Schumacher and Ferrari take San Marino F1

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April 24, 2006 Ferrari F1 supremo Jean Todt had this to say when Michael Schumacher scored a narrow win over Fernando Alonso in Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix at Imola: "When I was going up to the podium, I said to Michael that I could not remember the way anymore, as it had been such a long time since the last victory!” The result came courtesy of a lot of hard work by the Ferrari team, and was “all the better coming in front of so many of our fans and employees who filled their own grandstand here.” Ferrari's win moves Schumacher to second in the Drivers' championship, and gives Ferrari 30 points in the World Championship to Renault's 51 and McLaren's 33. Renault F1 Managing director Flavio Briatore, after this week giving notice he would be extending his contract with Renault, thought it was just another day at the office. “We had both cars in the points, Fernando has a big lead in the drivers’ championship, and it was another good team performance today,” said the colourful power player. Sadly, the drama of the event surrounded the historic circuit’s reputation as a circuit on which it is almost impossible to overtake and Schumacher starting from pole position meant raging championship favourite Fernando Alonso could only hope to pressure his rival into a mistake that never came. Schumacher had every reason to make a mistake, as his tyres “suffering “a bit of graining” and he drove a large portion of the race at modest speeds by driving on the limit of adhesion.

Ferrari's mechanics cleaned oil and cement dust from an earlier accident off Michael Schumacher's grid position and it allowed him to shoot straight into the lead at the start of the sunny 62 lap race. Front row grid neighbour Jenson Button slotted into second in the Honda with Massa going third from Alonso as Rubens Barrichello slumped to fifth. Ralf Schumacher stayed sixth, Montoya remained in seventh from Jarno Trulli, Mark Webber and Kimi Raikkonen who lost two places to tenth.

Michael eased away from Button during the opening laps after an early safety car period. He had a 2.1s lead after seven laps and three seconds after 12 laps. Similarly, Massa dropped away from Button as Alonso initially did from Massa, closing up again during the final stages before the first pit stops. Trulli was an early retirement in the pits.

Barrichello was the first to make a slow pit stop on lap 14, and teammate Button confirmed Honda's tactics with a stop a lap later. Massa came in from what was now second place on lap 19, having been just ahead of Alonso, while Michael pitted a lap later. Raikkonen came in on lap 22, Montoya pitted with Webber on lap 23 and Alonso finally came in on lap 25.

After the pit stops, Michael had an 11 second lead over Alonso who had leapfrogged both Button and Massa during the pit stops. Button was now in third place, Massa fourth being pushed by Montoya, while Webber was next.

Michael, however, suffered tyre graining during this stint, and his lead rapidly disappeared, so that Alonso was on his tail by lap 34. However, there he remained, for lap after lap, scarcely getting a look around the Ferrari, even though he was obviously quicker. Button made a second, disastrous stop on lap 30 when he was signalled out of the pits before the fuel hose had been disconnected. Three mechanics were bowled over before Button stopped for what was left of the hose and nozzle to be removed, before rejoining having lost a further 13 seconds.

At half distance, Michael was just ahead of Alonso, Massa was just ahead of Montoya who was fourth, Webber was next from Raikkonen and after Ralf Schumacher pitted, Button was next.

Alonso came in early for his final stop on lap 41, but Michael came in a lap later and when they emerged, they resumed their nose to tail battle. Massa also came in on lap 41 while Montoya stayed out until lap 44 and when he rejoined, he was just ahead of the second Ferrari. Raikkonen pitted on lap 47 and rejoined just behind Massa.

In the closing stages, there were three battles: Michael Schumacher just leading Alonso for the lead; Massa just ahead of Raikkonen for fourth place and Button just ahead of Fisichella battling over seventh place. But such is the difficulty of overtaking at Imola that there was no change in the order. Indeed, Alonso hit a kerb three laps from home and ran wide, losing two seconds to Michael which resolved the lead battle in Schumacher's favour, much to the tifosi's delight.

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