Schumacher wins Pacific Grand Prix

AIDA, Japan (UPI): Michael Schumacher claimed his second successive Formula One victory yesterday after leading from start to finish in a dramatic Pacific Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old German driver in a Benetton Ford was one minute 15 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Austria's Gerhard Berger in a Ferrari. Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was on the podium for the first time after clinching third place.

Driving a Benetton Ford in the 83 lap race, the 25-year-old German notched his fourth Formula One win and consolidated his position at the head of the drivers' championship table. His team also leads the constructors' championship table.

Crowd favorite Ayrton Senna lasted only seconds in the race. Going into the first corner Finland's Mika Hakkinen's McLaren Peugeot shunted the Brazilian's Williams Renault right off the circuit.

"I could see him (Senna) in the mirror and was a bit worried we might have to restart," said Schumacher after the race. "I knew the only competition for me would be Ayron and Damon (Hill). (The next race at) Imola will be much more difficult."

In the spillover from the pileup Nicola Larni in a Ferrari also spun and hit Senna.

Senna's rapid exit from the race was a big disappointment for the thousands of Japanese fans who turned up bearing Brazilian flags to watch their idol.

They were also let down by the retirement of the two Japanese drivers Ukyo Katayama in a Tyrrell Yamaha who had finished fifth in Brazil and Aguri Suzuki in a Jordan Hart.

The Williams Renault team, which won last year's constructors' championship, failed to clinch any points and neither of its drivers finished the race.

But young Brazilian drivers fared well with the third placing by the 21-year-old Barrichello in a Jordan Hart and Christian Fittipaldi finishing fourth.

Barrichello finished fourth at the Brazilian Grand Prix and now stands second in the drivers' championships standings.

For the second successive race after clinching the coveted pole position, three times world champion Senna failed to complete a race and a 42nd victory eluded him.

"I didn't get a brilliant start. I had too much wheelspin, so Michael (Schumacher) took the lead...Then when I was into the corner Mika came from behind, hit me and I was out," rued Senna.

It was some consolation for the 33-year-old Senna that Hakkinen also joined the long line of 16 race dropouts after 23 laps.

A crowd of 55,000 turned up to watch the grueling race on the tight Ti Aida circuit in western Japan, the first Formula One event held at the venue.

Halfway through the race Schumacher was firmly at the front with a 56 second lead ahead of Britain's Damon Hill.

In his Renault Williams Hill drove a spirited race until spinning off in the 50th lap.

The second Grand Prix of the season was held on a remote hilltop in Western Japan on a circuit owned and designed by Japanese businessman Hajime Tanaka who collects Tyrrell racing cars.

The Pacific replaces the South African Grand Prix which will not be held this year.

Ti Aida is a tight 3.703 kilometer (2.301 mile) circuit in Okayama Prefecture on the main Japanese island of Honshu some 800 kilometers (480 miles) from Tokyo and 250km (150 miles) from Osaka, the country's second largest city.

[6pts] Results

1.Michael Schumacher, Germany, Benetton Ford, 1 hour 46 minutes 1.693 seconds. Average speed 173.9kph 2. Gerhard Burger, Austria, Ferrari, 1:47:16.963 3. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Jordan Hart, 1:46:17.605, 1 lap behind 4. Christian Fittipaldi, Brazil, Footwork Ford, 1 lap behind 5. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Germany, Sauber Mercedes, 1 lap behind 6. Eric Comas, France, Larousse Ford, 3 laps behind 7. Johnny Herbert, Britain, Lotus Mugen Honda, 3 laps behind 8. Pedro Lamy, Portugal, Lotus Mugen Honda, 4 laps behind 9. Olivier Panis, France, Ligier Renault, 5 laps behind 10. Eric Bernard, France, Ligier Renault, 5 laps behind 11. Roland Ratzenberger, Austria, Simtek Ford, 5 laps behind