Formula One: Schumacher Back on Winning Track

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher won his home grand prix on Sunday to prove the doubters wrong and put himself firmly back on the title trail. Roared on by an ecstatic crowd of red-shirted German supporters, the seven times champion saw off Renault's Fernando Alonso to celebrate a record 86th victory of his career and second in a row.

Alonso, the 24-year-old champion, finished second and saw his overall lead over Schumacher cut to 13 points after five races. The Spaniard has 44 points to Schumacher's 31. McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen has 23.

Those who had suggested that the 37-year-old German's victory at Imola two weeks ago was merely a Ferrari flash in the pan at their home circuit had to eat their words in the Nuerburgring sunshine. Schumacher finished 3.7 seconds clear of Alonso and saluted his fans with a raised fist on the victory lap. Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa was third for the first podium finish of his 58-race career.

McLaren, the team Alonso had flagged as his main rivals and that he is joining next season, were never truly in the reckoning even if Raikkonen overcame his German jinx to secure a close fourth place in Massa's slipstream. Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was fifth for Honda, ahead of Alonso's Italian team mate Giancarlo Fisichella and German rookie Nico Rosberg in a Williams.

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve took the final point for BMW Sauber. Fisichella, furious after being impeded by Villeneuve in Saturday's qualifying, spent most of the afternoon behind the former champion before getting past at the second round of pitstops.

Jenson Button suffered his first retirement of the season, trudging back to the pits after his engine gave up the fight on lap 29. "I think it was the engine. The gear was tightening up when I crossed the line and there was a lot of smoke out of the rear of the car," he said. "I lost a lot of drive and I pulled over and that was it."

Compatriot David Coulthard had an even shorter race, the Red Bull driver caught in a collision with Toro Rosso's Vitantonio Liuzzi on the first lap. Franck Montagny became the first French driver to start a race since Olivier Panis retired in 2004 but his debut for struggling Super Aguri was also shortlived and he retired halfway through with a smouldering engine.