From Australia to Malaysia to Bahrain to Europe. New tracks, old tracks, middle-aged tracks. Michael Schumacher just wins and wins.
The defending Formula One champion picked up his fifth consecutive win of the season on Sunday to equal a record while capturing the Spanish Grand Prix for the fourth straight time.
PHOTO: AP
That tied Nigel Mansell's 1992 mark for the fastest start and was Schumacher's 75th win.
"It's 75. Five in a row," Schumacher said. "A lot of nice numbers on one weekend to come together which I am proud of. On the other side, I look forward to the next one."
The Monaco Grand Prix is set for May 23.
"The next race is Monte Carlo. A very prestigious race just for that. It is a driver's challenge and I very much want to win," Schumacher said.
However, a few things to remember. Mansell's streak ended at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1992 when Ayrton Senna beat him.
Also, Schumacher has not won there since 2001, an eternity for Ferrari. It has won the last eight races, three last year between Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello and the first five this year.
Schumacher started the season in Australia then went to Malaysia, which had its first race in 1999. That was followed by a victory at the newest track on the calendar, barely six months old.
Then on to the San Marino GP, with the track at Imola, whose track dates back to the 1940s with the first Formula One race there in 1980.
Then Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix, which has been north of Barcelona since 1991. Schumacher now has won the Spanish race six times since then.
Schumacher leads the drivers' standings with a perfect 50 points, ahead of Barrichello with 32.
Barrichello was second in Sunday's race, 13.2 seconds behind, giving Ferrari its third 1-2 finish this season.
Renault's Jarno Trulli finished a further 19 seconds behind in third place, claiming his best result of season, while his teammate Fernando Alonso moved from eighth on the grid to fourth.
Alonso was the last non-Ferrari driver to win, taking the Hungarian Grand Prix last August.
Takuma Sato's BAR-Honda was fifth, followed by Ralf Schumacher of Williams.
The start was filled with tension with Schumacher and Williams-BMW's Juan Pablo Montoya leading the pack until the first turn.
However, Trulli squeezed through an opening between them and took the lead in the curve ahead of Schumacher. Sato squeezed out Montoya for third.
"I took a very good start. I was right on the limit of a jump start," Trulli said. "Actually it was quite a gamble we sat there longer than normal. Fortunately I reacted at the right time."
Montoya, who started from a season-best second on the grid, retired after 46 laps when he was already out of contention for a podium due to a brake problem.
Trulli held off the world champion until the first round of pits tops when Trulli and Schumacher went in, a lap apart. But Schumacher came out ahead of the Italian and the race was essentially over.
"I was feeling I could go quicker and when he went in I was able to do so," Schumacher said.
Barrichello, with more fuel, was in first place until the 17th lap when he went in and Schumacher took over the lead.
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