Ralf’s podium was his second of the season, following the success in Hungary, and added to the podiums scored by team mate Jarno Trulli in Malaysia, Bahrain and Spain. Trulli was classified 15th after a problematic race.

Schumacher started ninth on the grid and made up ground when there were two Safety Car interventions, the first when a drainage cover became detached and the second after a heavy accident to Narain Karthikeyan, from which the Indian driver happily emerged without serious injury.

“It was a tough weekend initially,” Schumacher said. “We struggled to get a balance on the car but it came together in the race. We had some good fortune with the Safety Car and then it was a good strategic decision to stay out when the second Safety Car was sent out. We made up ground in the traffic, both pit stops were well executed by the team and it was a good feeling to finish the season standing on the podium.”

If Ralf’s race was helped by the appearance of the first Safety Car, it was the opposite story for Trulli, who had just made his first stop on lap 17 and therefore lost a lot of ground when his rivals were able to stop under the Safety Car.

“I think you could say that my luck was out today!” Trulli explained. “I did not get the breaks with the Safety Car and although the car balance did not feel too bad initially, I started to experience a vibration with the left front tyre. I fell back down the field and then tried to make up for the first Safety Car by refuelling to the end when it came out for the second time. In the end though, I had to come in to change my left front tyre. There were no points for me today but it has been a great season in a tremendous team, and one that has really exceeded my expectations.”

World Champion Fernando Alonso scored his seventh win of the season, helping to clinch the constructors’ championship for the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team. Kimi Raikkonen finished second for Team McLaren Mercedes. Behind Ralf’s TF105B, Giancarlo Fisichella was fourth with the second Renault after a late race Drive Through penalty and Christian Klien was fifth for Red Bull Racing. Felipe Massa marked the Sauber team’s last race with three points for sixth place, while the final points were claimed by Mark Webber’s BMW Williams and Jenson Button’s BAR Honda.

Technical Director, Chassis, Mike Gascoyne, said: “We brought the revised TF105B to the last two races and finished the season with a pole position and a podium, which is a strong reflection on all the hard work that has been put in by the race team, everyone at Cologne and in Japan. I want to thank both drivers for a great season and congratulations to Ralf on his podium today. Jarno didn’t have much luck out there but his season has been a strong one. We will have a short break before turning our full attention to making even stronger progress next year.”

In the drivers’ championship, Schumacher finished the season in sixth place, with 45 points, while Trulli was seventh in the final classification, with 43. Panasonic Toyota Racing finished fourth in the constructors’ championship on 88 points, just 12 behind defending champions Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, and 22 clear of the BMW Williams F1 Team.