Michael takes crown number four

COULD it go any better for Michael Schumacher than the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix? Pole position, his 51st race victory to equal the record of Alain Prost and - most importantly - his fourth world drivers' championship.

And just to cap it off, Schumacher led his teammate Rubens Barrichello home in a 1-2 finish to wrap up the constructors' championship for Ferrari.

"I can't say much more than its has been a beautiful weekend," said Schumacher, who won the title with four races to spare. "We did everything we could have done." Schumacher paid tribute to the Ferrari team for its help: "We have such a great crew, such a good team that I am really in love with all of them and it's so much fun to work with them.

"It's their achievement and I'm more than thankful to all of them." McLaren-Mercedes driver David Coulthard finally saw his championship hopes dry up on a hot day at the Hungaroring despite finishing third, with Michael's younger brother Ralf (Williams-BMW), Coulthard's teammate Mika Hakkinen and Nick Heidfeld (Sauber-Petronas) rounding out the top six.

Michael Schumacher led all the way - bar during his two pit stops - reflecting a race of minimal overtaking and excitement.

In fact, his biggest scare came on the warm-up lap when he ran off the circuit and across a gravel trap on the warm-up lap.

On the tight Hungaroring, Coulthard had to snatch the lead from the start to have a real chance of winning and keeping the title fight alive. Instead Barrichello beat him to the first turn in second place.

Coulthard was able to take second back during the first round of pit stops, but then gave up the position again when his second stop took nearly one second longer than his Ferrari rival.

"At this moment in time I feel pretty shitty because I'm a bit dehydrated so I just want this to be over so I can go and lie down," a dispirited Coulthard told the post-race press conference.

"Maybe I should excuse myself and Michael can just keep enjoying the moment." Attention will now focus on the three-way fight for second place in the championship between Coulthard, Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher.

* Australian Mark Webber's hopes of winning the International Formula 3000 Championship are almost over after a series of dramas at the round in Hungary.

Series leader Justin Wilson won the race in Budapest, the Englishman's teammate - Tomas Enge of the Czech Republic - rammed Webber's car at two-thirds distance and eventually the 24-year-old Australian spun out of the 151-kilometre race four laps from the finish because of badly worn tyres.

Webber, hopeful of becoming a Grand Prix driver next year, now has to win both the remaining Formula 3000 races in Belgium and Italy to have any chance of the title.

The consistent Wilson has 59 points, Webber 39 and Enge - who was given a 10-second stop-go penalty for ramming Webber - is on 36.

RACE RESULTS
1 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) 1:41.49.675
2 R Barrichello (Ferrari) +3.363
3 D Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes) +3.940
4 R Schumacher (Williams-BMW) +49.687
5 M Hakkinen (McLaren-Mercedes) +70.293
6 N Heidfeld (Sauber-Petronas) +1 lap
7 K Raikkonen (Sauber-Petronas) +1 lap
8 J-P Montoya (Williams-BMW) +1 lap
9 J Villeneuve (BAR-Honda) + 2 laps
10 J Alesi (Jordan-Honda) +2 laps DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
1 M Schumacher (GER) 94
2 D Coulthard (SCO) 51
4 Barrichello (BRA) 46
3 R Schumacher (GER) 44
5 M Hakkinen (FIN) 21
6 J-P Montoya (COL) 15
=7 Villeneuve (CAN) 11
=7 N Heidfeld (GER) 11
=9 Raikkonen (FIN) 9
=9 Trulli (ITA) 9 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Ferrari 140
2 McLaren-Mercedes 72
3 BMW Williams 59
4 Sauber Petronas 20
5 BAR Honda 16
6 Jordan Honda 15
7 Benetton Renault 6
8 Jaguar 5
9 Prost Acer 4
10 Arrows Asiatech 1 Next round: Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps, September 2