Record win for Schumacher on day of drama

Michael Schumacher took his record 52nd Formula One win on Sunday in a chaotic and crash-interrupted Belgian Grand Prix.

The race, halted and then re-started, was rich in drama and veered from the nightmarish to the surreal before Ferrari's world champion could celebrate a historic victory.

It was Schumacher's eighth win in 14 races this season and his fifth at the wooded Ardennes circuit which witnessed his first grand prix appearance in 1991 and first triumph in 1992.

"Spa is one of the circuits which drivers value highly, so it is always special to win here," said the German after spraying champagne on the podium amid scenes of jubilation.

But the statistics were overshadowed by a nightmare crash on a cold but dry afternoon of rare mayhem and plenty of gripping racing.

Brazilian Luciano Burti brought proceedings to a halt after just five of the 43 scheduled laps when his Prost plunged into the barriers at one of the most dangerous parts of the track.

An official announcement said the Prost driver, who was taken away in an ambulance, was conscious and stable but concussed. He was moved to Liege's University hospital for a scan.

Few observers had any doubt that the crash, at around 250 kph, would have been fatal in times past to the Brazilian rookie.

"He would have been dead for sure," commented France's former F1 driver Jacques Laffite.

BENETTON REVELATION

After the re-start with just 18 runners, Schumacher romped away untroubled to take the chequered flag 10 seconds ahead of McLaren's David Coulthard.

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella crossed the line third, his vastly-improved Renault-owned Benetton proving the revelation of the race as he ran behind Schumacher for much of the distance.

"It's the result of a lot of work on the car and the engine. We have made a big step forwards this time," commented Renault motorsport boss Patrick Faure.

Finland's Mika Hakkinen was fourth in a McLaren, ahead of Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello of Brazil, with Frenchman Jean Alesi picking up a point after finishing sixth for Jordan.

Coulthard's second place reinforced the Briton's second place overall in the standings on a day that went badly wrong for Barrichello and Schumacher's younger sibling Ralf, who was seventh.

Barrichello was never able to call on Schumacher's help and fell further back after a stop for a new front wing in the re-started race.

WILLIAMS TROUBLES

Ralf inherited pole in the first race after Williams team mate Juan Pablo Montoya stalled.

But the German then suffered a bizarre formation lap incident before the re-start when his car was left still high on blocks as other cars sped past.

Williams technical director Patrick Head said mechanics had been working on the rear wing beam, needing access from beneath, and had run out of time to fix the problem.

"We made some very severe errors today both in the settings of the car and with problems that occurred on the grid," he said.

Burti's accident was a big one.

The Brazilian's car careered straight into a tyre barrier at Blanchimont after dicing with the Jaguar of former team mate Eddie Irvine.

The cars touched and the blue Prost lost its front wing before plunging across the track and, without losing speed, straight into the barriers.

Irvine's Jaguar also hit the barriers hard but the British driver emerged unhurt to help marshals as a curtain was erected around the car.

The race had already had two eventful attempts at starting before Burti's crash.

Germany's Heinz-Harald Frentzen forced the first start to be aborted when he stalled his Prost on the second row and went to the back of the grid.

Montoya stalled on pole before the second formation lap. The Colombian retired soon after with a blown engine.