 Schumacher (left) says Alonso cannot lose the title now |
Michael Schumacher says Renault's Fernando Alonso will succeed him as world champion after extending his lead at the Italian Grand Prix. Alonso is 27 points clear of McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen with 40 still available.
Schumacher said: "You do not need to be very prophetic to say the championship is over. For Kimi it is only a very small, theoretical possibility.
"A lot of things need to happen for Alonso not to win it. I don't see them happening so for me the topic is over."
The Spaniard needs only to finish fifth in all the remaining four races to clinch the title and will be champion if he scores four more points than Raikkonen at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
 |  Kimi has the potential to win all the races remaining |
On current form, that looks easy - Alonso has finished first or second in four of the last five races. But the 24-year-old, who would become the youngest champion in F1 history, remains wary because the McLaren is F1's fastest car and the team have won the last three races.
This was demonstrated yet again at Sunday's Italian GP, where Raikkonen's team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya won and the Finn finished fourth despite starting 11th and having to make an extra pit stop to replace a damaged tyre.
Alonso said: "It is not 100% sure. If I don't finish the next two races, for example, then I will be just seven points ahead in Japan.
| If Alonso has no problem then the championship will be very difficult |
"So it's really difficult. I think Kimi has the potential to win all the races remaining." Alonso rejected suggestions that he had lucked into his position as a result of McLaren's continuing reliability problems.
"There is a feeling that I have been lucky this year, but I have 103 points - we have a fantastic car, and we earned this position," he said.
"Looking to Spa, I am not going there thinking about winning the championship; I want to approach the weekend with the aim of achieving the maximum possible, and aiming for the win.
"It is my favourite circuit, and I love the fact that the driver can make the difference. For sure, McLaren are very competitive and Belgium will suit them - but we are aiming to keep pushing them to try and exploit their weaknesses."
Raikkonen said: "The next race will show the direction the championship is going.
 Alonso has a huge lead over Raikkonen after Monza |
"If Alonso has a problem then we will take some points back but if he has no problem then the championship will be very difficult. "Even though my world championship chances are looking not so good I will continue to fight."
And McLaren boss Ron Dennis is realistic about his team's chances of winning the drivers' title.
"The mathematics clearly demonstrate that we are still capable of winning both world championships, but of course it's going to be somewhat challenging," Dennis said.
McLaren trail Renault by just eight points in the constructors' championship after the Monza race.
"We are pretty close to Renault in the constructors' championship," said Montoya, "and even though we only took one point off them this weekend, its still better than nothing."
MMIX
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