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McLaren-Mercedes and BMW-Sauber have to modify the rear wing of their cars. The FIA supposedly asked the two teams to proceed with the modification before the Australian Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday, April 2, 2006, in Melbourne, on the Albert Park circuit. McLaren and BMW were two of eight signatories to a letter of protest sent to the FIA. The subject of the letter was Ferrari's wings, accused of flexing too much. The Maranello team, however, has so far not received any invitation to modify the aerodynamics of its single-seaters. Meanwhile, the European Union has given the green light to the purchase of Slec, the company that owns Formula 1 headed by Bernie Ecclestone, by the CVC investment fund. The only condition: CVC must sell Dorna, the Spanish group that controls MotoGP, to avoid endangering free competition on the market. On the eve of the Australian Grand Prix Ferrari changed the front wing, and a clarification follows:
"It is our free choice which serves to improve performance on the Melbourne circuit. Nobody asked us to do it".
End of the controversy. We had been discussing it for about ten days. It is a question of aerodynamics, an engineering subject that causes as much discussion as a penalty in football. There is also television evidence. After the Malaysian Grand Prix, eight teams (including the top ones) brought video images of the race to the Federation, which referees Formula 1. They showed close-ups of the cars, claiming that one element of the wing flexed too much. And they asked for clarification, without presenting an official appeal that would have led to a sentence. The FIA clarified. McLaren and BMW received a verbal invitation to modify the wings, but Maranello did not.
"Our single-seaters are perfectly in order".
The 248 F1s will however have a new front wing, while the rear element will remain unchanged. What will the change be like?
"Compliant as always with FIA technical specifications".
More efficient aerodynamics can be worth up to a few tenths per lap: the difference between victory and defeat, between podium and sixth place. For this reason, mutual suspicion is a must, particularly when a car's performance improves significantly and the top speed on a straight line is very high. The wings of a single-seater have the advantage of increasing the speed when cornering (the air pressure keeps the car adherent to the asphalt) and the disadvantage of slowing it down on a straight line. The flexing wing no longer has this flaw, but it is illegal. The FIA ensures that the flexibility of the various elements, after having put them in traction with 50-kilo weights, does not exceed 2 centimetres. The problem is another: material technology has evolved more than control systems. How to verify that a piece of bodywork is compliant with all racing conditions? Hence the uncertainty of the teams, who grumble without officially protesting because they are all playing at the limit, and of the FIA, who asks and suggests without sanctioning (a non-compliant car will result in disqualification). Diplomacy allows the controversy to be resolved without winners or losers and to avoid a dangerous escalation. Honda, for example, was also ready to change the wing. If Ferrari had not modified its - the leaders of the Japanese company had threatened - a more flexible one would have been fitted to the single-seaters of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button. Michael Schumacher's comment on the subject is aseptic:
"I haven't discussed it much with the team. But the car was checked by the Federation, the only body that decides whether something is ok or not. If anyone else thinks there are irregularities, well, that's just their opinion".
Once the aerodynamic issue has been resolved, the problem of the Ferrari engine still remains The flaw that caused so many breakages has been identified in Malaysia. Now the dilemma is: replace the engine with a new and reliable one and be handed a ten-place penalty at the start or take the risk? Ferrari's objective is to keep the current engines, which have the backing of over three hundred kilometres done in Sepang because on the Melbourne street circuit, starting from behind is a blow from which it is difficult to recover. There are buffer solutions available, such as limiting the maximum engine speed and using more protective lubricants. The decision will be made on Friday evening or Saturday morning after free practice. Let's face it, Mark Webber is not a driving ace (so far his best result remains third place...), but in terms of experience and analysis, he is a kind of Schumacher. Maybe because he races at home at the Australian Grand Prix, or because you can see the race better from the back, but so far the best comment on the progress of the season is all his:
"I believe that this year's race will develop in a more compact manner than that of last year, also because behind Renault, which still seems to be the strongest team, the rest of the group is very tight. It is not possible to make predictions, also because we arrive on this circuit with new engines, new rules, new tyres".
But there is great anticipation for the Australian Grand Prix: everyone is waiting to see if Ferrari is really competitive. Whether Michael Schumacher can really worry Alonso or whether he will have to be an extra again this year. But that is not all. There are many topics to discuss. Also finding out what Barrichello will do, still empty-handed after the first two races of the season, because for him the 2006 World Championship, his first with Honda, did not start in the best way.
"Although driving this car is very comfortable, I find myself forced to drive in a completely different way than I have always done in the past. But I am the one who must try to change".
Another big unknown is the beautiful McLaren (it takes a whole day of work to paint it like this). And Montoya does not hide from this:
"In all honesty, I think we are still slightly behind Renault. I'm anxious to see how things go here in Australia, with a new engine and a competitive car".
For Williams, however, it is a semi-disaster now: the biggest problem will be linked above all to the tyres because the switch from Michelin to Bridgestone has complicated things further. From tomorrow at dawn, however, with free practice for the Australian Grand Prix, the third round of the Formula 1 World Championship, words will give way to engines. And many doubts will be dissolved. Giancarlo Fisichella's dream is to divide Italy. More than Riccardo Patrese, booed many years ago in Imola for daring to beat the Ferraris. A World Championship in green, white and red, with Mameli's anthem, not for the car, the most loved by Italians, but for the driver, son of Rome, a talent that mothers, girlfriends and kids like, who attracts an audience on TV when he starts in pole position, even if there is not a Ferrari in front of everyone, but a blue car, with a French name. The World Championship project has been bugging him for months. Does Fisichella really believe in it this year?
"I have the greatest chance of my life in my hands and I can't waste it, I would never forgive myself. Here in Melbourne I won last year, and I have everything to do it again".
Self-confidence, but above all in his means.
"Renault is the car to beat, here in Australia we are the favourites, the new car suits me perfectly, I am one with the car, and on Sunday I will be very fast again".
In the glory pursued he also sees an ambitious goal.
"Forcing Italians to cheer for me and not for Ferrari. The red car is a legend, I'm the first to recognise it, I too would long for her from home, I would rejoice in the victories, I would suffer for the defeats, but I am an Italian driver, I know I have a large following, many fans and I would like to win a world title for all these people. Replacing Ferrari is not easy, I understand the reasons of the heart, but if I found myself in front, I think it would be right to support me. To achieve this I only have one way, to win and win again, race after race, without making calculations or tables, starting from Melbourne, where I arrive in an enviable situation, relaxed, confident, serene".
Your situation changed profoundly all of a sudden.
"Now I have a lot more pressure on me. Last year I started the World Championship more anonymously, no one asked me anything. Winning the first race was a fantastic experience, I was able to race with ease, for many it was an unexpected triumph. Now it's different: in Malaysia I had a perfect race, everything went the right way, my rivals also had to fight with bad luck, I don't expect everything to always be so simple. But I am calm and convinced of my means. Renault is fast and above all it is reliable. Everything happened to me in 2005, but I am sure that the losing streak will not be repeated. It's true, in Bahrain I was forced to retire due to a problem with the accelerator, with the throttle opening only up to seventy-five per cent, but in a few days we discovered the problem, we solved it and in Malaysia, everything went smoothly".
Your opponents?
"Here I expect a very strong McLaren, it is a car with great potential, Räikkönen can be scary, but in the end, my most dangerous rival will still be Alonso, my teammate. The tests speak for themselves, Kovalainen, our test driver, also demonstrated this with his times in Le Castellet. For now, Renault is in the lead".
And Ferrari?
"Schumacher claims that the development of the car will be the decisive key to winning the World Championship. I agree, but even from this aspect we have no problems".
On Friday, March 31, 2006, the fastest in free practice for the Australian Grand Prix was a test driver. Michael Schumacher is satisfied and great balance reigns, as the best are separated from each other by a few seconds. Honda's test driver, Anthony Davidson, dominated both sessions: 1'26"822 is his best time, 0.010 seconds lower than that achieved by Alexander Wurz's Williams, and 0.378 seconds faster compared to that of BMW's Pole Robert Kubica. The best, however, are all within a few tenths of a second. Between the fourth time of Jenson Button (1'27"213) and the seventh time of Kimi Räikkönen (1'27"773), there is also the fifth time of Fernando Alonso (1'27"443) and Michael Schumacher's sixth (1'27"658). The other Ferrari of Felipe Massa (tenth time, 1'28"227) and Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault were slower (eleventh, 1'28”280). From Friday's free practice, therefore, an easy prediction emerges: the fight for victory will be a four-way affair between Renault, Honda, Ferrari and McLaren. From Albert Park in Melbourne, then, this fact emerges: unlike Bahrain and Malaysia, the fight for victory will be much closer and the competition much more exciting.
Drivers and engineers continue to look at Renault as the favourite, with Ferrari as the main opponent. From the tests, however, a very competitive Honda and a more than reliable McLaren emerged. Giancarlo Fisichella is angry, given that during free practice his Renault lost power, slowed down and stopped. The Italian driver returned to the pits. The engineers consult the telemetry data and shake their heads: the engine likely needs to be replaced. Fisichella thinks back to his bad luck. Flavio Briatore pats him on the shoulder:
"Don't worry, it's just a fuel problem. The engine couldn't get any more".
After a couple of hours, the mechanics admitted that the boss was right. Flavio Briatore explains:
"It was easy. When I was young and had little money, I put 5 thousand liras in petrol and sometimes I couldn't get home. When the fuel ran out, the symptoms were the same that Fisichella described to me".
So why did the engineers not understand immediately? Shrug:
"Now you understand why they are still engineers and I became Briatore".
While, at the end of the tests, Michael Schumacher says:
"Things went rather well apart from a bit of traffic which prevented us from completing 100% of the planned program. Another variable was the wind, which sometimes made the behaviour of the car unpredictable: in one lap I happened to end up a little wide in a corner because a gust hit the car from behind at a moment in which I no longer had room to brake".
The general director of Ferrari, Jean Todt, commented on the free practice as follows:
"We have had a very precise indication: there is a great balance between the main protagonists of this start of the season. On our part, we have worked above all on the settings of the two 248 F1s: now it is up to the engineers to analyse the data collected. We believe that this weekend the temperature factor will be very important both for choosing the best tyres and for optimising their performance".
Contrasting indications for the Renault drivers, the Spaniard Fernando Alonso and the Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, fresh from the success in Malaysia. The World Champion, leader of the World Championship standings, who finished free practice for the Australian Grand Prix in fifth place says:
"We are in good shape and we did well on a day characterised by less-than-ideal conditions. It was windy and the track was not yet very rubberised, so there were some grip problems which, however, will disappear between tomorrow and Sunday. In general, I'm quite satisfied: we have a good pace and driving our car is a pleasure".
The Italian driver, who is aiming for a repeat after his exploit in Sepang, did not go higher than the eleventh time in free practice.
"It was a day with some difficulties. The temperature on the track was relatively low and I had a lot of understeer problems. When the balance situation started to improve, I realised that something in the engine wasn't working properly. I returned to the pits, apparently, it was an inconvenience linked to the fuel draft".
Giancarlo Fisichella is nevertheless optimistic:
"Fernando's performance demonstrates that our car is fast. We will be competitive here too, I'm sure of it".
However, there is one thing that bothers Michael Schumacher on this quiet and sunny Australian weekend. It is a question repeated like a mantra: why did Massa finish ahead in Malaysia despite starting from the last row?
"Felipe managed to do his race, I didn't".
Then he talks about the traffic that slowed him down, the chaos during the pit stops and various problems, as well as the skill of his teammate. But it bothers him to have to justify himself. The challenge inside the family is the best yardstick between two drivers: same car, the best wins. Michael Schumacher is used to being at the front. It was easy for him against Irvine. With Rubens Barrichello there were some team orders, but no doubts about who was the fastest. Felipe Massa is an unknown: he must demonstrate that he is good enough to earn reconfirmation.
"Beating Michael is everyone's goal. If I succeed, I secure general compliments".
For now, they are one-to-one. Speaking of the future, Michael Schumacher has always said that it depends on his and Ferrari's competitiveness:
"The day I am unable to fight for the title and I discover that I am slower than my teammate, then it will be time to stop".
The Australian Grand Prix is an important event, another step towards an announcement expected within two months. But in the meantime the German promises:
"In terms of performance, we will be closer to Bahrain than to Malaysia. In Sepang we were penalised by the engine replacement. With hindsight we could have done without it".
The engine changed before the Malaysian Grand Prix was in fact sent to Maranello and mounted on the chassis used for testing. Luca Badoer travelled 300 kilometres on the Fiorano track without any problems.
"No, it wasn't an excess of caution. A test with temperatures around ten degrees is not as demanding as a race at the equator. However, the important thing is to have resolved the reliability problems. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Michael and Felipe will start with the used engine".
And Michael Schumacher adds:
"Renault is the team to beat, so far they have shown no weaknesses. But I'm optimistic: the Melbourne circuit has always been favorable to us: winning is not impossible. The season is long. The development of the car will be decisive, whoever is fastest at innovating comes first. And from this point of view, I believe in our strength".
The 2006 Championship has so far lacked a real duel between Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. The German says he regrets not having tested his rival's skills. The other replies unceremoniously:
"If you have any doubts, clear them up yourself. But sleep peacefully and think about winning races as you have done so far".
Anything but a red comeback. For Ferrari fans who woke up at dawn in Europe, the tests for the Australian Grand Prix, which took place on Saturday, April 1, 2006, turned out to be a real disaster: Michael Schumacher was eleventh and Felipe Massa even sixteenth. A true debacle, characterised by clumsy errors (also on the part of the mechanics, not only the drivers, which is even more serious) and accidents. Pole was taken by Jenson Button with his Honda, lapping in 1'25"229. Giancarlo Fisichella, second, and Fernando Alonso, third, were also beaten. Behind them were Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya, now demonstrating the fact that the McLarens are becoming competitive again. Ferrari, however, was immediately cut out of the fight because, in the previous two qualifying sessions, they were the protagonists, on the negative side, of several spins. The first was done by Massa, who at turn 11 ended up off the track, smashing his car into the barriers. But it was only the beginning: a few minutes later the mechanics in the pits forgot a fan to cool the brakes on Michael Schumacher's 248 F1, which detached itself from the car as the German driver entered the pit lane. The tool was hit and destroyed by the car following Michael Schumacher. However, he was unable to carry out his attempt at a fast lap because in the meantime it had started to drizzle on the Melbourne circuit. A disaster, like the old days when Berger left a hammer in the cockpit during a race. Bad qualifying also for Rubens Barrichello, teammate of poleman Jenson Button, who was immediately eliminated with his Honda during the first qualifying session. Now it is crisis time for him because the terrible time of 1'29"993 was set without apparent errors. Fernando Alonso's irony is well-founded:
"The conditions in qualifying were the same for everyone, evidently this is Ferrari's right position at the moment. Don't blame the tyres, perhaps the modification to the front wing is starting to have its effects".
But Ferrari's Australian Saturday was also a real disaster. Felipe Massa hit a kerb, lost grip, spun out and crashed. Result: this morning (starting at 6 a.m. Italian time) he started on the eighth row. Michael Schumacher was slightly better, out in Q2, eleventh fastest and fifth row on the grid only because Jacques Villeneuve (relegated ten positions) changed the engine. The German commented, disappointed by the bad result:
"If I knew what was wrong, I would have tried to solve the problem".
Certainly not the fault of the tyres, a Williams (seventh Mark Webber) and two Toyotas (sixth Ralf Schumacher and ninth Jarno Trulli), also on Bridgestone tyres, will start further ahead. Saturday glory for Jenson Button and Giancarlo Fisichella, back on the front row with Renault.
"Rain or shine it makes no difference, at the moment I don't think we have any advantage over our rivals, neither in terms of tyres, engine or aerodynamics. I'm already happy when I feel at the same level".
Michael Schumacher's sentence makes it clear that even in Australia Ferrari does not consider itself the favourite, but only capable of fighting for the top positions, without announced parades, 2004 style, or hands-down triumphs.
"You can win, yes, but only by fighting hard and hoping that everything goes smoothly. So far Renault has been the fastest car, even in Melbourne it remains the team to beat, we are close, but not yet on par".
Clear words which highlight how for Ferrari this third World Championship round on the other side of the world (starting tomorrow at 6 a.m. in Italy) is still a race to be run in defence, waiting for the great effort scheduled for April. All in on the defence, fingers crossed, and scoring as many points as possible, this is Michael Schumacher's philosophy. To be put into practice, however, for the last time:
"Because then we will return to Europe and then the development of the car becomes a decisive factor for winning the World Championship".
Progress is needed, lots of it, and Ferrari is ready to launch its counteroffensive.
"Speed in improving performance, race after race, will make the difference, it will be the key to defeating our opponents".
That ability to grow, in all areas of the car, which Maranello lacked only last year. Ross Brawn, the strategist of the men in red, already has his action plan ready.
"You will see how competitive the 248F1 will become, we have numerous changes in mind. Schumacher is right, we have to work hard and make the car much faster. There is a new suspension design, we will experiment with it in the next tests. We have two weeks and we plan to make the most of them. The aerodynamics of the car will change, and we will bring modified engines to definitively eliminate the problem that held us back in Malaysia. In Australia, I hope not to be proven wrong, we intend not to replace the engine, and we will do everything we can to not start the race with problems, but there is still a bit of apprehension. The source of the trouble is a piston acting up: then the defect spreads to the rest of the engine and at that point, we start to tremble. Here we believe we can manage the situation, but soon, perhaps as early as April 23rd in Imola, we will bring to the track a real evolution of the engine, a more powerful and reliable version, which should guarantee us the definitive leap in quality".
The task force begins its operation the week after the Australian Grand Prix with the two test drivers, Luca Badoer and Marc Genè, in Vallelunga. In the following week, two cars (Michael Schumacher should also be there) will work intensely in Barcelona. The German wants more guarantees and the team will do everything to satisfy him. Ross Brawn adds:
"It's time for the other teams (Williams and Toyota ed.) with Bridgestone tyres to support us in the development as well. Now they are in a position to do so".
As for the front wing modified already here in Melbourne:
"The FIA asked us to change it because it was separating from the nose of the car. We installed a carbon fibre retainer to cover the gap, saving form and substance. We didn't want to force them to rewrite the criteria for measuring the flexibility of aerodynamic parts, but the underlying question remains: we need clear rules that leave no room for doubt. But perhaps it is impossible because the teams are very skilled at interpreting the rules. The same happened with traction control: everyone was using systems that simulated or replaced it, everyone had their own disguised traction control and in the end the FIA was forced to make it legal".
On Sunday, April 2, 2006, the Australian Grand Prix began with an unusual spin of Juan Pablo Montoya as he completed the formation lap. He lined up at the back of the grid, however Fisichella then stalled his engine on the grid, forcing the start to be red-flagged. Fisichella had to start from the pit lane, while Montoya reclaimed his grid position.
As in 2002, the race had a first-lap accident. Felipe Massa was the victim of an accident involving himself, Nico Rosberg and Christian Klien. The Williams and Red Bull effectively sandwiched Massa's Ferrari as the Brazilian attempted to squeeze through a gap too small, pitching him into the wall hard and out of the race. Rosberg returned to the pits without the rear wing. Klien continued the race unharmed. These incidents called the Safety Car on the very first lap. Fisichella spun again in the Jones corner but could carry on. Alonso passed Button when the SC was recalled two laps later, in the start/finish straight. On the third lap, Christian Klien had some problems with his suspension and crashed into the barriers near Clark Chicane, and destroyed his car. Klien went out walking, happily. This crash had left many pieces of debris on the track and the Safety Car went out again to help the stewards clean the area. When the race continued, Räikkönen attacked Button and gained his place. Montoya tried that as well, though he was unsuccessful for many laps. Vitantonio Liuzzi made an exciting pass on Michael Schumacher, by the Sports Center turn. The race continued uneventfully for another ten laps when pit stops began with Montoya, Button and Trulli. Alonso and Räikkönen stopped, giving Mark Webber the lead of his home Grand Prix. A gearbox failure then eliminated him. Another uneventful stint was run until lap 32 when Montoya touched the grass in the Prost turn but he managed to return to the track. Michael Schumacher also had the same grass cross, although the German champion could not make it back and hit the barriers. He himself said that his car was not easy to drive and that the tyres were not warm enough. This accident called the Safety Car for the third time. Many drivers used this Safety car situation to go to the pits. Räikkönen entered just before Montoya, making a queue. Thankfully for the Woking Team, there was not much delay. On lap 35 the Safety car was off and the race restarted. Alonso had a strategy to give an enormous gap with the Safety car and slow down the cars behind, and then blasted off and left Räikkönen and Heidfeld with the trouble of Albers, creating a 3-second gap between the two leading cars. The 36th lap called the Safety Car once again. Vitantonio Liuzzi had finished on the grass, crossed the road, bumped the left barrier, crossed the road again and struck the right barrier near Whiteford, leaving his car completely destroyed. The race restarted on lap 40, and Alonso did exactly the same thing and got a little advantage from Räikkönen.
After the accident Liuzzi blamed Villeneuve, saying that the Canadian had screwed up one of his best races. Lap 39 brought another incident to the race. Tiago Monteiro abandoned the race due to a mechanical problem. Lap 46 took Montoya out of the race as he crossed the kerbs in the curve where Schumacher had had his accident. This caused the car to jump momentarily, causing an electrical problem which forced a total shutdown of the car, thus making him retire. The Australian Grand Prix was not free of incidents in the last laps. On the very final lap, in the final 2 corners, Jenson Button blew his engine, causing Fisichella right behind him to be covered in oil and struggling to control the car. Button ended up stalling the car about 10 meters from the finish line. He did so deliberately, giving up a points-scoring position, to avoid a 10-place grid penalty in the next race. Alonso wrapped up his tenth career victory, while Räikkönen grabbed the second place on the podium and Ralf Schumacher scored what proved to be the sole podium for Toyota in the season, and ultimately, his final podium in Formula One. This was despite a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. After the race, the stewards were busy, handing out a reprimand to Takuma Satō for failing to pay attention to blue flags, and a 25-second penalty to Scott Speed for a similar offence, albeit with yellow flags. The American driver was also fined $5.000 for using abusive language during a post-race hearing. The kangaroo's leap extends the standings and annihilates the opponents. The kangaroo Fernando Alonso moves his ears in amusement, jumps joyfully onto the Australian podium, enjoys yet another triumph and cynically greets the rest of the company. The elusive Alonso made no mistakes in Melbourne either. Like last year, more than last year: after three races he has 28 points, and in 2005 he had 26. The others, starting with Kimi Räikkönen, try to defend themselves, but at the end of the race, if it goes well, it is the case of Finn or the unfortunate Giancarlo Fisichella, have half the points, a gap that already appears unbridgeable, while if their name is Michael Schumacher they fight for more than half the race with cold tyres, they crash into the barriers and after the Grand Prix they have a funereal face.
Alonso's torment lasts just three laps. The time needed for the Spaniard, two times in a row, behind the Safety car, to get away from Jenson Button, who started on pole and was a proud opponent at least in the first corners. When Alonso passed the Englishman, it became clear that it was all over, that balance does not exist, because Renault has an unsustainable pace, no one can keep up with it. Everything happens behind him, in a frenetic race, which was inflamed by accidents four times and had to resort to the Safety Car, but the commotion does not affect the World Champion in the slightest, free to look forward to the tenth triumph of his career and why not, even the second World Championship. Alonso dominates, gets awat every time the Safety car eliminates his advantage and in the end even allows himself to lift his foot and save the engine, given that his beloved engine which never breaks will also have to endure the fatigue of Imola. The others, however, for one reason or another, have to endure the pain of hell. The most damned are those of Ferrari. Felipe Massa's race ends before the second corner: starting on the eighth row, he is squeezed by Christian Klien's Red Bull Racing and Scott Speed's Toro Rosso. Swerving first to the right and then to the left, he was hit hard by Nico Rosberg's Williams and with the suspension out, he ended his adventure against the barriers. Will it get any better for Schumacher? Not a chance. It is just a matter of time, it will also be his Ferrari's turn to taste the wall. Two Safety cars later (the first due to the exit of Felipe Massa, the second due to an accident involving Christian Klien on the fifth lap), digesting an overtake by Vitantonio Liuzzi on lap 12, which dropped him from eighth to ninth place, Michael Schumacher, after the first pit stop (at the end of lap 25), finally seemed to be back to the old days. He was sixth, he was going fast, he caught Jenson Button. But he did not overtake him, he crashed first: lap 33, kerb, grass, barriers, the left side of his Ferrari in pieces. But they also curse Jarno Trulli, Mark Webber (broken transmission, he was in the lead waiting for the first pit stop), Vitantonio Liuzzi (off the track at turn 2), Juan Pablo Montoya (he was fourth, stopped on the straight), Scott Speed (relegated at the end of the race, he lost a point to David Coulthard) and especially Jenson Button. He stopped a few meters from the finish line with the Honda engine on fire. Giancarlo Fisichella, starting from the pits, achieved an unexpected fifth place. On the podium, alongside Fernando Alonso, finish the surprise Ralf Schumacher with Toyota (third) and the inconsistent Kimi Räikkönen (second).
"We need to see the positive side of things".
This is what Fisichella says, admitting his sadness:
"But I also have to consider the result, a fifth place".
He certainly won the Grand Prix of bad luck: the anti-stall that activated at the start, the telemetry that disappeared, the clutch and a bit of understeer. As he drove he fixed the Renault, with the help of the team, and in the end he said:
"I could have finished on the podium, if not won: I will try to make up for it in Imola".
If Giancarlo Fisichella does not feel completely satisfied, he should have a chat with Jenson Button, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Jarno Trulli: it would certainly improve his mood. Because the Englishman - whom Fisichella had tried to overtake in the last three laps - after having resisted the pressure of the Italian driver in fifth position, had reached the final corner, the engine of his Honda suddenly smoked, frightening even his rival Renault.
"All that smoke prevented visibility, thank goodness I managed to avoid it".
Poor Button kept his cool and, with the car on fire, continued the momentum to at least get to the checkered flag. This is because the move will allow him to change the engine in the next race at Imola without incurring penalties. At the same time, however, this meant he gave up the three points for sixth place: by not crossing the finish line, he was classified tenth, first of the lapped finishers. And what about Vitantonio Liuzzi?
"The Toro Rosso was fast, damn it".
Very true: it was so good that the Italian allowed himself the luxury of overtaking none other than Michael Schumacher, so much so that one day he was able to declare:
"That day in Melbourne I overtook Schumi".
But the joy, albeit moderate…
"At that moment Michael was in difficulty, I understood it and as soon as I could I passed him: he was fair and didn't hinder me".
It disappeared against Jacques Villeneuve, who showed little fairplay on lap 38:
"He saw I was overtaking and took me out. Talk to him? He's a certain age, we all know him by now. What am I supposed to tell him?"
But Jarno Trulli was undoubtedly unluckier: if in Saturday's qualifying he had caught a bird:
"There's nothing to laugh about, it's the truth: it happens".
In the race he happened to have to deal with David Coulthard, who was guilty of damaging him to the point of breaking his rear:
"He was zigzagging, I think every driver should know where to go: I'll take the images to Whiting, I really want to see what he replies to me".
Trulli, extremely unlucky, due to an annoying ear infection, will remain in Melbourne as he is unable to take the plane. Ralf Schumacher, on the other hand, is happy, having achieved a third place which is worth more than a victory for Toyota.
"We are very happy, even though there were some problems in the central part of the race, but the Safety car made us gain some time. But it must be said that many others took advantage. However, the race went very well. Today's result was important but we are still a little too far from the top teams".
Räikkönen then explains why he was unable to get close to Fernando Alonso:
"I had a few problems with vibrations, perhaps due to some touches at the beginning. My entire front was vibrating and perhaps that's why I wasn't able to match Alonso's times. We came very close to the victory, but nothing more could have been done. I also lost a bit of time to the lapped drivers. With the second set of tyres, I was going much faster, also because we had changed the nose of the car. In short, without any problems, we probably could have even won".
The thrills and accidents of the Australian Grand Prix are all someone else's. Fernando Alonso placidly defines his tenth career victory.
"Easy peasy".
He gained ten points and overtook his closest contenders, Giancarlo Fisichella and Kimi Räikkönen, in the standings. They have 14 points, the Spaniard has 28 points. On the other hand, the Renault driver only noticed the accidents through the Safety cars, and even resented it:
"I would have liked to see you, have a twenty-second lead and see it suddenly disappear because of the Safety cars. And not once, but four times. I confess that I didn't understand much about the race, with all those interruptions".
Alonso may have all the reasons in the world, but it is no one's fault if the race turned into a kind of bumper car race, with suicidal spins and cars crashing out and consequent entry of cranes and brooms onto the track to sweep up the debris that could have been dangerous.
"Fortunately the Renault was going too well, and on every restart I had no problems".
So much so that, to the team trying to inform him, especially in the finale, he replies
"I'm relaxed, rest assured that everything is fine".
Except to add later:
"You know, we had to save the engine for Imola".
Renault's dominance therefore becomes exaggerated, to quote Flavio Briatore:
"With a car like that, and with an Alonso like that, there's no match: in the end, we took off his revs, almost all of them, and he was still going like a train".
Boasting aside, the strength of the French team is so evident that it overshadows the efforts of the others. Where that was not enough, luck is also on the World Champion's side: his teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella, blocked at the start leaving him free space, just to say:
"Indeed, with Giancarlo on the track it would have been difficult to overtake Button at the start".
But, after the admission, Alonso's cynicism comes out forcefully:
"Now we will have to understand why it happened, and prevent it from happening again, to him or to me".
The Spaniard's strength lies precisely in knowing how to look beyond his own nose and be one step ahead, as well as being great at interpreting the races. The crazy race certainly did not faze Alonso, he may even have been intrigued on TV to see the wrecked chassis, just for competence’s sake. He only admitted that the difficulties of this Grand Prix were mental:
"Keep your focus and motivation. All those stops could have been distracting".
But not in reality, because the tyres did not betray him, and Alonso was always the quickest as soon as the Grand Prix returned to normal. Now many are wondering if the World Championship is not already mortgaged, and the first questions about numbers and statistics arise: if Alonso wins at the San Marino Grand Prix he will have also improved on the start of the 2005 season. But it is also in the insidious questions that the holder dispenses confidence and wisdom:
"I would necessarily have to win, and I don't know what can happen. All I know for sure is that this year I have to be consistent in my performance, try to get on the podium as much as possible, not make mistakes, lead a very professional life and score points. Every point, whether ten, eight or four, will be fundamental for the rest of the season".
He also defends the advantage accumulated so far:
"It can disappear overnight, so I repeat: we must always finish the races, give one hundred per cent of ourselves and push the other teams to the limit".
Awareness is total, even in the way of celebrating:
"But I will change every time I happen to win, depending on where I am geographically".
The kerb, the grass, the wall. Thus ends Michael Schumacher's race. A disaster, from which the German struggled to hide. His Ferrari shattered on lap 33, heavy damage to the left side of the bodywork, but his dreams also fell to pieces. Compared to 2005 the story does not change, the others win, Ferrari remains on the sidelines. The German curses, his grimaces are eloquent, there is disappointment. Schumacher, be honest: do the nightmares of last season come back to your mind?
"Absolutely not. This year we are much more competitive, we are fighting with the others, we are not on the sidelines. We don't have to be pessimistic, just work hard. We cannot give up. Of course, we can’t be happy with our performance here in Australia, with our behaviour in qualifying, in the race and throughout the weekend. But we are stronger than last year. Unfortunately not yet enough to stop Alonso and his Renault".
Here you also finished behind Räikkönen's McLaren, his brother Ralf, who has a car, the Toyota, which has the same tyres as you, the Bridgestones. You can no longer blame the tyres either.
"To be honest, the tyres have something to do with it. The problem is not always in the brand, it can also be in the compound. We made the wrong choice, or rather, we had opted for the best type in the race, so much so that when I was able to bring them to the right temperature, the car's performance was very good. Unfortunately, the race was constantly interrupted by the safety car, we often went single file, at low speed, and this prevented us from getting into the right rhythm. With cold tyres, any car is impossible to drive, not just the Ferrari".
Is this why you crashed?
"No, maybe in that case I was pushing too hard. But it was a good moment, the tyres were at the right temperature, in front I had Button having troubles, I was hoping to overtake him. Following the Englishman, I lost downforce. Plus the track was slippery. All it took was touching a kerb to lose control. I felt some understeer, I ended up on the grass and then against the barriers. In an instant, it's all over. Precisely in the only point where you can overtake, in the section where I had decided to try everything".
Can it be called your mistake?
"In a certain way, yes. The car had no problems at that time, it hit a kerb. My Ferrari has lost balance".
It was a hard hit. Any physical consequences?
"I was immediately checked by the FIA doctors. They told me everything was okay".
What did you feel when you were overtaken by Liuzzi? Today his car is called Toro Rosso, until last year it was the Minardi.
"I didn't think about anything. My front tyres were gone, I was lapping very slowly, I had no chance of holding on. With another type of tyres or without the safety car it would have been a completely different story. Look at my times after the pit stop, they are almost at Renault's level".
Montoya went off at the same corner. Is it a dangerous spot?
"In my case, the track has nothing to do with it. I'm the one who lost it because I no longer controlled the car".
In what spirit are you going to Imola now?
"With the intention of being much faster. Always and not only with certain weather conditions. Even in Italy there will be quite low temperatures, we must adapt to this situation, arrive at the Grand Prix better prepared".
One run off the track was fatal. But it had happened before and you had gotten away unscathed. Why so many times on the grass?
"It went badly and I don't think I could have done better. I am very disappointed. Hopefully our season will start for real at Imola. May be we’ll able to say: we're back. Once and for all".
Felipe Massa, how do you say bad luck in Brazilian?
"Azar".
Better to laugh about it, because Massa had crashed in qualifying, and his race lasted one and a half corners, taken out by Rosberg's Williams:
"That took half of my car away".
Massa whines and returns to Brazil empty-handed.
"I'm very disappointed, it was a day to forget. I found myself in the middle of Klien's Red Bull and Speed's Toro Rosso: I was like in a sandwich, one moved me to the right, the other to the left, with the result that Rosberg caught me head-on, destroying my right suspension".
He dreamed of the podium, he remains at the bottom of the standings.
"Call me crazy, but I am convinced that our car is only inferior to Renault, it is better than McLaren and Honda. We have great potential, the incredible thing is that we can't bring it out. We have to hurry because the World Championship goes on".
Lots of damage to the cars and zero points.
"Disappointed is a small word. It doesn't give the idea. I am very disappointed".
Jean Todt, Ferrari’s general manager, does not mince words in defining the Australian disaster. Two accidents, two wrecked cars, two drivers who did not reach the finish line (this had not happened since the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix), while the others flew. Michelin or Bridgestone tyres do not matter, the competition is fast, while Ferrari remains stationary, with Michael Schumacher struggling to break away from the midfield and rediscovering the torments and mistakes of last year and with Felipe Massa unable to keep out of trouble, both in qualifying (he did it all alone, spinning) and in the race, taken out by Nico Rosberg's Williams after just two corners. Rivals move up the standings, and in Renault's case they risk already being uncatchable; Ferrari freezes it, to the dismay of its men, who had dismissed the Malaysian Grand Prix as an accident and find themselves having to manage an even more bitter Australian Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher is convinced:
"We are not the same as last year, we will not relive the same nightmares, this season the potential is there".
Messages full of confidence, but a little suspicious, because they were repeated so many times even in the horrible 2005, when the Grands Prix passed and Ferrari never rose again. This was supposed to be the World Championship of redemption, also because it is an important year, the one in which the German's contract with Ferrari expires, in which he must decide whether to extend or end his career; but so far, after the flash in the pan in Bahrain (pole on Saturday, second place in the race), it has only produced mediocrity. Hence the peremptory oath of the men in red: no more joking around, from Imola they have to get serious to become great again once and for all. A message accompanied by the umpteenth intense effort, many new upgrades on the car, many days of testing, first in Vallelunga and then in Barcelona, with test drivers and regular drivers. A revolution anticipated even before the Melbourne race by Ross Brawn, the technical director of Maranello, and now more necessary than ever.
"We have two weeks, we will have to make the most of them, without mistakes".
That is the slogan of Felipe Massa, a driver who sees his car as inferior only to Renault, but who has so far only collected four points. The one that will be presented on April 23rd in Imola will be a completely new Ferrari. The most important aspect concerns the engine. It will present a decisive evolution and above all it will have to demonstrate that it has definitively solved the problem with the pistons, that anomaly which had forced the replacement of three engines in Malaysia.
"We identified the problem and eliminated it".
Jean Todt sentences in Australia. The tests on track (especially those in Barcelona with Schumacher and Massa) will have to prove him right because the regulations are too great a threat, the engine must withstand two Grands Prix, otherwise they will start at the back of the grid. But the suspension design will also be new and the aerodynamic package will also undergo heavy changes. The wing appendages, which had caused the opponents to spread so much venom, convinced of their irregularity, will be gone for good. That game over, with which an Australian newspaper accompanies the photo of Michael Schumacher's accident, sounds ominous, but at the moment it is not far from reality. The German, leaving Melbourne, clenches his fists and says:
"We'll make up for it, it's not over".
And once again he avoids talking about the future:
"I race, I have fun, I only think about this season".
But there is no doubt that these defeats weigh on his desire and morale. If anything, they postpone his decision and consequently create problems for Ferrari. Who already has Kimi Räikkönen in hand, but risks losing him due to too much waiting. Is this 2006 F1 World Championship season a deja vu? A film already seen, starring Fernando Alonso and Renault? It would seem so to many enthusiasts, but the first to deny this interpretation is the World Champion himself. Three Grands Prix, three Renault victories. Like last year.
"Yes, but it doesn't mean anything".
In 2005, with the same start, he secured the title.
"True, but there were only Renault and McLaren competing for the title. This season is different. Four teams can aspire to something more. In three Grands Prix we saw different drivers on the podium, apart from my team. Everything is more uncertain and that's more exciting for viewers".
F1 now lands in Europe: up next is Imola with its sweet memories. His victory, his duel with Schumacher.
"That duel meant a lot to you, but to me it wasn't the most memorable feat. Ultimately Imola was easier than you think, in the sense that on that circuit it's difficult to overtake and so it was easy to defend the position: it wasn't a masterclass, from my point of view, that head-to-head".
But it was the positive turning point of the World Championship.
"On the contrary. It was precisely in that Grand Prix that I thought Ferrari had become competitive again. I remember my doubts: well, now they win everything again like in 2004. These thoughts accompanied me as I left Imola, I was afraid it was going to get very hard".
His next team, McLaren, still seems to be a step behind.
"Now they are behind because this is the first year of the V8, the new engine. But they are good at developing, and already this year they are a little closer".
So are you still convinced of your choice?
"The cycle was over. I joined Renault as a test driver, and then I won. I'm not someone who's looking for who knows what, I'm a conservative. With McLaren I have guaranteed myself a bit of a future, three or four years".
And Ferrari? Never a little thought, a negotiation?
"To be honest, I don't see myself at Ferrari. Not now, nor ever. Everyone knew my contract was expiring, but someone else came forward. If they wanted me they would have looked for me. And anyway, Ferrari is not the priority. My priority is to drive a car that wins".
What do you think of Schumacher?
"A great driver. A great opponent. A great professional. I don't think he will retire".
Your problems with Spain?
"I don't go there anymore. Paparazzi on motorbikes, hidden cameras. Popularity is nice, but if they ask me for opinions even on a dish to cook it becomes hard".
But Alonso in Spain is like Beckham in England...
"I am loved and hated. And then I may be popular, but Beckham is more handsome".