FORMULA ONE European Grand Prix: Michael Schumacher ensured it was business as usual in front of his home crowd in yesterday's European grand prix, demonstrating with consummate ease that Jarno Trulli's victory at Monaco a week earlier was a minor blip in his push for a seventh world championship title.

Schumacher took the chequered flag 17.98sec ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello to score the 76th win of his career.

Jenson Button finished third from fifth on the grid, consolidating third place in the drivers' championship table on 38, two points ahead of Trulli's Renault. Trulli finished the race one place behind Button in fourth.

The outcome of the race was significantly influenced by the excitable but undeniably audacious Takuma Sato, who had qualified second alongside Schumacher's Ferrari.

Sato accelerated off the grid like a demon, plunging late into the braking area and forcing Trulli, third, to run wide on the exit. "I made a good start, but the race was nearly over at the first corner," Trulli complained.

"If I hadn't opened the door, Sato would have taken me out. I was third behind him and Michael when, two corners later, he made a mistake so I took the inside line through turn four, but he closed the door.

"His right front wheel hit my front left and I nearly lost the car. In the confusion, I pressed the pit-lane speed limiter button and that cost me a number of positions."

This confusion played right into Michael Schumacher's hands. Having started the race with a light fuel load, intending to sprint away in the opening stages before making an early first refuelling stop, he could hardly believe his luck when he was informed over the radio that Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren had taken advantage of the chaos to nip through into second place.

That news was a gift to Schumacher as Raikkonen held upa pack consisting of Fernando Alonso, Sato, Barrichello, Button and Trulli. Schumacher burst to a 17-second lead before Raikkonen's engine blew but it was enough to see the champion through his three stop-strategy without any threat from behind.

Sato figured again in the closing stages, chasing down Barrichello for second. But into turn one the Japanese attempted an outrageous overtaking move, braking impossibly late in a bid to pass the Brazilian on the inside. The move caused a collision which left the Ferrari driver sailing on and the BAR minus its front wing.

Sato pitted for repairs but the time spent static in pit lane caused his engine to overheat and his Honda blew a lap after he emerged from the pits, handing third to team-mate Button.

Standings

1 M Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari

1hr 32mins 35.101secs

2 R Barrichello (Bra) Ferrari 1:32:53.090

3 J Button (Brit) BAR Honda 1:32:57.634

4 J Trulli (Ita) Renault 1:33:28.774

5 F Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:33:36.088

6 G Fisichella (Ita) Sauber 1:33:48.549

7 M Webber (Aus) Jaguar 1:33:51.307

8 J Montoya (Col) Williams BMW 59 laps

9 F Massa (Bra) Sauber 59 laps, 10 N Heidfeld (Ger) Jordan 59 laps, 11 O Panis (Fra) Toyota 59 laps, 12 C Klien (Aut) Jaguar 59 laps, 13 G Pantano (Ita) Jordan Cosworth 58 laps, 14 G Bruni (Ita) Minardi Cosworth 57 laps, 15 Z Baumgartner (Hun) Minardi Cosworth 57 laps Not classified: 16 T Sato (Jpn) BAR Honda 47 laps completed, 17 D Coulthard (Brit) McLaren Mercedes 25 laps completed, 18 K Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren Mercedes 9 laps completed, 19 C Da Matta (Bra) Toyota 0 laps completed, 20 R Schumacher (Ger) Williams BMW 0 laps completed Fastest Lap: M Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1min 29.468secs on lap 7.

Drivers' Championship: 1 M Schumacher 60, 2 Barrichello 46, 3 Button 38, 4 Trulli 36, 5 Alonso 25, 6 Montoya 24, 7 R Schumacher 12, 8 Sato (Jpn) 8, 9 Massa 5, 10 Fisichella 5, 11 Coulthard 4, 12 Da Matta 3, 13 Webber 3, 14 Heidfeld 2, 15 Panis 1, 16 Raikkonen 1'

Manufacturers' Championship: 1 Ferrari 106, 2 Renault 61, 3 BAR Honda 46, 4 Williams BMW 36, 5 Sauber Petronas 10, 6 McLaren Mercedes 5, 7 Toyota 4, 8 Jaguar 3, 9 Jordan Cosworth 2