FORMULA ONE Another season, another race title

Despite rule changes, Michael Schumacher cruised to his fifth straight title.
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- Nobody was able to stop Michael Schumacher in 2004. The Ferrari driver raced to his fifth straight Formula One championship and seventh overall.
And, despite more rule changes designed to nullify Schumacher's advantages, don't expect that to change in 2005.
Schumacher captured 13 of 18 races this season, and teammate Rubens Barrichello won two more. The result was the least competitive season in F1 history.
The 35-year-old German won 12 of the first 13 races -- and he might have won in Monaco, too, except for a freak crash with Williams-BMW's Juan Pablo Montoya.
Only three non-Ferrari drivers managed a victory -- Montoya in the season-ending Brazilian GP, Renault's Jarno Trulli in Monaco and McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen in Belgium.
Schumacher has won every season title beginning in 2000. Since then, F1 officials have changed qualifying rules trying to slow him. They've rejiggered the points system, altered testing rules and banned high-tech gizmos.
Nothing has worked.
Rule changes
So what's up for 2005? More rule changes to lower costs, raise interest and try to stop Schumacher.
UCars will be limited to the same set of tires for qualifying and race day. This will drop speeds with a much harder rubber compound reducing traction.
UEngines will be used for two races.
UTesting again will be reduced, a further move to cut costs.
UIn 2006, 2.4-liter, V8 engines will be introduced to lower horsepower and costs, a move to help smaller teams. The current 3.0-liter, V10 engines will be eliminated by 2008.
"They [Ferrari] seem to be strong in every area, a step above everyone in every area," said BAR-Honda's Jenson Button, who finished third (85 points) in the overall standings behind Schumacher (148) and Barrichello (114).
"They are a very complete team, they have a lot of experience and they have just chipped away at it over the years."
Ferrari also won the constructors' championship in a runaway with 262 points followed by BAR-Honda (119), Renault (105), Williams-BMW (88), McLaren-Mercedes (69) and Sauber (34).
Ferrari already is preparing for next season's opening race in Melbourne, Australia, in March.