Key to Schumacher Victory in French Prix Is the Pits

Defending Formula One champion Michael Schumacher of Germany used superior pit-stop strategy to beat pole-sitter Damon Hill of Britain by 31.3 seconds Sunday in the French Grand Prix.

“Pit stops take away the frustration of driving from behind,” said Schumacher, who went ahead after the first stop and was not challenged thereafter.

Hill and Schumacher battled within a half-second of each other for the first 19 of 72 laps over the 2.641-mile circuit.

The complexion of the race changed when Schumacher made his first pit stop. That gave Hill the lead. But when Hill came in two laps later, he ended up losing seven seconds in the exchange of stops.

Then Hill hit traffic.

“I could have stopped one or two laps earlier while Michael had it clear,” Hill said. “It only cost me a couple seconds, but that is a couple more seconds given to him.”

Schumacher averaged 115.806 m.p.h. in a race that took 1 hour 38 minutes 28.429 seconds.