Formula1 from mar 12 - october 22 2006

[nightsurfer]

Great qualifying result for Ferrari. What surprised me is Toyota's pace.

[kizzi]

FERNANDO ALONSO WINS THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX IN SUZUKA

MICHAEL SHUMACHER RETIRES WITH AN ENGINE FAILURE AFTER HIS SECOND PIT STOP

MASSA SALVAGES SECOND PLACE GIVING SOME HOPE FOR THE CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE FERRARI TEAM AT THE LAST RACE OF THE SEASON IN BRAZIL ON 22 OCTOBER IN BRAZIL SAU PAULO

[air_explorer]

I was nearly crying to see that Michael incident,abhi bhi rona aaraha hai.

[RedBull_ar]

payback for 1994
but
we still love shumi

[kizzi]

RESULTS OF THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX AT THE SUZAKA CIRCUIT

==========================================


CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS AFTER 17 RACES OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
DRIVERS AND CONSTRUCTORS

========================================

Fernando Alonso regained an almost unassailable lead in the world championship with victory in Japan, as Michael Schumacher’s dreams of an eighth world title all but disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

It was also the first time a Ferrari had retired with such a problem since Rubens Barrichello at Indianapolis in 2001.
Now it seems the dream is over for good – although Schu can still achieve the near impossible should he win and Alonso DNFs in Brazil.
========================================

[kizzi]

@air_explorer
@RedBull_ar

was speechless when schumi's car started giving of smoke
but thats formula1 its not over till its over
ferrari can still give in thir best to get the constructors championship at brazil lets hope for the best
(y) @ schumi & ferrari

[khan4ever]

At last crybaby Alonso was happy to win after all of the crying he has been doing for the last couple of races , well what can be said about schumi luck was just not favouring him lets hope they can secure the constructors title in brazil and who knows maybe alonso retires there or massa helps him (alonso) to retire hehe.

[kizzi]

Michael Schumacher has written off his chances of winning an unprecedented eighth world championship after retiring from the lead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37662
=========================================

World championship leader Fernando Alonso said that while he needed some luck to win the Japanese Grand Prix, in the form of Michael Schumacher’s retirement, he and his Renault team deserved the victory which has put them on the brink of retaining both the drivers' and constructors' titles.
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37657
=========================================

Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn says his team will not give in the pursuit of both world titles in the face of what seems like insurmountable odds Brazil.
Michael Schumacher’s engine failure on 36 while leading the Japanese Grand Prix dealt a body blow to the seven-time champ’s title chances as well as that of Ferrari’s constructors’ hopes.
But Brawn reckons that even though Schumacher is 10 points behind Suzuka-winner Alonso heading into the final round, the game is not yet up.
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37658
========================================
Ferrari boss Jean Todt admitted that the engine failure that befell Michael Schumacher in the Japanese Grand Prix left a “really bitter taste in our mouths”.
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37665
========================================
An emotional Giancarlo Fisichella dedicated his third place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix to his best friend who died on Thursday.
========================================

[zia1288]

i turned off the TV when schumi retired n now i'm reading the news here

[nightsurfer]

A very emotional race for me. Both the victory and the championship were almost certain for Micheal. Alonso on the other hand was crying like an infant.

Everyone including Alonso thought that Schumacher will be the champion. But I think it was not meant to be so. I mean what were the odds of an engine failure? once in 5 years. And it had to happen in what was the most crucial race of the century so far.

I think Schumacher drove perfectly, he successfuly beat Alonso and was all set to win the race after the second pitstop.

Bad luck or whatever, nothing iis taken away from the King of kings. He is the greatest driver Formula1 has seen.

[kizzi]

Fernando Alonso would be unwise to assume that the 2006 world championship is in the bag – even though Michael Schumacher publicly conceded the title following his retirement at Suzuka.
That is the view of 1996 champion Damon Hill, who lost the ’94 title to Schumacher after a controversial collision with the German in the final round at Adelaide.
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37693
=====================================

Six teams are expected to use the final week of testing before the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix to try and squeeze the last ounce of development out of their 2006 cars.
Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, BMW Sauber and Toyota are due to begin their programmes at Jerez on Tuesday, with each of them still having something to play for at Interlagos on October 22.
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37694
=====================================

[kizzi]

Michael Schumacher began his final test as an active Formula 1 driver by comfortably topping the timesheets at Jerez on Wednesday.

Schumi cancelled a planned break in order to take part in the test, drastically lowered Tuesday’s benchmark (set by Marc Gene) with a best lap of 1m16.225s as he evaluated Bridgestone tyres for the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix.

Next up – a full second adrift of Schumacher – was Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer, who worked on the development of new components for the 2007 car.

[kizzi]

The smoky blow-up that caused Michael Schumacher’s retirement from the Japanese Grand Prix and all but extinguished his world title chances wasn’t the only technical problem that the Ferrari driver encountered last Sunday.

Schumacher, who had planned to leave Suzuka and fly straight to Spain for this week’s test at Jerez, was reportedly stranded at the airport in Nagoya after a problem was detected with his private plane.

Instead he boarded a commercial flight out of the country, sharing the first class cabin with Ferrari’s technical director Jean Todt and carrying his crash helmet as hand luggage.

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37706

[kizzi]

Pedro de la Rosa will race for McLaren in Brazil the team confirmed on Friday morning

Kimi Raikkonen has assured McLaren he will do all he can to win his final race for the team in Brazil so that it avoids its first winless season for a decade.

BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen is determined to fend off Toyota for fifth place in the constructors’ championship to complete a season that he admits has exceeded his expectations.

Michael Schumacher ended his Formula 1 testing career in blistering style to set Ferrari up perfectly for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Spa-Francorchamps will return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2007, after Bernie Ecclestone signed a deal with the Belgium Grand Prix’s new promoters.

[kizzi]

Michael Schumacher is determined to bring the curtain down on his illustrious Formula 1 career by leading Ferrari to a 1-2 and giving it the best shot of landing the constructors’ title in Brazil.

HE still has an outside chance of retiring with another drivers' title, if he takes a 92nd and final win and rival Fernando Alonso fails to finish in the points.

[zia1288]

ferrari can win constructor's title but it seems very hard to win driver's title for schumi.

[nightsurfer]

Even after 10 days I am unable to recover from the tragic events of last race.

I am in disappointed mode.

[nightsurfer]

Schumacher still does not believe in eighth title

Michael Schumacher insisted at Sao Paulo on Thursday that he does not believe he can win an eighth and final drivers' championship at his last ever Formula One race.

"I am not thinking about the driver title," the 37-year-old Ferrari driver told reporters at Interlagos, "but for us we hope we can do it in the constructors' championship."

Schumacher said: "If I could win that title with Ferrari in my last race, that would be a beautiful conclusion to my career.

"We will go on full attack and aim for a one-two. That is simply the most that we can do.
"

He smiled, though, when asked about championship leader Fernando Alonso's seemingly meagre task this weekend to be in the top eight after seventy laps of Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix.

"Sometimes getting just one point is harder than getting ten," said the German, probably recalling his fraught finale at Suzuka in 2003.

Source GMM
CAPSIS International

[nightsurfer]

Schumacher visits Senna's grave

In the days before his final of 250 Grand Prix appearances, Michael Schumacher in Sao Paulo visited the grave of his late rival, Ayrton Senna.

Although many fans of Brazil's triple World Champion, who died at Imola in 1994, never forgave Schumacher for celebrating his victory in the tragic race, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports that the retiring Ferrari driver 'visits Senna's grave most years'.

At Imola, Senna was leading Schumacher - who later in 1994 controversially won his first title - when the 34-year-old speared fatally into a concrete wall at the Tamburello corner.

"Perhaps (Schumacher) was also looking to close that chapter in his racing career before saying his farewell," dpa speculated of Schumacher's latest visit to the Senna grave.

Source GMM
CAPSIS International

[nightsurfer]

Rain at Interlagos!

Heavy rain pounded the paddock at Interlagos on Thursday in an ominous prelude to the final Grand Prix of 2006.

In the rain, Michael Schumacher's need to win his last ever race in order to have a chance of an eighth and final drivers' title would rest near-exclusively on a wet weather improvement by tyre supplier Bridgestone.

But sources at the circuit on the outskirts of Sao Paulo insisted that the Japanese company has opted against bringing a new compound of wet weather tyre to Brazil, as it did two weeks ago at Suzuka.

Speculation about the rest of the weekend, however, is less gloomy, with paddock wags predicting a clearer sky for the three days of track action.

Before observers ran for the cover of the media centre, meanwhile, the nature of departing long-time Honda sponsor Lucky Strike's final race in Formula One was evident, with car bodywork in pitlane bearing words like 'Last Blast' and 'Toodle-oo'.

Source GMM
CAPSIS International