SPA, Belgium, August 25 (AFP) - World champion Michael Schumacher will aim to secure his seventh drivers' title in style in this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix as Formula One returns to the track where he made his debut 13 years ago.
German Schumacher needs to score just two points more than his Brazilian team-mate Rubens Barrichello this weekend to secure his fifth consecutive crown after helping secure Ferrari the constructors' championship in Hungary two weeks ago.
Even Barrichello, who is now the only man who could still catch Schumacher, would admit his chances are slim considering Schumacher's astonishing run of 12 wins from the 13 races so far this season.
But Schumacher is not taking his foot off the pedal just yet and said: "It is great being in a position to win the title at this stage but the important thing is to race well and whatever happens, happens.
"I know the title will be one of the topics of conversation this weekend but I won't be approaching this race any differently than the others. Rubens still has a mathematical chance of winning and I take his challenge seriously."
Only a crash in the tunnel during the Monaco Grand Prix in May, a race won by Renault's Jarno Trulli, has kept Schumacher from a 100 percent record this year and he has already won more races than anyone in a single season.
And if history is anything to go by, he will win another on Sunday.
The German driver admits the challenging Belgian track, which was dropped from last year's calendar because of tobacco advertising issues, is his favourite destination on the 18-race Grand Prix calendar.
That is not surprising considering that in the nine of 11 races he has completed here he has finished first seven times, although he was disqualified once in 1994 so can claim only six victories, and claimed second twice.
"The Belgian Grand Prix is one of those races that I really enjoy and it is where I have had some of the most memorable racing moments," said Schumacher, who won his first Grand Prix here in 1992.
"And this year our car has not shown any sign of weakness on any of the tracks so it will be a pleasure to drive it on a circuit like Spa, with the difficult corners like Eau Rouge. I am determined to do well."
The focus is likely to be on Schumacher and Ferrari again this weekend but behind the dominant and well-oiled scarlet machines there is a tough battle being fought for the runners-up spot.
Renault lead BAR-Honda by eight points with five rounds to go and the ever-improving Williams and McLaren teams, who have both revised their cars significantly, are now lurking close behind.
Briton Jenson Button is in a comfortable third spot in the drivers' championship and could even catch Barrichello for the runners-up place if the Brazilian makes any mistakes in the run-down to the season.
And although the off-track dispute between Button and the team over his decision to move to Williams in 2005 is due to be settled before the next race in Italy, the BAR minds are fully focused on scoring points this weekend.
"The team did an excellent job in difficult circumstances in Hungary," said team boss David Richards.
"Everyone is very motivated by our strength relative to the competition and there is a great deal to play for."
But Renault, who finished fourth in the championship ahead of BAR last year, are determined to hold onto their lead and Spaniard Fernando Alonso is keen to continue his run of podium-winning form.
Williams will run Antonio Pizzonia in their second car as injured race driver Ralf Schumacher continues his recuperation in preparation for a planned return to the cockpit in the test that follows this weekend's event.
Brazilian test driver Pizzonia has finished seventh in the last two races and said: "I have raced at Spa four times in different formulae and I have been training hard in preparation for this race."
McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen is more determined than ever to return to the front after the team introduced a new car in the middle of the season but suffered a drop in form again at the last race in Hungary.
"You can't look backwards in motorsport," said Raikkonen. "The result in Hungary only makes us more determined at the next event." For Schumacher, however, the result seems to be the same in all directions.