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He never stopped believing.
"I have always said that the Championship’s end was far, even when the gap to Alonso was heavy".
But the back-to-back victories, in Indianapolis and Magny-Cours, literally galvanised him. To the point that Schumacher, on the eve of the race in his native Germany, did not mince his words.
"We feel great, we can score a fantastic hat-trick. We want to paint Hockenheim red again. Also the World Championship too".
An ambitious goal, considering that the German driver is 17 points behind Alonso, a challenge that does not scare the Ferrari driver.
"The Tifosi have always been by our side and I’m sure that they are going to help our comeback. On a psychological level, to close the gap significantly is very important. In two races I recovered eight points from Alonso, if I manage to gain something on Sunday too, he will start to feel my breath on his neck. I am counting a lot on the fact that I’m racing at home. A German driver in Hockenheim always has more motivation. I feel motivated, determined, and confident in the performance of my car and tyres, I am confident that I can achieve another success. I can’t wait to start, knowing that the Tifosi here are really crazy about Formula 1. The show that they offer in the grandstands is exciting, it makes the whole weekend very entertaining".
He places no limits on his slogans, to crown his great comeback he clings to everything, to the rediscovered strength of his Ferrari, to the German fans, to the anxiety that could begin to devour the hare, Alonso, still solitary, but no longer on the run as he was a month ago. Schumacher, used to the most ruthless battles, relies heavily on the psychological aspect, a weapon that even his opponent does not hesitate to use. Even the Spaniard, in the approach to the next race, is not sparing his comments:
"Winning is important everywhere, but ten points at Hockenheim, in Schumacher’s home, could have a devastating effect on his morale. I am not saying that my win in Germany would end the Championship, but it would certainly bring me a lot closer to the title".
The impression, judging by the tones used, is that the two drivers have understood how the season has come to a reckoning. It is no coincidence that yesterday President Montezemolo also entered the battle. Upon his arrival, the first thing he denied was any possible divorce from general manager Todt, just to make the locker room even more solid.
"Todt has a contract with us that is not a contract. It is something extremely special, an understating that could last forever. In order to stay, two people have to agree, and I think we do".
Then he diverted his blessing to Hockenheim.
"I expect a victory because we absolutely need to make up more ground. If we consider the Championship from Imola to today, we are the team that has scored more points and that is an extremely reassuring fact, which shows our great potential at the moment. If the season had started in April, we would be in the lead. Unfortunately, we had two bad races, in Malaysia where we had problems with the engine and in Australia where we made the wrong choice with the tyres. But that does not mean that we can’t be first in the end. Let’s not forget that we are also missing the points from Monte-Carlo".
A mockery that the Maranello team still has not forgotten, since in that race Schumacher was the fastest and instead, due to a disqualification on Saturday and a relegation to the last place on the grid, he had to settle for fifth place. Six points and one less victory that could prove decisive at the end of the year. Unless the German manages another miracle, perhaps the last one if at the end of the season (an increasingly unlikely hypothesis) he decides to retire, instead of welcoming Räikkönen at his side. In fact, there seem to be no more doubts about the Finn’s move to Ferrari (despite Renault’s offensive9, even if Norbert Haug, Mercedes’ boss, invited him to reconsider:
"If he is smart, he will stay with us in McLaren".
Michael Schumacher is not superstitious, but he really does not like that seventeen-point gap. Encouraged by his home crowd - there will be 100.000 people in the grandstands in Hockenheim on Sunday - he would like to make it smaller:
"Because to further reduce Alonso’s lead in the standings could have a big psychological significance, it would increase his anxiety".
Anxiety that, maybe, is already in the Spaniard’s head. And it is likely that the infamous number seventeen does not please the Renault driver either, who was more relaxed when the lead was twenty-five points, not a century ago, but at the end of June, before the defeats at Indianapolis and Magny-Course. Alonso lost eight races over the season, not a few considering his great consistency (for seventeen races, still that number, he has systematically finished in the points), and now he is desperate to reverse the trend. He is honest in recognising that the fight for the World Championship victory is more open than ever:
"And now we need to be perfect, we can’t afford to make any mistakes. Because Ferrari is strong, Schumacher started being very quick once again and we have to respond with his own weapons. Aiming to win, but above all to finish all the races well".
The fight is at the highest level, at the crucial point of the season. It excites the crowd and warms the hearts of the two protagonists, who do not care about the scorching heat, even at Hockenheim the temperature is well over thirty degrees, and both try in every way to scare their opponent. On Thursday, July 27, 2006, they do it with words, while on Friday they will try on track with the first free practice. Michael Schumacher is categorical:
"My target for Sunday is to be on the centre of the podium, but that is not enough for me. I would like to have Massa on my right side".
A second place that could take precious points away from Fernando Alonso. But the Spaniard does not mince his words either. Do not be fooled by some of his dim statements that smack of superstition::
"Here I think Ferrari’s Bridgestone tyres are very competitive".
In his heart, the Spaniard is convinced that he can take back the throne. Desires that the German driver is quick to bury.
"My team works really well, which is why once again we have managed to rise and there are all the conditions to achieve a third consecutive victory".
A team that has always given him guarantees, a huge difference from BMW, which according to the German press has offered him 80.000.000€ for the next year. Michael Schumacher, asked for a comment, goggles his eyes, with the face of somebody who knew absolutely nothing about it. Then he finds his self-control and retreats into his usual refrain:
"I never comment on rumours".
Nor does he open up about his future:
"Todt is staying another year? I’m happy. In Monza you will know about me".
The present is too delicate, with this race to be won at all costs. Not only to colour Hockenheim red. But also to paint the World Championship a little more red. We have already seen too much light blue (Reanult), even in Germany. Try and blame him.
"I've never seen anything put on a car that makes you slower".
Schumacher’s reasoning may be poisonous, but it is flawless. And maybe it explains, at least in part, the enormous gap that the German in his Ferrari has from the Spaniard at the end of the first day of free practice. The latter ends his Friday 1.5 seconds behind, an alarming figure in a heated battle that lives on hundredths of a second. Of course, as the German underlines, the different choice of tyres has had a great influence, with Alonso, immediately ready to take refuge behind his alibi, who in the second hour of free practice, the one that really matters, had used tyres, while Schumacher was flying with his new Bridgestones. Certainly, that sprinkling of rain may have distorted the picture, as it may not have alleviated the scorching weather, but it did wet the track and prevented the drivers from making full use of the second practice session. But who can deny that the forbidden mass damper, the stabiliser built into the nose, also played a part in Renault’s setback? Renault drivers Alonso and Fisichella claim that the device means little or nothing, that it is not Renault’s secret, but in the meantime for the first time the Spaniard struggles, he is tense and worried more than his serene statements would suggest. Alonso (who turns 25 on Saturday, July 29) almost seems to defy suspicion with his words:
"The stewards had authorised it, the FIA opposed this decision, said that we were going to use it at our own risk, so we adapted. This is certainly not the moment in which we can afford a disqualification. Just as well: we will demonstrate that the mass damper was just a simple detail".
A stroke of genius, it is Fisichella who reveals it, capable of giving you 0.05 seconds per lap, and certainly not - the Italian driver jokes:
"The 0.2 seconds that some people are blurting out".
Maybe, but in the meantime, in the temple so dear to Schumacher, Ferrari is euphoric at the front, with the German driver ready to bet on the third consecutive win, while Renault is forced to lick its wounds for at least another day, behind in lap times and immersed in a political dispute, with the stewards ready to acquit it first thing in the morning and the FIA pointing a gun at it a few hours later. The French defend themselves by attacking. Not with the convalescent Flavio Briatore (returning from a removal of a kidney stone) who for once remains defenceless:
"I don’t want to comment on the Federation’s decision".
But he comments on it with his divers. Giancarlo Fisichella says:
"Four other teams used it, we have had it in the car since the first Grand Prix, why did they only decide to ban it now?"
And even more so Fernando Alonso:
"Not four, there were eight teams, even Ferrari experimented with it (in two or three races, and then abandoned it - ed.). This story seems absurd to me, but if they think that it will increase my stress, they are wrong. I would be tense if I had a two-point lead. I still have seventeen, it’s Schumacher who can’t afford any mistakes".
Something that the German is perfectly aware of. But his and his Ferrari’s conditions allow him to dream.
"Here the crowd is going to give me a big boost, the car is perfect, and we can insist on our come-back".
He is also trusting in the help of Felipe Massa:
"Who is capable of taking precious points away from Alonso".
And swearing that he will never run away again from Hockenheim.
"It happened once, a long time ago. I was in the crowd, it was too loud, unbearable without earplugs".
Then he became a driver. With a hunger for victories that never goes away.
Moving on to other topics, Jarno Trulli, 32 years old, renews his contract with Toyota: three more years, an infinity for the world of Formula 1. And this happens while the other seniors in the paddock - Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, Jacques Villeneuve - are undecided about their retirement or in trouble about their employment. The Italian driver is already in his tenth season in the circus. A nice demonstration of trust.
"Yes, but…"
Are you not happy?
"Delighted. I wouldn’t want it to turn into a boomerang".
Can you explain?
"I wouldn’t want the agreement to become an endpoint".
To whom are you referring?
"To everyone, starting with me. It doesn’t have to be satisfying".
Why? What is the target?
"To win the World Championship".
Age should help you to be wiser.
"Never been better: in three years we have to get there. I’m 100% sure of that".
And maybe you will win and then leave.
"Who? At thirty-five? And Mansell, who won the Championship at forty years old? Who said age is an obstacle?"
Like Michael Schumacher.
"There you go, exactly. Like Schumacher. I think he’s thirty-seven, right? I don’t feel old at all".
Let the young people wait.
‘"Wait and learn".
Jarno often recalls his beginnings.
"Those shape you. They mould you. You never forget them again, for better or worse".
The nights in the van, coming back from the Grands Prix in Pescara.
"Oh God; I was underage and Lucio Cavuto, my friend and mentor, was always driving. One night, however, he couldn’t take it anymore so I put my foot on the accelerator, if the police caught us…".
Speaking of youngsters, you know well the one fighting against Schumacher for the World Championship.
"His name is Alonso?"
Exactly, him.
"So what?"
In 2004, with the same car, you were regularly in front of him.
"It happened. And what am I supposed to say?"
Rather than saying, giving. Some advice to Schumacher.
"Me giving some advice to Michael Schumacher? I really don’t think he needs it. In fact, if one day I found myself in a similar situation, I’ll be the one to call him".
You’ll be closing your career without having had a chance to drive for Ferrari.
"Honestly, I never thought about it. But, what is the saying? Never say never".
Well, after 2009 you will dedicate yourself to your wines.
"What, are you deaf? I said that I’m not old. And I’m not retiring in 2009. Understood?"
On Saturday 29 July 2006, during Q1 Felipe Massa set the best time, followed by Michael Schumacher, Kimi Räikkönen, Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso. During Q2, the session in which the car’s true performances can be seen, Michael Schumacher set an incredible time of 1'12"778 (very close to the pole position that Michael himself took in 2004, and which represents the track’s absolute record), followed by Felipe Massa, Jenson Button and Kimi Räikkönen. Fernando Alonso finished in the top ten after fearing he would not make it (two attempts, the first one in 1'15"001, later reduced to 1'14"746, obtaining the eighth fastest time). But then, during Q3, Kimi Räikkönen clocked a time of 1'14"070 and could improve, but instead, went wide in turn 12. Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa were right behind him (respectively 1'14"205 and 1'14"569). And the problem, for the Spaniard, was that the Finn’s McLaren-Mercedes had the same Michelin tyres as those on his Renault. Here is again the man of desires, Kimi Räikkönen. The most hotly contested driver in the paddock, the crossroads of the market, the target of the teams and their investments. The Finn forcefully snatched the pole position (the ninth of his career) of the Grand Prix which is the most important to the German part of his team, Mercedes, and will try on Sunday afternoon to dispel his personal Hockenheim syndrome: arriving intact at the chequered flag.
That is right, because the Finn - out of five participations – has never reached the finish line: instead, he has collected a series of misfortunes, including hydraulic and transmission problems, accidents and spins. And it is not as if in the other race on German soil (in the Nurburgring) things went much better for him, apart from a third and a fourth place: two engine failures and, in 2005, the famous victory lost on the last lap due to a suspension’s failure (caused by some vibrations). This time he would like the ending to be different, and so does the team: 2006, for McLaren-Mercedes, has been a horrible year. Zero victories, on the other hand, an infinite number of internal arguments and controversies, up to the dismissal of Juan Pablo Montoya (who crashed into Kimi Räikkönen in Indianapolis). This is why the German Grand Prix could be the start of a change: in Woking, over the past two weeks, the team worked intensively, and Räikkönen’s car (and the one of his teammate, Pedro de la Rosa) has been modified a bit. In short, the Finn is becoming more and more the needle of the scale: in the pits and in the race. During the race he could become Ferrari’s ally (only for one day), looking for other drivers to keep Fernando Alonso behind, perhaps taking away the possibility of scoring precious points: Michael Schumacher was actually thinking of Jarno Trulli (Toyota also uses Bridgestone and appears to be more competitive), but the Italian driver broke his engine and ended up at the back of the grid.
There would also be Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in front of Fernando Alonso. But everybody believes that they are low on fuel. All that remains is the Finnish driver, the natural talent, who has not had the chance to win the world title yet. Räikkönen came close to winning the title twice: once in 2003, fighting against Michael Schumacher up until the last Grand Prix. And the second time in 2005, fighting against Fernando Alonso. For many Circus experts, Kimi was the moral winner, betrayed by his McLaren’s reliability. Numerous problems, which led to a double choice: that of the team, which hired Alonso. And that of the driver, who decided to leave. We still do not know where, but all the clues lead to Maranello, even though Renault is insistently courting him and McLaren (back on its heels) is trying to change his mind. On the surface, nothing really fazes Kimi, nicknamed the Iceman, a boy of very few words. Also because he is closely monitored by the team bosses: Norbert Haug and Ron Dennis. So no questions about the future. That only leaves technical or emotional ones. And on these topics, Räikkönen does not need stoppers to censor him:
"What do I feel? No difference between this pole position and the one from last year. The only thing I hope is to have a different ending".
Michael Schumacher is not on pole position, but he smiles anyway.
"It’s the ideal situation".
The German driver comments, with his cunning eyes, thinking about his first row, about Alonso’s anguish (who is seventh and finished a second behind), about Massa’s good performance (third on the grid and capable of aiming for the podium), and also about the unexpected help that can come from Räikkönen, a surprise ally, the next Ferrari driver, but already faithful to the cause of the Maranello team, if he takes precious points away from Renault in the race. Schumacher is second, he has not managed to send the many Germans cheering him on in the stands into total ecstasy, but he is happy nonetheless because he has realised that in Germany he could give a significant acceleration to his dreams of a comeback. And he does nothing to hide his optimism.
"I am aiming for victory, I think I have a lot more fuel than Räikkönen, but at the same time, I hope that he has enough to be in front of Alonso. I dream about success, the third in a row, but above all I hope that Hockenheim can be an important step forward in my chase. I’m going to be honest, I did not expect such a sharp decline from Renault. I don’t know if it is because of the banned mass damper, I have no opinion about that (and if I had I would keep it to myself anyway), but we have to take advantage of the situation at all costs. The starting point is very promising, we need to do our best and collect as many points as possible. So we can definitively reopen the fight for the Championship".
Clear ideas, and a good amount of confidence, even if in front of his home crowd he did not get the pole position. The German driver tried.
"In my last attempt I paid dearly for two minor mistakes, at turn 2 where I slightly drifted, and at turn 6 where I pushed too much and perhaps overdid it. I left there some tenths of a second, and Räikkönen took advantage of it but it’s ok".
Also because his rival is not the Finn, who got the first pole of the season probably with the tank almost empty (in the last round with the race's petrol he improved by 0.4 seconds compared to the second when everyone’s tanks were empty), but the worried Alonso, suddenly a normal driver after many extraterrestrial qualifyings. An opponent who is beginning to show signs of nervousness, as when he told Schumacher off for cutting him off coming out of a pit stop. The German explains:
"Here the pit lane is very narrow, and you need to be very careful when you move, there are a lot of people and you can’t see who is behind you. If I disturbed him, I apologise, but I did not do that on purpose, I was not aware of him being behind me, and my mechanics gave me the green light. But there was nothing dangerous in that move. If he is tense for other reasons, that’s his business".
But something must be there because Alonso is very angry shortly after qualifying. The Spaniard would like to go and protest to the stewards, demanding a penalty for the German. The Renault team has persuaded him to give up. But more generally, it is in the whole French team that some cracks begin to show. The suspicion that it was all down to the mass damper is dismissed with indignation by Flavio Briatore.
"The mass damper has nothing to do with it, it will impact on a tenth and Ferrari is one second ahead".
Rather, the object of contention is another one. And when it comes down to it, Briatore does not mince his words.
"We need some help from Michelin. Instead of offering two hundred types of tyres, bring two that work. Otherwise it becomes difficult".
Yes, because not even the older and wiser Schumacher expected such troubles.
"They can’t be so much heavier than us to justify the second of gap".
With Fisichella (fifth) struggling to get himself between the two Hondas, Button (fourth) and Barrichello (sixth), with Alonso equaling the worst qualifying of the season, but compared to Malaysia he cannot complain against the mechanics who had put too much fuel. Ferrari rejoices and Schumacher, stopwatch in hand, invites everyone to dream.
"Look at Massa’s times the morning of free practice. Our pace during the race will be extraordinary".
Never was a celebration more up and down. Fernando Alonso would have gladly done without the party for his 25th birthday with champagne and cream cake. Seventh place on the grid, worst starting position of the season, was not the gift that the Spaniard expected, and now things start to get complicated. Alonso, what happened?
"To me, everything seemed fine, but in the end, the chronometric time wasn’t satisfactory".
Flavio Briatore talked about some grip problems.
"Surely we couldn’t get the tyres to work well".
Now you could get stuck in the traffic.
"Yes. At the start I need to be careful, especially in the first turn. I will have to avoid getting into trouble".
Then what? Overtaking is not simple.
"We will have to be fast. Then it will depend on the strategies".
You think so?
"I’m sure. I’m seventh, but I’m curious about how many pit stops the two Hondas will do, and also Räikkönen".
Are you worried?
"No. Because we are working, we just need to believe in our abilities. Of course, the two Ferraris have grown a lot and honestly is going to be difficult - if not impossible - to catch them during the race. I think back to Indianapolis, a nightmare Grand Prix for me, where I still finished fifth. Here, if I'm on the podium, it won't have been a bad weekend".
But also Fisichella is ahead of you.
"We had different wing settings, but the difference between us is minimal".
Are you counting on his help?
"Teamwork from Fisichella? I don’t expect anything. I just know that in front of me there are six cars and that I need to overtake all six of them to finish in front. I don’t look at whether those cars are blue or yellow or another colour. If I found myself fighting against my teammate I would hope to be able to get the better of him more easily. I would hope…".
And with Schumacher what happened?
"You need to ask him. Ask him how he left the box without seeing that another car was approaching. I’m not saying anything, but someone should point this out, and explain that we have regulations."
Did you flip him off?
"What do you say? Should I have said thank you as well?"
Is there anything different this Saturday?
"We are only going to know this further on. I just think about one thing, the podium. Getting there is going to be difficult, but we must try. This is the first target."
On Sunday, July 30, 2006, the start of the German Grand Prix would see Räikkönen ace his start, giving McLaren-Mercedes hope of a first win of the season. Schumacher and Massa duly gave chase in the two scarlet Ferraris, while behind the two Renault surged ahead of the two Hondas of Button and Rubens Barrichello. Lap one would prove more eventful beyond the start, however, for Button would dive back past Alonso at the hairpin before Ralf Schumacher smacked David Coulthard in the middle of the pack.
The impact launched the Scot’s Red Bull-Ferrari, and hence distracted the two BMW Saubers and resulted in them hitting each other, while Nico Rosberg would have an accident of his own entering the stadium section a few moments later. The early stages saw Räikkönen and the two Ferraris escape up the road, leaving Fisichella to unsuccessfully defend fourth from a resurgent Button. However, after just ten laps, the entire perception of the race would change, as Räikkönen swept into the pits for his first stop. Indeed, Räikkönen’s victory bid ended there, for not only had he made an early stop, but a stuck wheel nut would mean his stop lasted over fifteen seconds. That dumped the Finn back to eighth, and as the only member of the lead group to be on a three-stop strategy. The rest of the field began making their stops a few laps later, with Button the first of the Honda/Renault quartet to stop, while Massa pitted before Schumacher. The two Ferraris duly rejoined in first and second, Schumacher remaining ahead, while Mark Webber suddenly found himself in the middle of the fight for the podium with Räikkönen, Button and Fisichella. Through the second round of stops, Webber was still in the hunt and had enhanced his hopes by overtaking Fisichella. Unfortunately for the Australian driver, his challenge was ended by a water leak in the closing stages, leaving Button to fend off Räikkönen for the final spot on the podium. Fisichella, meanwhile, would slip out of the fight, and be passed by teammate Alonso during their final stops. Out front, Schumacher and Massa ran nose-to-tail and unopposed at the head of the field and duly crossed the line to claim a dominant one-two for Ferrari. Räikkönen would join them on the podium after an excellent dive past Button at the Mercedes grandstand in the closing stages, while Alonso secured fifth ahead of Fisichella. Jarno Trulli and Christian Klien completed the scorers, with ten drivers having retired. The numbers alone are enough to understand who Michael Schumacher is in a Ferrari.
In Hockenheim, the German, leading from lap 11 up until the end, achieved triumph number 70 with the red car, more victories than legends such as Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna have achieved in their entire careers, not counting the nineteen victories that the young Michael Schumacher brought home while driving with Benetton at the start of his career. Without him, it would have been difficult for Bridgestone, which after last year's troubles with its tyres made Ferrari fly again, to celebrate a hundred Grand Prix wins. Schumacher, statistically speaking, is an impressive record-breaking machine. But the German, when he has the perfect car in his hands, is not just scary with numbers. He is a masher, who enjoys annihilating his opponents, as happened in front of his home crowd, with a brutal domination, not from the start (where Räikkönen and his probably empty tank were thought to be able to bring a possible fight), but from the moment in which Alonso stopped after ten laps to get fuel, and lasted up until the end. The victory of the German was never in doubt. Only Massa was able to keep up with him, but as a good teammate, he was careful not to disturb the German too much. So Schumacher on the podium was able to do his traditional jump, while thinking about the regained Championship, about a gap that in three races (three victories for the cannibal Michael) has been reduced by 14 points, going from the worrying minus 25 points to a reassuring minus 11 points, while the Renault in the pits is forced to complain, after a disastrous race, with Alonso never as a protagonist and Fisichella merciless in defining his car undrivable. What happened to the French team is incredible: perhaps burnt by the loss of the mass damper, banned by the FIA, was a second per slower lap all weekend (even in the race) compared to Ferrari. It was Alonso himself on Friday who said:
"If we finished behind the McLarens, our performance would be very bad".
So we can talk about disaster, given that Räikkönen may have fooled everyone with his strategic pole (there was also a mistake made by McLaren in giving very little fuel), but he ended up third, fighting with Webber’s Williams in the final stage and overtaking Button’s Honda (who ended up fourth) to finish on the podium. While Alonso, for his fifth place, can thank Webber and his retirement on lap number 58, nine laps before the end. Otherwise, he would have ended up sixth and only because Fisichella, in the middle of the race, began to slow down. Alonso also needs to thank Trulli’s misfortune, betrayed by his Toyota engine on Saturday. The Italian, who started last on the grid, ended up seventh, often lapping at Schumacher’s time and performing some thrilling overtakes. If he had been further up the grid, there would have been no match with Alonso and he would have fought for the podium. He who lives by the tyres dies by the tyres?
That could be the right summary: in 2005 Ferrari was the one complaining. Today it is Renault. You can ask Fernando Alonso what is the difference between the two teams, and he is going to answer:
"The tyres, obviously".
That would be the reason behind the amazing hat trick performed by Michael Schumacher that allowed him to reduce the gap to fourteen points in just one month. The news of the day, for those who love numbers, statistics and probability, is that as of today Michael Schumacher is well aware that, by winning the remaining six races of the year, he would automatically be World Champion: he has eleven points to make up and, assuming Alonso always second, he would surpass him by one point. Therefore, Renault must take action to reverse a trend that they really did not expect. But, on the other hand, Ferrari also cannot afford to make any mistakes. The final stages of this World Championship promise to be very exciting in terms of entertainment. And the whole paddock is wondering, uncertain as to who will come out on the top. Ferrari’s spirits are beyond imaginable, but the comeback is not yet complete. The fact remains that the German has revived a season that seemed to have been thrown away: he was 13 points behind after three Grands Prix. And he was even 25 points behind after the ninth Grand Prix. Now everything is up for discussion again, but it is not going to be easy:
"Whoever makes a mistake first loses the game. Up until now, Renault had a big advantage, that of being able to work without pressure. Now that advantage has vanished, and it is going to be interesting to see what they are going to do: everybody can make mistakes".
However, it would be simplistic to reduce everything down to the tyre war between Bridgestone and Michelin, and the real strength of the Maranello team has been to finally manage to merge chassis, engine and aerodynamics with the tyres to achieve these recent dream performances. In fact, those in Ferrari point out that there has been no great work lately behind these three exploits. The concept is that Ferrari has always been competitive, since the beginning of the season. Just some unlucky episodes determined Alonso’s advantage in the standings. An analysis also confirmed by Bridgestone, which believes it has not made a huge evolution, but only a constant growth. The question, then, must be turned to the French front: how could Renault and Michelin squander such an advantage? Enrico Zanarini, Giancarlo Fisichella’s manager, says:
"Perhaps the car’s evolution was not in line with the tyres, but that is only my perspective".
Ferrari’s desire for a comeback is now much more than Tifosi’s hope, but how and where can it be completed? In Budapest everything suggests another Ferrari domination, for two reasons: there is no testing and above all there is no time. Furthermore, it should be hot in Budapest, and this will benefit the Bridgestones. Ferrari should therefore get even closer. Then, however, there will be Istanbul. And last year, on the Turkish circuit, Ferrari suffered a lot. Then Monza, pro Schumacher. And then we arrive at the last three transoceanic Grands Prix: China and Japan, where Ferrari is the favourite; and Brazil, perhaps easier for Alonso. A game of chess, a real psychological battle. News only for Alonso, certainly not for the experienced Schumacher, expert in duels until the last Grand Prix. The ending could already be written: in the event of a comeback, the farewell of the German driver who would finish as an absolute winner, as Willi Weber advised him.
"That was my advice, and I am more than a manager. I am a long-time friend".
A negative July to forget as soon as possible. This is more or less the summary of Renault’s thinking and, from Alonso down to Briatore, the imperative is to ban words such as panic, pessimism, even fear. It is Michelin’s fault:
"Did you see them?"
Asks ironically the French team manager. But that is the only joke made by the boss: Flavio Briatore changes tone of voice and vocabulary and says:
"We win together, and we lose together. This is not the time to be scared, but to work even harder".
It does not end here, because there is an admission of guilt:
"A disastrous race, always in difficulty. But we are still leading the World Championship, which is now amazing and entertaining, and we will fight for it until the end".
The Italian manager is trying to see the bright side:
"Believe me, we took points that we didn’t even imagine, after what Alonso told us after three laps".
And what did the Spaniard say?
"He said that the tyres were not working".
A concept reiterated by Giancarlo Fisichella:
"Unfortunately we had some problems with the rear tyres, and it has been hard. Honestly, I didn’t think I would say it, but the battle to win the World Championship is open again. We need to examine the causes because it is difficult to go from victories and podiums to finish fifth or sixth".
Certainly nothing to do with the mass damper, the famous stabiliser that put Renault in trouble. Flavio Briatore also returns to the subject, making some distinctions:
"The problems at Hockenheim are not attributable to the mass damper. We are not looking for excuses, the problems are ours. I do consider it a decision completely out of place: the FIA expressed an opinion, which was overturned by its stewards. And what happens? That the federation is appealing against itself. The truth is that there are people out there who try to create chaos after having tried to copy it badly. A bit like I did in school with my classmate: he got a 9, I got 6.5. In Formula 1 there are a lot of 6.5s. but anyway, congratulations to Ferrari".
Less inclined to fair play is the reigning World Champion: Fernando Alonso shuts down when asked predictable and unwanted questions about the future:
"Sorry, but why am I the one that needs to worry? It’s Schumacher, who is behind, the one who needs to worry".
The Spaniard tries to oppose the logic of numbers to the growing psychological pressure:
"We, in twelve Grands Prix, scored eleven points more than Ferrari. There are six Grands Prix to go, so it’s up to him to make some moves".
However, at the end of the analysis, Alonso lets something slip:
"Here in Germany, the tyres did not work. Now we will check, I’m hoping that is just the tyres and not the car too".
It is his second fifth place of the season and the worst performance.
"But if you ask me my worst moment, I will say Indianapolis. Worse, much worse there. In America I was lucky, regardless of the tyres: there was a moment where I risked going off the track".
The Spaniard tries to keep his wits about him:
"First there was an excess of enthusiasm, and now there is an excess of pessimism. Let’s remain calm".
But there is no stop, and Budapest looms. Alonso recalls his memories:
"In 2003 in Hungary I won my first Grand Prix, in 2004 I finished third. Last year I scored zero points. Now let’s see".
The Spaniard is sure that Michelin will not betray him, in what is their last year in Formula 1:
"They are not going to give up".
A belief that becomes Briatore’s slogan:
"The dead are buried when they are cold".
On the other side, Schumacher’s on-board radio crackles: a shout from the pits:
"Michael. The Championship is back in our hands".
It seems to be Chris Dyer’s voice, Schumacher’s race engineer. A strong sentence, which sums up well the happiness in the Ferrari box after the incredible victory, the overwhelming dominance of its driver. A sibylline statement. Perhaps too much, at least for the taste of the calm Jean Todt, given that later the entire Maranello staff, led by the French boss, denied it was ever uttered. But Schumacher does nothing to deny it.
"An amazing Sunday, the most important thing is that now I can win the Championship on my own, with my own strength, without anyone’s help. I have reduced the gap to eleven points; there are six Grands Prix to go and with as many wins I can win the title".
But that is not easy.
"Of course, it is not easy, it is a challenge, but here at Hockenheim we showed such superiority that I can believe in such a goal. I did not expect us to have such an advantage over the others. I knew I had a great car. I knew we had grown a lot. I knew we would be very fast here but I didn't think we could hold the Renaults back so much. If I think back to twelve months ago, to our performance here in Hockenheim back then, it is impressive how far we have come. I’m very proud of my team".
But you are saying that you are capable of winning the title on your own, as if you no longer care about Felipe Massa’s contribution.
"I just did the maths, it’s no longer enough for Alonso to always finish second if I win every time, which is why I can say that I don’t need Massa’s placings at all costs like I don’t need the misfortunes of others. Felipe’s work is fundamental and he proved it here at Hockenheim. He was the one who chose the tyres. And never has a decision been more appropriate. They worked perfectly".
It is not just that, for some time during the race he was really close to you.
"Yes, he was close sometimes, especially when I was coming out of the pits after my first pit stop. I had found traffic in my last lap, Satō and a Toyota, maybe my brother Ralf, had slowed me down, and there was a big risk of coming back in second. Fortunately, Felipe was calm, and preferred not to take risks and keep our positions".
Do you think that Renault’s decline was because of the banned mass damper?
"I have no idea. And I don’t like to speak about my opponents".
So, what is the secret behind this Ferrari’s explosion?
"Many factors together. We work hard, always, and we never stop. We know how to react, and how to perfectly develop the car. We have understood the tyres better, and how to make them work. We improved the aerodynamics and made the engine even more powerful. And this year we have Felipe, who is amazing in testing".
Now the same thing should happen in Budapest.
"Let’s put it this way: right now you can’t try new things and this is a disadvantage for those who have to catch up and work on their weak points. We are ahead. And from what we saw here in Hockenheim I don’t think we have any weak points".
Hence, another one-two.
"So, Ferrari is the favourite. But we need to be careful and not make any mistakes. We put a bit of pressure on Alonso, and this is good, because now he is less calm, but our comeback needs to continue. We are also condemned not to make any mistakes".
There were fewer people than usual. What do you think about all those empty seats in the grandstands?
"You’re right. Especially in some historical points of the circuit. I’m sorry but you have to ask Ecclestone about the drop in attendance".
Schumacher, however, greeted everyone with enthusiasm. Someone shouted at you: we will miss you.
"It will be the same for me too".
What do you mean? Is this going to be the last race here?
"I did not say that. They were shouting: if you retire, we will miss you. And I’m answering: if it happens, I will miss them too. It’s an argument made on what ifs".
And, for his part, Felipe Massa says:
"I drove intelligently".
An elegant way of saying that he played his part and that he respected teamwork. Because Felipe Massa was flying. The Brazilian was the author of his best race since he joined the Maranello team, always very close to Schumacher. He could have overtaken him, but he decided not to. He always stayed behind, even when, after the German’s first pit stop, he seemed destined to take the lead.
"We were very close, but in that corner there was no point in being aggressive. I slowed down so as not to ruin Sunday for both of us and the team".
Wise choice. So now he can blissfully get all the compliments from the team, and enjoy that third place in the standings, overtaking Fisichella and Räikkönen. Of course, someone notices that his face could be more cheerful, but he is categorical:
"I’m happy, really. I’m used to the podium, though".
So what?
"I would like a victory. I’m waiting for it, and I’m sure it will arrive soon".
First the curious backstory. Then the weird sentence that sounds so much like an official investiture. Even at Hockenheim, Kimi Räikkönen was dressed in black, in his McLaren suit, but perhaps, amidst amusing anecdotes and jokes from important people at Maranello, the German Grand Prix definitively consecrated his passage to Ferrari. The one who counts, among the people in red, is Jean Todt. In the midst of the one-two euphoria, he commented looking at the podium:
"There are my three favourite drivers".
The all-time idol, Michael Schumacher, today’s protégé, Felipe Massa, who is also managed by his son Nicolas, and the one to come, Kimi Räikkönen. It may well be an innocent phrase:
"I have always shown my admiration for the Finn, why should I hide it?"
But that statement can’t go unnoticed if it is uttered by the person who is number one within the team. All the more so if it is accompanied by an episode that happened during the drivers’ parade before the race. Räikkönen is alongside Schumacher and reveals to him:
"Don’t worry, I will stop by lap 10, I’m low on fuel".
Something that happened on time. At that moment the strategies are already defined and can no longer be changed but in the meantime why not start ingratiating yourself with your possible future teammate? There is no point in beating around the bush, the impression is that the Finn has already started the move, and on September 10, he will just have to find out whether he will drive alongside Michael Schumacher (if he decides to continue) or alongside the confirmed Felipe Massa. As for the German Grand Prix, Räikkönen is happy with the unexpected podium.
"That was a challenge. On Saturday we made a mistake with the fuel, and because of that I stopped early. And during the race, I had hydraulic problems. So Button overtook me".
But then he got everything right. First mocking Mark Webber and then snatching the podium from the English Honda driver. Usually, when Michael Schumacher won in Hockenheim, he threw his friend Willi Weber into the pool in the evening. Not because he invited him to retire, which the manager advised him on Sunday in the event of his eighth world title, but to vent the joy of the triumph in front of his fans, those Germans who still haven't got used to his successes and continue to love him madly. But not this time, no late-night parties in the villa. Schumacher with his wife Corinna went home straight away, to relax and to be prepared for the next race on Sunday in Budapest. An exception to the rule, in the hope that it will be the only one, since when the Ferrari driver wins here (before Sunday it only happened in 1995, 2002 and 2004), at the end of the season he then wins the world title. They pointed it out to him immediately, as soon as he got off the podium and he, who pretends not to believe in anniversaries, replied laughing:
"I don’t know if it’s important, but if I have to take it as a good wish, I will gladly accept it".
But Schumacher’s certainties about a sure comeback are not based on superstition. They are of a different kind, an optimism that the German does not dampen at all even the next day.
"In Hockenheim we were perfect, amazing".
These adjectives describe his mood. All the more so as now comes Budapest, one of his favourite Grands Prix, a race in which historically Ferrari runs at great speed, if you think that even last year, in a disastrous year, he managed to take pole position and finish the race in second place. If Schumacher got away with that car twelve months ago, what can happen now that their opponents (especially Renault) are so far behind? It is a consideration that is constantly present in the German’s mind and which pushes him to predict another one-two:
"In Germany, Massa was amazing, always very close to me. I’m convinced that in Budapest we can snatch two more points from Alonso. And if that were to happen, my breathing down his neck could become unbearable".
Also because even the Spaniard, speaking of Hungary, has to deal with the past. They would be sweet memories if he thought of 2003, the August of his first Formula 1 victory at the age of 22. But the memories would taste more bitter if he remembers last year, his eleventh place, the worst result of the season, in the season of the World Championship triumph, of the inebriating first time, of Renault that almost dominated everywhere (but not in Budapest) that allowed him to stand on the highest place on the podium seven times. In 2005 there was no mass damper affair disturbing his nights, no threat of Schumacher giving him nightmares, his car was running like a dream, yet in Hungary he had to suffer bitterly. Usual deduction: what can we expect here, from Renault and Michelin, after being so slow in Hockenheim? These thoughts also find their way into Schumacher's head and, without precise references, because they would be politically incorrect, are summarised as follows:
"In Formula 1 whoever has weak points, needs to test. And right now it is impossible to test. I don’t think a few more days make that much difference".
A crude reality that even Alonso acknowledges. But the psychological fight is one thing:
"I am the one leading the standings, I am the one who has an eleven points lead. So it’s Schumacher the one that can’t afford to make mistakes".
Another thing is the technical analysis:
"In Germany the tyres had no grip, and the car could barely stay on track. Michelin has to do something, and fast".
Otherwise, the throne risks changing hands again. Usurped for only twelve months. And returned to those who, before last year, in the third millennium had never shown it to anyone. In the meantime, everything and the opposite of everything happens. The FIA has become accustomed to disconcerting U-turns: the ban on using the mass damper in Hockenheim; its referees (the stewards) who, on the eve of the Grand Prix, banned it; the FIA that counter-replies angrily with an appeal, threatens sanctions, and forces all the teams (especially Renault, who had been using it since the end of September 2005) to remove it from their cars. The white is immediately accompanied by the black and this story has experienced another chapter. While waiting for the FIA Court of Appeal to rule in Paris on the matter, the teams can use the mass damper, because they do not run the risk of retroactive penalties. To clarify this, in a letter, is Charlie Whiting, the same man who on Friday in Germany had stated the exact opposite warning all the teams, as race director, that with the mass damper, their performance would be sub judice. But now he has changed his mind: he will recommend to the Court of Appeal to establish the mass damper’s legality, drawing a line on the past. The clarification is, in fact, a green light for Renault, ready to bring back the useful mass damper on their cars already in Budapest. Flavio Briatore, manager of the French team, is convinced that he has obtained at least partial justice. In Germany, he had been careful not to take any risks, but he had taken the ban badly:
"We invented it, the others couldn’t copy us well and suddenly they claim it’s illegal. That’s nonsense".
Now, at least until the FIA makes its decision (perhaps before the Turkish Grand Prix, which will be held in Istanbul, on August 27, 2006) Renault will be able to enjoy the benefits of a device that improves the front aerodynamics, facilitates entry and exit from the corners, the passage on the kerbs and makes the tyres work better.
Ferrari becomes the mocked one and Jean Todt is explicit:
"It is clear that it’s about performance. If it’s legal, they have suffered damage in Germany. If not, the others have had it, as they have been using it for almost a year".