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Schumacher Junior Makes It Two In A Row

Ralf Schumacher won his second Grand Prix in a week today as he led from the lights to the flag at the French Grand Prix in Magny Cours. Behind him was team mate Juan Pablo Montoya who finished one place ahead of Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher. Michaes team mate, Rubens Barrichello recovered from a spin on the first lap to finish in the points in seventh place.

All in all, I think we can be pleased with today said Mike Copson of Shell Global SolutionsThe Formula One World Championship is a long campaign and Michael (Schumacher) still leads the Driver Championship and Ferrars haul of eight points is incredibly valuable in the defence of the World Championship as we still lead that too. The two Ferraris ran different strategies today and the fact Michael ran five laps longer than Raikkonen to pass him in the pits is testimony to the flexibility the Shell fuel offers the team

Ferrars race was eventful right from the start. Michael Schumacher lost his third place to a quick start from Kimi Raikkonen and Rubens Barrichells Ferrari spun coming out of the chicane at the end of lap one, demoting him to the back of the grid.

From there, the race leaders had to make do with their positions as they tried to hold station until the first round of pit stops. At the back of the pack, Rubens Barrichello was scything through the field. From twentieth position at the start of lap two, he would get up to ninth position before he pitted.

In fact, Rubens would only pit twice once he had spun, one of the only cars to do so. Most of the leaders were on three stop strategies, and they all had their pit windows within two or three laps of each other.

As the race settled, the race order was Ralf Schumacher, Montoya, Raikkonen, Michael Schumacher, Coulthard, Trulli and Alonso. Coulthard, in the second McLaren, would pass Michaes Ferrari at the first round of pit stops but would later lose the position when a mistake in his third stop cost him time.

The Renaults of Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso were having a strong run in the points until both cars retired within a lap of each other.

At the front, the two Williams were forging a lead, Ralf still ahead of Montoya. As the pair came to their third round of stops the gap was closing. Montoya pitted ahead of Ralf and when the German exited his stop a lap later the two were nose to tail with Ralf still in the lead.

Barrichells revised strategy had pushed him up into the points in seventh place behind Webber and was running strongly, but not as strongly as his Ferrari team mate, who had managed to pass Raikkonen for third place with 14 laps to go. In fact, Michael had stayed on track five laps longer than the Finn and some good pit work and fast in laps saw the Ferrari take the podium place.

Ralf Schumacher took the win, Montoya behind him. Michael Schumacher was third, ahead of the McLarens of Raikkonen and Coulthard in fourth and fifth. Webber took good points for Jaguar in sixth and an excellent drive from Rubens Barrichello saw him climb from twentieth position to seventh. Olivier Panis scored the last point at his home Grand Prix.

Michael Schumacher is at the head of the Driver Championship, six points ahead of Raikkonen and Ferrari leads Williams by only three points for the Constructor title as Formula One heads to Silverstone in two week time for another stage in this thrilling World Championship.