Brazil 2006
FELIPE MASSA OF SAO PAOLO ON POLE; MICHAEL SCHUMACHER'S LAST RACE; FERNANDO ALONSO MORE THAN LIKELY TO BE 2006 WORLD CHAMPION - NO WONDER ALL OF SAO PAOLO SEEMED TO BE AT THE TRACK FOR THE DRAMA OF THIS THE FINAL RACE OF 2006. THEY WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED, FELIPE WON (FIRST BRAZILIAN FOR 30 YEARS TO WIN IN BRAZIL), FERNADO 2ND (BECOMING ONLY 6TH MAN TO ACHIEVE BACK-TO-BACK TITLES) AND MICHAEL RETIRED (AFTER ONE OF THE FINEST DRIVES OF HIS CAREER). EVERYTHING THAT COULD GO WRONG FOR HIM DID SO. HE COULD ONLY QUALIFY IN 10TH PLACE DUE TO FUEL PRESSURE PROBLEMS PREVENTING HIM SETTING A TIME IN THE THIRD QUALIFYING SESSION. NICO ROSBERG HAD A BIG SMASH ON LAP 1 WHEN SUSPENSION DAMAGE FROM AN EARLIER BANG CAUSED THE REAR SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE. THIS REQUIRED THE SAFETY CAR WHILE ALL THE DEBRIS WAS CLEARED AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, AS MICHAEL WAS BEGINNING HIS EXPECTED CHARGE UP THE FIELD, HE SUFFERED A LEFT-REAR PUNCTURE RESULTING IN A SLOW-ISH DRIVE ROUND THE CIRCUIT TO GET TO THE PITS AND CHANGE THE TYRE. HE RE-JOINED IN LAST PLACE, ALMOST A LAP BEHIND THE LEADERS, YET FINISHED 4TH WITH SOME EXHILARATING OVERTAKING MANOUEVRES, AND SOME VERY EASY ONES WHERE THE OTHER DRIVER CLEARLY DID NOT WISH TO RESIST AND PERHAPS CAUSE HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE RACE ON THE DAY HE WAS RETIRING FROM RACING. HE ONLY JUST MISSED OUT ON THE FINAL PODIUM PLACE, WHICH WAS TAKEN BY JENSON BUTTON AFTER ANOTHER FINE DRIVE, FROM 14TH ON THE GRID. OH, AND RENAULT BEAT FERRARI TO THE CONSTRUCTORS' TITLE.
STARTING GRID
| |
| 1.
|
Felipe Massa
|
| 2.
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
| 3.
|
Jarno Trulli
|
| 4.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 5.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 6.
|
Giancarlo Fisichella
|
| 7.
|
Ralph Schumacher
|
| 8.
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
| 9.
|
Robert Kubica
|
| 10.
|
Michael Schumacher
|
| 11.
|
Mark Webber
|
| 12.
|
Pedro de la Rosa
|
| 13.
|
Nico Rosberg
|
| 14.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 15.
|
Vitantonio Liuzzi
|
| 16.
|
Scott Speed
|
| 17.
|
Christijan Albers
|
| 18.
|
David Coulthard
|
| 19.
|
Takuma Sato
|
| 20.
|
Sakon Yamamoto
|
| 21.
|
Tiago Monteiro
|
| 22.
|
Robert Doornbos
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Felipe Massa
|
| 2.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 3.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 4.
|
Michael Schumacher
|
| 5.
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
| 6.
|
Giancarlo Fisichella
|
| 7.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 8.
|
Pedro de la Rosa
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers :
| |
| Fernando Alonso
|
134
|
| Michael Schumacher
|
121
|
| Felipe Massa
|
80
|
| Giancarlo Fisichella
|
72
|
| Kimi Raikkonen
|
65
|
| Jenson Button
|
56
|
| Rubens Barrichello
|
30
|
| Juan Pablo Montoya
|
26
|
Constructors :
|
|
| Renault
|
206
|
| Ferrari
|
201
|
| McLaren
|
110
|
| Honda
|
86
|
| BMW
|
36
|
| Toyota
|
35
|
| Red Bull Racing
|
16
|
| Williams
|
11
|
| Scuderia Toro Rosso
|
1
|
| Midland
|
0
|
| Super Aguri
|
0
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
23rd October 2006
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