World Champion Michael Schumacher ended a remarkable streak of 19 consecutive podium finishes in Australia. The question is, how did other drivers before him recover from a record-ending Grand Prix? And what other record could Michael Schumacher secure this weekend, at Sepang? Marcel Schot brings the answers and more anecdotes on the second round of the 2003 season

The Australian Grand Prix ended Michael Schumacher's unprecedented series of 19 consecutive podium finishes. The question is, how did previous record holders bounce back, after their streak ended?

In 1963, Jim Clark set the record with nine podiums in a row. At the 1964 Monaco Grand Prix he was looking to extend his series until his engine failed. In the following two races, Clark scored consecutive victories, after which a stroke of bad luck resulted in four retirements in the next five races.

Twelve years later, Niki Lauda equaled Clark's record. Just like Clark, Lauda was on his way to extend the streak of podiums in the following race and also just like Clark an engine failure prevented him from doing so. But that's not where the comparison with Clark ends: after the record-ending race, Lauda - just like Clark - won the next Grand Prix. But the race after that was at the Nurburgring and that's where lady luck completely turned her back on Lauda. In the now infamous accident, Niki Lauda nearly lost his life.

Nelson Piquet was the next to finish nine consecutive races on the podium. In 1987 Williams was the dominant car, but for some reason the last quarter of the season was difficult for Piquet. In the Spanish Grand Prix, where he was to finish on the podium for the tenth time in a row, Piquet finished fourth. According to himself he made more mistakes in that race than in the entire season put together. In Mexico he rebounded with an amazing second place, after having lost over a minute in a first lap clash with Alain Prost. Two retirements followed, but Piquet won the Championship nevertheless.

Two years ago it was Michael Schumacher who finished on the podium nine times in a row. Back then a snapped suspension in Imola ended the series of podium finishes. After that race, seven more podium finishes followed before fuel pressure problems at the German Grand Prix meant another retirement. However, between that streak of podium finishes to the one which just ended, you can see a statistic that's probably just as amazing as the record itself: in the last 41 races, Schumacher finished on the podium 37 times, slightly over 90%.

Not only did Schumacher's record number of consecutive podium finishes come to an end in Australia, but also Ferrari's unbelievable series of 53 straight podiums. The 1999 European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring was the last race before Melbourne without a Ferrari on the podium, but it was also the last race before Michael Schumacher returned from his injury time off, havaing broken his leg at Silverstone earlier that season.

The race that started Ferrari's record series was the 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix. For a long time it appeared that Michael Schumacher wouldn't resume racing until the 2000 season began, and in fact the German announced just less than two weeks before the race that he would return just yet. This fueled rumours that Schumacher was unwilling to help Eddie Irvine win the 1999 World Championship. However, on October 8th Ferrari announced Schumacher would resume racing in Malaysia. Schumacher himself explained his turnaround by saying: "The belief that I'd be able to make it has grown bit by bit over the last few days. What was important was seeing how much the team wanted me to be there. I'm not at 100 percent, but I've realised that I have to be there."

What followed was a rollercoaster of a Formula One weekend. In Friday morning practice, Schumacher gave a demonstration of power as he lapped the new circuit eight tenths faster than anyone else. In the afternoon Irvine was faster and Schumacher dropped to fifth, but in Saturday morning practice it was Ferrari first and second again. Mika Hakkinen, Irvine's rival for the title, was a distant third, slightly over six tenths behind.

In qualifying Michael Schumacher left nothing unclear. He was the fastest, by nearly a full second. His pole position seemed to say to Irvine that he may be the one who had to win the Championship for Ferrari, but that by no means he was their number one driver.

For the race on Sunday, the general opinion was that Schumacher would let Irvine lead from the start and fend of the McLarens himself, trying to hand his teammate a comfortable win. However, when the lights went out, Schumacher sprinted off in the distance and left everybody behind... including his teammate.

A few laps later, Schumacher dropped speed to let the fighting Irvine and Coulthard catch up. From then on, the German played his part and made sure Mika Hakkinen was behind him. In the end, Irvine got his win and kept the Championship hopes alive. "Not only is Michael the best Number One driver," Irvine said in the post-race press conference, "he is also the best Number Two...".

Another race was over and minds were already setting on the Championship deciding Japanese Grand Prix. A few hours later and things looked much different. Both Ferraris were disqualified for having illegal bargeboards. The changed results meant the World Championship was now won by Mika Hakkinen. For the next week the case was the talk of the town.

Ferrari appealed and on October 23rd were reinstated, after it had become clear that the bargeboards were indeed not compliant to the measurements mentioned in the rules, but legal because they were within the tolerance limit which was mentioned in a sub-paragraph of the rules. Much discussion continued afterwards, but in the end it didn't matter very much; Mika Hakkinen won the Japanese Grand Prix and the Championship. Ferrari, nevertheless, won their first Constructors' Championship since the early 1980s.

This year, the focus will again be on Michael Schumacher - at least in qualifying. The Ferrari driver has been on pole position in every single one of the previous four Malaysian Grands Prix. However, considering the short history the venue has in Formula One, it should be noted that Schumacher isn't the only driver to have competed in all races. Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthard, Giancarlo Fisichella, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all have been in Malaysia from the start. Olivier Panis was also present at the 1999 race, but missed out in 2000, when he was a McLaren test driver for a year.

Besides seeing whether Schumacher will secure his fifth Malaysian pole, qualifying will hopefully shed more light on fuel strategies. It was simply impossible to draw conclusions in Australia because of the changing weather. Only 5 drivers survived the first 15 laps without pitting or retiring. However, with recent years in mind, another rainy Sunday at Sepang won't come as a surprise. When that happens, the guessing will have to continue for yet another race.

Past Performance in Sepang by Current Drivers

	1999		2000		2001		2002		Average Qualifying Position
	Qual	Race	Qual	Race	Qual	Race	Qual	Race
M.Schumacher	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	3	1.000
Barrichello	6	5	4	3	2	2	3	M	3.750
Montoya	-	-	-	-	6	R	2	2	4.000
R.Schumacher	8	R	8	M	3	5	4	1	5.750
Coulthard	3	M	3	2	8	3	6	M	5.000
Raikkonen	-	-	-	-	14	M	5	M	9.500
Trulli	18	DNS	9	12	5	8	12	M	11.000
Alonso	-	-	-	-	21	13	-	-	21.000
Heidfeld	-	-	19	R	11	R	7	5	12.300
Frentzen	14	6	10	M	9	4	11	11	11.000
Fisichella	11	11	13	9	16	M	9	13	12.250
Firman	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Villeneuve	10	M	6	5	7	R	13	8	9.000
Button	-	-	16	M	17	11	8	4	13.666
Webber	-	-	-	-	-	-	21	M	21
Pizzonia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Verstappen	-	-	15	10	18	7	-	-	16,500
Wilson	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Panis	12	M	-	-	10	M	18	M	14.500
da Matta	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-