Japan: Michelin were always confident

By Michelin Sport
October 8 2006

Fernando Alonso bounced back from a troubled qualifying session to score his seventh victory of the season in the Japanese Grand Prix, penultimate event of the 18-race Formula One season.

In common with other Michelin runners, Alonso struggled to generate one-lap pace in yesterday's qualifying session. Although he emerged as the quickest of Bibendum's contenders, he started only fifth. He claimed one scalp within moments of the start, slicing inside Jarno Trulli at Turn One, and then gained two more places as rivals Felipe Massa and Ralf Schumacher made early first stops. Alonso retained second place after making his own first stop, and remained within striking distance of world championship rival Michael Schumacher. Alonso pushed with customary relentlessness – and the race swung in his favour when Schumacher pulled off with an engine failure, moments after he'd made his final fuel and tyre stop.

By that stage Alonso was comfortably clear of Massa and he pulled ever farther ahead in the race's closing stages to win by 16.1 seconds. Victory has given him a 10-point lead over Schumacher – and that means a top-eight finish will be enough to secure the title when the season concludes in Brazil on October 22. To pip Alonso, Schumacher would have to win and hope that his Spanish nemesis failed to score.

While the title rivals hogged the headlines, Giancarlo Fisichella drove a solid race to finish third, well clear of fellow Michelin drivers Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen. Nick Heidfeld was the fifth driver to score points on Michelin tyres – he finished just ahead of team-mate Robert Kubica, who recovered well after losing time when he ran wide through the gravel earlier in the race.

Pedro de la Rosa endured a difficult afternoon in midfield traffic, but was best of the remaining Michelin finishers in 11th place. Rubens Barrichello had to pit for a replacement nose after sustaining damage on the opening lap, but he recovered to finish 12th. Robert Doornbos lost several places at the start before clawing his way back to 13th and Vitantonio Liuzzi survived an early spin en route to 14th. The Italian's team-mate Scott Speed ran 14th in the opening stages, after a good start from the rear of the field, but he, too, was delayed by a spin. Power steering failure eventually forced him to pit with five laps remaining. Officially, he was placed 18th.

David Coulthard was the only Michelin driver not to be classified. He dropped out after 35 laps when he lost fourth gear.

Nick Shorrock
Formula One Director
Michelin

"First of all, this was a very satisfying victory for Renault and Michelin.

"Michelin's prime and option tyres were extremely consistent in race conditions and, as Fernando Alonso's fastest lap underlines, they were fast as well as durable. Track temperatures dropped in the early stages of the race, which created a more comfortable operating window for our products, but we accept that we still have to investigate yesterday's puzzling absence of qualifying pace.

"We were always confident, however, that we had a strong race tyre – and the performances of Honda, McLaren and BMW Sauber helped underline the point.

"Today's victory hasn't settled anything but it has given Fernando and Renault a clear advantage as we prepare for the seasonal finale in Brazil. That will be Michelin's F1 swansong, of course, and we are determined to bow out with a flourish. We have worked flat out all season and today's success won't change our approach one iota. We are acutely aware that there is no scope for complacency in F1."