UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Alonso wins eventful race

Schumacher takes second

The 2006 Canadian Grand prix had everything: exciting scraps, accidents, safety cars, the lot, but what it didn’t have, ultimately, was an unexpected outcome.

Yes, Fernando Alonso romped to another victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but this was no walk in the park for the brilliant Spaniard.

A frantic start saw Giancarlo Fisichella, on the front row in the Renault, moving before the lights went out. Second place lost to Kimi Raikkonen off the line, the Italians chances of victory ended there as a drive through penalty beckoned.

Behind the leading group a tense first lap saw Juan Pablo Montoya and a slow starting Michael Schumacher fighting for position. The Colombian came out in front and set about young Nico Rosberg in the Williams. Inexperience played its part as Montoya got alongside the Williams, and Rosberg had nowhere to go. The two touched; Rosberg was out on the spot and Montoya to the pits, only to retire shortly afterwards when he hit the legendary wall.

After two laps behind the safety car, a part of the fixtures and fittings here at Montreal, racing resumed.

In the first section of the race it appeared that Raikkonen had a car to challenge the Renault, at one point pulling alongside on the long straight and looking very feisty indeed, but all was to change at the first pit stops.

It was Alonso who pitted first on lap 23, and as usual the Renault crew turned him around in a slick and faultless fashion. Raikkonens stop, one lap later, was not so smooth,

The McLaren sat in the box for over twelve seconds as the mechanics appeared to have problems with the right rear tyre. He emerged from the pits cautiously, over five seconds behind the Renault.

Jarno Trulli had been circulating in third and handily holding up Michael Schumacher, who was relieved when the Toyota peeled into the pits on lap 24. At this point we saw the first signs of a problem that would affect the other Toyota all race as Ralf had the first of what would be many offs caused by an unexplained problem at the rear of the car.

Incredibly Schumacher would stay out until lap 32, with only team mate Massa – on a one stop strategy – and the two BMW-Saubers of Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld staying out longer. The latter pair had hauled themselves into points running positions quite easily from their grid slots outside the top ten.

The middle stint of the race saw things settle down a little, as Schumacher got up to speed now he was free of Trulli, and Raikkonen and Alonso traded fastest laps at the front. Suddenly Raikkonen seemed not to have the ultimate pace he had shown in the opening stint, and another important factor was becoming evident: rubber ‘marbles’ were littering the track off the racing line.

Drivers who fell foul of the marbles included Alonso, Raikkonen, Michael Schumacher, Fisichella, Massa, in fact, practically all of the front runners. Nearing the second round of stops it became clear that to move off line was to take the result out of ones own hands.

By this time Ralf Schumacher was still circulating, the team utterly baffled by a problem that was reducing the Toyota’s pace to some five seconds off the front runners, and often more.

Alonso was now twelve seconds ahead of Raikkonen, thanks to the Finn getting on the marbles at the final hairpin and having to come practically to a standstill, when he made his first stop on lap 50. Again it was clean and precise, the Renault underway faultlessly in a few seconds. Raikkonen left it a couple more this time, putting in a couple of very quick laps, but it was all to be undone, again, at the pit stop. This time the Mercedes engine stalled as the clutch malfunctioned, and the car was stationary for 14 seconds. Race over for Kimi.

He came out just ahead of Michael, who had a second stop to make, and duly did so a couple of laps later.

Barring anyone visiting the marbles the race looked set with Alonso now ahead by over twenty seconds and Kimi comfortably ahead of Schumacher. This is when the younger Schumacher, with the errant Toyota, came into play once again.

Sadly for the home fans it was Jacques Villeneuve, running in a solid and deserved eighth place, who came upon Ralf, going slowly on the racing line, in one of the right handers mid way around the circuit. He moved off line to over take and simply slid into the wall. Suddenly the prospect of a race to the finish was on as the safety car came out for another run.

With seven laps to run the safety car pitted, and Alonso had a free run to the flag. This was thanks, again, to a Toyota, but the one driven by Trulli. The Italian, between the Renault and the McLaren along with Heidfeld in the remaining BMW, appeared to be sleeping somewhat as the restart came into view, and Raikkonen was effectively out the running as Alonso got a good jump on his rivals.

So now the finish, once again, seemed predictable, but more misfortune would befall the unfortunate Raikkonen. With a lap left the Finn, pushing very hard, found the marbles again and, in an instant, Schumacher was through.

Alonso crossed the line a few seconds ahead of the Ferrari for yet another victory, with the Mclaren completing a very slow last lap for third place.

Fisichella salvaged fourth from an afternoon ruined at the very start, and Massa took a well deserved fifth after a fine drive with only one stop.

Sixth place went to Trulli, the Toyota drivers first points in what has been a dismal season, and seventh to Nick Heidfeld in another deserved points finish for the increasingly competitive BMW-Sauber team.

Eighth place looked to be have handed on a plate to Jenson Button, but the Honda teams woe continued as David Coulthard forced his Red Bull down the inside with a couple of laps to go, securing the final point for himself. It was a fine performance by the Scot, who started from the back of the grid after an engine change.

Button duly finished ninth, the only Honda running after Rubens Barrichello had retired with an engine that was about to let go early in the race, and Scott Speed drove a fine race to tenth in the Toro Rosso, right on Button’s gearbox as they crossed the line.

Christian Klien finished eleventh in the second Red Bull, and Mark Webber drove a lonely race in the Williams to twelfth.

The last two runners, in thirteenth and fourteenth, were Tonio Liuzzi in the second Toro Rosso and Tiago Monteiro in the only running Midland, team mate Christijan Albers having been eliminated on the first lap in another accident involving the two M16-Toyota’s.

Takuma Sato was classified 15th, the Super Aguri Honda engine having expired just a couple of laps before the end of the race, team mate Franck Montagny having experienced the same some time before. This was a better showing by the new team, who are showing improvement with every outing.

Alonso’s win moves him closer still to what many believe is an inevitable second title, and it is hard to see past the Renault at the moment. Without the pit stop problems it is possible that Raikkonen and McLaren could have taken the fight to them, but it would have been a fight indeed. Next we move to Indianapolis, scene of last year’s controversial six car race. Let’s hope a full field races this year.

Written: Sun, 25 Jun 2006 19:20:02