Japan 2006
FAREWELL, SUZUKA - WE SHALL MISS YOU! SUNDAY'S RACE WAS THE LAST FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, AS THE JAPANESE WILL BE HELD AT FUJI FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS. SUZUKA IS ONE OF THE VERY TOP DRIVER'S TRACKS AND IT HAS PRODUCED SOME DRAMATIC RACES OVER THE YEARS, OFTEN DECIDING THE OUTCOME OF THE DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP. THIS YEAR WAS NO EXCEPTION AND, WHILST NOT IMMEDIATELY DECIDING THE TITLE, IT CERTAINLY HAD A DRASTIC EFFECT ON THE EVENTUAL OUTCOME. BRIDGESTONE TYRES, THE FERRARI CAR AND MICHAEL SCHUMACHER SEEMED TO BE AN UNSTOPPABLE COMBINATION IN SATURDAY'S QUALIFYING - OVER A SECOND QUICKER THAN FERNANDO ALONSO'S RENAULT ON MICHELIN TYRES. WHAT A TURN ROUND ON SUNDAY - THE RENAULT WAS EQUAL ON PACE TO THE FERRARI - ONLY THE STARTING LINE-UP GAP ALLOWED SCHUMACHER TO LEAD WITH MASSA SECOND AND ALONSO 3RD. MASSA HAD A PUNCTURE AND FELL AWAY, LEAVING THE MAIN TWO PROTAGONISTS TO FIGHT IT OUT. AT THE LAST PIT-STOPS, FERNANDO WAS AROUND 5 SECS BEHIND BUT NOT CLOSING BUT AS THE GERMAN'S FERRARI GOT UP TO SPEED AFTER THE STOP, THE ENGINE BLEW, FERNANDO FLEW PAST AND MUST HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS AN EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT. IT CERTAINLY MADE UP FOR THE SPANIARD'S OWN ENGINE FAILURE A FEW RACES AGO. SO NOW WE GO TO BRAZIL WITH FERNANDO JUST NEEDING ONE POINT TO MAKE IT 2 BACK-TO-BACK TITLES - BUT MICHAEL COULD STILL TAKE THE TITLE IF HE WINS AND FERNANDO DOESN'T SCORE ANY POINTS. HIS TASK IS BIGGER THAN FERNANDO'S BUT THIS IS FORMULA ONE AND YOU NEVER KNOW!
STARTING GRID
| |
| 1.
|
Felipe Massa
|
| 2.
|
Michael Schumacher
|
| 3.
|
Ralph Schumacher
|
| 4.
|
Jarno Trulli
|
| 5.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 6.
|
Giancarlo Fisichella
|
| 7.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 8.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 9.
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
| 10.
|
Nico Rosberg
|
| 11.
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
| 12.
|
Robert Kubica
|
| 13.
|
Pedro de la Rosa
|
| 14.
|
Mark Webber
|
| 15.
|
Vitantonio Liuzzi
|
| 16.
|
Christijan Albers
|
| 17.
|
David Coulthard
|
| 18.
|
Robert Doornbos
|
| 19.
|
Scott Speed
|
| 20.
|
Takuma Sato
|
| 21.
|
Tiago Monteiro
|
| 22.
|
Sakon Yamamoto
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 2.
|
Felipe Massa
|
| 3.
|
Giancarlo Fisichella
|
| 4.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 5.
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
| 6.
|
Jarno Trulli
|
| 7.
|
Ralph Schumacher
|
| 8.
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers :
| |
| Fernando Alonso
|
126
|
| Michael Schumacher
|
116
|
| Felipe Massa
|
70
|
| Giancarlo Fisichella
|
69
|
| Kimi Raikkonen
|
61
|
| Jenson Button
|
50
|
| Rubens Barrichello
|
28
|
| Juan Pablo Montoya
|
26
|
Constructors :
|
|
| Renault
|
195
|
| Ferrari
|
186
|
| McLaren
|
105
|
| Honda
|
78
|
| 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
9th October 2006
The HTML code for this page has been validated by the World Wide Web Consortium.