M. Schumacher ready to clinch seventh title in Belgium

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -- Michael Schumacher is back at his favorite race, looking to claim a title demoralized opponents conceded to him months ago: an unprecedented seventh Formula One drivers' championship.

He has won a record 12 of 13 races this season, and five still remain. A victory isn't even required Sunday on the hilly circuit at Spa. All he must do is finish two points ahead of Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello to add the drivers' title to the constructors' championship Ferrari secured two weeks ago in Hungary.

"It's not a secret I am pretty close to winning the championship," Schumacher said Thursday, sporting a new short, spiky haircut. "So I can be rather relaxed and do what I like to do most, which is win races."

Set deep in the rolling pine forests of the Ardennes, Spa holds a special place for Schumacher. He made his F1 debut there for Jordan in 1991, finishing seventh to winner Ayrton Senna after lying to team owner Eddie Jordan about his experience on F1's most testing track.

He said he'd raced on the track before. He hadn't.

A year later, after joining Benetton, Spa was the site of his first Formula One victory. In Budapest, he notched his 82nd Formula One victory -- 31 more than No. 2 Alain Prost and twice as many as Senna -- 41. He also became the first to win 12 times in a season, topping his own mark of 11.

"I am fond of many of the circuits we race on, but everybody knows Spa is my favorite," Schumacher said. "It is one of the few traditional places we have left, and such tracks represent something special. Winning here always means a lot."

Schumacher has won six times and Spa, and nobody has won as many. He was the victor in 2002, and he probably would had won last year had the race been run. Instead, it was taken off the schedule last season when the Belgian government refused to allow tobacco advertising.

The race was reinstated this season after the government backed down. Cars and signboards this weekend will carry their usual tobacco logos.

Schumacher also loves Spa because it's close to his hometown of Kerpen, Germany, just a short drive across the border.

"I always say I regard Spa as another home race," he said.

This will be Ferrari's 700th race, a win would be Schumacher's seventh on the circuit and the drivers' title would be his seventh.

"Sounds like good numbers again," Schumacher said. "Usually I've been pretty lucky when good numbers come together, so I hope I'm lucky again."

With Schumacher and Ferrari runaway winners, Barrichello, BAR's Jenson Button and Jarno Trulli of Renault are jousting for second place. Schumacher has 120 points followed by Barrichello (82), Button (65) and Trulli (46). Trulli is the only driver besides Schumacher to win this season. He took the Monaco GP -- after Schumacher won the first five races -- when Schumacher crashed while running behind a safety car. He was leading at the time.

Ferrari leads with 202 points, followed by Renault (91), BAR-Honda (83), Williams (54) and McLaren (37).