Michael Schumacher wants to be hailed as the greatest driver of all time by ripping up the Formula One record book.

The German was assured of his place in history in Japan on Sunday when he became the first man to win the World Championship for Ferrari in 21 years.

Schumacher is also only the eighth driver to win the title three times following his victory over hat-trick-chasing rival Mika Hakkinen in Suzuka.

But with Schumacher's Manchester-born technical director Ross Brawn believing the best years are still ahead of the 31-year-old, he could shatter just about every grand prix record there is.

Brawn believes the Swiss-based racer will be even more difficult to beat next year now that he has finally shed the huge weight of expectation by winning the drivers' crown for the Italian team after so long.

''I do not think we have seen the best of Michael yet,'' warned Brawn, Schumacher's master tactician. ''There has been so much pressure at Ferrari for the last few years.

''It takes its toll on everyone - it affects all of us. But Michael was very calm yesterday and was determined to win it in Japan.

''The team has been under intense pressure. Now we are past the worry I think we might see another notch from Michael. He is the best driver out there. You have got to give Mika credit because he drove a fantastic race.

''This year Mika has not made any mistakes, but to me Michael is the best. For a few laps on Sunday when it was raining and he needed to make up time he was in a class of his own.''

Brawn, also Schumacher's technical director at Benetton during his championship-winning years in 1994 and 1995, knew he was a special talent after coming up against him in sports cars in the early 1990s.

''I met Michael at a sports car race when I was working for Jaguar and Michael was driving for Mercedes,'' added Brawn.

''Mercedes used to have a driver rota and we used to hate it when Michael had his turn to get into the car because he always made life difficult for us.

''With the other guys (including Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen) our car was always a second quicker, but as soon as they put Michael in the car he went quicker. I knew then that he was something special.''

Schumacher, who will take a short holiday with wife Corinna before looking to complete the championship double for Ferrari in the final race in Malaysia on Sunday week, has no plans to quit the sport.

The former bricklayer's son has earned around £120million rebuilding Formula One's perennial under-achievers into a major force again and is said to have pocketed another £100million last year alone in endorsements.

But Schumacher's management insist he will see out his contract with Ferrari which ends in 2002 - there is even talk of an extension - by which time he could be the all-time great.

Schumacher's third title took him level with Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna, whose mantle as the greatest driver of his generation he inherited.

Only Alain Prost, who won four drivers' crowns, and legendary Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio, who dominated the sport in its early years in the 1950s and won five championships, are ahead of him.

Schumacher will equal the record of nine wins in a season he jointly shares with Britain's Nigel Mansell if he triumphs in Kuala Lumpur.

That would also take him another win closer to the all-time record of 51 held by Prost with his victory yesterday the 43rd of his career.

Schumacher broke the all-time fastest lap record he shared with Prost in his 42nd at Suzuka while he is now within 209 points of the Frenchman's career points total.

The only record Schumacher will find almost impossible to break before he retires is Senna's incredible tally of 65 pole positions.

Schumacher clocked the 31st of his career in Japan to move within one of Mansell and just two adrift of second-placed Jim Clark and Prost.

Schumacher has always insisted that he will only think about records when he does finally retire, but Prost has revealed: ''I have discussed these things with Michael.

''I know he is very interested in them and that he wants to leave the records behind.

''I am 100 per cent certain that Ferrari and McLaren will stay the two best teams in Formula One for the next two to three years.

''I think Michael and Mika are certainly in the position to break my record in terms of titles and (for Michael) maybe also victories.''

Schumacher believes Hakkinen, whom he denied becoming only the second man in history to complete the championship hat-trick on Sunday, is his only real rival among the current crop of drivers.

The duo have fought tooth-and-nail for the title in two of the past three seasons and would have done so last year but for Schumacher's crash in the British Grand Prix.

Hakkinen is also expected to continue racing for another two years, setting up the prospect of more tussles like yesterday which saw Schumacher just come out on top.

''Mika is the best man I have been fighting championships against and either winning or losing them,'' admitted Schumacher, who was besieged in the Ferrari offices after his victory.