WORLD'S BEST DRIVER IS SWISS VILLAGE PET.

On the tracks of the world, he's seen as a fierce and sometimes frightening tiger, a cold-eyed, calculating charger whose overriding obsession is to dominate his rivals by skill, tactics and even intimidation in the dangerous struggle to be first across the line. But away from the Grand Prix circuits and especially when he is relaxing with his family in his Swiss home overlooking Lake Geneva or playing for the local football team, Michael Schumacher is nothing more than an amiable pussycat and the village pet.

The 31-year-old German Grand Prix star, already twice world champion, crowned the season in brilliant style, clinching his third champion's title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix with one more race still to go in the series. It was his 43rd grand prix victory and the highlight of a season which found Schumacher in a confident mood from the start, but emotionally drained in the wake of his win after the triumphs and tragedies of the races in between. "It's been a big fight to get here, but of course it's now worth it." he confessed.

Racing at this level is unbelievably demanding, physically of course, but above all mentally, and Schumacher has demonstrated time and time again in his more than 120 grand prix starts that he is incredibly focused in both areas, finally bringing the longed-for driver's championship crown back to Ferrari after what they regarded as an agonisingly long wait of 21 years. In this endeavour he had the undivided attention of the entire Ferrari organisation, more than ever remains the cult name in motor racing, despite the presence of many other excellent teams. It is easy to forget, in the flurry of Formula-1 take-overs, public listings and share dealings, that Ferrari, owned by Fiat, is the single biggest grand prix set-up. They make the complete car (as opposed to other teams who use separate engine manufacturers), employ more than 500 talented and experienced people in the Formula-1 department, and with additional sponsorship from companies such as Philip Morris, Shell and FedEx, spend in the region of $250 mi llion a year.

But their biggest asset is probably the presence of Schumacher behind the wheel. Always known as "Schumi" to his countless admirers, who have devoted several Internet websites to him, he is one of those unique sports stars who appear every now and again and seem to be able to conjure up the magic ingredient that gives them the vital edge over their competitors. It has been that way ever since he began the time-honoured route to Formula-1 glory by competing in go-kart races in his native Germany. He was born in 1969 in a working class town near Cologne and was only four when he was given a kart, powered by an old lawn-mower engine, by his father Roll. Karting became a family obsession and in 1984 Michael won the German junior championship. Three years later he took the European championship and from then on it was a logical step to Formula-3 motor racing, where he was quickly spotted as an outstanding prospect and offered a Formula-1 seat by the Jordan team in 1991. After only one race he shifted to Benetton- Ford and scored the first of his many wins for them at Spa the following year. In 1994 and again in 1995 he became the youngest double world champion before being lured away by the Scuderia Ferrari to attempt to do the same for them, after several years in the doldrums. This year was his fifth attempt, having got tantalising close last season, just losing out to the Finn Mika Hakkinen. But this time he had a winning hand, thanks to great chassis detail-design work and low-risk development in the engine department.

ON TRACK-OFF TRACK

If at the track Schumacher sometimes gives the impression that the only thing that matters in his life is winning races, the reality is different. His family, home, hobbies and friends count just as much and he displays none of the arrogance of which he is sometimes accused, especially by jealous rivals. Despite his huge wealth (annual earnings of around Sfr120 million) from Ferrari and many sponsors, he remains low-key, affable, smiling and even turns out to have a wry and self-deprecating sense of humour. "He has never forgotten his modest roots' says his Geneva lawyer, Bertrand Gros. Schumacher moved with his wife Corinna from Monaco to the Vaud village of Vufflens-le Chateau, near Morges and Lausanne, five years ago, mainly to ensure privacy and tranquility for himself and his family and not, as some surmise, for fiscal reasons, since the principality is a better sheltered tax haven. "My wife couldn't even go out to the supermarket without being pestered by fans," he recalls.

He was well aware that the Lake Geneva region has long been favoured as a base by motor racing and other sports and entertainment stars. "I had been told that Switzerland was the only place where celebrities can live without being bothered and it's turned out to be perfectly true," he says. And despite his huge earnings he is not the biggest taxpayer in the wealthy commune--he hands over an agreed sum which deputy mayor Michel Perey describes as "peanuts" before quickly adding, "We're still delighted to have him here."

SETTLING DOWN

The couple and their two small children, Gina-Marie, born in 1997 and two-year old Mick, live in a large modern but in no way flamboyant house near the centre of the wine-growing village, whose previous main claim to fame was its imposing castle and Bernard Ravet's L'Hermitage restaurant. Schumacher has established friendly relations with the villagers and with the municipality, which recently granted his request to construct a large covered garage for his car collection. He was so pleased with having obtained the planning permission, which he had suspected might be difficult, that he offered to pay the Sfr75,000 needed for a new children's and adult's playing and games area near the local school. "He had heard about the project from his gardener and made a spontaneous gesture which we accepted with pleasure and had nothing to do with a deal," says local official Fabienne Siegwart.

In Vufflens, Schumacher has become known as "Schumi le chouchou du village" (the village pet), because unlike other stars who live a totally secluded life, he doesn't hide away behind high walls and security guards. He often roars up to the local pizzeria in his four-wheel-drive car having telephoned ahead for his favourite pizza, with spinach and onions and now known simply as "The Schumacher." Schumi loves Italian food, although he has given up grappling for mastery of the language ("perhaps in another life") and this has produced an unexpected bonus for Raphael Giannini, a local artisan producer of pasta specialities. By chance, Giannini's brother spotted the driver pushing a trolley loaded with his Loretta label products away from a supermarket check-out and so Raphael wrote to Schumacher saying how flattered he was by the choice.

A reply promptly arrived saying that the champion would be pleased to endorse them for a fee hugely below those paid by Omega, Nike and his other big sponsors. The result: "The Michael Schumacher Collection," much media interest and sales increase of 85% in the first year.

And a well-nourished driver, too. When he was under treatment in Norway for the leg injuries sustained in a major crash last year, 180 packets of his preferred tagliatelle al pesto were sent from Switzerland to fuel the recovery. But probably consumed in moderation, normally with his preferred apple juice and mineral water, for Schumacher carefully watches his 75kg weight, not only so as to be able to slide into his race car, but also to pursue his other sporting passion, football. Ignoring the publicly expressed fears of Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo that he might injure himself, the driver plays soccer whenever he can, asserting, "I can calculate the risks. When an opponent lunges at my knees, I simply get out of the way."

For the past three years Schumacher has organised several celebrity charity games and shone on the right wing for FC Aubonne, a modest outfit in the Vaud cantonal third division, often rushing back from a race to Geneva airport so as to make sure of being part of their training sessions and faithfully phoning up from the race tracks to learn the match results when he couldn't play. He was an asset to the team, not only in boosting match attendance and joining in all its activities, but by scoring five goals in fifteen matches, one of which, in a key game, he describes as "better than winning a Grand Prix race."

But this season, Schumi has deserted Aubonne together with the club's trainer, his friend Roland Schaer, for another nearby small club, FC Echichens. Schaer says that the team has benefited from some welcome new sponsorship via Schumacher, but above all through the driver's footballing skills no doubt derived from his main sports activity: "He's fast and he has exceptional all-round vision. But I have to admit that he's not very good at heading." Whisper this to the other drivers. There is a chink in the Schumacher armour after all.