impossible for Coulthard to overcome, with his Ferrari rival requiring just minor placings to seal the championship.

After finishing second last time out at Silverstone, Schumacher will also be gunning for the win on Sunday so that he can equal Alain Prost's record of 51 victories in front of his home crowd.

"Our car has been very competitive on all circuits this year, so I think we can also be optimistic about the German Grand Prix," Schumacher said.

"And of course, it would be great to be able to celebrate a 51st win right here in Hockenheim."The German is said to be suffering no ill effects from the heavy accident he had during testing at Monza last week, when his Ferrari lost grip under braking for the Roggia corner and collided with the guard rail.

Schumacher's Ferrari team also holds a solid lead in the constructors' championship, 52 points ahead of McLaren with a resurgent Williams team hot on its heels in third.

The performance improvement McLaren showed at Silverstone - giving Mika Hakkinen his first win of the season - is a positive sign for Coulthard to build on his second position in the drivers' title, although the unpredictable weather conditions that often affect Hockenheim could play a major part in his fading title hopes.

However, the Scot can count on Hakkinen's support after McLaren recently announced that team orders would be brought into play if the situation arose where the Finn could help Coulthard secure a few extra points in his bid for the championship. If Hakkinen is leading his teammate in this weekend's GP, expect to see him move over and allow Coulthard through.

Coulthard finished third at Hockenheim last year after starting from pole position, compared to Schumacher's early exit from the event following a first lap collision with Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella.

* The Jordan Grand Prix team has sacked its top driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the lead up to this weekend's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. Frentzen's contract, which tied him to the Jordan team until the end of next season, has been terminated with immediate effect.

"It has been a disappointing season for both of us," Jordan's chief executive Eddie Jordan said. "We had an exchange of views following the British Grand Prix and this is the outcome."Frentzen had very little comment to make on the situation, although the German driver clearly was not expecting his F1 season to end so abruptly.

"Following an unexpected termination of my contract by Jordan Grand Prix Limited, I will likely not be driving in Hockenheim this weekend," Frentzen said.

"The reasons I have been given for this termination I contest in their entirety. My position in this matter is now under legal advice." Jordan's third driver, Ricardo Zonta, will replace Frentzen for the German GP.

German Grand Prix Facts & Figures

Circuit: Hockenheim
Length: 6.825km
No. of laps: 45 (307.125km)
2000 pole position: Coulthard - 1min45.697sec
2000 podium: Barrichello (Ferrari), Hakkinen (McLaren), Coulthard (McLaren) DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
1 M Schumacher (GER) 84
2 Coulthard (SCO) 47
3 Barrichello (BRA) 34
4 R Schumacher (GER) 31
5 Hakkinen (FIN) 19
6 J-P Montoya (COL) 15
7 Heidfeld (UK) 10
=8 Trulli (ITA) 9
=8 Raikkonen (FIN) 9
10 Villeneuve (CAN) 7