BARCELONA, Spain, May 9 (UPI) -- Michael Schumacher equaled the best-ever start to a Formula One season Sunday by winning his fifth consecutive race at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The six-time world champion, who started from the pole position, maintained his perfect run this season with an easy victory to match Nigel Mansell's record start in 1992.
Schumacher revealed he had battled an exhaust problem for most of the race.
Schumacher, who has won this race four years in a row and six times overall, notched his 75th career F1 victory.
Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello of Brazil took second place, 13.2 seconds behind Schumacher. Renault's Jarno Trulli of Italy was a further 19 seconds back but claimed his best result of the season in third.
Local favorite Fernando Alonso was fourth in his Renault, while Takuma Sato's best-ever qualifying position of third led to a fifth place for the BAR driver from Japan.
