MAGNY-COURS, France -- Five laps of suffering led to Michael Schumacher's record-equalling fifth Formula One world championship.

Despite winning seven of the previous 10 races, the German Ferrari driver was left struggling for words to describe his delight at the French Grand Prix.

	Michael Schumacher is cheered by his Ferrari mechanics after crossing the finish line.

"How do I feel? I've never been good at these moments to find appropriate words, in all honesty," he told a news conference.

"It just has overcome me. I've been very relaxed all weekend, I didn't think about the championship all weekend because I sort of felt it's not going to happen here."

Schumacher's win made him the 'fastest' world champion in Formula One history, taking the title in July and with six rounds remaining.

The next race is his home grand prix at Hockenheim and he had suggested before Magny-Cours that he would have preferred to win before his own people.

Team sponsors Marlboro, their brand name removed from the Ferraris under French anti-tobacco advertising legislation, would doubtless have preferred another venue as well.

Sunday's race was an emotional see-saw, Schumacher's title chances rising, falling and then unexpectedly rebounding with five laps to go.

"That was the worst five laps I have had in my career...they went on forever," said Schumacher.

"It's these moments when you feel how much load you have and how much it means to you, how much you love the sport and how determined you are.

"When you finally pass the flag and everything goes away and you know you have done it, that's a fantastic moment, unbelievable ... I'm sorry, I can't find words for it."

Raikkonen's error
With teammate Rubens Barrichello out of the running before the start when his Ferrari failed on the formation lap, Schumacher only needed to win and beat Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya by six points.

Montoya led until the first pitstops, then Schumacher took over before being pushed back with a drive-through penalty for illegally crossing the white line dividing the pit lane from the track.

McLaren's young Finn Kimi Raikkonen seemed to have the measure of him until his car skidded on oil just when it seemed he was destined for a first win.

"I saw Rubens stopping and I saw the pace we had compared to Montoya and, well, I slowly started to believe in it (the championship)," said Schumacher.

"Then obviously I had this mistake, or my mistake, getting out of the pit lane crossing the white line.

"Then suddenly the championship was back in my pocket and that was something I have put aside all weekend because I didn't really believe in it."

Cheered by fans in scarlet wigs, Schumacher praised his colleagues, hugged team boss Jean Todt and posed for photographs with Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

The emotion was never far from the surface.

"They've all been special in different ways," the German said of his titles. "You cannot compare one to the other and that's what is so great about it.

"Each win actually has been different to each other and there's never been the moment where you get used to something. You still enjoy it and feel fantastic about it.

"I was just so glad that we have achieved this together with a tremendous team, with people behind who you can just love and can just admire the effort that they put in.

"I really love all those guys because we have such a great relationship and its fantastic to achieve all this together."