Finn Raikkonen scored his and McLaren's first win of the season to end the German's run of seven straight Grand Prix victories, but second place was enough to crown Schumacher champion for the fifth year in a row.

It was only Schumacher's second defeat in 14 races this season, but, with Ferrari team mate Rubens Barrichello placing third, he extended his lead to 40 points and landed the title on race wins with four rounds remaining.

"Considering where I had dropped back to and where I finished I think I should only be happy. We clinched the championship but we had a tough fight, Kimi drove a superb race," said Schumacher.

"I would have rather finished the championship with a victory but today we simply weren't strong enough in the right moment. We have won so many races this year it was clear at some stage that somebody else would win."

Ferrari wrapped up their sixth consecutive drivers' title two weeks ago in Hungary.

Raikkonen, who took last year's title race down to the wire before losing out to Schumacher by a point, brightened a miserable season with only his second career win and McLaren's first since the Finn won in Malaysia in March 2003.

"We have had a difficult season but now we have finally got what we deserved. I couldn't have had a better result today and it is very good for the team and for me," he said.

Barrichello claimed the final place on the podium in a race featuring three safety car periods, having lost almost a lap after damaging his rear wing in a collision at the start.

There was carnage from the outset as Jaguar's Mark Webber, BAR's Takuma Sato, Minardi driver Gianmaria Bruni and Jordan's Giorgio Pantano crashed out, causing the safety car to be immediately deployed.

On the restart, Raikkonen overtook fourth-placed Schumacher and Montoya then pulled off a passing move to drop the Ferrari driver to sixth.

Leader Jarno Trulli was the first to pit, but Renault team mate Fernando Alonso had to retire on lap 12 when he spun into the gravel having already gone off the track earlier in the lap.

Schumacher, having stopped on lap 16, regained a place from Montoya and then passed Trulli for third with Raikkonen the new race leader after the pitstops and Jenson Button second for BAR.

Montoya tried to pull off another overtaking move only to nudge pole-sitter Trulli into a spin.

Button, third in the championship behind Schumacher and Barrichello, was sent spinning out of the race when his right rear tyre exploded at high speed.

As another safety car period ensued, Williams driver Antonio Pizzonia, third at the time, rolled to a halt at the side of the track because of gearbox problems.

Like Button and David Coulthard, Montoya then also suffered tyre failure as he dropped down the field from third place.

With five laps left Coulthard ran into the back of Jaguar's Christian Klien and the safety car came out for a third time before a final three-lap fight between Raikkonen and Schumacher.

Sauber's Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella ended fourth and fifth respectively, with Jaguar's Klien scoring his first Formula One points in sixth.