SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Fernando Alonso successfully retained the Formula One championship when he was second to Felipe Massa in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Michael Schumacher, who needed to win the final race of his great career to keep alive his title chance, had a punctured tire less than 10 laps into the race and dropped out of contention early. The seven-time champion finished fourth, and drove into retirement.
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Fernando Alonso, 25, becomes the youngest to win the title two years in a row. (AP) |
Massa, Schumacher's Ferrari teammate, won the race from the pole in front of an adoring home crowd at the Interlagos circuit.
Honda's Jenson Button was third.
As soon as Alonso crossed the finish line, the Spaniard thanked his crew over the radio in French -- Renault's engines are built in France -- and English -- the team is based in Britain. He helped Renault also clinch the constructors' title but will race for McLaren next year.
"Thank you, thank you," Alonso said. "Both championships again. It's been a pleasure for me. I wish you the best."
Alonso became F1's youngest champion by clinching the title at last year's Brazilian GP. Thus, the 25-year-old became the youngest to win it two years in a row.
Schumacher's problem made things easier for Alonso, who started in fourth place but moved up to second halfway through the 71-lap race.
Schumacher jumped from 10th to seventh on the first lap, but a flat left-rear tire entering the ninth lap shattered his chances of victory.
He had just passed sixth-placed Giancarlo Fisichella on the outside of turn 1 when the tire blew, forcing him to slowly return to the pits.
He changed tires and returned to the track in 18th place, more than a minute behind race leader Massa and out of contention barely 15 minutes into the race.
The problem opened the way for Alonso's second consecutive title at the Brazilian GP. He entered the race needing to finish eighth or better to secure the championship.
On the first lap, Nico Rosberg smashed his Williams and spread debris over the track, drawing the safety car.
It slowed and grouped the field before the race restarted after the sixth lap with Alonso 1.8 seconds behind in fourth and Schumacher 3.2 back in sixth.
After Schumacher's tire blew, Massa built on his advantage.
After 34 laps and the first pit stops, Massa was trailed by Alonso, who passed Kimi Raikkonen on the pit stop but was 24 seconds back.
But was third and Raikkonen dropped to fourth.
Schumacher made it back to eighth setting the fastest lap of the race to that point.
The German took over seventh and sixth by the 55th lap.
On the 63rd, Schumacher finally caught Fisichella and a chance to move to fifth.
| Formula One Champions | |
| Year | Driver |
| 2006 | Fernando Alonso |
| 2005 | Fernando Alonso |
| 2004 | Michael Schumacher |
| 2003 | Michael Schumacher |
| 2002 | Michael Schumacher |
| Complete List | |
This time, misfortune fell upon Fisichella, who went off the track for a bit, and Schumacher went past, and took off after Raikkonen with six laps left.
At the start of the 69th, Schumacher moved on the inside and passed Raikkonen for fourth with wheels almost touching around the first turn. Raikkonen will replace Schumacher at Ferrari next year.
The positions remained the same to the end, where Massa stopped to grab a Brazilian flag to wave around the track.
The next race is the 2007 opener, the Australian Grand Prix, on March 18.
