Schumi has engine failure...that's just wont happen, surreal. Woah.
Fiscichella is really upset about something.
Expect Keiran here in a few hours explaining how Schumacher should be banned for putting a bit of smoke in Alonso's eyes and slowing him up a bit. Or something.
It was a good drive by Alonso, but I just can't work out why I never feel happy for him? If Massa, Fisi, Button, Kimi, Schumi, Trulli etc win I feel happy for them, but Alonso just imparts no positive emotions for me... Maybe it's the horse resemblance...
It was a good drive by Alonso, but I just can't work out why I never feel happy for him? If Massa, Fisi, Button, Kimi, Schumi, Trulli etc win I feel happy for them, but Alonso just imparts no positive emotions for me... Maybe it's the horse resemblance...
nice move by eyebrow to show the "winner-fist" the moment, MS engine blows. Very sportsmanlike behaviour. 
I did exactly the same
Clearly Schumacher's aggressive driving style caused his engine failure...it's all his own fault.
Schumi DNF, damn... Something about Alonso just rubs me the wrong away so I was hoping for MS to take another championship. Guess that's ruined then. 
so bad for msc
Alonso turns it around in Japan 
Suzuka exit leaves Schumacher with it all to do at final round
Victory for Fernando Alonso and retirement for Michael Schumacher at Suzuka means just a single point at the season finale in Brazil will make Alonso champion for a second time. For 36 laps of Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, Schumacher could see the Renault of Alonso in his mirrors and the 2006 drivers’ crown in his future. From the start he had pulled away from the Spaniard, taking the lead from polesitting Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa on the third lap, and though the Renaults were much more competitive than they had been in qualifying, everything was under control.
But then a plume of smoke erupted from the back of the Ferrari in the second Degner Curve on the 37th lap, and the unthinkable happened as the German’s V8 expired. It was his first non-crash retirement since Spain 2005, and this one really hurt.
As Schumacher trudged back to the pits, where he shook everyone by the hand and wore a philosophical smile, Alonso made the most of his good fortune. He had passed Massa during the first pit stops after the Brazilian stopped three laps earlier than scheduled because of a puncture, and been keeping Schumacher honest and the gap between them around five seconds, when his arch-rival dropped out. Now he was able to stroke his Renault home to his first victory since Canada in June, secure in the knowledge that eighth place in Brazil will be sufficient to retain his crown.
Massa backed off hugely over the final laps - possibly on the advice of his team - but was never challenged for second by Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella, who had fought through to beat Honda’s Jenson Button, McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen and the Toyotas through better pit work. Button was a distant fourth, Raikkonen fifth, and Jarno Trulli led team mate Ralf Schumacher home for sixth after a race-long fight.
Behind them, Nick Heidfeld clung on ahead of BMW Sauber team mate Robert Kubica to take the final point, the Pole having caught back up a 10-second deficit after a big off in the second Degner on lap 31.
Nico Rosberg was Williams’ sole finisher in 10th, after Mark Webber crashed heavily exiting the chicane on lap 39, leading home McLaren’s Pedro de la Rosa and Rubens Barrichello, who needed a new nose on his Honda after a brush on the opening lap.
Robert Doornbos emerged from an early scrap between all the Red Bull runners to finish 13th ahead of Tonio Liuzzi, who performed a neat 360-degree spin early on exiting the chicane. Their respective RBR and Toro Rosso team mates David Coulthard and Scott Speed (who also spun) both failed to finish.
The two Super Aguris were 15th and 17th, sandwiching Tiago Monteiro’s Spyker MF1. The other Dutch car of Christijan Albers was in the thick of the Red Bull battle, but retired in spectacular fashion on the 20th lap when a rear suspension breakage removed its rear wing as the Dutchman exited the chicane. He was lucky it happened there.
The Suzuka result was a massive fillip for Alonso and Renault, who increased their lead in the constructors’ championship to nine points. It may not all be over, with one race left, but now it is Schumacher and Ferrari who have the mountain to climb.
Source - http://formula1.com/race/news/5090/768.html
Suzuka exit leaves Schumacher with it all to do at final roundVictory for Fernando Alonso and retirement for Michael Schumacher at Suzuka means just a single point at the season finale in Brazil will make Alonso champion for a second time.
For 36 laps of Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, Schumacher could see the Renault of Alonso in his mirrors and the 2006 drivers’ crown in his future. From the start he had pulled away from the Spaniard, taking the lead from polesitting Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa on the third lap, and though the Renaults were much more competitive than they had been in qualifying, everything was under control.But then a plume of smoke erupted from the back of the Ferrari in the second Degner Curve on the 37th lap, and the unthinkable happened as the German’s V8 expired. It was his first non-crash retirement since Spain 2005, and this one really hurt.
As Schumacher trudged back to the pits, where he shook everyone by the hand and wore a philosophical smile, Alonso made the most of his good fortune. He had passed Massa during the first pit stops after the Brazilian stopped three laps earlier than scheduled because of a puncture, and been keeping Schumacher honest and the gap between them around five seconds, when his arch-rival dropped out. Now he was able to stroke his Renault home to his first victory since Canada in June, secure in the knowledge that eighth place in Brazil will be sufficient to retain his crown.
Massa backed off hugely over the final laps - possibly on the advice of his team - but was never challenged for second by Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella, who had fought through to beat Honda’s Jenson Button, McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen and the Toyotas through better pit work. Button was a distant fourth, Raikkonen fifth, and Jarno Trulli led team mate Ralf Schumacher home for sixth after a race-long fight.
Behind them, Nick Heidfeld clung on ahead of BMW Sauber team mate Robert Kubica to take the final point, the Pole having caught back up a 10-second deficit after a big off in the second Degner on lap 31.
Nico Rosberg was Williams’ sole finisher in 10th, after Mark Webber crashed heavily exiting the chicane on lap 39, leading home McLaren’s Pedro de la Rosa and Rubens Barrichello, who needed a new nose on his Honda after a brush on the opening lap.
Robert Doornbos emerged from an early scrap between all the Red Bull runners to finish 13th ahead of Tonio Liuzzi, who performed a neat 360-degree spin early on exiting the chicane. Their respective RBR and Toro Rosso team mates David Coulthard and Scott Speed (who also spun) both failed to finish.
The two Super Aguris were 15th and 17th, sandwiching Tiago Monteiro’s Spyker MF1. The other Dutch car of Christijan Albers was in the thick of the Red Bull battle, but retired in spectacular fashion on the 20th lap when a rear suspension breakage removed its rear wing as the Dutchman exited the chicane. He was lucky it happened there.
The Suzuka result was a massive fillip for Alonso and Renault, who increased their lead in the constructors’ championship to nine points. It may not all be over, with one race left, but now it is Schumacher and Ferrari who have the mountain to climb.
Source - http://formula1.com/race/news/5090/768.html
chu accepts the title is lost
Sunday, 08, October, 2006, 10:17
Michael Schumacher has written off his chances of winning an unprecedented eighth world championship after retiring from the lead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Ferrari ace was on course for a victory that would have given him a two-point advantage over Fernando Alonso going into the season finale in Brazil.
But his engine blew up 17 laps from home, handing Alonso the win and an almost unassailable 10-point lead.
Schumacher declared afterwards that his title chances are now over, and said his focus at Interlagos will be to win the constructors’ crown for Ferrari.
“The drivers’ title for me is finished, but we go to Brazil to win the constructors’,” he told reporters at Suzuka.
“Today we all tried hard, we were first but lost the engine.
“That’s Formula 1. I’m not too disappointed. Life and racing is like this.”
Improbable as it may be, Schumacher can still pip Alonso at the post if he were to win in Brazil with the Spaniard failing to finish.
The pair would then be level on points and Schumacher would be champion on the strength of one more win.
But the 37-year-old German, who will bow out of Formula 1 after the Interlagos race, discounted that possibility as too remote to be considered.
Moreover, he said he did not want to rely on his rival’s misfortune to clinch the title.
“This is not really the way I want to go to Brazil – I would like to fight for the championship on the track,” he said.
“I don’t want to believe in me winning and my opponent not scoring one point, or not finishing.
“That is not the basis I want to go into the race with.”
Rather than bemoaning his misfortune, Schumacher hailed Ferrari’s achievement in taking the fight to Alonso and Renault after a poor start to the year.
“We must be very proud of the work we’ve done, because in Canada we were 25 points behind, and neither you or others thought we’d come back – but we did,” he said.
“Now we are here, nine points behind in the constructors’.”
Source - http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37662
Sunday, 08, October, 2006, 10:17
Michael Schumacher has written off his chances of winning an unprecedented eighth world championship after retiring from the lead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Ferrari ace was on course for a victory that would have given him a two-point advantage over Fernando Alonso going into the season finale in Brazil.
But his engine blew up 17 laps from home, handing Alonso the win and an almost unassailable 10-point lead.
Schumacher declared afterwards that his title chances are now over, and said his focus at Interlagos will be to win the constructors’ crown for Ferrari.
“The drivers’ title for me is finished, but we go to Brazil to win the constructors’,” he told reporters at Suzuka.
“Today we all tried hard, we were first but lost the engine.
“That’s Formula 1. I’m not too disappointed. Life and racing is like this.”
Improbable as it may be, Schumacher can still pip Alonso at the post if he were to win in Brazil with the Spaniard failing to finish.
The pair would then be level on points and Schumacher would be champion on the strength of one more win.
But the 37-year-old German, who will bow out of Formula 1 after the Interlagos race, discounted that possibility as too remote to be considered.
Moreover, he said he did not want to rely on his rival’s misfortune to clinch the title.
“This is not really the way I want to go to Brazil – I would like to fight for the championship on the track,” he said.
“I don’t want to believe in me winning and my opponent not scoring one point, or not finishing.
“That is not the basis I want to go into the race with.”
Rather than bemoaning his misfortune, Schumacher hailed Ferrari’s achievement in taking the fight to Alonso and Renault after a poor start to the year.
“We must be very proud of the work we’ve done, because in Canada we were 25 points behind, and neither you or others thought we’d come back – but we did,” he said.
“Now we are here, nine points behind in the constructors’.”
Source - http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37662
I personally dont like Alosno because to me he never does anything special on the track. If his cars is good then he wins easily, if his car isnt good then he struggles and doesnt do anything magic whereas when you look at Michael even in a bad car he can do special things and maybe finish 3rd second or even win where others in that situation would just fail. His win in China was a gd example fo Schumey stuggeling but even with a slow car at the begining he was still the fastest Bridgestone runner. I just cant see anyone else doing what Schumey did and win a race, ok you may say due to Renauls mistakes but it was typical Schumey to keep plucking away.
I,ve seen this on numerous occasions during his career and thats why i have so much respect for Schumey, untill Alsonso does something special i will just think of him as an average driver.
It's a shame MS got a dnf, but atleast it wasnt plain sailing for Alosno this year and the way Ferrari fought back is amazing.
I'll have to dig out my missile launcher for the Brazillian gp ..
mad
I,ve seen this on numerous occasions during his career and thats why i have so much respect for Schumey, untill Alsonso does something special i will just think of him as an average driver.
It's a shame MS got a dnf, but atleast it wasnt plain sailing for Alosno this year and the way Ferrari fought back is amazing.
I'll have to dig out my missile launcher for the Brazillian gp ..
mad
I'd pay you a zillion quid
I think Ferrari should pay someone to purposely take out Alonso at Brazil, ROFL.
Come on Sato, your team is good at that (his career is spoiled enough already anyways, lol)
Come on Sato, your team is good at that
(his career is spoiled enough already anyways, lol)"Hey Super Auguri, we give you a Ferrari engine, and you will give us the title"
I just can't help getting this: "Alonso, the world's most luckiest F1 championship winner"
And MSC had his first engine blowout since 2000 (?) just 2 races before Kimi Räikkönen goes Ferrari
. The bad luck must stop, dammit.
And MSC had his first engine blowout since 2000 (?) just 2 races before Kimi Räikkönen goes Ferrari
. The bad luck must stop, dammit.That's what I thought too. Must be annoying for Alonso to only win the championship because of MSC's blown engine. Now all his driving and effort is worthless, because everyone will say that the reason for his championship is this one blown engine. Poor guy.
Vain
After all the BS that's happened in the last half of the season I think Alonso deserved this one.
1 - Renault losing it's suspension because it's a moving aerodynamic device
2 - Ferrari using wheel hubcaps that should be banned by the same rule the way it was interpreted, but nothing is done
3 - fernando "blocking" massa in qualifying at monza and being brutally penalized
4 - massa BLOCKING alonso at japan and nothing is said
5 - michael jumping the chicane to avoid being passed but not pulling over or getting a penalty
My reaction last night when I saw it was michael with the smoking engine...
speedfreak227
1 - Renault losing it's suspension because it's a moving aerodynamic device
2 - Ferrari using wheel hubcaps that should be banned by the same rule the way it was interpreted, but nothing is done
3 - fernando "blocking" massa in qualifying at monza and being brutally penalized
4 - massa BLOCKING alonso at japan and nothing is said
5 - michael jumping the chicane to avoid being passed but not pulling over or getting a penalty
My reaction last night when I saw it was michael with the smoking engine...
speedfreak227
I guess people might think that, if they don't think too hard. You could say that Schumacher wouldn't have been contending for the championship if Alonso's engine hadn't blown at Monza. To me, it's all now equalised in respect of engine fortunes, and Alonso is leading.
I trust that was tounge in cheek?
Just comparing this season, MS has retired 3 times (AUS, HUN, JPN), twice by his own mistake and once for technical reasons. FA has retired twice (HUN, ITA), both times for technical reasons. I can't see any advantage for FA in terms of luck there. And that's without even getting into the whole mass damper and Massa blocking debate.
In fact no driver ever ever has had the reliability that MS has had at Ferarri. Does this make people remember him as the guy who won all those championships by luck?
And anyway, let's wait until the season's over, anything can still happen.
Fisi unhappy
if you wondering why fisi was not so happy on the podium it was because his best mate died on thursday
An emotional Giancarlo Fisichella dedicated his third place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix to his best friend who died on Thursday.
The Italian fought his way up from sixth of the grid at Suzuka to score his second podium finish in a week, helping Renault establish a significant nine point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ standings.
And in the post-race press conference he revealed the difficulties he faced to race at Suzuka after the death of his childhood pal Tonino.
“Psychologically today wasn't an easy race for me because on Thursday I lost my best friend ever,” he said.
“I am really sad because the race was important but not like the life of a friend like him.
“So I want to dedicate that third place to him."
After dropping behind Jenson Button at the start, Fisichella followed his team-mate’s lead by fighting his way past the Toyotas and says the 1-3 was a great result for the team.
“I didn’t have a fantastic start, I lost a position to Button,” he said.
“Then after a few laps I overtook him and was catching the Toyota guys.
“After that the car balance wasn’t too bad, I did a good race, overtook them in the pit stops the strategy and tyres were good.
“So today is a fantastic result for Fernando, for myself and the team.”
An emotional Giancarlo Fisichella dedicated his third place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix to his best friend who died on Thursday.
The Italian fought his way up from sixth of the grid at Suzuka to score his second podium finish in a week, helping Renault establish a significant nine point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ standings.
And in the post-race press conference he revealed the difficulties he faced to race at Suzuka after the death of his childhood pal Tonino.
“Psychologically today wasn't an easy race for me because on Thursday I lost my best friend ever,” he said.
“I am really sad because the race was important but not like the life of a friend like him.
“So I want to dedicate that third place to him."
After dropping behind Jenson Button at the start, Fisichella followed his team-mate’s lead by fighting his way past the Toyotas and says the 1-3 was a great result for the team.“I didn’t have a fantastic start, I lost a position to Button,” he said.
“Then after a few laps I overtook him and was catching the Toyota guys.
“After that the car balance wasn’t too bad, I did a good race, overtook them in the pit stops the strategy and tyres were good.
“So today is a fantastic result for Fernando, for myself and the team.”
Alonso should have played Lotto here in Germany this weekend 
Just while I remember didn't you claim this...
Now that's spiteful and childish, never would I step so low to wish someone death or serious illness
illepallI was shocked when the first few laps went by and Alonso's Renault was staying in touch with the Bridgestone's. Taking just over a quarter of a second a lap out of Schumacher at certain periods over the GP. Pity about Raikkonen his McLaren obviously came alive in the race but spent most of it trying to make his way through the field.
So what happened to Schumacher last year when Rubens was actually doing the better job at the start of the season? Was it 2003 Rubens was doing the better job again and Schumacher demanded to have Rubens race car which had out qualified him? We have no idea what Schumacher could do/ not do with the Renault and all we have to base drivers performances on is there team mates. Now this year Alonso has thrashed Fisi pretty much in every race and to think this is Renaults most experienced race driver next year
Alonso has been near enough the top running Michelin runner all year if memory serves me correctly and has done fantastic drives in the Minardi back in 2001. He also pulled out some very spectacular drives in his early days at Renault as well.
Some people seem to forget the budget of Renault is pocket money to Ferrari and McLaren and I'm just amazed at how well they most spend it. Thats one of there critical problems me thinks is trying to keep/get drivers but not have a good enough sum. Alonso's pay will probably double at least when he heads off to McLaren.
Schumacher had an engine failure, the same thing happened to Alonso at Monza. Without that Alonso would have had one hand on the championship already. What JB has pointed out shows me stastically Alonso has been the strongest mentally when things go against him. Schumacher has caused his own retirement twice, Alonso - zero.
One last thing who was slagging off Alonso's engine management and praising Schumachers
(thisnameistaken)
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+1
speedfreak227
i agree 100%
i surprised myself by not shouting with delight at schumachers demise, more disbelief.
after all the crap that ferrari have pulled over the years, the oversized Michelin tyres, the damper system, massa's qualy farce at monza, tyre ovens and not blankets and the rear wheel covers, i feel a sense of justice that MS was let down by a ferrari engine.
just listen to any of schumacher's ex team mates...they all say how hard it was having to toe the line to help him win titles..where has alonso's help been?
he won last years title by himself (on the track of course) and it looks like he will repeat that this year.
a lesser man would have given up today.....full marks to him.
one more thing........schumacher saying how he wouldnt like a rival losing the title by not finishing..........he didnt worry in 1997 when he tried to put JV off the track or hill in 1994....what an absolute hypocrite.
how'd you know when his car is working and when not?
compared to fisico it seems the car is never working and
he's doing magic every time.
and please what is so magic about beeing the fastest
bridgestoned car in china? he always is...
...i have a long list of special things schumacher did during
his career for what i've lost any respect for him, though.
and don't buffer. i'm posting this reply, sitting in my anti-
ballistic missile defense which is already stationed in interlargos
(thisnameistaken)
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Although it's always a shame for mechanical problems to interfere with a race, it is part of motor racing, along with inequality of cars, tyres, etc.
Having said that, it sort of goes some way to balance the points lost by Alonso in Hungary and Monza. Alonso's Hungary failure lost him 11 points to Schumacher and now Japan pretty much cancels this out, with Alonso gaining 12 points on Schumacher.
This would just leave Alonso's lost 6 points to mechanical failure at Monza, with which he'd already be champion.
Both the combinations of Schumacher/Ferrari and Alonso/Renault have clearly been the class of the field, and both are certainly deserving of fighting for the championship into the final round. Maybe Alonso's position, where his mistake or a Renault reliability issue seem to be the only way not to win the championship in Brazil, is the fair result of the season overall.
Having said that, it sort of goes some way to balance the points lost by Alonso in Hungary and Monza. Alonso's Hungary failure lost him 11 points to Schumacher and now Japan pretty much cancels this out, with Alonso gaining 12 points on Schumacher.
This would just leave Alonso's lost 6 points to mechanical failure at Monza, with which he'd already be champion.
Both the combinations of Schumacher/Ferrari and Alonso/Renault have clearly been the class of the field, and both are certainly deserving of fighting for the championship into the final round. Maybe Alonso's position, where his mistake or a Renault reliability issue seem to be the only way not to win the championship in Brazil, is the fair result of the season overall.
Japanese Grand Prix Race ** spoiler **
(60 posts, started )
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