体坛英语新闻：Ekstroem beats Schumacher in Wembley final

LONDON - Michael Schumacher ruled out any return to serious competition on Sunday after losing to Sweden's Mattias Ekstroem in the 'Race of Champions' final at Wembley Stadium.

Germany's Michael Schumacher, left, celebrates with Sweden's Mattias Ekstrom after the final of the Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium, London, Sunday Dec. 16, 2007. Gronholm beat Schumacher in the final two races to one. [Agencies]

The retired seven-times Formula One world champion, who has tested with Ferrari this year, replied with a simple 'no' when asked whether the fun event had whetted his appetite for competitive racing.

"I will invite him to drive in DTM with me," grinned Ekstroem, a double champion in the German Touring Car (DTM) series who also won the event last year at the Stade de France in Paris.

Schumacher, who turns 39 in January, was the star nonetheless in an event bringing together some of motorsport's leading lights.

"We come here to enjoy ourselves, to be here for a good reason, for the ICM project, and to race," said the German, who was appearing to promote a brain and spinal injuries institute.

"We do this as good as we can and sometimes one is better than the others. We all can live with this because it's not a championship, it's no pressure. That's what is good about it. If you do it, perfect and if not, no problem.

"We're going to have a drink together later and have some fun anyway."

MCRAE TRIBUTE

Schumacher was a winner earlier in the evening when Germany beat Finland, with new McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen, in the final of the Nations Cup team event.

The German and Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel also swept past the England team of Jenson Button and world touring car champion Andy Priaulx, with Schumacher then beating Honda F1 driver Button in the individual event as well.

Vettel saved Schumacher's blushes after the Ferrari great stalled in his heat against Kovalainen. The youngster beat former world rally champion Marcus Gronholm and then Kovalainen in the final decider.

Organisers said 50,000 tickets had been sold for the event's first appearance at the home of English soccer, where England beat Germany in the 1966 World Cup final at the old stadium.

"There weren't any balls or any goals so maybe it was a little bit easier for us to win at Wembley today," said Schumacher.

Asphalt covered most of the turf, with some of the pitch markings still visible on the infield, and the ear-splitting wail of Formula One cars filled the stadium with Red Bull's David Coulthard and Vettel doing low speed tyre-smoking demonstrations.

Race of Champions organisers paid tribute to the late world rally champion Colin McRae, who died with his young son in a helicopter crash at his home in Scotland last September.

His brother Alister, taking part in the event, drove McRae's championship winning Subaru into the arena after a lone bagpiper had played.

"He lived his life at a million miles an hour and I know he would have been very proud to see the depth of respect for his achievements," said Coulthard. "I was very proud to know him."