After the Chinese Grand Prix, we are back for the 22nd Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka, for the penultimate round of the Formula World Championship 2006. Suzuka has been the scene of the GP of Japan since 1987, year in which Gerhard Berger won with a Ferrari, thereby interrupting an unlucky streak in Ferrari’s results by ending a series of 37 consecutive non-wins for the team from Maranello since Michele Alboreto’s win in the GP of Germany in 1985.
Suzuka has been however a circuit that has been good to Schumacher, who with six victories - 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004 - retains the record for most successful driver, followed at distance by the great Ayrton Senna, and the likes of Berger, Damon Hill and Hakkinen, who each qualified twice for the podium. Among the winningest teams we find McLaren and Ferrari with seven victories each. The is no doubt that Michael Schumacher is the master of qualifying at Suzuka, as he managed to put his car in pole position for a full eight times - 1994-5, 1998-99, 2000-02 and 2004, followed at distance by Ayrton Senna with three pole positions. With four, Michel Schumacher also retains the record for fastest lap during the GP of Japan. On the podium we find Michael Schumacher once more ahead of the competition with nine top three finishes, followed by the likes of Hakkinen with six, and Senna and Coulthard with four.
Felipe Massa and his second place trophy.
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Background
The World Championship was decided five years in a row - 1987 to 1991 - at Suzuka; in each of these years the GP of Japan was the penultimate event on the racing calendar. It required no imagination that Ferrari fans (the “Tifosi”) looked forward to this years race with great hopes after the impressive win of Michael Schumacher a week earlier in China. Schumi, the man himself, was good-humored when he reached Suzuka. As he declared on Ferrari’s official website in the days that lead to the Japanese GP: “Now that I pocketed the victory in Shanghai, I look forward to with enthusiasm to Suzuka, a race that has always been a crucial in the Championship. During the second half of this season we worked hard, and thanks to the efforts of all we find ourselves at the same level of our main competitors in the run for the title. Who could have imagined this only 3 months ago? At Suzuka the championship starts all over again and I believe that that is a good thing for all of those who dig formula one racing. I anticipate a hard fight ……”
In the Renault Benetton camp we find an Alonso, who sings a different tune. In the wake of the Chinese Grand prix, he had been critical of both his team’s strategy and his fellow team mate Giancarlo Fisichella. His team, so he stated, would above all work towards the goal of the Manufacturer’s Championship. His teammate Giancarlo Fisichella, so he wants us to know, has been less than helpful in covering the attacks from the Ferrari team. Most of all Alonso was not been appreciative of the fact that Giancarlo went on to party with Michael in the aftermath of the Grand Prix of China at the Shanghai Marriott hotel. As Alonso stated: “Tires will make the difference in the last two Grand Prixs of this season. Michelin has worked hard over the past years at Suzuka. At Renault-Benetton we are very confident, just as they are at Ferrari. Come race day we’ll see how things fare.”
Michael Schumacher
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Practice
After the rained-out weekend in China all eyes were on the weather forecasts for Suzuka which called for rain on Friday morning and then progressively for dry, but partly cloudy, weather during the race weekend. Ferrari fans utter a sigh of relief. Indeed it rained during Friday’s early session and only the “third” team drivers lapping on the track. But in the second session the aces came out. It was soon apparent that drivers needed to keep momentum on this track with all the sweeping right and lefthanders. In the last 10 minutes of the second practice the entire formula one circus is out on the track. Finally, Renault-Benetton’s Fisichella set the fastest lap (1:34.337) followed closely by Massa in the Ferrari (1:34.408), and Michael Schumacher (1:34.565); Alonso manages 4th time (1:34.863), followed by Davidson in the Honda and rising star Christian Vettel in the BMW-Sauber, while Raikkonen in his Mercedes-McLaren seemed in trouble in tenth spot. Remarkably, Christijan Albers managed 16th in what is now a Spijker MF1-Toyota.
Qualifying
For qualifying, the weather definitely improved over Friday and the conditions are now sunny with a stiff breeze. It appears that the track is still “green” as not much rubber has been put down by the cars in the previous practice sessions. Rumors were that the Ferraris was struggling with the dry-weather Bridgestones. Clearly, the tire factor would be crucial in this race. With Button and Webber on the track, Michael Schumacher comes out of the pits and soon after lowers lap time to 1:31.279. With six minutes to go none of the other contenders for the first three spots in the driver’s world championship ranking has taken to the track yet. With five minutes left in the final practice session Massa decided to go out. His driving looked very smooth and is confirmed by his time of 1:30.112. With three and half minutes in the qualifying session left, Alonso took to the track and looked good too; he ends up in 2nd at 0.8 seconds from Massa. In the 2nd round Trulli got out pretty quickly with a lap of 1:30.204, at this point in time only Felipe Massa has turned a quicker lap. Soon it is a Toyota 1-2 in this session as Ralph Schumacher was a fraction slower than Trulli. With eight minutes in this session left both Alonso and Schumacher went out. Schumacher turned out a 1:28,045 lap, about 1.2 seconds faster than Trulli! Massa lapoed at 1:29.830, which is at this stage good for second position and decides to return to the pits. Fisichella and Alonso took up 3rd and 4th position at this point. In the last minute and a half Trulli (Toyota) and Button (Honda) managed to qualify 3rd and 4th while Ralf Schumacher put down 5th time, relegating Fisichella and Alonso in their Renault-Benettons further down the field.
Felipe Massa
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Getting the pole
Final qualifying saw the Ferraris of Michael Schumacher/Massa, and the Renault-Benettons of Fisichella/Alonso come on to the track, almost in tandem formation. Michel Schumacher took the lead, followed by Massa, then Alonso and Fisichella. At this point it is clear: Michael had the advantage with a clear road ahead of him he can try to set fastest lap and thus gain pole position for race day. But first he has to burn down some fuel. Meanwhile, Alonso – following a no-love-lost move on his teammate Fisichella - was in trouble behind Massa. Fisichella is fourth. Tension rises and to add an extra thrill are some falling rain drops. Alonso’s pit crew told him by radio to drop back from Massa and go again at it after he has been able to create a buffer zone. With 10 minutes to go Michael Schumacher set a time of 1:32.095, and thus much slower than the times that he churned out during the 2nd part of qualifying (would he be on a heavy fuel load?). The order is now Michael Schumacher, Massa, Fisichella, Button, and Alonso. It started raining slightly at this point and Michael and Alonso came with about eight minutes to go the pits where the get a new set of tires. With six minutes to go Massa was in second and Michael Schumacher put down another fastest at 1:30.245; then Massa went into second 0.113 seconds of Michael’s pace, followed by Trulli in 3rd, Alonso in 4th and Fisichella in 5th. Four minutes to go and Alonso comes back into the pits, as does Fisichella seconds later. With less than a minute to go in final qualifying Massa (1:29.559) takes pole away from Michael Schumacher (1:29,771). The Ferraris will thus both start on front row of the grid for the GP of Japan 2006; the second row will be made up by the Toyotas of Trulli and Ralf Schumacher, with the Renault-Benettons of Alonso and Fisichella only on third row. Ferrari fans and team must be very content with the qualifying results. Both Ferraris looked extremely smooth and sailed “comfortably” to the first row positions; even more reassuring is that the Toyotas in second row (notorious slow starters) may well hinder the Renault-Benettons team at the start of next days Grand Prix, allowing Michael Schumacher to overtake Massa and then disappear at the horizon, with Massa slowing the field.
The race
For the race, the weather was excellent. The cars were rolled out in front of the packed grandstands and after a parade lap were parked once again on the grid. Mechanics frantically work on the cars while drivers gave last minute interviews to the press. It looked like a perfect day for the Ferrari team, no rain in sight. The fans of the various race teams, in particular those of Ferrari and Renault Benetton settle in for a memorable race.
The start was one that is dreamed of by the Tifosi. Both Massa and Michael Schumacher were at the first curve ahead of the Toyota of Ralf Schumacher and the Renault-Benetton of Alonso. The lead group was followed at some distance by the Toyota of Trulli and then followed the rest of the field, headed by Fisichella in the second Benetton-Renault. Both Ferraris seemed to take off and leave the rest of the field behind. The first one to make a pit stop was, on lap 12, Jarno Trulli in his Toyota; the strategy of the Toyota team evidently being three stops. On lap 13 Alonso managed to get past the Toyota of Ralf Schumacher and started to recover ground on Massa. Massa made a pit stop on lap 14 to get a new set of tires and fuels up (as it would later appear this stop came earlier than scheduled as Massa was suffering from an early puncture). Alonso pits on lap 15 and at his re-entry he is able to come out ahead of Heidfeld in the BMW-Sauber who is holding up Massa. Alonso, who at that time cruises at about five seconds from first-placed Michael Schumacher, stayed ahead of Massa, who preceded Fisichella. Michael Schumacher pits on the 18th lap and managed to rejoin the race in first position well ahead of Alonso. The outcome of the race seems at this point evident and Ferrari fans start making early preparations for a victory celebration.
Michael Schumacher, Felipe Massa, Stefano Domenicali and Luca Baldisserri
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Disaster
On the 20th lap disaster strikes the Spijker MF1 of Christian Albers when a half-shaft let go, taking away in the process his entire rear wing and blowing up his rear tire. The second round of pits tops is initiated again by Trulli who manages nevertheless to stay ahead of teammate Ralf Schumacher. Fisichella pits at lap 33, followed by Alonso one lap later. It seemed evident at this point that the Drivers World Championship will be awarded upon the completion of the Brazilian GP in two weeks time.
But then the unexpected happens on lap 36! The Tifosi are in disarray! The crowd witnessed something that they had not seen since the GP of France in 2000! Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari engine spectacularly blew up just outside the tunnel! Alonso drove by, saluted Michael ……. and raced on to victory. There is nothing that Massa can do, other than complain about the time that he lost when he was stuck behind Heidfeld ! He cannot take away any precious points from Alonso, who goes on to win the 2006 GP of Japan. Fisichella finished third and makes the day for Renault, who regains the lead in both the World Champion Drivers and Manufacturer Championship, ahead of the famous Scuderia.
Michael Schumacher walked back to the pits and quietly shook the hands of all the mechanics and pit personnel, never lacking a smile for anyone. As well as being the greatest driver of his era, and perhaphs ever, he consistently demonstrates class. Fisichella, upon hearing of his friend's death,
could not help but break down on the podium; perhaps he too, is more human than some thought.
We have seen the best seasons of racing in many years. Formula One, despite the noise of the NASCAR Nation, is still the supreme test of men and machinery.
Race Results
