Brazil 2006: Alonso, two-time champion, inherits the throne from Schumacher

Fernando Alonso was the great dominator of the first half of the 2006 season with Renault. However, Ferrari and Michael Schumacher reacted in the second and, with five victories in seven races for the German, both arrived tied in Japan, home of the penultimate stop of the world championship.

There, when he was leading and was going to take the lead in the championship, Michael Schumacher suffered a painful engine failure that practically ruined all his chances of winning his eighth title.

Thus, they reached the definitive Brazilian GP with a difference of 10 points at a time when the race winner received just 10. In other words, it was enough for Fernando Alonso to add a point (be eighth or better) or that his rival won’t win the race.

The tie on points would have given the crown to the Kaiser for the greatest number of wins, and that day, the most successful driver in history, said goodbye to Formula 1 after a glorious stage at Ferrari.

(Before reading the chronicle, pass the photos and enjoy)

Michael Schumacher retirement ceremony from F1: receives a trophy from Pelé

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Start of the race: Felipe Massa, leader ahead of Kimi Raikkonen

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Start of the race: Felipe Massa, leader ahead of Kimi Raikkonen

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher

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Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images

Michael Schumacher says goodbye to Ferrari on his retirement from Formula 1

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Podium: second place Fernando Alonso, Renault F1 Team, Race winner Felipe Massa, Ferrari,

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Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images

Podium: Race Winner Felipe Massa, Ferrari

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Photo by: Charles Coates/Motorsport Images

Podium: race winner Felipe Massa, Ferrari, second place Fernando Alonso, Renault, third l

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Photo by: Lorenzo Bellanca / Motorsport Images

Race winner Felipe Massa, Ferrari

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Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso ahead of Michael Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella

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Photo by: LAT Images

Podium: Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Fernando Alonso, 2006 F1 world champion, with Flavio Briatore

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Photo by: LAT Images

Fernando Alonso, 2006 F1 world champion

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Photo by: LAT Images

Fernando Alonso, 2006 F1 world champion

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Photo by: LAT Images

Podium: second place Fernando Alonso

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Photo by: LAT Images

Podium: second place Fernando Alonso

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Photo by: LAT Images

Podium: second place Fernando Alonso

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Photo by: LAT Images

Podium: race winner Felipe Massa and 2006 world champion, second place Fernando Alonso and

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Photo by: LAT Images

Podium: second place Fernando Alonso

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Photo by: LAT Images

Podium: race winner Felipe Massa and 2006 world champion, second place Fernando Alonso and third place Jenson Button

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Podium: race winner Felipe Massa and 2006 world champion, second place Fernando Alonso and

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Formula 1 Brazilian GP 2006 race summary

On Saturday came the first setback for Schumacher, when he suffered a fuel pressure problem that prevented him from competing in Q3 and forced him to start tenth. Ahead, Alonso had managed to qualify fourth, and everything was under control.

Schumacher’s teammate, Felipe Massa, led the race from the start, with Alonso remaining in fourth place. The German was trying to come back and he was succeeding, in fact on lap 7 he was already in fifth place. However, to make matters worse, he ran over the remains of cars left by a previous accident and punctured his tyre, falling to last position after the forced passage through the pits.

The German’s very few options had disappeared, and although he made a brilliant comeback to go from 19th position to fourth, he could not win, and Alonso was crowned with a second place that made him the youngest two-time world champion in history ( record that Vettel would later take away from him).

In this way, Interlagos witnessed Fernando Alonso’s second world championship, a year after getting the first one also in Brazil. A historical milestone with which we had not even dreamed. A royal dream.

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