FORMULA ONE Can anyone stop Michael Schumacher?

The six-time world champion has won 38 of his last 70 races.
SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) -- With Michael Schumacher winning the first three races in Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain, Formula One opens its season in Europe with a familiar question: Can anyone stop him?
The only serious challenges the six-time world champion has faced were tough racing conditions -- a road track in Melbourne, sapping humidity in Kuala Lumpur and blowing desert sand in the Middle East.
"It has been a dream start to the season," Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn said. "I have never been so satisfied with the work we have done after three races."
In the last 70 races beginning with the 2000 season, Schumacher has claimed more than half -- 38. When second- and third-place finishes are added, the number rises to 54. This means Schumacher is on the podium just over 77 percent of the time.
This season's start matches 2000, when he won three straight to open the year. Even in 2002 when he set a record winning 11 of 17 GPs -- Ferrari won 15 of 17 -- he failed to win the first three.
Rule changes
Following that landslide, world racing's governing body the FIA and F1 commercial director Bernie Ecclestone pushed through qualifying changes and a new scoring system to slow Schumacher.
It worked last year when the season title was decided in the final race. But this season may be decided by midsummer, just as it was in 2002, which caused TV ratings to drop and sponsors to pull out.
Schumacher was perfect in Bahrain on a new $150 million circuit built on the site of a camel ranch. His rivals all faltered.
Kimi Raikkonen, second to Schumacher in the drivers' standings in 2003, has yet to finish a race. In Bahrain his engine caught fire in practice, and during the race a new engine went up in a plume of smoke on the eighth lap.
"I just want to forget this weekend," Raikkonen said.
Juan Pablo Montoya of Williams BMW has the speed to threaten Schumacher, but lacks reliability.
"Our biggest problem is that the Ferrari is consistent," said Montoya, who was third for most of the Bahrain race until he faded to 13th on the final laps with gearbox failure.
"In qualifying we can get close to them (Ferrari). But in the race they are way ahead of us. They have been dominating the world championship for years and, at the moment, it doesn't look like we can do anything about it."
Schumacher's biggest threat is Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello, who was second in Bahrain.
Other challengers
For racing action, F1 fans are getting used to watching the back of the pack.
In Bahrain, rising young Spanish star Fernando Alonso of Renault drove from 17th on the grid to claim sixth. Alonso is thought by many to be Schumacher's heir at Ferrari.
Japanese Takuma Sato of BAR-Honda was quick but erratic. He drove off the track and crashed another time with Williams' Ralf Schumacher but still finished fifth. Sato led teammate Jenson Button for much of the race until the young Englishman claimed third, his second consecutive finish in that spot.
Ralf Schumacher managed seventh, calling the finish "damage limitation."
"I was close to Ferrari's pace when I had a free track. This leaves some room for hope."