Todt: Luck was on our side today.

Jean Todt reckons that Ferrari and Michael Schumacher stumbled across some good fortune at the Spanish Grand Prix, although there will be more than a few rivals who reckon that the German has been charmed for several seasons.

On this occasion, the reigning world champion needed luck to keep his car in race-worthy condition - and his rivals far enough adrift - to secure a record-equalling fifth win at the start of the season, after the exhaust on his F2000 fractured early in proceedings at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Schumacher had already managed to move ahead of early leader Jarno Trulli by the time the problem manifested itself, and was able to press on through the mid-part of the race just when Rubens Barrichello's two-stop strategy needed the German to be slowed. In the end, Schumacher came home 13 seconds clear of his Brazilian team-mate, after the second Ferrari was delayed by a fudged pit-stop.

"It was a fantastic one-two, but we only believed in it after both cars crossed the line," Todt insisted, "Michael had a problem with the left exhaust from lap eleven onwards, although the reasons why have yet to be identified. You need a bit of luck in Formula One and, this time, it came our way."

Schumacher admitted that he, too, was wary that the problem may cost him his perfect start to the year - and any chance of equalling Nigel Mansell's 1992 mark of five straight wins at the start of the year - but said that pressing on was the only way he knew of keeping his car in the race.

"Ross Brawn came on the radio and told me there was nothing much we could to do about it," he explained, "Of course, I tried to look after the car, but I could not slow too much as that would have made the problem worse. It became very tiring mentally, but I managed to bring it home."

Brawn revealed that the exhaust itself was not a problem, but that the failure had side-effects that could have been terminal.

"The cracked exhaust got progressively worse every lap, but was not a problem in performance terms," he confirmed, "However, it was starting to damage the bodywork
on the left hand side and, in fact, there was a bit of a fire there at the second pit-stop. He had to take it a bit easy from then on. I really didn't think he would finish as the problem happened so early in the race."

Having crossed the line ahead of everyone, however, Schumacher was able to reflect on yet another achievement.

"Five straight wins, 200 grands prix, 75 wins - so many nice numbers have come together and I am very proud of it," he admitted, "However, I am just looking forward to the next race. Monaco is very prestigious, so of course I would like to win it, but I am not thinking in terms of taking a record with six wins in a row."