Schumacher credits rain tires for U.S. Grand Prix win

INDIANAPOLIS Sep. 29, 2003; Steve Herman writing for the AP reported that Michael Schumacher was in his element in the rain. Once it stopped, he was too far ahead for anyone to catch.

With a roostertail spray trailing his Ferrari and almost no traffic in front, Schumacher pulled away to win the U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday. He credited his Bridgestone rain tires for the victory that put him on the verge of a record sixth Formula One title.

"It was for sure more difficult for us on our dry tires," Schumacher said. "Today was the first time we were able to use our wet tires and we sort of won the race with them.

"Unbelievable tires for this condition, which just gave us the victory. We knew pretty much before that our rain tires would be better than our competitors'."

Kimi Raikkonen, who started from the pole, was able to gain ground on Schumacher on his dry Michelin tires, but fell behind on rain tires. Raikkonen chopped more than five seconds off Schumacher's lead late in the race, after the rain stopped, but still finished 18.2 seconds behind.

"The weather basically lost us the race," Raikkonen said. "We were not as quick in the wet conditions as Michael. The good news is that we still have a chance in Japan, but it's more difficult now."

The victory was Schumacher's second at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a record 70th of his career. He also increased his lead over Raikkonen to nine points, 92-83, going into the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix on Oct. 12.

First place is worth 10 points.

"Obviously, it's a very good position for us to start the last race," Schumacher said. "We just need one point, basically, but you first have to finish. My target will be to win another race."

He can clinch the outright championship by finishing seventh or better in Japan.

Schumacher said a decision to stay on dry tires during a light rain early in the race also was a key to the victory.

"It was a crucial moment, because we had this sort of rain before, which just came and went. It was for sure too dry to go to wet tires," Schumacher said. "This rain just looked like it would be another one of those, and it was just a gamble."

The gamble paid off.

The track dried quicker than many drivers expected, and all the drivers who went to the rain tires early in the race had to switch back to the slicks. That allowed Schumacher to come to the front of the field from his seventh-place start.

Later, when the harder rain hit, everyone had to change tires again, and Schumacher stayed in position to regain the lead after his final pit stop with 25 laps to go.

Raikkonen passed Heinz-Harald Frentzen for second place on the 55th lap, but he was more than 20 seconds behind Schumacher and was unable to catch him in the closing laps.

Schumacher also won the U.S. Grand Prix in 2000 and was second the past two years.

"It was a great and an important one," Schumacher said of the victory. "Obviously, an important one for all the competitors. I'm so pleased."

Frentzen finished third, 37.9 seconds behind Schumacher. Jarno Trulli was fourth, another 10 seconds back. Nick Heidfeld was fifth, followed by Juan Pablo Montoya and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Raikkonen, who started from the pole for only the second time in his career, led until his first pit stop on the 19th lap, giving Schumacher the top spot. But an early drizzle turned into a heavy rain, forcing all the cars into the pits to change tires, and Raikkonen never led again.

"We were very unlucky with the weather, but what can you do?" Raikkonen said. "We got second place. Of course, it's not the best, because Michael won."

Montoya, who went into the race just three points behind Schumacher, knocked Rubens Barrichello, Schumacher's teammate and last year's winner, into a gravel trap and out of the race after just two laps. Later, after a review by race stewards, Montoya was called into the pits for a drive-through penalty.

Running as high as second, Montoya dropped to 11th after the penalty and never caught up.

"A very disappointing race, basically decided by the penalty and the moment I had to pay it," Montoya said. "It started to rain hard just when I was given my penalty, which forced me to delay by one lap my pit stop to change onto wet tires.

"It's sad to lose my drivers championship chances this way."

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