Hungarian GP 2001 - Triple success for Ferrari.

Ferrari not only got a one-two finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix and a maximum 16 points but the Maranello based outfit also clinched their third consecutive Constructors' Championship and the 2001 Drivers' Championship.

Michael Schumacher was in a class of his own all weekend. The German was fastest in three of the four practice sessions, took pole by a massive 0.801 seconds and won the race after leading from the off to the chequered flag barring pit-stops.

In any ones book it was an impressive performance and the Ferrari driver has now won the Drivers' Championship four times. His win today was his seventh of the year and his 51st win overall, which equals Alain Prost's record for the most victories by any one single driver.

It all started less than perfectly though when Michael went off into the gravel on his out-lap, but after that he made it all look easy. From the lights the German led into the first corner and after that, that was pretty much it - the Maranello man dominating proceedings to clinch the 2001 title in style.

He told the media: ''I can't say much more than it has been a beautiful weekend. We did everything we could have done. I came here with not such a good feeling, for whatever reason. I said to Jean (Todt) 'I'm not sure this weekend is going to be the one when it will happen.' But we got pole position, we got the victory, I obviously equalised the 51 wins with Alain (Prost). And I got my fourth championship so, it's a bit too much for me right now to take it all in.''

''I simply want to say that, it's a great achievement but the way it has been done is what makes it so fantastic, because the team around us, Rubens (Barrichello) and myself - you can't believe how wonderful the guys are, how much we stick together, in good times, in bad times and particularly in bad times, and sometimes we have them as well. We have such a great crew, such a good team that I'm really in love with all of them and it's so much fun to work with them. It's their achievement and I'm more than thankful to all of them.''

For his teammate Rubens Barrichello though it was a lot tougher race and the Brazilian was locked into a battle with David Coulthard from the start to the end. First blood went to the Brazilian and at the beginning he out-dragged DC to give Ferrari the best possible start.

DC hampered by starting on the dirty side of the track where there is less-grip was forced to give way and was then stuck behind the Ferrari F2001 until the first pit stop. He then put in a quicker in and out lap and thanks to the skills of the McLaren team emerged after his first stop in front of Barrichello.

DC then pulled out a lead but by the time of the final stop the Brazilan had reeled him in and the situation from the first pit stop was reversed. Barrichello was now the challenger and DC had everything to lose and lose he did. The Ferrari number two pitted first the Maranello men took 8.5 seconds to get him in and out. Then came DC who looked like he would remain in front until a sticky fuel nozzle delayed him and Rubens was through and back into second and Ferrari ended proceedings with the perfect result and the maximum 16 points.

Further down the field Ralf Schumacher in his BMW-Williams FW23 had a lonely race early on and it wasn't until around lap 55 that Michael's brother was put under some pressure - Mika Hakkinen starting from sixth on the grid was initially held up by Jarno Trulli but after the first pit stop the Finn was free to put his foot down and boy did it show.

The double World Champion put in a series of storming laps and registered fastest lap after fastest lap eventually setting the quickest lap of the race - a 1 minute 16.623 seconds - well inside the lap record set by Nigel Mansell in 1992 in his Williams-Renault (a 1 minute 18.308 secs). Such was the pace of the flying Finn that Ralf Schumacher came under pressure and for a number of laps the two circled battling for fourth position. It was though to no avail the McLaren driver could find no way by and in the dying laps of the Grand Prix he was forced to pit for a splash and dash. The McLaren team having pushed everything too close to the limit and the net result was that he didn't have enough fuel.

The Finn eventually finished fifth with Sauber-Petronas' Nick Heidfeld sixth - the German claiming the final championship point and increasing Sauber's total in the Constructors' Championship to 20 points. His team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was seventh in the worst position possible - having got so close to the points he went home empty handed.

Of the rest Juan Pablo Montoya was eighth. The Colombian had a disappointing race to add to an already disappointing weekend after his excellent drive at the German Grand Prix three weeks ago. To add salt into the wound the fact his teammate Ralf Schumacher was fourth in his Williams-BMW showed how the Indy 500 winner still has much to learn.

The final four finishers were Jacques Villeneuve (BAR-Honda), Jean Alesi (Jordan-Honda), Pedro de la Rosa (Jaguar-Cosworth) and Jos Verstappen (Arrows-Asiatech). Nothing much to shout home about for all four drivers but they couldn't really expect to do more when all six drivers' for the top three teams - Ferrari, McLaren and Williams - finished.

At least they made it to the flag though unlike their team-mates and some of their other F1 colleagues. Jaguar's Eddie Irvine was the first to disappear going off at the first corner at the start for reasons he was unable to explain. Then came Luciano Burti (Prost-Acer) after eight laps the Brazilian spinning into retirement after badly blistering his Michelin tyres. Enrique Bernoldi also spun off during the first third of the race after locking up the Arrows' rear brakes and Jenson Button's nightmare year continued. The Brit lost it after his first pit stop coming into the start-finish straight. His Benetton team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella retired after 67 laps the new revolutionary Renault engine again to blame. Veteran Heinz-Harald Frentzen also retired after spinning in his first outing for the underfunded Prost team and both European-Minardi's failed before the end. Olivier Panis (BAR-Honda) and Jarno Trulli (Jordan-Honda) both suffered technical problems within laps of each other adding to another poor showing for Honda.

So then the 2001 Championship titles have been settled and while few will be surprised that Michael Schumacher and Ferrari did it again to do it with four races still to go is some achievement. It was a 'Triple success' today then for Ferrari - a one-two finish, Drivers' Championship secured and the Constructors'. Well done Michael, Well done Rubens and Well done Ferrari...

...Here's to the rest of the season still lot's to watch out for... Will Willams' Juan Pablo Montoya get his first win? Who will win the Honda war - Jordan or BAR? Can DC hold onto second in the Drivers' Championship? Watch this space...

Race Results:

1. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 77 laps 1hr 41mins 49.675secs
2. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +03.363secs
3. David Coulthard Britain McLaren-Mercedes +03.940secs
4. Ralf Schumacher Germany Williams-BMW +49.687secs
5. Mika Hakkinen Finland McLaren-Mercedes +1min 10.293secs
6. Nick Heidfeld Germany Sauber-Petronas +1 lap

7. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Sauber-Petronas +1 lap
8. Juan Montoya Colombia Williams-BMW +1 lap
9. Jacques Villeneuve Canada BAR-Honda +2 laps
10. Jean Alesi France Jordan-Honda +2 laps
11. Pedro de la Rosa Spain Jaguar-Cosworth +2 laps
12. Jos Verstappen Holland Arrows-Asiatech +3 laps

Rtd Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Benetton-Renault 67 laps completed
Rtd Heinz-Harald Frentzen German Prost-Acer 63 laps completed
Rtd Tarso Marques Brazil Minardi-European 63 laps completed
Rtd Olivier Panis France BAR-Honda 58 laps completed
Rtd Jarno Trulli Italy Jordan-Honda 53 laps completed
Rtd Fernando Alonso Spain Minardi-European 37 laps completed
Rtd Jenson Button Britain Benetton-Renault 34 laps completed
Rtd Enrique Bernoldi Brazil Arrows-Asiatech 11 laps completed
Rtd Luciano Burti Brazil Prost-Acer 8 laps completed
Rtd Eddie Irvine Britain Jaguar-Cosworth 0 laps completed

Fastest lap: Mika Hakkinen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1m 16.723secs